Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga, or any of its original characters.

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Penny Lambert was just looking for a new start when her family moves to the small town of Forks, but then she meets Seth Clearwater and the strange connection that blossoms between them is undeniable. Surprised to find salvation in such a seemingly perfect guy, Penny can't help the feeling that Seth is hiding something important from her. But the closer she gets to uncovering his secrets, the further Penny is unknowingly thrown in the path of danger... Seth/OC.

North Star

1: Silver Linings

With a reluctant sigh, I pushed open the door to my new bedroom and inspected my surroundings. It was slightly smaller than my room back in San Diego, with a lone window opposite my dresser that offered a view of the forest that lined our backyard and a dozen or so marks on the wallpaper where the previous occupant had placed posters. It was sort of strange to see all of my furniture and things in such an unfamiliar room; however I knew I would have to get used to the sight sooner rather than later.

Since we had arrived in Forks early this morning I'd been on autopilot as I carried box after box up the creaky staircase, and now I couldn't help but feel relief wash over me as I gracelessly dropped the last one down on my bed. The majority of my stuff was unpacked and had been temporarily placed where I deemed suitable so, for now at least, I had nothing more to do.

The easy part of moving house was over and done with, and now I was faced with the harsh reality of being a few hundred miles away from the only home I'd ever known. But still, this was for the best. It just had to be.

"Are you all done in here then, Penny?"

I looked up to find my mom leaning against the doorway, gazing at me with that distant look she'd adopted when we first heard the news a few months ago. I automatically turned away from her – glad to avoid eye contact.

"Pretty much," I eventually replied.

"That was quick," she commented, playing idly with a stand of her shoulder-length hair. "Your father and the movers have almost finished the lounge, too."

I shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "That's good."

"You've got a nice view from your window - it's too bad that the weather's terrible at the moment,"

If I hadn't actually witnessed the gradual deterioration of my family, I probably would've had a stroke upon finding that Mom and I had resorted to discussing the weather. We'd been so close when I was growing up.

"I thought that the weather was always shit in Washington?"

"Mind your language," Mom snapped, and in response I couldn't help but flinch.

I muttered an apology under my breath, pretending to rearrange a few paperbacks on my pine bookshelf. Without another word, Mom shut the door behind her and a minute later I heard her disappear back downstairs.

My hand lingered on a copy of East of Eden, which my older brother, Adam, had given me as a present last summer. I closed my eyes and let out an uneven breath, desperate to keep the promise I'd made to myself. This was a new start for our family and I was determined to make the best of it – even if it meant ignoring the painful reason we were even here.

I forced myself to look away from the stack of books, hoping that somehow there'd be a silver lining on at least one of the clouds that hung in the grey sky above the forest. But, of course, there wasn't.

Monday swung around quickly, and school was a much needed distraction from the tension that seemed to hang between my parents and I. The drive across town to Forks High School didn't take long and before I knew it I was walking into my first home room here, a pile of documents in hand for Mom to fill out when I got home at the end of the day.

The majority of the students turned towards me – as they had in the parking lot and in the corridors – and I pretended not to notice. Mr Lewis welcomed me over to his desk at the front of the class with a wide grin.

"You must be Penelope Lambert," he said, "why don't you take a seat at the back while I take attendance?"

"It's just Penny," I corrected him nervously.

Mr Lewis nodded and turned his attention back to the ancient computer that sat on his desk.

I glanced at the back row, where there was only one spare seat next to a dark-haired girl. She looked up at me and smiled so I tried not to seem too hesitant as I manoeuvred my way towards her.

"Hey there," the girl chirped as I sat down. "Your family just moved to town, right?"

"Well, sort of. My mom actually grew up here," I told her.

She nodded and said, "Oh, sweet! I'm Kate, by the way."

"My name's Penny,"

Kate smiled at me again, and then informed me that I was officially under her wing. I couldn't help but laugh, which admittedly felt good for the first time in a while, and eventually we settled into comfortable, trivial chatter.

The prospect of starting a new school three weeks into the new school year no longer seemed as daunting, considering Kate happened to have a few classes with me throughout the next week and didn't ask too many questions about why my family had moved north from California. By the end of home room she'd even saved my number into her BlackBerry.

I braced myself for the rest of the school day as the bell finished ringing, trailing after my new peers as we headed towards second period. I hugged my jacket tighter around my torso, the cold wind biting into me as I crossed the quad to the science block. The school map I'd been given at reception was remarkably easy to navigate.

People continued to look as I passed them, apparently sizing me up to see if I was worth their time or if I was simply a novelty. More than once I was sure that a couple of older kids had dismissed me as the latter, but I tried not to let their apathy get to me. Sure, I'd been reasonably popular back home; however new students were always either a total fascination or disregarded in any school.

As the morning went by and lunch loomed, I was left to wonder which category I would inevitably fall into.

Eventually Kate's group of friends pulled me out of my thoughts, each of them asking question after question as we sat together in the far side of the cafeteria. They had all briefly introduced themselves when I had sat down next to them and I was trying my best to remember all five of their names.

"Did you have a boyfriend back in San Diego?" A girl called Carmen asked me through a mouthful of fat-free potato chips. She was like an exact clone of the image-conscious girls I'd seen back home, with tanned skin and an impeccably straight yet deceptive smile.

I laughed nervously and said, "No, not really. I didn't date much." I hadn't even kissed a boy since eighth grade, but Kate and her friends weren't going to find that out right off the bat.

"That's probably a good thing," she continued. "I've heard that Californian boys are all jerks!"

"Are guys all you can talk about?" Kate sighed.

Carmen gave her a contemptuous look and simply laughed when Kate looked away, easily managing to monopolize the conversation once more without any further interruptions.

Not seeing the point in arguing that not all of the boys I'd known had been pricks, I allowed Carmen to continue babbling and turned my attention to the meagre lunch that I'd scrounged from our empty kitchen cabinets. I'd been too worried that I wouldn't like the food at Forks High School to even consider not bringing something to snack on so I was left with the choice of a lunchmeat sandwich I'd hurriedly made this morning, or whatever three dollars could buy me at the canteen.

Kate smiled at me reassuringly across the table; the proceeded to break off half of her tortilla wrap and offer it to me. I took it hesitantly, secretly hoping that it didn't contain mayonnaise, and settled back into being the topic of inquisition.

To be honest I sort of enjoyed the attention and, as long as they didn't stray to the subject of my family or why we relocated, I was more than happy to pretend I was just like any other new girl. It was a lot more enjoyable than the reality of having a dead brother.

A/N: Well, there's the first chapter! I realize that it's considerably short, although this is just supposed to give a brief introduction to the story, and I promise that it will get much better. I love the Quileute wolves and there's not a lot of fan fiction about them any more, so I thought that they deserved a story. Also, keep in mind that this is set about six years after Bella first arrives in Washington. I'd really appreciate some feedback, e.g. whether or not to continue and what you think so far! So... what's the verdict, guys?