On her first day of school in Forks, Bella saw a group of pale students, sitting apart at a table in the corner of the cafeteria. They were talking among themselves, or staring at their uneaten food. One of the girls was constructing a huge tower out of broccoli.
"Who are they?" asked Bella.
"They're the Cullens," said Jessica. "Emmett, Edward, and Alice Cullen, and Jasper and Rosalie Hale. They live with Dr. Cullen and his wife."
"They're very nice looking," said Bella. "Except for the one with bronze hair."
"Bronze hair?" said Jessica. "You mean Edward?!"
"He's gorgeous," gushed Bella. Mike was still mouthing "bronze?" to himself.
"Well, I think they're vampires," said Jessica.
Bella stared at her incredulously.
"I mean, look at them, they're so pale." Jessica shrugged. "There's definitely something up with them. Plus, they set off my vampire detection machine."
"But they come out during the daytime and they don't have fangs," said Eric.
"Maybe they're a special breed of vampires. Maybe they took a vampire super-serum," said Jessica.
"I think they're giant pixies," said Mike. When Jessica rolled her eyes, he said defensively, "What?"
"But don't say anything to them," whispered Angela. "They try really hard to fit in. Emmett can be very nice as long as you don't have any exposed cuts.
Jessica patted Bella's arm. "If you need to defend yourself, there are usually some extra stakes in the art room."
Bella pulled away and pretended to laugh. "Very funny. Make fun of the new girl."
"We're serious," said Jessica.
"Yeah," said Mike. "Most people in Forks have secrets. Eric moonlights as a superhero."
"Mike!" said Angela.
Eric bolted to his feet. "No one was supposed to know that!"
Two men in black suits stormed in, as students reacted in surprise. Someone stood up, knocking his chair back, only for the man in the black suit to push him back into his chair.
The other man in black held up a blinking red light. "Everyone, please look at the shiny light here. We were never here . . . Eric is not a superhero or a superpowered alien, he is an average citizen . . ."
Everyone at Bella's table slid into a stupor as they stared at the blinky light. Eric looked down guiltily.
Only Bella paid no attention to the commotion. She gazed dreamily at the Cullens, who were still moodily toying with their food. She gazed dreamily at one in particular.
"He's so beautiful," she whispered.