A low growl resonated in my throat. 'Bite me,' I quickly sent the thought back to him and put the shield between our minds back up. I could hear the sound of his chuckle only because I knew it so well. I scoffed as I pulled my car to a stop in the parking lot of my new school. Tree Hill High School. I had been careful not to think that when Edward could hear, but knew that Alice had informed them of where I was headed anyway. Even if she hadn't been able to tell before, while I had kept my decision unclear, it was perfectly obvious now.
I also knew though, that while they all wanted me to come back, they wouldn't force anything. That was one reason I loved my family, which was a word I hardly used, even when I was alive. I knew that they were always there for me. Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Edward, Emmett and Bella. Even Rosalie, and I knew she wasn't quick to welcome newcomers. Bella had told me all about her time as a human, when Rose hadn't been entirely accepting of her. I was like them now, though, and had been for quite a while.
I surpressed a sigh and got out of my car as I heard the bell ring. I still had to get my schedule before heading to class. I secured my messenger bag on my shoulder. It was just a prop because I obviously didn't need any help carrying anything, but I was almost partial to it all the same. I looked at all the humans walking to class, their shoulders slumped because it was the first day. Their thoughts buzzed in the back of my mind, but I ignored them as I prepared myself. To be honest, I was still trying to conquer my urges, and I knew it would be difficult to be in such close quarters with this many of them.
This had been what I wanted, though, so I knew I had to make the best of it. I walked onto the campus, my gaze taking in many of the students before they even noticed me. I walked confidently through the halls, knowing I was catching stares, but hoping my hardened look would put people off. I wanted to look intimidating to them, and by the thoughts I was hearing, my plan was working. Sure, some of the guys were thinking about my looks, but almost every thought I heard told me that while they were interested, no one wanted to be the first to approach me.
I walked into the office, holding my head high as I approached the secretaries desk. I had to force myself to speak slow enough for her to understand, and then I waited as she typed my name in the computer. The reason I had to enter this school as a senior was because it had to go with my story. I saw myself through the old woman's eyes and took in my appearance. I did look pretty frightening, with my ghostly white skin, the deep purple circles under my eyes that I was so used to. The only make-up I wore was bright red lipstick. My light blonde hair was jaw length, and kept in tight curls. I was also sure that my combat boots and black leather jacket weren't doing anything to make me look less scary. I tried to offer a smile.
It ended up being more of a grimace and had the opposite effect I intended. I took the papers from her as she handed them to me and I listened to her brief introduction as she welcomed me to the school, and described it to me. She also gave me a locker number and combination, a map of the campus and a pass so I could get to my next class without being tardy. She also told me that I should stop in the library at lunch today to pick up my books. I informed her that it wouldn't be a problem before taking my leave. It's not like I need to eat anyway.
I didn't bother to stop by the locker she had given me. I went straight to my first period class, shoving everything except my schedule and my pass in my bag, because I knew the teacher would need to see them. I had already committed the schedule to memory, and I wouldn't need it, but I knew the teacher would. My first class was French and I answered the teachers mind-numbing questions as she tried to assess what I knew. The first day was always the worst, and I would have skipped it altogether, but I didn't want to create the wrong impression already. I knew that would happen soon enough.
When she finished her interrogation I took the only seat left open. She spent the rest of the time reminding everyone of the rules, and when the bell rang I was the first one out of the classroom. I didn't give anyone a chance to talk to me as I hurried away. I was the first person in my second period class and since I wasn't late I didn't bother introducing myself to the teacher. I took the seat in the back corner and as I walked I could see myself in the mind of the male teacher and hear his thoughts about me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Males of the human species were so predictable, at every age.
As I waited for class to start, I pulled out a sketchpad, sketching aimlessly as the rest of the students filed in. I heard all there thoughts about me, but it didn't bother me much. I had dressed the way I had for a reason. Anytime someone thought of sitting next to me, I glanced up, sending them a glare that instantly sent the thought out of their mind. Despite my warning glare, however, one student did come over to sit next to me. I had glanced back down at my sketchpad, but as he sat in the dest next to mine, I muttered, "Are you sure your girlfriend won't mind?" just loud enough for him to hear.
He stared at me for a minute before lowering himself the rest of the way into the seat, a half grin on his face. He was unsure of what to make of me, I could hear it in his thoughts. I sent another brief glance at him, taking in his black hair and blue eyes before returning my gaze to the sketchbook. I didn't like where his thoughts were heading. "How do you know I have a girlfriend?" he asked curiously.
"I heard it. You're the most talked about couple on campus," I muttered, not looking up from my sketch, which was beginning to take shape. I had heard it, of course. Through people's thoughts. They were definately the most thought about couple. I could feel his gaze on me and I glanced back, letting his eyes meet my extremely dark green ones. Before either of us could say anything else, I heard my name being called from the front.
I instantly knew I had been asked a question and I pulled the answer directly from the teachers mind, answering loud enough for the whole class to hear without turning. I didn't pay attention to what he said next, and I returned my gaze to my sketch. I tuned out the rest of the world as I sketched some more, trying to finish the drawing. The future usually came out in my drawings, and I was wondering what this day would hold for me. It was harder than I admitted not being close enough to Alice to know what she was thinking.
Nathan, I figured out his name from the thoughts of the jealous girls around me, kept trying to talk to me during class, but I basically ignored him. When I saw the picture I had drawn I immediately shut the sketchbook. I didn't like the look of that picture. At all. I didn't even know who the guy was yet, but in my drawing he was dead, lying in a ppol of his own blood, and I was crouched over him. His face was so mangled I couldn't tell if I had even seen him today. I hoped to never see him. I didn't want to have to leave Tree Hill already.
The bell rang and I heard Nathan asking me a question, but I was already out the door. I needed a few moments. I moved so quickly that no human would be able to see me and stayed at my car until mere seconds before the bell rang. I walked into my third class as the bell was ringing. The only seat was in the first row, right in front of the teachers desk. I felt his slimy gaze on me and heard his thoughts as I slumped into my seat. I thought about letting down my sheild and talking to Edward, because our connection was strange, and allowed us to communicate no matter the distance, but I didn't want to alert him to my problems. I knew he would be smug about it.
So I sat in class, listening to the teacher drone on, stearing clear of my sketchbook. I didn't want any more drawings like that littering the pages. I wasn't ready for that. I did quickly scan the class, though, and I still didn't see the boy from my drawing. Not that I could be completely sure, but I was reasonably sure. I didn't get the strong instinct to kill anyone, anyway. All of these humans smelled pretty much the same, and none of their smells were particularly enticing. I did notice that Nathan was in this class as well, as was his girlfriend. She had chestnut colored hair and chocolate brown eyes, and her thoughts were consumed by Nathan, and what she was planning for the night. I tried not to cringe at the thoughs as I left her mind.
I sifted to Nathan's thoughts and saw he was watching me, wondering what I was thinking about. I smiled slightly, and decided to play with his mind. I wrote the words just big enough so that he could see them on my paper. Don't even think about it. I saw the words flash in his mind and he wondered if that was meant for him to read, because he hadn't seen me look toward him. I understood his attraction. We were meant to look attractive to our prey, of course. I still wished he would leave me alone. I didn't leave to be bothered by humans. Especially humans already attached to someone else.
When the bell rang I was a little slower to leave the class, because I knew Nathan wanted to talk to me, and I wanted to just get it over with. His girlfriend had run off to her next class with some of her friends. Although she did plant a pretty intense kiss on him before flitting away. It was almost as if she knew his thoughts and she was trying to remind him of what he had. I didn't bother to check what she was thinking. It didn't really matter to me.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked slowly out of the classroom. I didn't even need any Alice-style visions to know he was right outside the door to the classroom, waiting for me. I tried to brush past him without making eye contact, but he caught up with me quickly. I didn't look at him as he walked next to me. I waited for him to speak. He didn't disappoint. "What took you so long to get to class? You were the first one out of second period," he said.
I rolled my eyes with a sigh. Fixing him with my hard green stare again. I stopped walking and he did too, looking at me. I was surprised he didn't flinch away from my glare. Maybe I was losing my touch. I lifted the corners of my mouth enough to show my teeth and he flinched away. My smile became satisfied. He didn't walk away, though. He waited for an answer. "I got lost, okay. What does it matter to you?" I asked, my voice hard and cold before walking away.
He had to go in a different direction for his own class, but I could feel his thoughts still on me. He thought I was a mystery, a puzzle he could solve. I chuckled under my breath, low enough so no human could hear it. I wasn't a mystery he would want to solve. He'd figure that out eventually. It would be safer for everyone if he just stayed with his human girlfriend.
The next class I had with his girlfriend and the only open seat by the time I got there was next to her. I wished the seats we chose today didn't determine where we sat for the rest of the year. I could tell from the teachers mind that this would be our seating chart, though, at least for a while. Holding back a groan, I took the seat next to her. She waited until the teacher had started her lecture before leaning over. "I didn't formally introduce myself to you. I'm Brooke Davis, head cheerleader and girlfriend of Nathan Scott, the star of the basketball team. What exactly is your name?" she asked as if she hadn't heard it called in roll for the last two periods.
I glanced over to see her fake smile. It still somewhat amused me how plastic these humans could be. Didn't they realize that, in the long run, it didn't matter who they dated, or who they were in high school. It was a big, scary world for them, and, eventually, they would die. They were the lucky ones. They didn't have to be stuck here decade after decade, pretending to be someone they weren't, moving around so much so no one could detect their secret. I raised my eyebrow at her, refusing to take the bait. "Before you tell me to stay away from your boyfriend, you can keep him. I don't want him. So don't bother trying to threaten me because, doll, there is nothing you could do to hurt me," I muttered to her from the side of my mouth.
She sat still for a moment and for a minute I thought she hadn't heard me, but then she moved back, leaning as far away from me as her desk would allow. She was trying to figure out what to make of me, as most people in this school were. I just ignored her the rest of the period as I listened to the teacher drone on. I wasn't really listening. I was once again wishing I could sleep. I'd give anything to be a normal human, able to fall asleep in class. I tried to ignore that fact, though, and I doddled, trying unsuccesfully to think only of what I was drawing, so I wouldn't slip up.
When the bell rang it was lunch time and I went to the cafeteria, going through line purely for show. It wasn't like I could actually eat any of this stuff. The smell alone turned my stomach. It had been a while since I had hunted, and I wished the food in front of me would be able to quench that, but I knew it wouldn't, so I didn't bother. I took the first empty table I came to, and pretended to pick at my food as the other students began to trickle in.
I could feel a hot glare aimed in my direction and I didn't have to look to know that it was Brooke Davis. Through her mind I could see that she was sitting with her boyfriend, and her friends. Something didn't feel right, though, as I shuffled briefly through the thoughts of those around her. Someone was unacounted for. I could see him in the mind of the people at the table, but where he should have been sitting I could hear no thoughts. I turned to casually glance over at the table, hoping that if I saw him with my eyes I would hear his thoughts better.
My eyes met the bluest eyes I had ever seen and I knew that if I were human my heart would have sped up. Seeing as I wasn't, though, there was no outward reaction to be seen, from my end. I could see from here that his breath had caught in his throat, and I could practically hear his heart rate speed up. That almost caused a smile to form on my lips. Actually, the sight of him alone almost caused a smile to form. I had more self-control than that, though. I knew I couldn't let him see that he affected me differently than anyone else. I quickly turned my gaze from him and observed him through the thoughts of the others at that table, wondering why I couldn't hear his thoughts.
I remembered that Edward had had the same problem when he had first met Bella. When she was human. I refused to let my mind go there, though. This could not be another situation like that. I refused to believe that I could fall in love with a human. Especially not at first sight. That was ridiculous, mortal stuff. Love was for species that were the same. I either needed to fall in love with a vampire, or not at all. I was figuring to the not at all, which is partially why I had left them. I couldn't stand being around those four couples, hearing all their sympathetic thoughts toward me. I was what I was and nothing could change that now, I knew that.
I knew that if it hadn't been for Carlisle changing me, which saved me, I wouldn't have had any life at all. This was how it had to be. Some part of me thought, though, that maybe it would have been better if he just let me die. Maybe that had been my fate, and I shouldn't be here anymore. That was especially the case if the thoughts I was having toward this human were any indication. I wouldn't allow myself to fall in love with him, I wouldn't take away his life.
With a deep breath I thought about my classes and realized that I didn't have any classes with him. Yet. Something about him looked familiar, though. I wanted to looked at him again, see his face through my own eyes, so I chanced a glance. He was staring at me. I felt a strange turn in my stomach, though it wasn't disgust. It was something completely different, opposite, and I forced the thought out of my mind as I turned my gaze away from him. I couldn't place why he looked familiar, so I stood. I needed to get out of this lunchroom, where the desire to look at him, to go talk with him, was growing.
I dumped my untouched lunch into the trash and tried to slowly walk out of the cafeteria. I wished I knew what he was thinking. I had always wanted to get rid of the 'gift,' as Edward liked to call it, so I would never have thought that it would bother me when Icouldn't hear what someone was thinking. In this case, it did. I wanted inside his brain so badly, that, if I had a heart, I'm sure it would have ached with the desire. I almost sighed with relief when the door to the cafeteria slid shut behind me. I needed to get him out of my thoughts.
I decided it would be as good a time as any to get my books, so I walked steadily to the library, pulling my schedule out of my bag as I did so. Once she handed me my books, cautiously, because, to her, they were heavy, I took them to my locker. Then I went to my car to wait until the next period started. It wasn't until sixth period, English, my last period of the day, that anything happened.
I walked into the class a few minutes after the first bell had rang, but there were already people inside. I saw the boy from the cafeteria, with a redhead sitting on the desk he was sitting at. He didn't seem to be enjoying her presence, but since I couldn't hear his thoughts, I couldn't be sure. When he caught sight of me, though, he stood up, brushing past her, headed for me. I looked at her thoughts, to see if I could figure out his name. 'Don't tell me Lucas is into the new chick. She may have perfect features, but Brooke said how much of a bitch she is. Wasn't he paying attention at lunch?' the redhead thought, with some jealousy, I noted.
Then he was a mere foot away, and I caught his scent as he held his hand toward me. I had never met a more appealing smelling human. The second his smell hit my nostrils I wanted to jump on him. I wanted to taste his blood. My gaze sweeped the room and I realized I was already planning a way to take down the entire room. I was reasonable sure I could kill them all with minimal screaming, and then come back for him before he noticed much. I wanted so much to feel his blood on my tongue that I didn't even care about having to leave again.
Before his hand had even raised all the way, I snapped my bloodthirsty gaze on him, ready to strike. It was then that I realized he was the boy from my drawing. I forced myself to remember Carlisle, and how disappointed he would be with me if I killed a room full of humans. I also knew that, as much as I wanted to, I couldn't look into those striking blue eyes and take his life away. I couldn't stay in his presence, though, and not give in to the urge to kill him. I had to leave early.
I turned and left the classroom, trying to walk slowly, before he even processed that I wasn't in front of him. The second I was outside the classroom, I ran, making sure there was no one in the hallway to witness it. I made it to my car and sat there for a minute, trying to decide what to do. I did the smart thing, and drove my car away from the school, parking it at the house I was living in, before running, trying to get as far away from this town, from his scent, as I could.
A/N: So, what do you think? Should I continue? I'm sorry I have to put my other stories on hold for this, but I'm completely enamored with Twilight right now, and I wouldn't be able to concentrate properly on anything else. Eventually I will pick the other two back up also, once I've gotten a few chapters of this written. This idea came to me and it would not go away. So, tell me if it's any good.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, or Twilight, or much of anything really. I love it all the same, though.