Rana snakes through the crowded parking lot of the preparatory school. It was the first week she had been in America. Sure, she had visited as a child while Ambrose hunted, but she'd never lived here, it was different than England, obviously.

"I smell her." Max growls, looking over at Dixie. 
Dixie rolls her eyes, smoothing the pleated skirt of the uniform. "She doesn't seem to be like her mom, she seems like a nice girl." 
"Her mother almost killed you." Max snarls. 
Dixie chuckles. "The past is the past, Maxie, plus I obviously survived." 
"Dix, you're my sister, I'm not gonna let her grow up and kill you." Max argues. 
"Max, she's in a school uniform with a cat backpack, she's not gonna hurt you or me." Dixie says, rubbing his shoulder.
"We'll give her a week." Max huffs.
"Fine." Dixie says.

"Hi." A strange boy greets. He had piercing blue eyes and messy black hair that swooped across his forehead.
Rana gives him a smile. "Hi, I'm Rana." 
"I'm Oliver." The boy smiles, offering a hand shake.
She shakes his hand, smiling at the softness. "I'm new here, can you show me to the office?" 
"Sure, follow me." Oliver says.
Oliver and Rana walk to the office in an awkward silence. 
"Here we are." Oliver says, motioning toward a door. 
Rana gives him a closed mouth smile and walks in. 
Inside the office, there was a desk with a nice ginger lady behind it. 
"Hi, I'm Rana Creed, I'm here for my schedule." Rana smiles. 
The office lady smiles, and digs through a drawer, eventually finding the schedule. "You're with Mr. Howard first, his room is down the hall to your left." 
Just then, a door burst open, revealing a very nice looking girl with chocolate eyes and a silver bob. "Dixie Cobain, can I please have my schedule?" 
The office lady grabs a paper from her desk and hands it over. 
"Still warm, thanks." Dixie smiles and walks out. 
Rana gives the office lady a smile and follows Dixie out, because she seemed like an enigma, and it really bothered Rana.
"Knew you'd follow me." Dixie says, leaning against the wall outside the office.
Rana nods. "You interest me." 
"Like romantic interest, because if so, I'm not into you like that sweetums." She presses.
Rana sighs and shakes her head. "Cobain? That's your last name? Ever heard of Nirvana? The band?" 
"Yup, heard of 'em, they were literally my life a few years ago." Dixie smiles.
Rana nods. "My mom used to like them." 
"Your mom? Who's she?" Dixie presses lightly.
"Ambrose, er I mean-" Rana stutters.
Dixie nods. "I've heard of her." 
"I suspected." Rana says, clicking her tongue.
The large bell on the wall rung, sending all the people fleeting into classrooms. 
"I'm with Mr. Howard, how about you?" Rana asks Dixie.
She simply shakes her head and continues down the hall. 
"Down the hall to your left." Rana repeats to herself, scanning the doors for Mr. Howard. ONce she reaches said door, she knocks, waiting for an answer.
The door opens, revealing a short old man. "You must be Rana, come in." 
The classroom was silent, everybody was looking at Rana, which made her very uncomfortable. 
"Welcome to AP geography." The old man croaks. "You must be a map yourself, or have traveled loads." 
"Well, actua-" Rana begins, only to be cut off.
"You're British, I like the Brits." Mr. Howard compliments. 
Rana nods. "Thank you."
"Sit in the back right corner." Mr. Howard says, nudging her forward.
Rana stumbles, then regains her composure, walking to the back table, sitting down.
The girl in front of Rana spins around, her bouncy wavy, dirty blonde hair following the movement. "Hi, I'm Lilian."
"Rana, nice to meet you." I say.
"Likewise, do you actually have a teatime in England where everything just stops and you all indulge in tea?" She asks.
Rana blinks, slowly shaking her head. "Nothing of the sort."
Lilian gives Rana a quick look-over. "Oh! I love your nail polish, what shade? Where'd ya get it?"
"My mom made it, it's made with rose, black ink and agrimony." Rana explains.
"Doesn't agrimony like smell really weird." Lilian asks.
Rana shrugs. "My mom said it had something to do with black magic, she's crazy." 
"Open your textbooks to page 334." Mr. Howard directs, making Lilian turn around.

The rest of the class period was a blur of maps and monarchies. 
And after a couple of classes, Rana was sat next to a girl who introduced herself as Abi in a cafeteria table, while they all ate. 
Ambrose had packed a Sunday roast, even though it was Thursday. 
Dixie runs over and sits by Rana. "Hello, pal." 
"Hi, chum." Rana replies, putting a forkful of roast beef into her mouth.
Dixie fixes her eyes on the food. "What's that?"
"Lunch, you want some?" Rana says, picking up a green bean with her fork and waving it in Dixie's face. 
"No." Dixie faces forward, looking down at the table.
"Is there something wrong?" Rana asks.
Dixie shakes her head. "Just reminds me of my mom, she was a werewolf."
"Does that mean your a werewolf?" I ask.
Dixie nods. "Both me and my brother took after my mom, my little sister didn't take that fate and died a stillborn." 
"Oh, I'm sorry." Rana says. 
Lilian plops herself down next to Rana, grabbing one of the green beans from the tupperware container. "Your mom made this?" 
"She grew it, too." Rana says, nodding her head.
"You have to invite me over sometime, solely for the food." Lilian says.
Rana looks around the cafeteria, for really nothing in particular. Her eyes swoop over tables of friends laughing, eating, and goofing off. 
"Who are you looking for?" Dixie asks, also looking around the cafeteria.
"No one in parti--" Rana cut herself off when she met eyes with Oliver, who seemed to be studying her.
Oliver looks away quickly a pink blush forming on his cheeks.
"Oliver." Rana breathed to herself.
Lilian grabs Rana's bicep and forces her to look into her eyes. "You have to promise me you'll stay away from him." 
"What? Why?" Rana asks, knowing that she would likely not follow directions.
Just then, the bell rung calling all the students to class. 
"I'll tell you when school gets out, just meet me at the gate." 

The next class was algebra, putting a look of delight on Dixie's face.
Rana luckily had algebra with Dixie, and was her table partner, as they're both new. 
"I may seem cool, but I'm actually just a math nerd." Dixie says, looking over the algebra textbook the teacher had supplied.
Rana laughs. "Math isn't my best." 
"That's okay, I'll be your tutor." Dixie offers.
Rana shakes her head. "Wouldn't wanna trouble you."
"Attention students!" Ms. Williamson, the algebra teacher says. "Please turn to page 283 in your textbooks for your assignment!" She pauses to look down at her lesson plan. "1-5, 8-16, and 29, and please, keep the talking to a dull roar." 
Everybody flips to the page and starts writing in their books, a quiet hum of talking falling over the class room. 
"Do you need help?" Dixie asks. 
Rana shakes her head, giving Dixie a small smile. "I'll be good." 
"Just tell me if you need anything." Dixie offers.
Rana simply nods, leaning forward to work.

The rest of the day goes by quickly, wrapping up the day with choir, Rana was certainly ready to leave.
The final bell rings and students file out of classrooms and to their lockers, packing up their stuff then leaving. 
Rana walks to the gate, her book bag full of homework and other things she'd acquired during the day.
"You ready to go?" Lilian asks.
Rana nods. "Yup, let's go."