Thom's Chance Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer.
I was leaning against my closed locker waiting for my new family, the Cullens. I knew they weren't in the immediate vicinity of me because I couldn't hear their thoughts. Edward, my brother, could also read thoughts. He was much more powerful than me, his range was broader and he had more control. At the moment the only thoughts I could hear were those of the few boys and girls in the hallway, at their lockers. I couldn't block them out, however hard I tried.
He must be one of the Cullens. He's soo handsome. Word is only one of them is single. Wonder which one? A girl nearby was openly staring at me.
History essay due, algebra test, english quiz... Worst day ever. A boy slammed his locker door shut and slouched away with a grimace.
Beka has to catch whoever it is. Who in Tortall is doing it? Surely not Rosto. Though he is the Rogue... And this is the second time Beka has run into Dale. He's got to have something to do with the fakes.
This thought made me turn my mind to the girl who was across the hall from me. She had long blue tinted black hair and big, dark blue eyes. What on earth was she thinking about? Who were Beka and Dale? And what was that about fakes? In her mind I caught a glimpse of a book. It was Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce. Maybe she was thinking about the book.
I have to find out what comes next. Even if it means giving up my lunch. Not like the food is in any way appealing.
I could see, in my peripheral vision, the girl taking a very thick novel out of her locker and closing the door. She held the book like it was the most precious and breakable thing in the world. Her eyes were soft and a look of joy and excitement entered her face as she thought about reading the next chapter. There was a sudden ache in me as I looked at her face. I wanted to be the reason that her face was lit up with joy and excitement. I wanted to hold her the way she held that book. I quickly checked my thoughts and feelings as my adopted family came within "hearing" range. I waited until they had reached me then walked with them. As we walked past the girl her eyes flickered up only briefly and then back to her book.
Oh, those new kids Terri was going on and on about. They are rather odd. Then her mind, like her eyes, went back to her book. I was suddenly over-glad that Edward's thoughts were on Bella, who walked by his side, and that Alice was searching the future for the gift that Jasper was getting for her. When we reached the cafeteria we got food- food that we would just throw away- and sat down at an empty table. The cafeteria filled up quickly as we sat, waiting for the next period. I could hear the bored thoughts of my siblings. They'd all been vampires (and humans) longer than me. Bella, the youngest, had been a vampire for two years and I hadn't even been a vampire for one. As humans they'd all been transformed in their late teens, while I was barely sixteen. I felt like running as far as possible away from this place. Only the thought of the situation that would put my family in held me in place. The human blood around me wasn't what got to me, though. It was the mental din in the cafeteria. Everyone was thinking something and I heard every word of every thought. Unlike Edward I couldn't tone it down until it became the ignorable buzz of a full room, I had no control whatsoever. I felt like I was drowning in thoughts that weren't my own. I opened my eyes- having unknowingly closed them- and noticed everyone in my adopted family staring at me. I managed a weak smile and tried to pretend that there was nothing wrong. Ha. Like that would work. Now that Edward, Jasper, and Alice were all paying attention to me, I had no way of hiding.
"What's wrong?" Emmett asked in a voice too low and fast for any human to hear. I just shook my head.
"He can't control the thoughts," Edward had his face screwed up and I knew that he was experiencing the same thing that I was, "It's overwhelming."
"You can tone it down, I can't." I informed him as I let my face relax into the smooth mask that hid my feelings.
"You won't do anything crazy." Alice assured me. I raised my eyebrows slightly in disbelief. The bell rang and we all stood up. We disposed of our uneaten lunched and went to class. When I was sure that none of my siblings were intruding on my privacy, I sagged against the wall. Edward had thought to me as we parted, the reason it's so hard on you is because you hear each and every voice. Try to tune it out so that its only a buzz in the background.
I knew that, after all that's what I had been trying all throughout lunch to no avail. I was so overwhelmed that I honestly didn't remember which class I was supposed to be in next. So I skipped. The class after that, which was also the last class of the day, was Creative Writing. The first thing I noticed when I walked through the door was the book girl. She sat at one of the desks in the front. I took a seat in the back, knowing the humans would shy away from me. I hated that. I just wanted to be one of them. I hated seeing them flinch or seeing the disgusting fantasies in the girls' minds. I knew that we were physically attractive to our "prey", but I wished they wouldn't include me in their daydreams.
"Okay, kids!" Mrs. Kloren stood up at the front of the class, a fake smile on her face. "This semester we'll be writing stories. You're going to have a partner who will critique your work and you will, in turn critique your partner's work. I'll be choosing you partner for you and then giving you your assignments."
The translation: I don't want to have to do all the correcting and I am passing this off as a brilliant idea.
Teachers were lazy, at least the ones at this school. I didn't want to do this. Whoever I was paired with would never be comfortable near me. Then Mrs. Kloren started pairing everyone off.
"Kurby go with Lorren. Lisa with Morgana." I almost missed my name. "Sasha with Thomas."
Mrs. Kloren told us to sit next to our partners, but I didn't get up. I didn't know who Sasha was.
Poor girl. He looks creepy. And that big brother of his, ugh. That was the boy a seat to the front and left, thinking about Emmett.
Sash is sooo lucky. If only Mrs. Kloren had called my name. I'll most definitely be calling Sasha after school. She better not be difficult. That was a girl in the front of the class. I could feel the crush blossoming in her thoughts. Great.
When everyone sat down again the book girl- Sasha- sat next to me.
I turned to her and said, "Hi, I'm Thomas Cullen."
"Obviously," she muttered low enough so that if I had had human ears I wouldn't have heard. Raising her voice she said, "I'm Sasha."
"Pay attention!" Mrs. Kloren barked at the front of the class, "You'll be writing a ten to thirty page fiction story. Brainstorm ideas and discuss them with your partner." She sat down and thought, Ahh. Peace.
I picked up my pencil and jotted down several ideas, the first that popped into my head, then I listened to the minds around me, searching for Sasha's.
Oh, lord what on earth am I gonna write?
What will Mrs. Kloren say about that?
That's a stupid idea.
Maybe if I added a dragon...
Scratch that.
Oooh! I love that!
Then finally, that might work. But only if I twist it a bit. Alexakai the shape-shifter. Decent idea.
"Okay, switch papers or read out loud to your partner."
Ha! Like I would want to read my ideas out loud so everyone can have more ammunition to make fun of me. Right. Totally going to happen. NOT! Sash thought, as she handed me her papers. There were five, covered front and back with tiny, neat script. I glanced at Sasha and started to read. What I read fascinated me even more than her thoughts. Her writing was so different, so original, that I thought of nothing else while I was reading it. Her first idea was about a girl who finds out about mythical creatures. The second was about a girl who discovers that she can shape shift into a cat, finds three others who can do the same and then uncovers surprising truths about her family. There was a sample scene at the end. It read: Alex stood in the doorway to her house. Her compact athletic figure was framed by light from the street lamp. Her blonde hair swirled around her shoulders. Poking out of the top of her head were cat ears that twitched in every direction. Her gray eyes pierced the still air and her chest rose and fell with angry breaths. The whole effect made her look surreal and mythical. Cat claws stuck out of her fingers as she hissed. The sound was terrifying and her open mouth revealed sharply pointed teeth.
"You lied to me," the words contained worlds of anger, confusion, and misery.
"Well?" Sasha interrupted me as I stared at the bottom of the last sheet. Come on. Just tell me I'm a freak and get over with it.
"This is really good. You're the best writer I've ever met."
Like he's met a million famous writers.
I smiled without revealing my teeth, "Although I will admit that there are better writers in the world."
Oh my gosh. Sasha's thoughts were amazed. I was confused. Most females reacted like that when they met my brothers and me, but Sasha hadn't. My confusion was absolved when she thought, a few seconds later, it's like he knew what I was thinking. He probably just saw it on my face. It must have been obvious. Everyone tells me how rude I am.
Rude? I thought she was the most fascinating human being in the world. She really wasn't affect by my unnatural beauty. She certainly had an imagination.
I'm waiting. Or are you going to linger all day? Alice asked me as she leaned against the wall outside the classroom. I quickly realized three things; 1) the bell had rung, 2) Sasha had left, and 3) there was a piece of paper on the floor beside my desk. I picked up the paper stashed it in my backpack and walked out the door.
"Thom," Alice said in her tinkling voice as she thought, why exactly is your future changing so rapidly?
"Later." I muttered. Once we got to the house I went for a run. I spent a lot of my free time trying to escape from it all. I rarely hunted, the thought of drinking blood repelled me even as my body hungered for it. I ran until I found a strong, comfortable tree. When I got there I opened my backpack. The piece of paper that I had picked up fell out. I grabbed it and looked at the neat script, Sasha had written this.
The corridor was full of bustling people and loud noises, but he was the only one I saw. His pale white face was screwed up as if the noise hurt his ears. His face was narrow, his nose and chin strong. His thick eyebrows were set over golden eyes. His shoulders slumped. He lifted his hand first to his temple then to his shaggy hair. His hair was dark, almost brown. It was a mixture of honey blonde, vivid red, and light chocolate brown. His hair, his face, even the outline of his defeated form looked pained. It was as if he was going through some horrible trial while the rest of us attended school and ate lunch.
A/N: Please review, even if you hate it. Thanks for reading!