DISCLAIMER!

Chapter 1

Hope

NEVER AGAIN! i WOULD NEVER TRUST SOMEONE AGAIN. NOT AFTER what happened to me.

As I pulled into the lot I saw my friend Alice, standing by herself waiting for me. As I got out of the car I saw her give me a disapproving look and I sighed. This wasn't the first time she voiced her opinion about my wardrobe. She always said, Since I'm a girl I should dress like one. Sometimes it was funny because she would actually get mad because I would wear a sweatshirt everyday.

"Hey Alice," I said. Hoping she wouldn't bring the subject up again.

"Hey Bella."

And that was pretty much our conversation. Alice knew about my past-and she was with me through it all-and she respected that I didn't like talking so much. Actually, she was the only person I would talk to. If a teacher ever called on me or if someone would say something to me (which they usually didn't) I would shake my head or nod and smile sometimes. I didn't even talk to my aunt. As we walked to her locker, I pulled out my Ipod and started listening. Just like every other morning.

The school I went to was very small. I sighed as I looked around the hallway. Some of these people used to be my friends three years ago. But that was before... I missed them sometimes, but it was my fault because I stopped talking to them. Some of them were okay with it because they knew the truth. And others heard the rumors and they hated me, and some would try to make each day of my life horrible. Just one more year, then I would be out of here, I told myself.

When we got to her locker, she said goodbye and she went to class. When I got to my class I went to my usual seat in the back and I put my hood up so nobody could see my earphones. This was one of my least favorite classes because there were so many people in it. The only open seat was next to me. Big surprise there! No one would want to sit next to the freak who didn't talk.

After a couple of minutes the whole room was filled with everyone and the teacher was at the front of the room starting his lecture. I laid my head down on the table. I heard the door open and the teacher stop talking and I looked up. Not another new student! And he would have to sit next to me!

After I stopped freaking out I looked at him while he was standing at the front of the room. With the way he looked, he would definitely be in with the popular crowd. He actually looked a little to old to be in eleventh grade. He was gorgeous! I let my eyes fall to the table as he made his way to the desk next to me. I kept my eyes down when I heard him pick up my book bag that was sitting in his chair and he put it by my feet.

When he sat down I could still feel his eyes on me.

"Hello." He had a very clear voice.

I looked up at him. Nodded and smiled, then looked back down. When I looked back to the front of the classroom, Jessica-one of the snobs-already had her eye on him. I felt a strange feeling inside of me. Was it sorrow because he seemed like a decent guy, but he would be one of the snobs soon? I suddenly felt the urge to tell this stranger to stay away from them.

"I'm Edward. You are?"

When I looked up at him, he was still looking at me-half-turned in his seat. I suddenly realized the feeling I was having. I wanted to talk. But I wouldn't. Never again, I told myself.

I could tell he was waiting for me to answer because he was still staring at me so I just shook my head and smiled. I could still feel his eyes on me, but the teacher had just passed out a paper and I tried to concentrate on doing that.

He must of looked at my paper to get my name. "So...Your name is Isabella. That is a very nice name."

No it's not, I thought to myself. I kept my eyes on my paper during the rest of the class, but I knew he was still looking at me. Probably wondering why I didn't answer him back. Well, he would know by lunch. All the snobs would tell him that I was a freak and I didn't talk, but they didn't know the reason why.

I wanted to say something to him. That is the first time I have ever wanted to talk to someone besides Alice. It was weird. I couldn't even sit still.

"Are you alright?" he asked, smiling at me. I nodded my head and turned back to my paper. Great! Now he thinks I'm a freak already! He didn't even need the snobs to tell him that! I did it myself! Perfect! I sighed and closed my eyes.

As soon as the bell rang i ran out of the room. That was the most embarrassing thing i have been through in a long time. I didn't know why I felt this way. Usually I didn't care what people thought of me. It was horrible.

Through the next four classes I couldn't stop thinking about Edward. I couldn't believe how embarrassing it was. Finally the bell rang and it was time for lunch.

I went to the table Alice and I always sat at. It was far away from everyone else so that I wouldn't feel weird about talking to her. Most of the time she would share her lunch with me because she would never eat it all and I never bought a lunch.

"Hey!" she said, sliding into the seat next to me, smiling, "Have you seen the new kid? He's totally hot!"

"Sure" I giggled.

"When did you see him?" She always asked a million questions when it came to boys. It was like she was obsessed sometimes.

"In my first class. He has to sit next to me."

"OMG! You are soo lucky! Did he talk to you?" She gasped. "You didn't ignore him? Did you?"

"I'm not always rude, yah know?"

"Well...What did he say?"

"Um..He told me his name."

I left out the part about what he said about my name because I wasn't sure how I felt about it. And, given my lack of relationships, I didn't know if it was flirting or not. Probably not. Probably just my imagination.

"Um.." Alice's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Isn't that him coming over here?"

I looked up and she was right. He was coming from the snob table which meant he probably heard all the rumors. But if he had heard the rumors, why was he coming over here? He came over to our table and sat down across from me and smiled. I looked over at Alice and she was giving me the What the... look. I nudged her with my elbow so she would say something, but she didn't. She just stared at him. I nudged her again and this time she almost fell off the bench and she had to catch herself and we both heard him chuckle and looked at him.

"Sorry!" She said, glaring at me. "She has a bit of a temper!"

He laughed louder this time. "I'll put that on my list."

"Um..Why are you over here?" I was pretty sure she didn't mean it to be rude. I was scared he would be offended, but luckily he smiled before he answered.

"The people over there are weird."

I couldn't help but giggle at that. It looked like he didn't need my warning. His smile got bigger when I laughed.

"You know, it's nice to finally her your voice."

I wanted to say so many things. Like you have only known me for half of a day! and some other things like, It's nice to use it! I was so confused by all the feelings I was having just because of him. I couldn't understand it.

Alice cleared her throat. She must of felt a little awkward too. I could tell by her serious face that she was about to tell him that I didn't like to talk much. Ever since I stopped talking I told her she didn't have to tell anyone, but she said she felt weird if people were talking to me and I just ignored them. She always did this and I felt sorry for her because even if we just went shopping and the cashier asked me something she would have to have the same conversation again. I could tell that it would make things easier for her if I would talk, but I just couldn't.

"Um..I'm Alice and this is Bella, but from what I heard you already know that." I blushed and she smiled.

"Um...Bella doesn't like to talk much...Just to let you know."

"Yeah. I guessed that this morning and I just got it confirmed over at that table." He smiled and I laid my head down on the table and groaned.

"Don't worry. I didn't believe any of it, besides the talking part."

His voice sounded so worried that he had hurt my feelings that I looked up and his face broke my heart.

"It's okay."

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