Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
A/N: Ready for Bella's first day? Some minor introductions in this chap, as well as one big one =) Enjoy!
BPOV
I slept restlessly my first night in Forks. Being in the attic, I quickly learned that it rains a lot here, and that rain sounds like the smashing of symbols when it pours onto the roof at three o'clock in the morning.
Finally resigned to the fact that I wasn't going back to sleep, I drug myself out of bed around five. It only took me a few minutes to get dressed, opting for jeans, a turquoise and black plaid button down shirt, and my new Doc Martens. Aside from brushing my hair, I left it alone, knowing it would be useful to hide behind today.
I scooped my backpack off the floor, slipping my wallet, phone, and ipod in the front pocket before heading downstairs. Nobody else was up yet, which I expected, so I got started on breakfast. I kept it simple this morning with some fruit and toast, knowing none of us would be up for a big meal today.
Sue was the first to appear downstairs, taking the plate of grapefruit I handed her without a word, and disappearing back into her room. She was taking the rest of this school year off, opting to wait until the fall to start back up at the kindergarten here in Forks.
Jessica came down next, followed closely by Lauren. It was almost too hard for me to hold back the laugh that was threatening to escape.
Jessica was dressed in a denim miniskirt and uggs with a tanktop that revealed way too much cleavage and middriff for the middle of winter.
Lauren wore black skinny jeans and a silk top, along with black, knee-high boots, complete with a spiked three inch heel. She had obviously not considered the fact the ground would be thoroughly saturated from near constant rain.
Both girls wore matching glares as they stomped into the kitchen, apparently not thrilled about going back to school, and snatched two plates of taste from the counter. They ate quietly, occassionally stopping to ensure that their makeup hadn't begun to wear off yet. I rolled my eyes at them as I finished my apple, hopping off my barstool.
The school day wouldn't start for another half hour, but I wanted to get a good parking spot and look over my schedule before everyone else started filing in. It would be nice to at least know where my first few classes were to have avoid asking for directions. With a final glance at my stepsisters, I slipped into my black peacoat and grabbed my bag and keys, trudging through the misty rain toward my truck.
I made my way carefully through the quiet streets of Forks toward the high school, not used to driving in the rain. Upon my arrival I was glad to find that the parking lot was still empty, and I slipped into a space on the far end, convenient for a quick escape at the end of the day. I slipped out of my truck and hurried through the rain to the front office, stepping inside to find a middle-aged woman sitting at the reception desk.
"Hello, dear, can I help you?" she smiled brightly, a slight lipstick smudge on her teeth. I glanced down at the nameplate on her desk: Mrs. Cope.
"Hi, I'm Isabella Swan, one of the new students," I answered softly, keeping a friendly smile in place. Her face lit up in recognition, just like I knew it would, and she began shuffling through the papers on her desk, making a small stack for me.
"Of course you are," she chuckled merrily. "Here is your class schedule, and a map of the school, as well as a sheet that you need to have each of your teachers sign today. You can bring that back to me at the end of the day," she instructed, sliding the papers over the counter to me.
"Welcome to Forks," she nearly squealed, clearly excited to be one of the first to have met me. I smiled once more before turning to head back out to my truck. I still had at least fifteen minutes before my first class, and I wanted to study the map a little to make sure I knew where everything was.
Cars were slowly starting to pull into the lot now, and I noticed Lauren pick a spot just a few spaces down from mine. Her silver Cadillac CTS coupe drew the attention of every male in the parking lot, all of them scrambling to see the driver.
I rolled my eyes as I slipped quietly back into the cab of my truck, watching from a distance as my stepsisters attempted to look sexy sliding out of the car. Neither of them had bothered with a jacket, and I couldn't help but laugh as they scrambled over to the buildings, desperately trying to get out of the cold rain.
My last few minutes flew by quickly, and eventually I had to slink back into the rain, hurrying across the busy parking lot to my first building. I attempted to ignore all of the stares as I rushed past my classmates, hoping that they would soon lose interest with me.
Home room was first, and I walked shyly to the teacher's desk when I entered, introducing myself before handing her my slip. She smiled kindly at me over her half-glasses, and handed me back the paper after instructing me to take the empty seat toward the back. I sighed with relief at her words, and turned to find my seat, grinning when I recognized my neighbor.
"Jake!" I greeted him with a wide smile, walking down the ailse towards my desk. He looked up at the sound of his name, his own smile blindingly bright. I had to laugh at the look of his massive form crammed in the small desk, and I dropped my bag before taking my seat.
"Bells!" he cried in return. "Dude, what are the odds that we'd have the same home room?" he laughed, reaching out to bump my fist. We talked quietly about the rest of my schedule, sadly having no more classes together, until the teacher called our attention. The period was over with quickly, and Jake offered to walk me to my next class.
"I hate when they stare," I muttered under my breath. My gaze dropped to the floor, in the childish belief that if I couldn't see them, they couldn't see me. Jake's heavy arm dropped onto my shoulders, and he chuckled at my side.
"Don't sweat it, Bells," he said easily. "The novelty will pass soon enough, and you can go back to avoiding everyone." My eyes narrowed up at his smiling face, only causing him to laugh harder. He dropped me off at me next class, and I shuffled inside, repeating the same process as in home room.
The morning passed quickly, thankfully with no incidents, and I was pleased to discover I hadn't had any classes with Lauren. Jake was waiting for me at the cafeteria doors when it was time for lunch, and I happily followed him into the line, grabbing a slice of pizza and a lemonade before following him back out to a table of kids. Jake quickly pointed around the group, assigning names to kids I had seen in a few of my morning classes.
"This is Angela," he started, pointing to a quiet, thin girl who had been in my second period calculus class. She had pale skin, much like everyone else in this town, and black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her brown eyes were hidden behind square framed glasses, but a gentle smile played at her lips.
"That's Ben, her boyfriend," he continued, gesturing to the equally quiet and thin boy at her side, "and this is Tyler, Eric, and Mike." He finished by making a sweeping motion over the last three, obviously uninterested in their presence.
Tyler and Eric I recognized from home room. They both cast an appraising look over me, smiling at what they saw to my mortification, then went back to talking with one another.
I hadn't met Mike yet, but I could already tell I wasn't going to be a big fan. He was average height with blonde hair carefully formed into little spikes, and baby blue eyes to match his rosy cheeks. He vaguely reminded me of a labrador the way he smiled excitedly, wiggling a little in his seat.
I gave them all a polite smile, taking my seat beside Jake. Lauren and Jessica were on his other side, apparently having already met Tyler and Eric earlier as they were currently hanging on every word they said, giggling at their imitation of a certain teacher.
My eyes traveled slowly over the lunchroom as I sipped my drink, observing the people around me. Forks really wasn't different than my old school, except for the vast amount of winter coats scattered throughout the room, and the major difference in size. A quiet sigh escaped my lips, and I finished my survey of the room, my eyes stopping ubruptly when they danced over the table furthest from our own.
"Jake, who are they?" I asked quietly, not breaking eye contact with the group. There were five of them seated at one of the round tables, all laughing quietly at some private joke, strongly resembling an upscale clothing ad.
The grouped seemed to consist of two couples, and one odd man out. The first couple was made up of the largest man I had ever seen, even bigger than Jake, and the most beautiful woman to ever walk the halls of a public high school. His dark, curly hair was a stark contrast to her long, golden waves, but they looked like a perfect fit. The other couple was a tall, lanky blonde and a tiny, black-haired pixie that I recognized from home room. He was smiling indulgently down at her as she nearly vibrated in her seat, obviously excited about something. Both couples were heartbreakingly beautiful, almost too perfect to be real people. The fifth wheel, however, put them all to shame.
He was tall, though not as tall as the blonde, and lean, but not buff like the dark-haired one. His reddish brown hair was perfectly disheveled, as if bed head was an actually hairstyle. His skin was pale, like everyone else's, but there was a slight flush to his cheeks from the cold weather.
"Oh." Jake nodded in understanding, pulling me out of my inspection. "Well, the big one is Emmett McCarty. Typical jock, I guess, but he's a pretty cool guy," he shrugged. "The supermodel on his arm is Rosalie Hale. She's a massive bitch, but I don't know much else about her. The blonde guy is Jasper Whitlock; he moved here from somewhere in Texas during middle school. And the small girl with him is Alice Cullen." My eyes followed their faces as Jake described them, putting each name with its owner.
"The last guy is Alice's twin, Edward Cullen." I tilted my head to the side at this, not really seeing the resemblance. Jake chuckled at my expression.
"I mean, obviously they're not identical twins," he laughed. "I don't really know much about any of them, really. They all pretty much keep to themselves. I know Emmett a little better than the rest because we played football together, but that's about it," he shrugged.
I nodded in acceptance at his words, and rose to my feet as the warning bell signaled the end of lunch. My eyes tore away from Edward Cullen at the last second, not willing to lose contact with his perfect face. He was beautiful, there was no denying it.
Jake walked me dutifully to my next class, the second to last one of the day. First biology, then gym. Not exactly my ideal lineup, but I didn't have much of a choice. I took my slip to have it signed just like I had all day, and followed the teacher's nod toward the lab table in the farthest corner of the room. I smiled in relief at not having to sit in the front, and went to take my seat.
Mike reached up from one of the front desks to wave wildly at me, grinning when I offered him a tight-lipped smile and hurried past. He was definitely going to be a problem. It also didn't escape my notice that Lauren was in my class, sitting in the lab table directly in front of mine. She sneared at me as I walked to my desk, and I rolled my eyes at the back of her head.
I busied myself with pulling out a notepad and pen while I waited for class to start. The school day was almost over, and I was eager to get out of here and back to the quiet sanctuary of my room. My head rested gently on my arms as the other students filed in, attempting to avoid anymore stares if at all possible.
My position didn't change until the stool beside me scraped against the floor, and I glanced up to meet the most intense pair of green eyes I had ever seen in my life, attached to none other than Edward Cullen. I stared at him like an idiot for a few seconds before quickly looking away, my cheeks burning in embarrassment. He sunk loudly onto his stool, and I sneaked a glance at him out of the corner of my eye.
The muscles in the side of his jaw stood out against the skin as he ground his teeth, the green of his eyes hardening in anger. My brow furrowed in confusion at what could be the cause of such hostility, until his disgusted gaze flicked over to my face. I felt my face warm once more, but this time my embarrassment was mixed with anger.
He was mad at me? What did I do? I hadn't even introduced myself yet! Surely someone else must have made him angry before he came to class. There was no way that look was meant for me.
I glanced quickly once more at his expression, only to find that it had hardened impossibly further. His eyes slid over to my face once more, and his scowl deepened. I sucked in a shocked breath, averting my eyes to the blackboard, unsure of what to do.
Okay, it was definitely me. What could I have possibly done? I sniffed my shirt and hair inconspicuously, but couldn't find anything wrong. No one else had acted this way toward me, so it had to be something I had done to offend him personally. But what?
My brain swirled with questions as the teacher started class. Somehow I had offended this man without even saying a word. Maybe it wasn't me he hated, but just new students in general. I guess that could be it, but it seems a little extreme to have this much anger toward a complete stranger.
I mulled over the possibilities throughout the rest of the period, coming up with no plausible answers. Edward Cullen hated me, and I had no idea why. What was even more confusing was the tight knot that formed in my stomach as Lauren repeatedly turned aroudn to bat her eyelashes at him.
As soon as the bell rang, he shot out of his seat and practically ran from the room, only confirming my suspicions. With a heavy sigh I followed his path out the door, turning to go to my final class.
Gym passed uneventfully, thank God, and I walked slowly back to the office when the final bell rang. I had tried to stay positive about this move to Forks, but that was becoming harder by the hour. I had managed to offend the most gorgeous man I had ever met before we were even introduced. This was just great.
I fell into bed that night, exhausted from my first day. As I closed my eyes, visions of swirling green irises danced through my head, teasing me mercilessly. With sleep overtaking me, I made a decision. Tomorrow, I would introduce myself to Edward Cullen, and find out exactly what it was I had done wrong.
Why did I get the feeling it wouldn't be that easy?
A/N: Aww poor Bella. How could Edward possibly hate her? *sigh* I guess you'll just have to review so I can give you an answer.......
