The next few days passed slowly and uneventfully. Classes were fairly boring. Some people still attempted to befriend me, but I blew them off in a similar way to Katie. They probably all thought I was a horrible snob, but that couldn't be helped.
On Thursday morning I realized I had run out of food. I had noticed my lack of income over the last few days- I couldn't afford to go to the supermarket, and now was too late to run down and get something for lunch. I would have to face my greatest fear- the cafeteria.
I had avoided the cafeteria my whole life. In Australia they weren't as common, but they were everywhere in America. In my opinion they were hot-zones for chaos. There were no escape routes- such as the need to go somewhere, listen to the teacher or do our work- to save me from unpleasant conversations. What there was were lots of distracting noises, that seemed to be specifically designed to make me say something I shouldn't, and give to much away.
I went to the cafeteria with my head down. Why, why did I have to wear my white beret today? I stood out like a beacon in the drab room.
I lined up for my room, choosing some fruit. Now I really was out of cash. But there were worse things than being hungry for a little while...
As I thought about what I could eat for dinner that was free, I couldn't resist peering around the cafeteria at the other students. Some were looking at me, but most were wrapped up in their own conversations. A pale face caught my attention. It was the surly boy from my Biology class, the one with the desk to him self. I knew from my eavesdropping that he was one of the Cullens, the mysterious students of the school, all very rich and beautiful, but unpopular, social outcasts. If they were social outcasts, what was I?
The one in my Biology class was Edward. I got him confused with Emmett, the bigger one- who named their children Edward and Emmett? But they were adopted, they didn't have the same parents, did they? The other blonde boy was called Jasper or Joseph or something. I didn't know the two girls.
They were all staring off into space, especially the dark haired girl, who looked completely out of it. And they all looked bored, except for Edward. He was looking at me, looking... confused? I was very confident in my ability to read people, and that's how he looked, confused and maybe just a little concerned too. But not about me. Why should he be? He didn't know me at all. But his odd, black eyes were boring into me, like he was trying to read my mind...
I paid for my food and left the cafeteria, walking briskly. I could still see Edward Cullen's black eyes in my mind. They were scary. And they reminded me of something my mother had said to me, but I couldn't remember what.
When I got to Biology, I didn't looked at Edward, just went and sat down in my usual seat. I had convinced myself that I was imagining his confusion and concern- either that or it was over something completely unrelated to me. He probably hadn't even been aware he was looking at me. Maybe my ability to read people wasn't good anymore, from not spending time around other people.
Gym was okay. We were playing tennis, which was more fun than volleyball because you got to run around more. Andy partnered with me again. He'd been my partner every gym class so far. I didn't mind Andy because he was happy to talk to me in Gym class without being my friend any other time. Why couldn't everyone be like that?
"Where do you go at lunchtime?" he asked me.
We were just watching- there weren't enough courts for everyone to play at once so we were rotating.
I looked at his earnest face out of the corner of my eye, and decided to tell the truth.
"I do my homework." I said without looking at him. I kept my eyes focussed on the tennis ball, watching it get hit back and forth, back and forth.
"Why?" Andy said. "Why don't you go to the cafeteria?"
I didn't answer.
"Is it because you have no one to sit with? Because you can sit with me if you want."
I turned to face him then. He was so nice. I couldn't be mean to him.
I was going to tell him the truth. Well, some of it anyway.
"Do you know the shop between the video rental place and the watch repairer?" I asked.
He looked confused.
"Yeah. It's the empty building, right?"
I nodded.
"I own that shop." I said.
"You mean your family own it?"
I wasn't ready to tell him this bit, so I just nodded in what I hoped was a non-commital kind of way.
"Anyway," I continued. "I own the shop now, and I'm going to open it and work in it and everything. And I have to be open after school and serve customers and things. So I have to do my homework at lunchtime, or else I wouldn't have time to do it."
Andy nodded like he understood. We sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the game.
"Do you like working all the time?" he asked.
I almost laughed. He probably thought I hated it, that my parents were using me for child labour of something.
"I don't mind it." I said truthfully. "It's fun sometimes."
He didn't answer, and we went back to watching.
After school I set up the shop with everything. Now it really was ready for business. I had the old till from the electrics shop, with my last bit of cash inside to give people change. I would open at 9 on Saturday morning. Didn't want to open too early- I'd look desperate.
I went to bed early and fell asleep quickly. My dreams started off full of singlet tops and dancing in the forest, but then suddenly all I could see were Edward Cullen's eyes- cold, black and menacing.
I woke up, panting. It was pitch black. If sprites could sweat, I would have been drenched. Turning on the light, I climbed down the ladder and opened my desk drawer. There it was- the book my mum had made for me when I was a child. It was full of drawings she had done for me, and words in big print. It was a book about mythical creatures.
I opened the book. The first few pages were about sprites, but it was all things I already knew. I flipped through the book, looking for the picture I had remembered. There it was- a picture of a man with pale skin and eyes as black as coal. Eyes exactly the same as Edward Cullens. I read the title above the picture. Vampires.
Edward was a vampire. Which meant the rest of his family must be too. But how was that possible? I read the writing next to picture. It described what a vampire looked like, and the Cullens matched the description perfectly; inhumanly beautiful, pale, graceful. And some things made so much sense- they chose to live here because there was hardly any sunlight; apparently they sparkled in the sun. Their eyes were black when they were hungry, or thirsty. I shivered. So Edward must be thirsty.
But other bits were all wrong. According to the book, vampires found it impossible to resist human blood. So how did the Cullens go to school, among all those students, and not end up killing the whole school population? Did they go somewhere else to, I shivered, hunt? It seemed unlikely. Supposingly they had superhuman speed and strength as well. I hadn't seen any evidence of that, but then again they could control it if they wanted.
But there was something else that made no sense. Didn't the Cullens adopted father work in the hospital? How was that possible? It wasn't. Not if they were vampires. They must be something else then. But what?
I flipped through the other pages, looking at all the other mythical creatures, but none matched the Cullens as well as vampires did. It was confusing.
I went back to bed, trying not to think about it. I must be imagining things. The Cullens were not vampires. It was impossible. But despite all my reasoning with myself, it took me a long time to get back to sleep.
