The roads are clear as I set off from the ugly double storey house that I share with Charlie, Ray and Rosie. It's raining uncontrollably, but it's still a perfect seventy-five degree day, and of course my day is ruined because I need to stay pale to attract hundred year old vampires. Fortunately, the parka offers itself up as a buffer, since John doesn't have air-bags, and it doesn't bother me that I hit three Audis on my way to the campus. Oh, John is a fun ride, and he's sexy to boot, a lot like Phil. I floor the pedal to the medal, cruising along to the tunes of Henry Hall belting out from my Walkman.
My destination is the University of Washington, Forks campus, which is a huge fifty-storey building that looks more like an office building, all gray steele. I arrive at a quarter to seven, two hours before my class starts. I like to be early, and I haven't finished reading Twilight yet, which is the preferred reading for my Literature class. I'm disappointed because I've never actually read a book published after 1900—they're so lackluster and hogwash—I feel like white trash just with the book in my backpack. Back in high school, they forced us to read Fitzgerald for an exam, and I had to pretend I read the book when I really did the Godless act of copying Jose's work. It didn't really matter, since he was so eager to give his notes to me.
I'm greatly relieved I'm here so early, and I hope I'll find someone like Jose. The school is so steely gray, nothing like the beautiful meadow in the reservation where I used to sleep with Phil. I park right in front of the steel sandstone doors, and survey the grayness.
I walk into the white sandstone lobby, and look behind the solid sandstone desk, at a woman who looks like she's made of pure sandstone. She smiles at me, but she's blond, and blonds are incredibly vain and ugly. She wears a tank top and shorts and I immediately feel overdressed. Holy crow, those blonds like intimidating me! Two can play this game. I strip out of my parka, leaving me only in a bra and panties. They're my favorite panties, I must admit, with their roaring flamingo-pink cheetahs.
"I'm here to start my degree in English Literature," I whisper to the blond. "Annabelle Swan-Steele."
I feel embarrassed saying my name. Damn my parents for divorcing and damn me for having an ugly hyphenated name. I feel like Icarus flying too close to the sun.
"You have a map don't you, Miss Steele?" the blond murmurs dryly.
I nod enthusiastically. Sometimes blonds could be smart too.
"Please use that to find your first class," she continues. "And I'd recommend you wear that parka."
I grin back at her. I win this time, Stepford Blond! Oh my, I win this time. I get to wear the parka, and I didn't even have to ask to wear the parka. This is so exciting! I'm starting to like Forks already.
I have made an effort today in choosing the bra and panties, and it disappoints me to have to put the parka back on again. It makes me look so boring; there's no way I'll stand out against the sexy women at the university. I walk past the security guard, a black man with an afro. I imagine him listening to disco music, looking like that black man from that black movie. Even the security guard isn't ugly, unlike ugly me.
I don't fit in here at all. Nothing changes. I inwardly sigh, thank the security guard in a mocking way, and walk over to the bank of elevators. I outwardly sigh, but it's not as pretty as inwardly sighing, and I know that Rosie would be able to both inwardly and outwardly sigh in a much sexier way than me. I wish I could floor the pedal to the medal when I get to the elevators, but I know how elevators work—they need space to take off and land.
The elevator whisks me at terminal velocity to the thirteenth floor, and I feel uncomfortable, because if I go too high, I'll reach God, and mom said that I'm too young to go to him. Luckily, I don't go too high, and I'm alive and not airborne when I walk out of the elevator. It's an exhilarating experience; I wish I could go back up and down, but I only have an hour until class starts, and I still haven't looked at Twilight yet.
