Disclaimer: If I was Stephenie Meyer and owned Twilight, thus owning Edward Cullen, I would definitely not be here writing about it... I would be living it! Unfortunately, since this is the story of my life, I'm eternally grateful to Mrs. Meyer for creating it and making the world a better place.
As the taxi pulled through the tree-lined drive, the building that rose ahead made me catch my breath. It looked like something out of a movie, one of those old preparatory schools built of stone with ivy trailing up the sides. In the soft light of the evening, the gray stones looked warm and inviting. It was hard to believe I was actually going to be attending school at this impressive institution, but thinking about that reminded me why I was here in the first place. I could feel the pain start to creep in and quickly averted my thoughts back to my new school. The engraved words above the front doors read, "Thomas Academy, Established 1901." My heart gave a couple of quick beats and I had to remind myself once again, It's only high school, and they're only people, just like you, Bella. Just smile and don't trip.
This last instruction was definitely necessary and I immediately doubted my ability to follow my own advice as I got tangled with my seatbelt and tumbled out of the taxi's door. Thankfully I didn't fall over completely and no one had observed my most recent loss of balance. Sighing again at my clumsiness, my own personal curse, I carefully stepped away from the car, helped the driver unload my luggage from the back, and paid him with the money Renee had given me. I trudged toward the massive front doors and towed both of my two suitcases inside, returning for the boxes I'd left on the walk. Once inside, the main office was easily found to my right and I pushed the door open. The woman sitting behind the front desk looked up and smiled.
"How may I help you, dear?" she asked me.
"I'm Bella Swan- well, Isabella, actually- and I've just arrived for--"
"Oh yes! We've been looking forward to your arrival, Isabella." I winced at my full name. Bella was more to my liking, much less formal. "Just a moment and I'll find your file with your schedule… here it is. Also, you might appreciate a map of our grounds here at Thomas, although you've probably received one with your orientation papers in the mail. Don't worry, though, we will find an available student to give you a tour this evening before classes tomorrow."
"That would be nice," I managed to say, before she continued.
"Do you happen to have the medical history and health paperwork with you? We understood you were bringing it with you today," she told me.
"Right, it's in one of my bags in the hallway. Let me go find it," I said, and turned to leave the office. Opening the door, I was too absorbed with studying my schedule to notice anything else until I slammed into someone and dropped my papers. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, blushing at the new display of my familiar inelegance. I looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes and an appreciative smile.
"Hey, no problem. Um, I don't think I've met you before… Mike Newton." He gazed at me and stuck out his hand, and I shook it, my face still bright pink.
"Bella Swan," I said.
"So is this your first year here at Thomas?" he asked conversationally as he bent to gather the papers I had dropped. He gave them back to me and smiled again, saying, "I'm sure I would remember seeing you before."
"Thanks. It's my first year," I admitted.
"Well then, welcome to Thomas! Do you need any help getting your stuff to your room?" he began, when we heard the secretary's voice coming through the door behind us.
"Actually, Mike, are you available to give Miss Swan a tour this evening? She just arrived and will be a junior, just like you."
"Sure!" he grinned widely. "I'd be happy to show her the grandeur that is the Academy. Where's her room? We can drop her stuff off and then go from there."
"Medsen Hall, Apartment 26. Thank you, Mr. Newton," she said, and I handed her the medical forms she had requested.
Mike and I set off out the front doors and down the walk to the left. When we rounded the corner of the main building, I saw another building in front of us, a two-story structure that looked considerably newer than the one I had just been in.
"I guess I'll start your tour here," Mike said, "This is Medsen Hall, the girls quarters. I'm not sure what you're expecting, but they're actually really nice. We just had them remodeled last summer and so far everyone's really enjoyed the setup."
We lugged my stuff inside and he led me through the halls until we arrived at a door that said "26" on the plaque above it. He knocked twice and we heard footsteps running to open the door. It swung wide and a girl with straight brown hair and green eyes stood in the doorway. She looked at me appraisingly, but when her gaze turned to Mike, a coy smile immediately appeared on her face.
"Well, hello Mike! I haven't seen you forever!" she said brightly, and Mike smiled his usual friendly smile back.
"Hey Jess! Good to see you too. Bella, this is Jessica Stanley- Jess, this is Bella. She's your other roommate."
"Hi," I said. Jessica gave me a quick smile and right away returned to beaming at Mike.
I was about to ask what he meant by other roommate, when another girl appeared at Jessica's shoulder. She was tall, slender, and had shiny blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back. "Hi Lauren," Mike said. "This is your other roommate, Lauren Mallory," he told me.
"I'm Bella," I said, and Lauren smiled back. Maybe it was just me, but it looked like she had sized me up and found no threat. This was old news for me; I knew I was excruciatingly ordinary. Average height, small build, not athletic, long brown hair, and brown eyes completed my description, nothing compared to her striking beauty.
"I'm just dropping Bella's stuff off at her room for her, then I'll be taking her on a campus tour," Mike filled in my new roommates on our schedule for the evening.
"Sounds great! Mind if I come along? I would love to help show Bella the Academy!" Jessica gushed, batting her eyelashes at Mike.
"Uh, yeah sure!" Mike answered, and Jessica smiled radiantly.
"Come on Jess, let's get her stuff inside, and then you guys can go," Lauren said. I saw a wink pass between them and what I had guessed was confirmed. Jessica had scored time with her big crush, Mike Newton.
When we entered the room, I was surprised at the lay out. The door opened into a sort of living room, complete with a couch, chair, TV, mini fridge, and shelves of movies and CDs for the stereo. It looked like a college dorm, not a high school boarding school. I had been expecting something much less… well… modern. Off the common room were four doors, two to each side. Lauren and Jessica explained that the two to the right were their rooms, and mine was to the left, next to the bathroom we all shared. It looked great to me! I could understand what Mike had said about everybody enjoying the new setup. We moved my things into my room and Mike, Jess, and I left for my big tour.
Thomas Academy was a beautiful school; I had known that from the pictures on the brochures sent to my home in Phoenix. But to see it in real life made everything hit home for me. I was actually going to be attending a private school in northern California. The thought was strange. First we went back to the main building, and Mike told me that all classes were held there on the second and third floor. The right half of the ground floor were faculty offices and the left half was the dining hall. We walked through the upper floors and Mike found each of my classes for me. I hoped I could remember where they were again tomorrow. Then we left out a back door and I could see Medsen Hall to the right. Directly opposite, separated by a courtyard of trees and benches, was an identical building, which Mike told me was Kimball Hall, the guys quarters.
"Technically, there are certain hours guys and girls are allowed over to the other rooms, but sneaking back and forth isn't that hard," Jessica informed me, giggling. "You should come over and hang out sometime, Mike."
"Yeah, that would be fun. I could come see how you're doing, Bella." Jessica didn't look especially thrilled by that comment and I wasn't sure what to say, so I just let Jessica continue her conversation with Mike. He was really friendly with me, maybe too friendly, and I didn't exactly know what to do with that. In Phoenix, I'd never had an issue with guys being interested in me and I had no idea what Mike was thinking. I figured my best bet was to not give him any encouragement other than basic friendship. If he wanted anything more than that, a certain girl named Jessica would be more than happy to oblige.
In fact, I couldn't believe how oblivious Mike seemed to be to Jessica's obvious interest. She laughed at everything he said, asked him about his summer, and compared class schedules. I began to zone out as she dominated the conversation while we walked past the gymnasium, the tennis courts, and the swimming pool toward a path cutting through a line of trees that I had thought marked the boundary of campus. With Jessica hanging on Mike's arm and giggling about how dark it was in the trees, we emerged on the other side facing a huge lawn. Neatly trimmed grass stretched out in front of us and to our right I could see soccer fields and bleachers.
Since it was only Sunday night and school didn't start until the next morning, there weren't many students out on the lawn. I figured most were probably moving their stuff into their rooms, like I would be doing that night. The weather was beautiful, perfect for being outside, and the soft breeze played through my hair. There were some groups of kids dotting the lawn, a few girls walking together, a bunch of guys yelling boisterously- male bonding after a long summer, probably- a group of people throwing a Frisbee. Pretty much, just a lot of people chilling together. If they weren't all strangers and I didn't feel so alone, it would have been a relaxing scene, something about school to look forward to. Mike was telling me something about the gatherings they had had on the lawn last year… when I saw them- him.
A little ways away from us, two girls and three guys were hanging out. The girls sat back on the grass, leaning on their hands, alternately watching the guys and laughing together. One had a statuesque figure to die for and blonde hair that waved gently to her waist and the other one's locks were shiny, dark, and fashionably spiked which exactly fit with her tiny, pixie like frame. Both were beautiful. In front of them, the guys were passing a soccer ball back and forth. They were obviously just having fun, but I could tell that they were really good. The dark, curly haired guy was the tallest and I could see from where I was standing that he was muscled like a serious weight lifter. He headed the ball to the honey blonde one, whose tall, lean frame was the ultimate definition of a California heartthrob as he skillfully handled it, passing it from knee to knee before kicking it over to the last guy. When my gaze settled on him, suddenly breathing was difficult.
His stance was relaxed, fluid as he trapped the ball. I could see the definition in his arms and calves as he moved with the passes between his feet, and I swallowed hard when I stared at his face. Bronze hair tousled in the breeze over a face that could have belonged to a model. The smooth forehead, straight nose, chiseled cheekbones, and strong jaw line were perfect. He was perfect. He laughed at something the blonde guy said, and flipped the soccer ball into the air above him, turning slightly to catch it. In that moment, our eyes met and my heartbeat became slightly erratic.
His eyes were breathtaking. Even across the distance that separated us, I could tell their unique ocher color was like nothing I had ever seen. Those pools of warm gold swallowed me and I could feel heat rising to my cheeks. I forgot that I was staring. I forgot everything but him. He stood frozen as the ball dropped in front of him, until the dark haired guy yelled, "Edward! Quit being a ball hog and pass it back!"
He- Edward, I pronounced it carefully in my mind- snapped out of his momentary immobility and quickly lofted the ball back to his friend. My own frozen state had not gone unnoticed either; Jessica followed my gaze and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "That's Edward Cullen. He's pretty much the most gorgeous thing on campus, but don't even bother. He and Lauren are basically together." I nodded wordlessly. It made sense for two such beautiful people to be a couple, but even if Lauren wasn't in the picture, his perfection was unattainable for someone unordinary like me.
Mike began to notice that we weren't paying attention to his little speech, and suggested that we head for the main part of campus. As we all trooped toward the path that led back through the trees, I couldn't help but glance back at the bronze-haired god- Edward. I was sure I imagined it, but it looked as though his head was just turning back from my direction. I sighed and the scene disappeared through the trees.
Dusk was just falling when Mike dropped Jessica and me off at our room. As soon as the door had closed, Lauren began questioning Jessica. "So, how'd it go?"
"He's just as hot as he was last year," Jessica sighed, her eyes dreamy, "and the year before that…" I reflected doubtfully on what she said. Mike looked like any other guy to me. Sure he was cute, with a baby-face and spiked blond hair, but not my type. What was my type? Unbidden, my mind slipped back to the image of Edward Cullen. Hmm, I reflected darkly, my type must be "impossibly beyond my reach." Sounds promising, Bella. But just remembering his gorgeous features sent a small surge of heat to my cheeks.Fortunately before I got too deep in my memory, Jessica's voice snapped me back to reality. "He really seemed interested in my volleyball tournaments this summer. I think that's a good sign!"
"That's great, Jess!" Lauren encouraged excitedly. "This is totally going to be the year you two get together. You guys were made for each other."
"Thanks Lauren, I hope you're right!" Jessica beamed.
Then Lauren turned to me. "How was the tour, Bella? Thomas Academy everything you thought it would be?"
"It's a beautiful campus," I said. "And I think I know my way around now, so I feel a little better about everything."
"That's good. So where are you from? Jess and I didn't know anything about who we'd be rooming with this year or even that we'd be sharing our apartment, so tell us about yourself," Lauren said.
Her words made me feel like an intruder, but I pushed the feeling away. "Um, I'm from Phoenix, and my first two years of high school, I went to one of the public schools there. My mom decided it was time for a change this year, and shipped me up here. It looked nice…" I trailed off, the wrenching pain in my chest choking my words as I was reminded of the reason behind that change.
"Cool," Jessica said. "I'm sure you'll like the Academy. It's way better than big, dirty, public high schools. And we'll be here for you, right Lauren? We'll introduce you to everyone worth knowing, so don't worry."
"Right, we'll take care of you," Lauren agreed, her smile slightly condescending on her otherwise pretty features. "Do you want any help unpacking?"
"Thanks," I told them, "And no, I think I'll be fine." They wished me a good night and I went to my room. Closing the door, I sat on the bed and shut my eyes, finally allowing the grief to come to the surface. The only reason I was here right now, sitting on this bed, in the middle of this amazing campus, in a whole different state, was because my dad was dead.
I let the tears slide down my cheeks as I remembered the circumstances that had brought me to this place. Charlie had been one of the police chiefs of Phoenix for several years, and my mom Renee and I knew that he had a dangerous job. But nothing really awful had ever happened to him, just the random bruise from dealing with a street fight, or a story about a gun being pulled on him when he searched a drug smuggler's car.
Until that day last April when the gun was actually fired.
Charlie was shot in the chest, puncturing a lung. The doctors couldn't do anything to help him, just keep him alive for a few hours while Renee and I cried and said goodbye. After his death, weeks passed before we could start sorting through his things. Among his papers, we found that he had kept up with his life insurance payments, and a note on the bottom of the first page said, "If anything happens, for Bella's education. Go to college, little girl!" Another tear dripped onto my lap as the words echoed through my mind.
But as the summer passed, I couldn't bear the thought of staying in school in Phoenix. There were too many memories, and I just couldn't handle being in a place that hadn't changed after my whole life had shifted. Renee and I researched other options, and the moment we saw Thomas Academy nestled in the gorgeous scenery of northern California, we knew it was the answer. We would be able to pay for my final two years of high school here, along with a good portion of college after I graduated.
Taking a deep breath, I stood up and made up my mind to make an effort here. Far away from what I knew, I would make a new start. I already had two built-in friends, my new roommates. Lauren and Jessica seemed friendly enough, and they had already promised to introduce me to other people. And I guessed that Mike counted himself as a friend too, so that made three. I unzipped my bags and pulled out my wardrobe, hanging shirts in the closet and folding shorts and pajamas in the drawers of the dresser. Opening the boxes, I set up the decorations I had brought: a few picture frames of my family, a small lamp for the nightstand, and a couple of sentimental trinkets here and there. Setting my computer on the desk, I connected all the power cords, and turned it on. Sure enough, there was an email from Renee, asking if I had arrived safely and if I liked it and what was the weather like and if she didn't hear from me within ten hours of my scheduled arrival, she was going to catch a plane herself looking for me.
I smiled ruefully at my mom's worried tone and set to answering the email. I still had another couple of hours, but Renee was known to jump the gun at times. Hey Mom, I typed, I'm here! All the traveling went fine, and I got here safely. I've already met a couple of people and my new roommates seem nice. The weather is great, and once I've actually been here for 24 hours, I'll probably have some news for you. I'm going to bed now to try and rest before classes tomorrow, but I'll let you know how they go later. I love you! I clicked the send button and turned my computer off. After carrying my toiletry bag into the bathroom and washing my face and brushing my teeth, I changed into a tank top and boxer shorts and climbed into bed. The last thing I remembered before I drifted off to sleep was a pair of warm golden eyes staring into mine.
Edward's POV
I glanced at the clock next to my bed and was frustrated to read 11:47. Almost midnight, and I still couldn't fall asleep. Silence drifted from Emmett and Jasper's rooms across the apartment and I knew they were already asleep. What was wrong with me? It couldn't be first day of school anxiety; I'd attended Thomas Academy since my freshman year, and I would be a junior this time around. Classes would be easy, the soccer season looked good, and I had Emmett and Alice and of course Jasper and Rosalie. So what was keeping me from just falling asleep? If I didn't get rest soon, I would be worthless tomorrow at practice. I rolled on my back and closed my eyes, but all I could see was her face.
I didn't even know her name. We'd all been hanging out on the lawn tonight, Jasper, Emmett, and I messing around with a soccer ball, and Rosalie and Alice watching. After a long summer, I was ready to be back at school for another year, not that it was so much different from home. Jasper and Rosalie were constantly over at our house all summer to be with Alice and Emmett, and I was glad that I got along so well with my brother and sister's girlfriend and boyfriend. We were all practically family and friendship between us was effortless.
Though sometimes, I admitted to myself, I did feel isolated. Emmett had Rosalie, Jasper had Alice, and when they were having "alone time" I was left to occupy myself. It wasn't as though they banished me from their presence; it was just that I didn't really want to witness two simultaneous making out sessions, especially when they involved my brother or sister. That was just awkward.
But usually, we were all our own group, constantly finding new ways to amuse ourselves. If Emmett was involved, the fun was bound to incorporate pranks of some sort. Alice and Rosalie were always up for shopping—groan. Jasper had great taste in movies and always seemed to find something that fit everyone's mood. Tonight I'd wanted to get outside and enjoy the evening air, so we'd traipsed out to the lawn with a soccer ball to relax. And in the midst of tonight's fun, playing around with Emmett and Jasper, I'd turned to land the ball over my shoulder… and saw her.
It barely registered that there were beings next to her, Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley, I think. The only thing that existed in that moment was her. Those wide, chocolate eyes ringed with dark lashes and her soft, full lips set in a heart-shaped face, glossy brown hair that danced around her shoulders in the breeze, her slight figure gently curving. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. When our eyes met, I watched a tinge of pink rush to her cheeks, coloring her face delicately. I couldn't move.
At that moment, Emmett's voice had shouted through my daze, and I broke away from our locked eyes to pass him the ball he was yelling for. I wasn't thinking clearly and something was wrong with my heartbeat. When I turned around again to make sure she wasn't a dream, she was walking back through the trees with the other two and I had an inexplicable urge to run after her and… and… I didn't even know what I would have done.
And now, lying awake in my room at midnight, just reliving those few seconds left my heart racing and the blood pounding through my body. I had never felt like this before, and honestly I wasn't sure if it was healthy. In fact, thinking about it logically, it probably wasn't healthy. I was being deprived of sleep over a girl I didn't even know. Get a hold of yourself, Edward, I admonished, What if she's just as shallow and stuck up as every other girl at this rich kids school? Get a grip, man! I grimaced, Lauren Mallory's face appearing in my head, the ultimate example of snobbishness.
With that thought, I made up my mind. If I saw her again tomorrow, I would give her a chance and see what she was made of. If she was just like all the other girls who strutted through the halls and stuck their noses up to everyone else, then I would find some way to get myself out of this ridiculous mess. And it wouldn't count if she was only friendly to me, either. For some reason I always had more than my share of female attention thrown at me, a fact that Emmett and the others wouldn't cease to tease me about. Truth be told, I could care less if my smile could bring a cheerleading squad to its knees, as Emmett liked to joke. It was downright annoying, if all my looks got me were one-dimensional girls.
Yet something about her eyes… they had looked deeper than I was used to seeing. Maybe there was more behind them than the latest celebrity gossip and following the popular crowd. This is dangerous, Edward. Don't let yourself go too deep, or it will just hurt worse to pull away when you find out she's exactly the same. Even that thought worried me a little. How could I already be attached to someone I hadn't met yet, to a point that I could feel pain anticipating separation? This is bad.
Pushing that thought from my head, I remembered the deal I had made with myself. I would give her an opportunity to prove what she was like and then I could go from there. I felt more settled after making my decision and my eyes began to close, but not without a final image of a blushing angel flitting through my mind.