The day Edward returned to Forks High was a day he both anticipated and slightly dreaded. Dreaded, because he knew the wrath of Astraea Toulouse still burned. Jasper, who sat near him during first period, had a mind full of emotions that almost worried Edward. Pain, however, seemed to by the thing that trumped all other feeling and for that, unease spread through him. He hadn't intended to hurt her as badly as he had, he clearly hadn't anticipated the force she had put into her shoulder bump. He had heard rather than felt the tendons ripping and the slew of furious words that had followed his exit had almost made him wince.
Her thoughts, as they had always been, were almost muted, he could hear them but he had to focus, however that was not what had been weighing his mind. It was that he could not hear the new girl, with her chocolate eyes and nervous fidgeting persona and to top it all off, her blood was potent, sweet and the moment she'd walked into biology, he'd practically felt his mouth watering. He caught sight of her at lunch, shadowing Astra, who seemed almost boisterous with Bella at her side and as he focused, he found he could detect the bandages hiding beneath what looked like the star football player's letterman jacket. Bella, who had not introduced herself to him as of yet, but to Astra when they had been seated behind him, seemed almost an enigma, especially with her silence. Alice could sense her, Jasper could touch her feelings but to Edward's increasing dilemma, her thoughts remained a mere echo. So far in his time as an immortal, there had been not one human or vampire who had been silent like she was, the very occasional few were muted like Astra but Alice had never been able to determine the tawny blonde's future so Edward wondered if she was just one of those humans that were oddly remarkable. They were few and far between but he knew they were there, the chances of having two of them in the same place made him uneasy again though he didn't voice this to his family as he sat down in his usual seat, surveying the room briefly. Rosalie's nostrils have flared twice by the time he realises she's speaking to him in an urgent tone but though he turns to give her attention, his thoughts linger on the seemingly elusive Bella Swan.
He reached biology before most of the other students had begun to trickle in, placing himself in his usual seat, knowing it would probably piss Astra off more but he can deal with her fury. When the two girls enter, as predicted Astra's eyes slit and almost before he can register, she's hurling a green apple at him. He catches it, smirking faintly and hoping she doesn't notice the darkness that now bruises the apple. She takes the seat in front of him with a final glower, she doesn't fear Molina but she's not wanting to make a scene, he detects because she knows that Bella would hate it. Bella, whose slunk into the seat beside him, is quiet and still beside him. He half turns, opening his posture up in an attempt to appear more welcoming than he knows he does.
"Hey, sorry I didn't introduce myself last week. I had a lot going on and I'm sorry that you and Astra copped the brunt of it, I'm Edward Cullen," He heard Astra growl under her breath that she had yet to hear an apology and reaches out to grasp her good arm, making her flinch backwards, vulnerability lingering in her eyes and he holds his hands up patiently. Rosalie had mentioned she disliked the cold more so than a majority of the humans scattering the school and indeed the town, she always seemed more rugged up then she truly needed to be.
"I am really sorry Astra, it was an accident and I'm sorry it hurt you as much as it did. It wasn't my intention, I could ask my father to look at it if you were comfortable with that," The word daddy slips through her mind, loud enough for him to catch and he almost breaks into a smile before she nods, almost harshly, drawing herself up and with a sighing breath, she seems to exhale her anger.
"I'm sorry for calling you all the names I called you though most of them I stand by as being valid. And I understand that we all have bad days, its just usually a lot nicer for everyone if you keep it self-contained. And yeah, if my shoulder continues to play up, maybe I will take up your offer with Doctor Cullen, though he's probably too busy with actual patients," Astra spoke with a warmth that Edward had never had directed at him from her before and he caught the thought that she was trying, really trying to be genuinely friendly. She knew that he didn't often branch out as he was doing now and that though she wasn't as enthralled with him as the rest of the female population was, she was curious. Her curiosity he'd have to watch out for because for now, it was harmless but he knew human curiosity knew little in terms of boundaries.
"You're Bella, right? Everyone was talking about you before and after you arrived. Our fathers know each other, Carlisle is a doctor at the hospital and he and Charlie see enough of each other I believe," He hides a smirk that goes unseen by Bella but he wonders if Astra catches it before she turns back to the front, her back a less formidable force than it usually feels. Astra is one of the few humans within Forks that Edward found interesting; she was whip-smart and calculating, making her quite curious to engage in conversation with because even with his abilities, her thoughts were never truly clear. He had at times wondered if she had undiagnosed ADHD but later had ruled it down to the fact that he simply could not catch her thoughts for how fast they were.
"Huh, I didn't realise I was that much of a celebrity here," Bella spoke with a dryness that rivalled the snark Edward found he received predominantly from Astra and though he did not outwardly react, a grin was still building. Not only did she smell intoxicating but she had a personality, unlike several girls he could name but would rather not. Turning his eyes down to the slides they were identifying, though he already knew what they all were, he motioned for her to begin and with a quiet huff, she investigated the first.
"Prophase," Bella speaks almost curtly, daring him to argue with her as he glances at it briefly, enough to satisfy her and to acknowledge that she was indeed correct. He nodded, choosing to remain silent and in that silence, he realised how much it frustrated him that he couldn't hear her thoughts. She was almost unpredictable in that and it irked him still.
"Your eyes aren't black anymore." Her statement garnered his full attention, his non-existent breath halting in his throat as he stared into her inquisitive eyes.
"It's probably just the fluorescents, y'know, they're bright enough to blind you and I'm pretty sure they mess with colours too," His excuse sounds feeble, though Bella relaxes a tad, happy enough to go with his excuse rather than to think of something crazy that would be too close to the truth.
Throughout the remainder of the lesson, the two of them traded banter, Bella he discovered, disliked the rain almost as much Astra did and complained viciously about the weather, though Edward had never seen anything wrong with the rain, he, of course, understood where both girls were coming from. He liked the cold weather, naturally but he knew Rosalie often resented the heavy clouds that barely let up and often said clouds brought with them moods of their own. By the end of class, when the bell rang its aggressive toll, he walked Bella out into the hallway, Astra dancing ahead with people lingering around her and Bella and Edward watched, smiles dousing both of their faces before Bella turns her smile briefly on Edward.
"It was nice to find out you're not a complete asshole. I guess I'll see you next class," Bella wiggles her fingers in a wave, departing before he can reply but Edward makes sure his warm smile reaches her, as he watches her vanish amongst the hoardes of students bustling out. He's aware of Astra's gaze for the briefest of seconds before she too is swallowed into the crowd and Edward heads out into the brisk cold, sensing his siblings before he can catch a glimpse of them.
Rosalie's eyes linger on Astra's as she darts across the car park to wrap Bella in a hug, the stiffness in her right arm clear and it makes distaste prickle through Edward but he cannot do anything now. Alice waves him over and Emmett bounds up, fist bumping him squarely before it happens. The squealing of tires is what alerts him, but not everyone else seems to hear them as acutely as Edward of course, and the van is plunging towards the girls his eyes just left. Edward didn't think, he's already moving, faster than the van and faster than Astra's reaction time as he sees her begin to turn and move, tugging Bella with her but neither girl is going to be fast enough. Astra's out of the way by the time he reaches Bella and the van is bearing down on top of her but he's there and with a crunch, Edward is shoving the van backwards and away as lightly as he can, aware that they're in a crowded parking lot and he's risking a lot, even doing this.
There's a heavy thud as the van's rear hits the car Astra has rolled beneath and he hears a scream building in her chest, but both girls are safe. Bella looks startled, her face drained of colour and Astra's hands are shaking as she stands, her mouth open but nothing is coming out. Students flood them, people helping Astra to her feet and a shaken guy, Tyler Crowley stumbles from the van, more students moving to his side to help him. Astra is the worse off of the two, deep cuts slashing through her jeans and he can smell the blood soaking her palms. Faintly, he's aware that something is very wrong with her shoulder now but he's too distracted by her blood and Rosalie's furiously loud thoughts, all of his siblings are watching with something like disapproval though he can see the relief on Rose's face as she sees that Astra is mostly unharmed.
The softness Rose has for the human had always baffled his family but Edward knew it had to do with the very obvious crush Astra had had on Rosalie when they'd first moved to Forks and the genuine friendliness Astra had always extended to the Cullens, though she wasn't the sweetest of people, she'd never been like some of the people that frequented Forks High.
"What the hell was that?" Mike Newton is there, with a few of the others who Bella had sat with her first day, Jessica, Angela and Eric and the rest of those around them are murmuring the same. Astra looks shaken as she leans heavily against the car and Bella, grasping the back of her truck, stares at Edward with something in her eyes that he can't read but it makes something in him begin to unfurl, his strange warmth towards Bella was steadily blooming and he knew nothing good could come of this.