"Who was that? What was that?" Edward waited until they were truly alone before standing, the sickening feeling Samuel brought, so overwhelming and overpowering that he felt his entire being slow, finally gone. Despite his raised voice, he offered his hand to Lettie, pulling her up and examining every part of her. Flawless, though he felt a little ridiculous once he remembered that she would be able to alter her appearance at will. A quick look through her thoughts reassured that she was okay, if a little shaken.

"I believe I have only mentioned them once." She was avoiding his eyes, mirroring his movements and looking him over for any injuries, A memory rang in his head, a name only said once, all those months ago when they first met.

"Samuel?" Of the two spirits they had to encounter, of course, it had to be the poltergeist. "The same one you knew."

"Yes." She was now trailing her eyes and hands over his arms and shoulders, which were still covered in the debris from the tree explosion. "They visited me often, in the past."

"'Visited' is a friendly way to say that," he mumbled without thinking, shaking some log chips out of his hair.

"Whatever do you mean?" He froze.

"I-erm…The way you were acting, the way they were acting…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You two didn't seem to be on the best terms."

"We are no friends," she agreed. She eyed the debris on his shoulder, debating whether she should assist him, before ultimately reaching up and dusting some off. Her fingers barely put any pressure on his body. Edward lowered himself slightly so she could reach him more easily. "Samuel is not one to hold their tongue. They speak freely and unabashedly."

"And have you…been on the receiving end of this 'free speech' often?" Lettie didn't reply, but her thoughts, the repeated abuse she faced at their malicious words, was enough confirmation.

Surely this would be the perfect time to tell her, he thought to himself, carefully watching the way her hand traveled up to brush against his neck, pushing the stubborn pieces out of his collar. He knew that she was hiding what she had faced, and for what? To spare his feelings? No, no, that couldn't be it. Was she too afraid to say it out loud? Too afraid of what it would mean to be spoken? Too afraid of…him?

"All is in the past." Her voice was soft, matching the sad smile she gave him. "Let us not dwell on painful memories."

"But-"

"Samuel's unfortunate appearance is cause for worry," Lettie continued, finally meeting his eyes. She flickered back and forth between them, unable to keep still. "Edward, I fear for your family. Should Samuel encounter them, or discover your relation-"

"Hey, it's okay." Her hands were practically shaking. Could ghosts feel fear this viscerally? And, not for their own wellbeing, their own tether to this world, but for someone else? He had seen Lettie scared plenty of times, more times than he ever wanted her to feel, but this fear was different. This was not what she could do to others, but what others could do to him. The image of Edward's attempts to escape from under the tree replayed in her mind. "He took us off guard, that's all. We'll be prepared now."

"They-"

"-don't stand a chance against my family, okay? We have fought plenty of times in the past, and we're still all together." She looked reluctant to believe him.

"Will you inform them of what occurred?"

Would he? There were multiple reasons to say yes. Samuel was a formidable opponent, as much as it wounded his pride to admit it. They were able to pin him down without much effort, and that was with the added ability to see them before they appeared in front of him. And, as Samuel was the first spirit he had met besides Lettie, he didn't really know how useful this extra ability was. Was their suddenly clear visage Samuel dropping whatever made him invisible to most people? Or was their blurry image just another aspect of being a poltergeist Edward didn't know yet? And what about their unusual ability to 'feel vampires'? Would that mean they would always be able to find him or others like him, no matter what they did?

But, most importantly, did any of it even matter? Samuel was either cocky enough, or stupid enough, to reveal himself to Edward before they knew he could see them. With his siblings at his side, they would be at a significant advantage, even with Samuel's telekinetic abilities.

But, warning them of Samuel? That would take far more planning than a simple family meeting. He would have to reveal how he and Samuel first came in contact, not to mention why Samuel would even be interested in keeping tabs on Edward in the first place. He couldn't lie about being able to read their mind, as Jasper would be able to tell if he was being deceitful, and that would reveal his abilities to Lettie. Reveal his mind reading or reveal Lettie…

The urge to run started prickling under his skin. If he ran and got away, there would be no problem for them to deal with. Edward and Lettie would be able to coexist without his family breathing down his neck, and Samuel would never find the connection between him and his family. They could come to visit occasionally, but they would be on the run for the most part. Lettie would like that, he reasoned. They could visit anywhere they wanted, whenever they wanted. They would never have to be lonely again-

This phone buzzed violently in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts.

Alice [12:32 pm]: are you ok?

you disappeared

edward?!

Alice [12:40 pm]: whatever youre thinking

stop

making my head spin

too many possibilities

"It's Alice," he said aloud, angling the phone so Lettie could read along. The newest message covered the screen.

Alice [12:41 pm]: get back soon xx

rosalie will be pissed

"Where the hell have you been?!" Though there had never been a time that Edward truly doubted Alice's abilities, there was always some small part of him that hoped her visions wouldn't come true. And, with the knowledge that Alice's visions weren't always set in stone, that hope never really seemed to dissipate, even after the last couple of decades being proven wrong over and over again. This was one of those instances. Rosalie was fuming, her mind moving a mile a minute as he approached their lunch table. With the disruption of Samuel, and the need for Edward to calm down his spectral companion before going back, they missed 3rd period and the beginning of lunch, meaning their entrance was completely covered by the roughly three hundred voices of students already ready for the day to be over. Even with the noise, he could hear the impatient tapping of her foot on the laminate floor as he slipped into the empty chair at the table. Lettie stayed by his side, dress brushing his arm as her eyes scanned the room in case Samuel decided to make another appearance.

"It's a long story." It was a lame excuse, he knew that well enough. Emmett's wince was far too dramatic and much too obvious.

"A 'long story'." If her face could change color, he was sure Rosalie would be bright red in anger. "You're kidding me."

"Take the hint, Rosalie," Edward bit. Too many listening ears, a conversation that shouldn't be had at school. Lettie tensed at his side, giving him a pointed look. Her clear disapproval of his attitude towards Rosalie was getting easier to ignore, but the pinch of guilt wasn't. He tapped his finger gently against her leg in apology.

"You little-"

"Rose," Emmett soothed, giving her shoulder a squeeze. Rosalie's mind flashed with Emmett's smiling face. Though the anger on her face didn't retreat, she did lower herself back into her chair.

"Your little stunt has set the school off," she hissed.

"Stunt? The woods-" But it wasn't Edward cutting class to disappear into the woods that suddenly flashed in his sister's mind. No, it was the insignificant interaction he had before. Lauren Mallory was seen whispering to all those who would listen, her eyes narrowed and a slick smile on her face.

"The woods?" Jasper questioned his tone just a touch too suspicious and on edge. Despite his empathic abilities, Jasper's limitations on only being able to feel people's current emotions made it all too easy to cover up the panic he felt earlier - as long as he didn't think about it for too long. He instead directed his attention and feelings to reassure Lettie, who was looking at Edward with worried brows. He tapped her leg again gently, hoping his concern for her would be misinterpreted as concern for his family.

"Like I said, long story," Edward supplied, turning his attention to Lauren's usual table. He didn't make it a habit to know where every one of his classmates sat at lunch, he didn't care about them that much, but Lauren and her posse seemed to occupy the same table every day, full to the brim with students coming and going to get a taste of the group of friends that resided there. Nuisance students like Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley preened under the attention of acquaintances and admirers, but Lauren Mallory seemed to have a hold on them in a way that kept them from straying from the table. Couple them with Jennifer Ford, Katie Marshall, and Whitney Ward, and she had her very own army of gossipers, all willing to do whatever she willed. And it seemed like today, Edward Cullen was the target of her attacks.

Lauren was wearing a satisfied smirk on her face as her cronies whispered to each other, each face more scandalized than the last. Mike wandered away from them to the table of other sporty teens, basketball and baseball primarily, his arrival pushing the gossip even further. Slowly one by one the others broke away to share the news with their fellow social classes - Jennifer wandering over to her Badminton team, Katie to her classmates, and Whitney to a group of upperclassmen that otherwise don't interact with anyone younger than them. Like wildfire, groups broke away slowly to join others, only to spread out more, words mixing until it wasn't clear what the original rumor was that Lauren had started. The only similarity - all eyes were on the Cullen table.

I can't believe he's a drug dealer, Katie thought as she hurried over to another table. He seemed so nice.

No way he asked Lauren out first, Whitney whined in her head. What a bitch.

I can't believe he wanted Lauren to break into his Dad's office to steal drugs, Jennifer thought as she glared in his direction.

I knew there was something off about Cullen, Mike cheered as he whispered to his friend.

Bad boys are kinda hot. Jessica's predatory eyes almost sent a shiver down his spine.

"A drug dealer, Eddie?" Emmet tisked playfully. "It's like I never knew you."

"You're dragging the family into unwanted attention-"

"You think I wanted this to happen?" Edward snapped at Rosalie. Though she snapped her mouth closed, her glare intensified. "I hardly speak to anyone."

"And you just had to pick Lauren Mallory to be the one person you show your true attitude to?"
"What happened in the past is behind us," Jasper cut in, lowering his voice so they would match. Edward could hear the strain in it, trying to speak without breathing in was incredibly difficult, even for a vampire. "We'll talk at home."

The shrill ring of the end of lunch bell was what eventually broke Edward and Rosalie's staring match, but it did little to deter students from continuing Lauren's will. Edward grabbed ahold of Lettie's sleeve as discreetly as he could, the one thing he could think to do in order not to launch himself at Rosalie across the table. She seemed to grab onto his sleeve whenever she was feeling overwhelmed, so why couldn't it work for him too? Though, Rosalie's inner monologue, all the more venomous since she knew he could hear it, was pushing him to his limits. Her holier-than-thou attitude was going to be a topic of discussion at tonight's dinner, especially since it was she who caused the most problems for the family at the last school. Girls were vicious when they felt humiliated.

Lettie was the only reason he was able to make it through the rest of the day in one piece. She made sure her arm was close to him as much as possible, offering her sleeve instead of her words to reassure him. Because, honestly, what could she have said to make him feel better? She knew well and good where he had been, though fighting a poltergeist who was obsessed with his new ghost friend was just as outlandish as the thought that he tried to seduce Lauren into becoming the newest dealer in his drug schemes. At the family meeting, Carlisle and Esme were both sympathetic to the rumors going around, especially after Edward pleaded his innocence, but Carlisle was a little amused since the school administration was worried enough to give him a call.

The one upside to the rumor mill turning against him was surely that he would be left alone now, right?

Oh how wrong he was.

It seemed like overnight the school became divided on the rumors. While he walked out with glares and a wide berth, he walked in with more than a few admiring eyes. Thoughts that were usually easy to drown out almost became suffocating, his name repeated over and over until he couldn't tell if someone was calling his name out loud or simply thinking about him. Lauren's rumors might have worked if he wasn't already admired for his looks, but, instead of the debaucherous delinquent Lauren tried to paint him as, students were now looking at him like a stereotypically 'bad boy', the kind that had hopeless romantics flock to the theaters and the romance section of a bookstore. His locker mates, who usually left him alone, were suddenly giving him shy smiles. Classmates rushed to claim the seats beside him in class, pushing Lettie towards the front (even though she was secretly pleased with being able to sit as close as possible, she still shot him worrying looks). The number of students who tried to sit with his family at lunch increased, but not as many as the students who paused beside the table, doing some small motion, like flipping their hair or looking through their bag, to attract his eye. No one dared to say the first word, but many were trying their luck at gaining his attention, and affection in other ways.

If it wasn't for the disgruntled look on Lauren's face at her somewhat failed plan, Edward would have snapped.

It remained like that for the rest of the week, rumors picking up traction with no one to dispute or stop them from getting out of hand. Friday filled him with more anxiety than he ever thought possible, a desperate desire to get away from the student body, while also worrying about how much further the rumors would spread with free-range teenagers. He was glaring at the ticking clock on the wall, willing the time to move a little faster, just to end this unbearable day. When he was filling out his class schedule, a study period seemed like a good idea, a chance to get his homework done at school so he didn't have to worry about it later (now that he and Lettie did their homework on the mountain, he used the period to relax and read), but now, all it seemed to do was aid in the onlookers. The elective was a joke for the most part, an elderly librarian who cared more about writing her seemingly endless novel on Shakespeare and all his possible lovers than paying attention to the students who were in her library, which caused many to select it just to have a free period to chat with their friends. As long as their voices were low, they were free to speak. And speak they did.

Edward hunched in on himself lightly, trying to make himself as small as possible as he pretended to read his textbook, as the perfect example of how his day divided played out in front of him. From what he could tell, based on the thoughts and conversations about him, the people to his left, the ones who hated Lauren almost as much as he was beginning to, whispered and giggled to one another, blushing faces directed in his direction as they fantasized about him in a leather jacket smoking a cigarette. Try to get the man Lauren was rejected by, and not only would it make them seem better than her in comparison, but also prove their desirability by gaining a conventionally attractive man. To his right, the people that liked Lauren, for whatever reason, continued to spread her rumors about him, the image of a crazy-looking Edward beckoning them to the forest's edge playing in their minds. The grip he had on his book was nearly enough to tear it, the urge to bolt through the doors quelled only by the desire to not make things worse.

Stick out the rest of the day, Jasper warned him as they parted at lunch, a hint of sympathy in his voice. Edward barely heard him over the roar of the lunchroom. It'll be suspicious if you leave again.

"You're crazy!" someone whispered beside him, their giggle nearly shrill enough to break even the librarian away from her task. The warning hush did nothing to stop their wicked smiles.

"Watch me." Whitney Ward was many things, annoying being the topmost of her attributes, but shy was not one of them. She pushed her way down the communal table until she was directly beside Edward, sandwiching him between her and Lettie. Lettie stopped her quiet chatter as she approached, confusion evident in her thoughts. "Edward, was it?"

His narrow-eyed look did little to deter her.

"I'm sure you've heard all the rumors swirling around about you recently. Not that I believe any of them, of course." Her smile was innocent, as if she wasn't one of the people actively spreading misinformation about him and his family. Her giggle grated on his ears. "But I just wanted to let you know you have a friend in me…" Her hand inched closer to his on the table, thoughts clear in her plan to drag her nail seductively against his skin.

He should have known, of course, that this was bound to happen. All day people were whispering about him, thoughts screaming their unwanted opinions and speculations, more than a few debating or even attempting to approach Edward or his family members to figure out if the rumors were true. Despite their many years in high school, practicing as much as they could, there was rarely anything they could do to dissuade rumors. And, to be fair, he knew why they did. His family, composed of beautiful people who all shared similar characteristics but seemingly no real connection to one another, was bound to cause rumors at some point. Plastic surgery fiends, deals with the devil, incest babies, they've seemingly heard it all. Those were easy to ignore. Meeting Carlisle and Esme was enough for most people to stop talking, and those who kept going only did so when there was little else to talk about, forgetting once something new drew their attention.

But singular rumors? Those were incredibly hard to shake off. As his family didn't have friends outside of their tight circle, there was no one to help dispute the rumors, and it only looked suspicious if they started talking to people once the rumors started. Waiting it out only worked half of the time, and even then, whoever the rumors were about carried over throughout the rest of the year. Jasper has had it the worst, with his struggle being so clear on his face, but there was little they could do about that, bar making sure he was overfed more often than not. And they have tried, in the past, to blend in better with the humans, but that only seemed to spark even more rumors, backstabbers taking their chance to get close to them only to rip everything down once more. He could feel his skin crawling under Whitney's watchful eyes, under the watchful eyes of the whole room, no doubt planning to do the very thing he'd seen almost ruin his family time and time again.

His legs were clenched almost painfully under the table, willing himself not to spring at her, to do something just to get her to shut up-

"Edward," Lettie's voice was soft, a sharp contradiction to the tight grip she placed on his arm. It was all that was stopping him from standing and screaming, begging everyone to leave him alone. "Thank her." He could barely stop himself from whipping his head away to give her a questionable look, so he tapped her leg instead with clenched fingers. "Place your trust in me for the moment."

"Thanks, Whitney," he forced a smile, barely getting the corners to stop wobbling as he pulled his hand away. His voice was a little more strained than he wanted, but Whitney's face barely fluttered, if she noticed at all.

"Confess the truth of your encounter with Miss Mallory."

"It's just been so hard to know who to trust recently." Whitney's surprised face was almost pleasing to see. Her mind was whirling with thoughts, but primarily that Edward would be more standoffish, that seducing him was easier than she believed. "Ever since Lauren spread those rumors, people seem to be avoiding me."

"She's so cruel, isn't she," Whitney chittered. The room was deadly quiet, everyone pretending to do something in order to listen in on their conversation. She looked around, causing whoever was openly staring to look away, though no one pretended to stop listening. Once she was satisfied, she turned back to Edward, lowering her voice. "I would never do something like that to you, you know that, right?"

"I tried to warn her that she had some food in her teeth," he continued, keeping his voice level. "I didn't think my kindness would be interpreted as hate."

"Thank her for her strong will against such rumors."

"Yeah that's horrible-"

"But thankfully you don't seem to be susceptible to those rumors." Whitney's smile faltered but didn't break. Instead, her mind filled with the various rumors Lauren's started over the years, including a nasty rumor that had Whitney outcasted for a large part of seventh grade, and the satisfaction of getting the one thing Lauren wants right from under the nose in retaliation.

"Right-"

"Unlike Lauren. Has she always been like that?"

"A bitch? As long as I've known her." If anyone was surprised by what fell out of Whitney's mouth, it was no match for the girl herself, whose eyes widened.

The shrill ring of the bell was the perfect excuse to end the conversation before Whitney could backtrack. In a single motion, Edward scooped up his book and his backpack, standing to head to the door.

"See you later, Whitney." Edward hustled out of the room before anyone could react, a small murmur breaking out only as the door was swinging closed. He hurried through the halls, barely taking a second to switch out his books at his locker, before bolting to the parking lot. He flickered his eyes to Lettie, desperate to hear her thoughts. "Care to explain?"

"Miss Ward is not one to allow others to define her priorities," Lettie said, bouncing lightly as she tried to keep up with Edward, her dress swishing lightly. He would have felt a little bad, if she didn't look so pleased. "There was little you could say to deter her advances, and she is far too careful to speak ill of Miss Mallory with so many of her supporters nearby."

"Okay…so 'kill them with kindness' was the plan?"

"That is an expression I have not heard in a very long time," Lettie giggled to herself. Edward held out his elbow to help her down the front stairs, before booking it to his sibling's car. "Though that may be an effective plan, I am afraid Miss Ward was not the intended listener."

"She wasn't?" Edward leaned against the car, his back facing the school, so they could talk easier. Lettie shook her head.

"I have observed that Miss Mallory surrounds herself with those who will provide her stability in her social standing. It was a very common practice during my debut, and, as my family was not of high status, was the reason I had so few true friends." Lettie waved off Edward's sympathetic look. "It is all in the past now. Miss Mallory is very similar to the ladies I socialized with, which has allowed me to take a very keen guess as to their reactions."

"So if Whitney wasn't your target, who was?"

"'Target' is a choice word, though I suppose not incorrect." Lettie waved her hand over his shoulder, towards the group of students exiting the building. Lauren was flanked by Jennifer and Katie, whose face was drawn in confusion, listening intently to whatever Jessica was whispering furiously. "Miss Ward has, as you would say, revealed her hand. Her dislike of Miss Mallory, and her desire to prove herself as more desirable, is what caused her to approach you today. However, Miss Marshall is far too kind to act maliciously. Her participation in the false rumors about you are no doubt in part to her fear of Miss Mallory, and what may occur if she were to question what she is told. Miss Stanley is doing the rest of the work. She is far too loyal to allow Miss Ward to speak ill without informing her companion promptly." Lauren's face contorted in fury, whipping around to march back into the building. Even surrounded by hundreds of overlapping thoughts, Edward could clearly hear Lauren's internal shout for Whitney. "I suspect, come our return to school, the populous will have been informed of the truth, or Miss Mallory will create a new rumor to distract from her lies."

Edward could barely stop his surprise. Lettie, a spirit who hadn't interacted with anyone besides himself in who knows how long, managed to come up with a plan that, if it worked, would save his family from ridicule. The crushing weight of the last week of being the object of everyone's attention suddenly felt that much easier to carry. Behind them, Lauren came stomping out of the school, pushing past her groupies without a backward glance. Whitney came rushing out behind her, calling out her name desperately. Lauren simply jumped into her car, slamming the door in Whitney's face, and speeding away without another word. His family stepped out of the school, dumbfounded looks on their faces as they looked between Edward and a shouting Whitney, who turned her frustrations on Jessica. When he turned back, there was a triumphant smile on Lettie's face, though her thoughts were swimming with guilt for causing a fight between friends.

"And you got all of that just from observing them?" If Lettie could flush, he had no doubt her face would be bright red.

"Tis merely a parlor trick," she said, waving him off.

"No, it's amazing, is what it is." He carefully watched her face, even if she refused to meet his eye. "What else have you noticed?"