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The first day for Mia at Forks High School is a dreary, grey one. Mia isn't surprised by this weather; as the locals have said, it's the same gloomy skies all twelve months of the year. The bright side is that the trees behind Little Wood Cottage are a vibrant green, glistening with the dew of the foggy morning.
Mia wakes up to the cold sunlight streaming through her lace curtains. Her great-aunt said that she didn't feel a need to buy proper curtains, as no one had yet slept in that spare bedroom. Plus, curtains were far too expensive, and she'd bought Mia nice new linens anyway. It's hard to sleep when the moon is shining brightly through her window, but at least the sun wakes her up bright and early- she's estimated that she has a half hour walk to school ahead of her.
Mia takes her time getting ready. She only really owns the same style of clothes, but all in different patterns and colours. She found early on that she prefers large, chunky knit jumpers and skirts reaching down to her midcalf. Often the occasional lace camisole, but she doesn't seem to be needing them any time soon in this weather. As she runs her eyes over the neat folded piles of skirts in her dresser, she hopes that she won't be made fun of in how she dresses at her new school. Mia remembers being called names for her clothes by the other girls at her old school, as her clothes were obviously thrifted and tattered, and the opposite style of their polished flats and embellished tee shirts.
"Hey," she murmurs to herself. "I don't have anything to prove to these people."
Finally she picks out a swishy green skirt that falls just above her ankles. She got it for five dollars at a yard sale, and even though she's had to sew it to make it fit in the waist, she adores it. As she opens the wardrobe for top to layer over her peach camisole, she immediately tugs out her pale yellow fuzzy sweater. Somehow, the softness of the sweater makes her feel comforted, and safe, and Mia pulls it over her head happily. She only has two pieces of jewellery- a matching droplet pearl earring and necklace set that she'd received as a sixteenth birthday present from Thomas. As she places the necklace around her neck, she grips the white pearl for a second, thinking about her cousin. He'd worked himself to death, but she knew he was at peace now, reunited with the rest of their family.
She grabs her black raincoat and slides on her shoes at the front door. They're a pair of mary janes, black and patent, with the slightest block heel. When she first got them, the heel took getting used to, but many trips on the subway and long walks through New York and Central Park got her feeling exceptionally comfortable in them. Mia only has two pairs of shoes; the black mary janes and her brown leather boots. She wears her mary janes for school, and her boots for just about anything else.
Charlie Swan, the Police Chief had told her that his daughter, Isabella Swan, was starting on the same day as her. That helps calm her nerves as Mia walks to Forks High School. She has a plan to blend in within the crowd at Forks, although it's tricky seeing as she's starting in March, in the middle of the semester.
She enters the reception at the school, tugging down the hood of her light rain jacket. Although it had started to merely drizzle on her way to the school, she didn't want to risk her first introduction to the high school population as the girl whose wet hair made her look like a drowned rat. Especially since it seemed that most of the students drove their cars to school.
A girl is standing at the reception already, talking to the receptionist. She's fiddling with a ring on her first finger nervously- as Mia moves closer she notices that it's a silver ring with a rounded moonstone set into the metal. Her hair is a brown color, but significantly darker to Mia's one. Mia goes to stand next to her at the desk and as she looks over to Mia, she notices that the girl's eyes are a warm, chocolate brown- similar to Charlie Swan.
"Hi," Mia starts, and the girl echoes a response.
"You're Mia Blackthorn, right?" The girl asks. Mia nods. "Yeah Charlie- my dad, he was talking about you starting today as well."
Mia sends her a small smile. "You're Isabella Swan?"
The girl frowns slightly, but a smile lifts the corner of her mouth in return. "Yeah, I just go by Bella though."
Mia bobs her head in acknowledgement. "Bella, got it."
Suddenly, the receptionist speaks, catching the two girls' attention as she hands them both each their class schedules and a map of the school. As they begin to walk about the school, Mia examines her schedule.
"What have you got first?" Bella asks.
Mia twists her wrist so that Bella can better see the paper in her hand. "Advanced Music, then it looks like we both have Government with Mr Jefferson together. That seems to be about it though. I've got English when you have Biology II, and French when you have Spanish."
"At least we'll have each other for Government," Bella says agreeably. "I don't like Government, it'll be nice to know someone there."
Mia turns her map up a different way, the paper crinkling in the wind. "Gosh, this map is confusing-"
"You're Mia Blackthorn, right? And Isabella Swan, the new girls?" Mia is interrupted by a boy with black hair, sweeped to the side across his forehead. He's wearing a tie around his neck, under the collar of his buttoned shirt, and he starts walking with them as he's approached the two girls. "Hi, I'm Eric, the eyes and ears of this place. Uhm- anything you need, tour guide, lunch date, shoulder to cry on?"
Bella and Mia exchange glances, Mia shrugging slightly as she tucks a stray hair behind her ear.
"I'm really kind of the more suffer-in-silence type." Bella responds as the now group of three make their way through the crowd of students.
Eric's eyes brighten. "Good headline for your feature! I'm on the paper, and you're both news, baby, front page."
Mia's eyes widen as Bella turns to her in alarm. She shakes her head in what she hopes is a subtle way, shock building up. She desperately does not want to be in the school paper- and she's endlessly relieved that Bella shares the sentiment.
"Oh, no, we're not- you're- no-" Mia stutters out, now shaking her head quite obviously at Eric.
"Woah, woah, chillax," Eric says, making a complete 180 at the horrified expression on the two girls' faces. "No feature."
