It was the first day of school at Forks High.

I inhaled deeply, and besides the smell of wet earth filling up my nostrils, I could also smell something else – a new beginning.

"Aah," I breathed as I exhaled through my mouth.

I could already taste it.

I stood next to my rusty, red truck which was parked very close to the school's main doors. Good parking space was hard to find. But today, I took it as a positive sign of good things to come - although it was probably because I came very early. After a few short minutes, I noticed more and more early birds starting to arrive.

Probably excited about going back to school. I thought to myself. But not as excited as me. I giggled softly.

Today was my first day as a senior student and my friend Alice and I vowed to make it the most memorable one of our boring life. But I doubted her life could be as boring as mine.

As a straight A student, I was a daughter any mother would love. My life was so predictable, so ordinary like your average 18-year-old teenager. I believed I'd spent three-quarters of my life in the library and I wasn't proud of that fact. But this year, this year was going to be different.

All because of one person. The love of my life. My reason for breathing and why I always attended all basketball games for two years although I didn't even know how many players constitute a team.

Jasper Hale.

Saying his name sent chills up my spine. I leafed through the pages of my assignment notebook. Yeah, I still kept one although Alice always shook her head disappointedly at me whenever she saw it.

Slipped inside the pages, the pink, fragrant stationery paper brought me to smile.

It was a love letter I had laboured for a week. It was the confession of my soul. Like being naked in front of him.

My cheeks flushed at the work naked.

"Hey, Bella! You're early again. You didn't even wait for me to pick you up. I thought we were going to school together on our very last first day of high school!" Alice said all that in one breath. Then she pouted automatically when I turned to her.

"I was –" I started but she interrupted me.

"Why is your face so red?" She glanced around us. "Is he here yet?" Her voice dropped into a whisper but I think it wasn't low enough still.

"No!" I whispered back. I pulled her to the corner beside the stairs to the entrance.

"Remember when we said we were going to make this the best year?"

"Uh huh?" She said, her eyes getting wider and wider.

"Well, look at this." I showed her the love letter I wrote. She read it very quickly and she was jumping on her toes throughout.

"This is really sweet, Bella! It's so you!" She said excitedly. "Especially the line from 'Romeo and Juliet'.

I thought I heard a sarcastic tone there on the last bit but decided to ignore it. Nobody could ruin this burning hope in my guts.

"Thanks, Alice," I said. "But what if, you know, he just shrug it off? He doesn't even know I exist!"

"Bella, Bella. You burn the bridge when you get there!"

My forehead creased at that. But, whatever.

A shrill voice suddenly called out Alice.

"Alice! Meeting!" Strikingly beautiful and blonde Lauren Mallory said to her while pointing at her brand new watch.

"See you later." Alice winked at me and wished me good luck. She then rushed off to a group of tall and sophisticated girls who were all members of the cheerleading squad.

Like I said, Alice and I were very different. I preferred to watch at the sidelines while she liked to be in the centre of things. We just shrugged it off because we knew that these are just superficial things. Our friendship went deeper than that.

We'd known each other our whole lives but we became close when she saw me crying alone in the classroom when we were in fourth grade. My father had recently died and I missed him terribly. She made me laugh and made things tolerable for me. I loved her since then, and I knew she loved me just as much.

I looked at the folded pink paper in my hand. I would try to be different now. More aggressive. More like Alice.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a big hand snatched the pink paper from my hand!

I gasped loudly.

My eyes bulged.

I gritted my teeth.

The hand belonged to an unbelievably tall guy with bronze hair and crooked grin. He was smiling devilishly to me as if he was taunting me. Well, he was.

"What's this? A love letter for Romeo?" He asked. I noticed his voice sounded like he just woke up from bed.

My cheeks instantly felt hot. I really did copy a few lines of Juliet for Romeo so he was somewhat close to the truth.

"Give it back," I ordered him in my most determined voice. I splayed my hand expectantly.

But of course, with that devil look in his face, he wouldn't disappoint.

"Don't I get to read this first?" He asked in a very, very irritating tone.

"No!" I shouted at him. "Just give it!" I started jumping for it but he threw his arm upward so I couldn't reach it.

I looked like a kid being bullied.

"I want to read it first." Then he unfolded it and read it, his arm still above his head. I noticed his lips moving as he went through the lines. I was still jumping to reach it no matter how useless.

"Hmm.. Jasper, eh? A member of the Roaring Forks." That was the name of our school's basketball team.

I immediately regretted writing too much specific details. But how would I know I would meet this obnoxious and rude boy pretending to be in high school?

Tears stung my eyes. I couldn't help it especially when I was angry.

"Are you crying?" His green eyes stared at me. He stopped his stupid grin.

I rubbed my eyes none too gently. I was still really angry and I was taking it out on myself.

"Give it to me," I repeated.

"Why would I? It's mine now." His crooked smile was back.

I opened my mouth and closed it again. I controlled myself internally. Once I spoke too soon, I knew I would break down.

My eyes tightened.

"I'd give it back to you…" His voice trailed off.

I narrowed my eyes. I didn't like the sound of it.

"…if you agree to be my slave for a month."

For the first time in my life, I wanted to curse at somebody.

"Are you for real?" I snapped at him.

"I'm new here. Can't you cut the new guy some slack?"

How he was taking the situation so calmly tempted me to punch his red lips.

So that was why I didn't recognise him. I spent my whole schooling life here in Forks and with how small the student population was, it was impossible not to know anyone.

So at least he didn't know who Jasper was.

"I'm not a slave."

He sighed. "Then I guess you won't be needing this." He flipped my letter in front of my nose.

My lips twitched and his eyes dropped to look at them. His hand suddenly brushed my lips and I felt electricity all the way to my toes. I jerked my head off his hand.

"What are you doing?!" I wiped my lips to show him I was disgusted.

He just smirked. "Do you want it or not?"

I tried to snatch it again from his hand.

He shook his head teasingly. "No tricks, please."

I was already fuming. I looked around us. Many students were filing into the entrance and they were looking at us as they passed. Especially the girls. Well, they were looking at him only.

Traitors.

"For a week, right?" I finally relented to what he wanted.

"Yep." He smiled again as if he was expecting my agreement.

"Then you'll give it back?"

"Maybe."

I raised both my eyebrows and looked at him sharply.

"If you're nice." There went his damn smile again.

I licked my lips. His eyes went down again to stare at them.

I panicked. He might touch me again and I didn't want to feel…that again.

"I'll see you around," I told him as I turned to go.

"Wait, shall I call you slave or are you going to tell me your name?" He touched my shoulder to stop me.

I felt it tingle despite my brain's involuntary reaction.

"Bella."

"Bella…?

"Swan."

"Edward Cullen." He raised his right hand, expecting a handshake.

I stared at it but something inside me warned me of electrocution so I glared at him and walked away.

"You can't avoid me, you know," he said loudly.

I felt embarrassed as witnesses started to whisper about us.

But I had a feeling his words rung true.

This year was really going to be different.