A/N: Hi, long time, no see! Before anyone asks, yes, the title of this chapter is a reference to "Heart of Glass" by Blondie, one of my favorite songs.💜🎶🩷

Now, for those of you who also read "The Faded Star", what I'm about to say is going to sound awfully familiar. This chapter is an emotional rollercoaster, so make sure you have tissues on hand (just in case), something to drink, and a furry friend or two (if you have them). Brace yourselves, loves!💞

As always, votes & respectful comments are appreciated and welcome! Without further ado, it's my pleasure to give you Chapter 7: Heart of Glass!💖🦋

"You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound."~Taylor Swift (from her song, "Safe & Sound")

Kenzie's POV

Fortunately, the bell rang, saving me from embarrassing myself in front of them with a storm of blushing and thank you's. We said our goodbyes and then Ally and I went upstairs to class, thankfully getting to the second floor without a near ER trip, like yesterday.

Everything was great up until we were passing a bulletin board in the hallway and I stopped in my tracks. One colorful flyer caught my attention, making me regret my big breakfast.

"Ellie?"

In clear Art Deco font, the paper announced: "Audition Workshop Today @ 3:30 pm in Rm 216. See Ms. May for more info."

It shouldn't have surprised me; Ange and Jess mentioned it last week, but seeing it now made me realize how fast the time had passed. You promised her you would try, I thought, as if I needed the reminder. I couldn't break a promise to Laurel, not now.

A gentle hand took one of mine and I snapped back to the moment, turning to face Ally, whose face was full of concern and kindness. "Ellie, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Sorry for spacing out like that. You can go without me, I'll catch up," I smiled, hopefully giving her some measure of reassurance.

"Of course, take as much time as you need," she nodded, squeezed my hand once, then, skipped down the hall to Art.

I took out my phone and snapped a picture of the poster, then sent it to Laurel with a short message underneath, "It's today, wish me luck.💜🎭"

Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I walked down the hall to class, thankfully making it in with a few minutes to spare. I tried to relax as I settled in my usual seat next to Alice and grabbed my art supplies from my bag.

My phone chimed twice and I found two replies from Laurel on it, "Break a leg, Kenz. You'll be amazing!💜🩷💜" Below it, she added, "Aunt Lyla agrees with me.😊🍀"

"Thank you, Laur, and tell Aunt Lyla the same.🧡"

"Alright, so I've got one 'thank you' & bear hug package out for delivery to one Aunt Lyla. Is that correct, ma'am?🚚"

"Nailed it. I love you and I'll talk to you later.💙" I sent it, smiling at her antics.

"Good morning, everyone," Ms. Claire greeted as she walked in, her leaf earrings shining in the light. "With the Halloween season upon us, your theme of the day is Twisted Tale. I want you to think of one of your favorite stories, whether it's a movie, show, or book, and put a spooky twist on it in your piece," she explained, writing it on the whiteboard.

I had a few ideas floating around my mind already, but I still glanced around the room to see if I could find any inspiration. My eyes landed on the colorful skull-shaped candy bucket on Ms. Claire's desk. Perfect, I thought with a smile as I put pencil to paper.

Once I had a good outline and a few of the finer details drawn, I stopped to look over what I had so far. "What do you think?" I asked Alice, turning the book toward her.

"Wow, that's really good, Iris," she commented with a grin.

"Thanks–Wait, why 'Iris'?" I questioned, tilting my head.

"The song you were humming, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'," she explained.

"Oh, I didn't even realize I was humming. I hope it didn't bother you," I frowned.

"No, Wizard of Oz has always been one of my favorites," she smiled.

"Same here, I grew up watching it with my family. My mom actually gave me my love for musicals," I replied, remembering those sweet nights. Don't get lost in the past, I reminded myself.

"Want to guess which story I chose?" she asked.

"Hmm, is it Alice in Wonderland?" I chuckled.

"Yep!" she nodded, moving her sketchbook to face me.

"Wow," I muttered, taking in the hauntingly beautiful piece she made. There were vibrant shades of just about every color of the rainbow and then some, along with faded hues in the background.

"How does it look?" she asked, smiling at my wonder. No pun intended.

"I think you could win any art competition in the tri-state area with this alone. Ally, it's stunning," I said, meeting her eyes.

"Thanks, and the same can be said for yours. An artist can recognize another's spark."

"Some parts of it are easier than others," I shrugged, looking down at my book again.

"The poster?"

"What?" I looked up, wondering if I'd misheard her.

"The poster, the one on the bulletin board about the workshop," she reiterated gently.

I didn't think she would pay that much attention to it or my reaction, for that matter. When I didn't answer, she rushed on, "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to pry. It's just, when you froze like that, I was worried, and–"

I quickly stopped her, "No, no, Ally, I'm not upset with you. Just a little shocked, is all," I smiled softly, putting a hand over hers.

"Really?" she checked, a hint of concern still shining in her eyes.

"Really, I pinkie promise," I assured, holding out my right pinkie, which she happily accepted.

We didn't have much time left for our drawings after that, but we managed. Ms. Claire walked around as we worked, giving feedback and suggestions as she went. "What do we have here?" she smiled as she reached our table.

"I used The Wizard of Oz for the story and took some inspiration from the decorations around the room for the Día de los Muertos details. Dorothy's skull makeup and the marigolds scattered on the yellow brick road behind her, to name a few," I explained, turning my sketchbook so she had a better view of it.

"Those are beautiful ideas, Kenzie. Well done," she smiled. "I have some yellow and orange pencils and pastels if you need something for the flowers," she added, gesturing to the supplies on the back counter.

"Thank you, Ms. Claire," I nodded, standing up. "Do you need anything, Ally?"

"A few of the pastels would be good," she answered.

"Got it, I'll be right back," I gave her a thumbs up and headed over to the counter.

I'd barely sat back down when the bell rang, signaling the end of class. "Seriously?!" I sighed, glaring at the ceiling.

"Alright everyone, clean up your tables before you leave, and have a great weekend. We'll continue these on Monday," Ms. Claire smiled.

"I'll clean this up, don't worry," Ally said.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm the one who–"

"Kenzie, it's okay, I've got it," she dismissed as I swung my bag over my shoulder. "Oh, and don't forget this," she added, handing me a lemonade.

"Oh, thanks, Als," I smiled, sliding it into my bag. "Alright, I'll see you later," I nodded, heading for the door. "Bye, Ms. Claire, have a nice weekend."

"Bye, Kenzie, I'll see you on Monday," she waved.

"Yes, ma'am!" I saluted.

~ ~ ~

Emmett's POV

I wasn't too worried about how lunch was going to go, and to everyone's relief, it was great. Alice's little push for Edward to go to the library early worked out, and even though I could hear the stressed beating of her heart in the cafeteria, Ellie seemed to enjoy herself.

Hopefully, Esme won't cook up a buffet, I thought on my way to History, remembering her running around the house looking for her cookbooks earlier. I'm glad Kenz agreed to come over, I smiled as I settled back in my seat.

"Hey, Hercules," Kenzie greeted, sliding into her seat and setting her bag on the desk.

"Hey, Kenz. New nickname, huh?" I replied. Wow, another one already?
"Yeah, didn't want to wear out the other two. Thought I'd add another to the list," she shrugged with a smile.

"How many do you have so far?" I asked.

"Four," she nodded.

"What's the fourth one?"

"Don't worry, you'll know it when you hear it and I'm pretty sure you'll like it too. I give my friends nicknames all the time and I haven't gotten any complaints yet," she explained.

"Fair enough," I conceded. Meanwhile, Mr. Raymond stood to address the class.

"Alright, settle down, everyone," he called. Once everyone quieted down, he continued, "To go with our World War II unit, we will start watching The Book Thief today and should be finished with it by the end of class on Tuesday. Make sure you don't lose your worksheets," he held up the stack before passing them out.

Once everyone had a worksheet with the movie questions, he hit the lights and started the movie.

~ ~ ~

Mr. Raymond flicked the lights on and turned off the projector as we packed up. "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" Kenz glanced over at me.

"You looked like you were about to jump through the screen and break Franz's nose," I commented.

"Yeah, he was ticking me off," she agreed. "I'm pretty sure I would've reacted the same way Liesel did."

"I don't blame you, kids can be cruel," I replied after the bell chimed.

"No matter how old they are," she added.

"Couldn't have said it better myself. Later, Pipsqueak," I grinned, sending her a wave as I left.

~ ~ ~

Kenzie's POV

"Three for three," I chuckled as Em made his leave. "Bye, Mr. Raymond, have a good weekend," I smiled.

"Take care, Kenzie. See you on Monday," he nodded.

The hallway was crowded, especially with the end of the school day so close. I side-stepped a group of girls gushing about the dance and went into class, relaxing in my usual seat by the window. "How's it going, Ellie?" Turning away from the window, I smiled in greeting at none other than Ben Cheney, chief writer of the school paper, comic book connoisseur, and D&D extraordinaire.

"So far, so good. How about you?" I asked.

"Same old, same old. Ready for the weekend," he replied, sliding into the seat next to me.

"Just a few more bells, Benny," I smiled, patting his shoulder.

"Speaking of which, how are you holding up?" he questioned.

"I'm not too worried and talking with Laur earlier helped. I just wish I didn't forget when the workshop was," I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

"Hey, you'll do great, and when it's time for auditions, you'll be ready," he assured.

"Thanks, Ben, I really appreciate it and you," I smiled, grateful for the confidence boost.

"Anytime, Kenz, and you won't be alone. I'll be there for the stage crew's meeting, and so will Ms. May, of course."

"Oh yeah, you wanted to work the lighting, right?" I remembered.

"That would be nice, though I'm cool with any job. Maybe they'll want my DJ skills for the soundboard," he shrugged, smiling in thought.

"They would be crazy not to; you're the best DJ I know," I assured.

"How many DJs do you know, Kenz?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Two, aside from you, but they can't organize a campaign like you can," I grinned, nudging his shoulder. He blushed and the late bell rang out its chime. Wait, where are Ally and Jasper? I quickly scanned the room, but they were nowhere to be seen.

As if on cue, the duo strolled in and went over to Ms. Wells' desk, notes in hand. Ally waved with a grin and Jasper smiled in greeting before they settled in the two seats behind us.

The weight of the stares and muttered chatter was almost suffocating. I tried my best to tune all of it out, knowing deep down that my blossoming friendship with the Cullens and Hales wasn't the only reason for it.

I took a drink from my lemonade and listened to Ms. Wells introduce our new book, "The Great Gatsby", but my hands were shaking when I put the lid back on the bottle. The stares and whispers had already stopped, for now, anyway, but phantom whispers still surrounded me, flooding my mind.

No amount of deep breaths could calm my panicking heart, and black spots were starting to creep in at the corners of my vision. Despite the raw anxiety clawing for control over my senses, there was something else trying to break through, like a soft ray of sunshine.

Sadly, it didn't last very long against the colossus my panic was becoming. Soon after the sunshine's defeat, I heard a chair scraping across the floor and saw Ally hurry to Ms. Wells' desk.

Not even a minute later, she was hurrying back my way, three slips in hand. With my bag over her shoulder, she carefully helped me up and guided me out of the classroom, away from the curious eyes of our classmates.

"W-where are we going?" I stuttered out as we headed down the hallway, Jasper quickly catching up to us.

"The nurse's office, we're almost there," Alice explained softly.

Like she said, the door to the softly lit room was coming into view. Jasper jogged ahead and held the door open for us as we reached it.

"Hi, Kenzie, you can lay down there, sweetheart," Nurse Cheney greeted, gesturing to a cot by the window.

"We've got you, Ells," Ally assured, readjusting her grip around my arm when I stumbled, and sitting me down on the cot.

Jasper's hand in mine replaced Ally's arm while she unlaced my Vans and set them to the side. "Try to get some rest," she smiled, as I laid down.

Sleep weighed down on my eyes and I didn't fight back when it pulled me under.

~ ~ ~

Jasper's POV

"Slow down, what did you see, Alice?" I questioned as she tugged me down the hall to English, an aura of dread shrouding her usual bright presence.

"Ellie, we need to be there for her. It was solid, Jasper; it'll happen whether we like it or not," she explained, clenching our notes in her free hand. Fortunately, we got to the classroom before her nails could rip through the paper.

"Hi, Ms. Wells," she smiled, pushing her worry back for now and handing our notes to the teacher.

"Thank you, Alice. You two can take your seats, I'll be starting class soon," she nodded, accepting the slips of paper.

Shooting quiet greetings Kenzie's way, we took our seats behind her and her friend. As the teacher talked, Alice's foot started tapping under the desk and I felt the shift in the room's atmosphere.

Jealousy, interest, pity, and hope swirled around like a tornado, not to mention the rising anger and anticipation from my sister, and those were just the feelings I could put names to in the moment.

Just when I refocused on Ms. Wells' intro to our new book and the volatile emotional climate had settled into the background, something else started to surface.

Like the drop on a rollercoaster, a wave of anxiety crashed down over the room, and I gripped the edges of my desk subconsciously. She's drowning in it, I realized, facing the back of Kenzie's slightly shaking form.

Seeing a small nod from Alice out of my peripheral vision, I pictured a sphere of calm, a lifesaver of sorts, and gently pushed it toward the girl in front of me.

Almost all of it was absorbed, rendered ineffective, leaving behind a single shred of light. Not enough, I admitted, slumping in my seat.

Alice was out of her seat and heading for the teacher's desk before I could say anything. Minutes later, I stood by Kenzie's desk holding Alice's bag while she helped her out of the room.

Before I could follow them, a voice stopped me, "Wait, please, give this to her. It might help." The boy who had been sitting next to Kenzie held out a small black cube covered in little buttons and switches.

"Thank you, I'll get it to her," I nodded, accepting it with a small smile.

"No, thank you for looking out for her, and thank Alice for me too," he replied, smiling in return.

"Of course," I agreed, before taking my leave and catching up with Kenzie and my sister.

~ ~ ~

"Nurse Cheney, do you have any blankets we could use?" Alice questioned. Under different circumstances, I would've laughed at how quietly she was talking, but I knew she didn't want to wake Kenzie up.

"Of course, how many do you need?" she smiled, standing and walking over to a cabinet.

"Just one should do," Alice replied, and the older woman handed her a folded quilt.

"Let me know if you need anything else," she added as she went back to her desk.

I helped Alice unfold the blanket and gently lay it over Kenzie. Then, Alice carefully took Kenzie's glasses and set them and her bag on a nearby table.

Satisfied, she got out her sketchbook and sat in a chair next to the cot, focusing on a new drawing. I took a seat beside her and closed my eyes, grateful for the calm atmosphere. "Kenzie's friend wanted me to–"

"I know," she nodded, not looking up from her book.

"You said it yourself, it was going to happen no matter what," I muttered.

"I know," she repeated, tightening her grip on her pen.

"And you know it wasn't your fault, Liss," I finished, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I'll keep an eye on her," she smiled, finally meeting my eyes and holding out her hand. I gently set the fidget cube in it and stood, casting one last glance at Kenzie before leaving the office. She was in good hands.

~ ~ ~

A/N: Ta-da, you now have your first taste of Jasper's POV!💖💜💖

🎶Featured Music- "Safe & Sound" by Taylor Swift, and "Heart of Glass" by Blondie.

💙Questions of the Day-

How do you think the audition workshop is going to go for Kenzie, if she still goes to it?

What did you think of Jasper's POV?

Aside from her beautiful new friendships with the Cullens & Hales, why do you think Kenzie is getting so much unwanted attention?

Last, but not least, what do you think will happen in Chapter 8?

Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for story updates and I'll see you in the next one!💞🌟🦋

~Love, Sunset