a.n: This is another product of my boredom, which will hopefully make more sense than my other one-shots. (But if you're up for some confusion, feel free to check them out. And also my Two Sides of Twilight nominated fic, Smells Like Teen Spirit, too. :p) And if the spelling is iffy, it's because I'm British. ;) Enjoy, and post your thoughts and opinions in a review. :) xo
The Chemistry of Physics.
Summary: Who knew six people could find love in a boring Physics class?
Alexander Macpherson flipped through his thick, messy and unorganized register. Stray pieces of paper fell out everytime he moved the large notebook and the corners of most pages were folding in on themselves now. There were a few pages at the end, which remained white and crisp, but the majority were yellowing with age. But, Alexander didn't care - the book was of sentimental value. It was in this book, that he wrote his first essay that provided the pathway to his degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Funny, he was a Physics teacher now.
At only twenty-five, he was the youngest teacher in the small town high school of Forks. He didn't really know how he ended up somewhere so small and insignificant, but it paid more than a jobseeker's pay cheque. All of his family lived in Seattle, yet he lived in a quaint area of the suburbs in an unheard of place. But, in the morbid recession of this decade, any job was better than no job.
The new academic year had now begun. Alexander was only taking on the Junior and Senior classes this year, which meant that he'd have the two classes every day and occasionally, twice a day. He probably knew every single child from before, and would probably also know of their background and likely social status in Forks High School. The beauty of a town with just under a thousand people.
Alexander flicked away his blonde hair, and then flipped through the list of his Junior class. Every name was recognizable. Besides, there were six people altogether. Physics wasn't exactly the most popular subject amongst students, he thought dryly.
The bell for first period rang, and slowly, students began filing into his cosy little class. There were five rows of metal desks lined up facing Alexander's desk, which housed his computer and pigeon hole. Behind him, was a large smart board onto which his computer screen was projected.
Alexander knew that due to the complexity and general unpopularity of the course, the curriculum was sparse. There would be more time to waste, than to study. And that was perfectly fine with him.
At the back of the class, sat three boys; Edward Cullen, Emmett McCarty and Jasper Hale. Alexander knew these were the elite members of the social crowd. From families that were rich and prosperous, their money and looks got them everywhere. However, they were all from opposite ends of the spectrum. Edward was the star basketball player and was team captain; Emmett was the easy-going quarterback of the football team, who had more muscles than Alexander would liked to have admit and Jasper was the quiet history geek who was part of educational excursions and in college level competitions against other states.
In the middle row, sat three girls, hushed and wary of each other; Bella Swan, Rosalie Hale and Alice Brandon. Bella was the shy, clumsy girl who Alexander always saw at the local hospital; Rosalie seemed the ostentatious beauty of the school and Alice appeared to be the high energy, enthusiastic one out of the bunch, with a perky smile.
After a moment, Alexander internally cringed at his superficial knowledge. He sounded like an old woman with too much spare time.
Alexander stood at the front, smiling politely at his new students and started with the conversation he always used.
"Hello Class, I am Mr. Macpherson, as you all know. There are booklets in front of you, summarising the course and listing the objectives. You guys can read them after we're done talking today. They'll be useful around exam time."
The class nodded lethargically.
"I think we should all introduce ourselves and say a little bit about us. Also share why you're taking Physics this year. Alice, you begin, since you're top of the Register."
Alice was only to happy to comply, "Hi, I'm Alice. I want to be a fashion designer but I took Physics because I wanted to study a wide range of subjects."
Edward followed, "I'm Edward. I play basketball and I took Physics because there was no room in Biology."
Encouraging, Alexander thought.
"Hi, I'm Jasper. I'm from Texas. I'm here because I like Physics."
Alexander couldn't help but grin. Boy has passion.
"As you all know, I am Rosalie. I want to be a Mechanical Engineer so that's why I'm here."
Emmett grinned widely, "Emmett here, I love sports. I'm here only because my girlfriend's in this class."
None of the three girls reacted to this. Either Emmett was big talk, or the girls didn't want to publicize the relationship.
A quiet voice spoke up, "My name is Bella. I love literature, but I think Physics is a good change of scene."
Alexander stood there, stunned. Six different people from six completely different ends of the social spectrum.
xxxx
Alice scrunched her eyebrows in frustration. The mechanics problem in front of her was getting progressively worse in the three seconds that she had read it. The words made no sense and Alice couldn't fathom what the question was asking of her. She thought about how painfully intelligent Isaac Newton must have been to not only discover key elements of Physics, but to devise laws from the motion of a falling apple. Some people were just too smart, she grumbled to herself.
"Try using one of the equations of motions. You know that the accelaration is nine point five, due to gravity." A timid voice whispered beside her. Bella Swan was more knowledgable than Alice had initially thought. She looked at the question and with what Bella had told her, her mind immediately made the connection. Alice turned her head and smiled in thanks. She saw the faint hint of a simper on Bella's soft face, which held large brown eyes and pouty lips. Her mahogany hair fell in natural waves and it was then that Alice realised, Bella Swan was really pretty.
Alice shook her head to herself and carried out the equation. The next question was about eighty times more difficult than the previous one. Alice just wanted to throw her pen down and give up, but she wasn't a quitter. Besides, she knew exactly why she was here...and it wasn't her love of Physics that drew her here.
Oh no, it was a love of something much, much more attractive.
Ducking her head, Alice tried to cover the light flush of her cheeks. She had overheard Jasper Hale's conversation with the timetable co-ordinator last semester and learned that he was keen on the science. Impulsively, Alice had joined too. It had been one too many year that Alice had spent pining on the beautiful blonde in her school. With ocean blue eyes and a chiseled face, Jasper hid his allure underneath his quiet disposition which Alice was determined to break through. And guys liked girls who were booksmart, right?
Alice went back to fretting over her question. She would never approach Mr. Macpherson. He was young, good-looking but his stature intimidated him. Someone so graceful didn't belong in a school of hormonally imbalanced people.
xxxx
Edward suppressed the third yawn in thirty seconds. It was sad enough that he had counted, but this class was really taking the piss out of his patience. He wanted to take AP Biology. But no, the piece of shit, known as Miss Cope, the co-ordinator had to mess up his timetable and put him here. Biology was full...full of hot girls, yet there was no room for someone as good-looking as him. Miss Cope was conspiring against him, Edward concluded.
His eyes sidled to the blonde geek on his left, who was ripping away at the pages with his intelligent looking workings. He flipped the pages as if he was skimming a magazine and his eyes grew hungry as he progressed through the exercise.
Probably why he was still a virgin.
He then turned his attention to his right, where his best friend Emmett sat. The stool under him had some serious strength; it was still intact with Emmett's ass still on it. The brute leaned back, with the desk behind them supporting him. His hands were behind head and feet propped up on the ledge underneath the desk. Emmett looked like he was on a fucking holiday. His pencil in his mouth, he looked around the room, glanced at the exercise book carelessly and went back to doing absolutely nothing.
Edward got bored of looking at Emmett so looked forward at the backs of three girls. One had short, pixie black hair, one had thick long brown hair which looked sexy from where he was sitting and the last was Rosalie Hale. She was hot and everything, but Edward preferred brunettes. Besides, Rosalie could ram any guy down like a steamroller and Edward would rather not have his ego deflated.
Because there was nothing left for Edward to do, he went back to the mechanics.
All the while cursing Newton and Einstein, of course.
xxxx
Jasper attacked each topic like a hungry bear mauling its prey, shredding it to parts and digesting each bit with satisfaction. He knew he wasn't like anybody else his age. Sometimes it felt like he was a sixty-year-old man from the nineteenth century born into a modern teenager's body.
He felt the waves of irritation roll off Edward Cullen beside him. He didn't let his eyes stray towards the auburn haired boy even once. He was the the cream of the crop; the big man on campus. Every female was vying for his attention and would stop at nothing to do so. Edward had popularity and confidence - something Jasper severely lacked. On the other side was Emmett McCarty who was just like Edward, and together they were at the top of the social hierarchy. They could make or break anyone. And Jasper knew he shouldn't take the risk.
Finished before everyone else, including his tenacious, bitchy and vain sister, his eyes caught sight of Alice Brandon. So small, so fragile and so beautiful. There was an otherworldly charm about her. And the fact that he'd never seen her unhappy, made Jasper happy. She looked like someone one could rely on.
He wondered how she'd ended up taking such a contrasting subject. He knew from common knowledge that she excelled in the arts and had a passion and strength for designing - fashion and architectural. Physics just didn't seem to be of her taking. Jasper shrugged to himself - the human race was entirely too unpredictable.
xxxx
Rosalie enthusiastically raced through her problems, imagining each one in a scenario that involved cars. Everytime she checked the back of the book and found her answer correct, she almost jumped with glee. The small thrill that came with the understanding was undoubtedly something she could get used to.
Of course, she didn't let a single emotion seep onto her beautiful face. She was Rosalie Hale. She was the in the cheerleading squad, she was the most sought after girl and she was blonde. She couldn't possibly show intelligence. Not somewhere as shallow as a high school. Girls like Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley didn't know about Rosalie's 3.9 GPA or her university applications. They didn't know anything. But Rosalie knew that they'd be fat, pregnant and single by the time they were twenty.
She knew that she'd get her degree, get a good job and make it out of this miserable, good for nothing town. She had to.
Her eyes instantly flickered to Mr. Macpherson. He wasn't bad on the eyes...windswept hair the same colour as hers, big eyes and a good body. He had the degree she wanted. But he was here, in a shitty little building with nobodies. Rosalie shuddered delicately. She'd be damned if she ended up like Mr. Macpherson. Alone in a place that housed no visually attractive people under the age of thirty.
Anyway, Rosalie pushed her buttocks away from her body, so her ass stuck out enticingly and flicked her cascading locks behind her.
Enjoy it Emmett, while it lasts, she thought amusedly.
xxxx
Emmett was seriously getting uncomfortable. The shit on the paper was in fucking Latin or something. Or maybe that retarded E was in Greek? Ah who the hell cared. Emmett didn't get it and he wasn't asking the teacher for help. Damn, Macpherson looked hardly a few years older than him; he wouldn't know shit.
In front of him, he caught the fine behind of his girlfriend. His eyes glued to her curves like a magnet. He felt himself shifting around but he couldn't take his eyes off that ridiculously hot ass. Emmett knew he was being sleazy, pervy but he couldn't bring himself to take any action.
The brunette up front murmured quietly at Macpherson, who came forward to his desk. Macpherson's voice echoed mutely about vectors and scale drawings. Emmett tried to imagine equations, vectors, Newton's laws to get rid of his problem down there. Nothing worked. After much manoevering, butt-twitching and fist-making, the only thing that helped relieve Emmett's problem was Edward's manly laugh.
Nothing turned Emmett off like a man.
xxxx
Bella blushed, blushed and blushed some more. She had committed the ultimate faux pas of being the first person to ask for help. She closed her eyes tightly in annoyance and hoped that the answer to her query would be short and simple. But to her supreme chagrin, Macpherson smiled a pearly grin and elaborated on the topic in way too much detail. Bella nodded jerkily, hoping Machperson would take the hint and get lost.
But damn, that man was just looking for an excuse to open his mouth.
Alice Brandon joined into their one-sided conversation and added her sixpence. Bella winked discretely at the little ball of energy in thanks, as Alice lead him away from the topic of the science. Within seconds, Alice had charmed the teacher into attending her fashion show for her textiles project and Bella was left amazed at her interpersonal skills.
When the small class descended back into a loose silence, Bella cringed violently. Sitting directly behind her, was the single most gorgeous boy in Forks. Her heart thumped loudly as she felt his steel gaze on her back, probably scrutinizing her every move. Or maybe it was wishful thinking...?
Edward Cullen was a sight to behold. A bronze shock of luscious hair, piercing candy apple eyes and a lean, athletic body that was obvious, even underneath his clothes. Bella grimaced; she stared too much. And was perhaps a smidge obsessive.
Of course, she was a nobody to him. He probably didn't even know her name. And he could get any girl in Forks. He'd tried all of them - this Bella knew. He just hadn't settled on one. But he hadn't even tried her, Bella thought sadly. She was probably so ugly that he knew from fifty feet away Bella was an unattractive piece of shit.
I'll make progress in College. I hope.
Bella hunched further, because she knew she wouldn't make any progress when it came to boys. Seventeen years was enough fo anybody...except Bella.
Oh shit, she thought. I don't want to be a lesbian!
xxxx
Alice was in the library afterschool, on a Friday. She couldn't believe she was in school, afterschool, on a bloody Friday. She was usually hitting the shops in Port Angeles or a party in the local area, celebrating the weekend.
But she knew that if she wanted to stay in that Physics class, she had to pick her shit up. She couldn't sit through the year and daydream about the boy sitting behind her. Alice felt embarrassed. The things the teenage did for love. For a boy. A boy that Alice knew, would never give her the time of day.
And for that fleeting moment, she considered dropping the science. But then she saw the face of the Godly boy walking through the doors. Alice knew she wouldn't give up on Physics, or him.
Through the corner of her eye, she noted every movement of the blonde haired boy. He roamed slowly through the stacks of dusty books, before finally, hesitantly -with an averted gaze- making his way to where Alice was sitting.
Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God, Alice chanted.
She couldn't believe her wildest dreams were coming to life.
xxxx
Edward was pissed. It was pouring with rain in the early evening that Friday. He just had basketball practice and Mike Newton was grating on his nerves. Edward didn't know why he put up with that douchebag, but it was probably something to do with his parties. They weren't anything special, but everyone attended them, including girls. There was an unlimited supply of cheap beer and that was enough to give Edward a pathetic buzz for the weekend.
With all the pressure from Coach Clapp for this year's basketball season, Edward was working out twice as hard as usual. This year's team had promise and even Edward's pessimistic eyes could see that. They had a hope of making it to regionals and maybe even the nationals. Edward also knew that this could be his ticket out of here. He could get a scholarship in some big California college and play for them. Even if he failed, his father Dr. Carlisle Cullen would fund Edward's higher education in anything. It was such a shame he didn't have an interest in anything conventional, though.
He was in a particularly sour mood thanks to the douche, Mike Newton. He had spread around most of Forks the news about his party today. Everyone was promised the 'party of the century' with good stuff like vodka, Jack Daniels and fancy drinks. Everyone worth knowing was going to be there.
Funny how the party had been cancelled last minute.
Edward tried not to admit to the acute disappointment he felt. He was meant to be the arrogant bastard - he wasn't supposed to care. For all everyone knew, Edward could simply shrug his shoulders and throw a party at his own house, with stuff twice as good as Mike's crappy beer.
Too bad Edward didn't want to.
He threw his gym bag into his sleek, ostentatious silver Volvo, slammed the door loudly and drove out of the school car park. He thought about what he could do instead; there were plenty of things he could do, but to his utter amazement, there was nothing he wanted to do.
Emmett was probably busy being whipped by Rosalie and...there was no-one else that Edward genuinely liked.
Just as he left the school gate, he noticed a small shaking figure in the dark on the right hand side. Edward's first reaction was that an overgrown squirrel had got run over and was taking its last breath.
He halted his car when he realized that the squirrel was actually the girl from his Physics class. Her clothes stuck to her delicate body due to the rain and she shivered while her arms were wrapped around her knees. It was Bella Swan. The beautiful klutz who was painfully shy. The girl who he'd always taken a special note of. So many girls threw themselves at him, all except this one. She was the girl who made him feel like the biggest pussy on the earth.
With trembling hands, he got out of his car, thinking, I thought Bella Swan was a dying squirrel.
xxxx
In the deserted school library, Jasper shook. He clasped his hands so tightly under the table that the blood visibly drained from them. He didn't want the beauty in front of him to see him trembling with fear. She deserved a real man, a strong, confident one. Not a pussy like Jasper.
"Hi Alice." He spoke the words out evenly to disguise his upturning stomach.
"Hi Jasper. You've kept me waiting." She smiled.
The Southern Gentleman in Jasper suddenly emerged. Hailing from Texas, respect for the opposite gender was in his genes. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, ma'am."
Alice Brandon shook her head slightly, her hair framing her glowing face like a halo. She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. Jasper cradled her face ever so naturally and kissed her back. After a moment they leaned away.
"You're forgiven, Jasper. Always and forever."
Taking her fragile hand in his, he grinned at her. Jasper liked the sound of that.
xxxx
Rosalie lay in her kingsized bed, in a kingsized room, in a kingsized house. She snuggled up in her checked blanket as she heard the whining wind and the pounding of rain outside. It was already dark, evidence of the harsh winter fast approaching.
Her room was filled with things most people could not afford. She had several iPods just lying about like the useless items they were. Three laptops of different size, make and colour were piled upon one another on her large study desk which was filled with make-up from the best brands and many other hair styling equipment. Rosalie looked at her overflowing closet, with each item fighting for room and thought how whenever she opened the closet door, nothing decent was ever inside.
And amongst all the mess, she felt alone.
She switched off the main light on the ceiling and opted for the dimmed rays of her bedside lamp. Closing her eyes slowly, Rosalie tried to lull herself to sleep, but the constant noise of the slamming precipitation prevented her from doing so.
After a few minutes, the empty place beside her was filled and she felt the bed dip with the weight. Normally, Rosalie would jump in fright and possibly even seek out her pepper spray, but instinct told her it was a large, burly, dimpled curly-haired boy.
Up until now, Rosalie thought she was in the relationship solely for the physical pleasure. But somehow, whenever she was away from those sapphire eyes, she felt alone and useless. She felt as if half of her was missing. And after so many nights of wondering, Rosalie finally realized that her feelings had blossomed from something so shallow into a depth of love and appreciation for her companion.
And in the darkness, as her hand was encompassed by the warmth of his, Rosalie knew that Emmett felt the same.
xxxx
Emmett had only been to Rosalie's house once, or perhaps twice. It was only when he was in the mood, raring to go and when none of the Hale parents were present. His time there was quick, rough, pleasurable and he certainly didn't take time to admire his surroundings or note how soft and bouncy the bed was.
But now, he cast his eyes over the beige and brown walls and saw just how generic they were. A landscape of the heart of New York city, a canvas with a flower, a large mirror. There were no photoframes and no pictures of people. Emmett knew that Rosalie was a feisty one, that she had an aloofness to her -one that everyone admired, including him- but that didn't mean she had any notable friends. After all, it was a Friday night, and she was lying on the bed, in the dark.
Popularity suddenly meant something completely different.
Emmett took a deep breath.
"Rosalie, how are you?"
The blonde turned her head, surprised. "I'm fine, Emmett. Why do you ask?"
It was then, that he realized that he had never asked his girlfriend something so small yet so important, ever. "Because I really want to know how you feel."
A little but definitive simper crossed her full pink lips, "Thank you, Emmett. I really want to know how you feel, too."
He squeezed her soft hand tightly, his mind wishing it would keep Rosalie beside him forever.
"Rosie, I think I love you."
There was a strained pause for a moment, and Emmett felt the world was going to crash down on him any moment now.
"Emmett, I think I love you too." Rosalie grinned.
He kissed her tenderly, and pulled her close to his side. It was the first meaningful kiss they shared.
It was the start of something special.
Something eternal.
xxxx
Bella chanted a mantra of shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. She knew, at once, that nobody owned a mop of hair so deliciously disheveled and of such an original hue. It was Edward Cullen; Bella had no doubt about it.
He strode towards her with long strides looking like a runway model. The apocalyptic rain ran through his hair and down the perfect planes of his pectorals and abs. The raindrops caressed his pale skin around his face and neck, and Bella felt herself gulp with desire.
With alarming grace, he came to her with concern splattered across his face. In his hand, Bella noted absently, was a towel which he immediately wrapped around her quivering form.
Bella cringed with embarrassment, knowing she looked like a drowned cat that was dragged through a country of mud and other unidentifiable shit. She looked awful -even more disgusting- in comparison to the Adonis in front of her.
"Bella, are you okay? What are you doing here alone, in such torrential weather?" He asked in a honey-smooth voice.
Such a shame he reduced Bella to a blubbering mess. She couldn't even remember her own bloody name. "I-I...my car, the red piece of shit...it broke down. I-I...my mobile ran out of battery...it's too hard to walk home."
His defined features soften and he hugged her to his chest, picking her up effortlessly and depositing her in the front passenger seat. She tried to protest but just one of his fingers to her lips had her mute like a log.
"If it's okay with you Bella, I'm going to take you to my house so my father can check that you're okay. You may have hypothermia."
Bella could only nod.
Dr. Cullen had checked over her and deduced that Bella was just suffering a fever and should be kept warm for the next twenty-four hours. Bella's father, Charlie had been informed and as he was on a night shift, Esmè Cullen assured him that she was well cared for in the immaculate and elegant Cullen home. Left with plenty of designer clothes in a room bigger than Bella's bedroom multiplied twice, Bella thought about the turn of events of the evening.
And she couldn't get those intense, smouldering looks Edward sent her throughout her stay at his home, out of her mind. It made Bella excited and nervous.
A tentative knock echoed at the door and the handsome boy appeared. Smiling lopsidedly, he sat next to the shy, brown-haired girl.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked quietly.
"Yes, much better, thank you."
He turned his toned body towards her, and stared at her with a longing. A newfound love in his eyes. Bella knew she had lost her marbles and this was probably just a creepy dream gone a little too far.
Carefully, he clasped her hands; testing her. She tightened her fingers around his and was amazed at how naturally they fit together.
"Like two pieces of a puzzle." He mused.
"Exactly." She breathed.
They leaned towards each other, until their lips collided like fireworks. He was the water to her thirst; she was the fire to his ice. Every line of their bodies met as they greedily took in the textures of each other's skin, hair and features, learning exactly how the other functioned.
And it didn't matter that they'd never spoken to each other for longer than a minute. It didn't matter that he was the most popular boy in school or that she was the intelligent, reclusive daughter of the Chief of police.
Because it could take weeks, months, years to make a relationship.
But it took only seconds to fall in love.
xxxx
The following Monday, Alexander taught his Junior class about analogue electronics.
Alice was still lost in a daze; Bella was still shy; Rosalie was just as provocative as before. Jasper took in information with constant vigour; Edward still looked like he could be somewhere better; Emmett was just as nonchalant as last week.
The bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson, but Macpherson took the time to watch the students leave his class.
Alice Brandon gravitated towards Jasper Hale, his arm fitting perfectly around her shoulders. Edward Cullen slipped his hands through Bella Swan's fingers, smiling softly at her. Emmett McCarty snaked his arm around Rosalie's waist, who let her head fall on his arm.
Alexander stood there, baffled.
It was everywhere; even in his own class.
Because love knew no boundaries.