Empty

Kara swung the backpack over her right shoulder; head bowed, and trudged through the slippery car park to where her Uncle Sol was waiting. It had been a whole month, one whole month since she d first arrived and not one day had gone by when she felt the animosity the other students had for her.

It wasn't that they were out rightly unpleasant, they weren't that at all. They were polite, sometimes gentle but nothing more. There was no extended hand of friendship; no one asked her if she needed any help. During classes where they had lab, she sat at a table, alone. She was the only student that Mr. Anderson allowed to work by herself during his group discussions , mostly because she did better than everyone else in Math.

Kara had never fancied herself popular at her old school, in fact, she'd leaned more towards the invisible and dorky . But she d had her friends; Sera, Lia and Meri. They'd had their fights, ups and downs but still they d been her friends. And she hadn't been alone.

Like she was now.

She missed her old school like an addict would crave a quick fix. The school stuff was easy; half the things they were learning here she'd already covered anyway. English and Shakespeare was being a pain, but he'd been a pain back home too.

Ah home... Kara envisioned the sun, the heat and the mangoes. Mangoes that she could pick from a tree wash and put straight into her mouth. Mangoes that weren't sprayed with pesticide and genetically mutated to look beautiful but taste like crap, like the ones her Uncle Sol bought from the supermarkets. Everything about this place was different, and this thought made her lonelier.

Uncle Sol saw her slumped frame, walking against the slight drizzle in only a thin sweater and jeans and tooted the car horn. He loved his niece, with an intensity that was mind boggling. She was his older sister's kid, and with her round face, and almond shaped eyes, an exact replica of her mother. Sol could see in Kara that same defiance Liana had once had; that same stubborn pride. It was in her eyes, floating around in those dark depths. Only, unlike Liana, Kara had the greatest amount of control and discipline Sol had ever seen on anyone before. And he was an American Marine.

She bit her lip every time her mouth opened to say something in a conversation, and when she saw something that he knew she wouldn't like, she looked away and nodded. Kara took things lying down, never fought and agreed with him on whatever he said. She was a good girl, she washed, cleaned, cooked at home and she scored perfect 4.0 s. Whatever the reason Liana had begged Sol to let her youngest daughter live with him, he didn't see it.

When he'd first seen her at the airport, withdrawn and quiet, all those impressions he'd had of her vanished. Sol had thought she'd have tattoos everywhere on her body and purple hair. In contrast, she was a very average, very pretty looking girl. And the clothes that she d brought with her hadn't suited the weather here at La Push at all. Probably thinking that it would be hot and sunny here, like the islands, Kara had packed mostly cargo pants, sweats and thin cotton shirts. Sol smiled when she got into the front seat and revved up the engine to his old Hyundai. An idea hit him straight between the eyes.

"Hey, how do you feel about a little shopping?"

Kara looked at him and shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Port Angeles had never been one of Sol's favorites, but it had been a Friday afternoon and he hadn't planned the shopping spree so a trip to Seattle was definitely out of the picture. Pulling the black four wheel drive into a parking space, he put it into park and unbuckled his seat belt. Kara watched him for a few minutes, then mirrored his actions and got out of the truck.

"I was thinking that maybe you could get yourself some decent clothes," he said, trying to make conversation. Whenever he was around her, Sol had this desperate urge to talk to her, to get her to talk back. But on a good day, all he'd ever get for his efforts was a soft yes, or a smile.

Kara turned to him, and looked down at the clothes that she had on. A purple sweater, dry now from the heater in the truck, and a black pair of jeans...Pretty boring, but clothes nonetheless. She saw nothing wrong with what she wore.

"Is there...?" she started but Sol cut her off with a wave. "No, there's nothing wrong with your fashion sense, in any way. It's just that, well, it would be nice to see you warm and properly dressed for the rain."

"Oh."

"Yes," Sol fished into his back pocket, pulled out a wallet and handed her two fifties. "I want you to get yourself something. Raincoat, gum boots, new sneakers, anything. You have two hours." Kara's mouth opened, but she said nothing. Taking the money, she watched as he turned and started to walk in another direction.

"But, where are you going?" she asked, panicking. She didn't mean to sound like a baby but, seriously? She was going to get lost between the car park and the road. Sol turned sharply, alarmed at the tone of her voice. "I'll be at that Cafe right there, waiting for you..." he put an arm around her shoulders and turned her towards a row of neatly arranged shops. From a distance, they could see a bright pink sign that said Jeans' Coffees . He felt her nod. "The clothes' shops are that way," another turn and she was facing a street, then another row of shops. "You can see the truck from wherever you go, that's why I parked here. When you're done, come back to the truck, then come get me at the cafe, kay?" Another nod.

And with that, Sol was off and Kara stood there, suddenly nervous.

Shopping... she hated shopping. All her clothes Jada and Nadia had bought for her, or her mother. She'd been more into saving up for the latest video game. A groan and a sigh.

Okay, so where were these shops again?



Jacob followed Emily grudgingly, dozens of shopping and boutique bags in both his hands. The guys had thought it a fair enough punishment that he went shopping with Emily. Sam had bitten his ear off about almost phasing in class the month before, and from now on, he was walking on very thin ice.

Emily was the only one who actually cut him some slack, defending him when the others had gotten too mean about Bella. "You'll get over her soon enough, Jake," she'd told him one day after breakfast, and the pack had gone out. He d been grounded, Sam hesitant to take him because his thoughts would distract the others from the task at hand.

There had been another vampire attack, senseless deaths caused. The pack was very eager to get this one killed and the job done. It messed up your social life when you were too busy being a gigantic wolf to make and keep a date with your girlfriend.

So while the pack was out hunting, little old Jake was busy helping Emily restock on the clothes that almost all of them had destroyed phasing. Boxes of sneakers, dozens of jean shorts and shirts filled the bags he held, a third of them his. He'd done way too much unplanned phasing to last them a life time.

Suddenly, from up ahead, Jacob saw her.

It was her lithe form he noticed first, darting across the street at a place where she wasn't supposed to cross. Cars stopped and honked, drivers shouted at her. Emily noticed the commotion and looked too. She bit back a laugh. "Is she crazy? She's going to get herself killed."

Jacob watched her for a few more seconds before shaking his head.

"She goes to our school," he said flatly.

Emily turned to him, and then back to the girl, who had now reached their side of the road in one piece. She was rubbing the back of an ear, embarrassed.

"Oh. Is she new?"

Jake nodded. "She came in about a month ago. I don't really know her name, though."

Oh but he did, Embry had been talking about her the whole time they were in school. Embry had Biology with her, Embry had English with her, Embry couldn't wait to fuck her. And so obviously, during one of his sulking moments at lunch, Embry had told him her name. It's Kara he'd said, a stupid grin on his face. Jacob had looked up and followed his gaze to where the girl was now sitting.

"What?"

"It's Kara. Her name, its Kara." Jacob had bitten back a smart retort and gone back to eating his burger.

"Embry has a crush on her," Jacob told Emily, shrugging when she turned to him with a gasp.

"What?"

"He does. All he talks about is her, when he's not talking about the hunt. I think it's pathetic," he spat the last word out with a little more force than necessary.

Emily's face, the left side which hadn't been ruined all those years ago, was perfectly composed when she looked up at him.

"That's funny. That's exactly what your brothers say when they talk about you sulking over Bella Swan."

And Jacob's mouth shut with enough force to break open a tin can.

Ouch.

They walked on in silence, broken only when Emily would stop and hmm at something in a store window. Jacob dropped his shoulders and sulked again.

That should teach me a lesson to talk.



Kara ran her fingers through the clothes on the rack, undecided. This was exactly why she hated shopping. She could never make up her mind. She always liked something, but she liked something else better. And then the previous something would be cheaper, but she'd end up buying the more expensive something instead. Such indulgence on the purchase of said something would leave her mourning for days. She should have just kept that money and bought the new Grand Theft Auto game version.

Finally, she held up a hanger that held a nice woolen, brown cardigan on it. It was a dark brown, the color, and knitted, so Kara knew that it was going to look pretty on her. The arms were too long when she tried it on in the dressing room, until she realized that they were supposed to be too long. There were several pants she had picked out. A pair of sweats, two pairs of black jeans, and a (she couldn't help it) pair of cargo pants. Altogether, her mental calculations told her that she just about had enough change for another pair of sneakers and a good jacket.

Kara was paying for her things at the counter when a woman, black hair falling over the right side of her face, walked in. Behind her was a very tall, very big Indian boy. Kara turned, recognizing instantly the boy's scowl. He was from the reservation, from La Push. Hesitantly, her mouth stretched into a smile and she gave a small wave. The boy, surly, looked at her and even though she thought he was going to ignore her, nodded his acknowledgement. She turned, gathered her bags off the counter and walked quickly out of the shop.

Kara didn't mean to get too big headed about it, but someone had actually acknowledged her. Someone from school. And the fact that he hadn't thought her a total stranger who had gone nuts, told her that they didn't all find her weird, or whatever it was that repelled them from her.

Smiling again, she walked to the shoe shop, hoping very, very much, that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't completely cursed. That what her mother had told her back home was just another stupid myth.

Kara prayed that America was going to heal her.