Hello! As promised, here is my new story! I can't begin to explain how excited I am to start this up again! I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I have writing it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Any correlation to another author's story is pure coincidence. Much of the story is made up and does not go along with VA.

Faces passed and voices carried a monotone pitch around me in what felt like slow motion. The more people came to share condolences, the further I sank into the leather couch in what was my mother's living room. I stared straight ahead at the picture of her positioned next to the window across the room. Her brown eyes stared back at me, and her smile held no truth. Today was exactly one week since her passing. I took a deep breath and stretched my neck. I looked at the clock. I exhaled a sigh of relief, the memorial was over.

"Rose?" a hand touched my shoulder gently and I looked to see who it belonged to. My aunt Sonya, my mother's sister. "Would you mind helping me clean the food up on the table? Our guests are leaving." She gave me a sad smile, her eyes brimmed with tears. I nodded and slowly stood. I smoothed my black dress and set off to the kitchen. "Are you packed? I hate to make you leave so soon, but Vic has to get back to work, and I have my thesis due Monday morning. I couldn't push it any farther." She smiled apologetically.

"I know." I sighed. "I'm packed. Vic said he'd help me load my stuff into the truck tonight." I was leaving my home in Montana to live with Aunt Sonya and Uncle Victor in their home in the small town of Belmont, Maine. I'd been there a few time over the summers as a child. I didn't care for the constant cold and rain, not to mention the never ending cloud of fog that wrapped around your body.

"You know what? Go ahead and go get Vic now. I can finish up in here. The sooner you get done, the sooner you can rest." She batted my leg with a kitchen towel.

"Thanks." I replied, and set off to say goodbye to my home for the last time.

I was nudged awake by a gentle hand on my knee. "Rose, honey, we're here." I slowly opened my eyes and looked out the window. Sure enough, Belmont came into view. It'd been so long since I had been there I could hardly remember what it looked like. The trees were starting to die as it was early October. The sky was pale grey, making everything around us seem dull and lifeless. Old buildings from the Historical District surrounded us. Most of them were abandoned, and the few that weren't mostly housed warehouses and dingy bars.

"We'll drive by Belmont High School before we head home." Victor said. I met his eyes in the rearview mirror and he smiled. He glanced at the clock on the dash. "The students should be getting out as we pass." The old buildings became fewer as Victor made a right turn.

Shops littered with people lined us on both sides. There was a small café next to the traffic light that had small tables outside. Friends sat around them holding mugs, laughing loudly at one another. I shivered seeing them outside. It was freezing! After a few more twists and turns, I saw the high school. I leaned over to the other side to look out the window. The building was old, much like most of them here. The brick had an unattractive yellow tint. A flagpole held a faded American Flag, along with a school flag. "GO RAVENS!" it read. Victor slowed down as a hoard of students filed out, running down the stone stairs.

"What do you think?" Sonya asked.

"It's," I trailed off, looking for the right word. "Small." I finally managed.

"Don't worry, Rose. You'll make friends fast." Victor said encouragingly. I looked away, my anxiety spiking. School started over a month ago. The students already had friend groups, as most of them have known each other all throughout their lives.

"We have a meeting with the principal tomorrow at seven-thirty A.M. to get your classes figured out." Sonya said.

"Great." I muttered.

About five minutes later, we pulled into the driveway of my new home. It was just as I remembered. They had a small yellow house with a wrap-around porch. The big willow tree in the front held the same swing it did when I was a child. The inside was cute, and smelled of cinnamon. The dark hardwood floors looked worn. The front door opened up into a small entryway, with stairs going up to the left. The living room had an inviting fireplace.

"You can go up and check out your room. It's upstairs, last door down the hall." Victor pointed to the stairs.

I nodded and hauled my duffel bag up the stairs. I opened the door to a surprisingly large room. A queen bed was pushed against the wall directly in front of the door. A dresser and vanity set were lined along the wall on the right. The room was painted a soft purple. To the left, a large window overlooked a large backyard lines with trees. Victor and Sonya lived on the edge of town, so they had no back neighbors. I sat on the window seat and leaned my head against the cold glass. I didn't understand how my life suddenly got flipped upside down. It seemed so unfair I had to start all over. I never had problems making friends, but I didn't want new ones. I wanted my old life back. I wanted my mom back.

How do you feel so far? PLEASE review and let me know! I will try to update every week the best I can. If you have any suggestions feel free to PM me! I do promise I won't ghost you guys again! I hope you're having a wonderful day!