A/N: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.


Chapter Three

I arrived at school and parked Carlisle's Mercedes near the building. I locked the car and looked around. I was the first one here. I went to the front office and got my schedule from the woman at the desk. Kate had arranged so most of my classes were the same as Bella's. Alice had said all of her old homework was in her room if I needed it. I read quickly over the schedule and went to my locker. Alice told me what I would need, such as binders, folders, paper, notebooks, pencils, and a change of clothes for gym. She also said I would need to work to control my strength around humans. I had spent time practicing at home but was still worried about gym.

I went to my first class and sat down in the back. Slowly students trickled it, all staring at me. Five hundred years on this earth, I was used to staring. I didn't even notice it. Someone sat down in the chair in front of me.

"Hi." She said. I looked up and was met with a girl who was pretty enough, but looked like she was looking for something to gossip about. "You're new here." She said. I internally sighed. Jessica Stanley. Alice warned me about her.

I nodded and said, "Yes. I'm new." She smiled and held her hand out.

"I'm Jessica." She said sweetly.

I smiled back. "Nadi."

Confusion crossed her face, "Nadi?" She asked, her voice was disgusted with me.

I nodded, taking deep breaths. I wasn't even shaking yet, and for that I was proud of myself.

I noticed Bella walking into the class just before the teacher shut the door. She looked like a zombie, alive without any drive to be happy, soul still intact, but heartbroken. The poor girl was suffering and I almost couldn't take it.

She turned back around as the teacher called the class to order.

He took attendance and then said, "Class, we have a new student, why don't you stand up and introduce yourself."

Alice warned me about this too. She said I shouldn't feel nervous talking in front of people. Either because I was too stupid or because I'm five hundred years old, I wasn't nervous. I stood up confidently and said, "Hi, my name is Nadi Cullen. I just moved here from California with my mom. We moved here to watch over Dr. Cullen's house while the Cullen's are away. I'm his niece, by the way."

For the past two weeks Alice had given me lessons on how I should talk. I hoped that sounded modern enough to make her proud.

I sat down as the teacher nodded to me. "Welcome to Washington, Ms. Cullen. I hope you're not like Alice, though." He looked at me over his glasses and I shook my head.

"No sir, I'm nothing like any of the Cullen's." My simple sentence had a double meaning to it that I hoped Bella caught. I turned to my right and looked her dead in the eyes. She was seated a few rows ahead of me, but she was staring right back at me. I smiled at her and she looked confused.

Class passed my quickly enough. I knew as soon as class was over Bella was going to ambush me. I didn't know what to tell her. She knew I wasn't Carlisle's niece and she would know from one touch I wasn't a vampire. I was the complete opposite of a vampire. They were ice cold and I was always hot. They were supposed to feed from humans, I was a protector of humans. But I couldn't very well tell Bella I was a werewolf. Sure she wouldn't mind it, but would she even know what a werewolf was? I decided no. I have to keep my secret from her.

The bell rang and I walked out of class. Bella called out to me and I stopped outside the door. "Yes?" I asked when she walked out.

She looked me dead in the eyes and whispered, "Vampire?" It was low enough so no human could hear, so I pretended I didn't hear her. If I was supposed to be human, I had to act like it.

"What?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Later." She said. "We'll talk later."

Bella and I walked to class together. She wasn't very talkative, but I understood perfectly. We walked into our second class together and sat down in the back. She gave me a weird look as I sat down next to her.

"You're the nicest person I've met so far and I'm staying as close to you as I can." I told her. I realized I hadn't introduced myself to her yet I knew who she was because of Edward but she didn't know that.

I held out a hand to her and said, "My name's Nadi by the way."

She shook it and said, "Yeah, I know. My name's Bella."

I fake gasped. "You're Bella Swan?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

She nodded and looked confused. "Yeah, how do you know?"

I smiled and said, "Edward talked about you all the time."

I noticed her flinch at Edward's name. I realized then just what the Cullen's leaving did to her. I backtracked immediately. "I'm sorry, I forgot he just broke up with you. He really is sorry they had to leave so fast."

She shook her head and said, "No, it's fine. He did what he had to do."

I didn't believe her. I could look in her eyes and tell she wasn't fine. I opened my mouth to say something but was cut off by the teacher. I kept my eye on Bella throughout the lesson. She looked ready to fall in the floor and break into a thousand pieces if someone so much as breathed on her.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class and Bella and I trudged on to third period. She was quiet throughout the morning, but I knew she was just in pain.

At lunchtime, Bella surprised me though. As we were walking through the halls she asked, "So, you want to sit with me and my friends at lunch? They're really nice, you'd like them." Then under her breath she added, "Angela at least."

I smiled brightly and said, "Sure, that sounds great, Bella."

We walked silently into the lunchroom and got our food. Bella looked at me shocked when I sat down with an overflowing tray. I had three pieces of pizza, four bags of chips, an apple and two cookies on my tray. It was a start, I guess.

I devoured my food in minutes, I was done before any of Bella's friends sat down.

When they did Bella introduced me to Angela, Ben, Jessica from first period, Lauren and Mike. The latter ignored me to talk only to Bella. I could tell he liked her, but it was definitely not returned.

I still didn't like Jessica anymore than I did this morning when I met her. She was too sweet to me and I could tell it was an act.

Lauren was a bitch. There was no avoiding calling her that. It's just what she was, plain and simple.

Angela and Ben, I did like. They seemed genuine enough and seemed to really care for Bella. Lunch was nearly over when I heard someone whispering my name. I knew it was Jessica whispering to Lauren, but I didn't turn my head. Instead I kept my eyes on Bella and listened in on Lauren and Jessica's conversation. Bella didn't notice me staring at her, and thankfully no one else did either.

"She's a Cullen, can you believe it?" Jessica whispered.

"I know, and she's nothing like the other Cullen's. Why does she even go to school here? She looks like she belongs in La Push." Lauren whispered back.

Jessica shrugged, "In first period she said she was living in their house while they're in California. Think she sleeps in Edward's bed?"

Lauren giggled and said, "I don't know, I would, though. I do know she doesn't belong here. Bella's been a real downer ever since Edward left, maybe they could run off to La Push together so we'd never have to see either of them again."

I felt myself shaking and I turned to look at them both. I glared and they stopped their hushed conversation. I heard Lauren whisper, "Freak" under her breath. Another glare quickly shut her up.

The rest of the day passed seamlessly. I avoided Bella the rest of the day since I knew she wanted to talk to me. As I was getting into Carlisle's Mercedes, I heard her calling my name, but I pretended not to hear. Just as I was about to back out of the parking space, a car was behind me. I recognized Mike Newton in the driver seat. I silently cursed him as Bella knocked on my window.

"Need a ride, Bella?" I asked as my window slid down.

She stared at me for a minute and said, "I'll need to come back for my truck." I nodded and she hopped in the other side.

We left the school parking lot and went down the road. I noticed her watching me so I asked, "Should we talk now or would you like to come back to my house? I can promise you though, you won't like the latter."

She hesitated then said in a quiet voice, "Your house, please."

I nodded and went drove down the road towards the Cullen's. I knew she was going to be upset by this, but what could I do?

I turned off down the driveway and I noticed Bella tense. We pulled up next to the house and I turned off the car. I looked to Bella and she looked back at me.

"Are you like them?" She asked. I knew she was referring to them being vampires. I shook my head and said, "I know they are vampires and I know you know they are vampires. But I myself am not one."

She nodded and said, "May I go inside?" I smiled and got out and went towards the house with Bella trailing behind.

I left her alone once inside. She wandered up to Edward's room I heard her crying overhead. I slowly walked up the stairs and sat down beside her. I put my arm around her and let her cry. When she was all cried out, we went downstairs and I fixed her something to eat. She called her father and let him know she was staying with a friend to finish a project for school.

She slept in Edward's room. I was a little apprehensive on that, but she seemed fine. The next morning I fixed her breakfast, she showered and borrowed some of Rosalie's clothes. She was too big for Alice's clothes and too small for mine. She fit Rosalie's well enough, though.

We drove to school in a companionable silence. She seemed better today. I guess sleeping in Edward's room helped her. We arrived at school and went into our first class. The day went much smoother than yesterday. At lunch, I sat down with as much food as I had yesterday. Bella wasn't surprised today, especially after she saw me eat dinner last night and breakfast this morning.

The rest of the table, however, was shocked at how much I ate. They didn't say anything, though. Not after I growled at Lauren after she asked if I was going to puke it up later. Yeah, I growled in school. So I wasn't quite used to living in civilization. After five hundred years alone, can you really blame me?

At the end of the day, I bid my farewells to Bella, with a promise to meet her later at her house to study. I really needed it and I think she could tell.


A/N: Like I said before, thanks to Feng Yue for the idea, and thanks to Aurore-Darrelle for letting me vent to her, a lot of writers have personal things going on and it can mess up a story if your personal issues leak into your writing. Without her, this story would be a mess.

Thanks to Ally, Rachel2w2, Aya163, and Curtis for reviewing last chapter. I'm SO sorry Ally that I didn't let you know I was posting beforehand. I already told you why it happened and why I didn't let you know. Please accept my virtual homemade cookies as an apology.

Playlist for this chapter:

Chapter Three

"Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)" by Chevelle

"Call Me" by In This Moment (Awesome Blondie cover)

"Young" by Hollywood Undead

"Beautiful Tragedy" by In This Moment

"Breakdown" by Seether

"In A Sacred Manner I Come" by Lakota Thunder

"Loose My Breath" by Destiny's Child

"Snuff" by Slipknot

"When You Were Young" by the Killers

"Beautiful" by H.I.M.

Thanks for reading, I hope you review and let me know what you think, but I'm not a review whore so I won't ask you to. Though it would be nice……~Ever Uley~