One

People never really understood me; though I never took the time to understand how other people thought either. I always knew I was different than anyone else in my family and the kids I went to school with. I looked different from them; my family that is. They were all pretty caramel colors, and I was the odd piece of dark chocolate that taste wise and visibly were completely different. My 'dark chocolate' personality (whatever that is) seemed to drive the others way. Being bossy and competitive like I was, I couldn't seem to hold a relationship with anyone. It felt like I always had to have the leadership and authority over everyone else. No one would ever step up to the plate and take control, so I always felt it was my obligation to do so; I did. Kids thought I was scary, and they didn't want to play with me. I would sit on the swing by myself and wonder why no one liked me. Why they would just leave me because I was different. Why I couldn't be more like them.

It all started happening when I was in kindergarten and fought everyday with a different kid who would disagree with me, or call me a name. My dad told me it was because I was an army brat and that I was a 'natural-born' fighter. My mom just went along with it most of the time. The lack of punishment by my parents was puzzling, and I assumed that all parents were that way; I was wrong. Many discomforting phone calls were made to my house by enraged parents and teachers about my anti-social behavior. They would always tell me everything was fine, and that I shouldn't listen to what they said about me. It was hard not to listen to the whispers and murmurs that I heard on open houses and parent-teacher conferences. They never went too well.

When I got older, detention seemed like an everyday occurrence. My parents, oddly enough, were ok with that as well. Maybe it was just rebellion even though I had nothing to rebel against or stand up for. I was a good student; straight A's for most of my school career, and honors classes and college courses. Counselors and teachers all assumed I had a discipline problem, but it wasn't me that had a problem. It was everyone else!
They got in my way, and drove me over the edge.

I couldn't stand how judgmental they were.

How hypocritical, and stupid.

16 seemed a prime time in my life to work on my temper, so getting a job at Loretta's - the local café very popular in Twilight Hollow - would help me work with people a lot better.

"Can I help you sir?" I asked mechanically to the stout man standing behind the counter, and staring blankly at the menu. "Just…Uhh… a Grande white-chocolate mocha please," He ordered. I fought the urge to retaliate to counter his orders like I always do. This was definitely the job to fix my problem, and I have to say, it was working very nicely; I was proud of myself. "That'll be 4.75, sir." I rang up his order with a fake smile while he pulled out a plastic golden square from his leather wallet. I knew it was leather because I could smell it. Old leather- it smelled ancient. My nose crinkled a little, but I ran the card anyway. Despite the fact I didn't like his musty wallet.

"White mocha!" A bubbly voice called over the counter minutes after the order was placed.

The voice was Shae's; my only best friend. She was shorter than me at five foot which was amazing considering I was only 5'2". She was well proportioned with a constantly happy face. Her eyes were a faint grass green that had a faint ring around the green. Dark brown hair was pulled into a long ponytail. Shae always seemed to make me feel better when my days went sour. She was the only when who could really tolerate me. Maybe she understood how I felt about people. Maybe she just had faith in me. I'm not sure.

"Hey," Shae said to me at closing, "Tomorrow's Friday; it's New Years, and some of my friends are having a party, you should come!" "You know I don't socialize very well," I mumbled while absently washing the counter. Well, more like moving a damp rag back and forth while I drifted. "You said you were working on your people skills!" Shae countered, "how are you gonna do that if you don't try?" she was right. I wanted to get better, but this was the type of situation I was desperately trying to avoid.

"Think about it, kay?" Shae kept pushing.

"Ok," I sighed, "I'll think about it. Let's just go."

We both took off our burgundy aprons and tucked them away under the counter. The keys to my truck jingled in my hand as I turned off the lights and stepped into the chilly night air. It was slightly snowing. The flakes were big and turned my black long-sleeved shirt white.

"Relax, Emily," Shae said as we crawled into the truck, "It's only a party. You need to loosen up." "Well it stresses me out!" My voice cracked, "I'm not good with people!"

"We've been over that," Shae rolled her eyes.

"I can't help but to emphasize my point."

"You have no point. You just don't want to try!"

She was right, again. How was I going to get better if I didn't try? Suck it up, Emily. Don't be a baby. "Fine," I sighed after a couple minutes of quiet contemplation, "I'll go to this party." Her smug smile showed off her victory. The anxiety began to take over me; people made me nervous. The fact that they may not like me was one of my greatest fears. "Are you staying for dinner?" I asked, trying to change the topic. Usually when I asked her if she wanted to stay for dinner, it meant 'do you want to stay for breakfast?' "Sure," she responded.

I pulled onto my street and into the driveway. All the lights were on and there was the strong smell of burning charcoal in the backyard. Dad was barbequing. I loved it when he did; I was by no means a vegetarian. As we walked in the door, we were bombarded by the twins, Christina and Jade, with welcoming hugs. "Mommy, Daddy!" Christina yelled, "Emmy Rey and Shay-Shay are home!" six year olds had a habit of giving everything a nickname. The twins were beautiful blondes; the only difference being that Jade had a birthmark on her cheek that looked like a misshapen trapezoid. "Just in time for steak," My dad's booming voice echoed through the house. Liam, my brother, was nowhere to be seen, but I figured he would make his appearance sooner or later. The clattering of china plates chimed from the kitchen and continued to ring about my eardrums. I winced every time silverware or plates would clang against each other.

Something was off today. I was jumpy and fidgety. I knew Shae realized it because she would give me these strange looks every now and again. I felt like everything was wrong. My body didn't feel right to me. Like I had inhabited some stranger's body and the mindset was completely wrong. The smell of rare steak in the kitchen drew me in, and forced me to sit down at the table with the rest of my family including Liam. He must've come around back. The spices and flavors of everything in the kitchen mixed together, and made a sweet aroma that filled my nostrils; I relaxed. All my anxiety about the party was expelled from my body. Shae took the seat next to me. The large pieces of steak sat in the middle of the large oaken dining table along with a few other delicious looking side-dishes. My dad gave Christina and Jade each half a piece, and then passed the plate around the table. The plate seemed to move as slowly as it possibly could as it moved about the plates of my other family members including Shae. I loaded my plate first with steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes. A spot in the middle sat reserved for the delicious slab of beef coming in my direction.

It took me seconds to slightly saw through the last few pieces and determine which one was the rarest. I took the piece I found, well, the bloodiest and put it on my plate. It tasted wonderful, and the delicious metallic taste rested on my tongue. Sure, I probably sound like a crazy person who likes the taste of blood, but…well, maybe that's just what I am.

I wasn't incredibly hungry, but it tasted so good that I couldn't stop eating. "You must be hungry, Em," Dad commented in a laugh. I grumbled a 'yeah', and continued eating. Soon, the steak was completely gone as was everything else on the plate. I stoop up without saying anything, rinsed my plate in the sink, and put it in the dishwasher. Still, nothing felt right. I couldn't place this feeling. "Emily, honey?" Mom's sharp voice made me twitch a little as I turned to her, "are you alright?" I looked at my family; this time disregarding Shae. They all had beautiful, thin sandy hair and big round eyes surrounded in blond eyelashes that resembled milk chocolate. Their skin was sun kissed all the time; even in this November weather. I looked to my reflection in the kitchen window above the skin. My hair was thick and dark and tickled my collar bone. The layers were uneven and random. My eyes were so icy blue that people often though I was blind. Pale as I was, I never looked liked the rest of my family. People always assumed I was their niece, and my parents continually corrected them, and said I wasn't. Usually, they would see it as a funny joke, and others would laugh in embarrassment and come up with an excuse to leave.

"She just needs a good night's sleep," Liam spoke for me, "it must be hard working in a coffee shop." His sarcasm that usually wore on my nerves didn't bother me today. "I guess," I shrugged. Maybe it would help? "Come on, Em," Shae put her plate in the sink, "let's go get ready for bed." I could feel her hands shaking on my back as she pushed me down the stairs. Why? Was she nervous or something, and if so, what about? It was incredibly possible that I was just over thinking everything and blowing it way out of proportion.

The earthen smell of soil surrounded us as we reached the bottom of the stairs and down the hallway where my room was. My mess of clothes and random objects covered the floor to the point where I couldn't tell what color the carpet was. "Are you feeling O.K?" Shae asked as she shut the door behind her.

"I'm fine," I lied. I was a bad liar.

Her stance changed. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight completely to one leg. She didn't believe me. "I feel weird," I confessed, "nothing seems right. I feel totally foreign in my own body!" Shae stiffened a little. I stared at her questionably.

"What is it?" I asked, noticing the anxious look on her face. "Nothing," Shae relaxed and quickly changed topics, "let's get you outfit ready for tomorrow." I groaned a little, but she ignored me. "You have to wear something amazingly smokin'," Shae said excitedly while beginning to rummage through my closet, "something hot; something fierce."

"Fierce?" I laughed, "thank you Tyra Banks."

"Don't make fun! Just go with it."

"You watch too much reality T.V"

"You don't watch enough."

I rolled my eyes and she piled a few of her approved articles of clothing onto my bed. "Let's get to work then." Shae sighed.