Title: The New Kid
Author: JJ Murilega
Rating: Well, this chapter is T but others will be NC17(AKA: M)
Summary: Hi, I'm Luka Evans. I've just moved to the small town of Forks, Washington. On my first day of school, I managed to piss of the queen bee and discover that a clan of vegetarian vampires had been living there for the past few years. But there's something strange about one of the vampires. The feelings I get when I'm around him are like nothing I've ever felt before. Wait, now there's a pack of pissed off wolf-shifters, too? Oh, fucking great!
Parings: Esme/Carlisle, Emmet/Rosalie, Alice/Jasper, Edward/MaleOC, Lots of OCs
Warnings: multiple doses of slash, fem!slash, cross-dressing, lesbians and gays, violence, sexy situations
I drove to school early the next day, intent on finding some way to corner Edward and demand to know what the hell his problem was.
Somehow.
Unfortunately, it didn't exactly work out that way. I sat in my car for a good twenty minutes before they showed up, but not in the Volvo. No, they were in a big Jeep that probably belonged to the large male. And by 'they', I mean Alice, Jasper, the large male, and the blond female. No Edward. I frowned. Maybe he's coming in late.
I attempted to study for the vocabulary quiz we had in English but I found my mind was too full of…other thoughts to concentrate.
A few minutes before the first bell would ring, I got out of my car and started over to building 3.
"Luka!" The call of my name made me turn just in time to see Krystal jogging over.
I smiled, drawing the girl into a hug. She didn't seem too surprised and just went with it. "Morning, Krystal. How are you?"
She gave me a look as we pulled away. "I'm in school," she deadpanned.
I laughed. "Yeah, pretty much."
The bell rang.
"Ugh, great, we have English first."
I shrugged as we started walking. "I like English but I've already read all the books on the list so…"
"Lucky. Gonna be a pretty easy year for you, huh?"
"More like boring."
She laughed. "See, I've never had that problem. Reading's never been my thing."
The next few classes flew by in a haze fueled by my lack of sleep the previous night. I talked with Angela and Krystal while ignoring Jessica as she glared and gossiped loudly about me, and that's all I really cared to process.
By the time lunch came, I was having trouble concentrating on what Krystal was saying as we came nearer and nearer to the cafeteria.
Of course, that had nothing to do with the fact that I would get to see Edward again. Nope. Not even a little.
As soon as we entered, I absolutely did not sweep the room with my eyes. I was not at all disappointed, or even fazed, to see Edward was not sitting with his family. I most certainly did not feel my heart drop into my stomach when Angela caught my line of sight and remarked that Edward hadn't been in Spanish this morning either. Nope. Not at all. Really.
I got my food and then sort of froze, not really knowing where to go. I was not going to sit with Jessica again. What about with Krystal? Would she tell me to fuck off if I asked to sit with her? I glanced over at Angela who looked as though she was having the same problem.
Krystal, obviously noticing our hesitation, shifted her tray to hold it with one hand and used her free one to grab my elbow.
"C'mon. You two can sit with me. If you want to, I mean."
Angela brightened as I smiled. "Thanks, Krystal."
She smiled apologetically. "You won't be thanking me long."
She brought the two of us over to a table of five boys.
The first of the boys was short with dark curly hair and blue-green eyes. He greatly resembled Krystal, although he was defiantly male and his hair was shorter. He's Krystal's gym partner, I realized. Washout black jeans and a green sweater adorned his average looking body. He was eating his lunch while having an animated discussion with a boy who was sitting on the table.
Sitting atop the table, too close to the male Krystal to be considered purely friendly, was a boy with playful brown eyes and bright red hair. He was of average height and had a body that made me think he played a sport. That suspicion grew as I saw the amount of calories he was consuming, alternating between eating his own food and swiping things off the male Krystal's plate. He was dressed in a simple brown pullover sweat shirt and worn-out jeans.
A few seats away sat a boy with straight blond hair that hung in front of his clear blue eyes. He had on a black zip up hoodie over a white tee shirt and faded blue jeans. As he ate, he was talking with the boy next to him, who I recognized as Conner.
In one of the seats between the male Krystal and the blond boy was a short Asian boy. He was fairly good looking with golden brown skin, black hair, and dark eyes. He had on a plain long sleeved shirt and jeans. His head was in a book, but he looked up when the male Krystal spoke.
"Hey, sis. You brought some friends!"
We had the whole table's attention now. Apparently, it was rare for Krystal to bring guests.
The red head looked up, his eyes wide. "Whoa! You mean you actually have friends, Krys? Damn! I lose that bet!"
She slapped the back of the boy's head as she plopped down in a chair next to him. "Fuck off, Tristan. Guys, this is Luka and Angela. They are going to sit with us," she stated with a rather well executed be-nice-or-face-my-wrath glare.
I smiled, sliding into a seat between Krystal and Angela, who sat next to the cute Asian boy. "Hello! And who are all of you?"
"Tristan Blake," the red head replied, reaching over to shake my hand. His other thumb pointed at the male Krystal. "And this is Mitchell Bates."
"Mitch," the boy corrected, sending me a smile. "And, yes, Krystal and I are fraternal twins."
"Get asked that a lot, do you?" I asked.
The boy nodded, rolling his eyes.
"Ben Cheney," the Asian boy said quietly, glancing at Angela.
"You remember me from yesterday?" Conner asked.
I smiled. "Of course I do, Conner."
The boy grinned. "Alright!" he exclaimed happily.
"I'm Austin Marks," the blond said, shooting me a smile.
I nodded. "Good to meet you all."
I was glad that they didn't ask me too many questions, as my mind was on a certain sexy vampire. Krystal, obviously noticing my state of mind, mostly left me be and talked with the other occupants of the table.
I tried not to get my hopes up but as Krystal, Angela, and I walked into the bio room, I couldn't keep my gaze from zeroing in on my empty table. My heart dropped as I walked over and sat down.
Why am I so disappointed? Even if he was here, all he'd do is make me even more nervous and confused. Plus, now I have the entire desk to myself. So stop mopping around, you dope! I scolded myself.
Later on, in gym, I was up against Krystal and Mitch. They went easy on me because I was playing by myself. Which turned out to be a stupid move, seeing as I won anyway.
When I got home that day, I brought my laptop down to the living room. Flipping the TV on to an episode of NCIS, I booted up the new laptop and logged into my e-mail. Four new messages.
The first was from my mothers, sent yesterday.
Luka,
Message back as soon as you can. I know you must be busy, trying to settle into a new house. If you need any help, just call. We all miss you.
How is the new school? Are the other students treating you well? I have heard Forks has a very wet climate. Is it raining now?
Much Love,
Clarissa and Jacqueline
I smiled. It was obvious that Clarissa had been the one to type the message out but Jacqueline had probably had input as well and was just as eager to hear a response as her wife. I opened a new draft and typed out a message.
I already finished unpacking and everything, but thanks for the offer. Truth be told, I miss you guys, too. But don't tell the others that, they'd tease me mercilessly. Don't deny it, Clarissa, you know it's true.
School is fine. I made some friends who are in my classes and sit with me at lunch. Yes, it has been raining pretty much since I got here. I don't mind, though. It's sort of calming.
Love you too,
Luka
I sent that off and moved onto the next. The second one was from Monica.
Hey Luka!
How are you? It's only been a few days since I saw you but I already miss you.
So how's life in the small town of Spoons? Clarissa said it rains all the time. That probably makes it harder to hunt, huh? Speaking of, have you sampled the wild life, yet? Roxie wants to know if they taste any different there than they do back here.
So what grade are you starting off in this time? We have bets going and I'd kind of like to know who won. (I'm betting on Freshman, fyi)
Any who, we miss you bunches.
-Monica
I laughed for a good ten minutes before sending her my message.
Monica,
I'm doing okay, you? Seriously, you can get a hold of me any of a hundred different ways, you don't have to miss me!
First off, the name of the town is Forks, not Spoons. Forks. Second, it's fairly mundane. Kind of boring compared to back home. Speaking of, have the twins set anything on fire yet? Or blown anything up? Has Roxie beaten the crap out of anyone lately? Did they deserve it?
I haven't gone hunting yet, actually, but I'm going to over the weekend. Tell her if she wants to know she can get her ass down here and 'sample the wild life' herself.
You guys are gambling addicts, I swear. I'm starting off as a Junior, so you lose. :P Serves you right for thinking I'd start off as a Freshman. Honestly, I'm not THAT short! Let me know who won.
See ya,
Luka
The third was from Natasha. This is a surprise, I thought as I opened it.
Hey, little brother. Paige wanted me to dictate a message to you. She's worried about you, being on your own for the first time and all. She wanted to know how school's going. She wonders if you have met any cute boys yet, or made any new friends. She also wants you to know that everyone will be coming up to celebrate your birthday, just so you can prepare for us and all that.
She loves you (And so do I, I guess)
-Tasha
Ah, so it's really from Paige. That explains it, I thought as I hit Reply.
Paige & Tasha,
Hey, you two! Paige, I'm fine. I really don't mind being on my own, honest. It's kind of nice being away from all the craziness that is our family. Besides, It's nice here, I like it. School's going good. The curriculum is really easy so it's kind of boring, but at least that means I'll definitely graduate! There are quite a few cuties here. ;) I made some new friends, too. A number of them, in fact. Thanks for the heads up. See you then!
By the way, how's California? You guys are in Phoenix, right?
Love you, too (Yes, both of you),
Luka
The last was from the twins, sent at one this morning. I rolled my eyes. I don't want to know why they were up so late, I told myself.
Luka,
Hey hey! How are ya? Eating well, we hope. Did you get the stakes we sent over?
Where is it you were sent this time? Washington? Nice and rainy there, huh?
Soooo…we MAY have broken one of Clarissa's favorite sets of china…you know, the Halloween one…see, one of our experiments sorta-kinda blew up and it rocked the house, which made the china fall and shatter. She hasn't noticed yet 'cause we've kept her away from the dining room for the day. Anyway, we were wondering if you possibly remembered where Jacqueline got them from. (Don't pretend that you weren't the one who suggested the set, we know you were.)
We worship the ground you walk on,
Es & Em
I snorted at the 'worship the ground you walk on' sign off.
Twins,
I'm good. I did get the stakes and had them last night for dinner. They were delicious. Of course, I might have liked them more if they hadn't popped out of thin air and dropped onto my head just as I was getting to sleep. Let me guess, another one of your inventions?
Yes, I'm in Washington. Yes, it's raining. Yes, I'm enjoying it. Yes, I've already answered these questions a million times.
You idiots! You know how much Clarissa loved that set! I'm seriously considering not telling you where they were from just so Clarissa's reaction will make you feel guilty for the rest of your lives, but Jacqueline would probably wipe you off the face of the earth, and even I'm not that mean. I'll have the china shipped to you. Just make sure you intercept it before any of the others open it.
I don't believe that for a second,
Luka
Sending that off, I went onto the website I had originally ordered the set from and ordered another one for the twins. I shut that down and opened AIM. Just as I'd hoped, Hana was online.
FlowerGirl: Luka! How are you? I miss you!
LuckyLuka: Hey, Hana! I'm doing good, you?
FlowerGirl: Pretty good. How was school? Today was your first day, right?
LuckyLuka: It was good, but today was actually my second day.
FlowerGirl: Oh, oops! Sorry. Have you made any new friends?
LuckyLuka: Nice try but I am NOT giving you their names just so you can hack into wherever and find out about their entire lives.
FlowerGirl: Darn.
LuckyLuka: However, I do need a favor.
FlowerGirl: Of course, Luka. Anything.
LuckyLuka: I need you to find out anything and everything you can about the Cullen clan. All I know is that they seem to be seven members strong, all of whom are 'vegetarian' vampires, and that the eldest male is posing as a doctor at the local hospital.
FlowerGirl: Local as in they live in Forks?
LuckyLuka: Yep.
FlowerGirl: Weird. Although, if they're 'vegetarians' then I supposed it's smart to be in an area with lots of animals. Do you know any names?
LuckyLuka: I know five of the members are Edward, Alice, Rosalie, Emmet, and Jasper. Jasper and Alice are mated, as are Emmet and Rosalie. Edward is unmated. Those five are posing as high school students while the other two are posing as their adoptive parents.
FlowerGirl: Alright, I'll get back to you ASAP.
LuckyLuka: Thanks, Hana.
FlowerGirl: Anytime. Love you!
LuckyLuka: Love you, too.
FlowerGirl went offline
I logged off and sat back, watching as Gibbs slapped the back of DiNozzo's head. I smirked and turned off the TV, figuring I had better get started on my History essay.
The rest of the week past with bits of excitement here and there.
I learned more about Krystal and her friends, for one thing.
It turned out that Tristan and Mitch were going out, the only gay couple in the school. Surprisingly, they didn't get too much shit about it. Despite being a small town, Forks was unexpectedly open.
"People here realize that love isn't something you can control or stop. Some people are still uncomfortable with it but most don't really mind," Connor explained to me one day at lunch.
"Good thing, too," Krystal said. "I might have had to beat some sense into them if anybody gave my brother and Tristan any crap."
We all laughed at the mental image of tiny little Krystal attempting to 'beat some sense' into anyone.
I also figured out that Angela had a bit of a crush on Ben, and vice versa, but neither of them knew about it. It really wasn't that hard to figure out, what with the looks they always sent each other and the way they blushed if they were caught sending said looks. They were honestly the cutest yet most frustrating couple I'd seen in a while.
Speaking of cute and frustrating, Edward Cullen never came back to school after Monday.
Every day, I looked for him at lunch and biology. Every day, he wasn't there, and every day, I was left confused about how to feel about that. I was slightly relieved that I didn't have any reason to be nervous or uptight, but also concerned that Edward had left because of me. But that's ridiculous, I told myself.
Alice smiled at me and often said hi to me in gym but we didn't interact beyond that. One morning, when I was leaning against my car and pretending to study, as I often did, I thought she was coming over to talk with me. As she stepped forward, though, Jasper put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head slightly. Alice seemed to deflate a bit but nodded and didn't fight as he lead her away. That was…weird, I thought.
The weekend passed quickly. I went hunting on Saturday, happy to find that the rain did not hinder my ability to pursue my prey effectively. When I got back, I drew a steaming hot bubble bath and sunk into it happily, wiping away the evidence of my activities. Sunday, I was bored and ended up rereading Wuthering Heights, as that was the book we were studying in English. Before I knew it, it was Monday again.
On Monday, Angela was the first to notice the difference.
We were all sitting around a picnic table since it wasn't raining yet. Angela and Ben were talking, as were me and Mitch, and Krystal, Tristan, Conner, and Austin.
I was laughing at something Mitch had said when I noticed Angela staring. I raised a brow.
"Yes?"
Angela started. "Sorry, it's just…it's your eyes. They look different today."
"Hey, she's right," Krystal said, leaning forward to check them more closely. "I could have sworn they were black but today they're…um…to tell the truth, I can't tell what color they are."
Unlike other vampires, after I hunt, my eyes go back to the color I was originally born with instead of red or gold. My sisters and I have the same problem as Krystal; we can never figure out what my eye color is after I hunt. The main color was probably gray-silver, but there are also flakes of greens, blues, and other colors we can't really identify. My sisters told me they were pretty but all I saw was another trait that made it harder to blend with the humans.
I laughed, glad I already had a cover story for this. "I guess I didn't tell you guys yet. My eyes tend to change color like that a lot. I'm not too sure why." The sorta-kinda-lie slipped off my tongue easily.
The entire table spent the rest of the time arguing about what color my eyes were that day. Well, Angela and Ben were quieter than the rest, only adding their two cents to say that the two of them thought my eyes were just multicolored.
We had a surprise test on the chapters of Wuthering Heights we had read in English, which made me glad I'd reread the book.
"That was hell," Krystal groaned as we walked out of the room.
My brows furrowed. "I thought it was rather easy. Wait, did you actually read the chapters?"
Krystal smiled sheepishly. Suddenly, she stopped, and her eyes got wide.
"What?"
"Look."
I did and smiled. "Snow."
"Snow," Krystal echoed, a big grin on her face. She eyed me as we continued walking. "So do you like snow? Or not?"
I nodded, smiling serenely at the white flakes that swirled in the air before landing and gathering on the ground. "When it falls like this…it's so peaceful, you know? Peaceful moments are few and far between in the world nowadays so I think it's nice when one happens and you have the time to just stop and soak it up. Like when the snow falls."
"Wow…that was…deep," Krystal said, her tone starling me out of my thoughts.
I smiled down at the girl apologetically. "Heh, sorry. My sisters say I occasionally tap into my inner philosopher without realizing it."
"Somehow, I don't doubt it." A large ball of mush then flew through the air and hit Krystal square in the back of the head. She whirled and saw Mitch grinning. With an evil smile, the dark haired girl picked up a ball of the white slush at her feet and started towards Mitch, who wisely turned tail and ran like crazy. "MITCHELL!" Krystal yelled. "YOU LITTLE BRAT! GET BACK HERE!"
I laughed at the siblings and shook my head as I walked to Government. "So much for peaceful," I mumbled with a smile.
All morning long, all everyone could talk about was the snow. Even Angela seemed excited to join in the school-wide after-school snowball fight everyone seemed to be planning. I wasn't as enthusiastic, though. Snow was nice but snowball fights with humans could get a little dangerous if I didn't keep myself in check.
I didn't bother dodging half the snowballs lobbed my way by friends, though, and even joined in on the fun on my way to lunch, making sure to keep careful to throw the snow at only a fraction of the power I know I am capable of. By the time I got into the cafeteria, I was dripping wet and smiling wide as I chatted with Tristan. He was impressed with my throwing skills and was trying to get me to join the baseball team in spring.
"Seriously, Luke, we could use your skills," he begged.
"Sorry, but I'd rather not. I want to concentrate on my grades and stuff."
"You're already getting all A's!"
Mitch rolled his eyes. "Lay off, Tristan. Sorry, Luka, he can be so stubborn once he gets an idea into his head."
I laughed, glancing over at the Cullen table out of habit. What I saw made me freeze. I closed my eyes and reopened them, just to make sure I was seeing things right. I was.
There were five bodies at the table today.
Fuck.
Krystal waved her hand in front of my face. "Hello, earth to Luka! What do you want?"
I looked down and could feel the blood leaving my face.
"Luka?" Krystal sounded worried now.
"What's wrong? Is he okay?" Mitch asked.
"I'm fine," I mumbled, my stomach protesting. "Think I'll just have some ginger ale."
"Are you okay? You usually eat more than Tristan does, and that's saying something," Krystal joked.
"Hey!"
"Yeah. Just not feeling too good," I replied paying for the small can of soda and walking over to the table where Conner, Austin, Ben, and Angela were already seated.
Angela frowned at my lack of food. Then her eyes found my face. "You okay, Luka? You're looking kind of pale. More so than usual."
"He says he isn't feeling well," Krystal stated as she sat down next to me, a frown on her face.
"Is it serious? Do you need to go to the nurse?" Conner asked.
"I'm fine," I muttered.
I glanced back over to the Cullen table.
They seemed to be enjoying the snowy day just like the rest of the students, their supermodel looks being the only thing that really made them stand out. The three males were soaked with snow and the largest one leaned over the table to shake his hair, liquid spraying everywhere. The two females laughed and leaned away from the droplets of water and snow. All of them were smiling and laughing, looking more like supermodels and movie stars than anyone had the right to.
And yet…I couldn't shake the feeling that, other than the air of playfulness, there was something… different about all of them today.
I rested my eyes on Edward and tried to examine him without getting too side tracked by his beauty. He looked a little less pale today, and the darkness under his eyes was less noticeable, but I had to wonder if that was just the lighting.
"What are you looking at, Luka?" Angela asked.
Edward's eyes turned towards me and I quickly looked down before I got lost in that gaze again. The blood rushed back into my face, making me a bit dizzy. I realized with a start that the anger had not been in his eyes. Only curiosity and something like discontentment remained.
Well, at least he's not angry anymore. Maybe it really wasn't me? I thought back to Mrs. Cope's office and sighed. No, it was defiantly me. So then, what changed his mind?
Mitch chuckled from across the table. "Edward Cullen is staring at you, you know," he informed me quietly.
My face grew hotter as I examined the grain of the wooden table. "How does he look?"
"Gorgeous, of course."
"No, I mean… does he look angry at all?" I asked, looking up at Mitch.
Mitch frowned and looked more carefully. "No, I don't think so. He just seems…interested," he smirked.
"I doubt he's interested in the way you're thinking of. I don't think he likes me."
Mitch frowned. "Why do you think that?"
"He hasn't even held a proper conversation with me but the signals I've been getting from him say he's already decided he hates me."
Tristan shrugged. "I wouldn't worry. The Cullens don't really like anyone."
"Well," Mitch amended, "they've never noticed anyone enough to like them. But he's still staring at you. Kind of making me jealous," he joked. Tristan glared at his boyfriend before wrapping an arm around him.
"Then stop looking at him," I hissed.
Mitch giggled and snuggled into Tristan's embrace, looking away.
Angela, sensing my discomfort, steered the conversation back onto the topic of the epic afterschool snowball battle.
While she did that, I had an internal battle with myself for a few minutes.
To go to biology or not, that is the question.
Oh please, what is he going to do? Rip your throat out? Said a mocking voice in my head that sounded suspiciously like Tasha.
Maybe! You never know!
Oh, come on. Like he would risk the entire town, no, the entire country finding out about him and his family just so he could hurt you for something you obviously didn't do?
Who says I didn't do anything?
Okay, then, did you do anything?
…not to my knowledge…
Well then that settles it. You are going to Biology.
But-
No buts! What does Jacqueline always say? "No one messes with an Evans," remember?
Yeah, I remember.
And you agree to go to class?
Yes.
Good. Took you long enough, you freaking schizophrenic.
As we all left for our next classes, the student body gave a collective groan. Rain was now falling from the sky, washing away any chance of the grand snowball fight everyone had been counting on.
A strange mix of relief and disappointment came over me as I walked out of the rain and into the bio room and saw my still empty table. Mr. Banner was walking around and placing a microscope and box of small slides onto every desk.
There were still a few minutes before class actually began so I pulled out my notebook and began to draw a swirling pattern with my pen in the side margins, planning to make it look sort of like a frame.
I was startled when the chair beside me scraped the floor as it was pulled back, and dropped my pen to the desk with a clatter. I hurriedly picked it up, fighting a blush as I did so.
"Sorry if I startled you," a musical voice said.
I turned my head a fraction, looking at him out of the corner of my eye to see if he was really talking to me. He was. He still sat as far away from me as he could but there was no doubt that his chair was angled towards me. His hair –dripping wet, disheveled, and sexier than ever – hung in front of his cautious eyes. Despite the carefulness in those eyes, his face was sociable, open. A small smile was even playing at his lips.
"Hello," Edward continued. "My name is Edward Cullen. I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Luka Evans."
What the hell? One minute he's treating me like I just maimed his beloved puppy in front of him, and the next he's acting perfectly courteous? Did I just imagine the whole thing? No way, I couldn't have. Not even my imagination is that elaborate. I realized then that he was waiting for a response.
I turned to face him fully. "Yeah, that's me. But, how did you know my name?"
His chuckle was melodic, beautiful like him. "Oh, I am pretty sure everyone knows your name. You have been the talk of the town since you arrived."
I winced. "Great," I mumbled.
The vampire looked at me quizzically. "You don't like attention?"
"More like I don't like a whole town of people I don't even know gossiping about me like old ladies."
That drew another chuckle from him.
"Anyway, what I meant to ask was 'how do you know my real name'?"
The boy seemed confused. "What do you mean?"
"Everyone here seemed to be under the impression that my name is Lucas. You're the first one to automatically know it was Luka."
"Oh," was all Edward said. He turned away, back towards the black board.
Mr. Banner decided to start class just then and I had to try hard to listen to the instructions for the lab. It was one I had done before a few times, but I still paid attention anyway, trying to keep my mind off the scrumptious boy next to me. The slides Mr. Banner had given us were onion root tip cells. Without using our books, we were to work as partners to identify and correctly label the stages of mitosis. We had twenty minutes before he would come around to see who had it right and who did not.
"Get started," he finished.
"Would you like to go first, partner?" Edward asked with a crooked smiled. I stopped breathing and could only stare at him like an imbecile for a few moments. "Or, I could start if you wish," he said, his smile dropping.
I flushed, realizing that he was probably wondering if I was as dumb as I must have seemed at that moment. I cleared my throat before saying, "No, I'll start."
I took the first slide and slipped it under the microscope, flipping the objective to 40X. I glanced at the slide, taking a moment to find the cell.
"Prophase," I stated, starting to remove the slide.
"Mind if I take a look?" he asked, lightly placing his hand on mine to stop me. My breath caught as a lightning bolt shot through me from that ice cold hand. He withdrew his hand as I did with a mumbled "I'm sorry." He reached again for the microscope and examined it for a brief moment. "Prophase," he agreed, writing the word on the first line of the paper.
"No surprise there," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
He switched out the slide and glanced into the microscope. "Anaphase," he muttered, his elegant scrawl writing the word as he said it.
"Mind if I take a look?" I half mocked.
Edward glanced at me, his lip twitching as he pushed the contraption towards me. I peered into the eyepiece. And of course he's right. Damn it.
"Anaphase," I agreed, looking up briefly.
"No surprise there," he said back, a small smile tugging at his lips.
He handed me the next slide, careful not to touch me again. I glanced into the eyepiece as quickly as I could. "Interphase," I stated, sliding the microscope towards him without him asking.
He took a quick peek and wrote the answer on the line.
We ended up finishing way before anyone else. I could see some of the people struggling with identifying the phases – one group even had their book open under the table. Krystal and Angela were still working, so I took out my notebook and started doodling the frame again, desperately trying to keep my eyes on my paper.
And failing.
At one point, I glanced up into Edward's ocher eyes, which were fixed on me. Ocher…His eyes! I thought with triumph. That's what's different about him! His eyes are amber instead of black! He must have gone hunting. I searched those eyes and found that the confusing look of frustration was back. I glanced down at the desk to see that his hands were also clenched into fists again. Okay, what did I do this time?
Before I could voice my question, Mr. Banner came over to see why we were no longer working. He caught sight of our finished work sheet and inspected the answers. No doubt finding them all correct, he looked at Edward and spoke.
"So, Edward, didn't think that Lucas should get a chance with the microscope?"
"Luka," Edward corrected him unconsciously. "Actually, he identified three of the five."
Mr. Banner looked at me doubtfully. "You've done this lab before?"
I grinned sheepishly. "Not with onion root, sir."
He raised a brow. "Whitefish blastula?"
I nodded.
"Were you in an advanced placement program at your old school?"
"I was, sir."
"I guess it's good you two are partners then," he said after a beat. "So the other kids can get a chance to learn something for themselves," he mumbled as he walked over to anther table.
I chuckled a bit, going back to doodling in my notebook.
"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked conversationally, as though he actually cared. He was obviously forcing himself to talk with me and I nearly rolled my eyes.
Abruptly, a thought struck me and I couldn't help but chuckle. Edward's confused expression only fueled the quiet laughter. "Sorry, but," I chuckled again, "you're actually asking me…about the weather?"
The vampire's lips moved into a small smile. "Yeah, I…I guess I am."
He chuckled for a moment and I watched him, the smile dropping from my face. He truly is stunning.
After a moment, I sighed. "Look, you don't have to force yourself to talk to me."
Edward frowned. "Force myself?" He sounded surprised and confused.
"You don't like me and that's fine but -"
Edward held up a hand to stop me from speaking. "You think I don't like you?"
"I know you don't like me. What I don't know is why, but I doubt you'll tell me."
Edward made a noise between a sigh and a laugh. "I don't…dislike you, Luka."
I frowned, searching his eyes and finding honesty. "Then what the hell was with the attitude up until now?"
"I…" the vampire paused for a moment, regret appearing in his eyes. "I can't tell you."
I stared him down, pursing my lips when I was met with his stubborn gaze. Looking down at the table, I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. After another moment, I came to a decision. "Look…why don't we just start over?" I turned to the boy next to me, sticking out my right hand with a small smile. "Hi. My name is Luka Evans. And you are?"
The boy started at me for a moment, his gaze flickering from my face to my hand and back again. Just as I was about to retract my hand, his lips curled into a smile.
"Edward Cullen. It's nice to meet you," he said after another moment, wrapping his hand around mine. I stifled a gasp at the pure electricity the cold touch stimulated, causing goose bumps to rise along my body. Edward was staring at me with eyes of caution, lust, and…puzzlement.
Well, at least I'm not the only one confused. "Yeah. You, too," I mumbled in reply, still not letting go or looking away.
"Do you do this sort of thing often?" Edward asked after a moment of silence, pulling his hand away and looking towards the clock on the wall, allowing me a moment to gather my thoughts.
"Err, do what?" I asked, looking at my paper.
I felt his gaze on me again. "Give others second chances."
Finally beginning to get my wits back about me, I shrugged. "If they deserve it."
"And you believe I deserve it?"
I looked up at that, slightly surprised at the question. Those eyes were locked on mine, searching, questioning, almost pleading with me. Pleading with me to understand. Understand what? I thought, frustrated. "You believe you don't?" I shot back.
That got him. His mouth pressed into a thin line, but his eyes still bore into mine, searching.
"Why are you here?" He blurted out after moments of silence. His eyes widened along with mine, as though he was as surprised as I at his seemingly random question.
"Um, what?"
"Nothing, never mind," Edward replied, glaring down at the desk with a clenched jaw.
If you ever want to get any answers out of this guy, you are going to have to answer some of his questions, too, my inner voice announced.
"It's sort of complicated," I told him before I allowed myself to really think of what I was saying.
He looked at me again, his eyes searching mine as I did the same.
"I'm sure I can keep up," Edward stated in a low voice.
Feeling suddenly shy, I ducked my head and looked back down at my notebook. I picked up my pen and started doodling again.
"It's a tradition," I began.
"That doesn't sound so terribly complicated." I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.
"Do you want to know about this or not?" I asked, peeking at him from the corner of my eyes.
His right hand came up to mime zipping his mouth shut, locking it, and throwing away the key.
I found myself smiling at the slightly childish action. I looked back down as I spoke, not wanting to be taken in by those eyes again. "My family likes to move around a lot – see new places, meet new people, all that jazz. When we want to move to a new place, we all write where we want to go next onto pieces of paper and put the choices into a hat. Then we choose two people to pick two of the choices from the hat at random. Those two people go to the place they picked and stay there for a month or two to sort of test the waters. We all get back together after a number of weeks and decide, out of the two choices, where we'd like to live next."
Silence. I peeked up at him again to find he was staring at me again.
"Obviously, you were one of the one's chosen to scope out a destination."
I nodded.
"And you picked Forks."
Another nod. "My sister, Monica, is the one who wrote Forks on her slip of paper," I told without being asked. "She refused to tell me why, though," I shrugged. "She probably heard the name from somewhere and wanted to know what it was like."
"Now you know."
I smiled at the vampire. "Now I know."
"What do you think so far?" He asked, sounding honestly interested.
"Ah-ah-ah. That's a secret!" I said with a wink.
Edward seemed amused at my antics. "How many siblings do you have?"
"Seven. All sisters."
Edward didn't seem surprised. "It must be interesting to live in such a large family."
"I guess interesting is one word for it."
He frowned. "How would you describe it, then?"
"Insanity."
That drew a laugh from him and I immediately found myself chuckling along.
Mr. Banner got everyone's attention then, ending our conversation. I blushed as I realized how much I had just revealed to him. I was pretty sure he didn't suspect I was anything more than human – yet – which calmed me a little. Still though, half the time he hadn't really been asking in-depth questions, I just kept blabbing on. That bothered me – I was usually remarkable at keeping secrets.
I tried to pay attention to Mr. Banner. Really, I did. But it was hard to do when the lesson was one I'd already learned. Plus, it didn't exactly help that an unreasonably attractive vampire was sitting next to me. My thoughts kept drifting to said vampire, my eyes going with them. Every time I would look over, I found him with his fists clenched in his lap, sitting rigid and still. Thankfully, he no longer looked angry, but as though he was in deep thought.
It felt like forever before the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Just like last time, Edward bolted out the door, the first one out. I sat there for a moment, frozen with confusion. What had just happened? That conversation made me think he might want to be friends but…what the hell?
Krystal and Angela walked with me to gym, keeping my mind temporarily off of Edward Cullen. Of course, it was a whole other story when I got into the gymnasium. I could still sense Edward, but it was faint, as though he wasn't in the building. My suspicions were confirmed when Coach Clapp called me aside after I had finished changing. He informed me that Edward was not feeling well and so was at the nurses office, where he likely would be for the rest of the day.
I played alone against Jessica and Mike, enjoying the sweet revenge of winning 8-0, no matter how small and petty that revenge might have been.
As I was leaving the gym, I noticed something on the floor. I bent over and picked it up. It was a choker – a torn black ribbon with a pendant that had some sort of crest on it. The symbol was that of a lion with a hand floating over its head and three clubs beneath it. I immediately recognized it as Alice Cullen's, as she always wore it. I looked around but evidently she had already left. I sighed and stuffed the necklace into my pocket, figuring I would give it back to her tomorrow.
Krystal, Mitch, and I walked out into the parking lot. We went our separate ways, them to the right, I straight ahead.
"See you tomorrow, Luka!" Krystal called.
"Bye!"
As I walked, I felt eyes on me. I looked around, my eyes finally coming to rest on Edward Cullen leaning against his Volvo. His eyes locked onto mine and a thrill of want went down my spine before I managed to look away.
That was when I noticed her. There was a young woman, in her teens probably, leaning up against my car. The sight of her made me stop walking out of shock.
Her blond hair waved gently in places and hung to a few inches past her shoulders. Grey-blue eyes went nicely with a mid-drift denim jacket and skinny jeans. A white lacey camisole hugged her figure beneath the jacket, white ankle boots completing the simple-yet-stylish outfit. Her white backpack, nearly empty, was slung over her left shoulder. She was smiling to herself, nodding her head slightly as she listened to her iPod and stared at the sky. She was beautiful, even I had to admit, and had attracted quite a lot of interest from both the male and female population of the school. She looked relaxed, almost like she hadn't noticed all the attention, but I knew she had.
As though she could read my thoughts, the young woman turned her head to look directly at me. She smiled a warm smile, and I felt a grin slowly spread across my face as I began walking again, faster this time. The girl placed her iPod in her pocket and her bag onto the pavement as she waited.
When I was close enough, I wrapped my arms around her waist, picked her up, and swung her around, delighting at the squeals she let loose as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I placed her down, but didn't let go just yet.
"I missed you, Luka," Hana whispered gently in my ear.
I squeezed her tighter for a moment before pulling back to look her in the eye, noting her wide, happy smile. "Not that the feeling isn't mutual and all, but what are you doing here?"
She leaned against my car again and I did the same. "Well, you remember you asked me about that thing around a week ago?"
I nodded, realizing she meant the information on the Cullens.
"It turned out to be quite interesting so I wanted to give you the report in person."
I narrowed my eyes at her, sensing that that wasn't the full story. I was about to call her out on it, but decided against it. She'll tell me soon enough. She always does.
"So, care to tell me why that boy over there is staring at you?" Hana asked, jutting her chin towards the Cullen car without looking away from me.
My eyes flickered over to see that Edward Cullen was once again staring at me. He looked…well, to be quite honest, I was having trouble telling what he was feeling. It looked like a mix between confusion, hurt, and anger. I blushed slightly and turned to open the driver's side door. "Later."
Hana complied with the silent request and slid into the passenger's seat a moment later. Unfortunately, my spoken request was disregarded. "Now."
I sighed, and backed out of my space, starting the journey home. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, avoiding looking her in the eyes.
What would I tell her? What could I tell her?
Oh, well, it's nothing much really. I thought he hated me for a while but today in Bio he acted like we were the best of friends! Of course, he did skip Gym after that.
I sighed.
A soft, warm hand wrapped around my right. I looked over at Hana, startled.
"I think we're here," the girl said, sounding slightly concerned.
I looked up and was surprised to see she was right. I shook myself and walked into the house, leading Hana into the room I spent most my time in – the living room. I plopped down onto the couch, Hana taking her seat on the cushion next to me.
"So? Spill."
I sighed. "I…" I began, but didn't quite know where to go. "He…We…" I sighed again, wondering how I could explain something that I didn't even understand myself.
"I'm guessing he's one of the Cullens."
I was grateful for the help. "Yeah. Our relationship has been a bit…strained."
Hana frowned. "Strained. How?"
"Well, we are in two of the same classes. The first day we met, I walked in on him trying to switch those two classes."
Blond eyebrows raised. "Ouch."
"Yeah, you're telling me. But, then today he talked to me and we had this whole conversation that was…well, really nice." I ran a hand through my black hair. "Look, can we…not talk about this? Not yet at least. I haven't fully figured out what's going on between the two of us so I can't really describe it to someone else."
Hana frowned before nodding slowly. "Of course. Can I know which one it is, though?"
"Edward," I said, the name bringing with it an onslaught of emotion.
"Edward," she mumbled, as though testing the name. Inexplicably, Hana smiled. "I like it," she told me.
I rolled my eyes. "Well, just as long as you approve. So, you've got some information for me?"
The blond nodded, pulling a manila envelope from her bag. She opened it and pulled out several papers. "Let's see here…The founder of the Cullen clan is Carlisle Cullen. He's the one posing as the adoptive father. He's about 6'2'' with blond hair. He was born in London, England in 1643 and turned by an unknown vampire in 1666. His special abilities include his remarkable control over his basic vampire instincts. He is the eldest of the clan.
"The second eldest is a boy named Jasper Hale. He was born Jasper Whitlock in 1843 and turned vampire in 1863. He has a history in combat and was in the army, both as a human and for the beginning years of his vampire life. He's about 6'3'' with not-quite-shoulder-length honey blond hair and a well-toned body. His special abilities include the ability to read and manipulate the emotions of those around him.
"Edward Cullen was born Edward Mason in Chicago, Illinois in 1901. He was turned in 1918 by Carlisle himself – making him the first Carlisle turned. He was dying of the Spanish influenza when Carlisle turned him. He's 6'2'' with messy bronze hair and a slim but fit body. His special abilities include the ability to read the minds of others."
That explains a lot, I couldn't help but think.
"Esme Cullen was born in 1895 in Columbus, Ohio. Carlisle turned her in 1921 after…after she attempted suicide. She's 5'6'', small, with caramel colored hair. She doesn't exactly have any special abilities, although one of my sources said her ability may be her extraordinary compassion for others. She is Carlisle's mate.
"Alice Cullen was born Mary Alice Brandon in 1901 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Even as a human, she had the ability to see the future, and her family had her institutionalized for this reason. She was turned in 1920 by a worker at the institution because she was being hunted by another vampire. One of my sources said the vampire may have been named James or John but she was not positive. She and her mate, Jasper, met at a diner in Philadelphia before going to join the Cullen's. She's 4'10'' with short, dark hair. Her special abilities include clairvoyance.
"Rosalie Hale was born under that same name in 1915 in Rochester, New York. She was born into wealth and beauty. Unfortunately, that didn't buy her happiness as in 1933, her fiancé and a group of his drunk friends…they…they gang raped her…and beat her, leaving her to die in the streets."
I sucked in a breath and swallowed back the bile in my throat. Both of us knew what something like that was like. I put my arm around her shoulders in silent support. She took a deep breath and continued.
"Carlisle found her there and turned her. He originally wanted her to be Edward's mate but it didn't work out that way, apparently. She is 5'9'' with long, pale blond hair and no special abilities."
"Before you go on, did she kill the bastards that did that to her?" I asked, venom in my voice.
Hana nodded solemnly. "Yes. According to my sources, she was very theatrical in scaring them thoroughly before finishing them off. More so with her ex-fiancé."
"Good," I replied darkly. "Continue, please."
Hana took another breath. "Last but not least is Emmet Cullen, born Emmet McCarty in 1915 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. In 1935, Rosalie came across him while he was being mauled by a bear. She rescued him and carried him back to Carlisle so he could save him. He did and Emmet is now Rosalie's mate. He's 6'5'' with black hair and large muscles. He has no known special abilities, other than his strength."
We sat in silence for a few moments, allowing the information to sink in. My brain was racing. "Wow," I said, breaking the silence. "Nice job. Some of that stuff was pretty in depth. You must have some great sources. Wish I knew who they are."
"That, dearest brother, is a secret, even from you," Hana said with a wink.
I laughed. "Alright. So, what do you say to going out for dinner? I don't really feel like cooking."
Hana nodded and stood. "Sure. Let's get going."