After arriving at Forks High School, it took Bella Swan only two minutes to decide that she was not a fan. The first minute after she pulled up to the parking lot was spent sitting in her car, rummaging through her backpack to make sure she had everything she needed. A useless exercise, she admitted to herself, since she did not have time to run back home and grab anything she was missing.
It was the second minute that created her first impression of the school. The moment she stepped out of her faded red truck, it seemed all the students in the parking lot were staring at her. She ran a hand through her shoulder-length wavy brown hair, stuck one hand in the pocket of her faded blue jeans, and started the walk towards the office while pretending not to notice the stares. A few steps in, she was approached by a young looking boy with spiky blonde hair who introduced himself as Mike.
"You must be Isabella Swan. Chief Swan's daughter. Just moved here from Phoenix."
Bella wasn't sure why Mike was reciting these facts to her — maybe just to drive home how small a town Forks was — but she offered a small nod as she continued on towards the office. Mike followed Bella for another eight minutes: he waited outside the office when she went in to get her schedule, and then he took it upon himself to walk Bella to her locker, and then to her first class. She did not utter a word to Mike in the entire ten minutes he followed her, but he managed to keep talking the entire time regardless. Thankfully, he was not in the first class and Bella waved him off before walking inside.
Since she was walking into class just a couple minutes before the bell, most students were already inside. So was the teacher, Mr. Mason, who signed Bella's schedule and then gestured towards the back of the classroom. "You'll be seated next to Alice," he informed Bella. "She has agreed to catch you up on what we've done so far and to be your partner for the class presentation, which is 20% of your grade. You can find more information in the syllabus and of course you should discuss it with Alice as soon as possible."
Bella turned around to see a pale girl sitting next to the unoccupied corner desk in the back of the classroom. Alice was sitting completely still in her seat, with her eyes closed and a look of concentration on her face. As she walked over, Bella took the opportunity to study Alice, who she could tell from her first glance was uncommonly beautiful. Her skin was smooth and, although it looked abnormally pale, her skin tone contrasted nicely with her jet black hair which was cut into a stylish a-line bob. She was sitting down so Bella couldn't tell for sure, but Alice looked like she was probably a few inches shorter than Bella. She was wearing a pair of black jeans and a fitted blue blouse that showed off her slender figure. Alice opened her eyes when Bella was halfway across the room, and upon noticing Bella she gave a small wave. The look of concentration did not leave her face, but what really caught Bella's attention when Alice opened her eyes was their color. Shining brightly, framed by purplish bags that indicated lack of sleep, the eyes Alice trained on Bella as she approached were a brilliant gold.
"Hello," Bella accompanied the word with a small wave of her own. "I'm Bella."
"Hi Bella! I'm Alice." Alice's voice was high and lilting, with the hint of a southern accent. She smiled at Bella, but it seemed a little forced. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise. Mr. Mason said we would be partners for the project..."
"Wonderful! I had been stuck by myself since there is an odd number of us in the class, so it will be great to have you as a partner. Is it okay if we exchange numbers so we can discuss the project later over the phone?"
Bella took out her phone and reached across the aisle to hand it to Alice, who seemed a little stiff as she reached out to take it and exchange it with her own. The smile had once more been replaced by the look of intense concentration, and Bella had no idea what to make of this girl. As they returned each other's phones after entering their numbers, Bella accidentally brushed Alice's hand and was surprised at how chilly it felt. Alice retracted her hand quickly, gave Bella another forced smile, and then went back to closing her eyes before class started.
English was otherwise uneventful, though Bella spent most of it curious about Alice. Alice's demeanor made her seem distracted or upset, but she had been perfectly polite to Bella. It was an odd interaction which left Bella feeling uncertain about whether she was the reason Alice was upset, or she just caught her at a bad time. It was a little weird that Alice had specifically mentioned discussing the project over the phone rather than in person. Maybe she had taken one look at Bella's faded t-shirt and scuffed shoes and decided she did not want to spend time around her. Whatever the reason, Bella was pulled from her thoughts when the bell rang. She turned towards Alice's desk, intending to ask her if she wanted to get together in person instead, but Alice was already across the classroom. Given the size of the heels she was wearing, Bella was impressed at the girl's speed.
A/N: Reviews are always appreciated and great motivators.