Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters. Stephenie does. Sometimes I dream that Edward was mine... but he's not. Sigh.

Chapter 1: Beautiful Stranger

The flight was strangely short.
Generally, I would have fallen asleep, but something kept my eyes wide open. Considering the fact I was headed for one of the dreariest places on Earth, I had thought that sleep would be inescapable. I was wrong.
But still, time flew, something I wasn't expecting.
And then I was walking down the steep steps, clinging to the railing. But tripping was imminent, and I managed a small stumble as I neared the end of the flight of steps. A hand darted out, and caught me. I looked into the face of my savior.
"Ch-- Dad!" I cried, flinging my arms around him.
"Welcome home, Bella." He said with a grin. Calling this place home was a long shot, but I smiled at his exuberance. Renée's reaction to my moving to Forks was... different. I couldn't say she was happy I was leaving, but I couldn't say she was upset. She had married Phil Dwyer a few years ago-- he was a minor league baseball player, and was trying to get signed to a team. And that meant that Renée and Phil would be moving around a bit. I decided that time with Charlie would do me some good. Renée seemed upset that I had to go, but looking back on it, I definitely saw the longing for alone time. I could deal with it.
So here I was, walking to Charlie's police cruiser, his arm around my shoulders, both my hands full of my bags. I dumped them in the backseat, then clambered up front. I peered over at Charlie, letting my chocolate brown eyes rest on his profile. His face was scrunched slightly with concentration, as he turned onto the highway out of the airport in Port Angeles. I gazed out the window, watching the green scenery pass by. So green... too green... much, much too green..
And then we were at Charlie's house. There was a strange red truck in the driveway. I glanced questioningly at him, and a sheepish grin crossed his face.
"A welcome home gift.." He started, getting out of the car, and going to the backseat to get my bags.
"Aw, dang Charlie! Thank you so much!" I had planned on buying my own car. I even had enough saved up in my account to afford something really cheap. And from Charlie... well it was really, really nice. I looked at the truck for a second, and immediately decided that I loved it. I leapt from the cruiser, almost tripping over my own feet in excitement (which wasn't saying much. Gravity liked to pull me down), and threw my arms around Charlie, he patted my back awkwardly, seeing as he had my luggage in his hands. I took a bag from his hand, and lugged it towards the door. I waited for him to unlock the house, then stepped inside.
It hadn't changed much in the few years I had been here. Renée insisted that I spend summers with Charlie, and for a few years, we hadn't spent them here in Forks, but in California, where it was more like home. Phoenix. Sigh. I would miss it, but I had to start again.
I went up to my room. Also unchanged. I dropped my bag, and stared out the window. There were uniform clouds in the sky. Rain was surely on its way. I sighed, turning away from the window, and started to come back. Charlie came up, and gave me my other bag, He mumbled something about the game he was missing, and trudged back downstairs. I sighed, smirking. Same old Charlie, absolutely in love with ESPN.
After I finished with my possessions, I looked back up at the window. Sure enough, a light sheet of rain was falling. I went back downstairs to find Charlie in an armchair in front of the television.
"Hey Charlie... up for some dinner?" I asked him, moving to stand next to him. He tore his eyes away from the TV, grinning."Sure, Bella! What do you have in mind."
"Something simple.." I responded, heading over towards the kitchen. I wasn't surprised that he didn't follow me. His attention was back on the game.
I did end up making something simple-- spaghetti and red sauce. Charlie inhaled it, but I looked at it for a moment, and after a few bites, I started to feel sick with nerves. At first, I didn't know why, but then it clicked. School. Tomorrow. At least I wouldn't have to show up in Charlie's police cruiser... that would be awful. I would rather walk in the rain than that. Thank goodness for the truck. I never did ask him where he got it. I figured speaking now wouldn't be the best idea, considering the fact that I would probably vomit all over him if I opened my mouth. I started on the dishes, then headed upstairs. A warm shower was all that I needed. I snatched my bag of toiletries, a pair of sweats and a plain cotton tee-shirt, and padded towards the shower.
As soon as the hot water washed over me, I felt better. School wouldn't be so bad... it was just school. I didn't really recall anyone from my summers, so I would be the odd girl out. Hopefully there would be someone kind in one of my classes.


I woke up the next morning, feeling jittery. I dressed, paying little attention to what I was wearing. I quickly tied my hair in a ponytail-- I wasn't going to deal with a problem like frizz today. I approached the stairs, but stopped, listening for the sounds of Charlie. Nothing. I took a cautious step, being careful not to stumble, fall and break every bone in my body. I continued down the steps, just as cautiously. I poured myself cereal, then began chewing slowly.
What would happen if no one liked me, if no one wanted to give the new girl a chance? What would I do? Go to the principal? Hi, I'm here because no one likes me so I'm going to leave and never come back, bye now! Not exactly the best conversation. I sighed, leaving my empty bowl in the sink. As I left the house, I grabbed my backpack, and dead bolted the back door. No one would bother trying to come in. It was Forks...
I clambered into my truck, already drenched from the rain pouring down outside. Great. I was going to have to get used to it. Oh, how I would miss the sun...
I would have passed Forks High School if there hadn't been a sign stating the location of the school. I turned my truck into the parking lot. Every car looked somewhat as old as mine, all except for a shiny silver Volvo. I swung my bag out of the backseat, and hopped out, rushing towards what I hoped was the main office. It was the first building one came across. I closed the door quietly behind me, and walked up to the front desk.
"Isabella Swan..." I said tentatively to the receptionist. She looked up at me, and smiled.
"Hello Isabella. Welcome to Forks High School! Here's your schedule, and a map of the campus." She shoved two pieces of paper at me, then placed a third on top of that.
"If you could get this third bit signed by each of you teachers, then return it back to me at the end of the day," She continued, finishing with an even brighter grin than before.
"I doubt you'll have trouble fitting in-- everything at our school is so intimate," she gushed, having no idea that I had stopped paying attention. So I had to get a slip signed, and I would probably trip sometime during the day. Excellent.
"Thank you," I said quietly, leaving after she finished her rant. I heard the bit about intimacy-- and with just over 300 students, I didn't really doubt that. But if I couldn't find my niche in Phoenix, with over a thousand people in my class alone, how would I find it here? I just didn't fit in. I sighed, and looked resignedly at my schedule. I trudged across the campus to my first hour class. English. I sighed deeply, expecting something easy. My eyes probed the red brick buildings, looking for my English classroom. I spotted it, and hurried into the door. I hung my jacket, looking curiously towards the students.
I immediately regretted that action.
For the most part, they were staring back at me. Most of their expressions were merely curious, but others were unfathomable. I blushed deeply, looking down at my clumsy, rainboot clad feet. I walked slowly to the front desk, shyly handing my slip of paper to the teacher.

"I'm Eric Yorkie." A dark haired boy wit a spotty face said to me, leaning across the aisle to get a closer look. I had sat down in an open seat, and it was next to this boy. I wondered fleetingly if the seat in the back row would be open tomorrow. I tried to smile a bit, but I was quite sure it turned out as a grimace.
"Hello." I said quietly, looking away from him towards the front of the classroom. I heard him huff, exasperated.
I was right about the easy class. They had just started reading Wuthering Heights, something I had read many times. It was one of he few books I had brought along with me to Forks. However, I took attentive notes to keep my mind from wondering about the future.
When class finished, Eric tried again.
"What class do you have next?" He asked, grinning brightly. I didn't attempt to return his smile.
"Um, Government in building six, I think." I didn't bother checking my schedule.
"Cool... I'm headed that way too. Want me to show you the way?" He replied eagerly.
Why not? "Sure." My lips twitched in what I hoped to be a smile.

I absolutely despised Trigonometry. Actually, I hated all math. Whoever invented the stupid subject, I swore vengeance on them. There was the fact that Mr. Varner, the teacher, made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself. I stumbled over my own name, blushing furiously the entire time. And then, I would trip in my haste to get to my seat. On the upside, I was acquainted with a reasonably nice girl named Jessica Stanley. First off, she wasn't an absurdly kind boy. Second, she apparently enjoyed chatting, and I would just have to answer her when I felt necessary. A nod or a "yeah" would suffice. During class, I took note that people were looking at me. Not usual people... but boys... it was very strange. They offered to walk me to class, and I accepted, not really caring. I could barely recall their names... something like Eric... maybe a Mike in there. They followed me to lunch, when I walked with Jessica, but I think they sat down at a separate table from myself and Jessica. I wasn't paying much attention, obviously. I started to chew mindlessly on a slice of pizza, letting my eyes wander around the room. However, they froze on a table in the far corner of the cafeteria. Five absolutely gorgeous people were sitting there, not looking at each other. Two of them were girls-- and the girls looked nothing alike. One was short and pixie like, with jet black hair. The other was tall and blonde, and I knew that she was probably one of the girls every male lusted for. One of the boys was muscular with dark, curly hair, and another with blonde. He looked somewhat similar to the blonde female.
But none of them particularly piqued my interest. Not as much as the third boy.
He was beautiful beyond belief, with bronze hair. His lips were moving quickly, and I could tell he was talking quietly to his seating mates. He wasn't as bulky as the boy with dark hair. I felt my jaw drop for a moment. It took some time for me to compose myself. I looked at them all once more, noticing that they all had the same pale, white skin. My eyes drifted back to the bronze haired boy.
"Who are they?" I asked Jessica, who followed my gaze to their table.
"Oh. The Cullens and the Hales. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Edward. They appear to think they're better than everyone else." She said with a small sniff.
"Which one is the one with the bronze hair?" I continued, not letting my gaze off of him. Who was this beautiful stranger?
"That's Edward. Don't bother with him. He doesn't date." Her tone of voice made me wonder what had happened between the two of them. And, as if on cue, Edward looked up, his gaze meeting mine. His black eyes had an expression of confusion, as if he was trying to do a very difficult math problem. I blushed, and turned away, letting my ponytail swing into my face.
"Edward Cullen is looking at you." Jessica stated simply. I looked up towards her-- she was still looking at them. I peeked over at their table, and sure enough, his black eyes met mine again. My blush deepened, if that was possible.
I didn't notice when the small, pixie like girl stood up and left. Or when the rest of them followed. I just knew that when I next looked up, they were all gone. I sighed a bit, and a strange feeling washed over me. Was it regret? Sorrow? I didn't know. I rose, and one of those boys walked me to Biology.

My jaw almost dropped when I entered the door to Biology. I quickly averted my gaze, hurrying to the teacher's desk to get my slip signed. As I stole a peek over my shoulder, all of the seats had filled... all but one. And it was next to Edward. He wasn't looking my way, which was odd, because everyone else was. Not even when I stumbled slightly did he turn his attention. There were a few titters from the peanut gallery. I blushed furiously, and cautiously took a seat on the edge of my chair. I looked at Edward for a moment. He glared back at me, his black eyes full of hate. I almost gasped. What had I done to deserve this? I rested my head on my hand, sighing quietly. I glared at the front of the room, trying to keep my eyes away from the hateful, beautiful person behind me. I thought I heard the wood of the desk being ripped, but the sound was faint, and made me question my hearing skills. And my sanity.
It was a long, painful hour. But as soon as the bell rang, I scooped up my things. I turned to throw a glare at Edward, but he was gone. I huffed, and trudged out of the room, heading reluctantly to gym. I didn't even notice Mike walking with me.
"So, lab partners with Cullen, huh?" He asked casually.
"Yes." I said through clenched teeth.
"What did you do to him?" Mike continued. "You know, he was kind of glaring at you a lot. Explode a pen on his notes? Get glue in his hair?" He snickered at his own little jokes.
"I did nothing, thank you." I snapped, quickening my pace. God, if this day would just end.
Gym was a joke. Luckily we weren't active, just reading over the syllabus. As soon as class was finished, I bolted. I was in the front office before even a minute could have passed. I stiffened and leaned against the wall as I recognized the beautifully tousled bronze hair in front of me. Absolutely perfect.
"I was wondering if you could switch my out of sixth hour Biology. Any other time would do..." A melodic, velvety voice issued from his full, pale lips. A voice that would match his physical perfection. A girl opened the office door, placed a note in the tray, and left again. A slight breeze blew in from the door as she left. Edward stiffened, turning his face slowly to me. His black eyes were still filled with hate. He snapped his attention back to the woman behind the desk."Never mind. I see there is nothing you can do." And with that, he stormed from the room. I hadn't moved a muscle the entire encounter. I quickly shoved the slip under the woman's nose, and she waved me off. I exited without further ado-- I could feel tears burning hot in my eyes. I ran for the cover of my truck-- the downpour was somehow getting heavier. As soon as I slammed the door, I burst into tears. I leaned my head against the steering wheel until my sobs quieted. I looked up to find the lot nearly empty. I put the truck into gear, and slowly drove home.

A/N: What do you think? Press that little button down in the left corner and review. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!