A/N: Ah! Okay, here we go!
I've had ideas for a story like this circulating for a little while, but I never had enough courage to turn it into a full fic. Well, TonyTigress92 got involved, and well, she convinced me! I'd like to thank her so much!
First of all, I'm going to be switch POV's a lot, because I think it really helps make it a more fulfilling experience of my story. Second, I'm going to ask you to be extremely lenient with your acquired knowledge of Twilight and its characters. It is, after all, an FAN fic. Third, I invite you to give me feedback. I'm writing this story almost completely blind, and any direction in this dark labyrinth with be GREATLY appreciated.
This story takes place three years before Bella moves to Forks.
On with the show!
School was always the perfect way to ruin an already ruined day.
My grandmother always tried to get me to be optimistic, but it never stuck. I put on a façade for her, just to make her happy. She sees right through it though. I moved in with them when I was six years old, after my parents died.
I never did get too many details on my parents death, I only remember that the three of us were all camping during hunting season, and I left to spend the night with grandma and grandpa while my parents had some 'alone time.' You can guess what happened next.
Their bodies were found the next morning, sprawled across the forest floor, depleted of all blood. Their faces were contorted into ones of fear, the trailer's windows were shattered, and my father's hunting rifle was found snapped in two, lying next to his cold body.
But their death was always suspicious to me. The authorities wrote it off as a bear attack, but that didn't account for the missing blood. I could never place my finger on it, but every time I saw the Cullens, I couldn't help but feel like they knew something…I couldn't help but feel hatred towards them for just existing. For making me think revisit the horrible possibilities and thoughts about my deceased parents.
I slung my bag over my back, and trudged into the school. My shoes made a gentle slap, slap as I walked on the wet tiles into the main hallway. Students were walking in opposite directions, shouting across the halls, and jamming things into their lockers. I just stared straight ahead, trying not to be shoved by a group of oncoming boys who seemed to be having a shoving match in the middle of the hallway.
So immature…I grumbled as they passed, me being unscathed.
I settled into my Trigonometry class, pulling out my notes, and setting my pencil in the gutter at the top of my desk. Sarah spun around in front of me.
"So…?" she asked in a sing-song voice.
"…So what?" I asked impatiently. She smirked.
"Are you gonna go?" I wrinkled my brow, thinking hard about what it was that she was referring to. "That dance!" she sighed in exasperation.
"Oh. No, I'm not going to participate in that stupid tradition. You'll have fun though."
She frowned.
"Why not? It'll be so much fun! We're going to go to the movies for our day activity, and-"
"No, Sarah." I said, maybe a little too forcefully, because she looked stung.
"Okay…I'll send you some pictures." She muttered. I wanted to apologize, but she turned back around quickly, and busied herself by organizing her notes. I didn't mean to be so sour, really. I just do not like social events. I never have. It's not like they're awkward, or I'm a bad dancer, I just cannot tolerate the buzzing in my mind when there are tons of people in the room.
Perhaps I'd better explain…
I have this…talent. I have an ability that allows me to have a 'step-up' on the human around me. I had a mental shield; one that took a lot of energy and concentration to work. Mostly, it was just on guard all of the time, but when the opportune moments came, I was able to deflect powers back, thus 'borrowing' other talents for the time being. It sounds completely bizarre, but I think that I'm just some freak radiation experiment gone wrong. My protective barrier was always up, but the deflecting took effort.
This, of course, was no use around other humans. They could do nothing to even cause a viable threat to me.
But, there were a few people in my school that always stood as a constant threat, and took a little bit of work to read. They were all together, a family in fact; consisting of five flawless teenagers.
They were the adopted children of Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and his too-young wife, Esme.
Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, and the last one, Edward posed as the most prominent threat. To this day, I always feel like he knows that I'm different...every single time I pass him in the hallway, I can feel something bouncing against my barrier...
Trigonometry passed in a jiffy, and I scurried outside to avoid the rush in the hallway. I wasn't fast enough, and I was quickly squished on both sides by backpacks, and students.
Once again…
I was going to get a headache. Clutching my forehead, I wound in and out of the people, shoving once in a while, until I reached my next class.
English was never a treat to behold. When you're sitting behind three giggly girls, and a jock who flirts with them the whole class period, you tell me if you enjoy it. Yeah, I didn't think so.
I tore out of the classroom as the bell rang, and into the cafeteria down the hall. I was fast this time, and made it in there before the other students poured in. I sat at the same table I have for two years, and unpacked the small lunch that my grandmother made for me. A small sandwich, a baggie of Ritz crackers, and a Thermos filled with her hand-squeezed lemonade.
I opened the Thermos and took a swig; savoring the tangy taste of her delicious lemonade. I set the Thermos down, and greeted Sarah as she sat down next to me.
"Sarah, listen…I'm really sorry about Trig. I didn't mean to be so short with you…" I began, but she put her hand on my shoulder and bowed her head, silencing me. She raised it, and looked me in the eye. She smiled.
"I forgive you."
That's one thing I loved about her, she gets over things fast. The rest of my small group joined us, Sarah's boyfriend Kelson, and her friends, Carrie, and Jeremy. I drained the rest of my lemonade, and started picking at my peanut butter and banana sandwich when I saw them enter and sit down.
The Cullens sat at their usual table by the window, paired the same way they always were. I had to work to control the glare that I felt coming onto my face. I ended up dipping my head downward, letting my hair fall like a curtain over my face. Through a small opening of my sanctuary, I saw Edward Cullen looking at me.
I tried to avoid his gaze, but something about his expression drew me to him. I lifted my head, letting my hair slide back to the sides of my head, and reflected his steady gaze. He didn't blink for two minutes as he stared at me. Eventually, he furrowed his brow, and turned back to the rest of his family. I broke away a few seconds after he did, thinking furiously of why he would waste two minutes of his lunch hour staring at me like I was some sort of puzzle.
I spent the rest of lunch staring at my nibbled sandwich, trying to figure out the mystery of the Cullens. Instead of hatred consuming me like it usually did, I began to feel like there was something amiss…I felt like my thoughts had just fallen out of my head, and that I was capable of nothing else than nodding when my friends spoke to me. They paid me no attention, as they were used to me being in this type of a mood.
The bell for last period rang, and I got up slowly, striding steadily, still consumed in confused thought. Alice Cullen met my gaze, and began staring at me too.
What? I wanted to scream at her. I observed her stare. She wasn't observing me like Edward was, instead she was just surveying me. She smiled her perfect smile as Jasper walked up, and pushed her gently along.
What is wrong with the Cullens? Why are they so interested in me?
…
The best part of my day is when school ends. The bell has a liberating tone, one that makes me slightly happy to be living in Forks. My class scrambled to leave the classroom, but I left at a normal pace. I was still confounded from the lunch hour encounter with the Cullens. It probably meant nothing, but I was not one to dismiss small happenings.
I exited the school, tossing my iPod in my ears, and striding over the wet gravel to my car. I unlocked the door as I was humming quietly to Within Temptation's Forsaken, and threw my bag into the passenger seat. I fell into my car, and started it; desperate to get out of the parking lot. I put my car into reverse, and began to back out when I almost hit Amanda pulling out of the stall next to me. We both screeched to a sudden stop; my temper flaring.
She motioned that she was sorry, and drove off. I waited for the way to clear again before I could continue pulling out, when I saw Edward watching me intently again. This time, I decided to put my power to good use.
I felt his power-whatever it was- smacking against my shield, almost painfully. I concentrated, and changed my strength from blocking to repelling. I felt his energy spin around, and head back for him. I watched him stagger backwards as he was attacked by his own power. My head was immediately filled with Edward's thoughts.
He can read minds! I knew there was something off about him...
Edward's face contorted into one of horror as Alice turned to see what was wrong. Her eyes widened too, as she found the source of his suffering. I read each of his thoughts as if it was a book. His thoughts continued to stream in and out.
How is this possible-! For a human to have these abilities? What will Carlisle think? Let's hope for her sake that no one finds out about this! Especially not the Volturi...then he would surely-
As Edward thought the word 'Volturi', a beautiful face appeared in his thoughts. A smooth, pale face, framed with long, smooth black hair, and a neutrally friendly expression. The face stared back at me with crimson eyes. Edward's thoughts blurred together as I stared at the face that was too beautiful to be human.
The face's lips pulled back into a wide smile...I gasped at how threatening he suddenly looked.
Who is-?
I was suddenly thrown violently outwards as Edward closed off his mind. I swear that my brain sloshed against the back of my skull, causing me an instant and pounding headache. I clutched the steering wheel painfully, working hard not to cry out sharply in pain. Alice and Edward threw themselves into their vehicle, and left the parking lot at breakneck speed. I released the wheel, and held my head between my hands; re-playing the situation out in my head.
What have I done? Does he know about me? What will he do? What will I do?
The way finally cleared, and I drove out of the parking lot at 40 miles an hour. I had to get home and get some Tylenol, but more importantly, I had to get away from the image of that face...and Edward Cullen.