Bella
Two weeks passed. Two painfully slow weeks passed and every day was hell. My family thought that I must have had a mental breakdown because I had decided that locking myself in my room was the best way to spend the last weeks of summer. I didn't have to face the world and could cry all I wanted. Except for today, was the first day of school. Today was the first day and I couldn't leave my room. How could I leave my house when I couldn't even leave my room?
The bruises were starting to fade so I wore a light blue sleeved shirt and jeans. I let my hair hang in front of my face and hugged my backpack tight. It was seven and I had to be at school by seven thirty. It only took five minutes to drive but Emmett was my ride and if he left without me than I was walking.
I did not want to walk the first day.
"Bella," my brother opens the door without knocking. "What the hell are you doing? Are you ready to go?"
He had a pissed off look on his face and stomped down the stairs not waiting for an answer. With a sigh, I push myself off the bed and walk downstairs. I grab a pop tart, heading out the door to his humongous Jeep. He's already in the car waiting for him and takes off as soon as I close the door. He turns the radio to his punk rock music he loves so much and we ride to the school in silence.
My heart pounds against my chest as we come closer to the school. All I can think of are all of the possible things that could go wrong today. Despite my brother's popularity, I was the exact opposite. Nobody noticed me and that's how I wanted to keep it. I didn't need or want attention but it always seemed to find me.
"Bella," Emmett says.
"What?" I whisper.
"I've got football practice after school so I can't drive you home."
I suddenly turn and glare at him. "Why the hell are you just telling me this now?"
Did he expect me to walk home because I sure as hell wasn't doing that.
He rolls his eyes. "Jesus, calm down. I talked to Alice and she said that she and Rose could give you a ride home."
My eyes widen and I feel like puking. I did not want to be stuck in a car with Alice Cullen and Rosalie Hale.
Alice was Edward's sister and Rosalie was my brothers' girlfriend as well as Jasper's twin. They were the definition of popular and beautiful. They were both juniors were the ones either going or throwing the wildest parties. All the girls wanted to be them and all the boys wanted to date them. There wasn't a single person in Forks that didn't envy them, myself included.
As much as they were over at my house, Alice and Rosalie terrified me. They were so much cooler and that intimidated me. I would never be as pretty as them and they would always view me as Emmett's little sister.
"Thanks for telling me sooner," I snort.
"Well maybe if you'd locked yourself in your bedroom the past week I could have."
"Well maybe if you ever stopped hanging out with Edward and Jasper, I would talk to you more. Ever think about me?!" My face is bright red and tears swim in my eyes.
"Where the fuck is this coming from? You're obsessed with Edward and now you don't want him around?"
I gasp. "I- I don't know what you are talking about."
All he does is laugh in response. "You don't think that we know about your little crush? It's been obvious for years."
"I'm done with this conversation. Maybe if you ever thought of your sister then you would actually notice me."
We pull up into the school and I don't even wait for him to park. I hop out in the line of traffic, ignoring his pleas.
"Bella!" Angela calls to me from the back of the room. Her hand is waving in the air as I collect the papers at the front and make my way towards her.
Students are still trickling into homeroom as many of us are trying to find our way around this new school. My schedule is stuffed in my pocket, having memorized my classes and room numbers. I didn't want to be that pathetic person standing in the middle of the hallway lost.
A huge smile is spread across her face as I sit down. Her black hair is pulled back into a ponytail and she's wearing a cute summer dress.
"Hey," I mumble.
Angela Webber and I had been best friends since we were three. After moving in down the street, we were inseparable. We were both quiet and shy and hated attention. It also helped that we were both book obsessed. There wasn't any chance that I would have made it through middle school or band without her. We were the misfits on the island of misfit toys and were content with staying that way. It worked for us and that's all that mattered.
"I'm so happy we have homeroom together! It feels like I haven't seen you in forever," she sighs. "I feel really bad because Jake and I have been hanging out the past few weeks and I tried texting you but you never responded."
"Yeah, sorry about that," I mutter. "I was busy."
"With what?"
"I was just busy with homework and stuff," I lie.
"Oh," is all she can say. "Well do you notice anything different about me?"
I look at her smiling face and brown eyes. I rack my mind trying to think but I come up empty.
"I got contacts!" She exclaims.
I raise my eyebrows, realizing that her glasses are gone. She looked different. She looked more mature like a… like a teenager.
"You look good!" I attempt to smile.
She blushes, pulling out her pencil pouch and smiling even wider.
"It feels so different but like in a good way. I figured it was time for a change since we are in high school now."
"Yeah," I muttered, sinking down in my seat.
She continues to ramble on about summer as I watch more people walk into the room. Guys in letterman jackets come in laughing and joking about something. I unconsciously straighten my back and watch them warily. They could be like Jacob.
The three boys sit towards the front of the room and I focus my eyes on them, making sure that they stay where they are sitting.
"...and then I went to the lake house with my parents."
I focus back in on the conversation, having missed all of it. Everything seems like it's happening in slow motion and her voice is just an echo at the back of my brain.
I nod my head, showing her that I've heard her and doodle in my notebook. I think that she's gotten the picture that I don't want to talk because she doesn't say another word the rest of the class.
The class passes by slowly. All we learned were the rules and the expectations of being in high school. This was really the time for us to work our hardest because how well we did in the next four years would determine our future. It was hard not to worry.
"What class do you have next?" Angela asks as the bell rings.
"History," I say.
"Dang it," she sighs. "I've got gym. Maybe we've got lunch together?"
"I've got fourth period."
She shakes her head and pouts, her face sad. "I've got third period."
I stuff everything in my bag and we walk out the door together. We stick together walking through the crowd before separating at the stairs.
"I'll see you later hopefully!" She shouts through the crowd. I smile at her before turning away and heading in the opposite direction.
History passed by painfully slow as I sat at the back of the classroom by myself. We were learning about the Cold War and my teacher, Mr. Smith's voice was as boring as his personality. He was too deaf to hear the side conversations going on and kept his back turned, writing on the board the entire time. I stared out the window, taking no notes, just waiting for the bell to ring but it seemed as if it never would.
"Can anyone tell me when the Cold War started?" He asks turning back around. Everyone looks at each other hoping their friends had the right answer so they don't get called on.
"I don't know like the 1800's?" A pimply faced boy laughs. The rest of the class giggles earning a disapproving glare from the teacher.
"Very funny young man. Now if anyone has a real answer I'd like to hear it before I give you all a three-page essay to write on the reasons the war started."
"That's so not fair! It's the first day of school, you can't already make us do work!" A blonde girl complained.
Mr. Smith raises his eyebrows at the girl contradicting her statement. "I can do whatever I want and you are in no place to tell me any different. I've been teaching for fifty years and have given out worse punishments than a silly essay."
He stares at the girl, daring her to something else. She mumbles out an apology before focusing back on her desk.
"You girl, in the back," he calls out. Everyone turns to look at me and I freeze in my seat. Shit. This couldn't be happening.
"Tell us when the start of the Cold War was."
I vigorously suck on my lip trying to think of the answer. I couldn't screw this up. It would be my fault if we all got punished and then everyone would hate me and I couldn't start high school with everyone hating me.
"Nineteen forty-seven?" I whispered.
A look of surprise crosses his face. "Yes, very good. The start of the Cold War was in nineteen forty-seven."
He writes the date on the board and everyone copies it down. The sound of the pencils on paper and erasers fills the quiet classroom.
"Tell me," he states. "What is your name?"
"Bella Swan," my cheeks turn red and I sink down in my seat.
Why couldn't he leave me alone?
"Emmett Swan is your brother, correct?"
I nod my head. What has he done now?
Mr. Smith laughs before muttering, "At least someone in your family has some brains." The rest of the class snickers and stare as I try to hide in my seat.
I was out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang, trying to get away from the other students. I was walking so quickly it felt as if I was gliding down the hallway and I couldn't feel my legs. My face burned in embarrassment.
The rest of the morning doesn't go any better. Physics and Geometry were torture because word had spread around that I'm Emmett Swan's sister and now suddenly I'm the center of attention with everyone wanting to be my friend. My plans of going unnoticed failed miserably.
People know that if we're friends then they will get to see Emmett and he's not only the linebacker on the football team but everyone is obsessed with him. That's the only reason anyone wants to talk to me.
Now, I'm standing in the middle of the cafeteria with nowhere to sit. Everyone has their group and their friends and know where they belong. I thought that I knew who I was. I thought that I had my two best friends and that the start of the school year would be so much fun and we could make so many memories but nothing was turning out how it was supposed to. I make my way through the crowd of people making my way to the outside tables. My racing heart slows as I'm out of the chaos and noise. The only seat that's not taken is by the trash cans so I reluctantly make my way there.
"Wait, Bella!" A voice yells.
I whip my head around to see Jasper running towards me. He's sitting at the corner of the courtyard with all of the jocks, cheerleaders and anyone who was popular. It was a known rule that you could only be invited to sit there and freshman were basically excluded except for a select few. That is where my brother belonged. Not me.
"What are you doing? Come sit with us!"
"I was going to, uhh, I was going to sit over there," I point to the trash cans. Jasper shakes his head, taking my arm before I can protest.
I gasp in shock at the sudden movement. My heart races against my chest and I can feel the blood rushing through my ears. Let go. Let go. Let go.
Jasper doesn't let go. He walks with confidence and stride, oblivious to the looks we were getting. I can feel eyes burning into our backs as we make our way to the table. People whisper all around and point at us as we make our way through the crowd of people.
Bella Swan, a nerdy little freshman, is hanging out with Jasper Hale and sitting at the popular table. I can only imagine that's what they are tweeting.
He lets go of my arm when we're finally sitting. Edward is to my left with a blonde girl at his side and Jasper is on my right. The girl with Edward and two others across the table, are glaring daggers at me. Their faces are covered in makeup and they are wearing the tightest shirts known to man. I feel my stomach do a flip when I then notice a group of guys at the other end of the table looking me up and down. I quickly look away, wanting to be invisible. This was too much attention; way too much attention. Rosalie and Alice sat across from me, looking at their phones.
My chest rises and falls and I dig my nails into my arms. I wanted to leave. These people were all cool and popular and I wasn't meant to be here. I wasn't meant to be anywhere. Why couldn't I just be invisible?
"Hey Bella," Edward smiles. I can't smile back at him. It feels like I'm about to hurl all over the place.
"Hi," I whisper, picking at my food.
"How's your first day?"
I shrug, having nothing else to say. It has gone worse than imagined. I thought that I had already experienced the worst thing in the world, being attacked by your best friend, but high school just may kill me.
"You know, I hated high school at first. It's hard for everyone. I got lost probably about a hundred times the first day."
That had to be a lie. He was perfect; too perfect. Someone like him doesn't have to worry about finding a seat in the lunchroom or having no one to sit with. Everyone liked him.
"It's true. He came home the first day a blubbering mess. You should have seen him," Alice lets out a giggle.
Her brown hair was cut short and she only wore designer clothing. Her green eyes were identical to Edward's and while he was big and had a masculine build- Alice was tiny and slim. She was the girl to go to if you needed fashion advice or anything related.
Alice had a friendly and bubbly personality which made her approachable. She was as hyper as a child who'd had too much sugar yet somehow she and Jasper seemed to fit perfectly together. Jasper was calm, quiet and could calm a room with just his presence. It was obvious they were in love.
Edward groans, making everyone chuckle. Rosalie smirked at him, obviously enjoying his embarrassment.
She and Jasper were both equally as beautiful. Their platinum blonde hair and ice blue eyes were all you needed to know that they were related. Rosalie Hale was possibly the most beautiful girl in the country. She had a fierce and blunt attitude. Everyone was terrified yet wanted to be her at the same time. She could command anyone's attention with just a look and trust me when I say… you didn't want to get on the wrong side of her.
"Edward, babe…" the blonde girls says out loud. "Who is this girl…" She says with obvious distaste.
My cheeks turn bright red when I realize all the attention is on me. Alice and Rosalie glare at the girl while Jasper rolls his eyes.
"This is Bella," Edward says to her. "Emmett's younger sister."
She quirks her eyebrow and stares at me up and down. Her lip curls up in disgust but Edward grabs her hand, giving her a silent warning not to say anything.
"This is Tanya Denali," Edward says to me.
"His girlfriend." She cuts in. I give a tight-lipped smile and mumble hello. It was obvious that I would never be with him. Edward was perfect in every way and dated girls like Tanya, even if she did look like a first-class whore, that's what guys liked.
"Speaking of Emmett," Alice says calming the tension. "Where is he?"
Jasper and Edward look at each other before bursting into laughter causing us all to wonder, what did he do now?
"He started a game of football in Calc and nearly took the teacher's head off!" Jasper bursts out laughing.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Edward laughs, "he's having lunch detention right now and tomorrow."
"Of course he is," I mutter. Edward smirks at my comment playfully hitting my bruised shoulder.
Shit. That hurt.
I try not to wince but of course, Edward notices. He notices everything. "Are you okay?" He whispers softly so only I can hear.
"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" I shrug my shoulders, trying to appear casual.
"Well… I was just worried. You didn't look so great a few weeks ago and you kind of ran out of the house all of a sudden. We searched for you but your parents said that you'd come home eventually. I just wanted to make sure everything was alright."
"Well, I'm fine," I try to make light of it. "Guess I was just kind of nervous for school and everything."
Edward doesn't look convinced. Why was he always so observant? "Are you sure everything's alright? You can talk to me you know." My stomach does a flip and my need to leave becomes even more urgent. "Actually, I've got to go. I promised my friend that I'd meet up with her."
"Wait-" Edward shouts. I'm already out of my seat walking to the doors. I can feel the stare of a hundred eyes on my back. I just needed to get out of here. I just needed to breathe.