"I'm sorry. What?"

Veronica glanced at Jessica while tying her hair up in her green scrunchie. "I said that I am eating lunch at the Cullen table so don't save me a seat."

Jessica still seemed to be processing the information as she slowly put her books in her locker and then softly shut it. "You're sitting with the Cullens."

"Yes."

"Like all of them?"

"Jess," Veronica said, chuckling. "It's not that big of a deal."

"No, just Emmett isn't a big deal." Veronica chuckled, wishing that Emmett and his ego could have heard that. "But this is all of them — Jasper, Rosalie, and, oh! You're gonna be at the same table as Edward Cullen."

"He does typically sit with his siblings, yes," she mused as they made their way to the cafeteria to get in line.

"I can't believe you just got here and you've been invited to sit at their table. No one sits at their table—"

Veronica continued to let Jess ramble as they made their way through the line and filling their trays. It wasn't anything that Veronica didn't know. Sure, sitting with Emmett had been surprising for most of the student body to see, but her sitting with all of them? Surely every eye in the room would be on her. Knowing this, Veronica made sure to look rather cute in a yellow sweater and orange overall dress — she had put on a blue one originally but then she looked like a Minion.

"So, do you want to date Emmett then?" Jessica asked as they each paid for their meals.

Veronica stopped near her usual table where she would part with Jess. She glanced over at Emmett who was watching her with a smirk, clearly wanting to hear her answer. Veronica glanced back at Jessica and smiled.

"He asked me out this Friday. Told him I'd think about it."

Jessica's eyes widened and she tried to ask more questions but Veronica was already walking over to the Cullen's table. Jessica was left to wait for someone else to arrive at her table so that she could tell them about the date, despite the fact that she had no other details. She would likely corner Veronica before the school day was finished to get some more information to spread around.

There was an empty seat in between Emmett and Alice, the latter of which quickly hugged Veronica as she sat down. She smiled at everyone at the table and was pleased to be met with friendly faces, even from Rosalie and Jasper.

"Jessica is about to lose her mind," Edward said, chuckling.

"You know, I think she'd pass out if I told her that you actually knew her name," she said, laughing.

"Her mind does make for a good ego boost when I'm in need of one," Edward admitted, grinning. "I made eye contact with her once when we first moved here and it was all she thought about for days."

Veronica shrugged and glanced back at Jessica, who was now chatting along with Angela, occasionally glancing over at the table. "Jess is harmless. You're just all too pretty for your own good. One day you'll make a poor girl's heart give out."

"Did I make your heart almost give out?" Emmett asked while Jasper and Nicholas groaned at his flirting.

"Careful. She might smite you," Jasper said, as Veronica rolled her eyes but laughed.

"Speaking of smiting," Edward said, leaning his elbows on the table. "We all read the journal last night. I hope you don't mind but Carlisle still has it. He wants to study it a little more."

"He can keep it as long as he likes," Veronica said, waving it off. "It's not even the original copy. So, are all of your minds like blown from everything in it?"

"Uh, yeah," Nicholas said, running a hand through his hair. "Was no one gonna tell me that there are other kinds of vampires? And that ghosts are real and the hellhounds are gonna keep me up at night — metaphorically speaking."

"You've really gone up against all that stuff?" Emmett asked, clearly impressed.

"I mean, with all the stuff she can do, are you surprised?" Alice asked, smiling.

"Well, I don't actually have all the powers that are listed in the book," Veronica specified. "If a Nephilim comes into its full powers then it's like a world-ending event. Since I'm kind of only alive because God lets me, he also put a sort of a cap on my abilities so as not to cause any more world-ending events. Lord knows my family doesn't need to be involved in any more of those."

"Just how many world-ending events have you been a part of?" Edward asked.

"Four or five? Maybe six. It could be seven. I've lost count," she said, sipping on her water and ignoring the surprised looks on their faces. "It all kind of runs together, especially since I was like six the first time that we dealt with it. But a lot of it is documented in these books I have."

"Your life is crazy."

"That's kind of why I'm here in Forks," she replied to Nicholas while chuckling. "Though Dean isn't very supportive of me trying to live an apple pie life, as I'm sure you all heard."

"I'm sorry that he isn't more supportive," Rosalie said, frowning. "And that you got into such a big fight. Usually, when the boys get into an argument that bad, someone gets thrown out a window."

"We'll get over it and makeup eventually," Veronica said, shrugging. "We fight a lot but tend to make up quickly on the off chance that one of them will die and for the last time."

"Last time?"

"I've gotta get you those books," she muttered, smiling sheepishly at Jasper. "I've never died if that counts for something."

Alice needlessly cleared her throat and folded her arms on the table. "So, apart from all the family drama and running across our coven, how are you liking Forks?"

Veronica relaxed her shoulders a bit, glad to talk about something other than her brothers and all that they've done over the years. The fight was still a bit of a sore topic for her, though she wouldn't admit it out loud.

"I love it here so much," she admitted, grinning. "It's nice making friends knowing that I won't have to say goodbye in a week or two. And I like not having to wear cheap flannel shirts every day that end up getting blood on them. I guess it might sound silly to you guys, but cheer practice and sleepovers and trips to the mall with Jessica and Angela are these like amazing moments that I've never done before."

"It's not silly," Rosalie said, smiling sadly. "It's nice. I miss doing things like that when I was human."

"Oh!" Alice explained while quickly grabbing Veronica's hands across the table. "We should have a sleepover since you'd never had one before you got here. Me, you, and Rose."

"Can I come?"

"No, Emmett," Rosalie said, playfully rolling her eyes.

"We can watch movies and do each other's nails and I can finally see your closet because you just wear the cutest clothes," Alice said, her grin taking up half the size of her face. "I can't see you in visions but I just know we're going to be very best friends."

"I'd love a sleepover," Rosalie said, smiling softly. Veronica figured that with it just being three girls in the house, they might be itching to meet new people but can't really do that because of what they were.

"Sounds great."

"Which night works best for you?" Alice asked.

Veronica thought about it while peeling an orange. "Well, Saturday is no good because there's a lacrosse game and after that, I have plans with Angela to study for our Calculus test. And Thursdays are when I eat dinner at the diner with Sheriff Swan."

"You eat dinner with the Sheriff?" Edward asked, tilting his head in confusion. "An odd dining partner if you ask me."

"Well, I go there a lot and he's always there too. He's a shit cook too. I guess he thought it was odd that a seventeen-year-old girl was there on her own every other night eating her weight in hamburgers so he introduced himself. Every Thursday he buys me berry cobbler and says he wants to keep tabs on me since my brothers aren't home often. He has a daughter my age that lives in Phoenix so I think he's being a little protective cause he doesn't really see her that often. Anyways, the cobbler is freaking delicious so no way am I missing cobbler night. Speaking of, your mother's pie was to die for. I ate the last slice this morning."

"I thought you were joking about eating the whole thing in one night," Emmett said, chuckling.

"I'd never joke about apple pie," she said seriously. Then she turned back to Alice. "I guess Sunday or next weekend would be best because I have a date this Friday."

It took a minute for Emmett to process what she had. "Wait. You have a date this Friday?"

"Yes."

"With me?"

"Do you not want to anymore? I'm sure Tyler is free," she said jokingly looking over her shoulder.

"No," he said, turning her head back to their own table for her. His siblings all looked quite amused by it all. "Date with me is good."

"Better blow my socks off, Big Guy. I've never been on a real date."

"Never?"

"How?"

"But you're a total babe!"

"Emmett!"

Veronica chuckled as Rosalie smacked Emmett on the back of his head. "I've always been more of a make out with some guy under the bleachers then move away four days later and never see him again kind of gal."

"Oh, I'm sure making out under the bleachers was about what he had planned," Nicholas said, snickering and also leaning away to avoid Rosalie smacking him too. "Kidding. Kidding."

"Don't worry," Emmett said, grinning. "I've got a plan to sweep you off your feet."

Edward caught his eye and smirked while shaking his head. He most certainly did not have a plan, but the mind reader knew of a place he could get one.

"Bye, Roni. Have fun at practice."

Veronica waved goodbye to Angela and Jess in the parking lot before heading to the gym for cheer practice. The two girls stood by Angela's car for a few more minutes, deciding what to do over the weekend. Jessica was in the middle of talking about some new shoe store in Port Angeles when she froze, looking over Angela's shoulder with wide eyes.

"Jess, what's wrong?" she asked, chuckling. After a moment she looked over her shoulder and froze herself. It was because Emmett Cullen was no doubt walking over to them while his siblings stood by their cars and watched.

"It's Emmett Cullen," Jessica whispered while slapping Angela's arm. "Emmett Cullen is coming over here."

"Stop hitting me," Angela muttered, not taking her eyes off the boy as she shoved Jessica's hands away.

No one said anything right away when he reached them, flashing his ever so charming smile. Angela was the first of the two to snap out of the trance from being so close to him.

"Um, hello Emmett."

"Hey. Angela, right? And Jessica?"

"Yes. I am Jessica," she said, grinning nervously. An odd giggle slipped past her lips and she didn't understand how Veronica managed to keep her cool around such a perfect guy. "Um, so, did you need anything."

"Yeah, actually. I don't know if Veronica has told you or not, but we have a date this Friday."

"She's really excited," Angela said, making Emmett's smile widen.

"Me too," he admitted. "I just really want it to be a great date, ya know? I really want to knock her socks off. Figured it would be a good idea to come to her best friends for some ideas."

"You want our help planning the date?" Jessica asked, practically bouncing on her feet. "That's like so romantic."

"So, what do you guys think?"

"Well, make sure the food is great," Angela said, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I'm sure you know how much she loves to eat."

Jessica nodded along. "Oh, and she loves watching movies. Favorites are Heathers, Men in Black, Mamma Mia. Anything with Paul Rudd."

"She was talking to Mike and Eric about loving paintball but that's probably not a good first date idea."

Angela and Jessica were quickly bouncing ideas off of each other. Jessica liked mini golf because then he could do that thing where he puts his arms around her to help her hit the ball. Angela recommended a good skating rink the next town over. Both thought watching the sunset in a park was romantic.

In the end, no matter what he chose for the first, he certainly had plenty of future date ideas stored in the back of his mind because he fully intended for there to be a second one.