"Hey strangers" Haley walks up beside Lucas and I as we walk towards the school.

Haley and Lucas are my two best friends here, I mostly hang out with them. Sometimes I'll spend time with my other friends like Eric Yorkie and Angela Webber, or even Mouth and Skills but other than them? No. I mean it's better than at my last school where I only had Hope and this warlock named Wade.

Haley has shoulder length straight brown hair with brown eyes and light colored skin and stands at five four. She wants to be a teacher since she loves helping students, she currently works in the tutor center.

Like many around here in Forks, you've got a lot of people with light colored skin because of the lack of sun. The only people who have skin tones darker than a light tan, would be those on the Reservation in La Push who have varying tan colored skin tones to deeper colors. In La Push you've got places with a bit more sunlight than in Forks. In Forks you've got a few people with dark skin tones, not many but a few.

"No stranger than you" Lucas says "Did you get my messages last night?"

"No" she looks my way "Mal and I were actually studying late, midterms" I do not remember this, last night I was at the Dal Riata talking to Trick who is basically like the only grandfather I have. The blood related ones that are both dead: one was old and senile before becoming maggot food when I was eight and the other was murdered twice by my Uncle Klaus and he viewed my mom and myself as abominations along with my cousin Hope and her father, my Uncle Klaus.

By the subtle look she's giving me, she wants me to lie "Yeah, we were studying at my house. Haley needed help with the tutor center since you know how busy it gets around midterms and finals?"

At Forks it's different from the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted. Midterms there were right before winter break and finals at the beginning of summer, end of the year. Here you have midterms each semester and finals at the end of each semester.

"Yours or Nathan's?" Lucas asks

"Both, actually" she stops to face us "Luke...you're cool with this, right? I mean last week when you said you didn't trust me..."

"I know" he sighs "I don't mean that, alright"

"He just doesn't trust Nathan" And I'd like to say I trust him, but I don't. Unlike these two my trust issues go way deeper than either of them realize. The only reason I trust these two is because I knew them since I was a child, when mom would bring me here every winter for Christmas and to go camping at spots my dad loved "I mean I barely do"

"Hey" looking over to Peyton who comes over offering a smile "got a second?"

Peyton Sawyer, artist. She has blonde hair that she perms regularly with light colored skin and green eyes, she stands at about five seven. She's a cheerleader and I don't think she knows what she wants to be when she leaves high school, what I do know she doesn't plan on living the life of a house wife like many here in Forks.

"Speaking of..." Haley and I walk away giving Peyton and Lucas some room, it's clear that Peyton likes Lucas and Lucas likes Peyton but I'm not sure if either realizes how they feel about one another.

"Do you like Nathan?" I ask

Haley looks at me flabbergasted "What makes you think I like him?"

"That isn't a no" I say

She shoved my shoulder causing me to stumble a bit amused "That wasn't a yes either!" She exclaims "Nathan and I are just tutor buddies, that is it. By the way, he needs help"

"Help?" Isn't she already helping him with Math and English? "What does he need help with now? He can't be terrible at everything—were you with him last night? Is that why I lied"

"You'd be surprised" looking away from me. Holding my arm out stopping us, Haley and I stare at one another before she sighs "Yes, I was with him last night. Don't tell me you don't trust me either"

"I trust you" crossing my arms "it's Nathan I don't trust" she purses her lips shaking her head "Look...I don't say this lightly when I say I have severe trust issues. It's just me Haley, I see the absolute worst in people and it takes me a very long fucking time to even slightly trust. I trust you and Lucas because we've known one another since we were children. I'd like to say I see good in people right away like you do, but it isn't true"

Haley just stares at me, I really want her to say something "Does this mean...you're paranoid all the time?"

"I have a lot of walls up" letting out a sigh looking around "I'm not paranoid in general, I'm just...I come with a lot of baggage that it would make it impossible for me to ever have a healthy relationship" especially since the last one like with Hope, got my mom killed and almost me killed "How long  do you think it'll take before Lucas and Peyton realize their feelings for one another?"

Haley looks over to Lucas as he watches Peyton walk away "With him...never" she and I let out some laughs "Hey Angela" looking over seeing Angela come up beside us with her camera.

"Hey" Angela Webber, really nice girl. Photographer/journalist. She has long black hair with dark brown eyes hidden behind glasses, light tan skin who stands at five seven with a Latina heritage. She's really hot and I would ask her out, but she's straight.

"So" she asks me "your first away game, how do you feel?"

"Conflicted" I'm not sure how to feel about this game, it's just a game like any other "As long as the team doesn't act like a bunch of jackasses, I guess I'll be happy enough"

"Do you" she asks "even like playing basketball?"

Shrugging my shoulders "I feel close with my dad doing this, it's like when I play he's there watching my..." taking a breather since the mere thought of either of my parents stings "games. Will either of you be at the game?"

"Yeah" they nod their heads

Angela shows the camera "I'm going to take some photos, for this month's editorial though I have no idea what to write for next month"

"How about my cousin coming to live in Forks?" They are taken aback by that "Bella? My uncle's daughter"

"Wait" Haley holds her hand up "the chief's daughter is moving to Forks?" Those who are nearby look our way shocked, yeah this is a big deal since Bella hasn't been back to Forks since she was eight and it was during the summer.

"Yeah" when I smell Nathan's cologne, I notice from my peripheral him coming this way "Nathan"

"Mallory" only those close to me I'll allow call me Mal "Haley, Angela"

"Hey" Haley greets and Angela briefly smiles "Hi Nathan"

"Are you coming to the game tonight?" He focuses his attention on Haley, does he like Haley or is he using her? That is the mystery isn't it?

"Um..." she said she's going so why is she hesitating with her answer?

"You should come" he encourages "we always beat the crap out of the Pickerington Hicks"

"'Hicks'?" I ask as Haley asks "They're called the 'Hicks'?"

"They suck" Angela clarified for us "like really badly"

"Yeah" Nathan nods his head "they should be called the 'Hicks' though. That place is all pick up trucks and mullets. It's definitely worth the road trip"

"Wait" Haley stops Nathan from leaving "So Mal, earlier I mentioned Nathan needing help. You need her help"Nathan and I share a look of disgust "Nathan you are all but failing Spanish and Mal here is fluent in Spanish, she tutors me in Spanish because my Spanish is sucky"

"¿Necesitas ayuda en español?" You need help in Spanish? Looking at Nathan with my arms crossed, between Angela, Haley and I. Angela is the only other person fluent in Spanish.

"Uh" he looks from me to them "No, I'm not hungry"

Angela covers her mouth giggling "She asked if you needed help" Angela says

"By your answer, that is a yes" letting out a sigh "I'm only doing this for the team"

"You'll help me?" He asks

Clicking my tongue against the top of my mouth "Don't make me regret this, we'll work on your Spanish tomorrow. Come by the Swan House at noon, I don't work in the tutor center and I prefer tutoring in more comfortable spaces"

"Alright" he nodded his head "tomorrow at noon"

"Did you" Jessica Stanley appears with Lauren Taylor, I don't like either girl "just agree to hang out with Nathan Scott? Does this mean the family rivalry is over?"

"Me hanging out with who I want is none of your business, I'll see you later Haley, Angela" walking away from them, my problem with Jessica is simply her wanting to gossip about everything and not knowing how to keep a secret. With Lauren? She's a bitch. I did absolutely nothing to her and she's being this big bitch to me.

Jessica has long light brown hair with blue eyes and light colored skin who stands five foot two. She's Forks Highs gossip girl, I'd like to say I could one day like her but no. She has a crush on Mike Newman, he's on the basketball team along with Tyler Crowler. Tyler is who Lauren likes but I don't know if Tyler sees her that way. Lauren Taylor is this bitch like I said, she has long blonde hair with blue eyes and light colored skin who stands at five foot five. Since arriving to Forks High, Lauren has seen me as the enemy and I don't know why.

❤️‍🩹

"Is it true?" Mike comes over to my side to shoot some baskets, Tyler on my other side. Tyler and Mike both play defense while I play offense with Lucas and Nathan.

We are in the basketball uniforms, well mine is different since I altered it a bit. We are wearing mainly blue while the trimming around the neckline, sleeves, bottom part is checked black and blue. While the guys are wearing shorts that go to their knee caps, my shorts are a bit shorter like mid length while the guys have long length shorts. My shorts are like four to five inches long while the guys are ten inches but how it looks for the guys it depends by how big their body is.

"What?" I ask them

Mike Newman is originally from California, his parents moved here because his dad got a job in Seattle while his mom opened a sports store. Like Dick's Sporting Goods, but different because it's their own business. He has short blonde hair with blue eyes and light colored skin who stands at about five foot ten.

Then you've got Tyler Crowley who is about six foot with dark brown skin, black hair that is cropped short with dark colored eyes. Tyler like most on the team have been born and grew up in Forks, he likes me. Both him and Mike. Like as in attracted to me but I just am not interested in guys like that, I'm more into older men. Supernatural men. Normal human men I just...I'm not attracted to. I'd like to say I have a specific reason but I don't.

"That your cousin" Tyler asks "is moving to Forks?"

"She is" looking between them both "if either of you are asking for Jessica or Lauren" you need to keep your emotions in check, when your emotions aren't in check your powers get out of control and it ends up horribly for you and those around you.

"No" Mike shakes his head no "just curious, I mean you never talk about her" What is there to talk about? She and I don't have a relationship. End of story.

A few hours into the game, Nathan makes a remark about how horribly me and Lucas are playing which I just ignore. Lucas however doesn't when Nathan makes a comment about sleeping with Haley.

"So I saw Nathan in the shower" Lucas looks at Peyton who is cheering beside her best friend Brooke Davis, one of the most popular girls at school. She has long dark brown hair with brown eyes and light colored skin, she's into fashion and wants to be this fashion influencer or something like that one day "no wonder you broke up with him" Lucas and I high five as I laugh, I've never been in the guys locker room but for Lucas to say that. It must not be a good sized cock.

Hearing this whoosh, looking over at the wrong time this basketball comes right at my face and I fall to the floor with a hard thud. A groan escapes me as I grab my nose feeling this warm wet stuff that when I taste a bit of it, it has this sweet fruity tangy taste to it that is my blood.

"Are you alright?" Mike asks

"I think so" getting up from the floor only to stumble, Mike and Tyler catch me as Coach Whitey Durham is here with the referee.

Coach Whitey Durham, he's like in his late sixties now with a bald head and light colored skin with dark brown eyes. Whitey has been coaching basketball for over forty years now, basketball is his life but he makes sure that basketball isn't our lives after the game is over. He is a really great coach and person. He deserves Peace when he dies.

"Her nose might be broken" The referee says as Whitey has me sit down, Lucas is next to me as an ice pack is handed to me.

"Are you" Angela and Haley are next to me "alright?"

"Can I see her your mirror compact?" I ask

Angela pulls hers out and I see my nose is crooked and looks dislocated, when the paramedic on call checks my nose I swat his hand away to set it back to how it was before. When we hear a crack and a pop, my friends are shocked by me doing this by myself "You" the paramedic chastised me "shouldn't have done that"

"I'll be fine" assuring him as blood comes down my nose "it would have been worse if nothing was done or something was done too late" plus when you add in my enhanced healing, my nose should be as good as new in a an hour.