Chapter 1

Bella Swan stepped down out of the school bus and was instantly surrounded by a large group of her friends.

"Bella, you look great today!"

"Oh, Bella, what did you do with your hair? It's wonderful!"

"Bella dude, that jacket is totally killer."

"Ohmigod! Are those Michael Kors shoes? I am so jealous!"

She responded graciously, basking in the attention. She had been surprised when her father got promoted and they suddenly had to move, but this was exactly right.

That fairy certainly knew what she was doing when she chose this place for me, she thought. Here I get the recognition and praise I deserve.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing, geek?" That was Gina, the leader of Bella's group of followers.

Bella turned at the shout and saw one of her classmates approaching her. Well, he was trying to approach, but was being waylaid by her friends.

"Um, I was going to talk to Bella?" Faced with dozens of angry girl eyes he faltered, turning his statement into a question.

"You what?!"

"Says who?"

"Oh no, he didn't."

"Look kid," Gina said (to the boy her own age) "you don't get to just walk up and talk to Bella. She's special, right?"

"Yeah, special!" her friends chorused.

"Ri—ight." The boy looked a lot less intimidated by the girl-mob by now. "So how exactly do I talk to Bella?"

"You talk to us. We talk to Bella, then she decides if she wants to talk to you."

The boy rolled his eyes. "All that just to talk to her? Sheesh! I only want to ask her out for ice cream after school."

"Ice cream!"

"Aw, how cute."

"Look, he's got a crush."

"QUIET!" Gina silenced the crowd, then turned back to Bella's would-be suitor. "Okay, let's get started. Are you rich?"

"No."

"Parents rich?"

"No."

"Famous or politically powerful?"

"Uh…no, and no. Are we done?"

Gina turned to look at Bella, and the boy did the same.

Bella was standing a couple feet away texting someone on her cell phone.

"Hey, Bella!" Gina pointed at the boy.

Bella jumped. "Huh? Oh...uh. Move along normal-boy." She slipped her phone into her pocket and made shoo-ing motions toward him with both hands. "Go on, now."

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "The guys were right. You are a stuck-up snob."

Turning away, he pushed through the crowd and stomped off.

There was a moment of silence, and then all her friends began talking at once.

"Ohmigod, did you see that?"

"She totally spoke to him!"

"I don't know why he's all, like mad. I mean, Bella Swan just talked to him… in public."

"Really, doesn't he know what an honor that is?"

Chloe turned to Bella and took both her hands, squeezing them gently. "Bella, you are the kindest person I know. Not many people as cool as you would talk to someone like that. Especially where someone might see."

"Whatever," Bella sighed as she retrieved her hands, "That's first bell. We'd better get going."

They all gathered their bags and jackets and rushed off to class, eager to be the first to spread the tale of the time the wonderful Bella Swan talked to a normal-boy.

End Chapter 1