Holy Crow

Chapter One

"Holy crow…"

I felt my mouth drop, and my eyes go just a little wide. A tall, built, and criminally handsome boy was walking right towards me, smiling and laughing with his friends.

I hardly noticed them though, I could only see the short curly black hair, framing the pale and perfect face of the lightly dimpled God.

"What was that?" Mike asked me. I shook my head, to try and clear it but it seemed suddenly impossible.

"Who's that?" I asked, but before I could get any sort of answer I felt my foot catch on a crack in the side walk, and suddenly the cement was rushing toward my face.

"You alright?" I blinked. Why wasn't I in pain? Where was the blood, the overpowering sense of embarrassment?

Well that last one was coming in bucketfuls now, but the feel of steel, cage-like arms cradling me was enough to make me forget it. My eyes trailed up the strong arms holding me, I almost gasped when my hands pressed onto the firm chest of the man- because that's the only thing he could be described as- holding me.

"Miss?" I blinked furiously trying to clear my head, what was my damage? He'd asked me a question. But suddenly I couldn't remember what it was.

His beautiful, warm honey colored eyes looked into mine, his intense gaze made my eyes go wide. I felt the heat rush to my face as I blushed, more furiously than I can remember ever having blushed in my entire life.

How embarrassing.

He looked like he was going to speak again so I rushed to reassure him, "I'm all good," well that was a lie, but I quickly opened my mouth to say at least something else, "Thank you."

I noticed that I was on my knees, and he was in a low crouch, his large, powerful hands were pressed to my back and holding me securely. I felt an overwhelming sense of safety in his arms, and when he smiled down at me I knew I'd be there for a while yet.

My legs felt like jell-o. I couldn't breathe, and my heart, God my heart was going nuts!

Who was this guy?

"Bella Swan?" his voice- and how I hadn't noticed before was absolutely beyond me- was like music. But loud, and deep. It was almost comforting, alluring, I was absolutely stricken by the tenor of it.

I could feel the small vibrations of his chuckle under my fingers and I smiled back at him. I felt like I looked like a complete idiot, but he didn't seem to notice.

"How'd you…?" I wasn't able to finish my sentence, unsure that I knew what I'd been saying in the first place.

"Heard you hated to be called Isabella," he said my full name in an almost whisper so that I could only hear, like he didn't want to embarrass me anymore than I already was.

"And you?" I almost stuttered over the word, and I hated myself for it.

"I'm Emmett," he smiled again and I had to resist the urge to lift my hand to touch the small dimple it created.

Suddenly it became even harder to breath than before, I looked down and noticed we were standing now, my books were spread all over the sidewalk and grass of the main courtyard but I couldn't bring myself to care.

I could feel his breath on the skin of my face, I was pressed so close to him that our knees touched. I could even feel where my shirt and jacket had risen up in the back, the end of a few of his fingers were pressed against my steadily cooling skin.

Funny, I felt a little faint.

Someone cleared their throat behind me, but I ignored it. He didn't though. I wanted to lift my hands and pull his face back down, I didn't want him to forget me so soon. I could honestly see hating who ever had broken our moment.

"Bella, you're gonna be late for Spanish," I felt the sudden urge to reach down, pick up my English book and toss it at Mike's head. Spanish could wait.

I looked up and noticed Emmett smiling down at me again, my heart fluttered frantically, "Sorry, I've made you late," I blinked stupidly up at him, the bell had rung. His hands loosened their hold and he took a step away from me.

Dammit.

"Here's your books," a bright voice chirped from somewhere behind Emmett. My hands dropped from his chest and a small, but graceful girl appeared suddenly next to me.

"Thanks," I said when I noticed her holding my books out to me. Her beauty took me by surprise, and so instead of taking my books like I knew I should have I stood staring.

Her bell-like laugh cleared my head and with another blush I reached to take my books. She gave me a blindingly brilliant smile before give a mock bow and turning to disappear back behind Emmett, I noticed she ran to a tall lithe blond and took his hand.

I almost gasped, I finally noticed the others that had been walking with Emmett earlier. A group of the most strikingly beautiful people that I'd ever seen. A gorgeous, possible model, blonde standing holding hands with and stone faced, bronze haired male.

They were all pale- and besides the smallest girl who'd handed me my books, and Emmett- giving me looks that made my spine straighten and the hairs on my arms stand up. They looked almost like they hated me.

I looked back up at Emmett when he lifted a hand to do something with a piece of my wild, and slightly damp hair, "I'll see you later, Bella. Have fun in Spanish," I could just be loosing my mind, but I was pretty sure that he'd just winked at me.

I watched as he turned back around to join his friends before they all turned and walked away.

"Oh, my God," I had to fight to turn my head to look at the girl now standing beside me.

"Huh?" I asked dumbly as my eyes turned back to look after the small group.

"I can't believe you talked to Emmett Cullen," she practically shrieked. If it weren't for the fact that I didn't have friends here, and that I needed them I would have glared at her.

"I'm Jessica Stanley, nice to meet you," she took my hand without even asking, I might add, and then she started dragging my off in another direction. Away, from the disappearing friends.

"We're so late for Spanish," I just nodded my head and let her cart me off.

EBEB

It was lunch now, the small cafeteria was filled with a couple handfuls worth of round tables that could fit at least seven people to each. I was probably doomed to sit with Jessica, who couldn't shut up about Emmett throughout the entire Spanish class.

That wouldn't have been bad, but she kept getting us caught. Though I was hardly speaking at all. I'd been more concentrated on- no not class- but my own thoughts concerning Emmett.

I couldn't believe what an idiot I made out of myself, staring and drooling over him. I blushed just thinking about it.

"You actually going to get lunch or what?" I gasped a little in shock and almost dropped my empty tray. The light bell-like laughter started behind me and I looked back to see the smiling girl from before.

"I'm Alice," she said as she leaned forward a little to wave at me. I couldn't help but smile a little, and that only seemed to fuel her fire.

"I'm Bella, it's nice to officially meet you," she gave a confirming nod of her head before reaching for a few things to add to her plate. I did the same and then reached the cash register to pay, much like she did.

"Come on, Bella. You can sit with me!" I was surprised by how excited she seemed, but I tried not to let it show. She balanced her tray on one hand and took an easy swipe before pulling her hand back a little and revealing that she'd taken my jacket sleeve into her hand.

I looked around me and almost blushed again for all the stares that followed me. Jessica looked positively green, I gave a clueless shrug of my shoulders as I noticed Mike glaring. Not at me though, I followed his gaze and it landed on the back of Emmett's head.

Who was fast approaching. I took a deep gulp of air, Alice came to a complete stop- I was just glad that I hadn't run into her- in front of the table filled with the rest of her family.

"Everyone, this is Bella. She's eating with us today," she moved to the side and I could see the rest of the group. Mostly small glares greeted me, I gulped but I didn't have time to say anything before I was tugged down into a seat.

How my tray didn't spill everywhere I wasn't sure, but I was definitely thankful.

"Hi," I mumbled as Alice took a seat next to me.

I looked over to my side, knowing already who was sitting there, and was greeted by the warm smile that had practically made me melt only an hour or so ago.

"Hey, Bells," he gave me a quick wink before moving his arm out, as if he were stretching, and then let his finely muscled arm rest on the back of my chair.

"Bella, this is Jasper Hale, and his twin Rosalie. And then this is my brother Edward," she pointed to each person as she spoke but I wished she wouldn't. I didn't want to bring anymore attention onto me than was necessary.

"Bella," the bronze haired beauty spoke with a nod of his head, his jaw clenched. He looked uncomfortable, but at least he was trying to be polite. My eyes shifted quickly to the porcelain faced blond sitting next to him, she wasn't even looking at me anymore.

"Hello," this reply came from the tight lipped blonde sitting ramrod straight in his chair, I noticed Alice's hand in his, she seemed to be squeezing it. I felt extremely unwelcome, and I squirmed. I wanted to leave.

I was too embarrassed to look up at Emmett, I just reached for my water bottle. I was suddenly not hungry, and I didn't even want to pretend like I wanted to eat.

Why did they all seem to hate me? Well, with the exception of Alice and Emmett. What had I done to them? Nothing, that's what. But why were they acting like I was some leper that had come to burst their happy little pretty party?

I bit my lip, I felt bad about thinking these things about complete strangers, but I wished that I weren't sitting with them. Being with Mike, Jessica, Eric and Angela was far less uncomfortable than this.

"You aren't hungry?" I looked up and Emmett was poking around my plate with a small grimace. I gave him what could only be phrased as a puzzled look and shook my head.

"Not really," he pushed my plate closer to me. The pizza on it, looked suddenly unappealing.

"You need to eat," he looked disgustedly down at my pizza. My eyes shifted down to his own tray full off uneaten food.

"What about you?" I challenged. He looked up at me and shrugged.

"I hate pizza," he said easily. I felt my eyebrows scrunch together in confusion.

"Then why'd you get pizza. They had chicken fingers up there too," suddenly a brilliant smile broke out on his face.

"Hey, why do they call 'em chicken fingers?" he sounded like he was getting ready for a punch line to a joke so I cocked my head to the side a little and shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, why?" I asked. His grin widened further and I felt his cool arm on the back of my chair move forward a little to rest against my back. I tensed, but leaned back almost on autopilot, to get even more contact.

"Me either, I was just curious," I was silent for an anticlimactic moment before I felt a matching grin on my face spread. It was almost as if we didn't have a table full of people glaring at us, or a cafeteria full of kids staring at us with wide eyes and open mouths.

"You doofus," I said, not able to stifle my laughter. I heard his own begin, and suddenly I couldn't stop myself. The tension surrounding us, and the heated stares stuck on us, finally got to me. I couldn't stop my laughter.

I don't know what it was about him, but he seemed to have diffused the situation. At least marginally. Because when we'd both calmed down it seemed that the other's had as well.

Jasper wasn't staring at me like I was some sort of wild animal, and Edward was leaning back in his own chair with his arm around Rosalie. He was poking around his food and drinking water while his hand ran through his bronzed locks indifferently.

Rosalie still wasn't looking at me, but her head was resting against Edward's shoulder and she looked calm. And of course Alice was grinning at us like she had been the entire time while she leaned against Jasper's side.

"I don't think I've ever been called a doofus," Emmett said as he turned in his chair a little to face me, I felt his knee touch mine and I felt heat run through my entire body.

"At least not to your face," I said with a small flush and smile. His bark-like laughter sent happy chills down my spine.

EBEB

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this! I wrote it forever and a half ago, back in summer, and I just finished the last little bit of it. There are eleven chapters in all, and if some chapters are shorter than others, than expect a long one after. All I ask for is reviews, to let me know what you think of it. I don't want to post more if everyone absolutely hates it!


I hope you decide to review!

-Marry