So, Beth has moved to the rez, she's getting unpacked, and school is in a week. What comes next? Also, retro alert – stuff that was still new in 2004 coming your way! (I had to take out a reference to Kindles, since they didn't exist back then). And could you believe it, the Harry Potter books weren't all out yet!

We had to get unpacked throughout the next week. I did it in double-quick time, the very next day. Mom took a bit longer with her things, but it was just...I'd have to do it sometime, and there were no plans to move again any time soon, so I'd better get used to it and get things how I liked them. World map on the wall above my bed, CD player on my dresser (well, there were a few things I needed that weren't exactly right for wardrobe shelves), tiny Buddha on my windowsill. I even unpacked all my books and CDs and set them up on the bookcase, and since I had the time, even ordered them, both the children's books I couldn't bear to part with and the older ones, too. The Choose Your Own Adventure books about a rather blank teenager. My Jodi Picoults – Handle With Care, House Rules, My Sister's Keeper and so many more. Every single one of my Harry Potter books. Even my old RL Stines. I'd managed to find every single book in the original Goosebumps series and even though I didn't read them any more, I was going to keep them. Maybe someday they'd be a collector's item for those nostalgic for the Nineties.

My CDs were much the same. I had a bunch of kiddie CDs, mostly with Disney songs, but also some goofy kid songs. I had all my mom's old Beatles and ABBA, guilty pleasure, and some of the not-so-old but over girl bands like Spice Girls, Atomic Kitten, and soloists like Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne. I smiled as I looked at my P!nk CDs. She was definitely one I'd keep listening to.

The sun actually came out in the afternoon, so I went for my run then. It wasn't as cold as I expected, but enough that apart from my exercise clothes, the outfit I'd chosen that morning – pink jeans and a light blue hoodie – had been the right thing to wear.

By the third evening, my room, the kitchenette and the living room were all pretty much sorted. It was just Mom who needed to finish unpacking everything in her room.

But I still had to get through the other days, when we were getting integrated into the community. The community itself wasn't hard. People called around, welcoming Mom back into her childhood home, with her recognizing half the people. As for me, I had to smile and look polite and tell everyone that I was fourteen (just a few months too young for sophomore year), then just nod whenever anyone struggled to tell me what feature I shared with my mom (dark brown eyes, but since my dad had those, too...) and not explain that it was because I inherited more of my dad's looks. After that, I was expected to be introduced to the other teenagers and left to talk to them. But why – I didn't know them! I barely dared say a word. Even if I'd been tempted to talk, I wouldn't have a clue what to say. At least it would be easier at school.

Eventually, a boy my age said "You know, you're not the first new kid here. I mean, I was still unborn when my mom moved here, but I remember her telling me what it was like for, maybe the first month. Even then, she said it was more like she felt she had to prove herself more than what she was expected to do. But ever since I remember, it's like, whatever, who cares if we were from the Makah tribe? We belong here now. Trust me, it'll be the same for you."

I was able to meet the eyes of the boy. He had the coppery Native American complexion, even if he wasn't part of the Quileute tribe like I was, and I was sure he had an easier time fitting in. "Thanks." I said shyly. "But the thing is, you look like you belong as well."

The boy let out a chuckle. "You mean, we'll exclude you because of your skin? It's not 1960, you know. We don't do half this, half that. If you live on the rez, and go to school here, you're one of us. A few kids might make some dumb comments, but most of us won't care. I know my friends won't." He grinned at me suddenly. "If you're really worried, you can tag along after us on your first day, if you want."

I paused. "Did I catch your name?"

Another laugh. "You might've missed it." the boy said. "It's Embry. Embry Call. Like I said, if you really have trouble, I don't mind you hanging out with us. And I can introduce you to Quil and Jacob. They won't care what you look like, either." He paused. "I didn't get your name properly, either."

I gave a sigh. "Beth. Well, Ashley-Beth, but everyone just calls me Beth."

I felt a bit easier in my mind after that conversation. Embry seemed really nice. Hopefully he and his friends wouldn't mind introducing me to a few of the girls on the rez, too.

I didn't really get to know most of the other kids before school. Some of them were freshmen like me, but others were older. One of the boys who came over with his mom wasn't even really a boy – he was out of school and had the world-weary look and height to prove it, but he was still young. Like, the other kids seemed to look up to him.

I didn't pluck up the courage to really talk to the girls that came over. They all seemed so confident and pretty, and all of them were older than me, anyway. Or younger. I mean, one of the older girls, I think her name was Leah or something, had the longest eyelashes I'd ever seen and even though she looked bored while she hung around, waiting for her parents to greet Mom, she still looked incredibly gorgeous. Her younger brother came along too, but he was a year younger than me and still in middle school, so I didn't try too hard to get to know him.

It was really a relief when the week was over and I was in my room, checking my makeup (just foundation and concealer – no one would challenge me about the no makeup rule with that), making sure my hair was neat, and readjusting my clothes (just unripped jeans, a FREE HUGS red T-shirt and a woolen light grey cardigan). My first day of high school was looming, but I wasn't even that bothered. Nothing could be as awkward as the last week, even if the rumours about older girls swiping the freshmen with lipstick in exchange for directions were true (It's not a rainbow party, honestly, especially since despite the name, only half of the class includes men).

As it was, the high school kids mostly ignored us new kids. Classes weren't too hard to find, and I never ended up sitting alone. I wasn't even the only person in my minority. There were a few kids who appeared mixed-race. The school was on the rez, so they had to have at least some Native American lineage (only way you were allowed to live here), but you couldn't tell by looking at them. Some of them looked as African-American as me. The teachers were OK, too. I'd had one or two snotty teachers who seemed to find it funny that I had Oreos on me during break, but this year, it looked like I didn't have any (no racist teachers, and no little packets of Oreos).

I didn't actually see Embry until the lunch break. He spotted me first, and actually looked pleased to see me, waving me over. Like he actually wanted me there. He was at a table with two other guys.

I sat down, smiling shyly.

"Don't look so surprised." Embry teased. "I said I'd introduce you guys. This is Quil -" he pointed to the shorter guy, who had a lot of muscle, "And this is Jacob." The other boy, who had long hair in a ponytail, smiled at me as he was named. He had one of the sunniest smiles I'd ever seen.

"Guys, this is Beth." Embry continued to the two boys. "She just moved in last week. Did either of you meet her before?"

Quil shook his head, but he grinned at me. "Sorry I didn't meet you, Beth. I think my family did go over to yours, but I wasn't with them at the time. Not sure what I was doing..."

Jacob spoke up. "Goofing off or something." he teased. Then he turned to me. "I don't think we met properly, but I saw you before. One evening last week?"

I paused, looking at him carefully. "Oh." I remembered. "Yeah, you were the one I saw during my run, on the stoop."

He snickered. "I said I'd see you at school. Guess that came true."

I was pretty glad to have a few guy friends I could count on. They accepted me into the fold as if I'd always been there.

Yeah, the first day of high school wasn't bad at all. Now I just had to get through the next four years.

So yeah, now she's met one third of the love triangle. Except one of them hasn't arrived in Forks yet, because it's still September, and...well, if she meets the other third, it will be a while. Eighteen months at least. I haven't decided on that part yet. All depends on how friendly she gets with other characters.

Also, I know, I referenced a lot of books and music. Don't own any of them, blah, blah, blah...also, although Beth reads, I hope you noticed she's not stuck in the classics age like Bella. Her books are mostly modern.