||The Cullens' (3rd P.O.V.)||

"Well, this sort of blows," Emmett stated as they drove to school.

Rosalie was in the passenger seat beside him. She had her window rolled down, causing her long blonde hair to fly about, like a gold ribbon trailing the car due to the intense speed Emmett was driving at.

Edward, Alice, and Jasper were in the backseat. Edward sat directly behind Emmett with Alice tucked in between him and Jasper. Alice leaned her head against her mate's shoulders as she furrowed her little brows at Emmett's comment.

"What makes you say that?" She inquired.

Edward was watching the passing scenery as if it was the most interesting scene in the world. He didn't want to be a part of the conversation. Frankly, he just didn't care. He still hadn't spoken more than two words at a time to anyone since his return. He didn't feel a need to.

"We aren't going to get to stay here very long. We're all starting as seniors. Aside from you, Alice," Emmett responded with a sigh. "Even Edward's a senior this go around. His brooding demeanor has aged him."

The burly vampire spoke the comment in jest, hoping to get a reaction out of Edward. A grin, a laugh, a flicker of emotion in his eyes—Anything. Unfortunately, his attempt was unsuccessful. The silent mind-reader didn't so much as bat an eye at his words.

Alice pursed her lips. "Yeah, but it will make it much easier to blend in, I think. It was really hard to pass you off as a sophomore or even a junior, for that matter."

Emmett laughed a deep laugh that came from his stomach. At one point, Edward thought his laughter was contagious. That certainly wasn't the case anymore.

"That's true, that's true," he said with a huge grin.

Rosalie smiled fondly at her mate. "That's my man," she winked.

Edward stifled an eye roll at that.

(Lorelei's P.O.V)

I inhaled deeply before I stepped out of the car. Dustin hopped out of the passenger seat and strolled over to me.

He placed his hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture and grinned. "You got this."

I smiled at him half-heartedly.

"Hey, Dustin! Over here!" His friends called from across the parking lot.

"Go. Hang out with your friends. I'll be okay," I assured him.

A look of pity fell across his face, causing me to shift uncomfortably. I didn't want my little brother to pity me.

"Seriously. I'll be fine," I chuckled weakly, gesturing towards his friends. "Go."

"Are you sure?" He asked with a forlorn smile.

"Yes. I'll.. go find Noah. We have first block together," I said with a nod.

"Alright. I'll see you in gym," he said with a wave and a smile.

I watched as he practically skipped to his small group of friends that welcomed him with a grin. I adjusted my bag over my shoulder anxiously and clutched my books to my chest as I headed towards the daunting building. If Grayson was here, he would be my side, holding my hand as we walked through the main entrance together. Knowing that caused a wave of sorrow to engulf me.

As I walked into the school, I felt like all eyes were on me— like they were all waiting for me to fall apart again. Since Grayson's death, I've been sort of an outcast. I was labeled a freak. It hurts, but I suppose it's true.

Walking down the hallway, I immediately started looking for my best friend. After searching through the sea of students, I caught sight of him. He was at his locker, digging through his backpack. I tapped on his shoulder and waited for him to turn around to face me. He didn't.

I furrowed my brows as I laid my hand on his shoulder. He tensed before he slowly, hesitantly turned towards me. When I caught sight of his face, I gasped.

"Noah, what happened to your face?!" I signed as I whispered.

The entire right side of his face was swollen. His right eye was swollen and red. I could tell it was the start of a black eye.

It's nothing. Don't worry about it, he responded with a frown.

My eyes grew. Tell me, I demanded.

He shook his head before storming away. I followed after him, right on his heels. Whoever did this to him was going to pay. He walked into the boy's bathroom, as if that was going to prevent me from following him. I hesitated for a split second before I followed him in.

"What the hell," a baby-faced freshman mumbled before hurrying out of the restroom when he saw me.

Noah leaned against the sink, avoiding my gaze. I planted myself directly in front of him, forcing him to look at me.

"Who did this to you?" I asked him.

He shook his head in annoyance. Stay out of it.

I had a feeling as to who it was. Anger swelled within me. "Was it Tyler?"

His eyes widened, confirming my suspicions. Like I said, stay out of it. Please.

My jaw hardened in defiance before I spun around on my heels and darted out of the boy's bathroom, ready to give Tyler a piece of my mind.

***The Cullen's (3rd P.O.V)***

The adopted siblings strolled into the high school. Alice had a pep in her step; her hand was entwined with Jasper's who wore a blank expression per usual. Emmett had his arm wrapped Rosalie; a smug smile decorated her beautiful features as she leaned into her mate. Edward shuffled along with a grim expression. It had been nearly two decades since he had stepped foot in to a school. He was starting to wonder why he agreed to do this.

The rest of his siblings were on high alert as they watched the brooding vampire, especially Alice and Emmett. They were both still convinced that the reason he almost attacked the sleeping girl in the cemetery was simply due to lack of self-control from him having consumed human blood for years.

They were on their toes which annoyed Edward immensely. None of these humans' blood appealed to him in that way— not to that extent, at least. He was in perfect control. He sighed as he tried to tune out his family's thoughts to no avail. Rosalie and Jasper headed in the opposite direction. Edward, Emmett, and Alice had first period together, so the silent mind-reader was stuck with his two siblings. Alice pursed her lips at him.

"What do you think, Edward? Not too bad as far as high schools go, right?" She asked with a smile.

He simply shrugged in response. Sure, this school was decent enough. He had certainly seen much worse. There really wasn't anything that set this high school a part from the rest. The students still stared with wide eyes at the vampires. Their thoughts still in awe of their beauty, but still leery.

"Are you going to be like this forever?" The small vampire questioned him.

Once again, he shrugged. He wanted to say, 'You're the psychic. You tell me.' But he couldn't find it within him to be sarcastic or snide. Too much effort, he thought.

"Yeah. You haven't spoken more than two words at a time. Come on bro," Emmett added.

Of course, the hollow vampire shrugged once more. Alice's eyes danced with emotion. She was visibly frustrated. Edward didn't have to read her mind to see that. Emmett was watching the pixie-haired girl with an amused grin.

Her eyes snapped to Edward's as she spoke, "You know what, Edward? This is getting ridiculous. You wouldn't know happiness if you walked right into it—"

She was cut off mid-sentence when a girl stormed through the door from the boy's bathroom and instantly collided with Edward. At the contact, he felt a jolt of electricity travel through his body, which seemed to awaken him from a slumber that he hadn't realized he had fallen under. The startled girl stumbled back, dropping the books in her arms as a gasp flew through her lips. They instantly recognized her as the girl from the graveyard. Her sweet scent engulfed Edward, causing every muscle in his body to tense as fresh venom filled his mouth. He immediately stopped breathing, but he could still taste her scent on his tongue.

She stared down at the books before looking up at the "brick wall" she ran into. A gasp flew through her lips when she saw the beautiful, bronze-haired man standing before her. His skin was like porcelain— it was perfect; without any flaws. As she stared into his eyes, her heart went into overdrive. He had the strangest color of eyes she had ever seen. They were dark, but if she looked close enough, she swore they had a red tint to them.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered out nervously.

The sound of her soft voice caused Edward's stomach to turn. A scowl worked its way onto his stoic face. They simultaneously bent down to gather her books, but he was much quicker. They stood up in sync, mirroring each other, as if they were in tune with one another. She nervously tucked a golden curl behind her ear.

For a moment, Edward allowed himself to truly study her features. She was breathtaking; there was no denying it. Long, dark lashes framed her sapphire eyes which shone brightly. Her rose-colored lips were luscious; perfectly kissable. Her sun-kissed skin was smooth and glowing. Thick waves of gold cascaded down her chest. She was a beauty. Edward may be an empty shell of a man, but he wasn't blind.

The fact that he took note of her undeniable beauty only infuriated him even more. Here she was with the most delectable smelling blood he had ever encountered, but he had to be attracted to her as well?! Was the universe trying to play some cruel, sick joke on him?!

He was instantly reminded of 'she who shall not be named' which only added to his frustration. Unfortunately for this golden-haired beauty, her blood put Bella's to shame. Which meant that this gorgeous stranger was in grave danger.

It felt like an eternity had passed as he sorted through the many emotions coursing through him, but in reality, it had only been seconds. Once again, Edward felt rage simmering within him. He practically shoved the books into her unsuspecting hands. Her mouth fell open at the wrathful look on his striking face.

"You really need to watch where you're going," he seethed; his words were laced with venom.

The girl blinked rapidly as she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she had no idea as to why. Emmett and Alice exchanged a curious look, before Emmett's face broke out into a huge grin.

"That was eight words. Ten syllables," Emmett chuckled quietly as he nudged Alice with his elbow.

The blue-eyed girl knitted her brows in confusion at the three pale, beautiful strangers before she locked eyes with the rude, visibly angry, dark-eyed boy. She clutched the books against her chest in an anxious manner as she tilted her head to the side. Her golden waves spilled over her shoulder like a fountain. The fact that Edward noticed only infuriated him even more.

"I said I was sorry. It was an accident," she spoke a bit more boldly than before.

Edward clenched his fists. Blue fire sparked in her eyes.

"I don't care," he all but growled out. "Stay out of my way."

His words sounded like a threat. The bewildered girl was at a loss— as were his siblings.

Her stomach was in her throat as she spoke, "With pleasure."

Alice and Emmett's jaws dropped. When their brooding brother finally decided to speak more than two words, it was simply to be hateful to some innocent girl? The bright-eyed girl continued to awkwardly stand there, like a deer in headlights, before she caught sight of a head full of dark hair. She narrowed her eyes in Tyler's direction before stalking off towards him, leaving the vampires dumbfounded.

"Tyler!" She called out angrily.

Edward couldn't stop himself from spinning around to watch the encounter. His siblings did the same. Alice watched the girl curiously.

The teenage jock still didn't acknowledge her which added to her frustration.

"Tyler," she said his name lowly, coming to a halt behind him.

Tyler stiffened as he continued digging through his locker. "What do you want, Lynna?"

Lynna. Edward rolled her name on his tongue silently.

Lynna held her books in one arm and placed a hand on her hip. "I want you to tell me why you gave Noah a black eye."

Tyler scoffed before he spun around to face her. The boy towered over her five foot two stature. She was surprised to see that he was sporting a black eye as well.

"He started it," he grumbled bitterly. "But I finished it."

Lynna's mouth fell open. "He wouldn't do that," she instantly defended her friend.

Edward sifted through the dark-haired boy's thoughts and found that he was telling the truth. Noah did, in fact, throw the first punch.

Tyler titled his head to the side and stared at the blonde girl. His eyes trailed down her body; a frown played on his lips when he saw that the ginormous hoodie hid her feminine figure. Edward glared at him from afar.

"Well, he did," he said firmly before he leaned in closer to her to ask, "Are you sure he's actually deaf? Cause it seemed to me that he could hear every word I was saying."

Lynna gave him a disbelieving look. "He can read lips, dumbass."

The brooding vampire's lips twitched, as if to smile, before he quickly recovered.

Tyler's brown eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, that's actually a thing?"

Edward scoffed at his idiocy. The guy really gave meaning to the dumb jock stereotype.

Lynna rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, Tyler, that is actually a thing. Now, tell me why you hurt him."

His mouth fell open before he pointed to his swollen left eye. "He hurt me first. That kid's territorial, I'm telling you."

She quirked a brow and frowned. "Territorial? Of what?"

It was his turn to give her the disbelieving look as he said, "Of you. Duh."

Emmett placed a hand on each of his siblings' shoulders. "Come on, you two. Let's stop spying on Sleeping Beauty and get to class."

Edward tensed under his touch before he turned his head towards the brawny vampire and snapped, "Stop calling her that!"

Emmett bit back a laugh at Edward's expense. "Four words. Five syllables. I'm impressed, bro. You're speaking in full sentences."

Edward was in no mood for his teasing. He shook his hand off his shoulder and scowled. "Two words. Two syllables. Shut. Up."

At this, Emmett lost it. His head fell back as he let out a loud laugh; his broad shoulders shook with laughter. Alice even let out a small giggle when she took in the annoyed expression on her brother's face.

"Wait.. Why was she in the boys' bathroom?" Alice wondered aloud with a quiet chuckle.

Edward was wondering about that as well, though he didn't want to admit it. The girl intrigued him to no end. He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his bronze hair. He sneakily stole a glance in 'Sleeping Beauty's' direction. He took note of the anger playing on her delicate features as Tyler stormed off, ignoring any further interrogating from her.

The mind-reader wanted to punch himself. Why should I care anything about the girl? She's a perfect stranger. He thought to himself. He managed to convince himself that he didn't care. As a matter of fact, he disdained her. He was fully convinced. With that, he spun on his heels and made his way to his first class.

(Lynna's P.O.V)

As I walked down the hall towards first period, I felt overwhelmed with emotions. After running into a strange, good-looking guy in the hallway who nearly bit my head off over the incident, I felt on edge. Tyler certainly didn't help matters. Tyler was Grayson's best friend when he was alive, and the fact that he recently had it out for his little brother, Noah, really bothered me.

I had gone to the nurse and asked for an ice pack for Noah's swollen eye prior to class, so I was sure I would be one of the last students to trickle in. I took a deep breath before I walked into the nearly full classroom. My eyes immediately scanned to Noah who had (thankfully) saved me a seat directly beside him.

My stomach churned anxiously when I felt a pair of eyes practically boring a hole through me. My eyes shifted to see who the eyes belonged to when they landed on the bronze-haired jerk that I ran into earlier. The glare he was sending me caused me to shudder nervously. The phrase 'if looks could kill' sprung to my mind. Without even thinking, I instinctively glared back as I made my way over to Noah. The stranger continued to stare me down from across the room as I sat next to my friend. I couldn't help but wonder what in the world I had done that pissed him off such a great deal. Was he really that upset over me accidentally bumping into him?

Noah looked at me curiously before he signed, What's his problem? He gestured to the good-looking butthead with staring problems.

I shrugged. No idea.

I gave my best friend a small smile before I handed him the ice pack. Here. For your eye. I got it from the nurse.

He shook his head before he gave me a grateful smile in return. Thank you.

I watched as he put the ice pack on his eye before I signed, I talked to Tyler.

He rolled his good eye that wasn't covered with the ice pack. I told you to stay out of it.

I laughed silently. And I didn't listen. I paused and exhaled loudly before asking, "Did you hit him first?"

He sighed and pressed his lips into a thin line. He removed the ice pack from his face and looked me in my eyes before he responded. Yes.

My eyes widened in surprise. "Why?"

A frown fell upon his lips. I could tell he was debating whether he was going to tell me or not. He sighed again before he gave in. He was talking to his friends about you.

My mouth fell open. About what?

What could Tyler have possibly said that caused Noah to react like that? I was curious.

Noah scowled as he signed, He was making bets with them. He said he would get you in bed before the end of the semester. But he didn't word it like that. Obviously.

My jaw dropped in shock. I was genuinely surprised that my mouth wasn't on the floor. I could feel my face heating up with anger. My mom always called me Tinkerbell when I was a kid, because my face would turn bright red just like Tink's did when I was angry. Noah glanced behind me and to my right; a frown painted his face. I turned around in my seat and saw the douchebag himself— Tyler. When he met my furious gaze, he gave me a smug smile which only fueled my anger. I groaned angrily as I turned back around.

I locked eyes with my best friend and whispered harshly as I signed, "Well, that is NEVER going to happen. Not in a million, trillion years."

I didn't know the sign for bazillion or I would have added that in as well.

Noah gave me a bright smile. I know.

I was practically shaking with anger. And he was Grayson's best friend. I can't believe his audacity. That jerk! What the hell happened to him? He used to be… nice.

Noah shrugged and pursed his lips. He started being a dick to everyone, including Grayson, before he died. So, I don't know.

I shook my head in annoyance. I was so upset that I almost forgot about the stranger that continued to stare at me intensely. I was distracted entirely when a girl I had never seen before walked into the classroom. My mind went blank for a split second before I saw the vision. Her and Noah, hand in hand, smiling at one another. The happiness on Noah's face was undeniable as he stared at her like she was the only girl in the world. He ran his hand through her light brown hair before kissing her tenderly. When he pulled away, he signed, I love you.

I felt my body go slack as I was snapped back to reality. Noah looked at me with worry etched across his face. I felt my lips tugging up into a knowing smile before I sprung up from my seat and waved the girl over. Her brows knitted together before she awkwardly approached me. She was holding onto her backpack for dear life. Clearly, she was nervous. She was new to town.

"Hi, I'm Lynna," I said with a bright smile as I extended my hand out for a handshake. "This is Noah."

She cleared her throat nervously before introducing herself. "Hi. Um. I'm Paige."

She put her hand in mine and gave it a quick shake. She was a pretty girl in a not-so-obvious sort of way. Her hair was long and light-brown, which went with her big, brown eyes perfectly. Her face was round and joyful. Noah was looking at me curiously.

This is Paige. I'm giving her my seat. I signed to him.

His mouth fell open and his eyes filled with horror. I stifled a chuckle before turning back to Paige. She furrowed her brows when she saw that I had signed to him.

"Here. You can sit next to Noah. You two will get along great. Trust me," I said to her while grabbing my bag and books.

I didn't leave it up for discussion. Sometimes, I needed to take things into my own hands. This was one of those times. Paige hesitantly slunk into the seat I offered her.

"Thanks," she said with a timid smile.

"Don't mention it," I told her, returning her smile briefly.

The smile quickly fell from my face as I searched for an empty seat. There were only two. One was beside Tyler. He met my gaze and wagged his eyebrows at me in a suggestive manner before he gestured to the chair next to him. I rolled my eyes before looking at the other empty seat. As luck would have it, it was beside the stranger with staring issues that seemed to hate me for no particular reason.

I weighed my options before choosing, what I believed to be, the lesser of the two evils.

**3rd P.O.V**

Edward's mouth fell open in disbelief as Lynna reluctantly made her way to his table. Emmett and Alice were seated at the table behind him; he heard them both gasp when the blonde-haired girl sat down beside him.

Edward's entire body went rigid as her delectable scent engulfed him. She casually tossed her golden hair over her shoulder, sending a concentrated wave his way that made flames scorch his throat like the fiery pits of hell. Does the stupid girl have a death wish?! He thought to himself.

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, he felt a tad bit relieved that she didn't choose to sit beside Tyler. Edward had watched Lynna's private conversation with Noah, and came to the conclusion that he wasn't a big fan of the jock. Of course, it had nothing to do with Lynna. No, not at all. He disliked the guy for other reasons. He was sure there was plenty.

We can trade seats if you want, Alice's thoughts spilled into his mind.

It was then that the middle-aged, balding teacher walked in and boomed loudly, "Alright, class. To make things easier on myself, where you are sitting is now your assigned seat. No takesie backsies. Hope you chose your partner wisely."

Edward clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Just my luck.

Sorry, Alice thought.

Emmett let out a low chuckle. So much for having a table all to yourself.

Edward turned to glare at the idiotic girl. As he did, Noah spun around in his seat and looked at her with wide, horrified eyes. His face was comical. Lynna looked at Noah and laughed airily. The sound of her laughter filled Edward's ears and caused a strange sensation to course through him. He didn't like it. Not one bit.

The golden-haired girl wore a breathtaking smile as she signed from across the room to her friend. You'll thank me later.

Edward couldn't help but quirk a brow. Curiosity was gnawing at him. What did she mean by that? Why did she give up her seat to a girl she didn't even know? She gave up sitting next to her best friend, only to end up sitting next to a vampire that couldn't stand her? Is she crazy?!

The teacher cleared his throat as he handed a piece of paper to someone up front. "I drew up a 'map' you could say of the classroom. I even numbered the tables for you. You and your partner are to sign your name on the correct number that correlates with your table. Easy peasy seating chart, am I right? Work smarter, not harder. Remember that class."

The paper circulated around the room, before it finally arrived at their table. Edward continued to stare a hole through her as she pulled out her pen and signed her name.

"Will you please stop doing that?" She asked in a gentle voice as she continued to avoid his eyes.

Edward gritted his teeth. "You shouldn't have sit here," he spoke bitterly.

She finally turned to look at him directly. Her sapphire eyes looking into his caused him to squirm. It made him feel.. nervous?

"You're just going to have to get over it," she stated in a firm tone as she slid the paper towards him. "My friend's happiness means more to me than your irritability."

"That doesn't make any sense!" He practically snapped, earning a couple of odd looks from the people around them.

Lynna sighed softly before she locked eyes with his. She could see the anger dancing like fire in his dark eyes, causing her to gulp anxiously.

"Look," she paused, trying to collect herself. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't about to get stuck sitting next to him," she gestured in Tyler's direction before continuing, "for the rest of the semester. I'd rather sit next to brooding, angry-at-the-world, mysterious asshole guy than douchebag, full-of-himself, buttwipe guy that wants to get in my pants. So, you're just going to have to deal with it." She frowned before adding sarcastically, "Partner."

A scowl crawled across his face as he signed his name. He nearly broke the pen in half before he passed the paper to Emmett, who was shaking with silent laughter. Alice offered her visibly distraught brother a kind smile.

Lynna stole a peek at the paper, searching for his name which he had signed elegantly. "Edward Cullen, huh?"

The sound of his name leaving her lips did something to him. He practically dissolved into a puddle on the floor before he collected himself. Anger quickly replaced the strange, forbidden sensation. He glowered at her. She breathed out a silent laugh.

"I'm Lynna. Lynna Holloway. Figured we should at least know each other's names," she mumbled as she stared down at the table.

"I know who you are," he all but growled.

Lynna tensed. Her lower lip trembled anxiously. Clearly, this guy couldn't stand her, but why?

Be nice. Please. Alice begged in her mind before she lightly tapped on Lynna's shoulder.

Lynna turned to face the smiling vampire. "Hi. I'm Alice," she said before gesturing to the large man sitting next to her. "This is Emmett. Edward, here, is our brother. Please forgive his bad manners. I assure you his rudeness has no reflection on the rest of us."

Lynna was in shock as she stared at the beautiful vampires seated behind her. They were both pale, with skin like porcelain, and eyes the color of honey. As much as they resembled each other, they also looked nothing alike. Alice was petite with a pixie-like quality. Emmett was broad shouldered with a boyish grin. He was easily the largest man that Lynna had ever laid eyes on. She was in awe of their beauty. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she was even more in awe of Edward's. He and his siblings were beautiful in a surreal sort of way.

Edward took note when Lynna's lips parted as she stared at Emmett. He couldn't help but feel a bit bothered by it, but he quickly shook it off. Lynna blinked rapidly at them before a huge smile spread across her face, highlighting her elegant features and making her blue eyes sparkle.

"I'm Lynna. It's nice to meet you guys," she said to them. "I take it you guys are new in town. How are you liking it so far?"

Alice laughed airily. "Gray is lovely. I can tell it's a tight-knit community."

Lynna nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Everybody knows everybody. It's both a good thing and a bad thing."

"So, Sleeping Beau— I mean, Lynna," Emmett chuckled when he caught himself; Edward rolled his eyes and pretended not to be interested in the conversation.

"I'm curious. Why did you give up your seat? You and that Noah guy seem awfully close." Emmett asked the million-dollar question.

A delicious blush spread to her cheeks. Edward was thankful he wasn't breathing when he noticed the blood pooling beneath her sun-kissed skin. He quickly averted his gaze.

"Wait.. Were you playing matchmaker?" Emmett asked with a playful gleam in his eye.

Alice giggled. "Were you?" She wanted to know as well.

Lynna shrugged in a nonchalant manner. "I'm just giving them a nudge in the right direction."

Emmett nodded in her friend's direction. "Hate to burst your bubble, but it doesn't look like it's going well."

Noah had his head in his hands while Paige was nervously fidgeting with a pencil. Edward picked up on their thoughts. Noah was frustrated with Lynna; he was paying no mind to the shy girl beside him. Paige, on the other hand, was instantly attracted to the boy, but she had no clue how to communicate with him. She didn't know the first thing about ASL. Even if she did, she wouldn't know what to say. Edward agreed with his brother— it wasn't going well.

Lynna simply shrugged with a knowing smile. "Sometimes, these things take time. Just you wait. I bet you fifty bucks… He will ask her out by the end of the month."

Emmett grinned hugely. "No way. You're on!"

The blue-eyed beauty smiled back with as much enthusiasm. Her smile instantly vanished when a certain dark-haired jock walked over and knelt down beside her.

Tyler smirked at her devilishly. "I wouldn't bet against her if I were you. You'll be out that fifty bucks," he said to Emmett.

Emmett raised his brows in questioning. Alice tilted her head to the side in curiosity. Edward stiffened in his seat as he glared at the nuisance of a boy.

Lynna sighed in annoyance. "Go away, Tyler."

He chuckled lowly. "Tell me, Lynn," he practically purred her nickname. "Do you see me in your future?"

(Lynna's P.O.V)

"Get lost," I said to him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of answering his question.

His smirk grew. "I'll take that as a maybe."

I rolled my tongue in my mouth out of annoyance before I gave him a sickly-sweet smile. "Yeah, maybe…" I trailed off in a seductive voice before adding with a scowl, "When hell freezes over."

Tyler laughed, clearly unfazed. His confidence wasn't shaken. "It's almost been a year, you know. I'm trying to do you a favor. Everyone still sees you as the weepy, brokenhearted girl. You don't want everyone to continue to pity you during your senior year, do you?"

His words struck a nerve. For a moment, I forgot about the three acquaintances that were listening in.

"I really don't care what anyone thinks," I spoke firmly. "You have no idea what I've been through this past year. Now, tell me. Would you like your right eye to match your left?"

Emmett chuckled quietly from behind me. The feel of Edward's eyes on me made me nervous. Tyler simply laughed at my threat.

"I can see why Grayson was so crazy about you," he said with a smirk.

The teacher, Mr. Turner, called everyone to attention. "Take your seats please," he urged with a frown.

"I'll talk to you later," Tyler winked with his good eye before slinking back to his seat.

I narrowed my eyes at him and shook my head. He couldn't possibly think that I would go for him, right? He was Grayson's best friend. Besides, I wasn't ready for a relationship again. My heart still belonged to Grayson. He was my epic love. A part of me wondered if I would ever be ready to give my damaged heart to anyone else.