Moonlit Guardians

1.

Being the new girl was never something I expected in my life. For the first time in my eighteen years, I felt completely and utterly alone. The world seemed to come to a standstill after the incident—like it would never start turning again.

When I saw my new home, the first word that came to mind was "dull." Grayness surrounded me everywhere I went—the sky, the house, the school—and mirrored my mood. It all felt lifeless compared to where I grew up. I missed them terribly—my mom and brother were all I had, and now they were gone.

That night was too painful to dwell on, so I distracted myself whenever memories flooded in. This time, the distraction came unexpectedly.

During my first week at Forks High, I managed to evade interaction for four days, hiding from anyone who approached. It may sound rude, but after the past six months, all I wanted was to graduate and leave. Being a senior this year, I had no intention of staying longer than necessary.

The relief of making it to Friday without speaking to anyone vanished instantly—it turned out to be the last time I'd feel truly lonely.

The one spot I found where no one else sat suddenly became occupied by a boy with kind eyes, a goofy smile, and long, bowl-shaped hair.

He pulled a chair next to me with a wide, shiny smile. "Hey there, I'm Eric," he said, shaking my hand firmly without pause. "I'm the eyes and ears of this school, and you've got the perfect look for center page." His eyes sparkled as he mimicked a photographer. I felt my eyes widen in panic. Being front and center on the school page sounded like a nightmare. The last thing I wanted was attention.

"Oh no, I don't want th—" I started, but he cut me off, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Hey, hey, don't worry. No center page, got it. But you've got to come meet the crew." With that, he grabbed my tray and hurried to the middle of the cafeteria.

I had no time to object. He pushed his friends to make space for me at their table. I sighed, resigning myself to sitting at a more central location than I preferred. As I approached, another boy with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes shoved me into a seat between him and Eric.

There was a moment of awkward silence before the girl across from me spoke up. "Well, I'm Jessica," she said with a smile and a small wave. Her tone was bubbly yet slightly judgmental. I could tell she had a tendency toward jealousy, much like many girls back at my old school.

After Jessica, the others introduced themselves—Mike, Angela, and Erica seemed friendlier compared to Jessica. I introduced myself as amicably as possible, despite feeling like a shy idiot stumbling over my words.

I hadn't always been this shy, but losing my mom and brother seemed to drain much of my old self away. I simply didn't have the energy for people anymore.

Thankfully, they returned to their own conversations, including me occasionally. It was... nice, listening and learning more about them through their stories.

About ten minutes later, the room quieted slightly as people began whispering and gesturing toward the front of the cafeteria. Curiosity piqued, I glanced over to see a group of strikingly attractive people entering. They looked almost unreal with their perfectly chiseled features and graceful movements. One with long brown hair stood slightly behind a man with golden hair and eyes.

As I took them in, a pair of striking gold eyes locked onto mine. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly looked away, catching a confused expression before my gaze dropped.

"Oh no, they're coming this way," I panicked internally, feeling their approach. Strangely, no one at the table seemed bothered, so I tried to reassure myself.