Half of Me
Chapter 3: New Kids in Town
The next day when I got to school, everyone was buzzing about the new students. I had just gotten out of the car, and I already knew their names: Emmett and Alice Cullen and Edward Masen. I quickly learned that Emmett was going into his senior year, and Alice and Edward were both Juniors, like me.
There were clumps of students everywhere, gossiping about the newcomers, no doubt. I suddenly felt a surge of pity for Edward, Emmett, and Alice, they were going to be the subject of talk for weeks. I was glad that I was born here, and at least didn't have to go through the awkward situation of a new school.
I walked quickly to class, diving in and out of groups of people. Of course, with the crookedness of my path, I was bound to trip over something. Sure enough, I caught the tip of my shoe in a crack on the sidewalk, bumping into someone and dropping my books everywhere.
"Sorry," I said quickly to whoever I knocked in to. I bent over to pick up my books, and was just reaching for the last one, but a pale hand beat me to it.
"Here," a velvet voice said, clearly a guy's. "I think you dropped this." I took my book without looking up and mumbled a thank you, and continued to class.
Neither Alice nor Edward were in any of my classes before lunch, so the first time I saw them was in the cafeteria.
It was strange, everyone was either staring at a table I couldn't see from the line I was in, or talking about Edward, Alice, and Emmett.
I got my food and sat down. I was just in time to hear Jessica gush about the new guys' hotness. Will the gossip never end?
I numbed myself from the sound, Jessica was beginning to get on my nerves, no offense to her. Hm, this numbing thing sure does come in handy.
Of course, clearing your mind of everything did have it's downside. When it came to Biology, let's just say I wasn't in the most cheerful of moods.
I sat at my assigned table and dug in my backpack for the homework I had so carelessly stuff into my bag. My hand closed over something that felt like a bracelet. And it was, it was the charm bracelet Jacob had given me for my last birthday, a bracelet I had carried with me, if I wasn't wearing it, so I would have my own little piece of Jacob wherever I went.
I felt the tears beginning to come on, but I couldn't exactly start bawling my eyes out in the science room. I shoved the bracelet in my pocket, and forced all thoughts of it out of my mind.
Class was about to start when someone entered the room last minute.
"Ah, so you must be Edward Masen," I heard Mr. Banner, the teacher, say.
Everyone stared at Edward, including me. I nearly gasped.
He was perfect, there was no other way to describe him. He had a gorgeous face, his features flawless. His hair was messy, though in a stylish way, and an odd bronze sort of color. He had pale peach skin, which was flushed with embarrassment. Looks like I'm not the only person in the world that blushes so easily. But his eyes, his eyes were perhaps the most striking feature of all. They were a brilliant shade of green, and looking at them made me feel a little. . .off.
"Well, let's get you seated," Mr. Banner continued. Shoot, don't let him sit by me! I will, without a doubt, either babble like an idiot, stare at him the entire period, or begin bawling my eyes out over the bracelet, any one making myself look like a nut.
"Let's see, why don't we put you," don't say my name!,"by Miss Swan. Bella, will you please raise your hand?"
I stuck my hand in the air. Of course, it made sense that Edward sat by me. I was the only one in the class without a lab partner, and Mr. Banner wasn't going to make Edward sit by himself. It made sense, didn't mean I liked it, though.
I heard the seat beside me scrape against the floor as Edward sat down, but I didn't move my eyes from the board.
I adjusted my position slightly, carelessly bumping my hand against the lump in my pocket. My eyes began to well up, and it looked like option three, bawl like a baby, was how I would embarrass myself today. I think I would actually liked babbling like an idiot more than this, but I couldn't control that. It took everything I had to hold back the water threatening to spew out of my tear ducts.
Class passed slowly, and by the end, I was exhausted and no smarter than when I entered the room, since preventing myself from crying turned out to be more work than I would have dreamed.
"Er, are you alright?" a familiar velvet smooth voice asked.
I turned to see Edward Masen looking at me worriedly. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.
"I'm. . .fine," I replied hastily, and turned, leaving the room as quickly as I could.
I ran for the restroom, locking myself in the nearest stall. I inhaled deeply, but instead of calming me down, it initiated my tears, and soon I was sobbing in the bathroom.
Eventually, I was calm enough to stop tears. I took the bracelet out of my pocket. The silver links blinked in the light, and my eyes rested on the only charm on the entire bracelet, a single carved wolf. Jacob had carved it himself for me after telling me one of the Quileute legends, one claiming that the protectors of the tribe were men who could become wolves.
Luckily, I was out of tears, so I didn't start crying again at the memory.
I looked at my watch to find that I was ten minutes late for my next class, History. Oh well, Mr. Thomas, the teacher, never cares if anyone is late, he never notices either. He doesn't even take attendance until the end of class, he always forgets.
I splashed some cool water on my face and made for my next class. Of course, when I got there no one paid any attention to me. Most people were either on their cellphones or listening to music, and Mr. Thomas was too caught up in his lecture on the Boston Tea Party to notice me.
After History, I had to deal with an hour of P. E., my least favorite subject of the day. It was even more terrible due to the pounding in my head from all of that crying.
Finally, the bell rang, ending the worst school day of my life. I wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse on my bed. So I did.
A few hours later, the doorbell rang. I let Charlie answer it, I really didn't want to get up.
Charlie popped his head through my bedroom door. "Bella, Angela Weber's outside, saying you two are going to some welcome party."
Party? What party? And then I remembered: The new kids welcome party. Shoot.
"Uh, can you please just tell her I'm sick or something?" I asked Charlie.
Charlie sighed, looking me over. "Alright."
Five minutes later, I heard someone come in my room. My head was under my covers, so I couldn't see who it was.
"Bella, get out of bed," Angela said. "You promised."
"That was before I knew how crappy a day today was going to be."
"Which is exactly why you should come. A party will lift your spirits!" she insisted.
I lifted the covers and looked at her in the eyes. "Really, who are you? Some sort of clone robot? What happened to the Angela I used to know?"
"She was subjected to listening to Lauren, Jessica, and Rosalie's babble about fashion, guys, and hair. I really think I've dropped a few IQ points."
"I wouldn't doubt it." I pulled the blanket over my head again.
Angela ripped the covers off me and threw them across the room.
"Hey!"
"Bella, come on. Please. For me," she begged.
"I give up. Why do you want to go so badly?"
Angela blushed deep scarlet. "Well. . . I. . . uh . . ."
From all of Rosalie, Jessica, and Lauren's conversations I have witnessed, I could easily see where this was going. "Who is it?" I asked.
"Ben Cheney." If possible, her face grew redder.
"Okay, I'll go." I couldn't possibly let Angela down now.
"Thank you! I'll wait in my car," she said with a smile.
I grabbed the outfit I had picked out yesterday and changed in the bathroom. I ran my brush quickly through my hair, leaving my mahogany locks down, boring as always.
I climbed into Angela's car, and was relieved to find that the radio was turned off. I don't think I could take it if some gooey love song started playing.
In no time, we were pulling up to Rosalie's house, where the party was already in full swing. It looked to me that Mr. and Mrs. Hale were out of town, I doubt they would have allowed such a loud party as the one I was only witnessing on the outside.
"You ready to go in?" Angela's soft voice asked. Not one bit. Take me home.
"Yeah." I braced myself as I began what was most likely to be one of the worst nights of my life.
Okay, I am sooooo sorry that that update took so long! I actually have had this chapter written way back when I first published the story, but I've been on vacation with my friend for a week, then I got my laptop taken away for not cleaning my room :-(. Right now, chapter four is about half-way done, though it might be a while before I update again, since I'm back in school. But don't worry, I promise it'll be up within a week.
-Abbie
