I sped down the winding back roads going 80mph in a 35mph zone. I was going to be late for the first day of senior year. Just thinking about this being my last year of high school made me feel excited and anxious. This time next year I would be sharing an apartment on Yale's campus with Emmett, the love of my life. I had already begun to fantasize about our time at Yale together. After this year of separation, next year would be bliss. I turned a sharp corner into the school parking lot. The front lot was completely filled. Go figure. I thought. I drove around and parked in the back lot where the teachers park. Some students park back there too but the front lot has easy access in and out of school. I turned off the car and stepped out into the heat of September. It was a particularly hot morning and I worried that my hair might frizz. I had to look good for my yearbook picture. I walked up to the big double doors of St. John's Academy and pushed the buzzer. Ms. Smith's voice came over on the intercom, "Late on the first day, Rosalie?" She chuckled and opened the doors for me to come in. I walked into the main office to get a late pass and possibly demerits for my tardiness. Tardiness was not acceptable at St. John's. "Good morning Ms. Smith." I said sweetly and smiled. She looked up at me from a stack of paperwork on her desk and gave me a light smile.
"Good morning Rosalie. So what's the excuse for being late? Car trouble?" she inquired sternly.
"I, uh, slept late Ms. Smith." I explained a little bit embarrassed.
"I thought so. Well let's not let it happen again. I'll give you a late pass and since it's the first day I won't give you demerits." She said and began signing me a late pass. She handed me the late pass.
"Thank you so much Ms. Smith. You're an angel." I thanked with a wide smile.
She laughed. "You be good this year Rosalie. I don't want to have to give any demerits for tardiness and say hi to Emmett for me. We're going to miss him around this place." She said with a smile and wave good-bye.
"Don't worry Ms. Smith I'll stay out of trouble and I'll tell him you said hi." I said and walked out of the office.
Unfortunately for me my homeroom was all the way up on the 4th floor. I began my climb up the stairs. School is going to be so different this year without Emmett. I thought as I trekked up the steps. Emmett and I were inseparable during school. We had been going out since he was junior and I was a sophomore. He was the quarterback on the football team and captain of the basketball team. I was the gorgeous, popular soccer player. We were the power couple. Now he was in New Haven and I was Hartford. Despite his absence, I was going to have a good year. I finally reached the last stair and walked down the hall to room 414. I started to walk towards the open door of the room. I heard the voices of my classmates talking loudly. I was in the doorway when all eyes turned towards me. It would have made me nervous if this didn't happen all the time. I walked into the classroom towards the teacher's desk to give her my late pass. I heard a wolf whistle and turned my head sharply and saw it came from Royce King. He had a huge smile on his face and gave me a wink. I rolled my eyes at him.
"That's enough Royce." Said a stern voice behind me.
I turned my head and saw what I thought was a teacher. She had to be a teacher because she wasn't wearing an ugly plaid skirt and white polo. She was extremely young looking. I guessed about late 20s. She had long wavy brown hair that hung past her chest. Her face was friendly and she had some freckles. Her chocolate brown eyes stared directly into mine and made me lose my train of thought. I stood there dumbfounded by her youth and beauty.
"I'm Ms. Swan." She said sweetly giving me a dazzling smile. "You must be Rosalie Hale. I'll take your late pass and go fix the attendance sheet since you're here." She said and held out her hand for the pass.
"Oh. Uh. Yeah. Here you go." I said stupidly as I handed her the pass. She took it and went back to her desk. I went to go sit next to my friend since kindergarten, Alice.