She didn't tell him her feelings that day. Edward was more than okay with that, taking her back down the mountain a little until they found a place to sit, one where the wind wouldn't blow away their papers, and looked through the syllabus for each of their classes. Edward had picked his classes long before ever meeting Lettie, so there were only things he was interested in (or, really, things he could tolerate). The promise of letting her pick his classes next year gave her some much-needed joy after their discussion. He was as patient as he could, talking her through what was discussed in each class, including adding his own information that he knew she would need once the real classwork began. He diligently answered all the questions he wrote down while they were at school and all the new ones she had since sitting down.

They stayed out so late that they eventually made their way back up the mountain, laying side by side just like they had in the clearing, to gaze up at the night sky. Edward was pleasantly surprised as she started to point out several constellations, the words of their named myth falling easily from her mouth.

"Where did you learn all this?" Edward asked, head turned away from the stars to watch her profile.

"My Mother," she responded softly, voice tinged with long-harbored sadness. She gave him a smile, reassuring him that she was okay, before returning to her stories.

Esme was not pleased with the way he rushed into the house early that morning, barely making it in time to get ready for school.

It was easy to get into a routine with Lettie, Edward realized as they once again formed a new one. Summer was spent chatting freely, untethered, as they lounged in the sun and basked in the private nature around them. Fall was more reserved, days passing quickly as she continued to hold her complicated emotions close to her chest. They spent nearly every day going to the mountain after school to talk about the day and work on their homework. When Edward had to hunt, he let Lettie pick where she wanted to be, hiding her far away from the gruesome nature of his survival. Rarely did she want to be in the house without him, the memory of their fight after Alice's near discovery still too fresh, so she was able to spend hours exploring the woods on her own. When she worried about him spending too much with her, away from his family, she talked him into going home, hiding her in his room while he played games with his brothers, spent time with Alice, helped Carlisle, and enjoyed the day with Esme. A few times he brought her along, keeping the necklace close to him so there were no accidents, but the conflicting thoughts of wanting Edward to both spend time with his family or spend time close to her kept those moments few and far between.

The sun was especially stubborn this year, coming out even into October, which meant time away from school, locked in the house just in case. On those days, they used their new system (1 finger held up for yes, 2 for no, and 3 to get an explanation later) to communicate, laying on the floor of Edward's bedroom to soak up the sun and listen to his endless collection of music. Sometimes a family member would join, giving Lettie more than a glimpse at their complicated family dynamic.

The end of October brought both the first-ever stress of midterms for Lettie, which he did not envy her for, and the last of their days staying home to hide from the sun. The rain was welcomed by them with open arms, especially Lettie, who had not been able to stand in a rainstorm since she was a young girl.

"You can get wet?" he had asked, more than a little curious. Lettie was completely soaked, clothes and hair sticking to her, but she didn't seem to mind at all, smiling towards the sky with her arms out. It was the most carefree he had seen her in weeks.

"Oh!" In an instant, she was back to her usual appearance, rain bouncing off her without leaving a mark. His jaw dropped. "Only if I please." Her tease made him smile, leaning down to splash her with a muddy puddle. She gasped jokingly, letting the dirt soak into her dress, and her hair to fall limp against her head once more.

School was fun, for the first time in decades. Lettie, try as she might, made his grades drop from the near-perfect score they had always been, but he found himself not minding at all. She was genuinely intrigued with the material in class, holding onto every word from both the teachers and Edward, working through the night with Edward to make sure her work was up to par. The first paper she had ever written, with massive help from Edward, was filled with little comments from the teacher about the genuine effort given to the material (Edward jokingly framed it and put it on his desk for Lettie to look at her well-deserved C+ whenever she wanted, even though he got weird looks from his siblings for doing so). She tore through material voraciously, getting Edward to lay out the books so she could read on her own. It was that drive that had them discover that the thin paper was easy enough for Lettie to lift by herself, so long as the heavy textbook did not close on its own (and she couldn't hold up a pencil for more than a few seconds before having to let it drop). They propped it up on a rock for a few days before Lettie joked about an old Bible stand her Father owned when she was growing up. Edward brought home a new book stand for her the next day.

With Lettie, he found himself laughing more, smiling beside himself, and genuinely taking an interest in the world around him once more. Though all members of his family noticed, they didn't say a word, allowing Edward the small modicum of privacy they could in a family like theirs. Without Lettie, he played the role of devoted son easily, keeping his head down in class, 'eating' with his family at lunch, and hunting without complaint.

Now, as the chill of November set into their bones, life seemed to settle down. He and Jasper kept an eye out for troublesome students, but not many had dared to make a move after the hard shutout they received the first week the Cullens joined the school. Each of them would have to put up with the occasional harassment, either for friendship or romance, but their seemingly boring life, the ones they showed to the outside world, had the school losing their obsession quickly.

That day was seemingly just as mundane as the rest had been. Edward was hunched over his desk, hand scribbling notes as , the history teacher, droned on about the Roman Empire, today's topic all about the well-known philosophers of the time. With Lettie's inability to hold a pencil, and the strange looks it would get even if she could, they agreed that Edward would take diligent notes for the both of them, though Edward didn't have it in his heart to tell her he had near perfect memory recall and wouldn't need to take notes if not for her. It did, however, keep his mind and hands occupied when he would normally spend the time in class lost in his and others' thoughts. Lettie was able to sit beside him, eyes looking at the board in wonder while the rest of the class was nearly put to sleep. It took a lot to get Lettie to look away from the front of the class, which is why Edward immediately noticed when Lettie's head whipped to the left, eyes staring over his head into the woods beyond the windows.

She didn't notice Edward's prodding look until he raised his head, blocking her view.

"I sense…" she trailed off, peering around him to look outside once more. With the way the class was progressing, the thoughts around him were much too loud to hear Lettie's usually quiet ones. He tried to get her attention again, bringing him back to her focus. "Do you recall my ability to sense other beings such as I?"

Of course, he did. It was a fascinating conversation, the two of them sat between the walls of the Old House in their clearing. The day prior, Edward had explained everything he knew about vampire diets, and the ways his family differs from other vampires because of their choice to remain 'vegetarian'.

"It is akin to the feeling one can get when they feel they are being gazed upon," she said, pulling her knees toward her chest. "Almost…unknowing, but aware. I am not so talented to be able to discern between other spirits."

"So, you can tell there is another spirit nearby, but there is no way to know who it is?" Lettie bounced her head in contemplation.

"A stronger spirit, or one more intuned with their nature…it is possible. Sir Charles had been able to, though he was more sensitive to those - I believe aura would be an apt way to describe them - and could sense even the whisper of a spirit long passed. I believe I am able to tell if an aura is a stronger spirit, such as a Malevolent, simply by how powerful it is, but I fear I do not have the experience required to know precisely."

Sometimes he would catch Lettie's mind drifting while they walked, eyes flickering over the forest like she could sense something, but neither her thoughts or her actions made him worried about something attacking them. It usually took only a minute or two of searching before she gave up, returning her attention to him. But, this was different. Her shoulders were tense, and she practically stood up in her chair to get a look outside.

"There is someone outside. Their presence is strong, and…familiar." At that Edward widened his eyes, whipping his head around to look outside. Lettie had said that he would be able to see some spirits now that he had been exposed to her world. He didn't know if he was happy or disappointed that he didn't see anything.

The shrill ring of the bell surprised him, but not nearly as much as Lettie using her ability to walk through walls to step through the wall of their classroom, no thought beyond the need to investigate what was outputting such a powerful aura. Edward nearly followed without thinking. He swore he could feel her necklace, now hung securely from his belt loop by a much stronger chain, burn in his pocket.

"I couldn't help but notice you looking at me. Feeling shy, now?" Despite only attending school for a few weeks, and not bothering to speak to anyone outside of his family and Lettie, this grating voice was more than familiar to him. The same voice that insulted Rosalie on the first day.

"Lauren." He turned, gaze fixed into a neutral stare. Her selfish thoughts were filled with nothing but her own status and appearance, and now, how gaining the affection of one of the allusive Cullens would do for her reputation. "You have something in your teeth."

He didn't wait for a response, stepping around her effortlessly as her face filled with blood, thoughts screaming at him loud enough he didn't need anything said out loud to know her embarrassed fueled anger. Besides, she was nothing but another selfish human, and there were far more important things to put his energy towards.

Lettie followed his motions in a perfect parallel, standing at what he assumed was the edge of the limits of her tether to the necklace in his pocket, her eyes never leaving the forest. By the time Edward managed to step outside, she was already walking away, leaving him to trail behind her, not a clue as to where they were headed.

The forest that surrounded the school was just as dense and uneven as the one outside their house, allowing Lettie to effortlessly find the flattest space for her socked feet to step, pushing them deeper and deeper. The noise of the school, both outward and internally, slowly quieted until it was nothing but a low hum, the beginning of Lettie's thoughts starting to peek through.

All at once, she stopped, body going completely rigid.

"Edward, run!" But it was too late.

In the distance, a shimmering shadow was rushing towards them, a laugh so chilling it set him on high alert. If his heart worked, it would be thumping loudly in his chest. Instead, his muscles locked, stepping in front of Lettie with a quick motion, whatever it was moving too fast for them to get away. As it approached, he could start to make out its figure, distinctly human-shaped, but it looked more like a smudged ink drawing of a silhouette rather than a clear image. Its face, however, was clear as day. His haunches compressed as he crouched down, ready to defend just as he would to another vampire. Prominent brow, bulkier jaw, shining squinted eyes, lips in a snarl - this was the face of a vampire on the hunt.

The figure was laughing as it approached, delighted. Now that it was in front of them, all but a handful of feet away, the motion blur seemingly disappeared in an instant as if they stepped out from behind a sheer curtain. It was tall, taller than Edward, and vicious-looking. Its proportions were all wrong, arms and legs too long, fingers curled to show off its long nails. It was floating, relaxed, as confidently as assuredly as they stood on the ground.

And its head was completely silent.

"You reveal yourself too easily, creature of the night. Hasn't anyone told you it's rude to stare?" It was hard to discern the timber of their voice, almost as if there were three people speaking all at once, all in perfect sync. The shadow creature tilted their head, their smile growing. "Ah, Leta, my old friend! On a hunt for the delectable feeling of a vampire, and fortune smiles on me to find you along with it. How strange to see you out of your prison. Are you enjoying your newfound freedom?" They paused, then laughed, a private joke it greatly enjoyed. "Oh, you know what I mean."

"Samuel." Lettie's thoughts were screaming, the loudest it had ever been in the entirety of their friendship. Her hands were trembling as they held onto his jacket, eyes stuck to the creature that, from her memories, spent most of their time together tormenting her. Weeks, days, hours, this creature hovered above her, spouting nothing but hate as Lettie tried to fight him off, then resorted to curling into a ball, covering her ears and crying.

Edward snarled.

Samuel almost looked bored as he raised a hand, fingers barely twitching, as a tree was ripped from the ground, sent careening to Edward, who barely had a moment to brace for impact. He pushed Lettie out of the way and took the full force of the tree to the chest. It was the heaviest thing he had ever held, stronger than any normal tree should be. He barely lasted a moment before the force brought him to the ground. The splash of dirt covered its fast movements, and by the time he regained his bearings, Samuel had already crossed the distance, tracing one of their long, sharp nails down Lettie's cheek.

"Get away from her!" he yelled, to no avail. As hard as he tried, the tree would not move, and he was left flailing as the two looked at him. Samuel laughed, a sharp, cruel, mocking laugh.

"You think yourself so capable, but be mindful, silly boy, I am older and more powerful than you can even begin to comprehend."

"Leave him alone, Samuel." Samuel turned their head back to the woman below him, her hands trembling despite the force she put behind her voice. His instincts screamed to get in between them, but it felt as though this log, something he usually would be able to break apart without another thought, was indestructible.

"What's this!" Their smile stretched until it made their face even less human. "My dear Leta, finally standing up for herself? If I had known all it took was revealing myself to a good-looking boy, I would have done it sooner."

"He has done nothing."

"Nothing?" Samuel mockingly placed a hand on their chest. "Surely you saw how brazenly he looked at my spirit form! And now, he bares his teeth like a wild animal. Disrespect seems to be all he can do."

"You seem overly confident in your ability to win in a fight against me," Edward inserted, baring his teeth once more. It took a lot of willpower not to let the strain of his actions reveal itself in his voice.

"And you seem overly confident for someone who can't even move a silly little log," they said, voice verging on bored. "Move the log, and then I will acknowledge you as something more than a pest."

"Samuel." Both turned to look at Lettie, who had managed to crawl her way between them. She was on her knees now, hands raised to dissuade it from getting closer to him. "He knows nothing of you, nor of our world. Let him go, and we will leave you in peace."

"Leave me alone? My Dear, you know I want nothing more than to have you remain at my side. Forever." Their hand raised, dragging one of their long fingers dragging up her cheek and into her hair, stroking it possessively. Edward growled once more. His fingers clenched painfully, and then, almost as an act of mercy, too weak to withstand two external forces, the tree exploded, wood splintering in all directions. He was on his feet in the next second, pushing Lettie behind him to get in Samuel's face. They barely blinked with the appearance. "Oh, my. You are full of surprises, aren't you?"

"You will take her nowhere." Edward firmly grasped Lettie's necklace, which hung from his waist, tilting his body away from them. Samuel took notice immediately. They laughed, though cackle might have been a better way to describe the way they threw their head back. For a creature so dark, it seemed their favorite thing to do was laugh.

"I knew my Leta would never lie to me, but she really wasn't kidding when she said you know nothing of our world." Samuel floated around them fluidly, movement more akin to swimming than flying. Anytime they tried to move close to Lettie, Edward stepped between them once more.

"Edward," Lettie whispered, trying to push Edward away. He didn't move an inch. Samuel gazed between them, looking up and down for…something.

Edward didn't like the uncertainty that came with not being able to read this creature's mind. Every movement was riddled with possibilities. When they tilted their head, did it mean they planned to quickly attack from that side? Was their slow movements deliberate in preparation to pounce? They hardly needed to lift a finger to move a tree clear across the woods. Would Edward be prepared this time? Or would this tree be just as dense as the previous one?

"You've intrigued me, creature of the night," they finally remarked, lips curling in amusement. Edward felt a shudder run through his body at the unwanted approval. Lettie's hand gripped his arm tightly, still trying to tug him back. "I suppose I can do as I'm asked, this time. Take care of my Leta until you inevitably perish. Of the two of us, I will always be the last one standing."

And with that, they were gone, whipping through the trees until they disappeared into the darkness.