Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.
Chapter One
Danielle wasn't normally one to overthink the way she dressed or looked on a day to day basis, but when it came time to get dressed for school the next morning, she found herself putting a little more effort into her appearance. After taming her shoulder length, copper colored curls and putting on just a bit of lip gloss and mascara, she dove into her closet and proceeded to practically pull out everything she had hung up the night before in an attempt to find the right outfit to wear for her first day at her new school. After contemplating a number of different choices, she finally decided to wear her favorite green sweater and her most comfortable pair of jeans. She then slipped on a pair of sneakers, grabbed her phone and backpack, and headed downstairs.
Danielle soon discovered that Lynne had already gone to inspect the bookshop, which was a little disappointing. She had thought her mother would at least be around to see her off to school. Sighing and deciding it wasn't the end of the world, she went to the fridge to look for something to have for breakfast, only to discover a note hanging on the fridge door.
Dani –
Have a wonderful first day! I can't wait to hear all about your new school! Also, Bella has very kindly offered to give you a ride to school. Be nice, she seems like a nice girl.
Love, Mom xoxo
Danielle set the note off to the side when she finished reading it. She could only assume this Bella person was the girl across the street, and while it was nice of her to give her a ride – even though Danielle highly suspected it hadn't been her idea to do so – she wasn't necessarily looking forward to being cooped up in a truck with someone she didn't know. She tried to think of a way to get out of it, but when she remembered that she, one, didn't have a car, and, two, didn't know where the school was, she realized she didn't really have any other choice. It was either go to school with Bella, or not show up for her first day of classes. And seeing as the latter of the two options would likely result in her getting grounded, she decided that probably wasn't the one she should pick.
Danielle opened the fridge to search for something to have for breakfast, only to soon be reminded of the fact that they didn't have any groceries in the house yet. The only items in the fridge were bottled water, a few cokes, and the leftover pizza from the night before. Shrugging, she grabbed a slice and started eating, not even bothering to heat it up.
Just as she finished eating, a timid knock sounded from the front door. Danielle wiped her hands, grabbed her backpack, then checked herself in the hallway mirror to make sure she didn't have any food in her teeth. After deeming herself presentable, she went to the front door and pulled it open.
The girl standing on the porch was shorter than Danielle by a few inches, had long dark hair, brown eyes, and was both pale and rather skinny. Danielle's very first impression of her was that she was a pretty girl, but as the girl shifted nervously from side to side and gave a small, awkward smile, it was clear that she was uncomfortable with the situation at hand. Danielle didn't blame her. She wasn't feeling all that comfortable either.
"You must be Bella," Danielle said to break the silence, plastering on a friendly smile.
"I am," the girl confirmed.
Danielle stuck a hand out. "I'm Danielle," she introduced.
Bella quickly moved to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Yeah, you too," Danielle said with a nod. When they released each other's hands, Danielle joined Bella on the porch, turning back for just a moment to lock the front door. "Thank you for taking me to school. I know it's kinda weird seeing as we don't know each other. I hope I'm not a burden," Danielle said as she faced her neighbor again.
"None at all," Bella assured her quickly. "I've actually been looking forward to meeting you," she then admitted, which made Danielle's brows raise. Bella blushed a bit, then quickly explained herself. "It's just…moving to a new town is hard, you know? It's kinda nice, having someone around who's in the same boat as me," she said with a shrug.
Danielle instantly made a sound of understanding. "That's right. You're new to town, too," Danielle said.
"Yeah. I haven't even been here a week," Bella told her.
Danielle was surprised to hear that. "Wow. Guess we are in the same boat, huh?" she asked, laughing a bit. Bella smiled and nodded. "Does the boat happen to come with life jackets?" Danielle then joked, hoping to break the ice a little more.
It was a corny joke and she knew it, but Bella still laughed. "Only two, I think," she joked back.
"We're in luck then," Danielle countered. She shared another smile with Bella, then glanced toward the old, red truck across the street. "Should we get going?"
Bella nodded, and with that they set off across the street, walking side by side. "Sorry about last night, by the way," she said after a moment or two. "I wasn't trying to be some creep spying on you through your window or anything," she added with a blush.
"It's fine. No harm done," Danielle assured her said with a smile.
Bella smiled back, looking relieved. "I like your accent," she complimented.
Danielle cringed a bit. "I don't sound too country, right?" she asked uncertainly. Though she herself had never really thought she had much of an accent – not compared to other people she knew back home, anyway – anytime she met someone who wasn't from Texas, they always commented on her southern twang. It normally didn't make her self-conscious, but she was dreading her new school enough as it was – she didn't want her mild, Texan drawl to serve as ammunition for anyone looking to make fun of her.
"No, not really. You can just tell you're not from around here," Bella quickly reassured, which made Danielle breathe easier. "If anything, it gives you character."
"Good," she said in relief.
As they reached the old, red truck, Bella set her backpack in the bed and then went around to the driver's side. Danielle followed her suit, dropping her backpack into the bed of the truck, then went to the passenger side door. It let out a loud CREAK as she pulled it open, then did so again when she made herself comfortable and pulled it shut behind her. Danielle started to put on her seatbelt but jumped with surprise when the engine came to life with a loud roar. She glanced at Bella, who smiled sheepishly.
"The, uh…engine still needs a bit of work," Bella offered with a shrug, sounding a bit embarrassed.
Danielle smiled and held up a hand. "Hey, I'm not one to judge. At least you have something to drive."
Bella just smiled, her previous embarrassment quickly fading away.
Soon enough, they had pulled away from Bella's house and were en route to school. At first they drove in silence, but eventually Danielle felt the need to break the ice a little more.
"So how old are you?" she asked, watching the town of Forks rush past her window for a second or two before looking over at Bella.
"Seventeen," she answered. "You?"
"Eighteen."
"Oh," Bella said, a brief look of disappointment flashing across her face. "So you're a senior?" Danielle nodded in confirmation. "Guess that means we won't have any classes together," Bella commented with a sigh, which led Danielle to believe that Bella was a grade below her.
"You're a junior, then?" Bella nodded. Danielle made a thoughtful sound, then shrugged. "Well, you never know. Maybe we will have a class together," she said optimistically. And she actually did hope they would. Bella was officially the only person she knew in Forks, other than her mother. It would be nice to see a friendly face in some of her classes.
"Maybe," Bella echoed, though she sounded like she didn't want to get her hopes up.
They made small talk the rest of the way. Danielle discovered that Bella had moved to Forks because her mother had recently gotten married to a man who played minor league baseball. He moved around frequently because of that, but due to Bella still being in school, her mother normally couldn't go with him, as she needed to stay home to take care of Bella. So, in the end, Bella had decided to move to Forks and live with her father, so her mother would have the freedom to travel with her new husband.
"That's gotta be hard, though, being away from your mom?" Danielle asked.
Bella sighed and shrugged, her eyes never turning away from the road. "It's not great," she admitted. "But it is what it is."
Danielle nodded.
"What about you?" Bella asked. "Do you guys have family here?"
"No. None," Danielle answered.
Bella seemed a little confused. "Why come here then?"
Danielle pursed her lips. "It's kind of a long story," she said. "To summarize, though, my mom has been looking for a fresh start in a new place for a long time. And as luck would have it, an opportunity finally presented itself here. Now, voila. Here we are. Forks' newest residents," she finished with a wry smile.
Bella nodded in understanding. "It kinda sucks, though, moving in your senior year. Doesn't it?" she asked.
Danielle sighed. "Yeah. It does," she answered truthfully.
She turned her eyes to the window after that, no longer feeling in the mood to discuss this particular topic of conversation. Thankfully Bella seemed to understand what Danielle was trying to silently convey, because she did not say anything else on the matter.
When they finally reached Forks High, they pulled into the parking lot and parked in the first space they found. The lot was crowded with cars already, and there were many students loitering around, just talking and laughing with each other as they waited for class to start. Danielle did not miss the fact that several students in the near vicinity stared at Bella's truck as they parked, nor did she miss the way some of those students began talking to each other and pointing when they noticed her sitting in the passenger seat.
"Is this how it was for you?" Danielle asked, feeling her self-consciousness return with a vengeance as a group of teenagers hanging out by a car a few spaces away stared at her like she was a museum exhibit.
"Was? It still is like this," Bella corrected with a huff, a knowing look in her eyes.
Danielle sighed. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised," she commented.
"Nope," Bella quipped. She then shook her head as she eyed the students around them. "Two newbies in one week? They won't even know what to do with themselves. But hey," she added with a tiny smirk. "Now that you're here, maybe I'll get a break from all the staring."
Danielle just snorted. "You're welcome?" she offered with a quirked brow.
Bella just smiled. "Ready to face them?" she asked, jerking her head toward the school.
Danielle heaved. "As ready as I'll ever be," she said with slight resignation.
"Let's go, then," Bella encouraged.
They climbed out of the truck at the same time and headed for the bed to collect their backpacks. Now that she had left the protection of Bella's truck, Danielle felt vulnerable and exposed, especially so when a group of guys strode past and gave her blatant once-overs, before grinning and nudging each other. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to ignore them, then slung her bag onto her back and began walking up to the school with Bella.
The school didn't really look all that big, which didn't really surprise her considering the size of the town. As they walked toward the front doors the crowds seemed to part for them, and as Danielle made eye contact with a few of her new peers, she smiled shyly. A few smiled back – most just whispered to their friends behind their hands.
Once inside, Bella led her toward what looked like a bunch of offices to the left. "This is the front office. You should go there first," she said. "Do you want me to wait?" she then offered, tilting her head a bit. "You might need a tour guide for this humongous school," Bella added jokingly, shifting the bag on her shoulder.
"Thanks, but I think I can figure it out," she said reassuringly. "I'll see you later?"
Bella nodded. "See ya."
Bella headed off after that. Danielle stood there for a moment and watched her go, until the shorter girl eventually disappeared from sight. Though she hadn't really known what to expect when her mother had told her about the girl living across the street, she decided in that moment that she liked Bella. She was pretty easy to talk to, and they seemed to get along well. She just might very well be Danielle's first friend here in Forks.
Whispering behind Danielle snapped her out of her thoughts. Glancing around, she realized that several nearby students were giving her looks and very obviously talking about her. With a blush, Danielle turned toward the front office and hurried inside, eager to get away from the staring.
She was greeted by a woman who instantly knew who she was, which didn't surprise Danielle much. With the exception of herself and Bella, it wasn't likely the school got new students very often – of course the people working in the front office would know she was coming.
Danielle waited in the front office for a few minutes before one of the school counselors came to collect her. From there she was shown into a separate office, where she received basic information about the school and it's policies. After listening to the counselor talk for another ten or so minutes, she was finally given three papers. One was a map of the school, another had her class schedule, locker number, and locker combination, while the last was a note to her teachers explaining who she was. She was then instructed to have all of her teachers sign the note and bring it back at the end of the day, and though she wasn't really sure why that was necessary, Danielle agreed to do so. From there she was told good luck, then finally sent on her way.
Danielle hung out outside the office for a few minutes so she could look over her class schedule. She had Calculus first, which made her groan with dread. Math was her worst subject, and having it first thing in the morning sounded like torture. After Calculus was English, followed by History, then Spanish. Next on her schedule was her lunch break, then Physics, and, finally, Gym.
Danielle found her first class on the map, then headed that way. Luckily it was on the first floor, and since the school was considerably smaller than her previous one, it didn't take long to find the classroom. She walked in just before the bell rang, then instantly froze upon realizing that every single eye in the room was on her. Clearing her throat nervously, Danielle crossed the room and walked up to her teacher, who was looking at her with interest as she extended the note from the counselor in his direction.
"Ah, yes," he mused aloud as his eyes skimmed the note. "I was told you would be starting today. Danielle Clark, is it?"
"Yes, sir," Danielle quickly confirmed, trying to diligently ignore the way her classmates were watching her.
The teacher nodded, then grabbed a pen and quickly signed the note. "Welcome to Forks, Miss Clark," he said, handing the note back over. "Here's a text book," he said next, fetching a spare book and passing it to her. "And there's a seat right back there with your name on it," he finished with a friendly enough smile.
"Thanks," she said with a quick, embarrassed smile.
Clutching her new book to her chest, Danielle turned around to face the class. She blushed as she began making her way through the rows of desks, her sights set on the empty one toward the back of the room. As she walked, she glanced around at her classmates, who were all watching her pass by with varying expressions of interest and curiosity.
She was almost to her seat when her gaze suddenly landed on a guy sitting two rows over. As their gazes locked, Danielle froze in place, her stomach doing a quick somersault.
In an instant, she knew that he was, without a doubt, the most attractive person she'd ever seen in her entire life. He had honey blonde hair, a straight nose, high cheekbones, a strong jaw line, and a dimple in his chin that Danielle instantly liked. He also looked like he would be quite tall if he were to stand up. It was his eyes, however, that really caught her attention.
At first she thought they were just dark, but then she realized they were more than just dark. They were black. And the intensity with which he stared back at her quickly made her forget how good looking he was and instead made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. There was no curiosity or interest on his face as he watched her. No, there was something different in his gaze. Something she couldn't put her finger on. Something that made her feel very uneasy.
"Miss Clark?" the teacher asked, making her jump as she was pulled back to reality.
She finally realized that she had just been standing there, staring at the guy like an idiot for all the class to see. She blushed fiercely and finally tore her gaze from his, not even wanting to think how weird she must look to her classmates.
"Sorry," she said, before rushing to her seat in the back. More than a few students giggled.
Once she was in her seat, the teacher took his place at the front of class and launched into his lesson for the day. For the most part, Danielle did her best to pay attention and keep up with the lesson. However, she couldn't stop her eyes from sliding over to the blonde haired guy sitting two rows over every few minutes or so. She also couldn't help but notice that he kept shooting not-so-discreet looks at her over his shoulder, his eyes still filled with that same intensity from before.
Danielle would be lying if she said he wasn't making her nervous. She had been stared at plenty since she'd arrived at school and had a feeling the staring would continue for several days to come. But the way he was looking at her was a little…unsettling. Why was he looking at her like that? And how were his eyes so dark? They couldn't really be black, could they? That wasn't even possible, not without contacts or something. But then their eyes met again, and even if she was trying to convince herself otherwise, there was no denying that his eyes were definitely black, something only she seemed to have noticed.
When the bell eventually rang to signal the end of the class period, Danielle watched as the blonde haired guy practically jumped out of his seat and hurried for the door, beating everyone as he was the first to leave. Once he was out of sight, she released the breath she had been holding and began to pack her things into her bag. She was relieved to have made it through her first class, but was even more relieved to get away from the blonde haired guy. She didn't know how much more of that intense, hawk-like staring she could take.
After another quick look at her map, she headed on toward her next class, ignoring the students in the hallways as they talked and horsed around between classes, but still keeping a wary eye out for the guy from her last class. Finally, when she reached her next class, she stepped inside and took a quick look around. When she spotted a tell-tale head of blonde hair sitting on the far side of the room, she felt her breath catch in her throat.
He was there. They had another class together.
His eyes seemed to widen a bit when he realized she was there, then he scowled and looked away, before closing his eyes. He seemed almost angry about the fact that she was there, though Danielle didn't understand why. What had she done? Why was he behaving like this?
Feeling confused and uncomfortable and, admittedly, a little scared all at the same time, she hurried to the teacher to give him the same note she'd given her last teacher. He took it with a nod, then murmured for her to find a seat. Danielle quickly picked the one furthest away from the blonde. It wasn't long before she felt eyes on her back, however, and when she chanced a look over her shoulder, she was not surprised to see him staring at her again, his eyes dark and unblinking.
Danielle paid close attention to her teacher as he began the lesson for the day, hoping if she focused extra hard that it would make it easier to ignore the blonde staring holes into her shirt. The end of the period couldn't come fast enough, and when the bell finally rang, it was Danielle who bolted for the door this time. She packed up her things lightening fast and practically ran for the door, still very aware that she was being watched, but refusing to look at him again. She didn't know what his deal was, but something in her gut was telling her to stay away from him.
Danielle hurried out into the hallway, which was steadily filling up as students filed out of their classes. She only made it a few steps, though, when she remembered that her last teacher hadn't returned the note from the counselor after he signed it at the beginning of class. Cursing under her breath, she turned back around to go back into the class and collect the note. Just as she turned, however, she ran right into what felt like a brick wall.
She had run into him, the blonde. And the only reason she hadn't fallen right on her butt was because he had his hands wrapped around her biceps. Two very strong hands, holding her in a grip that she already knew would prevent her from going anywhere if she tried to leave. Danielle looked up into his black eyes, her heart suddenly pounding against her ribs. He was on the tall side, tall enough that she had to tilt her chin up to meet his gaze. There was no mistaking the look on his face now. He looked predatory, vicious, dangerous. Danielle's breathing picked up and she tried to pull away from him, but he only tightened his grip even more and pulled her closer. Even though she was wearing a long sleeved shirt, she could feel how icy cold his hands were.
Danielle began to feel a growing sense of panic. Something inside was telling her that something was wrong, that something about this entire situation was dangerous. She tried to pull away again, but he was just too strong. She stood no chance.
"Please. Let me go. You're hurting me," she said, her tone almost pleading.
His jaw clenched and his fingers tightened, but something in his expression shifted. Some of the harshness left, replaced by something that looked a lot like pain. He seemed like he was fighting some internal battle, though what that battle was exactly, Danielle didn't know.
Suddenly someone very tall and very large appeared behind the blonde currently holding her in a vice grip. He dropped a heavy hand on the blonde's shoulder, which made the blonde blink as though coming out of a trance. He finally released her, and as soon as she was free, Danielle took a giant step backward and rubbed her arms, her lips pulling downward into a frown of fear.
The humongous guy who had just arrived looked at Danielle for a second. He had dark hair and amber colored eyes, was built like a brick house, and was easy on the eyes. Though he seemed to know that something was amiss, he currently seemed cool as a cucumber…on the outside, at least.
He looked away from Danielle without saying a word to her. "Let's go, Jasper," he said, before using the hold that he had on the blonde to turn him around and guide him away. She watched them go until they were out of sight, then sighed heavily and moved to the nearest wall to lean against it.
She honestly couldn't say that she knew what had just happened. She had always prided herself as being someone who was friendly and easy to get along with. It was rare that she had any disagreements with anyone, purely because conflict was something she tried very hard to avoid.
So why had this Jasper guy behaved that way? Why had he seemed so angry with her? Danielle had not spoken to him in either of their classes, nor had she gone anywhere near him. What could she have possibly she done to provoke that sort of reaction? And why had be seemed like he'd wanted to…hurt her? Danielle rubbed her arm again and looked in the general direction that Jasper and the other guy, whom she assumed was his friend, had gone. She didn't know what the hell this Jasper guy's problem was, but she knew it would probably be best to steer clear of him if possible.
She just hoped now that they wouldn't have anymore classes together.
After taking a moment to collect herself, she finally went back into the classroom to collect the counselor's note before continuing on to her next class. But between what had happened with the guy named Jasper, having to go back into her previous class, and having to find her next class on the map, she wasn't able to beat the tardy bell this time around. The bell dinged overhead before she could reach the door, which meant that her entrance into the classroom garnered her twice as much attention. Flushing with embarrassment, she let her eyes quickly sweep over the crowd. Jasper wasn't there, which made her very happy to see. But as her eyes landed on a large, dark haired guy sitting in the back of the class, she realized with a sinking feeling that his friend was.
"You wouldn't happen to be Miss Clark, would you?" asked the teacher, effectively pulling her attention away from Jasper's friend.
Danielle looked at her teacher, then forced on a smile. "I am," she confirmed. She then went up to the teacher to give her the counselors note. "Sorry I'm late. I'm still trying to figure out where everything is," she added with an apologetic look.
"I understand," the teacher said, before quickly scribbling her signature on the note and handing it back. "But for future reference, know that I do not tolerate tardiness in my classroom," she warned with raised brows. "Once you've become familiar with the school, which shouldn't take long at all," she made sure to emphasize, "I will expect you to be on time."
"Yes, ma'am," Danielle said with a quick nod.
The teacher smiled a bit, then motioned toward the desks. "Go ahead and have a seat, Miss Clark."
Danielle nodded again, then turned to search for an open seat. As luck would have it, the only vacant desk was the one next to Jasper's friend. After a brief moment of hesitation, she went to sit at the desk on his left, doing her best to avoid making eye contact. She thanked her teacher when she came to drop off a spare text book, then quickly opened it up to the designated page as the lesson began. She could feel someone watching her though, and when she finally chanced a look in his direction, she was not surprised to see that it was Jasper's friend staring.
"Hey," he said quietly, keeping his voice down so as not to disturb the teacher.
Danielle just glanced at him, then looked back at her text book. He wasn't deterred by her response, though. Instead, he glanced at the teacher, who was writing on the chalk board, before discreetly moving his desk a few inches closer. How someone so big could move so quietly, Danielle didn't know, but the teacher remained none the wiser.
"Look. I'd like to apologize for my brother's actions," he said just as quietly, his expression remorseful, but also a bit wary.
That certainly caught her attention. Danielle looked at him in surprise, shocked to discover that this guy was Jasper's brother simply because they looked nothing alike. "He's your brother?" she hissed.
"Yeah. And whatever happened back there, that's not him. He's a good guy, I swear. He can just be a little…moody…sometimes," he said with a helpless shrug.
Danielle raised her brows at him in disbelief. "Moody?" she echoed. Suddenly she felt her anger spike. Jasper had grabbed her, had looked like he had wanted to hurt her. And now here was his brother trying to downplay it like they'd just had a simple misunderstanding? "Your brother was out of line," she hissed. "I don't know what his problem is, but whatever that was, that was more than just being a little moody. That was something else. And to be honest, he scared the crap out of me."
He winced at those words. "You're right. He was out of line," he agreed. "He's normally a friendly guy, I promise," he then added, still trying to vouch for his brother. "He was just having an off day today." Danielle just shot him a look, which made him sigh. "I'm sorry he scared you, but you don't have anything to worry about here. Nothing like that is ever going to happen again, you have my word," he told her seriously.
Danielle wasn't sure why, but she found her anger beginning to fade and felt herself wanting to believe what he was telling her. There was no deception in his eyes or in his tone. He seemed genuinely sorry for the way his brother had behaved and seemed like he was trying very hard to make up for it. Danielle pursed her lips, then finally sighed. "Alright, I'll take your word for it…for now," she added sharply.
He just smiled in return, looking a bit relieved. He then extended a large hand in her direction. "I'm Emmett, by the way. Emmett Cullen."
Danielle looked at his outstretched hand before slipping her hand into his. Like Jasper, his hand was ice cold. It was also twice as big as hers. "Danielle Clark," she responded.
Emmett seemed like he was going to say something else, but before he could, a voice at the front of the room caught their attention. "Mr. Cullen! Miss Clark!" Both of them started a bit and looked to the teacher, who had finally noticed they weren't paying attention and was not looking thrilled about it. "As glad as I am to see the two of you getting along," she said with a hint of sarcasm, "do you mind saving your oh-so-important conversation until after class is finished?"
"Yes ma'am," they said in almost perfect unison.
The teacher gave them one last look, then turned back to the board to resume writing. Danielle looked at Emmett, who rolled his eyes dramatically before directing his attention back to the teacher. Danielle couldn't help but smirk with slight amusement.
When class was over, Danielle fully expected Emmett to just continue on his way without saying another word to her. But, to her surprise, he didn't do that. Instead, he waited for her to pack her things, then followed her out of the classroom.
"Where's your next class?" he asked curiously.
Danielle pulled her schedule from her pocket to look it over. "Mrs. Vega, Spanish," she answered.
"Oh, I had her last year," Emmett said with a nod. "I'll show you where her class is," he then said, before nodding for her to follow him down the hall.
Danielle wasn't sure she should go with him at first. After that strange interaction with Jasper, she didn't think hanging out with his brother was a good idea. But when Emmett stopped and gave her an expectant look, she finally gave in and followed him. As they fell into step with each other and made their way through the crowd of students, she noticed that a number of students watch them pass by with obvious surprise.
"So, you're from Texas?" Emmett asked conversationally.
"Yeah. How did you know?" Danielle countered, craning her neck a bit so she could look up at him.
"I know someone from Texas," he answered with a casual shrug, his eyes scanning the crowds before turning down to her. "I'd recognize that southern twang anywhere," he joked with a friendly smile. "Plus, this school isn't very big and word gets around pretty fast. I'm sure everyone at Forks High knows where you're from by now."
"I see," Danielle said with a nod of understanding.
Silence passed between them for a few moments as they continued along. Danielle wouldn't necessarily consider herself a shy person per se, but considering what had happened with Emmett's brother, it felt a bit awkward to be in Emmett's company now. She couldn't really think of what to say to him, nor was she entirely sure she knew why he had wanted to walk with her. Probably just being extra nice to make up for Jasper being a total jerk, she thought to herself.
"You don't have to walk me to class, you know," she finally said.
"I know," Emmett said. "But I also know what it feels like to be the new kid on the block. Figured it'd be nice to extend a friendly hand rather than sit back and stare like everyone else is doing," he explained, motioning to the staring students around them.
His words caught Danielle's attention. "Your family hasn't always lived here?" she asked.
Emmett shook his head. "No. We've only been here a few years, actually," he then revealed. "We moved here when my father got a job at the local hospital."
"I see." Danielle watched a couple of kids hurry to move out of their way. Their eyes were trained on Emmett, however, not on her. They seemed afraid of him. "So when does it get better?" she asked. "The staring, I mean," she added when Emmett gave her a confused look, as if he wasn't sure what she was asking about. "How long until people act normal around me?"
"Eh, give it a week or two," he said with a shrug. "Eventually they'll get bored with you."
"They don't seem bored with you, though," Danielle said pointedly when she noticed a couple of girls openly ogling Emmett.
Emmett pursed his lips at that. "Us Cullen's are a different story," he admitted, frowning a bit now. "You would think the hype around us would've died down after two years of being here, but nope."
"Why?" Danielle asked.
Emmett suddenly grinned down at her, his amber colored eyes flickering with amusement. "Because we're so good looking, of course," he said simply, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
Danielle snorted at that and shook her head, unable to help smiling in amusement. She supposed Emmett wasn't wrong, though. She had no idea how many Cullen's there were, but the two she had met were certainly not unfortunate looking. Emmett might've been a big, burly giant, but as she took a good look at him, she decided he was definitely cute, even if he wasn't exactly her type. And even though her encounter with Jasper had been less than pleasant, there was absolutely no denying that he was drop dead gorgeous. If that was how they looked, she could imagine what the rest of the family had to look like.
Finally, they came to a halt outside of Danielle's next class. As students filed inside, she and Emmett received numerous, odd looks.
"Here you go. Mrs. Vega's class," Emmett announced.
Danielle nodded, then smiled a bit. "Thanks for the escort."
"No problem," Emmett said. "And I know I already said it, but…I'm sorry about what happened between you and Jasper," he added with an apologetic look. "He's honestly a good guy. You just…caught him at a bad time."
Danielle quirked a brow. "It's not you who should be apologizing," she pointed out. "He was the one acting like a jerk, not you."
"And he will apologize the first chance he gets," Emmett assured her with a nod. "I'll make sure of it."
Danielle eyed him for a moment, then nodded. "I need to get to class now," she said. "Thanks again for showing me the way."
"You're welcome," Emmett said. "I'll catch you later, Danielle."
He walked away after that, the crowds parting again to make way for his massive frame. Once she couldn't see him any longer, she finally turned and headed into her class.
It was enormous relief when she stepped into class and caught sight of a familiar face. Bella was sitting in the second row, third desk back, and when their eyes met, she instantly looked just as relieved to see Danielle there. After smiling and waving, Danielle hurried to the teacher to get her note signed and collect a textbook. She then went to sit in the desk on Bella's right, which she had been saving just for her.
"Man, is it good to see you!" she said, feeling the tension that had been in her muscles ever since her run in with Jasper dissipate some.
"Same," Bella said with a smile. "How has your day gone so far?" she then asked with curiosity.
For a moment, all Danielle could see in her mind was Jasper's handsome face and his dark, angry eyes. She thought about telling Bella what had happened, but then changed her mind. Now didn't seem like the time or the place to discuss it. "It's been…interesting," she finally said with a shrug.
"I bet," Bella said with a nod. She seemed none-the-wiser that anything was amiss with Danielle. "What does the rest of your day look like?"
"I have lunch next, then Physics, then gym," Danielle told her.
Bella grinned. "Looks like we'll see even more of each other. I have lunch next too, and gym at the end of the day."
Danielle smiled as well, happy to hear that she had some classes with her new neighbor. "Awesome."
They might have talked more, but in the next moment, the teacher got up in front of the class and started talking. They ceased their conversation after that to pay attention, and only spoke to each other again when they paired together to work on a quick exercise about halfway through the period.
"I'm starving," Danielle commented when class was finally finished and they were on their way to the cafeteria. "All I had for breakfast was cold pizza, and it's ain't doin' much for me right now."
"At least you had breakfast," Bella replied. "I woke up late and had to skip. I feel like I could eat everything in the cafeteria."
When they reached the cafeteria, they got in line for food and made small talk with each other. People were staring at them, of course, but Danielle hardly noticed. Considering how much she'd been stared at that day, she felt like she was starting to get used to it.
As they slowly moved up the line, she let her eyes roam the cafeteria, which was full of students talking and laughing loudly with one another. When her eyes landed on a table near the exit, she felt her hear skip a beat, then begin to hammer against her ribs. She had spotted Emmett and Jasper, as well as two other girls that she could only assume were Cullen's as well, judging by their appearance. Emmett and the girls seemed to be in the middle of an intense discussion, but Jasper wasn't paying attention to them. He sat stiffly in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, and even though there were several yards of space and dozens of students between them, it as obvious his attention was focused solely on her.
Danielle blushed and gulped, knowing she should probably turn her gaze elsewhere, but unable to pull her eyes from his regardless. It seemed that two class periods worth of time hadn't quite been enough for him to get over whatever was going on with him – he didn't look as frightening as he had earlier, but he certainly didn't look friendly or approachable either. Danielle wouldn't have gone near him even if someone had paid her to.
A nudge to her side finally brought her back to the present. She blinked and looked at Bella, who was watching her with mild concern. "You okay?"
Danielle cleared her throat, then nodded jerkily. "Er…yeah. Fine," she answered quickly. Bella didn't look like she believed her. "Why do you ask?"
"Because you look like you've just seen a ghost," Bella pointed out.
She glanced in the general direction that Danielle had been looking, as if searching for the source of her distraction. Danielle unconsciously looked at the table the Cullen's were sitting at, and though Jasper was still very much staring at her, he wasn't the only one. Emmett was looking too, and upon realizing she was looking their way, he plastered on a friendly smile and raised a giant hand to wave at her. He stopped when the beautiful blonde girl sitting next to him, whom she figured was likely his sister, delivered a firm whack to his side.
Bella raised her brows at Danielle. "Was he waving at you?" she asked.
"Yeah," Danielle confirmed. "I have a class with him. I have a few with Jasper, too," she added.
Bella looked back at the Cullen's, her expression unreadable. Danielle looked at them, too, her eyes almost feeling magnetized to them – or, more specifically, to Jasper. Jasper was still a statue, but his three siblings kept glancing in her direction. The other girl, who had short dark hair and a friendly face, was eyeing Danielle with curiosity. The blonde girl, however, was looking at her like she was a dangerous bug that needed to be squashed.
"What do you know about them?" Danielle asked Bella as they finally reached the front of the line and began to fill two trays with food.
"Only stuff I've heard around school," Bella said. "They're all adopted, and their dad is a doctor. They've been here a few years, but nobody is really friends with them. I guess they don't really like other people or something," she explained, her brows furrowing a bit as she glanced at the Cullen's again.
Danielle nodded in understanding. She couldn't speak for the other three, but Jasper certainly seemed like he didn't like other people. If he went around treating everyone the way he'd treated her, it really wasn't a surprise that he didn't have friends at school.
"What do you think of them?" Bella asked curiously.
"Emmett seemed nice," she said truthfully. Then she snorted and shot a look at the handsome blonde still watching her every move. "Can't say the same thing for Jasper, though," she blurted out before she could stop herself. "He seems like a jerk."
She frowned in the next moment, because if she wasn't mistaken, Jasper tensed and sat straighter the moment she said those words. But certainly he hadn't been able to hear her calling her a jerk all the way from here. She was too far away, and the cafeteria was way too loud. Maybe he has really good eyesight and is good at reading lips, she justified in her head.
Bella looked at her with a frown. "What do you mean?"
Danielle sighed, then shook her head. "It's kind of a weird story. And I'd rather not go into it right now," she admitted quietly, thinking it better not go talk about the scary encounter while there were so many people around to eavesdrop.
Bella seemed like she wanted to pry for a moment, but then eventually nodded her head and let the subject drop. There was a very pensive look on her face, however, that let Danielle know that she was definitely still thinking about everything she'd just been told.
After they paid for their food, Bella told Danielle to follow her and they went to a table full of people that Danielle had not met yet. She was quickly introduced to a friendly looking girl named Angela, a pretty girl named Jessica, an asian guy named Eric, a dark-skinned guy named Tyler, and a blonde haired guy named Mike. As they quickly made space for Danielle and Bella to sit, Danielle made sure to sit so that she wasn't facing Jasper.
"Well, whatever happened between you two," Bella murmured for only Danielle to hear, "Jasper's watching you like a hawk."
Danielle felt her face heat up, but kept her eyes forward, refusing to look at him again.
"So, Danielle," the girl named Jessica spoke up, grabbing Danielle's attention. She was happy for the distraction. "How are you liking Forks so far?"
"I haven't seen much of it, to be honest," she answered. "My mom and I just got in yesterday. All I've seen so far is my house and the school," she explained with a shrug.
"Well, I know it may not seem like much at first," spoke up the girl named Angela, "But it's really a nice town," she told her with a nod. "It's quiet and it's safe, and the people are friendly."
"Most of the people, anyway," the one named Mike interjected, before shooting a look in the direction Danielle knew the Cullen's were sitting.
Angela, Jessica, and the other two guys rolled their eyes, as if this was a conversation they'd had a hundred times before. "Admit it, dude. You're just jealous of them," Tyler accused.
Mike scoffed. "What is there to be jealous of?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe their awesome cars? Their awesome clothes? Or maybe you're jealous of the fact that literally everyone in that family is better looking than you will ever be in your entire life?" Eric offered sarcastically.
Mike just snorted at him and shook his head.
Danielle glanced at Bella, who merely spared her a look before taking a big bite of food. Jessica finally seemed to notice her uncertainty and leaned forward. "We're talking about the Cullen family," she revealed. Danielle had to resist the urge to look back the table Jasper and his siblings occupied. Jessica then smirked, her eyes lighting with interest. "But you already know the Cullen's, don't you?"
Danielle frowned, unsure what to make of the girl's tone. "I'm familiar, yeah," she said, before taking a bite of food.
Jessica raised her brows knowingly. "From what I hear, you've gotten pretty friendly with a few of them already," she pushed further. As everyone suddenly peered at her with interest, Danielle felt her cheeks flush a bit. "A girl in my English class said she saw Emmett Cullen walking you to your Spanish class," Jessica revealed to the table. "And another girl said she saw you and Jasper Hale having a moment in the hallway. She said it was…intense looking."
Though hearing Jessica refer to Jasper as Jasper Hale rather than Cullen confused her a bit, she didn't bother asking her to clarify right then. Instead, she felt increasingly uncomfortable with the topic of conversation and found herself actually feeling a bit annoyed with Jessica for bringing it up in the first place. She didn't know if the girl was insinuating anything or not, but she did know that she didn't like this way this conversation was going.
"Emmett was just being friendly and showing me the way to my class," she quickly defended. "And there was no moment between me and Jasper. It was…nothing," she added. Which was a lie, but she definitely wasn't about to reveal the truth of that encounter to people she had only just met.
Jessica didn't seem to be buying it. "Well, I've been around the Cullen's for a while, and let me just say that them being nice to anyone is a big deal. But a word of warning? I wouldn't get too friendly with Emmett if I were you," she suggested. "He and Rosalie? The blonde girl he's sitting next to? They're a thing. And I don't think she'd like it very much if she knew you were getting too close to him, if you know what I mean."
Danielle's brows furrowed with uncertainty. "They're together? But…they're family," she stated in confusion.
"Well, yeah, but they're not blood related," Jessica countered.
"Doesn't make it any less weird," Eric piped up between bites of his lunch.
"They're all weird if you ask me," Mike added with a huff.
"Again, you're just jealous," Tyler accused yet again. "Jasper, Emmett, and Edward have all the girls drooling over them and you hate it."
As Mike threw a chunk of food at Tyler, Danielle frowned with slight confusion. "Who's Edward?" she asked curiously. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Bella stiffen a bit.
"He's also one of Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's adoptive kids, and he's a total babe," Jessica told her with a slightly dreamy expression. The guys snorted and rolled their eyes in response. "He hasn't been here since Monday, though. Probably went camping again. The Cullen's tend to do that a lot."
Danielle nodded her understanding, then glanced at Bella, who was suddenly very interested in her food. She thought the shift in Bella's demeanor was a bit strange, but didn't think it would be a good idea to ask questions about it now. Danielle pulled her gaze away from Bella and looked at Jessica, who had shifted her gaze back to the Cullen table. After a moment, she turned a knowing grin on Danielle.
"Are you sure you and Jasper didn't have a moment earlier?" she questioned with a waggle of her brows. "Because he hasn't stopped looking at you since you sat down."
Danielle blushed again and quickly shoveled food into her mouth to avoid having to answer her question. Thankfully, Angela seemed to notice how uncomfortable Jessica was making her feel and decided to come to the rescue.
"Why don't we talk about something else?" she said, giving Jessica a look that clearly said to stop pestering Danielle. After a quick stare down, she turned to Danielle. "Why don't you tell me about Texas, Danielle? I'd love to hear about where you grew up," she encouraged with a smile.
Danielle couldn't help feeling grateful to Angela for finally steering the subject away from the Cullen family. She was glad to focus her attention on Angela and they spent the rest of lunch in easy, comfortable conversation. By the time their lunch period was coming to an end, Danielle had already decided that she liked Angela. She was friendly and nice and seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. In fact, she liked everyone Bella had introduced her too…for the most part. Jessica seemed friendly enough, but she also seemed like she was a gossipy one, which Danielle wasn't a big fan of. She told herself she would be nice to the girl, but she certainly would be careful as to what she said around her.
As a bell dinged overhead to signal that it was time to go to their next class, Danielle, Bella, and the rest of the table all left their seats and went to throw their trash away. As she trailed behind the others, Danielle braved a look back at the Cullen table and saw that Jasper had already disappeared from the cafeteria. Emmett and the other two Cullen's were still there, however, and were looking back and forth between her and what she assumed was the direction Jasper had gone. Danielle quickly faced forward again and continued on her way without another look backward.
Danielle's next class was a piece of cake, and that was due in large part to the fact that there wasn't a single Cullen present. Breathing easier and feeling like she could finally relax, she eased into a desk in the front row and settled in for the lesson, her previous thoughts of Jasper and his family finally fading to the back of her mind as she scribbled notes in her notebook.
After Physics she headed to gym, where she met up with Bella again. Because it was her first day, the gym teacher decided to give Danielle a free pass and let her sit out. Bella, however, had no choice but to participate. As Danielle sat on the sidelines and watched the dark haired girl attempt to play volleyball with the rest of the class, she soon discovered that Bella had zero athletic ability. Bella was about as graceful as a newborn giraffe, and as she stumbled all over the place and accidently sent the ball sailing toward numerous people's heads, Danielle stifled her laughter behind her hand, not wanting to laugh out loud and possibly offend her new friend.
When the final bell rang to signal the end of the school day, Danielle lingered outside the locker rooms while she waited for Bella to finish changing. When Bella finally joined her out in the hall, the girl looked positively mortified.
"God, that was humiliating," Bella said, shaking her head with despair.
Danielle suppressed a grin, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Actually, from what I saw, you were the best one out there," she said, her tone obviously teasing. "I think you should consider going pro," she then added with a smirk.
"Ha ha," Bella said sarcastically. "You're so funny."
"I like to think so," Danielle joked without missing a beat.
Bella just snorted and shook her head, a smile of amusement tugging at her lips.
They made a brief stop at their lockers to grab the things they'd need for homework that night, headed to the counselor's office so Danielle could drop off the note she'd gotten signed by all her teachers, then finally made their way to the parking lot. Danielle kept her eyes peeled for any sign of the Cullens as they crossed the parking lot, but, to her relief, there was no sign of them anywhere. It seemed like they had already left.
Danielle let out a long sigh when she was finally seated within the safety of Bella's loud, red truck. "One day down, a hundred something more to go," she said, letting her head drop back against the headrest.
Bella smiled with what looked like sympathy. "But who's counting, right?" she said, raising her brows.
Danielle just gave her a small smile in return.
The drive home was pretty quiet. They made small talk at first, then eventually fell silent and chose to listen to music instead. At some point, when they were stopped at a red light, Danielle felt Bella's eyes on her. She glanced over and saw that her new friend was staring at her with furrowed brows, giving Danielle the distinct impression that she had something she was contemplating saying. Bella didn't voice whatever was on her mind, though. She merely quickly turned her eyes forward again, her fingers drumming on the steering wheel as she waited for the light to change. When it finally turned green, they continued on.
Soon enough they were parking in front of Bella's house. They both retrieved their backpacks from the bed, then turned to face one another.
"Thanks again for toting me around today," Danielle said with a smile. "I really appreciate it."
"Yeah, no problem," Bella said with a nod. "Same time tomorrow?" she then asked.
Danielle tilted her head with uncertainty. It was a nice offer, but she didn't want Bella to feel obligated to take her to school every day. "You don't have to. I can probably get my mom to drop me off."
Bella waved her words away. "I don't mind. Honestly," she insisted.
Danielle thought about it, then nodded. "Okay. But only if you let me give you gas money," she bartered. Bella looked like she might argue for a second, so Danielle quickly spoke up before she could. "It's nonnegotiable. If I'm gonna take up space in your truck, I'm giving you gas money. And that's that," she said with a note of finality.
Bella sighed, then shrugged. "Alright then," she conceded.
Danielle smiled, shifted the backpack hanging from her shoulder, then turned to leave before Bella could change her mind. "See ya tomorrow," she called over her shoulder.
"See ya," Bella called back.
Danielle jogged up the steps to her porch, located her keys in her backpack, then unlocked the door. As soon as she was inside, she dropped her bag on the ground and went into the living room, where she flopped face down on the couch. She lay there for a few moments, then shifted around so she was laying on her back instead, one arm falling over her eyes to block out the light in the room.
What a day, she thought to herself, a heavy sigh escaping her nose.
In a way she was relieved, because now the hard part was over. She had gone to her new school and faced her new peers. The staring had sucked, yeah, and there had been plenty of awkward moments, but she knew in time things would get better. Eventually the shock of her arrival would wear off and she wouldn't be a subject of interest anymore, which meant life might actually get back to some semblance of normalcy. It could only get easier from here, right?
But then she started to think about what had happened between her and Jasper, and as she remembered that she would have to face him first thing in the morning, her feelings of relief were quickly overshadowed by an undeniable sense of dread. After the way he had behaved today, she was not looking forward to seeing him again. Emmett had assured her that the incident outside their English class would not be repeated, but what if he was wrong? What if Jasper was in another mood tomorrow? What if he grabbed her again? What if really hurt her this time? What if he had it out for her something?
Danielle frowned, then shook her head. Maybe she was beginning to get too carried away with all this. After all, it wasn't like Jasper was some psycho serial killer or something. Maybe it was just like Emmett had said – she had caught him at a bad time and he had, unfortunately, taken whatever was bothering him out on her. She could certainly recall times when she had been stressed out and flown off the handle at people who had nothing to do with the problem simply because they were there. It was very possible that was what had happened with Jasper earlier. He had been stressed and she had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Danielle frowned deeper, suddenly feeling confused. Why the hell was she making excuses for him? He had still put his hands on her without permission, and he had hurt her. Plain and simple, that was not okay. No amount of stress or frustration on his part would ever justify that sort of behavior. She might have been too shocked and scared at the time to do anything about it, but she vowed right then and there that if he attempted anything like that again that she would make him pay for it.
The ringing of her cell phone finally drew her from her thoughts. She hopped up from the couch and ran for her backpack, quickly retrieving her phone from the side zipper. It was her mother calling.
"Hey, Mom," she said in greeting.
"Hi, sweetie!" Lynne responded enthusiastically. "How was school?"
Danielle shrugged, even though her mother wasn't there to see it. "It was okay," she answered vaguely.
"How did you and Bella get along?" Lynne asked next.
Danielle smiled now. "I like Bella. She's nice," she said. "We're gonna ride to school together tomorrow, too. I think it might become a permanent thing."
Lynne made a sound of joy. "That's wonderful! I was really hoping you two would become friends. I'm glad to hear that you're getting along." She paused to say something to someone on her and, then turned her attention back to their conversation. "What about the kids at school? Did you meet anyone nice?"
Danielle thought about Emmett Cullen, and about the group that Bella had introduced her to at lunch. "Yeah, I met a few people that seemed cool. The rest just kind of stared at me like I was a science experiment that went horribly wrong," she said with a heave.
"I'm sure that'll stop soon," Lynne reassured her, even as she laughed at Danielle's choice of words.
"I hope so," Danielle said.
Lynne just made a sound of sympathy. "So tell me," she said after a moment, her tone a bit teasing now. "Were there any cute boys that caught your attention?"
The face that instantly flashed through her mind was Jasper's. But when she remembered that she was angry with him, she quickly pushed the image away. "No, there weren't," she lied.
Lynne clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Well, you've only been there a day. I'm sure you'll find one cute one eventually."
"Maybe," Danielle said unenthusiastically. "When are you gonna be home?" she asked to change the subject.
"We've been pretty busy rearranging the store and getting everything in order over here," Lynne said. "I probably won't be home until after seven. But I stopped by the grocery store at lunch time and stocked the kitchen, so there's plenty for you to eat."
"Okay," Danielle said. "I'll make something for us to have for dinner. It'll be waiting for you when you get home."
Lynne made a sound of gratitude. "Thank you, sweetie, I appreciate it."
"No problem," Danielle said with a smile. Her making dinner for her mother was nothing out of the norm. With how many hours Lynne worked, Danielle often took it upon herself to make dinner for the two of them – considering everything Lynne had done for her over the years, come home to a hot, homemade meal after a long day of work seemed like the least Danielle could do for her in return.
There was more muffled conversation on Lynne's end, which told Danielle she was taking to someone in the store again. "I should go now," her mother finally said. "But I'm glad you had a good first day and I'm glad you've made some friends. It'll only get better from here."
Danielle thought about Jasper again, and couldn't help but frown. She wanted to believe her mother was right, but if Jasper continued to be a total jerk to her, she wasn't so sure life at Forks High would be as easy as they both wanted it to be. "I hope so."
"Just think positive," Lynne said. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"
"Okay. Bye, Mom."
She ended the call, then tapped her phone against her hand. In a way, she felt a little guilty for not telling her mother about the incident with Jasper Hale, simply because she always told her mother everything, be it good or bad. But she knew her mother, and knew she would flip if she found out that someone had hurt her in anyway. It seemed better to keep it under wraps for now. If anything got any worse, then she'd tell Lynne what was going on.
Danielle sighed, shoved her phone into her the pocket of her pants, then grabbed her backpack and headed upstairs to her bedroom. It would be a while yet until she needed to start dinner, and she didn't particularly want to spend the time until then fretting over Jasper, like she had done most of that day. She decided to delve into her homework and hope that it would be enough to keep her thoughts preoccupied. For tonight, she wanted to forget about what had happened at school, forget about the entire Cullen family, and try to have a good night with her mother in their new home.
She'd worry about Jasper Hale tomorrow, when it was time to go to school and face him again.
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