Chapter Six: Full Circle

Alex Jeffers

Switching schools in the middle of my senior year was no fun.

When we first found out about Dad's job transfer, Aunt Kate had offered to let me live with her until I graduated. But her twenty-two-year-old college dropout son lived with her, and Dad had quietly explained to me that while he trusted me, he didn't trust Stan. The rumor in the family was that he did drugs, though Aunt Kate refused to believe it.

I would have stayed with her if Dad had offered me the choice…but secretly, I was glad he hadn't. I had never told anyone what Stan tried to get me to do when we were younger.

Still, I wasn't looking forward to trying to fit in when everyone already had their groups of friends. It wasn't like I was especially good-looking or even particularly good at anything.

By the time I walked into my biology class, I was seriously wishing Dad had let me stay with Aunt Kate. But then I saw the single empty seat, and things suddenly seemed a little brighter. The girl sitting on the other side of the table was fair-skinned, with softly waving red hair…I'd always gone for redheads. And she couldn't ignore me completely if we were lab partners, right?

I went to the teacher with my sign-in slip, then slid into the seat beside her. "Hey, you any good at science?"

She smiled slightly. "Pretty good," she said modestly. Her voice was soft; shy and hesitant. I liked that; pushy girls tended to push me away.

"Good; I could use a partner who'll help bring my grade up. Alex Jeffers, by the way."

I heard her soft intake of breath. "Alex," she whispered.

I frowned, puzzled. "Something wrong with my name?"

"No…the boy who used to sit there…was named Xander…for Alexander."

"Was he your boyfriend?" Of course, it figured the prettiest girl in the school was already taken… though her use of the past tense was promising.

"I thought so…he took me out…but I must have done something wrong, because I haven't seen him in school since."

I snorted. "Coincidence," I scoffed. "You girls think everything revolves around you; trust me, no girl is so important that a guy would quit school just because he decided he didn't like her after all."

She bent her head so her hair fell over her face, and I heard a soft sniff. Great; was she crying? I hated when girls cried; I never knew what to say to them. And I hadn't meant to make her cry; I'd been trying to make her feel better, to assure her that it wasn't her fault. "'Course, if any girl was worth it, it would be you," I offered, trying to correct my mistake.

She shook her hair back, turning toward me and offering a small smile. Wow, those green eyes did strange things to a guy's insides… I swallowed hard. "You never did tell me your name."

"Esme Renée Morrello."

"Esme Renée Morrello," I murmured. It was old fashioned and sweet; just like her. "What do you go by?"

"Renée…some people call me Esme Renée."

She turned away slightly, and I guessed Xander had been one of those people. And I knew that I would be, too; she was Esme Renée.

The End

I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!

Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie