HOLY CRAPSTICKS! It's been years, literally, since I've updated this story but inspiration struck. PLEASE review! I really hope this chapter was worth waiting for.

Clara's POV

I had been a nervous wreck in the days leading up to this moment. The most pressing concern had, of course, been my abilities. No one could know I was different. My pale skin and dark eyes would be enough of an obstacle. I didn't need to get personal glimpses into the histories of everyone I touched, too. Emmett and Edward were more concerned about how I would handle being without them. I knew Edward would be mentally checking in regularly. For their benefit, I had told them all that I could do this. I had no choice.

I braced myself as I opened the door, the feeling of terror building as I entered the junior high school and made my way down the long, unfamiliar hallway. This was going to be torture. My siblings were gone. My parents weren't here. I didn't know anyone. How could I have thought I could handle this?

Carlisle said that I had to find the main office to sign in and get my schedule. I tried to concentrate on my unnecessary breathing as I carefully read each sign on each door until I finally found it. I yanked the door open and was immediately greeted by a pretty blonde woman standing behind the counter. "Clara Cullen?"

I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked. This was a very small town, after all, and I'm sure that I had to be the only new student. I tried to smile as I approached the desk. When I got to the counter, I suddenly was hit by a very strong sense of contentment and a very nurturing vibe. "Mary Clark," the blonde woman's name tag read. I think I was going to like Mary. Her essence was the same as Esme's.

She smiled at me gently before turning her attention to the computer in front of her. I could hear the printer hum to life a few seconds later. "Here you go," Mary said as she handed me my schedule. I frowned down at it. There was no way I would be able to find all eight classrooms on my own. I was going to get lost. I was going to be late for everything. I was going to get into trouble on my first day of school and my family was going to kill me!

I could feel Mary's eyes on me as the panic registered on my face. "Room 213 is right down this hallway, honey. Go out this door and take a left. It's four doors down on the right." I grinned back at Mary as I turned to leave. She was my guardian angel.

It didn't take long to find my homeroom. Mary had given me very good directions. I stood outside the door for a long moment before I was able to finally bring myself to open it. My terror had returned.

I didn't look at any of the students as I approached the teacher's desk with my hall pass. My schedule said that the wiry, bald man sitting at the desk was Mr. Miller. I smiled nervously as I reached my gloved hand out to give him my pass.

He gave only a curt nod in response and gestured to the third desk in the last row near the windows. I made my way over silently and sat. I was still completely unaware of the human children around me until someone cleared their throat loudly. I turned my attention to the person beside me and started to relax again. Understanding, honesty and kindness radiated from the blonde girl next to me. She smiled. "I'm Anna."

I shook her proffered hand. "Clara."

Her smile faltered slightly as she eyed the gloves I wore. "Why don't you take those off?" Anna inquired.

I bit my lip nervously. It's not as if I could tell her the truth. Oh, I can see people's pasts when I touch them. My mind reading big brother thought the gloves would help.

Yeah, right.

I shrugged and offered the excuse that Edward had told me to give. "Bad circulation. I'm always cold." I mumbled.

This didn't seem to phase her much. She nodded in understanding as she leaned a bit closer to me to peek at my schedule. Her gesture only strengthened the already unpleasant scent of the humans around me. "What do you have first?"

I had to look down at my schedule and check. "Social sciences with Ms. Blaire."

Anna grinned. "Me, too! I'll walk you down."

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

As we walked to our next class, Anna held my schedule and told me about all the teachers I was to have for all of my classes. "Ok, Mr. Clark is really funny and super nice. You'll love his English class." She frowned thoughtfully and groaned, rolling her eyes as she scanned the paper in her hands. "Ugh, you have Ms. Spindle for Algebra. Don't ever be late for her class. She makes a big stink about it in front of everyone and it's really embarrassing."

I nodded at her words absently as the eyes I could feel watching my back distracted me. Of course, everyone around us was watching the new girl with curious stares. So much for blending in. Anna rested her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about them," she mumbled in my ear, "they'll get over it in a week or so. We don't get a lot of new kids moving to Forks." I turned back to her with a smile, grateful again that I had managed to make such a good friend so quickly.

Anna reached for the door to our Social Sciences class just as another hand got there first. Her and I both glances to our right at the same time and Anna smiled at the boy standing at our side. He was beautiful. His dark curly hair reminded me of Emmett and his bright blue eyes shone in the florescent lights of the hallway. "Allow me, ladies." He grinned at the two of us. Anna's scent grew stronger as her cheeks turned crimson. She scurried through the door quickly. The boy who had held the door laughed. "It's so easy to make her blush," he whispered to me. I grinned.

I took my seat next to the blue-eyed boy, eyeing Anna from across the room. I could tell from her reaction to this guy, that she liked him. I hoped she wasn't jealous that I had to sit next to him. I didn't want to lose the only friend I had made. She smiled at me and waved.

The boy next to me cleared his throat to get my attention, just as Anna had in homeroom, and I turned reluctantly towards him. "So, you're Clara, right? This is your first day." I nodded. I was getting the impression that news traveled fast around here. He held out his hand. "I'm Sebastian Oliver."

I took his hand slowly. "Nice to meet you," I mumbled. I could feel Anna's eyes on us from across the room. Sebastian's essence was somewhat strange. I could feel that he was friendly, good natured and protective, just like Emmett, but he also felt guarded and reserved. There was some kind of block up that I couldn't explain. I smiled at him lightly and gestured to Anna. "So are you guys friends?"

He smiled at Anna and waved as he answered, "yeah, we grew up together. I've known Anna my whole life practically."

I tried to give a friendly smile, wanting to ask the obvious question "Do you know that Anna has a crush on you?" I just couldn't. For one thing, it was none of my business and for another I just couldn't do that to Anna. If Sebastian had no idea that she had feelings for him then I wasn't going to be the one to say anything. I wouldn't be such a good friend if I did. Fortunately, class started and ended the awkwardness.

At lunch I found my two new friends waiting for me. I know I probably should have been nervous about there being two human kids wanting to sit with me at lunch, especially when I didn't have any family anywhere looking out for me, but I couldn't help myself. This is what I had waited for all those years that I was sick and couldn't go to school with my friends. This was what I was hoping would happen when my family decided it was time for me to attend school again. I had friends! I took a deep, unnecessary breath and set my tray down next to Anna. "So the day is half over and I survived. I feel like I should get a parade for that or something." I joked. It really did feel like an accomplishment, as pathetic as that is.

Sebastian laughed as I took my seat. "Well, I don't know about tinker tape but I'll give you a cookie." He grinned at me brightly as he handed me a big chocolate chip cookie from across the table. Anna and I both laughed as I took it and pretended to nibble on it. "Thank you, sir. How very generous." He stood and gave me a deep, flourishing bow in response that made Anna start laughing again. I would have blushed if I could.

It wasn't until I was walking home that I felt a light pressure in my head for the second time that day. The first time had been right after first period. Even though I couldn't hear Edward I knew he could hear me. I'm good, big brother. I've even made some friends! It was probably reckless of me to let him know that but he was going to find out anyway. I knew I was in for an earful when I walked through the door but I didn't even get that far.

"I see you survived well enough," Edward smirked lightly as he fell in step with me. I nodded mutely at the comment. "So, you made friends then?" His eyes narrowed a bit. "You know getting too close to humans isn't the safest idea, yes?"

This was what I had been dreading. "Well, neither is standing out too much and drawing attention. Anyway, it wasn't that long ago that I was human, Edward. I think I can pull it off."

He seemed to take in my words for a moment before letting out a grunt of acknowledgement. "Just be careful," was all he said as we made our way up the driveway. As I expected, everyone was gathered in the living room when we came through the door, eager to hear the verdict on how the day went.

"No one died," I couldn't help but joke but no one laughed. Tough room. Esme gave the seat beside her on the couch a pat and I went and settled beside her, still feeling the eyes of everyone else on me. "I was just telling Edward," I started reluctantly, "I made some friends."

The statement hung in the air for a very long moment before someone finally broke the ice. "I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, honey." My attention turned to Esme and she gave me a sympathetic, gentle smile. "It's just that you're still learning self-control and there's so much about your situation that we're all still trying to understand. I know you realize that one false move could be very bad for all of us."

I hung my head, thinking over how to word what I wanted to say. I know my mother was trying to be compassionate and she meant well. I also knew that what she was saying was true but I couldn't help but feel a bit angry. They were the ones that made me go to school so soon in the first place. They thought I could handle being in junior high all alone for eight hours a day, even with all the concerns Esme just mentioned. They couldn't just push me to do this and expect me to be completely isolated, too. It was bad enough that none of my siblings would be in the same school as me. None of them were currently even pretending to be in high school. So what was I supposed to do?

Taking a deep breath, I finally raised my face. "If I have to go to that school and be completely isolated, with no one to talk to and no one to sit with at lunch and no one to help me even get around I'm not going to be able to do this. I just can't! I'll be careful. I swear! But I need friends! Mom, I spent the last three years of my human life sick and isolated from other kids. I just…I don't want that to last forever."

"Hey! You have us, you know?" Emmett protested but I quickly turned my frown in his direction. "Well, of course I know that but you're not going to be with me all day. You all had each other when you were pretending to go to high school. You all told me. But I don't. I'm by myself. You guys gotta understand!"

"Alright, Clara. Calm down," Carlisle soothed as he came around to sit on my other side on the couch. "Of course we understand what you're saying. We just worry. We all have to be careful, it's not just you. You're just the newest to all of this. We need to make sure you truly understand what is at stake."

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt you guys…."

"We know that," Carlisle interrupted. "Of course you wouldn't but mistakes can happen so easily. Just be aware. That's all we're saying, alright?"

It was like deja vu. We've had this exact talk already the day that Alice first mentioned to me that I was expected to start school in the next few weeks. No one is saying anything that wasn't already said then. I'm not stupid. I got the hint but I'm also not like them. They've all been used to the isolation for so long. Being alone was never something I've been good at. But then they know all of that, too.

"What are the names of the kids you met? Maybe we know their families. We have been here for a long time, off and on."

I smiled gratefully at Alice. Thank god she knew how to change a subject in an awkward or tense moment. "Anna Gorman and Sebastian Oliver," I answered quickly before anyone could jump in.

"Wow, you met a guy on your first day at a new school? Boy, you don't waste time, do ya, kid?" Emmett smirked.

I reached out and smacked him in the chest. It gave me a little satisfaction to see him wince. "It's not like that," I insisted. "He's a friend and he's nice. And besides, Anna likes him that way and what kind of awful friend would I be if I tried to go there?"

"Glad to hear it. You do realize that any boy you bring home will have to pass inspection by your brothers, right?" I wasn't so sure Edward was kidding but I rolled my eyes.

"Oh my god, no. That's why that's never, ever going to happen. Not ever. You guys would be brutal and I'm not that dumb."

All three said brothers laughed before the subject changed again.

"Sebastian's father is the local mechanic and I believe Anna's mother is the principal at the high school," Esme mused. Knowing that my parents knew of the parents of the kids I was trying to befriend made a little of the tension inside me ease.

"And they're good kids, right? I mean, they did befriend the new girl on her first day so that counts for something."

"Of course, darling. I'm sure they're perfectly nice children," Esme smiled lightly. "Just be careful, like we said. That's all we're asking. Alright?"

I was quick to just nod and agree. Going over and over the same lecture repeatedly was giving me a headache…or the vampire equivalent of a headache. Anyway, I was glad to be able to end the subject there and get away to my room. Alone time after a stressful day was necessary and very rare in a family this big. Thankfully, everyone decided to give me some space for the rest of the afternoon.