Hello everyone! Before we start, there are a few items that I want to get out of the way. This is my passion project. Twilight is the guiltiest of pleasures for me. I'm using this platform to work on true character development. I write FF by adding another character and researching and hypothesizing how canon characters will adjust course. There are a few changes that I've made in the story as well, which you will see as we progress. I had to shift the timeline just slightly to fit my plot, and it follows the book not the movie. Currently rated T, may move to M.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and locations from the Twilight world, which is owned by Stephanie Meyer. I do not claim ownership of the characters and words that I am borrowing. All characters, with the exception of the protagonist, and created and owned by Stephanie Meyer.

The air was crisp, almost bright despite the gloomy grey clouds that perched as vigilant sentinels across the crowded sky. Alaina hadn't been here long, but it seemed as though a never-ending stream of gloominess encompassed Forks, Washington, but if she was being honest, Alaina didn't mind. She'd always loved the chilly, cloudy days of Autumn in the Midwest, and even though it was February, it felt just like October at home.

Home. The thought sent a pang through Alaina's chest with intense longing. The weather may have reminded her of the bustling streets alive with the highs and lows of humanity, but the similarities ended there.

God, she missed Detroit.

The tangy smell of diesel announced the arrival of the bus before Alaina was actually able to see it and she couldn't help but scrunch her nose in disgust. She didn't know why, but something about busses made her motion sick before even sitting down on the uncomfortable seats.

The dirty yellow bus slowed to a squeaking stop, the doors catching and jolting as they slid open. The driver looked down with a kind smile.

"Good morning!" The bus driver said, giving a short nod in greeting.

Alaina flashed him a nervous smile before heading inside. Luckily, there were only a few other students sprinkled around, so it was easy to find a spot near the back to sit by herself. Swinging her backpack off her shoulders and onto the empty space beside her, Alaina scooted close to the window and placed her forehead against the cold, frosted glass.

Sighing, she closed her eyes, willing her heart rate back to normal as it had immediately started to pick up pace as she felt the driver shift gears and jerkily resume its route. The acid in her stomach began to creep up, and Alaina took a shaky deep breath. She wasn't positive if all this was a result of motion sickness or her nerves getting the better of her. Seeing as she was on her way to a new school in a new town in the middle of the school year, she strongly suspected the latter. Either way, she was miserable.

The feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of her stomach since the moment she had woken up had not eased in the slightest. This was all wrong. It had started with waking up in the wrong bed, in the wrong room that was the wrong color. Even the smell was wrong. Now she was headed to the wrong school, surrounded by strangers in the wrong town.

Alaina spent the entirety of the bus ride taking deep breaths, and adjusting her forehead to a new cool spot on the window once she had warmed the glass too much for her liking. The occasional jerky stops and starts as the driver completed his rounds picking up the small handful of students did little to settle her stomach and Alaina did her best to ignore the increasingly noisy chatter that started up around her. She caught more than a few students giving her curious looks as they entered the bus, but Alaina ignored this as well, doing everything she could to avoid making eye contact and praying fervently that everyone would just leave her alone. Alaina didn't know if it was because she craved her solitude, or the other students - consisting primarily of freshmen - were too hesitant to approach someone who was so clearly an upper classman, but it worked, and they blissfully left her alone.

She knew she stood out, even beyond her obvious status as a new kid. This was the kind of town that was full of All-American kids with All-American families, with their All-American dog living in a house behind an All-American white picket fence. Alaina, with her thick brown hair and thick hips and deep set eyes that easily gave away her immigrant roots was obviously...not.

"Have a good day everyone!"

The bus driver's cheery voice broke Alaina out of her silent misery and she blinked as she looked around. She was the last one on the bus, and the kindly man was looking at her expectantly. Heaving a giant sigh, Alaina gathered her things and leveraged herself heavily to her feet.

"Watch your step," the driver intoned. Alaina gave him a weak smile before dropping down the last step onto the wet pavement.

Even the day was wrong. Who starts a new school on leap year? Starting your new life on a day that barely exists seemed like a bad omen. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to have to try and make new friends. She didn't want to deal with any of this.

It was still raining so Alaina threw the hood of her gray zip up over her hair. She hoped that she was projecting a sufficient "I don't give a shit" vibe to make an adequate first impression to be left alone, but no one seemed to be paying much attention. As she maneuvered through the school parking lot, a large red truck caught her eye. It felt like an accident, something so bright and commanding so much attention in a town that was so dull.

Too soon, Alaina heard a bell ringing in the distance so she picked up her pace, bounding up the stairs to the school that were still slick from the never ending rain. She lost her footing on the last step and stumbled, trying to catch her balance.

"Watch it!"

Alaina was just able to grasp the slick handrail before her knees collided with concrete. Awesome. Off to a great start.

"You ok?"

Alaina turned to find a tall boy jogging towards her, his letterman jacket glistening with moisture and collecting in his shaggy blond hair. There was concern in his eyes, but a boyish grin spread across his face once their eyes met.

"Uh...Yeah, I'm fine." Alaina said, nervously wiping her damp hands on her black jeans before pointlessly adjusting the strap on her shoulder. "Slipped."

The boy nodded with a smile before gesturing for Alaina to continue, using his long legs to easily keep pace as she quickly darted away. Once they reached the squat gray building in front of them, he opened up the door, waiting patiently for Alaina to walk through before following her inside. The courteous gesture made Alaina strangely uncomfortable. Her plan to slip through this wrong day in quiet anonymity was not getting off to a good start.

"You're new."

He could have worded it like a question but she supposed there really wasn't a point. This seemed like the kind of place where everyone knew everyone and if he didn't recognize her, there could only be one reason. Alaina considered ignoring him, but decided that it would be best not to be overtly rude. However, he noticed her hesitation, and his brow furrowed.

Accepting that there was no way out of the conversation, Alaina sighed, reaching up to free her hair from where she had tucked it in her hood.

"You caught me."

The boy smiled at her sarcasm before switching his bag to the other shoulder to free his right hand. "Mike Newton," He said, holding it out for a handshake. A handshake? Oh man, she really wasn't in Kansas anymore. Alaina took the outstretched hand and was momentarily surprised by the firm grip that met hers. "Alaina Pawlowska."

Alaina retrieved her hand and continued walking, Mike trailing close behind as she followed the sign for the main office.

"Russian?"

"Polish," Alaina answered absently, frowning as she scanned the tiny door plaques for the one that would save her from further interaction. It's not that Mike wasn't nice; he really, really was. But that sick feeling from earlier hadn't quite dissipated, and she wasn't really ready to delve head on into the schools social aspect. "I know. It's weird."

"Hey. No. It's cool. Interesting." Mike replied with a laugh. "It's better than Newton. How boring is that?"

Alaina shifted her backpack on her shoulder, trying not to squirm in her discomfort. The attention was unnerving. It almost seemed as though he was… flirting? Alaina dismissed the notion almost the same second it came to her. She knew better. Boy's weren't interested in her. Only time they were is if they wanted something. The thought and the accompanying ghost of memories made her shudder. Alaina spotted the door she was looking for with a wave of relief and slowed to a stop. Mike was still looking at her expectantly, so she awkwardly cleared her throat and pointed to the door.

"Is this the main office?" she asked. Mike blinked, seemingly a little confused by the abrupt change in subject. He glanced at the door before nodding his head.

"Cool, thanks. I'm going to get my schedule. I'll see you around?" She was already half way through the door before she finished her sentence, unable to hear his reply as the door closed just as he was opening his mouth. Leaning heavily against the door, Alaina rested her head back and closed her eyes. This attention isn't permanent. You're shiny. You're new. It'll fade.

"Ms. Pawlowska?" The receptionist asked, causing Alaina to jump at the sound. A short haired and plump brunette seated behind the desk surveyed her over a pair of thin reading glasses, holding a folder of papers expectantly. Alaina cleared her throat and pushed herself away from the door, nodding as she neared the desk.

The older lady smiled at the confirmation. "Welcome to Fork's High. We are very happy to have you."

The woman stood behind the desk and offered her hand for another handshake. Formalities completed, she began pulling papers out of the folder in her hands. "My name is Mrs. Cole and I am the office secretary. Please feel free to come in and ask any questions you may have, though I'm sure the other students and teachers would be more than happy to lend a helping hand." She handed over a sheet of paper. "Here is your class schedule" and pointed to another she had placed on the desk, "and this is a map of the school. You'll see each building marked on the map and there will be a number hanging above each of the main entrances. Easy enough?"

Her smile was genuine, and Alaina tried to return it earnestly, however the expression felt a little odd on her face. She really didn't want to be here, but at least the people were nice, albeit quite fond of handshakes. For a moment, Alaina allowed herself to consider that maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought. Maybe she was being a little bit dramatic…

"Easy enough," she agreed, taking the papers from her. "Thank you."

"Just doing my job" Mrs. Cole said with a friendly wink. Alaina's smile came a little easier this time. She held up her hand in an awkward wave and turned to walk out before Mrs. Cole's voice stopped her. "Oh. Honey. Don't forget. Please have each of your teacher's sign your schedule and return it to me at the end of the day."

Alaina nodded in confirmation. "Uh. Yeah. Okay."

"Alaina?"

Alaina paused with her hand on the door knob, looking over her shoulder in question.

"You're going to be just fine, honey. First day's are always hard, but we're a friendly bunch. Don't worry too much."

This time, Alaina's smile was full and genuine, the older woman's words having put her much more at ease than she had expected. The knot in her stomach loosened just a little and she was able to take a much needed free breath of air.

"Thank you Mrs. Cole." Alaina said, turning the handle and slipping through with a final wave before closing the door behind her.

Alaina studied the papers in her hand, noting her locker number and combination scribbled in neat cursive at the top of her schedule. Looking around, she was able to gather that it was close, and was ultimately able to find it with ease. There were still a few students shuffling around the hallways and while she received a healthy amount of curious glances and heard a few whispers, no one tried to talk to her, and for that she was extremely grateful. Alaina managed to open her locker on the second attempt and frowned a little at the way the stubborn door seemed to catch and creak as it opened. Noticing just how much the crowd around her had thinned, Alaina hastily shoved her wet jacket into the steel cage and winced at the loud crash it made when she swung it closed.

The feeling of peace and acceptance dissipated quickly as she made her way to her first class, the nerves of being the "new kid" returning with a vengeance. At least it was AP English. English had always been her favorite subject back home, so it was nice to at least be starting her day in familiar territory.

Home. The wave of acid in her stomach returned with a vengeance and churned sickeningly.

Alaina tentatively opened the door to the classroom that matched the number on her schedule just as the second bell rang through the tinny speaker in the corner. Everyone else was already seated, and the loud chatter quieted considerably as she slipped through the door. Before she could really get her bearings, a loud and excited voice boomed out, making Alaina jump comically. More than a few students giggled.

"Good morning! You must be Elaine!"

A short and round woman vaguely resembling a beetle flooded Alaina's field of vision, wrapping her pudgy arms around Alaina's shoulders in a hug. Alaina stiffened in surprise, not expecting contact. She awkwardly lifted one arm and sort of patted the shoulder of the short woman in front of her, sighing in relief when she finally stepped away.

"Uh. It's Alaina," she quietly corrected.

The smaller woman nodded her head enthusiastically, her kind eyes hidden behind large blue glasses. She really looked like a beetle.

"Alaina, Alaina, Alaina. I'm so sorry. Won't happen again. My names Mrs. Crawford, and this-", she pulled an old and tattered copy of a book off her desk and dramatically handed it over, "- is Wuthering Heights. We're just starting it, so you shouldn't have too much trouble catching up. Unless you've already read it…" The baubles on Mrs. Crawford's scarf jingled with the woman's enthusiastic movements, the sound as loud and distracting as the woman herself.

Alaina shifted her weight nervously, uncomfortable with being the center of attention for so long.

"Um. yeah. I studied it already at my old school."

"Excellent!" Mrs. Crawford exclaimed, causing Alaina again, to jump. The other students in the class started to giggle again, but she saw more than one pair of sympathetic eyes when she chanced a glance around the room.

"I expect you will have no problem jumping right into classwork then." Mrs. Crawford grasped Alaina by the shoulders and gently steered to her towards an empty seat in the back of the room.

"This will be your assigned seat for the time being."

Alaina struggled to keep from stumbling with the eccentric women's movements and couldn't help but sigh in relief when she scuttled quickly back to the front of the room. "Uh… Thank you," Alaina mumbled, removing her backpack and swiftly dropping into her seat and dusting off the copy of the book still held in her hands. With Crawford's bubbly personality and colorful scarf, Alaina was surprised to see a teacher like this in an English class. She seemed like the type that would be much more at home in something like Art, or…. Art. Perhaps theatre? No. Definitely art.

The eyes that had followed her to her chair slowly began to return to the front of the class, and Alaina opened her bag to remove a notebook and pen before carefully hanging her backpack on the back of her chair.

"Alright everyone! Please get out your books. You should have-"

The door the classroom opened again and Crawford paused, looking over at the newcomer with mild annoyance. Standing in the doorway was a boy that looked so out of place, Alaina felt herself blanch, quietly gasping at the sight. He was tall and lean with honey blond hair falling in soft waves over his forehead, hanging slightly in eyes that Alaina could tell - even from this distance - were a deep and unnatural amber, set in a face that was so unnaturally perfect, Alaina's mind struggled with the possibility that he was even real. His skin was so pale, it almost seemed to glow in the harsh lights of the classroom, standing out in stark contrast to the simple black V-neck and dark jeans that were riding fashionably low on his hips.

He was, quite simply, the most gorgeous person Alaina had ever seen.

The boy looked around and seemed to stiffen, his back going ramrod straight and his face contorting in what looked like pain.

"Thank you for joining us Mr. Hale. Please take a seat."

The boy didn't acknowledge Mrs. Crawford's clipped tone, however, he did proceed to walk stiffly towards the back of the class. Alaina felt her heart rate pick up as he made his way over, and as if in answer, he sharply lifted his head and their eyes locked. If anything, the pained look in his eyes intensified.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right?"

A bright voice, inexplicably close, tore Alaina out of her trance and she jumped, whipping her head around and almost colliding her nose with that of the girl next to her, leaning heavily out of her chair and into Alaina's space.

"What? Oh, umm, yes. Alaina."

The other girl brightened at the introduction, before leaning back into her desk. She was bright and cute in a girl-next-door kind of way, her long light brown hair held back in a thick hair band. Good old All-American Forks indeed.

"Hi! I'm Jessica! It's so nice to meet you. I had heard that there was a new student in school. It's really awesome that you are in my first class. I thought I was going to have to wait forever to meet you. There are so many new people coming to Forks. Isn't that wild?"

Alaina blinked at the onslaught, momentarily speechless at the wave of words that Jessica had just unleashed. Jessica was looking at her expectantly, and Alaina struggled to replay the other girls words in her mind, looking for a question she may have missed.

"Uh. Yeah… Not really a whole lot of room here left…"

Jessica laughed, way louder than Alaina's pathetic attempt at a joke warranted.

"You're funny! You remind me of Bella. She's the other new girl here. Everyone just loves her..." Alaina may have imagined it, but she thought she could detect a tiny hint of bitterness at the comment. The bright girl next to her shook it off easily though.

"You'll have to sit with us at lunch! I can introduce you to everyone"

Before Alaina could reply, Mrs Crawford started up again.

"Anyways. Get out your books. You should have finished the first chapter. I'll give you a few moments to go over your notes before handing out the worksheet. Please work by yourself, then we'll go over it all together."

Alaina smiled apologetically at Jessica before opening her book, however she could tell by the other girl's demeanor that she wasn't going to be let off that easy. Looks like she wasn't going to have to worry about sitting alone at lunch. At least there was that…

Alaina felt the hair rise on the back of her neck and she chanced a glance over to her right. The gorgeous boy had taken his seat and was looking at her with a curious expression on his face. He still had a pained look in his eyes, but it didn't look quite as much like his insides were being pulled out of his nose anymore. The improvement made him, if anything, even more attractive.

Just as the boy was opening his mouth, a wave of calmness washed over Alaina, almost making her shiver. She felt her heartbeat slow and her breathing seemed to even out for the first time that day.

"Jasper Hale," he said by way of introduction. Alaina half expected him to hold his hand out with the greeting, and found herself mildly surprised when he didn't. Not only did it appear to be the norm among the (admittedly few) people she had already come in contact with, she had heard a lot about the many quirks of 'southern hospitality', and the slight lilt to his speech gave away that he was even more of an outsider than she was.

Correctly guessing the source of Alaina's perplexed expression, the corner of his mouth lifted in a slight grin. "Southern transplant".

Alaina smiled nervously, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Um. I'm Alaina. It's.. Uh… It's nice to meet you?" Alaina mentally kicked herself for the way her statement seemed to come out as a question. This was easily the most attractive person she had ever seen in person, and though she never had thought she was that kind of person, it seemed to have the unfortunate effect of making her completely forget how to function. Just as her heart rate began to race again in embarrassment, she felt another wave of calm settle around her shoulders, the muscles she had unconsciously began to bunch relaxing from around her ears.

"How are you liking Forks?" Every word seemed calculated, cautious.

"Mr. Hale! Please do your own work. You will have plenty of time to socialize during lunch." Mrs. Crawford's abrupt voice made Alaina jump again. Jesus. She felt like a jumping bean with how many times she had been startled within the last 10 minutes.

A few of the students snickered into their books. Jessica in particular looked a little smug.

"My apologies Mrs. Crawford. I was just welcoming Alaina to the school and informing her that we are all glad to have another new student among the ranks." Jasper canted his head in her direction and winked. Mrs. Crawford visibly softened at the reply, though her noticeably cold demeanor to the southern boy contrasted drastically with the warm welcome Alaina had received not 5 minutes prior.

Once everyone had quieted back down, Alaina crossed her legs in her chair, using the scuffle to inconspicuously scoot her chair a little closer to the golden boy. She saw him stiffen a little, but other than that, he just looked over at her expectantly. Mrs. Crawford had her back turned and was writing something on the blackboard at the front of the class. Deciding to risk it, she leaned over slightly to answer.

"I like it so far, I guess. I'm from the midwest. It's a little different from back home." Alaina shrugged with the comment, though she was mentally kicking herself for not being able to come up with something more interesting to say. The reality of her situation suddenly flared and Alaina felt a wave of anxiety rise up in her chest. She was actually here. In a classroom on the other side of the country and a new school surrounded by strangers. Before the anxiety could really take hold, the calmness from before smoothed the rough edges in her chest, easing the tense muscles before they could clamp tight. Furrowing her brow, Alaina looked over at Jasper, curious if he had seen her quick escape from the anxiety attack that she knew was hovering just below the surface, but his expression had not changed.

"I'm sure you'll settle in just fine," Jasper said with a kind smile. As if to signal the conversation was truly over, he reached into the bag at his feet and pulled out a copy of Wuthering Heights that was even more tattered than hers, opening it to a random page and seamlessly shifting his attention to the words before him.

The rest of the class passed uneventfully. Mrs. Crawford proved to be as enthusiastic in her teaching as she was in general and Alaina couldn't help but be relieved that she had already read the book at her old school. Crawford was fast paced and Alaina could already tell that she was going to delve into the book on a level that she hadn't reached before. Once the bell rang, Alaina turned to Jasper to say something, but somehow he had already packed up his bag and was halfway across the room, exiting it well before any of the other students had fully stood up.

After AP English was French, then European History, and lastly psychology. Her teachers were all very nice, though none were quite as eccentric as Mrs. Crawford. Quite a few students had come up to introduce themselves and welcome her to the school, but none were quite as persistent as Jessica had been at the start of the day and she had yet to see the other girl since they had parted ways after English with an awkward hug that Alaina didn't feel anywhere near willing to reciprocate. They had just met for god's sake. How on earth did that put them on hugging level?

Alaina followed the general direction of the flow of bodies, not bothering to consult the worn out map she kept tucked in her back pocket. It was clear everyone was heading in the same direction. Sure enough, the flow eventually spilled out into the cafeteria, the walls as gray and unassuming as the sky on the other side of the floor to ceiling windows that flanked the southern and eastern walls.

"Alaina!"

Alaina snapped her head up at the call, scanning the room for any faces that were slightly less foreign. In the corner, she spotted Mike standing at a table and waving her over enthusiastically. Not really seeing any other option, Alaina slowly made her way over, noting that she recognized a few of the other students seated at the table. Unsurprisingly, Jessica was among them.

Mike's waving increased comically as she made her way over, only stopping when she was close enough for him to drape an arm around her shoulders. She stiffened, obviously uncomfortable with his unwelcome touch.

"Hey! This is everyone. Everyone this is Alaina Paw… Pew-"

"Pawlowska," Alaina jumped in, saving the poor boy from further butchering her name.

At Mike's embarrassed frown, she smiled and gently pulled out from under his arm to pat his shoulder. "It's a weird Polish name. No worries. Even I forget it sometimes."

Everyone laughed at her joke, and Alaina slipped her backpack off her shoulder, lowering into the empty seat next to Mike.

"See guys! Didn't I tell you she was funny?" Jessica chimed in, leaning forward dramatically across the table.

Alaina was pleased to note that she wasn't the only one to roll their eyes good naturedly at Jessica exuberance. She knew the other girl meant well, but Alaina couldn't help but find her a little...exhausting.

Once everyone quieted down, Mike turned to the rest of the group.

"This is Angela, Eric, Ben, Jessica-" "We already met" "-and Bella. She was the new girl before you showed up. We sit together most of the time during lunch."

Alaina nodded at each person as they were pointed out, doing her best to try and connect the names with their face and commit them to memory. She was a little overwhelmed, but did her best to try and keep her face relaxed and friendly.

"Don't scare her, Mike. I'm still recovering." The girl Mike had introduced as Bella said, looking over at Alaina apologetically. Alaina smiled her thanks.

Mike smiled sheepishly and raised his hands in surrender. "Whatever dude. Not my fault you're a walking accident waiting to happen."

Bella rolled her eyes before turning back to the newcomer. "So. I know you've gotten this question dozens of times already today, but where are you from?"

Alaina smiled, digging in her backpack for the bag lunch she had prepared before leaving the house that morning. She didn't know if it was the 'cool' thing to bring your own lunch or eat what the cafeteria had thrown together, and she noted with relief that there seemed to be an equal number of each littered about the room. She'd have brought her own food either way, but it was nice not having to worry about another way in which she would stand out.

"Um...Detroit. Michigan. Born and raised… Well.. up 'till now I guess..."

"Pawlowska...Is that Polish?" Bella asked. Alaina looked at her in surprise. "It is. Good guess."

"Aren't Polish people supposed to be really white?" The boy Mike had introduced as Eric chimed in. Angela turned to the boy with a dirty glare and slapped him in the back of the head.

"Eric! You don't just ask people things like that!"

"What?! Aren't they?" Eric looked around seeking a sympathetic face. He was mostly met with rolled eyes and annoyed sighs. Alaina felt oddly touched by the display.

"It's ok. He's right. I'm only half. My mom is from Central America."

Erica looked over apologetically, his cheeks tinted red in embarrassment.

"So, why Forks?" Angela chimed in. Her light brown eyes were kind and her tone was soft. The question was innocent, and honestly, Alaina was surprised that she wasn't confronted with it earlier. However, she still felt her stomach twist as she prepared her lie. Well, it wasn't entirely a lie, just a half truth. Everyone had been really nice. Much nicer than she was expecting actually. But she wasn't ready to talk about it just yet. Or, you know... ever.

"My dad is a construction worker and he got a job out here working on the new interstate project."

The practiced answer rolled off her tongue effortlessly but she still held her breath while she waited for the group's reaction. If the sympathetic nods were anything to go by, it would seem as though they had bought it.

"Man," Eric whined loudly. "More construction to deal with now?! As if the traffic isn't bad enough…"

Both Bella and Alaina barked out a laugh, looking at each other in understanding. If she had to guess, it would appear that Bella also came from a more metropolitan area as well. Traffic? In Forks? They clearly didn't know what traffic even was if they thought a 2 minute wait at a stop light was something to complain about.

"So how does Forks high compare to Detroit? I don't know much about it," Angela asked.

Alaina thought of her old school in Detroit. She thought of the metal detectors at the entrances and the three story brick building everyone jokingly called 'the hive'. She thought of the swarming mass of students constantly littering the halls and grounds, the skin tones of her peers ranging from paper white, to a light brown -like herself- and then to dark chocolate. She thought of the clashing mix of cultures and personalities all crammed and packed in together. Her heart ached as she remembered sitting with her friends during lunch, and she almost resented the strangers around her because of it.

"This is nothing like Detroit," Alaina stated, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. Angela looked taken aback by her tone.

"I went to an all-girls school there. It's a bit of an adjustment." Alaina added with a shrug.

"You went to an all-girls school? No way!" Mike yelled. Alaina winced at the volume, looking around in alarm as a few students glanced in their direction. The boy was about as subtle as a bear in a campsite. Bella gave Alaina another sympathetic look when Mike and Ben smirked, giving each other an obnoxious high five.

Jessica leaned forward conspiratorially. "What was it like? Was everyone a les-"

"This must be a bit of an adjustment for you then," Bella hastily cut in, her eyes flicking to Jessica in a flash of warning. Alaina smiled at Bella in thanks. She was by far the most likable of the group, and Alaina felt herself warming to the pretty brunette more and more every time she opened her mouth. Alaina was about to reply when a flash of pale and gold caught her eye. When she turned her head to look, Alaina suddenly found herself speechless.

A blond goddess -there really wasn't a better way to describe her- floated by their table. The girl was… perfect. Alaina followed the girl with her eyes as she drifted to the back of the cafeteria and sat at a table crowded with four other bodies. When she spotted the rest of her group, Alaina felt her mouth drop open. Of course the painfully gorgeous boy from English was there. She should have expected that. What she didn't expect were that there were three others, all painfully beautiful. Painfully perfect. Alaina felt herself shrink at the sight. What the hell. Was there something in Forks' water?

The sound of laughter broke the spell, and Alaina blinked heavily, tearing her eyes back the group of people around her.

"Looks like she finally noticed the Cullens," Ben said with a smirk. Angela and Eric were giggling good naturedly, while Mike and Jessica both rolled their eyes in thinly veiled annoyance. Bella, for some strange reason, was blushing, staring down into her food as though it were suddenly the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

"Huh?"

"The Cullens," Jessica clarified. There was a bite to her tone, and Alaina didn't miss the glare she shot at Bella.

"It's ok. Everyone has that reaction at first." Ben said with a shrug, leering over at Bella suggestively. The brunette didn't look up, instead focusing intently on peeling a sticker off of the apple that she was working between her fingers.

"They're kind of like the school's royalty," Eric chimed in, digging into the schools spaghetti and shoveling an alarmingly large forkful into his mouth.

"More like the towns royalty" Mike added, the annoyance in his voice only slightly less conspicuous than it had been in Jessica's.

Jessica leaned over and nodded her head at the back table, keeping her voice low as though she were divulging state secrets. Alaina almost rolled her eyes at herself when she instinctively leaned in as well. Ok. So maybe she was a little bit curious.

"The blond girl is Rosalie Hale. You already met Jasper in English. He's her twin. The little one is Alice, the tortured model one is Edward and the big one is Emmett. Those three are blood related. The two groups were adopted by Dr. Cullen. He works down at the local hospital. And get this," Jessica dramatically looked around before leaning even closer. "They're all together."

"Jess..." Bella finally intoned, her face pained and embarrassed. The red tint to her cheeks was still going strong.

"Hey! It's true!"

"Yeah Bells. Just cuz you have a hard-on for Abercrombie doesn't mean they aren't a little...weird." Mike said, shrugging as he too dug sloppily into his spaghetti. Honestly, watching to boys eat was almost disturbing.

"What do you mean together?" Alaina asked, flicking her eyes back and forth from her friends to the captivating group at the back of the room.

Angela rolled her eyes at Jessica's theatrics. "Alice and Jasper are a couple. So are Emmett and Rosalie. Edward is single."

"For now," Jessica muttered into her coke as she took a sip. Bella's blush impossibly deepened even further.

Eric and Angela giggled, but Mike rolled his eyes with a sneer. Sounds like there's a little bit more to the story here.

It was unnerving how physically perfect they were. Even from across the room, it was impossible to miss. The big one (Emmett?) immediately caught her eye above the rest. He was big. Like really big. The material of his simple black button up was straining around the muscles of his forearms and pulled fashionably taught across his broad chest. His cheekbones flashed prominently high on his face beneath deep set eyes that did little to hide the startling bronze of his irises. His hair was dark and thick, the cut shorter than his brothers. If Alaina was being honest, the only real resemblance he shared with his brother and sister were their darker hair and eye color. Whereas Edward was lean and sleek, obviously nearing the end of his transition out of his teenage boyhood, Emmett looked like a man. A handsome man. An ungodly perfectly handsome man. An ungodly perfectly handsome man that was looking at her. Shit!

Alaina quickly ducked her head, her eyes wide while her heart raced uncomfortably in her chest.

Angela laughed and rested her hand gently on Alaina's shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll get used to them. They mostly stick to themselves anyways."

Alaina smiled shakily, a blush of her own flooding her cheeks at having been caught so obviously staring.

"Have you had any chance to explore Forks yet?" Bella abruptly asked. Alaina looked over in gratitude at the change of subject, suspecting that she wasn't the only one that was eager to talk about something other than the Cullens.

"Um… Not really. We really only just moved here."

"Hey! You should totally come with us to La Push," Mike blurt out, causing Bella and Alaina to jump.

"La Push?"

"La Push, baby!" Eric said excitedly. "It's a beach a while away from Forks. The waves are wicked this time of year. You should totally come with!"

Alaina suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. Eric and Mike were looking at her in thinly veiled excitement, and Ben was nodding enthusiastically. "I actually don't-" Bella cleared her throat, glancing at Alaina with an almost desperate look in her eye. The message was clear. Please come. Please don't make be go to this thing with them by myself. Alaina didn't know if it was because of a strange sense of camaraderie due to being the other new girl, or because she actually genuinely liked the girl, but Alaina found herself nodding, forcing her lips into a gracious smile. "OK. Yeah. That sounds fun."

Alaina had to quell the giggle in her throat when Bella's shoulders dropped in a sigh of relief, mouthing thank you when she glanced up with a smile.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the boys at the table all groaned as they rose and started making their way to the exit. Alaina frowned. In all of the excitement she had barely touched her lunch. Bella took her time packing up her things, lingering behind as she waited for Alaina to do the same.

"What do you have next?" the brunette enquired as they made their way into the bustling hallways. Jessica and Angela were walking slightly ahead of them. The boys were already long gone.

"Um…" Alaina pulled her schedule out of her pocket and scanned the page. "Biology with Mr. Banner."

"Nice. Same." Bella said, her face lighting up. "I'm sure you're still figuring your way around, so I'll show you the fastest route."

"Yeah… Thanks", Alain replied shyly.

"Hey, I was new about two months ago. I know what it's like being the shiny new toy. They mean well…", Bella trailed off with a shrug.

"Yeah. Everyone has been really nice so far. It's just...different."

"I know what you mean. When I first got here, it felt like I was the only normal one here, you know?"

"Yeah. I really do." Alaina laughed. "How long ago did you move here?"

"Oh… Five weeks, 6 days and... 22 hours?" Bella shrugged. "I'm practically a native."

Alaina laughed. "So… Now that you're a Forks High veteran, are you still the only normal one?"

Bella scrunched her face up in thought. "I think I might be. Yes."

Again, Alaina laughed. Bella was… well she was actually pretty cool. Out of everyone she had met thus far, Bella was probably the one Alaina felt most likely to be actual friends with. Her and maybe Angela. Jessica and the boys? Not so much.

The girls walked in amicable silence, slowing as they approached a classroom number that Alaina recognized from her schedule. Alaina smiled at Bella as the brunette gestured for her to go through first.

She quickly scanned the room, only for her eyes to skitter to a stop when she spotted a pair of familiar golden eyes staring at her curiously from a seat towards the back of the room. This one must be Edward, the 'tortured model'. The description was actually pretty accurate. His hair was longer than she was used to seeing on most boys, and styled in a manner that looked as though he had just crawled out of bed, but meticulously enough to be anything but an accident. Like his siblings, he was unearthly beautiful and he definitely looked like he belonged more on a runway in Milan than sitting in the back of a dingy classroom in a tiny blip of a town on the west coast.

Alaina felt Bella approaching her from behind and the boys eyes immediately shifted, fixing on the brunette behind her with an almost shocking intensity.

Alaina glanced behind her and noticed that Bella was staring right back, her cheeks coloring again with another blush. OK. There was definitely more to this story.

"Alaina!" Alaina ripped her eyes from Bella's intense staring contest and looked around the room. Mike was waving her over enthusiastically, gesturing to the empty seat next to him. She felt her stomach drop when she noticed that the only other vacant spot was next to the Cullen, and she instinctively knew that she should leave that to Bella.

"Seats everyone!" Mr. Banner called out. He was a portly man that looked to be in his mid-40's, and was sitting at his desk, staring intently at his computer screen. Alaina looked around in chagrin. She and Bella were the only ones still standing.

Bella finally ripped her eyes from Edward and looked at Alaina apologetically when she too noticed the seating arrangements. Alaina shrugged and made her way to her spot, dropping herself heavily into her seat.

She had barely moved to open her backpack before Mike eagerly leaned over.

"So, about your all-girls school…"

The BIGGEST shout out and thanks to my beta/co-writer/fanfic recommender farfrom7. I truly don't know what this story would do without you!