Two Years Previous
14 Years Old
"Honey, you really need to get up now. It's already 6:45 and you need to leave at 7:15."
I groaned at the sound of my mom's voice. The first day of school was always the same, I didn't want to go and my mother was going to make me. Then it hit me, I start high school today. Shit! I can't go to high school for the first time looking like crap! I fell to the floor as my sheet tangled around my feet in my scramble to get out of bed.
"That's more like it," my mom chuckled making her way out of my room.
I raced over to the closet shuffling through my clothes and deciding on khaki shorts, a white lace cami and a dark blue t-shirt, which I pulled over my head as I entered the bathroom. I quickly washed my face with cold water and wiped the sleep out of my eyes. I ran my hand through my hair and groaned. There was no hope. It hung limply around my pale face, a perfect match to my light brown eyes. I pulled it up into a high pony-tail and swept both mascara and blush on extremely fast. I looked into the mirror and sighed, my face was so boring. Maybe it wouldn't be that big of a deal if I wasn't shaped so much like a boy, if I wasn't still stuck in an 'A' cup then I might be a little more confident.
"BELLA!"
"Coming mom!" I pulled my black converse on while tripping down the stairs, grabbed a granola bar from the bowl on the counter, kissed my dad on the cheek, picked up my jacket from the floor and burst into the foggy Forks air. I missed the hot, dry air of the desert that I left two months ago but I was starting to get used to the lack of sun. My mom started the truck as soon as I hopped in.
"You're going to be late, Bella," she scolded lightly.
"Come on mom, it takes like five minutes to drive through this entire town. I'm going to be fine."
"I just don't want you to start here on a bad note, and there's nothing like being late to make someone uncomfortable."
"Thanks, but it's not like being there early would do me any good either. Being the awkward girl on the bench that doesn't know anyone isn't the best feeling either."
"Oh, now that's not fair. We wouldn't have moved if we didn't have to."
"I know, I know. It's just hard."
I sighed as we pulled into the full school parking lot. Pulling my backpack onto one shoulder I opened the car door. There were so many people who were so much bigger than me, none of which I knew. My heart began to race, blood pounding in my ears. I barely heard my mom call 'I love you!' as I stepped out of the car and slammed the door. This was so much more nerve wracking than I had let myself think before. I slowly took a step forward trying not to trip. Deep breath Bella, deep breath.
Around me there were teenagers humming with masked excitement, girls hugging and giggling, kick starting the school years gossip while discussing the final summer scandals. Boys bouncing slightly on their heels pretending to be too cool to actually show the excitement they were feeling to see their friends again. I walked by an abnormally loud group of students as I pulled out my schedule.
"Hey, you new here?"
I started, whipping my head around to see a HUGE boy right behind me.
"Uh, yeah…"
"Thought so, the names Emmett."
"Bella," I answered while shyly sweeping my bangs out of my eyes.
"Sooo, what class do you have first hour?" he asked while rocking back on his heels. We had stopped walking by now.
"Honors English."
"Oh, so you're in nerd classes," he let out a booming laugh.
I rolled my eyes. "Sure, and if I don't go now I'm going to be very late to that nerd class," I said as I hurried off toward the building.
"Do you even know where you're going?" he called after me.
"Room 127?"
He laughed, "Through the main entrance, right then left."
"Thanks," I blushed and was so glad my back was to him.
The bell rang right as I entered the classroom. I was met with the noise of 50 or so students leaning on desks and casually chatting with the occasional laugh breaking the quiet hum. I headed to the desk closest to me. First row far left. I sat down, shrugging out of my backpack and taking out a notebook.
"Alright class, everyone to a seat."
There was scramble of students and the sound of chairs being pushed around. After about a minute all noise stopped.
"Thank you. This is where you will stay unless there is too much talking." There was a mumble of excitement. "I'm Mr. Webel. If you look at your desk there is a post-it note with a number on it, we will be doing interviews with classmates to get to know each other better. The questions I want you to ask are up on the board. Find your counterpart and get to it," he clapped his hands to emphasize the last word as the class made a mad dash to find their partner.
I looked down and pulled the lime green post-it from my desk, number one. When I looked up there was a boy in front of me, a gorgeous boy.
"Number one?" he asked in a slightly bemused tone.
I realized my face must look ridiculous. I quickly rearranged it into something that felt casual. "Yeah."
"Awesome, you want to go out into the hallway? It's kinda loud in here," He continued in the same smooth tone.
"Uh, sure," I followed him out the classroom door and sat down next to him on the cold tile floor.
"So, what's your name?" I asked.
"Edward Cullen."
"Where were you born?"
"London."
"Really? I've always wanted to go to England."
"Yeah, but I was only there for a few months before my parents decided to move."
"Oh, well how many siblings do you have?"
"One, younger sister named Alice."
I nodded then continued down the list of questions, "Favorite movie, book, song, TV show and color."
"Woah, what's the hurry?" He laughed.
"Um…sorry?"
"I was kidding…anyway The Breakfast Club, Catcher in the Rye, This Photograph is Proof – Taking Back Sunday, The Office and," he paused and I looked up to see his face abnormally close to mine, "red."
It was then that I realized I was blushing and of course just blushed harder.
He chuckled, "So, what about you?"
"Well," I leaned back against the wall, "my name is Bella Swan, I was born in Phoenix, I'm an only child, my favorite movie is X-men 1.5, favorite book is Water for Elephants, favorite song is Again I Go Unnoticed – Dashboard Confessional, favorite TV show is Psych and my favorite color is green."
When I looked up again he had a soft smile on his lips and I knew why, his eyes were green. The most fabulous color green, like emeralds.
He stood up and offered me his hand, "I think we should probably head back inside."
I took his hand and he pulled me up. The sensation of his big, muscular hand around mine was amazing and I couldn't shake it as we made our way back into the classroom. We were met by a low murmur upon entering; the class had obviously not finished yet. There was an awkward exchange of eye contact between Edward and I before I sat down at my desk and he headed towards his at the back of the class.
The next few classes passed by in a blur, before I knew it I found myself holding a Styrofoam tray in a room full of people with nowhere to sit. I finally started to move when an extremely polite boy bumped into me almost successfully causing a disaster. Just as I went to sit down at an empty table in the back of the cafeteria a massive hand wrapped around my shoulder.
"Emmett! You really need to stop trying your best to give me a heart attack."
"Believe me, if I was trying my best my hand wouldn't have been the thing I laid on you," he said as he winked.
"Oh God…" I don't think I had ever blushed this much.
He let out a booming laugh and steered me towards a table next to the windows that I hadn't noticed before. I don't know how I hadn't though, the people who were sitting there were some of the most stunning I had ever seen. I instantly felt like the ugly duckling. The two blondes, one boy and one girl, were both tall with the same sparkling deep blue eyes. The short brunette girl had the most beautiful smile and laugh with gorgeous hazel eyes. That's when I realized Edward was sitting there as well, the perfect edition to this table. He looked so relaxed running his hand through his already messy hair while laughing.
"Hey Bella," his liquid voice broke me out of my frozen state.
"Hey," I responded timidly.
"So you already know the new girl?" Emmett interjected.
"Yeah," Edward answered, "We have first hour together."
"I'm sorry, but how do you two know each other?" I asked feeling slightly stupid.
Emmett put on a look of mock shock, "Eddie! You spent a whole hour with this girl and didn't tell her about your amazing older brother?"
"Oh my goodness how could it have slipped my mind!" He answer was soaked with sarcasm, "This is my amazing older brother Emmett, he's a junior."
By this point the conversation between the others at the table had ceased and they were looking at me.
"Well Bella take a seat next the Eddie boy here and I'll make the introductions."
"Emmett, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Eddie?"
"However many times it takes for you to be able to take me in a fight." He flexed his muscles and winked at me again.
I giggled as I took a seat next to Edward. He rolled his eyes at his brother but started to introduce me to people before Emmett could get to it.
"This is Rosalie, Emmett's long time girlfriend," he pointed to the blonde, "This is Jasper her twin brother and this…"
He didn't get to finish his sentence because the tiny brunette launched herself over the table and grabbed my hand.
"Hi! I'm Alice, Edward's sister. Adopted, but I was two so, you know, he has always been family."
"Nice to meet all of you," I said still slightly taken aback from Alice's outburst.
"I am so thrilled to meet you too! I can already tell that you are going to fit in perfectly!" She looked at the blonde, "Can't you Rosalie?"
"Uh, yeah, she seems nice enough."
"Rosie please try to be personable, she really is nice," Emmett whispered to her.
That was when Jasper decided to chime in, "Don't mind my sister she is nice once she warms up to you. She's just slightly skeptical of girls that Edward tries to introduce to our little group."
I gave him a little smile and nod to show him that I understood what he was telling me. All around me the 'Cullen Clan,' as I had now dubbed them continued to talk and laugh. I would add in the occasional comment but my communication was mostly kept to the looks Edward and I would shoot each other. The bell to signal the end of lunch rang way too soon for my liking and as soon as it did Alice was standing behind me.
"So Bella, what class do you have next?"
"Physics with Tyson."
"YES! Me too! Thank goodness we have this class together. I hate science sooo much, plus I hear the teacher is a total bag…"
Alice kept on talking at a rapid pace as she guided me to our class. I glanced backwards to see Edward rolling his eyes but smiling at his sister, I smirked back at him and gave a little wave before turning back around and joining Alice's conversation with honest enthusiasm.
"Ugh! Worst first class ever."
I laughed in agreement, it really had been hysterically boring. The only redeeming thing was that we got to choose where we sat.
"So where are you off to next?" Alice asked.
"My own personal hell."
Alice looked at me genuinely confused.
"P.E." I answered her unasked question.
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad."
"You obviously have never seen me try to do anything active before. I look absolutely ridiculous."
"If you say so," she laughed at me.
"Oh I do. Well I better head towards the gym to meet my doom."
"And I have to go outside to health to learn about my body and how it works!"
We said bye and I turned left while she went right.
Turns out P.E. wasn't so bad today, I just sat there on the bleachers while the annoying girls gossiped about their summer and the boys played basketball. I read my book and thought about how nice it was to already have a friend, and one so nice as Alice. Soon enough the final bell rang and I made my way outside. It was pouring. I checked my phone and only had one text.
Mom: Sorry honey but I'm held up at work and I'm gonna be pretty late. Is there any way you could catch the bus?
Damn…I don't even know what bus to ride. I ran my hand through my hair and walked in a circle. When I was facing the road again there was a huge SUV parked in front of me and Emmett was motioning me towards the car. I ran up to the window which he rolled down.
"You need a ride?"
"Thank you!" I opened the back door and hopped in successfully soaking the seat. Everyone from the lunch table was there smiling at me.
"You look like a wet dog."
I whipped my head around to see that Edward was spluttering against the shower I had just given him.
Rosalie and Jasper couldn't contain their laughter.
"That's what you get Eddie," Alice said through tinkling laughter.
He hit his sister on the shoulder as I started laughing.
"Where to Bella?" Emmett asked.
"Take the next left."
"Alrighty." He turned and my house was in sight.
"This one, thanks so much Emmett."
"Anytime, see you tomorrow!"
"Bye." As I unlocked my front door and Emmett pulled away I started to think that is rainy little town wouldn't be as bad as I thought.
