The rest of the week went normally. Well, without anything up to the level of the strange incidents I'd experienced since moving here.

Friday rolled around, and Alex was finally off work early. I was lounging around at home, making a sandwich, when he basically crashed into the house.

"Danni?" He yelled.

"Kitchen," I hollered back.

"You busy tonight?"

I shook my head, putting my sandwich onto a plate. "I don't exactly have a phenomenal social life here."

"Good. Get ready, we're leaving at 6." Then he left the room.

Wait, what? "Huh?" I called out, following him down the hall. He shut his bedroom door in my face. I pounded my fist against it. "Where are we going?"

The door cracked open and his face peered out. "Wear something warm." Slammed shut again. Great.

I checked my phone. 5.15pm. Sighing, I went into my room and pulled out a pair of jeans, plain grey top and grabbed a jacket. This better not be anywhere fancy.

Kimi and Cara were out tonight, on some dodgy sounding double date with some guys they met a few towns over. Neither seemed particularly interested in the guys, more in what food they were going to order at the fancy restaurant they were going to. I hadn't seen Estelle since the day I went to her house, so that basically wrapped up all the friends I had in this town.

Again, massive social life.

40 minutes later Alex appeared in my doorway, dressed casually (thank God). "C'mon then," he grinned.

"When do I get to find out where we're going?" I asked, jumping up and following him out of the house into his car.

"When we get there."

"You're impossible," I sighed.

We drove in a comfortable silence for a while.

"So, uh, how are you feeling these days?" Alex asked, clearing his throat slightly.

I shrugged. "A lot better. Have you ever noticed anything...weird in this town?"

He looked at me. "Weird? Like what?"

"I don't know... I just feel like there's things messing with me. Probably just adjusting to the lack of car fumes or something." I laughed.

He laughed with me, although a little uneasily. "Probably. Okay, we're here."

I looked around, underwhelmed. "Wow Alex, you really know how to take a girl nice places."

He'd parked on the side of a dusty road, with absolutely nothing in the proximity.

He just grinned and got out of the car.

"Is this the point where you go psycho on me and take me to the woods to kill me? Mom will figure it out you know."

Rolling his eyes, he headed towards a gap in the bushes, that on closer inspection turned out to be a track.

"Hiking, really?"

"Do you ever stop asking questions and just learn to be spontaneous?"

I punched his arm and followed, grumbling under my breath.

Ten minutes later we reached a clearing. And not a creepy 'it's your time to die' clearing. A clearing full of people, a bonfire, lanterns in the trees and soft music.

"Cool," I exhaled under my breath. Alex grinned at me. "You really should learn to trust me."

"Who are these people?" They looked so happy, laughing, dancing, chatting... Like they'd known each other for years and years.

"Can't really put a label on them. I work with some of them, some are friends, some are friends of friends... Kind of an unwritten tradition."

I smiled, feeling myself getting wrapped up in the good vibes. Finally, something pleasant to come from this town.

"Hey, there's Amanda," I smiled at the girl walking towards us. Alex waved.

"Hey, you two," she greeted warmly when she got close enough. "How are you feeling now, Danielle?"

I flushed a little, remembering she'd seen me at my worst. Twice. "I'm doing okay, thank you again."

"So glad to hear it. You have very good friends."

What, who? Was she talking about Estelle...and Levi?

"Hey Alex, I was meaning to talk to you about something. Do you mind?" Amanda smiled apologetically at me.

"You gonna be okay?" Alex asked me.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Go!"

They would be so cute together. I wondered if Alex liked her that way. It was always so hard to tell with him.

As soon as he was gone, I felt almost shy. Here I was on the outskirts of what looked like a very tight knit community. Was I even welcome here?

I walked towards where a huge table with drinks was, trying to look like I had a purpose. I hadn't seen anyone I recognised, they all seemed to be older, not in school anymore, around Alex's age.

Hence the abundance of beer on the table. I grabbed a coke and turned to the crowd. It was getting dark, making the fire and lanterns illuminate the field and cast a warm light on the people.

I wandered closer to the fire, watching this guy play a beautiful song on his guitar. I was just getting lost in the music, when something smashed into my head, sending me right to the ground.

Dazed and confused, I sat up, blinking.

"Oh shit man, I'm so s- hey! Danielle!" Wincing as my vision cleared, I looked up to see Thomas, from school, running over to me. A few people were watching me, concerned, but turned back to their conversations when they saw I was okay.

He held out a hand and helped me up. "You okay? Brayden has such bad aim, I can't even tell you."

I rubbed my head where a bump was forming. "You really don't need to tell me," I rolled my eyes but smiled, letting him know I was okay.

"Who are you here with? I didn't think many people from school were coming."

"My brother, Alex. I don't know anyone here, hence the standing around like a loser," I laughed.

Thomas scoffed. "Well c'mon then, follow me!" He took off, his long legs striding way too fast for me to keep up, leaving me trailing behind him.

I followed him right to the far edge of the clearing, partially hidden by a shadow.

"Took you long enough!" A deep voice yelled out.

"Yeah well if you didn't have such a shitty shot I wouldn't have had to rescue the damsel in distress you hit in the face," Thomas yelled back, pulling me towards a group of people.

"Fuck did I hit you?!" The guy, I'm assuming Brayden, practically went white.

"Yeah, and she's really hurt. Wait till this gets out," Thomas taunted. Brayden looked like he was going to be sick, and few other guys chanted ooooooh.

"I'm fine, idiot," I laughed, whacking Thomas' arm, to which he exaggeratedly stumbled back in pain.

"Anyway, now that we're sure Brayden didn't knock out all her mental abilities, this is the one and only, Danielle Parker," Thomas gestured to me grandly. I shot him a look and waved awkwardly at the group of people. They looked a little younger than the others near the bonfire, but still I didn't recognise many of them from school.

A murmur went through the group, and no one said anything. They must have heard about the new girl in town who kept passing out. Small towns.

"People please, she doesn't bite," Thomas said, exasperated. "You know, sometimes it's hard being the only normal friend," he added quietly to me. I laughed.

"Well, nice to meet you all," I said to the group. They sort of smiled and nodded at me. "Don't let me stop your game."

"The lady has spoken!" Thomas hollered. "Hey, Estelle's here somewhere!" He said to me excitedly. "Estelle!" He yelled, his voice booming.

"Wow you're loud," I rubbed my ears.

"Hey look, I'm so sorry for hitting you. If there's anything I can do..." Brayden jogged over to me, looking like a wounded puppy, which was funny considering how tall and strong he looked.

I smiled. "Honestly, I'm okay. Nothing I can't handle."

He nodded, looking slightly relieved. "Well it's nice to meet you anyway." He reached out to shake my hand, and as soon as his large hands wrapped around my tiny ones, I felt a painful burn in my arm. Again?! Seriously, what was up with my body.

I dropped his hand, wincing. "Sorry, happens all the time. Must have messed up a tendon or something," I shrugged, shaking out my arm.

He looked at me strangely. "Yeah, probably something like that."

Thomas had been calling Estelle for the duration of our conversation. Why he didn't just call her on an actual phone, I will never know. Apparently simply yelling for her was more effective.

I was just about to stop him, when none other than the girl herself appeared in front of him. Woah.

"Thomas, what have I told you about yelling? You can just use the -"

"Danielle's here!" Thomas interrupted. Her face immediately switched from annoyed to surprised. She spun around to face me.

"Danielle! I didn't know you were coming!" She smiled brightly at me. Thomas, seeing I was okay and with company, ran to join the others in the game they were playing.

"Neither did I really. Alex surprised me tonight," I smiled back.

"Well it's great to see you!"

"You okay? Haven't seen you at school all week?"

She nodded enthusiastically, her perfect hair bouncing around her face. "Yes, thank you. I'm fine. Just dealing with some family things." My mind flashed to Levi. Was he okay?

"Oh," I said lamely. Why did this girl continue to be so nice to me when all I could do was half hold a conversation.

"So you should come over next week, we can keep working on our project?" She said eagerly.

I inwardly grimmaced. "Do you want to come over to mine? I'd hate to keep interrupting your household!"

"Oh, don't be silly! Our house feels so empty sometimes, it's nice to have someone new over."

I didn't really have an excuse, so just nodded and said I'd love to.

"C'mon, they're telling the old folk stories around the campfire soon. So cliche, but it's practically a tradition here. You can't miss it!"

Waving goodbye to Thomas and the others, I allowed myself to be tugged towards the fire by Estelle.

"So, you met Thomas' friends. What do you think?" She asked casually.

"About the guys? They seem nice, not really my type," I answered cautiously. She laughed. "What is your type then?" I blocked out the images of Levi before my obsessed brain would allow me to conjure them up.

"Uh, I don't really know. Guys that won't throw footballs at your head?"

"Oh my god, did Brayden hit you?! He has the worst shot," she gasped.

I laughed and nodded. "It's cool though."

"Quick, the stories are starting!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the fire, basically pulling me down onto an empty spot in the grass leaning on a log. She grinned at me, her eyes wide and excited.

Startled from the sudden advance, I looked around. About a hundred people were sitting around the fire, all angled towards an older man who was wearing a hat with three feathers stuck in it.

The scar on my arm started burning slightly. I really needed to check that out.

The man was talking, his deep voice lacing the beginning of a story about a tribe who lived in the area hundreds of years ago.

As much as I tried to concentrate, I felt something distracting me, urging me to look away and give it my attention. Finally, frustrated by the distraction, I tore my eyes away from the man and they fell straight into the piercing gaze of none other than Levi.

Seated across the fire from me, he was staring at me with such an intensity that I felt trapped, enchanted. What was it with this guy?! I gulped, overwhelmed, and managed to drag my eyes away, only half paying attention to the man talking about mythical creatures that once roamed our lands; vampires, dragons, witches, wolves...