Saturday, November 30, 2019

Music For Me Essays - Greensleeves, , Term Papers

Music For Me ?He says, ?Son can you play me a memory?I'm not really sure how it goes,But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it completeWhen I wore a younger man's clothes.'? I sat in the kitchen of my uncle's quaint, cottage home on the English countryside. The subtle house seemed as though it had been built according to a description out ofWuthering Heights. The late-afternoon sunlight shone through the adjacent windowpane, sparkling through Uncle Adrian's silvery hair. I marveled at the majestic viewfrom that window; it was like a still-life painted by the hand of God. Theautumn-stricken trees, the cobblestone walkway, the way the green, grainy vines hadcrept up his surrounding wood fence, it was all so poetic. The short, stocky, andtremendously kind-hearted man slumped over the piano next to me and sang and playedBilly Joel's ?Piano Man?. I continued to gaze out the window, relishing the harmonybetween the piano and the still-life. Simply beautiful. The music stopped. Uncle Adrianfixed his eye s on mine, and I looked up at his face, youthful at the foundation but wornby time, and I said, ?Play it again, Uncle Adrian.? He was always my favorite uncle, andthat day we had bonded through the universal language, music. I was a seven-year oldchild then. And that day, that moment, I resolved to myself that one day, I am going tobe a ?piano man? just like Billy Joel and Uncle Adrian. That winter I got my wish. The ice on the windows of my New Jersey home created a translucence thatreflected the blue, red, and white ribbons adorning the Christmas presents that layuntouched under the tree. My mother to my left, drowning in the stupor that inevitablyenvelops all parents on Christmas morning, looked on as I ripped into the well-wrappedpresents. Oh my! My eyes could hardly focus, I was so excited. I had just opened myfirst present and, with equal excitement, I ripped the box open so fast that the musty,stale odor of ripped cardboard rose into the air. Inside the box, I found a ?Casio E-Z PlayKeyboard?. The keyboard was about a foot and a half wide and had keys about an inchwide. This was fine for me because my small seven-year-old hands probably couldn'thave handled anything bigger anyway. I remember the ivory keys being so glossy, that Icould look into them and see my innocent, careless face looking right back at me. Thered and green lights above each key would light up each time I turned it on. There was asmall cartridge in the upper, left-hand corner with the large words ?GREENSLEEVES?etched on it. When I flicked switch in the upper right corner into ?E-Z Play Mode?, itwould teach me how to play ?Greensleeves? by lighting up the red or green light insequence over which keys need to be played. Apparently, one could buy more cartridges,but ?Greensleeves? was just fine for me. For about a year after that Christmas, a normal afternoon would consist ofpushing my cold, lifeless He-Men action figures aside and sitting on my green,pin-striped, twin-sized bed with my ?E-Z Play? in hand. I was captivated by the music,and even more enthralled that the sounds that emanated from the tiny speaker werecoming from my hands. Simply beautiful. I would play ?Greensleeves? over and overand over, so much so that my mother would open my door and huddle herself over meand ask if I ever got tired of playing with my keyboard. I would say, ?No, Mommy,? andcontinue to play. Eventually, I taught myself how to read music, and how to play by earon that very same grayish keyboard. However, I started to retrieve it less and less. Mymind soon became filled with things like girls, homework, and the rigors of adolescence,that my musical interest and my ?E-Z Play Casio Keyboard? took a backseat for a while. Just recently, my mother bought a majestic, black Kawai piano. I'll sit at thepiano and look into the keys, but now I see the face of a teenager plagued by naturalteenage problems who needs a release every once in a while. Music, for me, issometimes magical, and always mystical. I play the piano now to forget about thosethings I once dwelled on, girls, homework, and the

Monday, November 25, 2019

How Belief Systems Effect Politics Essays - IslamicJewish Relations

How Belief Systems Effect Politics Essays - IslamicJewish Relations How Belief Systems Effect Politics The belief systems of the modern world have helped determine the policies and politics of nations around the world. For centuries before, and almost definitely for decades after now, there will be disputed between people and countries on account of their faith. Religions have started wars, ended them, impacted, and persuaded people. Needless to say, beliefs are very influential on the world today. People of different faiths dont only fight over their basic beliefs and land but they end conflicts. Making amends between religious groups greatly helps relieve the constant strain of division that we are all too aware of these days. The Lutheran religion began 482 years ago when monk, Martin Luther, attacked the practices of the Catholic Church. These who followed his ideas eventually into what we call Lutherans today. For those 482 years, Lutherans and Catholics have stayed divided on uneasy terms. Now the leaders of the modern Lutheran and Catholic churches both signed a document that laid to rest those many years of differences under the explanation that it was all a misunderstanding. Sometimes different faiths just dont seem like they want to even try to compromise on a conflict. The Jordanian Muslims and the Israeli Jews fighting over which side of the Jordan River Jesus was baptized on is a perfect example of this. The Muslims have invested over one million dollars t fix up the site. The site will bring in expectantly millions of tourists and with them billions of dollars that will be spent locally to boost the economy. Looking past the irony of the Jews and Muslims disputing over a Christian site, the focal point of the quarreling is that such a site will bring. The Pope and Prince Charles have already scheduled a visit, but as of now, no resolve has come about. These days its not always conflicts between two specific regions, but between regions occupied by faiths who disagree on certain topics. The two groups being the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the compromise on the rift in the settler movement conflict arising in those countries. To the Jews the West Bank is part of the greater Land of Israel, given by God to the Jews. To cement their control over the land, the Jews built forty-two hilltop encampments on the West Bank. They did this to prevent it from becoming a Palestinian state. The Palestinian government claimed that some of the outposts didnt have the necessary building papers and twelve of those sites were dismantled. This disagreement is, for the time being, settled peacefully despite the denounced accord from the Palestinians. In the future more outposts are likely to be taken down. Whatever the rhyme or reason, religions and belief systems have tremendous effects on the way things work in this world. Hopefully nations are learning from their past mistakes what not to do if such an occasion arise again. Whether the Lutherans and Catholics are putting years of disagreement behind them, the Jews and Muslims are settling their dispute, or Jewish outposts are being taken down, we are moving forward into a new and brighter future, and gaining information as we go along. Maybe in the future, more of the religious spats will be settled as the Lutheran/Catholic dispute was...peacefully.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Capital Aasset Pricing Model and Techniques

Before understanding the relationship of sensitivity analysis to capital budgeting it is very important to understand the concept of capital budgeting and sensitivity analysis. Capital budgeting is a procedure which helps the businesses to take decisions with regards investing into a project or not. Basically it helps to determine the investment that an entity has to make in a particular project and the expected revenue and income that the project will generate in future for the entity. Sensitivity analysis is nothing but a method which helps to analyse the same in detail so that a more sound decision can be taken with regards the same. Sensitivity analysis helps the organization to gauge into various scenarios and circumstances with regards the project in case the estimates and circumstances do not fall into place and become undependable. It is basically changing the assumptions and applying a hit and trial method to the calculations basis the changed assumptions so as to find out the expected result out of such a change. Thus in this manner the decision makers can give a second thought before investing in their money (Koening, 2015). They can come to know what losses they may have to suffer by investing in any project basis this assumptions and estimate. The said analysis highlights upon the modification in the input that would affect the net result from any project. Change is constant and hence variations will happen to the base suppositions and it is this alteration which the sensitivity analysis details about. It helps to find out the most favourable levels of inputs in a project. Therefore this is a statistical analysis of the data basis changes in the numbers such as quantity and prices. Thus sensitivity analysis details about finding the extent to which changes can be made to the input factors so that the ultimate result remains unchanged. Thus sensitivity analysis helps in capital budgeting because of the following reasons: Helps in taking a more sound decision and thus testing the results in a more detailed manner. Helps to detect errors and thus try to mitigate the same Helps to develop the model more accurately by detecting errors and trying to find solution to mitigate those errors. Develop a will knitted linkage between the input and the output variables. Therefore it is understood that the main purpose of this analysis is not assess risk but to make certain the receptiveness of the NPVs to the various variables which help to calculate it. The same is because NPV is calculated basis assumptions which is why the scenario in which capital budgeting decisions are taken is uncertain (Zhamoida, & Matsiuk, 2011). It is the most acceptable method of analysis of various changes one by one in the variables and the assumptions being made which would in turn have a bearing on the cash flow and the return from a project. As the name suggest, scenario analysis helps in taking capital budgeting decisions and techniques by taking into account unconventional possible results. The analysis is conducted in a fashion which would help to find out the net result due to an action or activity under various other set of factors such as how an NPV of a project would differ if the inflation shoots up or down. However it is equally important to know that scenario should be such which can exist in actual sense and not fictional in nature. Generally three kinds of scenarios are considered good, base and worst for computing the NPVs of a project (Boundless.com., 2012). It is an analytical tool unlike the sensitivity analysis which uses statistical tool. After the NPVs are computed then a probability of occurrence of such a scenario is allotted to ease situation and then the expected NPV and standard deviation of the NPV is calculated. This is known as coefficient variation and a CV of 1 is considered to be ideal. However on comparing the two CV basis the scenario then the one with a lower CV is considered to be more preferable than the one with a higher CV. Thus it can be said that scenario analysis although is also a behavioural approach similar to sensitivity analysis yet the former defines the capital budgeting techniques more broadly. It takes into consideration various variables together such as cash inflows, outflows and cost associated with capital invested. For example an entity should take into consideration both high and low inflationary factors and compute the implication of the same on the project’s Net present value. Each situation will affect all the above mentioned variables at the same time thus resulting into differing levels of NPV. Thus giving the decision makers a more detailed method of analysing the capital budgeting techniques used by organizations before investing into a project. Furthermore scenario analysis used in various capital budgeting techniques helps to give a summary about the risk associated with the various assets wherein the assets with higher risk will have more volatile values and vice versa. Scenario analysis entails how much economic sense does it make in investing into any project for an organization. Further by doing the analysis taking into consideration the worst scenario as well, one can take proactive measures to try to reduce the risks associated with the worst scenario   (Kengatharan, 2016). Thus on a summarizing note one can say that scenario analysis helps in detailing investments during situations which are even unfavourable in nature. It helps to find solutions during worst cases also thus trying to consider investment in various projects minutely. Definition of the Capital Asset Pricing Model: The said model is built on the Markowitz’s mean-variance-efficiency model where the patrons who are reluctant towards taking risk on investments are concerned only about the returns and the profits they expect from their investment and the difference of returns and risk. Thus the said model defines the linkage between the return and risk associated with an asset. It enables determination of the appropriate required rate of return of an asset but only in theory. It helps to take calls about addition of assets or more investment securities to an already diversified portfolio (Fama & French, 2004). The graphical representation of the formulae of CAPM is known as the security market line. Definition of Capital Market line: The Capital Market Line is plotted on the capital asset pricing model which helps to illustrate the rate of return that could be expected to receive from a well built portfolio but depending upon the level of risk associated with the portfolio of the entire market and the risk free rate of return. It is a digression from the point of interception found on the efficient frontier stretched towards the return expected from an investment which is equivalent to the risk free rate of return. There lie a number of differences between the two mentioned terms. Similarities also exist but the same is very few in comparison to the differences. The similarities between a CAPM and CML would be discussed in the form of a relationship that exists between the Capital market line and the Security market line which is a graphical representation of the CAPM. The SML is considered to be an integral part of the CML in a Capital Asset Pricing Model specifically when the risk attached to a security or an investment is computed. Their relationship depicts the similarity as one shows the risk associated with individual securities whereas the other considers these individual securities and forms the entire portfolio.   Thus performance of a single security will impact the performance of the portfolio as well. Therefore we can say that both these help to depict the association of risk with various investment securities as well as portfolio as a whole. Thus the similarity is such that both the CML and SML hypothesize a straight line association between risk and return. The CML and SML also talks about systematic risks and portfolios whic h are risk free although the SML also includes the inefficient portfolios as well. Just as their exists a relationship between CAPM and CML due to similarities between the two, similarly the two concepts differ amongst each other for various reasons illustrated below. The CML is a line that depicts the rate of return which is dependent upon the rate of return which is free from adequate risk and the level of risk for various investment groups. However CAPM or the SML line used to represent the CAPM formulae is a graphical presentation of the risk and return in a market at a particular point of time. The measurement of risk factors is another difference between the two concepts. The CML uses standard deviation to gauge risk whereas for CAPM the risk factors are firmed via the beta coefficients. Therefore the former is a measurement basis which risk is calculated in totality whereas the later tells about the contribution of the security or the investment towards the risk on the entire portfolio. CML portrays only portfolios which are competent and proficient whereas the Security Market Line used to depict the CAPM, portrays both competent and non-competent portfolios. While calculating the return, the Y Axis depicts the return anticipated from a portfolio in case of a CML and the return that the individual investments gives are shown by the Y axis in case of the SML. The X axis of CML depicts the standard deviation whereas the X axis of the SML depicts the Beta of the shares and individual investments. The two axis is well depicted in the graphs below of both CML and SML wherein the horizontal axis of the SML depicts the methodical risk and that of CML is overall risk. The CML establishes the portfolio of the entire market and such assets which are free from any risks, SML establishes all the factors associated with investments made (Campbell, 2013). Boundless.com., (2012), Scenario Analysis, Available at https://www.boundless.com/finance/textbooks/boundless-finance-textbook/the-role-of-risk-in-capital-budgeting-12/scenario-and-simulation-assessments-99/scenario-analysis-427-7232/ (Accessed 19 th January 2017) Campbell, B., (2013), CAL vs. CML vs. SML., Available at https://luckyhy.weebly.com/uploads/3/9/3/2/39328787/cal_vs._cml_vs.pdf (Accessed 19th January 2017) Fama, E.F., & French, K.R., (2004), The Capital Asset Pricing Model: Theory and Evidence, Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol.18, no. 3, pp. 49-51 Kengatharan, L., (2016), Capital Budgeting Theory and Practice: A Review and Agenda for Future Research, Applied Economics and Finance, Vol. 3, no.2, pp.15-38 Koening, E., (2015), Sensitivity Analysis for Capital Budgeting, Available at https://smallbusiness.chron.com/sensitivity-analysis-capital-budgeting-10153.html (Accessed 19th January 2017) Zhamoida, O.A., & Matsiuk, M.S., (2011), Sensitivity Analysis in Capital Budgeting, Economic Herald of the Donbas, vol.4, no.26, pp.132-136

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Comparing and Contrasting Operating Systems Assignment

Comparing and Contrasting Operating Systems - Assignment Example The Novelle Netware OS, however, is older than any of these platforms and has been mainly used as a networking OS. The difference and to the disadvantage of the Windows platform is in regard to the security issues. Viruses and worms are far rarer in Linux and OSX than in Windows. Linux is universally held as a very solid OS and much preferred as server and firewall system. OSX, on the other hand, is a highly customized UNIX system, which also makes it a more security aware infrastructure. According to Thomas, Chanelle and Sicam, the total number of viruses and worms found in the wild infecting Linux systems are less likely than 1,000 while Windows must tackle, approximately 1,000 new viruses every month (185). Meanwhile, Novelle used to be the king in terms of security and reliability but that it has undergone very little upgrades since the 1990s. Another important difference between the operating systems being discussed is the cost. Linux is an open platform, hence, it is free. Windows 2000, Novelle Netware, and the OSX on the other hand, come with expensive price tags. For example, when a consumer upgraded from NT4 to Windows 2000, he had to buy Client Access License besides the software upgrade of $400 or $500 (Boswell 31). However, what made Windows 2000 more attractive for users is the availability as well as the sheer number of compatible applications. Linux users are relatively low compared to the Windows platform and the number of applications developed for it over the years is fewer as well. This is also the case in the OSX’s experience. With regards to Novelle, it has stopped being relevant in the OS market because of its poor graphical user interface and have remained as choice server system only for very few administrators. This factor is still the most significant for users. Despite all the advantages that Linux and OSX has over

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Bill of Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bill of Rights - Essay Example Amendment four People have the right to be safe in their houses, effects, and persons, against illogical seizures and searches, shall not be infringed, and no guarantees shall issue, but on likely cause, supported by affirmation or oath, and specifically describing the location of search, and the individuals or items to be seized. Amendment five No one shall be answerable for a capital, or any renowned crime, except on an indictment or a presentment of grand judges, in exception of cases occurring from naval or land forces, or in the military, when in real service in war or public danger times; nor shall any individual be subject to similar offense to be placed in danger of life or extremity, nor shall be forced in any criminal case to witness against himself, nor his life, property, or liberty be deprived without the correct law process, nor shall personal property be taken to be used publicly, without being justly compensated. Amendment six The accused shall enjoy the right to a qu ick and public trial, by a neutral judge of the district and state where the crime was committed, the district should have been determined by law, and to be made aware of the cause and nature of the allegation; to be dealt with the witness in opposition to him; to have an obligatory procedure for finding witnesses in his favor, and to be assisted by the counsel in defending him. Amendment seven At common law suits, where the value in disagreement exceeds twenty dollars, the jury’s right of trial shall be preserved, yet no reality by a judge shall be otherwise be reevaluated in any U.S. court, than in accordance to the common law. Amendment eight Extreme bail shall not be necessary, nor extra fines imposed, nor brutal and strange punishments imposed. Amendment nine The details in the Constitution, of particular rights, shall not be interpreted to disparage or deny others retained by citizens. Amendment ten Those powers not provided by the Constitution to the U.S, nor forbidden by it to the states, are set aside to the states respectively, or to the citizens. The amendments related to due process protections and criminal procedures protect the rights of the accused and the suspected persons, convicted criminals, and criminal defendants. The rights are all provided in the 4th 5th, 6th, and 8th amendments as discussed above (Bruns, 1986). Our group chose on five U.S citizens to interview in order to get a clear understanding of how the public is aware of the Human Rights and the procedures established by the amendments. The interviewees included a male University student, a soldier, a female lawyer, a business man, and a female town clerk. The group interviewed the five citizens basing on: their perceptions and awareness regarding the subject; knowledge on the violation of rights and protection; and knowledge on particular human rights institutions and the process of accessing them. The survey questions to the interviewees were: Have you ever heard of the U .S Constitutional Bill of Rights? Are you aware that the Constitution has a chapter on criminal procedures and protection of essential human rights? How much of the Bill do you have clear knowledge about? By how far have you read the U.S constitution? Do you think the rights are being exercised as provided? Are

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Survey on Energy Drinks Essay Example for Free

Survey on Energy Drinks Essay We would like to thank Prof. Richa Chaudhry whose guidance helped us in our efforts to make a successful project. Most of all we would like to thank all the people who took time and effort to take part in our research by sharing their views and perspectives which helped us in our analysis and project, without which the project would not have been possible. Finally we would like to thank IES College of Management and Research for giving us a platform to present our research project study which will help us go a long way in our development as future managers. 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. Energy drinks are soft drinks advertised as a boosting energy. These drinks usually do not emphasize energy derived from calories they contain, but rather through a choice of vitamins, caffeine, and herbal supplements the manufacturer has combined. Energy Drinks has become the fastest growing sector within the beverage industry. Red Bull is the industry leader and has already occupied a giant market share worldwide in the energy segment and the positioning is also limited to the youth within the age limit 16-28 years. The research has been conducted to identify the energy drink that is the most popular and to understand consumer preference and their consuming habits as we plan to launch a new product in the market on a similar basis. 5 The study carried out will help: †¢To understand and identify the energy drink that is the most popular †¢To understand consumer preference and their consuming habits For this purpose basic research was carried out. The data collection was based on the Primary Data being the students of IES College of Management Studies Research using Convenience Sampling Method. The research indicated that people do prefer to consume drinks but the consumption is affected by many factors. There are 25% of the people who do not prefer to have energy drink. The most important factors affecting the buying decision were found to be the brand, price, advertisement and health safety. It was also found that: 1. 62% of the energy drinks segment consists of male consumers 2. 21-23 age group people was found to be the maximum buyers in the sampling population 3. People prefer to have drinks occasionally mainly for leisurely consumption constituting 41% 4. Red Bull is the most popular brand amongst the youth 5. Taste and Price play an important role in the buyer’s mind while purchasing an energy drink 6 TABLEOF CONTENTS SR. NO .TOPICS PAGE NO. INTRODUCTION Energy drinks are a group of beverages used by consumers to provide an extra boost in energy, promote wakefulness, maintain alertness, and provide cognitive and mood enhancement. Although they seem like a new fad, these drinks have been available to the general public for some time. For instance, Red Bull (currently one of the most popular energy drinks) was introduced in Austria in 1987 and to the United States in 1997. Historically, cola soft drinks have been available in their current caffeine-containing form since 1904, and in their original coca leaf (from which cocaine is derived) and kola nut (from which the caffeine is derived) form since 1886, with similar effects as energy drinks as they contain approximately 34mg of caffeine per 12oz can. These beverages have stimulant effects on the central nervous system (CNS) and their consumption is accompanied by an expectation of improving user’s performance physically and mentally. 1 Energy drinks mostly contain caffeine, taurine, l-carnitine, carbohydrates, glucuronolactone, vitamins, and other herbal supplements like ginseng and guarana among others. Additives such as guarana, yerba mate, cocoa, and kola nut may increase the caffeine content of energy drinks unbeknownst to consumers, as manufacturers of these products are not required to include the caffeine content of these herbal supplements in the nutritional information. 2 Different brands of energy drinks contain caffeine ranging from 50mg to 550mg per can or bottle. 3 Caffeine is one of the most commonly consumed alkaloids worldwide in the form of coffee, tea, or soft drinks, and in high doses may cause abnormal stimulation of the nervous system4 as well as adverse effects in the cardiovascular, hematologic, and gastrointestinal systems. 2 With energy drinks becoming a worldwide phenomenon, the short- and long-term effects of these beverages must be evaluated more closely in order to fully comprehend the psychological impact of these products. The market and degree of consumption of energy drinks is increasing every year,5,6 and while only few have detailed knowledge of their potential harmful physiological and psychological effects, the number of publications that have documented the potential adverse risks associated with the use of these beverages remains small. 7 Whereas most studies to date have examined the physiological effects of energy drinks, this article reviews and compiles the body of knowledge of this increasingly important topic by examining the psychological effects of energy drinks on cognitive functions, mood, sleep, decision making, and overall impact on well-being and quality of life (QOL). 8 2. PROBLEM STATEMENT Energy drinks is still not very well accepted and even if they are consumed it is majorly driven by leisurely consumption and not so much for other health related reasons. 3. RESEACRCH OBJECTIVES 9 After a detailed review of the research the following objectives were determined: 1. To understand the energy segment among the youth and the consumer preference. 2. To understand their consuming habits and factors associated with it. 3. To derive a conclusion based on the acceptance levels of the energy drinks in order to launch a new product in the near future. 10 4. BACKGROUND. The term energy drink refers to soft drinks believed to reduce or prevent fatigue, enhance physical performance, enhance disposition and improve cognitive performance. Energy drinks are frequently consumed by students prior to exams, stressed situations, and leisurely consumption with a view to improving their performance and act as a stress buster. The belief in energy drinks is held by most people, particularly because the term energy drink conveys a message that the product has a connection with physical activity. Consequently, an uninformed consumer may assume that some benefits would be derived after consuming these beverages. It has been reported that the consumption of energy drinks, especially among young adults aged between 18 and 25, is currently of great concern. This is because these energy drinks typically contain three times the amount of caffeine present in soft drinks, and in some cases, up to ten times as much. Another issue of great concern is that, for most brands, information regarding the potential negative health effects of an excessive intake is not presented on the labels. Some energy drinks contain ingredients with potential interactions such as between taurine and other amino acids and between caffeine and some herbal extracts. Some herbs combine with caffeine to create a synergistic effect which varies from drink to drink. Producers of energy drinks usually target young adults who are easily lured to consume energy drinks after watching numerous appealing marketing advertisements on television and in newspapers and magazines. 5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 11 The general purpose of this study is a comparative study of various brands of energy drink from consumer’s point of view. After detailed review of the research following objectives are to be determined: †¢To understand and identify the energy drink that is the most popular †¢To understand consumer preference and their consuming habits For this purpose basic research was carried out. The data collection was based on the primary data being the students of IES College of Management Studies. 5. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN The method used is basic research method. Data collection method: The respondents were asked to fill an online questionnaire. Data collection place: We have chosen an online survey as the media and the same was sent to the respondents. And the data collected was then segmented based on gender, age group, information, consumer preferences etc. 5. 2 SAMPLE DESIGN Sampling Method- Convenience Sample Sampling Method: A convenience sample is a matter of taking what you can get. It is an accidental sample. Although selection may be unguided, it probably is not random, using the correct definition of everyone in the population having an equal chance of being selected. Volunteers would constitute a convenience sample. Sample Size: The sample size taken was of 66 students from IES College. We found out that out of 66 respondents 16 do not consume energy drinks and the remaining prefer to consume the same. Survey Area: We intent to take survey from our college itself. It was basically an online survey where the questionnaire was posted and the link was sent to several respondents. 12 5. 3 DATA PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS SUBJECTS In this study, the participants were students sampled from IES College of Management and Studies. The respondents completed a questionnaire. We could gather a response of 66 people. STUDY INSTRUMENT AND DATA COLLECTION The questionnaire was in two parts, the first part assessed the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and the second part assessed energy drink consumption practices of the students and reasons why students consumed them. The questionnaire which was administered assessed students in the following areas: background information (i. e. age, gender information on energy drink consumption practices, brands of energy drinks usually consumed and reasons why students consumed energy drinks). The researchers explained to the participants that the investigation was mainly aimed at assessing how and why energy drinks were consumed? 5. 4 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Statistical tools: Data collected were entered and analysed using the Quantitative Techniques and the results were displayed Frequencies and Percentages, Mean Median and Mode Standard Deviation. Graphical representations: Pie Charts and Bar Diagrams were used. 6. DATAANALYSISAND INTERPRETATION 13 1) Gender Wise Buyer Distribution: Observation- It was found out that the energy drink segment was driven by a market of 62% of Male consumer and 38% Female Consumer. 2) Do you consume energy drinks? Observation- It was found out that the out of 66 respondents only 48 consume energy drinks and the remaining do not consume energy drinks at all. 3) Out of the following brands, which ones have you heard of? M 4 1 62% F 25 38% Yes 48 75% No 16 25% 14 Red Bull 61 32% Monster 17 9% Cloud 9 46 24% Gatorade 40 21% Tzinga 24 13% Other 2 1% Quantitative Tool MODE The Modal value is 61 which states that Red Bull is most popular among the energy drinks. 4) How many bottles of energy drinks do you purchase in one go? Single bottle 49 80% Multiple Bottles (6 pack) 6 10% Multiple Bottles (24 pack) 6 10% Quantitative Tool used Mean Median The Mean is 20. 33 the Median is 31. Also the Standard deviation is 20. 27. There is a deviation of 20. 27 in the preference of people buying single and multiple bottles. 5) How often do you purchase energy drinks? 15 Very frequently 3 5% Frequently 11 18% Sometimes 26 43% Rarely 21 34% Quantitative Tool used Mean Median The Mean is 15. 25 the Median is 31. Also the Standard deviation is 8. 89 in the consumption patterns of Energy Drinks. 6) For which activities do you use Energy drinks? Exercising at the gym 14 18% Playing competitive sports 4 5% Playing recreational sports 8 10% 16 To quench your thirst 15 19% Leisurely consumption 32 41% Other 5 6% Quantitative Tool used – MODE The Modal Value is 32 which states that people consume energy drinks for Leisurely consumption. 7) Does advertising affect your decision of purchasing Energy drinks? Quantitative Tool used MODE The Modal Value is 31 and says that advertising does influence the buying decision. 8) How much do you pay for a 250 ml energy drink? Yes 3 1 51% No 30 49% 17 25-50 14 50-75 25 75-100 21 Quantitative Tool used – Mean, Median MODE The mean is 65. 41 and the mode is 68. 33. Median is 66. Std dev? 9) Have you experienced any ill effects after consuming any energy drink? Tremors 1 3% Shivers 2 6% Headaches 9 26% None 22 65% Quantitative Tool used – MODE MODE is 22. 18 10) What kind of taste do you prefer? Sweet 17 24% Sour 9 13% Fruity 45 63% Quantitative Tool used – MODE Mode is 45. 19 7. LIMITATIONS The following limitations were found: ?Samples were approached from our College itself hence the variety of population was limited. ?Time constraints did not allow the research to be carried out on an extensive scale. 8. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ?It was found out that only 75% of the respondents consume energy drinks. ?It was found out that the energy drink segment was driven by a market of 62% of Male consumer and 38% Female Consumer. ?21-23 age group people was found to be the maximum buyers in the sampling population. ?People prefer to have drinks occasionally mainly for leisurely consumption constituting 41% . 8. 1ConsumerBehaviour Preference towards Energy Drinks: 20 ?The buying behaviour is not regular. It’s only occasional. People prefer it during exercising, leisurely consumption at parties or social gatherings to reduce stress. It was observed that people are price as well as brand sensitive. They want average price energy drink from a reputed brand. The flavour should be good (for eg. Fruity) as well as the health content. ?26% of the respondents believed that the energy drink is associated with a risk highest being headaches while 68% believed the risk was none. 8. 2Red BullMarket ?It was clearly observed that the preference for Red Bull energy drink was predominant over other brands. ?The red bull market is the leader constituting 32% of the sample. Still the purchase was limited to ‘sometimes’ standing at a 43%. 8. 3 Recommendation ?Awareness among the people need to be increased to promote energy so that the number people who don’t consume the energy drinks for reasonsbest kno n to them all start consuming. ?An integrated marketing is carried out which would help minimise the illusion among the potential buyers about the adverse effect of energy drink on health. 9. CONCLUSION We have investigated the feasibility of the top selling energy drinks for the students of IES College of Management and Research. The market is dominated by Red Bull, and other brands like Monster, Could 9, Tzinga, Monster, Gatorade. Also, because students are in constant need of an energy boost, we have researched which energy drink will provide the students with the most energy without sacrificing nutrition, taste, or cost. With the information from this report, we hope to help students make a better decision when choosing energy drinks. We recommend Red Bull as the best energy drink for students at the IES College of Management and Research. 21 Questionnaire on Energy drinks Objective: To launch a new product of energy drinks in the market and understand its consumption pattern among the respondents To find out Top of the mind awareness of consumers To find out the factors which influences the consumer to buy energy drinks * Required Name: * Age * Gender *. 1) Do you consume energy drinks? o Yes o No 22 2) When someone mentions Energy drinks, what brand name comes first in your mind? 3) Out of the following brands, which ones have you heard of? o Red Bull o Monster o Cloud 9 o Gatorade o Tzinga o Other: 4) How many bottles of energy drinks do you purchase in one go? o Single bottle o Multiple Bottles (6 pack) o Multiple Bottles (24 pack) 5) How often do you purchase energy drinks? o Very frequently o Frequently 23 o Sometimes o Rarely 6) For which activities do you use Energy drinks? o Exercising at the gym o Playing competitive sports o Playing recreational sports. o To quench your thirst o Leisurely consumption o Other: 7) Does advertising affect your decision of purchasing Energy drinks? o Yes o No 8) How much do you pay for a 250 ml energy drink? o 25-50 o 55-75 o 80-100 24 9) Have you experienced any ill effects after consuming any energy drink? o Tremors o Shivers o Headaches o None 10) What kind of taste do you prefer? o Sweet o Sour o Fruity Never submit passwords through Google Forms. 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Thursday, November 14, 2019

Virtual Learning Environments Essay -- Education, Blackboard

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are considered to be among the most outstanding, interesting and rapidly developing contemporary computer technologies. It is a package of software systems initially created in order to utilize the advantages offered by the Internet, such as Blackboard and WebCT. It provides a resource for exchanging, transforming and managing information, as well as offering various academic and administrative services, through a group of various tools. These environments are not restricted to e-learning or distance learning. It is also being recognized as the most effective means to support and assist the development of traditional learning and to enrich classroom activities. Furthermore, VLEs have become among the most significant means to achieve and support the philosophy of self-learning in many universities. Consequently, educational institutions and individuals now realize the benefits of using VLEs to reinforce and improve the learning process. Therefore, it is necessary for the learner to master the use of this technology as well as the tutor and it is necessary to use this technology in all aspects of the learning process. In this study I will highlight the purposes of VLEs, then the common tools in VLEs, followed by the advantages and disadvantages for VLEs. Afterward, I will outline the factors that impact in success VLEs and the characteristics of successful online learner. Recently many universities have been using advanced technology in the learning process, as result of the rapidly changing information communication technology (ICT). These changes demand that education institutions use a various tools from ICT world. One of the substantial tools on ICT is VLEs. Currently VLE... ...ccessful VLE, for example, taking into consideration the effectiveness of online learning strategies. Moreover, technical skills are not enough for the tutor experience. It is more important that tutors should develop their pedagogical skills in order to make best use of VLEs. In my point of view, for the success VLEs, the tutor and the learner should play different roles in this issue. They complement each other in succeeding the learning process via VLEs. Therefore, we cannot rely only on the tutor for the success of the learning process. I believe learners in this generation are growing up with technology and becoming more familiar with ICT. Their learning styles and thinking differ. They are adapting to these technologies. So I think learners prefer the learning process that is characterized with various interesting tools such as VLEs.

Monday, November 11, 2019

American vs. Chinese Culture Essay

Psychological anthropology is the study of individuals and their personalities and identities, within particular cultural contexts (Miller, 2007). Although American and Chinese people are raised in different cultures, their cultures are somewhat similar. Even though individuals are raised thousands of miles apart, is it possible to possess some of the same personality traits? In the American culture, baby showers are held to celebrate the impending birth of a baby. Family and friends bring many necessities needed for the new baby, such as, clothes, money, bottles, stroller, car seat, and or diapers. Once the baby is born it is the American culture to separate babies by gender. It is customary for boys to be dressed in blue and girls to be dressed in pink. As they grow, boys are encouraged to play with trucks, action figures and guns to promote strength and power. Whereas, girls are encouraged to play with dolls, cook with toy stoves, and play house to promote nurturing. As the child grows into adolescence, this is reinforced in the chores delegated to them. Boys are expected to cut the grass, take out the trash, and help out with any other â€Å"handyman† jobs. Girls are expected to wash dishes, do the laundry, sweep and mop floors. Hence, the stereotyping begins. This stereotyping is evident in adulthood. Men are labeled as providers, protectors, and head of the household. Men are expected to work to support their families. Men are often pressured to assert their masculinity and strength within there jobs and at home. Today, men are beginning to take on more responsibilities within the home. Women are labeled as mothers, housekeepers, and nursemaids, to name a few. Many years ago, women were not respected in the workforce. Their job selection was very slim, mainly secretaries. However, during World War II women took the place of men in the workforce showing they could perform the jobs just as well as the men. Today, women are highly accepted in the workforce and hold high powered positions within companies and even own their own businesses. Once men and women reach their senior years, they have achieved their social status. They are afforded the opportunity to retire from the workforce. In doing so, they are able to travel or just enjoy life at their leisure. They no longer have to pay taxes and receive their social security benefits as their compensation for working. Unlike the American culture where there is no animosity over the gender of babies, Chinese culture is different. Boys are considered treasured, so much so that years ago infant girls were killed. In doing this China has created an imbalance in the male to female ratio. In the Chinese culture, a baby’s birth is not celebrated until the infant is one month old. The family holds a â€Å"red egg and ginger† party. This is the time when the parents introduce their baby to friends and family, who bring gifts for the baby: boys receive â€Å"lucky† money and girls receive expensive jewelry. Parents present each guest with a dyed red egg to symbolize happiness and the renewal of life. Traditionally, gender roles in China are similar to the ones in the United States. The man goes to work, the woman is a housewife. This is changing, especially with the ‘one child policy’ in China. Women are not needed at home as much to take care of children since families are only allowed to have one child. In some cases, a family is allowed to have two children. For example, if the first born is a daughter, they may be permitted to have another child. There is a lot less social distance among Chinese people compared to Americans. It is a collectivist culture – people depend on each other and take care of each other. Chinese people spend a lot less time alone than Americans do. One example of this is the family unit is very close in Chinese culture. It is very common for three or more generations to live together because a lot of people still live with their parents when they have established their own families. Chinese people are more reserved when it comes to physical contact or showing public display of affection, especially in romantic relationships. Chinese people initiate physical contact very gradually compared to Americans. Premarital sex is a lot less common in China than in the United States. Both cultures show traits of openness by allowing individuals to explore their curiosity of the world and show their emotions. They also allow for individuals to be conscientious of their actions, to be self-disciplined, and to be cooperative towards others. Although two cultures are different it is possible for individuals to share the same traits. ? REFERENCES Chinese Culture. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from English in Taiwan. com: http://www. englishintaiwan. com/foreigners/chinese_culture. php Gender: Gender Roles and Stereotypes. (2010). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from Marriage and Family Encyclopedia: http://family. jrank. org/pages/686/Gender-Gender-Roles- Stereotypes. html Miller, B. D. (2007). Cultural Anthropology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Olsen, A. (2009, April 10). China’s Population Laws Threaten Baby Girls, Favor Boys. Retrieved February 3, 2010, from The Huffington Post: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2009/04/10/chinas-population-laws-th_n_185626. html Therese Hesketh, P. , Li Lu, M. , & and Zhu Wei Xing, M. (2005, September 15). The Effect of China’s One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years. Retrieved February 4, 2010, from The New England Journal of Medicine: http://content. nejm. org/cgi/content/full/353/11/1171.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 2. Open Book

I leaned back against the soft snow bank, letting the dry powder reshape itself around my weight. My skin had cooled to match the air around me, and the tiny pieces of ice felt like velvet under my skin. The sky above me was clear, brilliant with stars, glowing blue in some places, yellow in others. The stars created majestic, swirling shapes against the black universe – an awesome sight. Exquisitely beautiful. Or rather, it should have been exquisite. Would have been, if I'd been able to really see it. It wasn't getting any better. Six days had passed, six days I'd hidden here in the empty Denali wilderness, but I was no closer to freedom than I had been since the first moment that I'd caught her scent. When I stared up at the jeweled sky, it was as if there were an obstruction between my eyes and their beauty. The obstruction was a face, just an unremarkable human face, but I couldn't quite seem to banish it from my mind. I heard the approaching thoughts before I heard the footsteps that accompanied them. The sound of movement was only a faint whisper against the powder. I was not surprised that Tanya had followed me here. I knew she'd been mulling over this coming conversation for the last few days, putting it off until she was sure of exactly what she wanted to say. She sprang into sight about sixty yards away, leaping onto the tip of an outcropping of black rock and balancing there on the balls of her bare feet. Tanya's skin was silver in the starlight, and her long blond curls shone pale, almost pink with their strawberry tint. Her amber eyes glinted as she spied me, halfburied in the snow, and her full lips stretched slowly into a smile. Exquisite. If I'd really been able to see her. I sighed. She crouched down on the point of the stone, her fingertips touching the rock, her body coiled. Cannonball, she thought. She launched herself into the air; her shape became a dark, twisting shadow as she spun gracefully between me and the stars. She curled herself into a ball just as she struck the piled snow bank beside me. A blizzard of snow flew up around me. The stars went black and I was buried deep in the feathery ice crystals. I sighed again, but didn't move to unearth myself. The blackness under the snow neither hurt nor improved the view. I still saw the same face. â€Å"Edward?† Then snow was flying again as Tanya swiftly disinterred me. She brushed the powder from my unmoving face, not quite meeting my eyes. â€Å"Sorry,† she murmured. â€Å"It was a joke.† â€Å"I know. It was funny.† Her mouth twisted down. â€Å"Irina and Kate said I should leave you alone. They think I'm annoying you.† â€Å"Not at all,† I assured her. â€Å"On the contrary, I'm the one who's being rude – abominably rude. I'm very sorry.† You're going home, aren't you? she thought. â€Å"I haven't†¦entirely†¦decided that yet.† But you're not staying here. Her thought was wistful now, sad. â€Å"No. It doesn't seem to be†¦helping.† She grimaced. â€Å"That's my fault, isn't it?† â€Å"Of course not,† I lied smoothly. Don't be a gentleman. I smiled. I make you uncomfortable, she accused. â€Å"No.† She raised one eyebrow, her expression so disbelieving that I had to laugh. One short laugh, followed by another sigh. â€Å"All right,† I admitted. â€Å"A little bit.† She sighed, too, and put her chin in her hands. Her thoughts were chagrined. â€Å"You're a thousand times lovelier than the stars, Tanya. Of course, you're already well aware of that. Don't let my stubbornness undermine your confidence.† I chuckled at the unlikeliness of that. â€Å"I'm not used to rejection,† she grumbled, her lower lip pushing out into an attractive pout. â€Å"Certainly not,† I agreed, trying with little success to block out her thoughts as she fleetingly sifted through memories of her thousands of successful conquests. Mostly Tanya preferred human men – they were much more populous for one thing, with the added advantage of being soft and warm. And always eager, definitely. â€Å"Succubus,† I teased, hoping to interrupt the images flickering in her head. She grinned, flashing her teeth. â€Å"The original.† Unlike Carlisle, Tanya and her sisters had discovered their consciences slowly. In the end, it was their fondness for human men that turned the sisters against the slaughter. Now the men they loved†¦lived. â€Å"When you showed up here,† Tanya said slowly. â€Å"I thought that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I'd known what she'd thought. And I should have guessed that she would have felt that way. But I hadn't been at my best for analytical thinking in that moment. â€Å"You thought that I'd changed my mind.† â€Å"Yes.† She scowled. â€Å"I feel horrible for toying with your expectations, Tanya. I didn't mean to – I wasn't thinking. It's just that I left in†¦quite a hurry.† â€Å"I don't suppose you'd tell me why†¦?† I sat up and wrapped my arms around my legs, curling defensively. â€Å"I don't want to talk about it.† Tanya, Irina and Kate were very good at this life they'd committed to. Better, in some ways, than even Carlisle. Despite the insanely close proximity they allowed themselves with those who should be – and once were – their prey, they did not make mistakes. I was too ashamed to admit my weakness to Tanya. â€Å"Woman troubles?† she guessed, ignoring my reluctance. I laughed a bleak laugh. â€Å"Not the way you mean it.† She was quiet then. I listened to her thoughts as she ran through different guesses, tried to decipher the meaning of my words. â€Å"You're not even close,† I told her. â€Å"One hint?† she asked. â€Å"Please let it go, Tanya.† She was quiet again, still speculating. I ignored her, trying in vain to appreciate the stars. She gave up after a silent moment, and her thoughts pursued a new direction. Where will you go, Edward, if you leave? Back to Carlisle? â€Å"I don't think so,† I whispered. Where would I go? I could not think of one place on the entire planet that held any interest for me. There was nothing I wanted to see or do. Because, no matter where I went, I would not be going to anywhere – I would only be running from. I hated that. When had I become such a coward? Tanya threw her slender arm around my shoulders. I stiffened, but did not flinch out from under her touch. She meant it as nothing more than friendly comfort. Mostly. â€Å"I think that you will go back,† she said, her voice taking on just a hint of her long lost Russian accent. â€Å"No matter what it is†¦or who it is†¦that is haunting you. You'll face it head on. You're the type.† Her thoughts were as certain as her words. I tried to embrace the vision of myself that she carried in her head. The one who faced things head on. It was pleasant to think of myself that way again. I'd never doubted my courage, my ability to face difficulty, before that horrible hour in a high school biology class such a short time ago. I kissed her cheek, pulling back swiftly when she twisted her face toward mine, her lips already puckered. She smiled ruefully at my quickness. â€Å"Thank you, Tanya. I needed to hear that.† Her thoughts turned petulant. â€Å"You're welcome, I guess. I wish you would be more reasonable about things, Edward.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Tanya. You know you're too good for me. I just†¦haven't found what I'm looking for yet.† â€Å"Well, if you leave before I see you again†¦goodbye, Edward.† â€Å"Goodbye, Tanya.† As I said the words, I could see it. I could see myself leaving. Being strong enough to go back to the one place where I wanted to be. â€Å"Thanks again.† She was on her feet in one nimble move, and then she was running away, ghosting across the snow so quickly that her feet had no time to sink into the snow; she left no prints behind her. She didn't look back. My rejection bothered her more than she'd let on before, even in her thoughts. She wouldn't want to see me again before I left. My mouth twisted with chagrin. I didn't like hurting Tanya, though her feelings were not deep, hardly pure, and, in any case, not something I could return. It still made me feel less than a gentleman. I put my chin on my knees and stared up at the stars again, though I was suddenly anxious to be on my way. I knew that Alice would see me coming home, that she would tell the others. This would make them happy – Carlisle and Esme especially. But I gazed at the stars for one more moment, trying to see past the face in my head. Between me and the brilliant lights in the sky, a pair of bewildered chocolate-brown eyes stared back at me, seeming to ask what this decision would mean for her. Of course, I couldn't be sure if that was really the information her curious eyes sought. Even in my imagination, I couldn't hear her thoughts. Bella Swan's eyes continued to question, and an unobstructed view of the stars continued to elude me. With a heavy sigh, I gave up, and got to my feet. If I ran, I would be back to Carlisle's car in less than an hour†¦ In a hurry to see my family – and wanting very much to be the Edward that faced things head on – I raced across the starlit snowfield, leaving no footprints. â€Å"It's going to be okay,† Alice breathed. Her eyes were unfocused, and Jasper had one hand lightly under her elbow, guiding her forward as we walked into the rundown cafeteria in a close group. Rosalie and Emmett led the way, Emmett looking ridiculously like a bodyguard in the middle of hostile territory. Rose looked wary, too, but much more irritated than protective. â€Å"Of course it is,† I grumbled. Their behavior was ludicrous. If I wasn't positive that I could handle this moment, I would have stayed home. The sudden shift from our normal, even playful morning – it had snowed in the night, and Emmett and Jasper were not above taking advantage of my distraction to bombard me with slushballs; when they got bored with my lack of response, they'd turned on each other – to this overdone vigilance would have been comical if it weren't so irritating. â€Å"She's not here yet, but the way she's going to come in†¦she won't be downwind if we sit in our regular spot.† â€Å"Of course we'll sit in our regular spot. Stop it, Alice. You're getting on my nerves. I'll be absolutely fine.† She blinked once as Jasper helped her into her seat, and her eyes finally focused on my face. â€Å"Hmm,† she said, sounding surprised. â€Å"I think you're right.† â€Å"Of course I am,† I muttered. I hated being the focus of their concern. I felt a sudden sympathy for Jasper, remembering all the times we'd hovered protectively over him. He met my glance briefly, and grinned. Annoying, isn't it? I grimaced at him. Was it just last week that this long, drab room had seemed so killingly dull to me? That it had seemed almost like sleep, like a coma, to be here? Today my nerves were stretched tight – piano wires, tensed to sing at the lightest pressure. My senses were hyper-alert; I scanned every sound, every sight, every movement of the air that touched my skin, every thought. Especially the thoughts. There was only one sense that I kept locked down, refused to use. Smell, of course. I didn't breathe. I was expecting to hear more about the Cullens in the thoughts that I sifted through. All day I'd been waiting, searching for whichever new acquaintance Bella Swan might have confided in, trying to see the direction the new gossip would take. But there was nothing. No one noticed the five vampires in the cafeteria, just the same as before the new girl had come. Several of the humans here were still thinking of that girl, still thinking the same thoughts from last week. Instead of finding this unutterably boring, I was now fascinated. Had she said nothing to anyone about me? There was no way that she had not noticed my black, murderous glare. I had seen her react to it. Surely, I'd scared her silly. I had been convinced that she would have mentioned it to someone, maybe even exaggerated the story a bit to make it better. Given me a few menacing lines. And then, she'd also heard me trying to get out of our shared biology class. She must have wondered, after seeing my expression, whether she were the cause. A normal girl would have asked around, compared her experience to others, looked for common ground that would explain my behavior so she didn't feel singled out. Humans were constantly desperate to feel normal, to fit in. To blend in with everyone else around them, like a featureless flock of sheep. The need was particularly strong during the insecure adolescent years. This girl would be no exception to that rule. But no one at all took any notice of us sitting here, at our normal table. Bella must be exceptionally shy, if she'd confided in no one. Perhaps she had spoken to her father, maybe that was the strongest relationship†¦though that seemed unlikely, given the fact that she had spent so little time with him throughout her life. She would be closer to her mother. Still, I would have to pass by Chief Swan sometime soon and listen to what he was thinking. â€Å"Anything new?† Jasper asked. â€Å"Nothing. She†¦must not have said anything.† All of them raised an eyebrow at this news. â€Å"Maybe you're not as scary as you think you are,† Emmett said, chuckling. â€Å"I bet I could have frightened her better than that.† I rolled my eyes at him. â€Å"Wonder why†¦?† He puzzled again over my revelation about the girl's unique silence. â€Å"We've been over that. I don't know.† â€Å"She's coming in,† Alice murmured then. I felt my body go rigid. â€Å"Try to look human.† â€Å"Human, you say?† Emmett asked. He held up his right fist, twisting his fingers to reveal the snowball he'd saved in his palm. Of course it had not melted there. He'd squeezed it into a lumpy block of ice. He had his eyes on Jasper, but I saw the direction of his thoughts. So did Alice, of course. When he abruptly hurled the ice chunk at her, she flicked it away with a casual flutter of her fingers. The ice ricocheted across the length of the cafeteria, too fast to be visible to human eyes, and shattered with a sharp crack against the brick wall. The brick cracked, too. The heads in that corner of the room all turned to stare at the pile of broken ice on the floor, and then swiveled to find the culprit. They didn't look further than a few tables away. No one looked at us. â€Å"Very human, Emmett,† Rosalie said scathingly. â€Å"Why don't you punch through the wall while you're at it?† â€Å"It would look more impressive if you did it, baby.† I tried to pay attention to them, keeping a grin fixed on my face like I was part of their banter. I did not allow myself to look toward the line where I knew she was standing. But that was all that I was listening to. I could hear Jessica's impatience with the new girl, who seemed to be distracted, too, standing motionless in the moving line. I saw, in Jessica's thoughts, that Bella Swan's cheeks were once more colored bright pink with blood. I pulled in short, shallow breaths, ready to quit breathing if any hint of her scent touched the air near me. Mike Newton was with the two girls. I heard both his voices, mental and verbal, when he asked Jessica what was wrong with the Swan girl. I didn't like the way his thoughts wrapped around her, the flicker of already established fantasies that clouded his mind while he watched her start and look up from her reverie like she'd forgotten he was there. â€Å"Nothing,† I heard Bella say in that quiet, clear voice. It seemed to ring like a bell over the babble in the cafeteria, but I knew that was just because I was listening for it so intently. â€Å"I'll just get a soda today,† she continued as she moved to catch up with the line. I couldn't help flickering one glance in her direction. She was staring at the floor, the blood slowly fading from her face. I looked away quickly, to Emmett, who laughed at the now pained-looking smile on my face. You look sick, bro. I rearranged my features so the expression would seem casual and effortless. Jessica was wondering aloud about the girl's lack of appetite. â€Å"Aren't you hungry?† â€Å"Actually, I feel a little sick.† Her voice was lower, but still very clear. Why did it bother me, the protective concern that suddenly emanated from Mike Newton's thoughts? What did it matter that there was a possessive edge to them? It wasn't my business if Mike Newton felt unnecessarily anxious for her. Perhaps this was the way everyone responded to her. Hadn't I wanted, instinctively, to protect her, too? Before I'd wanted to kill her, that is†¦ But was the girl ill? It was hard to judge – she looked so delicate with her translucent skin†¦ Then I realized that I was worrying, too, just like that dimwitted boy, and I forced myself not to think about her health. Regardless, I didn't like monitoring her through Mike's thoughts. I switched to Jessica's, watching carefully as the three of them chose which table to sit at. Fortunately, they sat with Jessica's usual companions, at one of the first tables in the room. Not downwind, just as Alice had promised. Alice elbowed me. She's going to look soon, act human. I clenched my teeth behind my grin. â€Å"Ease up, Edward,† Emmett said. â€Å"Honestly. So you kill one human. That's hardly the end of the world.† â€Å"You would know,† I murmured. Emmett laughed. â€Å"You've got to learn to get over things. Like I do. Eternity is a long time to wallow in guilt.† Just then, Alice tossed a smaller handful of ice that she'd been hiding into Emmett's unsuspecting face. He blinked, surprised, and then grinned in anticipation. â€Å"You asked for it,† he said as he leaned across the table and shook his iceencrusted hair in her direction. The snow, melting in the warm room, flew out from his hair in a thick shower of half-liquid, half-ice. â€Å"Ew!† Rose complained, as she and Alice recoiled from the deluge. Alice laughed, and we all joined in. I could see in Alice's head how she'd orchestrated this perfect moment, and I knew that the girl – I should stop thinking of her that way, as if she were the only girl in the world – that Bella would be watching us laugh and play, looking as happy and human and unrealistically ideal as a Norman Rockwell painting. Alice kept laughing, and held her tray up as a shield. The girl – Bella must still be staring at us. †¦staring at the Cullens again, someone thought, catching my attention. I looked automatically toward the unintentional call, realizing as my eyes found their destination that I recognized the voice – I'd been listening to it so much today. But my eyes slid right past Jessica, and focused on the girl's penetrating gaze. She looked down quickly, hiding behind her thick hair again. What was she thinking? The frustration seemed to be getting more acute as time went on, rather than dulling. I tried – uncertain in what I was doing for I'd never tried this before – to probe with my mind at the silence around her. My extra hearing had always come to me naturally, without asking; I'd never had to work at it. But I concentrated now, trying to break through whatever shield surrounded her. Nothing but silence. What is it about her? Jessica thought, echoing my own frustration. â€Å"Edward Cullen is staring at you,† she whispered in the Swan girl's ear, adding a giggle. There was no hint of her jealous irritation in her tone. Jessica seemed to be skilled at feigning friendship. I listened, too engrossed, to the girl's response. â€Å"He doesn't look angry, does he?† she whispered back. So she had noticed my wild reaction last week. Of course she had. The question confused Jessica. I saw my own face in her thoughts as she checked my expression, but I did not meet her glance. I was still concentrating on the girl, trying to hear something. My intent focus didn't seem to be helping at all. â€Å"No,† Jess told her, and I knew that she wished she could say yes – how it rankled inside her, my staring – though there was no trace of that in her voice. â€Å"Should he be?† â€Å"I don't think he likes me,† the girl whispered back, laying her head down on her arm as if she were suddenly tired. I tried to understand the motion, but I could only make guesses. Maybe she was tired. â€Å"The Cullens don't like anybody,† Jess reassured her. â€Å"Well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them.† They never used to. Her thought was a grumble of complaint. â€Å"But he's still staring at you.† â€Å"Stop looking at him,† the girl said anxiously, lifting her head from her arm to make sure Jessica obeyed the order. Jessica giggled, but did as she was asked. The girl did not look away from her table for the rest of the hour. I thought – though, of course, I could not be sure – that this was deliberate. It seemed like she wanted to look at me. Her body would shift slightly in my direction, her chin would begin to turn, and then she would catch herself, take a deep breath, and stare fixedly at whoever was speaking. I ignored the other thoughts around the girl for the most part, as they were not, momentarily, about her. Mike Newton was planning a snow fight in the parking lot after school, not seeming to realize that the snow had already shifted to rain. The flutter of soft flakes against the roof had become the more common patter of raindrops. Could he really not hear the change? It seemed loud to me. When the lunch period ended, I stayed in my seat. The humans filed out, and I caught myself trying to distinguish the sound of her footsteps from the sound of the rest, as if there was something important or unusual about them. How stupid. My family made no move to leave, either. They waited to see what I would do. Would I go to class, sit beside the girl where I could smell the absurdly potent scent of her blood and feel the warmth of her pulse in the air on my skin? Was I strong enough for that? Or had I had enough for one day? â€Å"I†¦think it's okay,† Alice said, hesitant. â€Å"Your mind is set. I think you'll make it through the hour.† But Alice knew well how quickly a mind could change. â€Å"Why push it, Edward?† Jasper asked. Though he didn't want to feel smug that I was the one who was weak now, I could hear that he did, just a little. â€Å"Go home. Take it slow.† â€Å"What's the big deal?† Emmett disagreed. â€Å"Either he will or he won't kill her. Might as well get it over with, either way.† â€Å"I don't want to move yet,† Rosalie complained. â€Å"I don't want to start over. We're almost out of high school, Emmett. Finally.† I was evenly torn on the decision. I wanted, wanted badly, to face this head on rather than running away again. But I didn't want to push myself too far, either. It had been a mistake last week for Jasper to go so long without hunting; was this just as pointless a mistake? I didn't want to uproot my family. None of them would thank me for that. But I wanted to go to my biology class. I realized that I wanted to see her face again. That's what decided it for me. That curiosity. I was angry with myself for feeling it. Hadn't I promised myself that I wouldn't let the silence of the girl's mind make me unduly interested in her? And yet, here I was, most unduly interested. I wanted to know what she was thinking. Her mind was closed, but her eyes were very open. Perhaps I could read them instead. â€Å"No, Rose, I think it really will be okay,† Alice said. â€Å"It's†¦firming up. I'm ninety-three percent sure that nothing bad will happen if he goes to class.† She looked at me inquisitively, wondering what had changed in my thoughts that made her vision of the future more secure. Would curiosity be enough to keep Bella Swan alive? Emmett was right, though – why not get it over with, either way? I would face the temptation head on. â€Å"Go to class,† I ordered, pushing away from the table. I turned and strode away from them without looking back. I could hear Alice's worry, Jasper's censure, Emmett's approval, and Rosalie's irritation trailing after me. I took one last deep breath at the door of the classroom, and then held it in my lungs as I walked into the small, warm space. I was not late. Mr. Banner was still setting up for today's lab. The girl sat at my – at our table, her face down again, staring at the folder she was doodling on. I examined the sketch as I approached, interested in even this trivial creation of her mind, but it was meaningless. Just a random scribbling of loops within loops. Perhaps she was not concentrating on the pattern, but thinking of something else? I pulled my chair back with unnecessary roughness, letting it scrape across the linoleum; humans always felt more comfortable when noise announced someone's approach. I knew she heard the sound; she did not look up, but her hand missed a loop in the design she was drawing, making it unbalanced. Why didn't she look up? Probably she was frightened. I must be sure to leave her with a different impression this time. Make her think she'd been imagining things before. â€Å"Hello,† I said in the quiet voice I used when I wanted to make humans more comfortable, forming a polite smile with my lips that would not show any teeth. She looked up then, her wide brown eyes startled – almost bewildered – and full of silent questions. It was the same expression that had been obstructing my vision for the last week. As I stared into those oddly deep brown eyes, I realized that the hate – the hate I'd imagined this girl somehow deserved for simply existing – had evaporated. Not breathing now, not tasting her scent, it was hard to believe that anyone so vulnerable could ever justify hatred. Her cheeks began to flush, and she said nothing. I kept my eyes on hers, focusing only on their questioning depths, and tried to ignore the appetizing color of her skin. I had enough breath to speak for a while longer without inhaling. â€Å"My name is Edward Cullen,† I said, though I knew she knew that. It was the polite way to begin. â€Å"I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan.† She seemed confused – there was that little pucker between her eyes again. It took her half a second longer than it should have for her to respond. â€Å"How do you know my name?† she demanded, and her voice shook just a little. I must have truly terrified her. This made me feel guilty; she was just so defenseless. I laughed gently – it was a sound that I knew made humans more at ease. Again, I was careful about my teeth. â€Å"Oh, I think everyone knows your name.† Surely she must have realized that she'd become the center of attention in this monotonous place. â€Å"The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive.† She frowned as if this information was unpleasant. I supposed, being shy as she seemed to be, attention would seem like a bad thing to her. Most humans felt the opposite. Though they didn't want to stand out from the herd, at the same time they craved a spotlight for their individual uniformity. â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"I meant, why did you call me Bella?† â€Å"Do you prefer Isabella?† I asked, perplexed by the fact that I couldn't see where this question was leading. I didn't understand. Surely, she'd made her preference clear many times that first day. Were all humans this incomprehensible without the mental context as a guide? â€Å"No, I like Bella,† she answered, leaning her head slightly to one side. Her expression – if I was reading it correctly – was torn between embarrassment and confusion. â€Å"But I think Charlie – I mean my dad – must call me Isabella behind my back. That's what everyone here seems to know me as.† Her skin darkened one shade pinker. â€Å"Oh,† I said lamely, and quickly looked away from her face. I'd just realized what her questions meant: I had slipped up – made an error. If I hadn't been eavesdropping on all the others that first day, then I would have addressed her initially by her full name, just like everyone else. She'd noticed the difference. I felt a pang of unease. It was very quick of her to pick up on my slip. Quite astute, especially for someone who was supposed to be terrified by my nearness. But I had bigger problems than whatever suspicions about me she might be keeping locked inside her head. I was out of air. If I were going to speak to her again, I would have to inhale. It would be hard to avoid speaking. Unfortunately for her, sharing this table made her my lab partner, and we would have to work together today. It would seem odd – and incomprehensibly rude – for me to ignore her while we did the lab. It would make her more suspicious, more afraid†¦ I leaned as far away from her as I could without moving my seat, twisting my head out into the aisle. I braced myself, locking my muscles in place, and then sucked in one quick chest-full of air, breathing through my mouth alone. Ahh! It was genuinely painful. Even without smelling her, I could taste her on my tongue. My throat was suddenly in flames again, the craving every bit as strong as that first moment I'd caught her scent last week. I gritted my teeth together and tried to compose myself. â€Å"Get started,† Mr. Banner commanded. It felt like it took every single ounce of self-control that I'd achieved in seventy years of hard work to turn back to the girl, who was staring down at the table, and smile. â€Å"Ladies first, partner?† I offered. She looked up at my expression and her face went blank, her eyes wide. Was there something off in my expression? Was she frightened again? She didn't speak. â€Å"Or, I could start, if you wish,† I said quietly. â€Å"No,† she said, and her face went from white to red again. â€Å"I'll go first.† I stared at the equipment on the table, the battered microscope, the box of slides, rather than watch the blood swirl under her clear skin. I took another quick breath, through my teeth, and winced as the taste made my throat ache. â€Å"Prophase,† she said after a quick examination. She started to remove the slide, though she'd barely examined it. â€Å"Do you mind if I look?† Instinctively – stupidly, as if I were one of her kind – I reached out to stop her hand from removing the slide. For one second, the heat of her skin burned into mine. It was like an electric pulse – surely much hotter than a mere ninety-eight point six degrees. The heat shot through my hand and up my arm. She yanked her hand out from under mine. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I muttered through my clenched teeth. Needing somewhere to look, I grasped the microscope and stared briefly into the eyepiece. She was right. â€Å"Prophase,† I agreed. I was still too unsettled to look at her. Breathing as quietly as I could through my gritted teeth and trying to ignore the fiery thirst, I concentrated on the simple assignment, writing the word on the appropriate line on the lab sheet, and then switching out the first slide for the next. What was she thinking now? What had that felt like to her, when I had touched her hand? My skin must have been ice cold – repulsive. No wonder she was so quiet. I glanced at the slide. â€Å"Anaphase,† I said to myself as I wrote it on the second line. â€Å"May I?† she asked. I looked up at her, surprised to see that she was waiting expectantly, one hand half-stretched toward the microscope. She didn't look afraid. Did she really think I'd gotten the answer wrong? I couldn't help but smile at the hopeful look on her face as I slid the microscope toward her. She stared into the eyepiece with an eagerness that quickly faded. The corners of her mouth turned down. â€Å"Slide three?† she asked, not looking up from the microscope, but holding out her hand. I dropped the next slide into her hand, not letting my skin come anywhere close to hers this time. Sitting beside her was like sitting next to a heat lamp. I could feel myself warming slightly to the higher temperature. She did not look at the slide for long. â€Å"Interphase,† she said nonchalantly – perhaps trying a little too hard to sound that way – and pushed the microscope to me. She did not touch the paper, but waited for me to write the answer. I checked – she was correct again. We finished this way, speaking one word at a time and never meeting each other's eyes. We were the only ones done – the others in the class were having a harder time with the lab. Mike Newton seemed to be having trouble concentrating – he was trying to watch Bella and me. Wish he'd stayed wherever he went, Mike thought, eyeing me sulfurously. Hmm, interesting. I hadn't realized the boy harbored any ill will towards me. This was a new development, about as recent as the girl's arrival it seemed. Even more interesting, I found – to my surprise – that the feeling was mutual. I looked down at the girl again, bemused by the wide range of havoc and upheaval that, despite her ordinary, unthreatening appearance, she was wreaking on my life. It wasn't that I couldn't see what Mike was going on about. She was actually rather pretty†¦in an unusual way. Better than being beautiful, her face was interesting. Not quite symmetrical – her narrow chin out of balance with her wide cheekbones; extreme in the coloring – the light and dark contrast of her skin and her hair; and then there were the eyes, brimming over with silent secrets†¦ Eyes that were suddenly boring into mine. I stared back at her, trying to guess even one of those secrets. â€Å"Did you get contacts?† she asked abruptly. What a strange question. â€Å"No.† I almost smiled at the idea of improving my eyesight. â€Å"Oh,† she mumbled. â€Å"I thought there was something different about your eyes.† I felt suddenly colder again as I realized that I was apparently not the only one attempting to ferret out secrets today. I shrugged, my shoulders stiff, and glared straight ahead to where the teacher was making his rounds. Of course there was something different about my eyes since the last time she'd stared into them. To prepare myself for today's ordeal, today's temptation, I'd spent the entire weekend hunting, satiating my thirst as much as possible, overdoing it really. I'd glutted myself on the blood of animals, not that it made much difference in the face of the outrageous flavor floating on the air around her. When I'd glared at her last, my eyes had been black with thirst. Now, my body swimming with blood, my eyes were a warmer gold. Light amber from my excessive attempt at thirst-quenching. Another slip. If I'd seen what she'd meant with her question, I could have just told her yes. I'd sat beside humans for two years now at this school, and she was the first to examine me closely enough to note the change in my eye color. The others, while admiring the beauty of my family, tended to look down quickly when we returned their stares. They shied away, blocking the details of our appearances in an instinctive endeavor to keep themselves from understanding. Ignorance was bliss to the human mind. Why did it have to be this girl who would see too much? Mr. Banner approached our table. I gratefully inhaled the gush of clean air he brought with him before it could mix with her scent. â€Å"So, Edward,† he said, looking over our answers, â€Å"didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?† â€Å"Bella,† I corrected him reflexively. â€Å"Actually, she identified three of the five.† Mr. Banner's thoughts were skeptical as he turned to look at the girl. â€Å"Have you done this lab before?† I watched, engrossed, as she smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. â€Å"Not with onion root.† â€Å"Whitefish blastula?† Mr. Banner probed. â€Å"Yeah.† This surprised him. Today's lab was something he'd pulled from a more advanced course. He nodded thoughtfully at the girl. â€Å"Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?† â€Å"Yes.† She was advanced then, intelligent for a human. This did not surprise me. â€Å"Well,† Mr. Banner said, pursing his lips. â€Å"I guess it's good you two are lab partners.† He turned and walked away mumbling, â€Å"So the other kids can get a chance to learn something for themselves,† under his breath. I doubted the girl could hear that. She began scrawling loops across her folder again. Two slips so far in one half hour. A very poor showing on my part. Though I had no idea at all what the girl thought of me – how much did she fear, how much did she suspect? – I knew I needed to put forth a better effort to leave her with a new impression of me. Something to better drown her memories of our ferocious last encounter. â€Å"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?† I said, repeating the small talk that I'd heard a dozen students discuss already. A boring, standard topic of conversation. The weather – always safe. She stared at me with obvious doubt in her eyes – an abnormal reaction to my very normal words. â€Å"Not really,† she said, surprising me again. I tried to steer the conversation back to trite paths. She was from a much brighter, warmer place – her skin seemed to reflect that somehow, despite its fairness – and the cold must make her uncomfortable. My icy touch certainly had†¦ â€Å"You don't like the cold,† I guessed. â€Å"Or the wet,† she agreed. â€Å"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live.† Perhaps you should not have come here, I wanted to add. Perhaps you should go back where you belong. I wasn't sure I wanted that, though. I would always remember the scent of her blood – was there any guarantee that I wouldn't eventually follow after her? Besides, if she left, her mind would forever remain a mystery. A constant, nagging puzzle. â€Å"You have no idea,† she said in a low voice, glowering past me for a moment. Her answers were never what I expected. They made me want to ask more questions. â€Å"Why did you come here, then?† I demanded, realizing instantly that my tone was too accusatory, not casual enough for the conversation. The question sounded rude, prying. â€Å"It's†¦complicated.† She blinked her wide eyes, leaving it at that, and I nearly imploded out of curiosity – the curiosity burned as hot as the thirst in my throat. Actually, I found that it was getting slightly easier to breathe; the agony was becoming more bearable through familiarity. â€Å"I think I can keep up,† I insisted. Perhaps common courtesy would keep her answering my questions as long as I was rude enough to ask them. She stared down silently at her hands. This made me impatient; I wanted to put my hand under her chin and tilt her head up so that I could read her eyes. But it would be foolish of me – dangerous – to touch her skin again. She looked up suddenly. It was a relief to be able to see the emotions in her eyes again. She spoke in a rush, hurrying through the words. â€Å"My mother got remarried.† Ah, this was human enough, easy to understand. Sadness passed through her clear eyes and brought the pucker back between them. â€Å"That doesn't sound so complex,† I said. My voice was gentle without my working to make it that way. Her sadness left me feeling oddly helpless, wishing there was something I could do to make her feel better. A strange impulse. â€Å"When did that happen?† â€Å"Last September.† She exhaled heavily – not quite a sigh. I held my breath as her warm breath brushed my face. â€Å"And you don't like him,† I guessed, fishing for more information. â€Å"No, Phil is fine,† she said, correcting my assumption. There was a hint of a smile now around the corners of her full lips. â€Å"Too young, maybe, but nice enough.† This didn't fit with the scenario I'd been constructing in my head. â€Å"Why didn't you stay with them?† I asked, my voice a little too curious. It sounded like I was being nosy. Which I was, admittedly. â€Å"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living.† The little smile grew more pronounced; this career choice amused her. I smiled, too, without choosing to. I wasn't trying to make her feel at ease. Her smile just made me want to smile in response – to be in on the secret. â€Å"Have I heard of him?† I ran through the rosters of professional ball players in my head, wondering which Phil was hers†¦ â€Å"Probably not. He doesn't play well.† Another smile. â€Å"Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot.† The rosters in my head shifted instantly, and I'd tabulated a list of possibilities in less than a second. At the same time, I was imagining the new scenario. â€Å"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him,† I said. Making assumptions seemed to get more information out of her than questions did. It worked again. Her chin jutted out, and her expression was suddenly stubborn. â€Å"No, she did not send me here,† she said, and her voice had a new, hard edge to it. My assumption had upset her, though I couldn't quite see how. â€Å"I sent myself.† I could not guess at her meaning, or the source behind her pique. I was entirely lost. So I gave up. There was just no making sense of the girl. She wasn't like other humans. Maybe the silence of her thoughts and the perfume of her scent were not the only unusual things about her. â€Å"I don't understand,† I admitted, hating to concede. She sighed, and stared into my eyes for longer than most normal humans were able to stand. â€Å"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him,† she explained slowly, her tone growing more forlorn with each word. â€Å"It made her unhappy†¦so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie.† The tiny pucker between her eyes deepened. â€Å"But now you're unhappy,† I murmured. I couldn't seem to stop speaking my hypotheses aloud, hoping to learn from her reactions. This one, however, did not seem as far off the mark. â€Å"And?† she said, as if this was not even an aspect to be considered. I continued to stare into her eyes, feeling that I'd finally gotten my first real glimpse into her soul. I saw in that one word where she ranked herself among her own priorities. Unlike most humans, her own needs were far down the list. She was selfless. As I saw this, the mystery of the person hiding inside this quiet mind began to thin a little. â€Å"That doesn't seem fair,† I said. I shrugged, trying to seem casual, trying to conceal the intensity of my curiosity. She laughed, but there was no amusement the sound. â€Å"Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair.† I wanted to laugh at her words, though I, too, felt no real amusement. I knew a little something about the unfairness of life. â€Å"I believe I have heard that somewhere before.† She stared back at me, seeming confused again. Her eyes flickered away, and then came back to mine. â€Å"So that's all,† she told me. But I was not ready to let this conversation end. The little V between her eyes, a remnant of her sorrow, bothered me. I wanted to smooth it away with my fingertip. But, of course, I could not touch her. It was unsafe in so many ways. â€Å"You put on a good show.† I spoke slowly, still considering this next hypothesis. â€Å"But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see.† She made a face, her eyes narrowing and her mouth twisting into a lopsided pout, and she looked back towards the front of the class. She didn't like it when I guessed right. She wasn't the average martyr – she didn't want an audience to her pain. â€Å"Am I wrong?† She flinched slightly, but otherwise pretended not to hear me. That made me smile. â€Å"I didn't think so.† â€Å"Why does it matter to you?† she demanded, still staring away. â€Å"That's a very good question,† I admitted, more to myself than to answer her. Her discernment was better than mine – she saw right to the core of things while I floundered around the edges, sifting blindly through clues. The details of her very human life should not matter to me. It was wrong for me to care what she thought. Beyond protecting my family from suspicion, human thoughts were not significant. I was not used to being the less intuitive of any pairing. I relied on my extra hearing too much – I clearly was not as perceptive as I gave myself credit for. The girl sighed and glowered toward the front of the classroom. Something about her frustrated expression was humorous. The whole situation, the whole conversation was humorous. No one had ever been in more danger from me than this little girl – at any moment I might, distracted by my ridiculous absorption in the conversation, inhale through my nose and attack her before I could stop myself – and she was irritated because I hadn't answered her question. â€Å"Am I annoying you?† I asked, smiling at the absurdity of it all. She glanced at me quickly, and then her eyes seemed to get trapped by my gaze. â€Å"Not exactly,† she told me. â€Å"I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read – my mother always calls me her open book.† She frowned, disgruntled. I stared at her in amazement. The reason she was upset was because she thought I saw through her too easily. How bizarre. I'd never expended so much effort to understand someone in all my life – or rather existence, as life was hardly the right word. I did not truly have a life. â€Å"On the contrary,† I disagreed, feeling strangely†¦wary, as if there were some hidden danger here that I was failing to see. I was suddenly on edge, the premonition making me anxious. â€Å"I find you very difficult to read.† â€Å"You must be a good reader then,† she guessed, making her own assumption that was, again, right on target. â€Å"Usually,† I agreed. I smiled at her widely then, letting my lips pull back to expose the rows of gleaming, razor sharp teeth behind them. It was a stupid thing to do, but I was abruptly, unexpectedly desperate to get some kind of warning through to the girl. Her body was closer to me than before, having shifted unconsciously in the course of our conversation. All the little markers and signs that were sufficient to scare off the rest of humanity did not seem to be working on her. Why did she not cringe away from me in terror? Surely she had seen enough of my darker side to realize the danger, intuitive as she seemed to be. I didn't get to see if my warning had the intended effect. Mr. Banner called for the class's attention just then, and she turned away from me at once. She seemed a little relieved for the interruption, so maybe she understood unconsciously. I hoped she did. I recognized the fascination growing inside me, even as I tried to root it out. I could not afford to find Bella Swan interesting. Or rather, she could not afford that. Already, I was anxious for another chance to talk to her. I wanted to know more about her mother, her life before she came here, her relationship with her father. All the meaningless details that would flesh out her character further. But every second I spent with her was a mistake, a risk she shouldn't have to take. Absentmindedly, she tossed her thick hair just at the moment that I allowed myself another breath. A particularly concentrated wave of her scent hit the back of my throat. It was like the first day – like the wrecking ball. The pain of the burning dryness made me dizzy. I had to grasp the table again to keep myself in my seat. This time I had slightly more control. I didn't break anything, at least. The monster growled inside me, but took no pleasure in my pain. He was too tightly bound. For the moment. I stopped breathing altogether, and leaned as far from the girl as I could. No, I could not afford to find her fascinating. The more interesting I found her, the more likely it was that I would kill her. I'd already made two minor slips today. Would I make a third, one that was not minor? As soon as the bell sounded, I fled from the classroom – probably destroying whatever impression of politeness I'd halfway constructed in the course of the hour. Again, I gasped at the clean, wet air outside like it was a healing attar. I hurried to put as much distance between myself and the girl as was possible. Emmett waited for me outside the door of our Spanish class. He read my wild expression for a moment. How did it go? he wondered warily. â€Å"Nobody died,† I mumbled. I guess that's something. When I saw Alice ditching there at the end, I thought†¦ As we walked into the classroom, I saw his memory from just a few moments ago, seen through the open door of his last class: Alice walking briskly and blank-faced across the grounds toward the science building. I felt his remembered urge to get up and join her, and then his decision to stay. If Alice needed his help, she would ask†¦ I closed my eyes in horror and disgust as I slumped into my seat. â€Å"I hadn't realized that it was that close. I didn't think I was going to†¦I didn't see that it was that bad,† I whispered. It wasn't, he reassured me. Nobody died, right? â€Å"Right,† I said through my teeth. â€Å"Not this time.† Maybe it will get easier. â€Å"Sure.† Or, maybe you kill her. He shrugged. You wouldn't be the first one to mess up. No one would judge you too harshly. Sometimes a person just smells too good. I'm impressed you've lasted this long. â€Å"Not helping, Emmett.† I was revolted by his acceptance of the idea that I would kill the girl, that this was somehow inevitable. Was it her fault that she smelled so good? I know when it happened to me†¦, he reminisced, taking me back with him half a century, to a country lane at dusk, where a middle-aged women was taking her dried sheets down from a line strung between apple trees. The scent of apples hung heavy in the air – the harvest was over and the rejected fruits were scattered on the ground, the bruises in their skin leaking their fragrance out in thick clouds. A fresh-mowed field of hay was a background to that scent, a harmony. He walked up the lane, all.