Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters used in this story, Stephanie Meyer does. However, I do own my own delusions, which can be found throughout. Enjoy :)

White Houses

EPOV

Red, blue, yellow, white. Red, blue, yellow, white. Red, blue, yellow, white. I wasn't sure whether I was enthralled or unnerved by the monotony as I took my first slow drive through Mason Village. I was searching for "4-White", which I had been told by the registrar would be my abode for the duration of my first year at Wickham University.

Wickham was a moderately sized university in Maine. I couldn't say what made me decide to take the offer to go there, rather than to go to a more recognizable place like Stanford or NYU. I suppose it was just because it was unexpected. Everything else in my life had been anticipated and planned to the tee.

Mason Village was basically just a long street of houses just off campus. It had been built and paid for by a wealthy alumnus, Louis Mason, who had set it up to be a residence for first year students. The 'Village' as it was affectionately known around campus, boasted the opportunity to get to know your peers in a safe and comfortable independent home.

The street was narrow with houses lining each side in blocks of four. Each block had a red, blue, yellow and white townhouse, each house was tall and thin, and the rows were attached. At the end of each row was a small parking lot with four rows of parking, each with six spots. Mason Village was nothing, if not thorough.

After every block of houses, on the opposite side of the parking lot, was a smaller bungalow entitled, "House Parents", or, as they're more commonly known, residence attendants. They were older students who would essentially look after us and keep us in line. Each house had one parent, so one third year student to monitor six first years.

I pulled up to the block that had a large "4" brandished on a boulder sitting in the front lawn. Each group of four shared a common yard with picnic tables and a few big trees. The whole thing was very Stepford.

When I pulled into the parking lot I found the row of spots marked "white" and pulled in next to an old beater. I wasn't sure if I was pleased to find that I wasn't the first person here. I would have liked to get the lay of the land before meeting those who would become my house-mates for the year, but it was kind of reassuring to know that I wasn't just going to be walking into a big, empty house and waiting alone for strangers to fill it.

I shut off my car, also a beater. My parents were wealthy, but I opted not to flaunt that when I left for school. University students are notoriously poor, I didn't want to separate myself from them any more than necessary. I bought the car before leaving home, and picked it up upon arriving in Maine.

I opened the car door and breathed deeply. The air was crisp for September, and I hoped it was just a fluke. Coming from Southern California, I wasn't used to the cold, and I didn't relish the thought of winter in Maine. I hauled open my trunk and began unloading my bags when a massive human specimen appeared next to me. My natural instinct was to back away from the mammoth creature, but when my eyes finally found his face I was met with a wide grin, and dimples that could melt the heart of the most ruthless serial killer.

"Hey bro!" he greeted. His voice was booming, just about what you'd expect for someone of his stature. He had to be at least 6'5, and he was about the most muscular person I'd ever met. He grabbed my right hand roughly in his and shook it. "I'm Emmett McCarthy. You a whitey too?" he asked. I couldn't help but chuckle at his exuberance. It was settling. I felt some of my nerves flutter away.

"Yea, I guess you could say that." I shook his hand. "Edward Cullen."

"Well, Eddie. Looks like we're gonna be roomies!" he exclaimed. I shook away my irritation at being called "Eddie". Emmett was nice, but there was clearly room for improvement. "Hey, let me help you with those," he said, gesturing to my four bags. I smiled and nodded, grabbing two, while he took the other two and slammed my trunk shut before leading the way inside. I briefly took notice of a piece of paper on the door with seven names scribbled on it, six under the title "tenants" and one under the title "house parent".

I assumed the inside of the houses would look similar, just as the outside did, but Emmett assured me each one had its own special touches. He had gone around and introduced himself to the neighbours already. It didn't take long to realize that Emmett was just a really, really friendly guy.

The foyer was small. It was a split entry with two sets of stairs, one leading up, and one down, while another set of stairs lead up once more from the second floor. On the second floor light spilled from the kitchen and living room that I could see bits of. Emmett led me to the stairs heading downward and I followed wordlessly.

"I set up in the basement," he told me. "I checked the place out. There are three rooms up and three down, but I know there are three girls coming, so I thought I'd take the basement. You know, spiders and all that. Girls love that chivalrous crap." I laughed. Emmett was turning out to be pretty cool. I hadn't met anyone quite like him before, going through fancy prep schools in So-Cal. He was refreshing.

I followed him into the basement and found a small hallway with two rooms on either side, and a closed door at the end of the hall. The first room on the left was the bedroom clearly claimed by Emmett, as the door held a small plaque declaring "Emmett's Lair". I chuckled at that before stealing into the room diagonally across the hall. The room across from me, next to Emmett's, was another sizable bathroom. I would have to explore the house when I got a chance.

Emmett set down my bags in the room I had claimed, and I set down the rest next to them. He swiftly made his way back out the door.

"I'll let you get set up. You want a sandwich or something? I'm freaking starving!" Of course he was. He looked like he probably needed an IV pumping nourishment 24/7 in order to run his tank of a body.

"That's alright. I'll make myself something later. Thanks man," I told him. He grinned back at me, that same wide, dimpled grin. I was sure the ladies upstairs wouldn't last long against him.

"Sounds good. Let me know if you need anything, Eddie," he said, retreating.

"It's Edward," I corrected. I could hear his booming laughter down the hall.

"Whatever you say, man!"

I shook my head, laughing lightly to myself. Well, the year wouldn't be boring, I could say that with relative certainty. I took the silence to gather myself and take in my surroundings. The room I had chosen was small, but I assumed they all would be. It had a window near the top of the wall with a ledge. The window didn't afford much light, one of the hazards of living in the basement. There was a small single bed against the right wall, with a desk next to it. The desk had a reading light and a couple of drawers.

There was a closet and a dresser, which I determined would be more than enough for my minimal needs. I was anxious to move past this room and size up the rest of the house. I hadn't gotten a good look at the kitchen and living room, but I assumed that's where I would spend most of my time. My room would be fine for studying and sleeping in, but it was hardly a 'living' space.

I heard the door upstairs open and shut a few times, and Emmett's booming voice welcoming two more people who quickly shuffled upstairs while I unpacked. I didn't want to be anti-social, but I wanted to get the unpacking out of the way. If there was one thing worse than packing, it was unpacking.

When I had successfully put all of my belongings away, I stacked my bags together. I stepped out into the hallway and pulled open the door at the end, pleased to find a sizable storage space with Emmett's bags already in the back corner.

As I was stowing mine, another guy stepped out into the hall with his bags, I stepped aside so he could put his in there as well.

"Hey," I greeted as he came to stand in front of me. I held out my hand, and he gave it a firm shake. I like a man with a good handshake. "Edward Cullen," I introduced myself.

"Jasper Whitlock, man. How's it goin?" he greeted.

"Not bad, man. How you likin' the Village?" I asked, we both headed toward the stairs chatting, when we heard Emmett yell, "We've got another one!".

"That Emmett guy..." I said, letting my sentence trail off. Jasper laughed whole heartedly. I could tell I'd like him.

"Yes," he agreed. "That Emmett guy." The two of us chuckled as we headed up to help the newest tenant move in.

BPOV

"I can't believe we're doing this. Why are we doing this, Alice?" I cried, sitting in the passenger's seat of Alice's car and holding on for dear life. I'd had years to get used to Alice's driving style, but I could never really get rid of that fear for my life I had every time she broke the sound barrier.

"Because it'll be a good experience! And you needed to get out of Forks, Bella. Seriously. Besides, I'm so glad you're coming with me to Wickham. It just wouldn't be the same without you," she said with a smile. Alice was always so positive. I wish I could have a piece of her confidence.

We'd been driving for a couple of days, stopping at motels along the way. Charlie, my dad, had offered to pay for airplane tickets so we could fly from Washington to Maine, but Alice insisted that we drive. She wanted to take that big, adventurous cross-country road trip after high school, and decided that this would be the perfect way to do it. I went along with her just because that's what I always did. Alice was the idea-maker, I was just her trusty companion. That dynamic worked for me, since I couldn't be bothered to care.

Charlie had been hesitant to let me go, after all of the issues I had faced through high school. But when Alice announced that she was moving clear across the country for university, I just didn't know how I'd continue to cope without her. I couldn't go to school in Seattle with her in Maine, so I decided to go with her. It took me a little work, but I finally convinced Charlie that it would be good thing for me to get out of Forks, or, as Alice liked to call it, the 'scene of the crime'. Her statement was, in actuality, quite literal.

I felt bad leaving my dad all alone, but I think he was just glad to see me excited for something, for the first time in three years. He actually told me that he was glad to see me smiling again, as he hugged me goodbye. It made me shiver, to realize that my dad had actually been privy to my darkest days, even when I thought I'd been fooling him.

I put on a brave face at the beginning of our trip, but once we cleared the Maine state line, I felt my stomach begin to do flops. What was I thinking? We were going to a school way too far away for my cop dad to rescue me. We were living in this damn "Mason Village" that Alice couldn't stop raving about, and what's more, three of our roommates would be guys. Guys! How on earth did I let Alice talk me into this?

I tried to settle my breathing as she pulled onto the street. It was like its own gated community just off campus, with a big sign reading "Mason Village" overhead. It was a long street with rows of houses on either side. The row closest to the door was the last one, I assumed, marked "30" by a large rock outside. We were searching for "4" which was almost at the very end, on the right hand side. Alice pulled into the marked parking lot for the "white" house (ha! We were living in the white house... my dad and I had shared jokes about that before I left).

We hauled ourselves out of the car, and were almost immediately bombarded by a mammoth creature. I instinctively took a step back and felt for my pepper spray in my coat pocket. Alice, friendly as ever, bounded over to him with a big grin, holding out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Alice!" she greeted. He grabbed her hand and shot her an incredible smile. I have to admit, his dimpled face hardly seemed like that of a sadistic serial killer. I took my hand off the weapon.

"I'm Emmett McCarthy. I take it you two lovely ladies are whiteys, like me?" he asked. Alice nodded exuberantly and the two began to make conversation while they pulled our bags out of the car. I could immediately draw comparisons between Emmett and Alice. It was like they were twins separated at birth... if you ignored their stature. While Emmett was a massive human being, Alice barely made it to 5 ft. I made fun of her about it, even though I wasn't terribly tall myself, at 5'4. I began pulling out some bags, when Emmett turned to me.

"And what's your name?" he asked. I tried to relax. He seemed nice enough, if a bit overbearing.

"Bella Swan," I answered, allowing him to grab my hand. His grip was pretty tight. I had to flex my hand when he released it.

He and Alice talked as they both grabbed some bags and headed inside. I grabbed a few more and brought up the rear while Emmett led us inside.

"We guys took the rooms downstairs. We thought you might like to have the upstairs rooms," he said, heading up the first staircase and turning onto the next. I wasn't looking forward to climbing two sets of stairs every time I wanted to get to my room. Oh well... I guess I couldn't avoid exercise forever.

"That's nice of you," Alice said. I could tell she was excited about everything. Her already high voice gets a few pitches higher when she's really excited. Emmett set the bags he was carrying down in the hall and walked back to the stairs.

"I'll get the rest of your bags for you girls and leave you to settle in," he said with a big smile. I appreciated his help. He was definitely making a good first impression.

"He's huge!" Alice commented, once he disappeared from our sight. I giggled a little.

"That's putting it lightly. The guy puts the green giant to shame." Alice grabbed her bags and slid them into the room nearest the stairs on the right. I decided to go for the room just next door to hers. There was another one across the hall next to a bathroom, and a storage closet at the end of the hall. It seemed like a perfectly functional floor.

Emmett came back up and set the rest of the bags on the landing before offering sandwiches. We both politely declined and set to work unpacking. I finished rather quickly, and decided to help Alice out. Of the six bags between us, four of them belonged to her. I had no doubt that at least half of my closet would become home to her shoes.

We finished up Alice's room just as the door was opening and another person was being welcomed. We both decided to go downstairs and meet the new tenant. He was a tall blond guy, and I knew right away that Alice was smitten. He had a charming southern drawl that drew you in, and a lovely smile. He introduced himself as Jasper.

A while later we heard another car pull in and poked our heads out so see if it was another "whitey". It was a covertible, filled to the brim with bags.

"We've got another one!" Emmett exclaimed, heading out. He had made himself the unofficial welcoming committee, but Alice and I decided to go out too. I, by nature, was antisocial, but Alice would never let me hide away.

Just as we stepped out the door, we saw Jasper coming up the stairs with someone I hadn't met yet on his tail. While Jasper and Emmett were both very attractive, neither of them had anything on this guy. He was long, lean, with incredible bronze hair. When he stepped outside I could see the sun reflecting off his deep green eyes, and I lost myself in them just a little bit. He grinned at me, and I immediately felt a little shaky.

"Hi, I'm Edward Cullen," he said, holding out his hand to me. I let him shake my hand, still not really saying anything.

"Hi Edward," Alice said from behind me, grabbing his hand from mine and shaking it. I missed the feeling of his hand in mine. I couldn't tell you why. "I'm Alice, and this," she said, elbowing me, "Is Bella." I realized I hadn't introduced myself to him. I hoped I didn't look like a complete moron. He just kept grinning that beautiful grin and looked between us.

"Nice to meet you Alice," he looked to me, "Bella." His lips looked so perfect forming my name. His voice was like butter. I had to snap out of it.

Luckily, there was a distraction. Emmett came back up to the group, hauling two massive bags.

"Hey guys, we could use your help," he said, gesturing toward the car. Standing beside it applying lip gloss was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen in person. She had long flowing blond hair, a gorgeous face, and a body that gave me a bit of a girl crush. Behind her, her car was practically overflowing with bags.

"Who is she?" Alice asked.

"Rosalie Hale," Emmett said, with a bit of a grin. Well, I guess I couldn't blame him for wanting to tap that... I certainly did. We all got the hint right away and headed to the car to help carry in all of Rosalie's worldly possessions.

A/N: Just so you know, Wickam is a fictional university, so unfortunately you can't stay in Mason Village. If anyone has ever been to Newfoundland, they have these row houses that are how I'm picturing the residences, feel free to google "Newfoundland Row Houses" to get a visual.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts!

Christie