Chapter 1 - Leaving

Equinox

Chapter 1

Leaving

Elizabeth Marie Golligher,

You have been accepted to Fork's High School for the following two years, as a forging exchange student. Your departure has been paid for and you will leave on the 2nd of January at Dayton airport. Your hosts Mr. and Mrs. Webber cannot pick you up, they have arranged for Chief Swan, who has agreed, to pick you up in Port Angles, we wish you good luck. -It gets cold try to pack warm clothes-

Mrs. Cope

I reread the letter one more time, just to make sure I got the date right, I couldn't believe that it was finally the 2nd. I'd been waiting forever to get out of my Grandparents house, where I've been living since the 'accident'. At least thats what my Grandma refers to it as, I refer to it as the day my family was torn apart, my birthday. The day that my brother was finally headed off to collage with my mom, and my step dad staid home in our two story house by Fort Jennings. Mom was planing to stay the night at my aunts after she helped my brother get settled into his dorm at Dayton collage. But they never arrived...

I felt tears at the edges of my eyes, I was moving on, not looking back I reminded myself. I got my bags and headed down stairs, admiring my room, this was the last I'd see of it in at least two years. My grandparents really didn't want me to go, I was their only grandchild, actually besides my uncle Scott they didn't have any other heirs at all. My father, their son, died when I was one, I don't remember him at all, I can tell by looking at pictures though that I look some what like him. The rest of my family was all willing to let me in, where they lived outside of Delphos, even my foster dad's family. But I know that only one of them would truly understand my grievances about 'the accident', was my foster brother Trever but I didn't want to bother him. I couldn't live with any one else because they all reminded me so much of my family that I...

"Looking forward not back..." I muttered to myself, taking the scrap books that Grandma had made for me and placing them gently in my backpack.

My friends were down stairs too, Katie Honigford, my best friend, we've been together since... Forever. Jean Meas, Alicia Miller, Devon Thomas, Jeff Maye, David -Dave- Lindeman and Nicole Eugen were my other close friends and they all helped me through the 'accident'. They were all around the marble bar, that was in the middle of the kitchen, waiting to say goodbye. Katie had tears in her eyes, and as soon as I was in the hall of my grandmas beautiful blue house, she took my bags and threw them too the floor and hugged me tightly. My other friends fallowed her example. It reminded me when the principle came into our class room during religion class and told me the bad...

"Katie, I'l only be gone for two years, and besides I'll call and E-mail every day, so you better not get grounded!" I said pretending to be stern but tears ere running down my face too. My other two family's already had their get-together with me, wishing me luck and all, I was the only reminder of my family left. They all felt responsible for me, they went from ignoring me all the time to coming to all my school events, smothering me. Another reason I chose to live with my grandparent, is that they already had a bedroom for me before I was born, and although my other grandparents and Aunts and Uncles had room, and lived near my school- closer even. It was just that my grandparents could support me better, I didn't want to be a burden; my grandfather had made allot while he was a mechanic.

But even that was too much living with them, it felt like I was building up debt for every act of kindness. I always wanted to be a forging exchange student anyway, although I wanted to go to Ireland. But I took whatever was open, and Forks, Washington was very open, and it wasn't too far from Ohio.

"Elizabeth, the class expects you to write once a week, and then we expect you to proof read all our responces." Devonn said in his light voice, every one laughed with him. I was the class book worm, I knew just about everything that a 16-and-a-half-year-old could know.

"Fine. But on one condition," I said raising one finger, Dave chuckled, lightly. "you must address me as Elizabeth in your letters not my nick name Beth, deal?"

"Sure, will call you by your other nick name," Jeff cut in, smiling sinisterly, I knew what was coming I clapped my hands other my ears. "ZETH!" They all laughed, even my uncle Scott. But I looked at the silver stove and frowned at the time, I needed to go soon.

"Bye Beth, call me, or I'll think that the people of Fork's have eaten you." Alicia said her tiny arms wrapped around me, to start off the good byes.

"See ya!" Nicole wailed as the sobbed into my shoulder, after Alicia retreated.

"You better visit, and at least come to prom!" Jean said, that was so like her, I was the only one who liked to go to dances in our group besides her, even though I never danced with anyone I just listened to the music.

"Call us as soon as you get to the green planet..." Devon said, his dark curly hair shoving toward me, and putting one big arm around my tiny shoulders, I felt so small when I was next to him.

"Yeah!" Jeff and Dave said, Dave was exactly my height, 5'6, and we were the second tallest people in the house, it was like being surrounded by midgets, but Dave and Jeff finally pulled off Devon and gave me a double bear hug.

"Come on Elizabeth..." My Grandma's voice carried over the rest I head sobs in her authoritative voice, and it was calling me toward the garage, my friends parted ways, like I walking through a precession. Katie grabbed my bags for me, and I crawled into the back of my grandparents burgundy Mercury. Katie scooted in beside me, since she was the only one of my friends that was coming with me. We didn't talk on the way, we just listened to a CD full of my favorite songs.

On the way I tried to think of how I've changed over the past year, my chestnut brown hair was the same, perhaps just a bit more blond in it, and now it was laird just above my shoulders. My eye's like my fathers, were bright blue, with strange flecks of green and brown, the only change there is that I need contacts or glasses in order to see my out stretched hand clearly. I was thiner then most people, since the 'accident', and had a nice figure according to my friends, but I never dated, in fact I just began spending time with any guys this year. My skin was the exact color of Magnolia bloom, I should know, I had a Magnolia tree right outside my house. My face tended to turn an odd orange color with ease I assumed that when ever it did I was blushing, a fact that I did not like, and I tended to be a hot head. My mom always said I couldn't take a joke without turning it into an insult, maybe she was right.

We got to the airport fast and I hugged my grandparents tight, I spotted my other aunt from the Kill side and her five kids that looked up to me so much. They all gave me one last goodbye, I gave Katie and grandma one last hug before boarding the plane. I could see tears in their eyes, I knew that my grandma always wanted a girl and she got one, but she was going to Forks, Washington, not staying at her house like she wanted her little girl to do. I focused my self on that thought, I felt like I had to make a good impression with the whole family behind me, trying to be a good girl that my grandmother and grandfather could be proud of. But that will only be a cover story, a thought to cheer me up, the real reason was locked in my heart.

I needed to get away from everything that reminded me my last birthday, the time that the 'accident' happened, the time that everything I loved was torn apart. Now all I had was my friends and Jesus, and I still intended to cling to those things while I was away, but not anything else.

When I got off my plane, I saw a man waiting by his car with a sign that said 'Elizabeth Golligher' I blushed and found my luggage, I slept though most of the flight, and my hair was all over the place. I tried to look like I wasn't really walking toward the man with the sign but he seemed to notice me anyway and he shoved the sign in his car and rushed up to meet me. I vaguely saw that his car was a police cruiser, great, this was the man I would be spending two years with. He was a bit pot bellied and he had curly red-brown hair, he was wearing a police jacket.

"Are you Elizabeth Golligher? I'm Chief Charlie Swan, it's nice to meet you." The man asked holding out his hand for me, I shook it, and smiled. But this wasn't the man that the paper said would be waiting for me, who was this guy?

"Yes, call me Beth though, um..." I said apprehensively, I couldn't be sure if this was just some guy trying to lead me into his car and...

"Oh, okay, thats fine, we need to wait a minute I'm here to pick up my daughter Bella too. She's going to be going to Fork's high school too, a junior this year, you kinda look like her." He muttered uncomfortably, I could tell that he wasn't much of a talker.

"There she is, see the girl with the brown hair?" He said waving toward a girl who did look almost exactly like me, only her hair was more of an Auburn color, her eyes were brown, and she was two inches shorted then me. She walked sheepishly toward us, not really seeing me there at all, she actually did look like her father.

"Hey Bells," He gave her a one armed hug. "how was your flight?" It hurt to see that, it reminded me of my step father. No one noticed as I winced, I was glad, I hated being in the middle of attention.

"Fine, Ch- dad." She said, I wandered what her story was, she seemed to use Chief Swan's name instead of the word dad. Her parents were probably divorced I told myself, and it was none of my business, anyways.

"Hello, Bella, I'm Elizabeth, you can call me Beth though." I said holding out my hand, I wandered if she'd noticed me yet. She apparently hadn't because when I spoke she flinched and turned to gaze a me.

"Oh! I didn't see you there, a... How do you know my name?" She asked although she must already know the answer, even in a town like Delphos would know the name of every new student three weeks before they arrived.

"I'm a foring exchange student, I'm staying with an acquaintance of your fathers I think." I said turning my head to Charlie who shook his own in agreement. Bella put her things in the back of the cruiser and helped me get mine in there as well. I climbed in back while Bella took the front, and she and Chief Swan exchanged odd comments on the weather.

Forks to me looked nice, maybe a bit green, but I liked the forests, and the moss. The weather was damp, but I'd already known that from the corespondent letters from my hosts, who were a couple that had their son go off to collage and had room. They had a daughter, Angela, who I'd been writing to for the last few weeks, she seemed thrilled to have another girl around in her family. I had assumed that, from the pictures she sent me, the weather would be mostly cloudy.

"So will you be a junior this year Beth?" Bella asked me when we were into the country side -more like forest side-, and I was brought out of my thoughts.

"Yes, we'll probably have some classes together, how old are you?" I asked out of true curiosity, because she seemed at least three years older then I was.

"Seventeen, you?"

"Sixteen and a half, I was in an advanced grade..." I admitted, rather sheepishly.

"Oh, I see, where are you from?"

"Delphos, Ohio, you..?"

"Phinox, Arizona, the exact opposite of here," She gestured to the clumps of moss dangling from the trees. "hot, sunny, and warm. Not that you could tell, I'm pale, with no color until I blush." She laughed at her own sarcasm, I laughed with her.

"It's mild in Delphos, not too much sun or rain, perfect..." Memories of fall recess and winter snowball fights popped unexpectedly into my head, I flinched.

"Gosh, it must be nice, why didn't you stay with your family?" She asked, looking back to see if she'd upset me, I tried to place another expression on my face before she noticed the tears bubbling in my eyes.

"A, well... I wanted to see the world, Delphos is a small town you know." I said my voice high pitched, I was not quite lying, that was the reason I wanted to come here before...

"Oh I see..." I could tell she saw through my lie, but she didn't press me.

We arrived at a white, Victorian style house, it had black shutters, windows and a glass-paneled door. We pulled in slowly, and I saw two boys, exactly the same from black hair to red sock, run out to meet us. Charlie stopped and the two little boys were suddenly joined by a slightly less enthusiastic teenager. I guessed that the boys were Joseph and Mark, and the third was Angela, I got out of the car immediately, my face played a smile around my lips.

"Hello, I'm Angela, you must be Beth? Right?" She stared from me to Bella, questioningly, I nodded at the same time Bella shook her head. Angela tuned to me and held out a welcoming hand, while the twins filtered beside her.

"It's nice to finally meet you," I said reaching out to shake her hand and high five the twins. "do you mind help getting my stuff out of the back? I'm sure Chief Swan and Bella wants to get home." Angela turned her interest back to the girl in the car and waved shyly, then fallowed me to the back of the car. We picked up my bags, trying not to disrupt the pile of Bella's only three suit cases.

"Bye Chief Swan, thanks for the lift, it was nice meeting you Bella, see you tomorrow!" I called as Charlie pulled out of Angela's paved drive way.

Angela showed me around their nice home, I liked it allot, the twins were pooped full of regular questions about me while we walked. The living room had peach colored walls and beige carpet, it had a corner sofa in the middle of the room with a TV against one wall and a fireplace at the other end, a few lamps and toys were scattered in corners and on the coffee and side tables. The kitchen was the next room I walked into, yellow and the same shade of peach were used on a secretive wallpaper and wooden cabinets were perched against the walls.

Yellow pots and pans hung in the middle above a island, made of the same wood as the cabinets, a stove, sink and washing machine stood together, only separated by pieces of marble. The dining room was separated by a bar, made of the same yellow marble and wood, and a wooden, oval table sat in the center of the floor, covered in a white table cloth. The walls were plaster board, and the floor was wooden too, but a slightly darker shade, plants hung out side where a two glass doors lead to a deck.

She walked me to a laundry room next, she pointed to an empty basket and said, "This is where you put your dirty clothes, we all take turns doing our own laundry. So if you need some thing washed quickly I suggest you try to switch with one of the twins." She continued the tour up a spiral stair case at the end of the laundry room, which also connected to a garage. She showed me her room, neat, clean and in shades of pink and purple and the twins begged me to see their messy, toy filled room. At the end of the hall was where Jessica's parents slept I guessed, so the second last one was mine.

I took the brass door knob in my hand, I laughed inwardly, it was such a significant thing for me to laugh at. At my home in Delphos I had no door knob, and only in brief times did my brother let me barrow his, and besides that, four other door knobs were broke in the house too. But now I had my own, but I had no brother to laugh with because of it. I turned it before I could think of anything else, and was surprised to see darker colors in this room.

Dark blue walls, and black carpet was not what i expected after the bright colors of the other rooms, but I liked the dark. A wooden desk and book case stood in one corner, empty and dust ridden, a dresser made of the same wood was on the other side on a bed with a wooden frame and dark sheets. Curtains were made of a silvery material, like some of the pillows and stars traced on the ceiling. I loved it.

"Oh Angela it's perfect, I love it!" I said and I began to unpack my heaviest bags, with books and shoved them unto the shelves, ignoring the dust. I put a laptop that I had gotten for my birthday on the desk along with a few statues of Jesus and art that I had made. Angela set quietly on my bed while I unpack and mentioned a few places to hang my pictures and posters. When I was done unpacking Angela threw my bags in a closet in the hall way where towels and sheets were kept. I was lucky I thought because I only had to share the bathroom with Angela and I could put my toiletries with hers.

When Mr. and Mrs. Webber got home they greeted me with just as much enthusiasm as the twins. No one mentioned my family, I wandered if a letter had been sent to them about it? Were they trying not upset me, and just pretend that they had nothing to do with it. At dinner it seemed that way, because while I prayed silently they did not interrupt me, but waited for me to stop before digging in.

After dinner Angela showed me around town, driving her parent's mini-van, I didn't pay to much attention to the small town, I only asked a few questions about the Indian reservations. I had never seen any Native American's homes, although, when Angela took me through their I couldn't tell the difference from the rest of the town. She gave me a little history about monuments that lay in the town square, there wasn't much history about it though.

When we got home it was eight O'clock, and I was pretty much out of it, so I took out my contacts and grabbed my glasses and began to write in my journal. After word, I remembered my promise to call as soon I got off the plane, and asked Angela if I could use the phone.

"Sure, it's probably like six or something back in Ohio, I'm sure they're awake." She said leading me to the kitchen where the phone hung on the wall. I dialed my Grandparents number first, it only took two rings for my grandma to come through.

"Hello?"

"Grandma, I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, but I forgot, but I'm here."

"Oh, Elizabeth! We were going to call the Webber's, I understand though, how is Forks?" My grandma sounded throughly relived.

"Covered in moss, clouds, and trees, I like it though, Angela showed me around town a bit, and I'm just about to head off to bed."

"Oh okay, I'll let you go then, but Katie left a message for you, she said 'Tell Beth to call my cell, because every one is going to the skating rink and they all want o say hi!' you have the number right?"

"Yes, goodnight grandma, I'll tell you about school tomorrow." I said wandering why Katie would go skating, she hated it. But then again, every Sunday I'd been spending with her, so maybe she needed to hang out with Devon and Jeff instead.

I called her cell-phone, it barely ring once when I heard Katie's anxious voice. "Hello, is this Beth?"

"Yeah, calm down, don't have a heart attack, I lost track of time, sorry. So why are you going skating?"

"Oh, well, Jeff invited me, and since you weren't there, I figured why not." She said indifferently.

"Okay, tell every one I said Hi, I got'a go, time for bed." I muttered not really eager for Katie's million questions.

"Okay, bye Beth." She said hanging up, I sighed, maybe it was better that I wasn't there, now she and Jeff -who were going out- could hang out more.

That night I woke up from the strangest dream, there mas a boy, he had orange hair, and yellow eyes, he was looking up at me. Now this would not be so strange except that the scene around him was the same as the night of the 'accident'. He was standing by the creek, where they pulled out my brother and mother, he stood out from every one. His pale skin, and black clothes were enough, but the thing that really set him out of place was the fact that he was crying, and his hands were covered in blood. I wanted to comfort him, it was strange, because usually when ever I revisited any nightmare that had to do with the 'accident' I was drowning in the creek. But now I was on the ground, trying to comfort a boy that looked like he was having a mental break down.

Then I woke up, it was three O'clock in the morning, and I was drenched in sweat, not something that usually happened. I put on my glasses and looked out the window up at the moon, but a flicker of motion caught my attention on the ground. There was a guy, he looked like he was just taking a midnight stroll, but his face was turned up toward me, staring at me through the glass window, I could vaguely make out his light orange hair. I didn't even blink, so transfixed on him I was, he didn't noticeably blink either, finally, I mouthed 'HI' and wrote it on the fogged window. He cocked his head to the side and waved, I wrote my name on the window next 'My name is Elizabeth Golligher', I didn't know why but I felt compelled to talk to this strange man.

He nodded and, playing my game, wrote his name with stones that were lined up on the edge of the road. I had to squint to get the most of it, it said 'Hello, Elizabeth, my name is Duin Cullen' I recognized the name vaguely as an old Irish King, the name wasn't commonly used anymore. He smiled as I put a thumbs up sign to let him know I understood. I wandered how old was the guy, was there a possibility that he was in High School, or that he was a teacher at the school, would I see him tomorrow? I decided to ask.

I re-fogged the screen, and began to write, 'Do you do to Fork's high school?' he looked up at my writing for a minute, his mouth was a hard line, choosing weather to let me know the answer or not. but in the end he started to gather stones, and he wrote 'You'll just have to wait and see tomorrow, won't you?' And then, he was gone, I supposed he dissipated into the forest while I was reading his words. I went back to sleep too. And I had the same dream again, of the boy crying, his hands covered in blood.

"Good morning, Beth, how was your night?" Angela's voice caught me off guard, she was perched on the edge of my bed, shaking my shoulder. I barely remembered last night, I wandered in it was actually me just going crazy, or maybe part of last night's dream, I wasn't sure.

"Fine, I slept great, what time is it?" I asked looking at my alarm clock, it said it was six, which is probably why Angela was in here, I slept through my alarm.

"Oh about an hour till school starts, my parents just left for work, I'll be driving today, unless you want to walk... I wouldn't recommend it though." She said pointing outside where rain hurled against my window.

We ate breakfast together, Angela, the twins and I, and we all ate the same thing, cereal. Afterworld I got dressed, I wore a tribel style black on white longs leaved shirt and black jeans, accompanied by white boots and a black jacket. My hair was partially pulled back by a white headband, if I'd have worn that assemble to school, I would have been called 'THE GOTH'. Angela didn't comment on my choice of clothes, only looked slightly baffled by my lack of color.

Angela dropped the twins off first, then less then three minutes away we found the High school, I saw Bella, in an old cab truck, pulling up to a building that I assumed was the office. I asked Angela to drop me off there and meet me inside after she parked. I found my way inside the small office, which was decorated with -yes more!- potted greenery and flowers. A lady at the desk was explaining to Bella what courses she would have, and didn't see me come in. After she was done Bella turned and was surprised to see me there, she waved shoving papers in her book bag. I waved back and walked up to, I thought Mrs. Cope, next.

After my talk and introduction with Mrs. Cope, I walked to building 3 with Angela, where I spotted Bella in the back of the class, after I gave the teacher my slip, I sat in the only empty seat left next to her. People never seemed to keep their eyes off Bella or me, I ignored them completely, focusing on the teacher. But at the end of class I was confronted by half the class, using the measures that I learned from my old school, I put my head phones from my MP3 player in and kept walking only stopping at my next class.

This went on until lunchtime, in which I found Angela and fallowed her through the cafeteria line and bought a carton of milk. A few students asked me to sit with them but I couldn't even bring myself to sit with Angela, surrounded by her friends. So instead I retreated to an empty table that was not taken yet, as soon as I sat down I noticed every head in the cafeteria turn to face me. I blushed horribly and turned the music up on my MP3, blocking out all unwanted warnings of watching eyes.

I was drawling a tree when I was suddenly was aware that some one was tapping my shoulder. I turned around suppressing a grimace, and was confronted by a group of strangely pale, black eyed, angels. They all stared at me like I'd just insulted them, the two girls stood in front, one a beautiful blond and the other a small black haired pixie cut. The four boys stood in back, one burly, with curly black hair, another with blond hair and lean mussels, the one closest to me had bronze colored hair, he was not as macho as his brothers, but his skin was tight around his mussels. The last one was the one that caught my interest, he had orange hair and gold eyes, he was the shortest besides the second girl, his brow was furrowed in concentration. Here was my answer from last night, here was my visitor, there was the boy from my dream.

"Can I help you?" I asked, taking my head phones out and turning to face them, my face was impassive, I didn't reveal one ounce of admiration that was threatening to leak out. Duin's eyes were still glaring at me, harder then the rest.

"Your the new girl, Elizabeth Golligher," It wasn't a question, but I felt the need to respond to the bronze haired one, his voice was like velvet, flawless.

"Please, call me Beth, and who are you?" I was staring at Duin, strait in the eye now, wanting him to answer my question, not his friends.

"I'm Edward, these are siblings, Rosalie, Emmet, Jasper, Alice, and Duin, but you've already met Duin of course." The bronze colored one still answered, but Duin smiled and winked at me all traces of concentration left his face, the rest of the group frowned and turned to him, narrow eyed.

"What do you want?" I asked again, I sighed, might as well get to the point.

"Well, we usually sit at this table, not that we care to much, but seeing as there are only six chairs..." Duin finally answered, his voice carried a slight European accent, and his voice lighter then Edward's.

"Oh, well I'll move then, see you later I'm sure." I said, I didn't want to crowd their table, I tried to avoid conflict, and even though I was curious about Duin, I was more motivated to get out before the one named Emmet got his hands on me.

"Thank you," Edward answered, looking at me with a curious expression on his face, then he took a sharp intake of breath and breathed out. "it was nice meeting you Beth." He said then they all sat down, and Edward turned his attention to the stone wall, but Duin was still staring at me, smiling. I turned away embarrassed, I felt butter flies in my stomach, fluttering.

So I moved on to another table, listening to my favorite song Nickel Back Saving me, drawling away, resisting the temptation to look at my angels. But I didn't have to resist for long, because Duin was next to me as soon I heard the bell. "Hello, Beth, I believe last night I saw you on my walk." He said carrying his books with one arm and my sketch book in the other, I could only tell it was mine, because the one that I was drawling on wasn't there anymore.

"A, yeah, why were you walking that late anyways, isn't that a bit dangerous? Couldn't you have gotten a ride?" I said trying to snatch back my drawling. My question didn't catch him off guard as I wanted it to, he was expecting it, his face was to calm.

"I was looking for my dog, I just happened to see you looking out your window, I didn't recognize you so I stopped." He said, smiling at me with his brilliantly white teeth, I tried not to show my adoration but failed miserably by blushing again.

"Where are you headed? And can I have my sketch book back please?" I asked, still trying to snatch my book as we headed out of the cafeteria.

"Oh, biology, with my brother Edward. You can have your sketch book back as soon as I'm done looking a it, your quite good you know? I like the one tree with the poem, did you write it your self?" He asked flipping through the white pages that I hadn't scribbled on yet. He stopped on the last page, where I'd just been drawling, looking closer, I blushed deep pumpkin.

"Yes, I did, actually I'm headed to biology to, can you show me the way?" I asked, trying to distract him from the picture I'd drawn, because the picture was from my dream last night, and it was done in detail, so that the boy actually looked like an exact image of Duin -a wet and haggard Duin, but Duin none the less-. He frowned at the picture still and nodded gravely.

"Why did you drawl this? Who are the... other people carried in stretchers?" He asked with exaggerated slowness as we came in contact with a vexed Edward. Both of them scrutinized my face while I spoke, and I fought hard not to lose control.

"It was a dream last night, I woke up, that's why I was looking outside last night, I was watching the moon, it usually calms me down. The dead bodies are Brion Golligher, and Annette Wright, my brother and my mother." My voice cracked at the very end, and I grabbed my sketch book while Duin's eye's popped in shock, and ran into the class room not caring weather it was Biology or English.

I handed my note to the teacher, and he pondered where to put me, since the last desk was occupied by Edward and Duin. Eventually, much to my dislike, he placed me with Edward and Bella, while Duin sat at another table with two other students. Bella came in just as I sat my books beside Edward's who was already seated, and Bella came and put her books on the other side of me, leaving me trapped between the two. Which would have been okay, except Edward's face was reacting like Bella was the new black plague.

"What is your problem?" I asked as Bella blushed and hid her head, embarrassed.

"Nothing..." He said scathingly, looking at the front board.

"If it's nothing why are you glaring at her? I'm sorry but it's just a bit rude..." I said, defending Bella, I mean, if I were her, I wouldn't take it.

"It's none of your business!" He whipped his glaring eyes to me now, and I frowned and stiffly sat between the two.

The rest of class was hard to bare, because Edward was glaring at Bella, Duin was stealing anxious glances from me and Edward, Bella was taking quick peaks to see if Edward had stopped glaring, every one else was watching Edward or Bella, and I was trying to watch the teacher. At the end of class I felt, not seen or heard, Edward leave, and Duin was beside me again, in Edward's place, and then he was gone without a word.

I wasn't even out of the door, when Duin was back, frowning at me, concentrating like in the cafeteria. "I'm sorry if I upset you, but that boy in your picture, who is he, do you know? Is it me?" He asked me as I grabbed my jacket.

"I don't know who it is, maybe it is you, I don't know, it was just a dream." I said shuffling through the rain and mud covering the sidewalks.

"I'm sorry, it just looked... It was nicely drawn." He said struggling to find words that wouldn't absent me.

"It's fine, they died this... er last... year, on my birthday, that picture, was when they found them in the creek, I was the one who found them..." I said feeling this odd need to have him understand what happened, like it would make me understand the dream just a little bit better if he knew. "My foster father died the next morning of a heart attack, because he heard the news and it... He wasn't prepared for it." I said my voice drifting with my thoughts of that morning, when I was in the hospital, and the whispers, saying, 'He's dead too,' and 'Who should we call?' , 'She's an orphan now, the poor girl, no family besides her foster brother...' and then next 'We can't tell her, she'll go back into shock...' then I woke up.

Duin, stopped outside the building, still frowning, his eyes were hard, it looked like he was deciding something. I felt tears in my eyes and I reached up to wipe them away, and his eyes changed to agonized in one second, just as I lifted my glasses. He looked like he was going to cry, just like me, and before i could ask him whats wrong, he was gone, just like the wind. I sighed, did I for one moment imagine that he was going to wrap his arms around me? Did I think that he was going to comfort me? Me, plane-old-orange-blushing-freaky-drawling-poem-writing-blue-eyed-glasses-wearing-me, did I hope that my beautiful Angela actually cared about my life? I did, and now it seems, that he doesn't, and he was just trying to figure out why I had drawn him. Figures.

After Gym, in which Bella basically all but got negative points against me, I outclasses every one. Now don't get me wrong back at home I did bowling, volleyball, and soccer, and I was average in gym, but other then that I didn't get out of my room. But it was like these people didn't even have a sports program, and Bella I couldn't blame, because she was just a klutz. But I paid for my playing when I got home, I'd caught a cold, which was actually quite normal, but I tended to get Vertigo or an ear infection where ever it happened. I preferred Vertigo over painful ear infections, which made me have dizzy spells and sometimes pass out, the latter, however, made it impossible for me to go anywhere without a heating pad on one ear or the other.

So as a bonus Angela had to stay after school and take a test, so I had to hitch hike or walk. Now finding a ride wasn't hard, it was just the matter of who to trust to give me a ride. Eventually I asked Bella if she knew where the hospital was so i could get my subscription filled, she agreed and we hopped in her old truck. We were just off the high way when I noticed Duin walking, his shoulders were hunched and I asked Bella to pull over.

"Duin?" I called, but his eyes were already on me.

"Yes," He said flatly, not staring me in the eye.

"Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'll walk, the hospitals just down the road."

"It is, well then I'll walk with you, I'm going there too." I said hopping out and waving to Bella, who looked at me with worried eyes.

"Thanks for the lift Bella, if I haven't called in three hours tell your father that Duin has eaten me alive and to send the police after his family." I said, smiling reassuringly, I wasn't sure why I wanted to walk with Duin when he obviously didn't want to walk with me, but I did anyway.

"Why are you going to the hospital? Are you hurt?" He asked as I caught up with him, his eyes were sceptically looking over my body.

"I'm getting some pills that I might need in tomorrow or the next day, I have a cold, and when I have a cold, I usually get Vertigo or an ear infection. Usually it knocks of after a few weeks but, there have been times when I've fallen down stairs and passed out in class. So I figured, why not get my pills before that happens. My prescriptions already down here, but I have to pick it up at the hospital, why are going there?"

"Oh, well my father... Er foster father is Dr. Cullen, he adopted me just this year." He said his eye unfocused.

"My first friend was an orphan from Russia, I think she met her parents, I'm not sure. I haven't talked with her in a few years." I said trying to bring him out of his mood, it didn't work.

"My parents have been dead for some years."

"I'm sorry..." I said shutting up instantly.

"It's fine, I'm over it." He said calmly, looking at me in the eye and smiling an adorable, hole hearted smile. We were silent the rest of the way there, and it really wasn't such a long walk, when Duin and I stepped through the doors, another angel was waiting by the door, his hair was blond and he was just as beautiful as the rest of the other angels. I guessed he was Dr. Cullen, he greeted Duin formally.

"Hello, Duin, who is this ?"

"Elizabeth Golligher, Beth, she needs to have some prescriptions filled, she's the forging exchange student." He said, watching Dr. Cullen, who walked over to a desk and searched for my name.

"Ah, which do you need, the ones for Vertigo, ear infection, or theres something about pain medication for an injury in August..." Dr. Cullen turned to me, his eyes were narrowed, examining me, they hit they're mark at the place where my bangs hid my forehead, the place where I had gotten my scar. When I had heard the phone ring I picked it up, on my birthday, and when I heard that my mother and brother hadn't been seen on campus or at my aunts house, I went a little crazy. I asked my grandparents to drive along the rout they'd taken, and they did, and I saw skid marks going off the road along a creek near Celina. I checked it out, my grandparents went one way I went the other. I had seen something in the water, and, in my excitement, leaned over to see it, and I was then swimming in the overflowing creek, it spun me around. I wasn't sure what happened, only that I crashed into my mothers car, and that was how I had found them. I had cuts scrapes and bruises every where, but the one on my leg and forehead needed major stitching and medical help. They were infected, so I needed medication for them.

"All three actually," I admitted, smoothing my bangs again, like I could make the stitched disappear if I couldn't see them. "just in case, I don't want to pass out in school or anything." Dr. Cullen nodded, moving around the front office filling out forms and talking to nurses.

Duin dissipated with him it seemed, so I had no one to talk to, I resorted to reading a Boucher on the table about volunteer work in the hospital. It as too bad that I could never work in a hospital, I thought unhappily, because I'm allergic to most of anti-bacteria solutions that are used to clean cuts. Duin came back with a bag in his hand and a clipboard under his arm.

"Beth, sign here please, it says that you received your medicine," He held out the clip board for me and I signed it neatly as I could, "and here is you medication, do you need a ride home, do you even know where you live?" He said doubtfully, handing me the bag and laying the clipboard on the desk.

"No, I have absolutely no idea where I live, so I could use a ride I suppose." I said, looking at the darkening sky on the horizon.

"I'll give you a ride then," He said walking out of the office again, and coming back with keys and a sly smile. "do you mind if I drive fast?"

"Yes, I get motion sickness too, in fact I get every kind of common sickness that you can imagine. Believe it or not, I've only been hospitalized once, that was when I ripped my forehead open on Thanks Giving day, I didn't even feel it when I ran into the entertainment center. My Brion was crying his eyes out, we always debated about that memory, I guess I'll never know who was right..." I said trailing off, Duin walked me to a black, shiny car, that looked out of place in the town, I wandered why Duin walked when his father could have picked him up in that.

"Too bad, I'm a bit of a speed demon, you might have to close your eyes." He joked, getting into the front seat. He tweeked the radio and soft compositions came on, I closed my eyes and relaxed instantly, I might like rock, but I liked just plain music too. He noticed, I could practically feel the questions burning off him.

"I like every kind of music, if it's not screaming, played by a five year old, or has lousy lyrics or a stupid subject." I answered before he even got the question out, we were rolling on the highway by now.

"Hm... Have you ever played an instrument?" He asked, glancing at me instead of the road, I flinched uneasily.

"Yes, the guitar, trumpet, drums, and violin, once I played the harp. But I only play the guitar, violin and drums now, how 'bout you?" I asked, looking at his black eyes, I noticed a familiar trace of gold in them.

"Yes, I play the flute," He said smiling now, as if he had just made a joke to himself. "and I sing, my family complains that I sing to much." Duin said laughing, and it was the most wonderful sound I'd heard yet, it was a higher pitch laugh, and it was clear, flawless like the rest of him. At the last thought I shook my head, I couldn't think like that.

"I like to sing, but weather I'm good or not is questionable, some times I think that without Katie -my best friend- I can't sing a note without my voice cracking. I'm afraid the only time you'll hear me though, is in the shower though." I said, not even lying, it was true, I sang in the shower.

"Do you miss your friends?" He asked, we were on my street by now, I saw Angela's house.

"Yes, but, it's only been a day, and they haven't left me alone, they're going to take turns calling me every day." I laughed now too, thinking of Katie, and how many times she'd already called.

"You must have some good friends," Duin commented, his voice was far off, as we turned into the drive. "see you around, Beth."

"Thank you," I said, and grabbed my bags.

"Thank you for walking with me today." He waved as he pulled out of the drive, and vanished behind the corner.

That night I went to sleep, and the same dream came, was it trying to tell me something? Why did Duin look so much like the boy in my picture? Why can't I keep my mind of of Duin?

So how do you like it? My new fic is gonna be AWESOME! but I was wondering, if there are any guys who have read Twilight, would you mind doing this chapter from his perspective? Contact me if your interested, girls you can contact me too, my E-mail is lilyuzimaki -no spaces, or PM me.

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