I know! Yet another story! I can't even finish one, and I'm starting another. I have absolutely no self control. Sorry about that... I hope you enjoy! Reviews are total awesomesauce (:
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
One Original Thing
EPOV
It was incredulous how vague and naive their minds were. Teenagers were so stereotypical—any small difference in their world was an instant interest. I scowled as I saw Mike Newton cross the parking lot, obviously making a beeline to his current significant other. The brunette, a distasteful girl named Jessica, laughed as Mike wrapped his hands around her eyes. His head swiveled a fraction to meet my gaze, and he smirked at me, no doubt using a handful of derogatory adjectives in his mind. I rolled my eyes and plugged my headphones into my iPod, losing myself in the music. I would be eternally grateful for my musical aid; it was the only thing that kept me sane in this sea of pitiful teenagers.
Not to say I'm not a teenager. I am—just turned legal, in fact. I was an official adult, as of June 20th. I just wasn't as dim-witted as these creatures around me.
Forks High was your typical high school—full of cliques, gossip, and freshmen pretending they were twenty. I scanned through my songs—4,000 in total—and chose the blues. Who needed peers when I had Ray Charles?
The bell rang five minutes later, but I didn't take my headphones out. I never did. The teachers never noticed anyway—they were just like kids, ignorant and mostly posers, but took advantage of their age. If you stood up to them, they backed down. Just kids, who'd been around longer and claimed you didn't know anything.
Please. I'd learn more on a road trip than in school.
First class was Biology. I cringed as I thought of Tanya, my lab partner, more than eager to sit next to me. Tanya was one of the heiresses in our school, who took a fake interest in underclassmen, such as myself. She was nice to me, to my face, and then she'd whisper and laugh about me once I was out of earshot, when she was with her fellow heiresses.
Or maybe she'd developed a little crush—that's what one of her friends told me. I gagged at the thought—I'd rather hug a cactus, thank you very much.
"Hi Eddy," she said the second I sat in my seat. I nodded curtly, discreetly turning up the volume on my iPod.
"How was your weekend?" she prompted, leaning toward me. Her low-cut shirt exposed her pink bra as she inched closer to me. I'm sure her skirt gave boys in the back a nice view as well.
Tanya was, in one word, slutty. But she tried to come off as innocent when she talked, using a high soprano voice and giggling softly. Every guy in school wanted her, yet she supposedly wanted me. Me, of all people. Why couldn't she go drool over a quarterback instead? I really wasn't that interesting.
Perhaps it was because I was the only guy who didn't think twice about her. I groaned at the thought.
"Fine," I said. Better to stick with one-syllable answers. I didn't want her getting the wrong idea.
She pouted at my lack of response. "Oh, well that's cool. Wanna hear about mine?"
I should've known she only wanted to boast about her own extravagant weekend. I was about to say no, I'd rather be eaten by a poodle, but her question was, apparently, rhetorical.
"Well, on Saturday I went shopping for a dress. It's for the prom, and I found one that's pretty cool. It's red. Do you think I look good in red?"
I shrugged, starting to bob my head to the music. Maybe she'd take the hint.
Tanya shrugged herself, and continued her story. "You know, it sucks because I got this beautiful dress...but no one to see me in it. I mean, I'm going to the dance, but I don't have a date." Her face dropped and she blinked her eyes innocently at me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
"So...are you going?" She asked, her tone even. I had to admit, she was good at the flirting thing. Any other guy would've taken her hint at once and all but demand her to accompany them to the dance. Possibly make her write on a napkin as proof that she'd still be up for it when the time came. And then frame the napkin in their bedroom.
"I'm not going," I said, to let her off easily. Her mouth fell open. No, really. It was pretty amusing, actually. She looked like one of those girls on a sitcom, having been just informed their yacht sank, or whatever.
"But it's prom!" Tanya shrieked. "You can't just not go to the most important dance in existence!"
"I don't dance." The absurdity of it was enough to make my stomach lurch.
"It doesn't matter! You should at least show up...after all, that's the night where the girl you bring, if you bring one, loses her virg—"
"I'm not going." I said again, cutting off her sentence. I really didn't want to hear the last part.
Tanya's innocent pout turned into a snarl. Who knew girls were this stubborn?
"Ed. Ward." She separated my name into syllables. "Are you that blind? I am asking you to prom. Will you just agree already?"
I clenched my teeth. Did she honestly think I'd agree that easily? I supposed she didn't know any better, but really. It was like she was forcing me to go, and that was not at all attractive.
Before I could respond, though, the teacher walked into the room. Tanya grinned triumphantly at me, her sweet, girly facade taking over again.
"Leave me alone," I mumbled, loud enough for her to hear, and turned away.
I couldn't wait till the end of the day.
But before lunch, I had gym, which was unfortunate. Last semester, I'd had it last block, where it didn't matter if you didn't take a shower because no one would care. But right before lunch, I didn't want the stink on me, so I was forced to shower in the boys' locker room.
The very rowdy, obnoxious boys' locker room.
We'd added a unit to gym class: dance unit. No, I am not kidding. I wish I was. I would've skipped, but I'd already missed two classes and if I got a third I'd get detention. I couldn't even use my pass, which every student gets per semester to use only once, because I'd already used mine last week. I sighed as I went to my locker, away from all the other guys', and put on my gym clothes.
"Guess where I'm taking Rose tonight," Emmett's voice echoed off the walls. There were a lot of hoots and hollers following, and I fought the urge to punch them all. Didn't they have an ounce of respect for women these days? Of course, people like Tanya didn't exactly want their own space. She craved the attention of boys with perverted minds—why else would she dress the way she does?
"Damn, you lucky son of a bitch," shouted Tyler Crowley, who'd supplied most of the hoots. Man-whore.
I left before I got myself too angry. I couldn't even trust my iPod to keep my occupied, since I wouldn't be able to hide it from Coach Clapp.
"Alright, girl scouts, huddle up," Coach yelled. "I'm about as happy to do this as you are, but it's required this year. So pair off and hurry up—the sooner you get started, the sooner you get to stop. We're doing square dancing."
All the girls squealed, hugging each other, while all the guys groaned. Myself included. I didn't want to dance with any of these girls, especially Tanya.
This was going to be one hell of a unit.
Lunch came agonizingly slow. I skipped the block, as usual, and headed for my car. I never asked for a pass beforehand—no one ever saw me leave. I was pretty much invisible, and I intended to keep it that way.
The next half hour I simply sat, scrolling through music while pondering my current state of misery.
I didn't know when I started becoming a social pariah, but it suited me well. No one talked to me, and I didn't talk to them. I chose to be like that. Why risk letting anything slip from your mouth, when you could just stay silent and be safe? Better safe than sorry, that was my motto.
Besides, I found that not talking attracted the attention I wanted, and speaking my mind attracted people I did not.
Take Jasper Hale, for example. He chose the same path as I, though the details eluded me. He was much more preferable to sit with than, say, Emmett McCarty, the biggest jock in school. Emmett was friendly enough, a little too much, but very loud. It was unnerving how much this guy craved attention. Whereas Jasper and I, we were on good terms. He understood my desire in music, and I understood his desire in books and action figures.
I must've dosed off some time in my car, because next thing I knew, I was dreaming. Except, everything felt so real, I couldn't be sure.
It was a nightmare, naturally. I was six again, with my mother, my biological mother, in the hospital bed next to me. She was very ill, suffering from a severe case of the flu, and I had the same disease, but much, much milder. All I could hear were her cries for water and her skin burning under my touch. I could feel her hand become hotter and hotter and suddenly, it went cold. Ice cold.
I let out a cry of pain, jerking from my dream that was also my worst memory. Sweat had formed on my brow and I hastily wiped it away, still shaken. I swallowed the lump in my throat, taking deep breaths. I realized my music was still on and shut it off.
God, it was times like these I wished I'd be able to stay awake forever, to be somehow unable to sleep. It'd be much easier than dealing with these recurring nightmares.
I jumped at a knock at my window. No one ever caught me out here.
I was expecting to find Ms. Cope, the secretary, and being caught red-handed. I flinched as I thought of the disappointment I've give Carlisle, my father, if I got another detention. I was a horrible son. And Esme's disappointment would be too much to bear.
But it wasn't Ms. Cope. Instead, I saw someone else, someone who wouldn't know enough not to bother me.
She was beautiful.
That was the first thing that came into mind—her beauty. She had pale skin, flawless, with dark brown hair tied into a loose side ponytail. Her eyes, a deep chocolate brown, were mesmerizing and lined with a thick eyeliner. She wore beat up Converse sneakers, red jeans, and a black hoodie.
But she was frowning at me. The frown didn't suit her.
I got out of the car and walked toward her. She looked at me, smirking. It wasn't until I almost tripped over my headphones that I realized they'd fallen out of my ears.
I cursed for being so uncoordinated in front of such a girl. Was I still dreaming? She wasn't speaking, and I didn't want to either in case my own voice woke me from this new, more pleasant dream.
"Were you skipping class?" The girl asked, and I let out a sigh of relief. She was real, and she was talking to me.
"Just lunch. I'm pretty sure no one will miss me," I replied. My voice sounded too cheery, too nervous. I wasn't used to this desire to talk. Usually I just shut things out and let the songs speak for me.
"Why do you skip lunch to hang out in your car?" She tilted her head to the side. I caught a glimpse of a scar on her neck, a fresh one that was an angry red color. I didn't want to be rude, so I stifled my curiosity.
"Um, I just listen to music," I said pathetically. She smiled, and my heart skipped a beat.
"What were you listening to just now?"
"Just some Linkin Park..." I trailed off. "What's your name?" I asked before I could stop myself. I hoped she didn't take my Linkin Park comment too seriously—what if she didn't like alternative bands?
"I love them," she said, as if answering my thoughts. "I saw them live this summer."
"No way!" I exclaimed, the butterflies in my stomach temporarily forgotten. "What did they play?"
"The usual, off their Minutes to Midnight album. They played with All Time Low."
My mouth fell open. "Seriously?" Both of those bands were on my Top 25 Most Played playlist. What a lucky girl she was.
"I was pretty lucky to get tickets," she laughed. I noticed she'd avoided telling me her name.
"So...um, why are you here?" I asked.
She frowned again. "You want me to leave?"
"No, no! I didn't mean it like that." The thought of her leaving so soon hurt my head. She was, if nothing, my first enjoyable companion. "I meant, why are you here in Forks High's parking lot? I've never seen you before."
"Oh, that." Her face dropped, and I was afraid I'd said something wrong. "I'm enrolling." She made a face.
"I'm guessing you're not too excited about that," I voiced my assumptions. She kicked a pebble on the ground.
"Not really. My mom kicked me out of her house in Phoenix, so I'm living with my dad. It sort of sucks."
I backpedaled, not wanting to hit a nerve. "Oh. Sorry I brought it up," I mumbled. What was wrong with me? I was saying way too much, talking more than I had in a long time. I was bound to trip up some time.
"Don't worry about it," she blew my apology aside. "What's your name?"
"Edward." I said, suddenly cursing for having such a medieval name. It must've sounded pathetic.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Is."
"Is?" I repeated.
She nodded. "Well, my real name's Isabella. But my, er, friends used to call me Is."
I noted how she stumbled over the word 'friends'. She grinned sheepishly before elaborating.
"Well, actually...my friends, if I had any, probably would've called me Bella. But Is sounds like a stronger name, don't you think?"
In my opinion, Bella suited her better. But I didn't want her to get the wrong idea, so I kept my mouth shut. Always safer. I'd just call her Bella myself, inside my head.
"Um...they both sound...fine."
Bella's musical laugh filled the air. "Thanks. I don't know, changing my name is a bit far-fetched. I guess I'll stick to Bella."
I nodded, I guess a little too quickly, because she laughed again.
"If you liked that better, you could've just said." Bella told me. "I'm not afraid of the truth."
I thought about that. I wasn't afraid of the truth either, I just didn't want to say something and have it be misinterpreted. If I didn't say anything, I wouldn't have to worry about the truth or, if needed, the lie.
I was just surprised she could read me so easily.
"So, are you starting today?" I asked, eyeing her lack of supplies. Like a backpack, for instance.
"No, I'm supposed to get a tour today by someone named..." she pulled out a folded sheet of paper and glanced at the name, "Tyler Crowley, a member of student council."
Unintentionally, my anger flared. Tyler only joined student council because he thought a girl named Lauren would be in it. I overheard him saying it was just a big joke, but he couldn't back out now. If he laid one grubby finger on Bella...
"You okay?" She asked, snapping me out of my reverie.
"Um, yeah," I shook my head, as if to shake off the bad thoughts. "Peachy."
"Hmm." Bella studied my face, and I averted my eyes, embarrassed. "What are you thinking about?" Her brown eyes were warm, inviting. She looked genuinely curious.
I contemplated warning Bella about Tyler, but thought against it. I didn't want to seem judgmental, or the type of guy who held a grudge for no apparent reason. After all, he'd done nothing to offend me personally. He was just an ass.
"I'm not afraid of the truth," Bella repeated. I sighed.
"It's nothing. Just...be careful when you're around Tyler." I grimaced as I thought of what he'd say in the locker room tomorrow about Bella.
"I can take care of myself," she said, suddenly guarded. Her face softened when her eyes met mine.
"Thanks anyway. Why should I be careful around him?"
I blew out another sigh. I guess I should just tell her, it was no use not to. She'd get it out of me eventually.
"He's sort of an asshole. And he has a perverted mind. He only joined student council 'cause he wanted to scout out some girl." I waited as that sunk in, examining her features.
Bella pursed her lips. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind." She bit her lip, suddenly nervous. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she just gave me a weak smile. Her breathing was starting to get faster, though, and I was getting a little nervous myself.
"Bella? Are you okay?"
She ignored me, starting to cough. "Crap," she spit out before running away from me. She wrenched open the door to an old red truck and took something out. I couldn't see from where I was standing what it was.
After breathing into the thing, she stopped coughing. It was only then did I realize she was holding onto an inhaler. I rushed over.
"You have asthma?" I asked. Bella only nodded before breathing deeply once again. I heard the lunch bell ring from inside but ignored it—who'd miss me if I skipped another class?
"I'm okay. Thanks." She put the inhaler back into her truck. I eyed it warily—shouldn't she keep it on her, in case she has another attack?
Bella laughed at me, still wheezing a little, before pulling out a cigarette. My eyes widened even more as I saw the packs of them on the passenger's seat. Before I could see any more, she shut the door and started walking toward the school's entrance. I jogged to catch up.
"Bella, isn't smoking bad for you if—"
"Save your breath, Edward. I've heard it all from my mom, so don't try to pull a lecture on how smoking and asthma don't coincide. It's my choice." Her eyes blazed as she made her point across, the warmth less visible. She seemed more distanced.
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't say anything. She stopped and threw the cigarette on the ground, stomping on it with her shoe.
"Sorry if you don't approve," Bella said sourly, studying my face as I watched her light another. Bella walked toward the school, and I was about to tell her that smoking wasn't allowed in there, but she stopped short of the door. Instead, she leaned back against the building's wall, her arms crossed. I bit my lip, again saying nothing. I didn't want her to go away, not yet. I'd never enjoyed talking to anyone this much before, not even Jasper. But I wasn't so selfish that I would never confront her about this habit later. I'd just save it until the right time.
"Where do you live?" I switched topics.
"Why, are you planning to stalk me?" Bella snapped, suddenly edgy. Her abrupt change in personality caught me off guard.
"No, I'm just curious," I said, treading on water.
Bella took another drag of her cigarette. "Well, if you must know, I'm Chief Swan's daughter. Charlie and I live about two miles off the highway."
"Chief Swan and my father know each other well," I commented. "That's a funny coincidence." I chuckled to myself.
"Yeah. Hilarious." Bella said flatly. She peeled herself off the wall and spit the cigarette in the trash can near the entrance.
She was mumbling something to herself as she walked back to me. I smiled timidly, but she ignored me, her voice rising.
"Why do I always do this? I should've known not to get involved with anyone. You're such an idiot, Bella! You never learn!" She kicked at the pavement, then flashed her eyes to meet mine again. They were hard, emotionless.
"I don't know why you started talking to me, but I suggest you stay away. I'm not someone you want to be around."
And with that she turned on her heel and stalked off, still muttering angry words under her breath. My eyebrows furrowed together—that wasn't how I envisioned the rest of our conversation going. I walked in slowly after her, but when I scanned the halls, she was gone.
So I went back to Spanish, to endure the last fifteen minutes of it. I turned on my iPod, shaking my thoughts away, and became numb again. No more talking today—I'd already said more than enough.
I shouldn't have said anything to her at all, I seethed as I turned the volume higher. I'd broken my vow of silence. I was out in the open, letting my guard down in front of this new girl, a girl I didn't even know. I didn't know anything about her, except that she liked music and smoked a lot. Plus she wasn't looking for friends. Well, I wasn't either. That was what made us click.
I couldn't wait to see her again.
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