The rain stayed soft over the weekend, quiet, so I was able to sleep well.

People greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. I didn't know all their names, but I waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning, but happily not raining. In English We had a pop quiz on Wuthering Heights. It was straightforward, very easy.

All in all, I was feeling a lot more comfortable than I had thought I would feel by this point. I mean under my clothes were weights and under those weights were bruises it's was painful but I was free from my teacher for the school day until night came.

When we walked out of cla.s.s, the air was full of swirling bits of white. I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other. The wind bit at my cheeks, my nose.

"Wow," Mike said. "It's snowing."

I looked at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face. It made my swelling feel so much better ugh my kidneys. "it's all fun and games til someone hits you in the ear."

Mike laughed. And then a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of his head. We both turned to see where it came from. I had my suspicions about Eric, who was walking away, his back toward us - in the wrong direction for his next cla.s.s. Mike appatently had the same notion. He bent over and began sc.r.a.ping together a pile of the white mush.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I kept walking as I spoke. "Once people start throwing wet stuff, I go inside."

He just nodded, his eyes on Eric's retreating figure.

Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently it was the first snowfall of the new year. I kept my hands under my s.h.i.+rt to get some more swelling down. Sure snow was great and all, - until it melted in your socks I don't like wet socks.

I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Jessica after Spanish my teachers beatings still in my mind. Mush b.a.l.l.s were flying everywhere. I dodged quite a few of them. Jessica thought I was hilarious, but something in my expression kept her from lobbing a s...o...b..ll at me herself.

Mike caught up to us as we walked in the doors, laughing, with ice melting the spikes in his hair. He and Jessica were talking animatedly about the snow fight as we got in line to buy food. I glanced toward that table in the corner out of habit. There were five people at the table. She must have eaten and gotten back from running away from problems probably not wanting to dissapoint her father. I put it in the back of my mind.

I waited for my new friends to get their food, and then followed them to a table, my mind on combat lessons and ways to improve them I don't really like physical weights I was thinking about seals I'll talk to teacher about it later.

I sipped my soda slowly. Jessica asked, how I was feeling. I told her it was nothing but pain from martial arts practice they were all quite curious I told them I had been studying it since I was young and had hurt myself a bit at practice was all. I decided to permit myself one glance at the Cullen family's table. They were laughing. Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. The girls were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else - only they looked more like a scene from a movie than the rest of us.

But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different, and I knew what it was it was like an after feeding glow. I examined Amanda the most carefully. her skin was less pale, I decided - the circles under her eyes much less noticeable. But there was something more. I pondered, staring, trying to isolate the change.

At that precise moment, her eyes flashed over to meet mine. I was sure, though, in the instant our eyes met, that she didn't look harsh or unfriendly as he had the last time I'd seen him. He looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way. Still couldn't get past my s.h.i.+elds girly.

"Amanda Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled in my ear.

I chuckled and just waved it off and started playing plants vs zombies.

"The Cullens don't like anybody... well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But she's still staring at you."

"She must be wondering how I got so awesome." I replied shamelessly.

She snickered, but she looked away. Mike interrupted us then - he was planning an epic battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested. I kept silent. It okay to be wet or cold but not both I'd have to use my mad dodging skills to evade that situation.