6:14:19 → j. hale, a. cullen

02.

6:09:17

Emery's eyebrows raised in amusement as she stood next to the table where her youngest sister and father sat awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

"So, first day of school, huh?" Charlie asked, clearing his throat and wincing at the silence afterwards. The eldest daughter leaned against the counter to support herself and placed her bowl into the sink. "At least you won't be the only new girl, Bella." She said gently, trying to send her sister a small smile. But Bella didn't pay the action any mind and silently pursed her lips, twisting the truck's keys around her index and thumb finger.

Charlie quickly packed up a simple lunch and excused himself, placing a delicate kiss on Emery's temple and awkwardly squeezing Bella's shoulder before he rushed out to his cruiser.

"It isn't going to be as bad as you think it will. Besides, I'm the one who's eventually going to need my oxygen tank, so that'll definitely take the attention off of you for a little bit." Emery said jokingly as she placed her plaid jacket over her arms, welcoming the warmth. Bella just glanced at her with a hard look in her eyes and placed her plate in the sink, before rushing past her sister and heading outside.

Emery cursed quietly to herself and bit on the side of her thumb, locking the door behind her.

Instead of making a conversation with her, Emery quietly got into the passenger side of the truck and leaned her head against the cool window. The cold made her sigh, as it was helping her alleviate the harsh heat from her fever.

Bella cleared her throat and quickly gained her older sister's attention. Looking over at her, Bella sent her a small smile that looked apologetic.

"I don't mean to be harsh, Em. This is just really hard on me right now."

Emery stared out of the windshield for a few quiet seconds, before nodding to herself. "I know it is, it's hard on everybody. But let's just make the best of it while we have the time to, okay?" She asked, her left hand hanging on loosely to her seatbelt.

Bella nodded fervently and blinked before refocusing on the road, while murmuring to herself,

"Yeah, while we still have time."

▹

"Do you feel like turning around, because I feel like turning around. Let's turn around." Bella blurted out in panic, slowing down as she saw the sign that welcomed you to Forks High School.

Emery huffed out a quiet laugh and shook her head.

"What? No way, Bella. Just relax." She said trying to placate her anxious sister. "We're here already, and just like I said earlier, let's make the most of it!" Raising her hands half way in the air, a sarcastic grin making it's way onto her pale face, trying to ease her.

Bella scrunched up her nose and sighed heavily as she drove through the parking lot, reluctantly finding one not too far away.

"Did you bring your medications and your paperwork?" She asked her older sister, trying to take her mind off of her own nervousness. Emery nodded and raised her backpack up with a slight tremor in her hand, but hid it by rubbing her hands together, trying not to worry the already stressed out brunette next to her.

"I'm ready, I'm set, let's go." She said, already opening her door before her sister could get another word in.

Emery bit back a grin as she heard her sister curse loudly from inside of the truck, and made her way towards the front of it, letting her hand run over the slight indentations. Bella slammed the door of the rusted truck behind her, and turned a furious red when multiple heads turned their way. With pinched eyebrows, she paced over to her elder sister, and gently wrapped her arm against her elbow, giving her the balance she would need as they walked up the steps to their new school.

Whistles and whispers were heard as they carefully made their way up the stairs, but Emery paid them no mind. She looked as normal as she could, even though her hair was beginning to thin and the permanency of darkness under her eyes made her look weaker than she felt. She was just glad the medication was helping her with her respiration. Walking into a brand new high school with a fifty pound silver and green oxygen tank being wheeled behind her was not the look she was looking for, or wanted to be remembered as.

"Let's just find the office, okay? We can worry about everything later." Emery said to her younger sister, gently tugging on her arm towards the guidance office sign she finally saw a few yards away earlier. But before they could get into the office, an arm was pushed in front of them, and a beaming smile was welcoming them.

"Eric Yorkie, at your service. You two must be Emery and Bella Swan, am I right? Of course I am. Anyway, I am the eyes and ears of this school, also a shoulder to cry on," he said incredibly fast, correcting himself quickly as he saw the raised eyebrow on the eldest and the slight fright on the other.

"You know, if you're into that kind of thing."

Emery blanked out and no longer listened to what the other had to say, blinking owlishly at the now packed and busy hallway, now rushing and bumping against them as they stood in the middle.

"Maybe we should go and get our things ready, Bella." Emery began, sending her sister a look before grinning over at Eric sheepishly. "Nice to meet you Eric, thanks for welcoming us." She spoke, her smiling beginning to get wider as she saw a slight pink raise to his cheeks as she spoke to him, keeping eye contact.

"Yeah, of course, of course." He pushed out, crossing his arms and awkwardly chuckling. "You guys should sit with us during lunch, me and my friends." He finished, his eyes flickering back and forth at each sister, shoulders pinching up as the warning bell rang.

Before Bella could reject the idea nicely, Emery grinned and made her way over to the office's door before turning around. "I'm not sure about my lunch schedule because I'm a senior, but I'm absolutely sure Bella would love to be more acquainted with you and your friends, wouldn't you Bella?" She asked, mirth heavily in her tone.

"Of course." Bella said, sending a glare towards her older sister, who was now already making her way into the office with her paperwork in her hands.

"See you later." Bella bit out awkwardly and hurried into the office, rushing past an already open-mouthed Eric, with his hand in the air.

Emery glanced back at her younger sister and laughed heartedly.

"Nice one, isn't he?"

▹

"No classes together, not even one." Bella said forcefully, staring down at her schedule with heavy eyes.

"We have lunch together, at least" Emery said, focusing on her step as they both made their way to their homerooms on separate floors.

Stopping in between the third and fourth floor on the staircases, Emery looked over at her sister and sent her a smile.

"Everything is going to be okay, Bells." The act of her sister calling her the rarely used nickname made her grin to herself and nod, feeling a sense of comfort.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay? Have fun in gym." Emery grinned out, laughing quietly before she carefully made her way up the stairs.

As she made her way up the stairs, she heard her younger sister murmur,

"Who makes gym class second period, anyway?"