Ashbel Edana

ooo

The first half of the day passes enchantingly with students and teachers fawning over the new and exotic student. Ashbel revels in it and fully intends on taking advantage of every opportunity offered in her new school.

Lunch comes around and as promised Willow West appears by the door of Ashbel's AP Calculus class.

"Willow! Thank goodness, I am starved!" Ashbel exclaims and abandons the eager boys and girls gathered around her in favor of looping arms with the pale girl.

"Lunch is the easiest part of the day," Willow agrees, somewhat hesitantly.

"Now come along my gentle guide and show me to the cafeteria," Ashbel beckons and loops arms with Willow. The other girl is slightly shocked at being chosen over the gaggle of much cooler students but doesn't have time to question it.

"This way," she murmurs and leads the way to the cafeteria.

It only takes a minute or two for the pair to enter the wide double doors to the huge open lunch area.

"What's nice is that the four lunch hours are divided by grade so everyone here is juniors," Willow says and smiles at the somewhat tame lunch setting. "Closer maturity levels." Ashbel surveys the round tables and raises an eyebrow at the cluster of more rowdy students.

"Except for that epicenter huh?"

"Yeah football players and cheerleaders always have a lot to laugh and yell about," Willow agrees. "The outermost tables are the most peaceful and then the Cullen's table is silent and furthest from everyone else."

"Did they move it or something?"

"No one ever saw them move it." Ashbel glances over at her jittery but curious companion and breaks out into a wide grin.

"Okay, we're sitting with them," she declares and Willow goes rigid.

"W-what?!" Willow squeals and Ashbel nods definitively.

"Do you buy lunch?" Ashbel asks, not acknowledging Willow's surprise.

"Not today," Willow replies and begins edging away from Ashbel nervously.

"Good, I brought my own too," she returns and tightens her grip on the spritely girl. "Let's go."

"Oh Ashbel they wouldn't want us," Willow squats and the fiery girl shakes her head.

"How do we know that? And besides maybe they would appreciate conversing with people outside their family," Ashbel insists and begins a prideful stride towards the Cullen's.

The Cullen's, having heard every word, look to each other with widened eyes and shocked expressions. Alice and Edward Cullen, the only two not surprised, both smirk at their siblings. Alice saw Ashbel Edana coming the second she chose to enroll in Forks High School. However, Willow West, evaded all her visions so her addition is a bit of a shock.

Ashbel Edana holds her head high as she passes the gawking faces of other Forks student and nears the urgently whispering and scowling Cullen Clan. Willow West follows Ashbel with a ducked head and meek eyes but there is an excited rush in her blood.

In moments the bold pair are standing before the Cullen's.

"Hi, I'm new here," Ashbel greets and slides into an open seat beside Rosalie. The statuesque vampire, with the golden hair, gawks at the audacity of Ashbel but says nothing. "The name's Ashbel."

Willow is still and clearly somewhat paralyzed with fear so Ashbel takes her friends arm and pulls her to sit between her and Edward Cullen.

"This is Willow, she isn't new so maybe you know her," Ashbel says and the Cullen's collectively nod. Willow West has been on the outskirts of the Cullen's world since they arrived, they all know of her. The Cullen's remain silent, unsure of how to respond to statement, unsure of how to word the awareness they share of Willow.

"We do," Alice pipes up to save face. "I think you were actually supposed to show us around on our first day."

"Oh right! I had a last minute meeting with a teacher and had to pass," Willow supplies her anxiety forcing her to carry polite conversation. She neglects to say that she felt so violently ill and nervous after that she had to go home before the day even started. Willow also carefully omits that she purposefully planned a teachers meeting so that she couldn't give the Cullen's a tour.

"Well now that we've introduced ourselves would you all care to tell us about yourselves," Ashbel invites with a waving hand gesture.

Silence and then Ashbel huffing in frustration.

"Look I know we interrupted your private lunch and just about broke every unspoken rule this cafeteria has but I don't think it would kill any of you to at least try and socialize with us." The blatant calling out and her careless attitude makes the others at the table gape. Ashbel Edana doesn't flush or laugh off her words but beams. She has always been bold and uncaring of peoples thoughts about her.

"Fair enough," Jasper chuckles and leans forward to speak. "Jasper Cullen and it's a pleasure Ms. Edana."

"Why thank you kindly good sir!" Ashbel returns in a southern drawl that matches his almost perfectly. Jasper chuckles at her imitation and the rest of the Cullen's take his reaction to Ashbel as reason to relax.

"I'm Alice and I can tell we are going to get along great!" the pixie-like girl beside him responds cheerily.

"I'm sure we will, people usually find that I'm great company," Ashbel returns, partially joking. "And Willow here is quite witty when she isn't being shy."

"Yep," Willow confirms sheepishly.

"Well I'm Emmett and this is my girl Rosalie," the burliest one chimes in with a squeezing arm around the blonde angel who scoffs and rolls her eyes. Emmett took charge of introducing Rosalie because was not planning on speaking to the humans.

"And last but no least you, what's your story quiet boy?" Ashbel asks Edward.

"I'm Edward and I don't believe my story would interest an exciting girl like you," he responds smoothly making his siblings gape. Edward Cullen is an awkward mess when it comes to meeting new people but he's also a telepath. Edward knows that flattery will distract the intuitive Ashbel Edana.

"See! You are all perfectly nice and chatty!" Ashbel exclaims with a clap of her hands. "I can't believe no one has sat with you before."

"It's crazy," Willow concurs quietly while her eyes scan the other staring students.

"Now that introductions are out of the way..." Ashbel trails off as she leans forward, planting her elbows on the table and offers an inviting expression. "Open up to me, tell me all your dark secrets." She stares at them, completely serious, and rests her tilted head in her hands.

The Cullen's become nervously silent until Ashbel cracks up laughing and shakes her head.

"I'm kidding, we can talk about totally basic stuff! For example I hate cold weather and rain but I decided to move here," Ashbel starts and holds up her hand, signaling a wait for the punchline. "As a challenge. I looked at Forks Washington and said 'challenge accepted'." Willow laughs with Ashbel so the warmer Cullen's, not Rosalie, chuckle along. "So why did you guys decide to move here?"

There is the official story, Mrs. Cullen wanted small town life, and the unnoticed story, a force compelled them to.

"Our mother has an affinity for small town life," Edward supplies.

"Not to mention our aunt enjoys living in the woods and pretending to be a witch," Emmett jokes and Rosalie elbows him. "What? You know she lives off the rumors." Rosalie huffs and crosses her arms, not wanting to admit he's right.

"You know my mom is actually very similar. She's a semi-insane middle aged woman who writes scary stories and believes in all things supernatural," Ashbel responds while giggling. "When we moved she immediately obsessed over all the legends of the Quileute Tribe."

Edward Cullen doesn't have to read Ashbel's mind to know that her mother suspects the existence of vampires and werewolves but when he peers in he can see the intensity in which Jayna Edana believes. Ashbel loves her mother so she entertains the idea of the supernatural but she doesn't fully buy into it.

"Your mother is a writer?" Willow inquires, finally interjecting herself into the conversation.

"Yup and don't tell anyone but she writes under the pen name Beth Grendel," Ashbel discloses with a wink and Willow's eyes bug out.

"Beth Grendel! I love her stories! I love how she doesn't rely on basic gore but also utilities psychological torture!" Willow gushes, her shyness disappearing in the moment.

"Oh my gosh! She'll love to hear my new bestie is a fan!" Ashbel squeals. "You will have to come over during witching hour sometime. In fact you're all welcome to come by during witching hour, it's when she's at her strongest and when she makes the best tea."

"I love doing random activities in the night," Willow muses.

"Us too! We are all night owls," Alice adds cheerfully. "You won't ever see any of us in bed by eight."

"Agh, I used to have a self-imposed bedtime of eight thirty and then high school smacked me in the face," Willow laments jokingly. "And then I realized the benefit of being awake when most everyone else isn't."

"And what is that benefit?" Jasper queries.

"It's just quiet," she answers simply. "It's peaceful really, especially here." The eyes of Willow West glaze over as she reminisces over her secret late night strolls between the trees.

Ashbel grins at her daydreaming friend and then redirects the Cullen's into friendly conversation about classes and cars while Willow loses herself in thought.

For some reason her anxieties about the Cullen's ease in their presence and everything just feels right in the world.

OOO

"Willow West you have done a flawless job at showing me Forks High School," Ashbel praises at the end of the day when the girls are standing at the front office once again. "Are you busy tonight?"

"Today is Monday so yeah I am, I have to see my therapist," Willow replies nonchalantly. "Monday's are for Carl-" Willow stops herself from saying 'Carlisle' and just ends with 'Carl'.

"You call your therapist by his first name?"

"Well yeah, how am I supposed to call anyone I tell my deepest secrets by their last name?" Willow returns and Ashbel nods in agreement.

"You got me there." They fall silent and Willow realizes her opportunity to have social plans is fleeting.

"But we can hangout another time!"

"Definitely! Friday night we can have a sleepover and lurk around during witching hour," Ashbel offers and Willow nods avidly.

"Can't wait."

"Perfect, I will see you tomorrow Willow!" Ashbel waves her hand and strides away, leaving the smell of strawberries and cigarettes in her wake. The scent is odd considering Ashbel doesn't smoke and it doesn't smell bad at all, it's actually pleasant.

"Yes, perfect..." Willow West agreed wholeheartedly without thinking it through at all. She hasn't been invited or had an invitation for a sleepover accepted for over a year.

Willow shakes her head and starts on her walk home, blasting slow songs in her earbuds as she strolls.

Oh, Carlisle will be so proud that she made a friend.