I rushed to the cafeteria, needing to see what I already knew, and stopped dead three steps inside the door.

They were all here. The pixie, the emo, the hulk and the blonde.

They were sitting at their usual table up wind of the students.

I took a deep breath to steady myself before deciding to ditch school for the rest of the day. Maybe I could ditch Forks High altogether, leave the country and never come back?

I turned to leave, rolling all the possibilities around in my head, and walked about one step before a warm hand grabbed my arm and stopped me.

I was instantly on alert. One, because humans had hot hands and two, if I wanted to leave, and I did, no human was going to stop me.

I spun around faster than I probably should have given the circumstances only to come face to face with a pixie wearing the latest in designer clothes and a frown.

"Not so fast," she said, "I've been waiting all day to meet you. I'm Alice Mason by the way."

"What do you think you're doing Alice? Someone could have seen you!" I hissed back.

"It's ok, the first students won't be here for another 10 seconds," Alice smiled confidently.

I guess I knew better than to bet against Alice but I didn't say another word until the first students entered the cafeteria.

Exactly 10 seconds later.

Alice just grinned.

"I'm Marie Penn," I told her somewhat reluctantly. Alice now resembled the Cheshire cat.

"Come and meet my family," she started, dragging me over towards the emo, the hulk and the blonde. "I just know where going to be great friends."

Silently I wondered how many people she said that too.

"Okay everyone this is Marie Penn, Marie this is my boyfriend Jasper Whitlock, his twin sister for all intents and purposes Rosalie and her boyfriend and my brother of sorts Emmett," introduced Alice motioning to the emo, the blonde and the hulk in turn before taking a seat, "and my other brother is Edward. He isn't here yet but - "

"I already met Edward," I interrupted Alice as I sat down next to her.

"Great, I knew you guys would get along brilliantly," Alice beamed.

I burst out laughing. Edward and me, getting along? Was she crazy?

At that moment Edward decided to grace us with his presence by flopping into the seat next to the hulk. I stopped laughing and everyone seemed to tense up a bit.

"Did you kill anyone? Do we have to leave?" piped Rosalie. Obviously she still didn't like the idea of exposure.

Edward shook his head and in doing so lifted his head high enough to realise that I was sitting next to Alice. Opposite him.

Edward stared at me for a moment then smiled. Everyone seemed surprised, and I think I heard Jasper gasp at the shot of happiness he received from Edward. I'm also pretty sure Emmett's chin hit the table. I heard the clunk.

"Don't smile at me," I told him growling lightly, "the only reason you and you're family are still in the country is because I fed you!"

"You did what?" asked Emmett, clearly imagining something far more perverse that what actually happened.

"No Emmett, she did not . . . do that!" Edward looked at me apologetically.

I shuddered then explained acutely aware of all the humans watching us.

"Whenever I am going to be around . . . people for any length of time I make sure I have a flask of . . . tomato soup just in case something smells too good, I get thirsty and my self control weakens for a moment. Today I bought two flasks with me in case something sang to me," I glanced at everyone to make sure they were following before I continued.

"Einstein over here," I pointed at Edward with my thumb, "drank both of them."

There was a moment of silence as everyone absorbed what I had said. Then Alice just about knocked me out of the chair when she threw her arms around me for a hug.

"Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!" she squealed right into my ear. I'm gonna be hearing high pitched pixie squeals for the rest of the week.

"Thank you Marie, you have no idea what this means to me or my family," said Rosalie. She didn't exactly whisper but I was having a hard time hearing her over Alice's excited thank yous. Emmett and Jasper nodded in agreement with Rosalie and Alice finally decided to let me go.

I shrugged in response.

"I just didn't want any kids to get hurt," I mumbled drawing invisible pictures on the table with my finger.

"You know," Jasper commented also aware of the curious looks we were getting, "if . . . something sang to you I doubt two flasks of . . . tomato soup would be enough to stop you."

"I haven't tasted human blood since I was turned and anyway I knew a vampire once who resisted his singer. If he can do it, so can I!" I answered vampire style (fast and quiet) daring him to say otherwise.

After a moment no one had said anything, after all they knew a vampire like that too, so I turned to Rosalie and Emmett.

"So you have you guys been here before?" I asked.

I was surprised at how easily we all fell into a comfortable conversation.