A/N: Introducing…Bella spots Alice! Yay!

Thanks to my Chapter 3 reviewers: Kelsie, WaLe, Kyraaah1992, and CullenGirlBrazil!

Bella

I didn't sleep well the night before my first day at Forks High School. I could easily blame it on the incessant tap-tap-tapping of the rain on Charlie's roof, which of course I wasn't used to having spent the greater part of my childhood in Phoenix, Arizona. That and I felt like I was back in second grade, incredibly nervous about my first day of school.

I'm not a people person. Really, really not a people person. Especially not people my age. Renee has always told me I am an old soul trapped in a young person's body and I believe it. Which is fine for interacting with the grown ups but not so great for making new friends at the local high school.

I threw off the comforter at 6:34 am before my alarm clock even had a chance to ring. Stretching and shivering simultaneously, I headed towards the tiny bathroom at the top of the stairs and stripped off my clothes to begin my morning routine. The bathroom was so small that was able to grab a stiff bath towel off of the rack at the same time that I started the shower.

"Shit!" I cried out, jumping backwards from under the showerhead as the arctic blast hit me square on the shoulders.

"It'll warm up!" I heard Charlie shout from downstairs. I assumed he had plenty of experience in the cold water department.

"Freaking cold water!" I grumbled as I fumbled for my shampoo bottle and began my daily process to personal hygiene. And Charlie was right—within a minute the water began to heat up and I relaxed as it loosened my stiff muscles.

I breezed through my morning routine (I am not a high maintenance girl) after only briefly considering drying my hair (what was the point, it would be wet again from the rain in 2.5 seconds anyways?)

"Bye Charlie!" I called as thundered down the stairs to the front door.

"Dad!" Charlie corrected automatically. "Have a good first day! Do you remember how to get there?"

"Yes!" Charlie had showed me the way to Forks High School yesterday don they way to the house—straight through lots of trees. Basically the same direction as everything else in Forks.

The Chevy roared to life and I realized for the first time that I didn't have a radio. Oh well. Live simply I guess.

The school was an unassuming cluster of brick buildings surrounded by thick, dark forest. I brought my truck, which on the drive over I had appropriately dubbed Betty, to a rumbling halt outside the building labeled OFFICE. Inside a heavyset redheaded woman wearing glasses and a purple shirt a size too large greeted me. "May I help you?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, hi. I'm new here."

"Oh, you must be Isabella, Chief Swan's daughter." Oh how I love being the topic of the town gossip.

"Bella," I corrected quickly.

"Right, Bella." She pulled a stack of papers out of a folder and went through them with me—my schedule (English, Government, Trigonometry, Spanish, etc.), a school directory, and a highlighted map. "Your first class is English in building 3." She pointed it out to me on the map.

I nodded and took the stack from her then did my best to disappear into the students that were beginning to mill about outside despite the drizzle. I was pleased with my ability to blend in and stay under the radar. Building 3 was within eyesight. This might not be so bad.

"Hey, I'm Eric! You're Isabella Swan, right?" Damn. Busted.

"Bella," I corrected for the second time today.

"Cool. Hey Mike!" Great, Eric was calling over one of his buddies. "Look who I found. Isabella!"

"Bella," I reminded.

"Cool," Mike said, joining us. "Cool" was clearly the catchphrase in Forks. "You're from Arizona, right? Shouldn't you be tan or something?"

"Or something," I muttered. "My mother was part albino."

"Oh." Mike nodded his blonde head attentively. Both Mike and Eric were taking me completely seriously. Apparently humor and humidity don't mix well.

"Where's your next class?" Eric asked. Before I could even answer, he pried the damp folder from my grip and tugged out my schedule. "English in 3. Nice. Me too. And then Government, Trig, and Spanish before lunch."

"You have Gov second?" Mike asked, eagerly peering over Eric's shoulder. "So do I. It's in Building 6, I'll walk you there after English."

"Uh, thanks," I stammered. I was caught somewhere between grateful and terrified by the overfriendly behavior of these boys.

The rest of the first half of my day continued in a blur of textbooks and syllabi, thankfully minimal introductions, and new people. Jessica, a girl who I had nearly assassinated in a poor attempt at team sports in gym class, had been more than forgiving and had invited me to join her and her friends at their lunch table.

"Hey, Bella!" a voice cracked as a tray clattered onto the laminate wood beside mine.

I looked up and smiled tightly. "Hey Mike."

"Hey Mike!" Jessica greeted him with way more enthusiasm and a jealous look in my direction that I couldn't miss. A thin, dark-haired girl I recognized from my Spanish and Trig classes sat down on the other side of Mike. She began munching on a celery stick immediately.

"Don't hog Bella, Angela!" Eric pushed the girl, Angela's, chair over slightly to make room for himself.

"But I have questions for her for the feature. We haven't had new this big in Forks since…well, ever."

"Feature's dead, Angela!" Eric dropped his plastic fork dramatically and shoved his chair away from the table but stopping short of actually storming off.

"Sorry," I muttered, "I don't like to be the center of attention."

"Oh, that's ok," Angela said reassuringly. "I understand, I really do. We'll just do another feature on eating disorders or drunk driving or something."

"Or maybe something on the swim team and speedo padding," I suggested, remembering some of the boys on my old high school team.

"Yeah, I mean, there's no way," Angela speculated, eying a few of the boys knowingly.

Jessica giggled. "I know right?"

Before I even had the chance to consciously tune Jessica and Angela out, I got distracted by a group of people walking into the cafeteria. Actually the five teenagers practically glided out off of an Abercrombie billboard into the Forks High School cafeteria. "Who are they?" I asked, nearly stunned into speechlessness.

"Who?" Jessica spun around. "Oh, That's the Cullens. They keep to themselves. They're together—like together together. It's so wrong."

"They're not actually related," Angela explained. "Dr. and Mrs. Cullen adopted them because they couldn't have their own." I couldn't tell if it was more for my benefit or to remind Jessica that the Cullens weren't some incestuous Pagan cult from the pit of hell. Maybe both.

"It's still wrong. They're like matchmakers or something."

"I wish they would adopt me," Angela commented.

"Seriously," Jessica agreed.

"Huh," I said. I was completely intrigued by these picture perfect people. What was so strange was that even though they weren't related, they all shared the same captivating sparkling topaz eyes and pale porcelain complexion.

Jessica pointed each one out as they walked by. "The blonde one is Rosalie. She's with the big one, Emmett. And that one," she pointed to a rather tall, lean boy with messy reddish brown hair. "is Edward. Next to him is Jasper. They're a little bit gay." She snorted and shook her head. "Shame. It's such a waste."

But there was one girl left, the girl I was really wondering about. "What about her?"

"That's Alice. She's really weird," Jessica explained.

"And what about her?"

Jessica looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Angela laughed. "She means a boyfriend, Jessica."

Jessica took the opportunity to psychoanalyze this Alice girl. "She's turned down almost every guy at Forks High." She leaned forward as if telling me a secret. "We think she's either a nun or a dyke." I choked on my Coke and spluttered everywhere, forcing my new friend Angela to perform the lifesaving action of firmly patting my back. "Seriously," Jessica continued. "It would make sense in that family."

I stopped listening to Jessica and Angela's conversation and focused instead on the Cullens, who were to pay at the register of the cafeteria's food line. At the front of the group was Rosalie, the gorgeous blonde supermodel type. She was the girl that haunted teenage boys' wet dreams. Her left arm was hooked through Emmett's right one, and with one arm he was effortlessly supporting a tray with both of their food. His physique was intimidating, but beneath his dark curls was a baby face.

Just behind them was the second Cullen couple, Edward and Jasper. They made no attempt to hide their relationship, and I guess by now the students of Forks High were over it because there were no second glances, snickers, or rude comments from the peanut gallery. Both boys wore low-cut v-neck shirts in varying pastel hues that displayed their smooth firm chests. Edward kept an arm wrapped around his blonde boyfriend's waist. Yes, as Jessica had pointed out, they were definitely gay.

But the Cullen I really couldn't take me eyes off of was the last of the bunch, dainty little Alice. Her midnight black hair was arranged into a spiked style that would be ridiculous on anyone else. She looked too fashionable for Forks—and if Jessica and Angela were right—she was more fashionable than any lesbian I had ever heard of. I thought they were supposed to be all butch and crap not perfect and graceful and feminine.

"Bella! Earth to Bella!" Mike called out.

I reluctantly focused back on the table I was seated at. "Hmm?"

Jessica looked exasperated. "Did you hear anything we just said?"

"Uh. No sorry. I was thinking about all the trig work I need to do to get caught up." That was a complete lie. I was at least three chapters ahead of my Forks class. "Can you repeat whatever it was?"

Jessica shook her head and gestured to Eric to repeat himself. "Some of us are going to the beach over at La Push this weekend to catch some waves. You interested?" He stood up on his chair and exaggeratedly mimicked the art of balancing on a surfboard by wind milling his arms.

I slowly sipped my soda. "Sure as long as you stop doing that." Charlie would be glad to see me being social and being friends.

Jessica and Angela both giggled. "Thank you," Angela said, shaking her head at Eric's antics and pulling him back into his seat by the hem of his blue tee shirt.

I glanced over to wear the Cullens were now seated and watched them carefully. I wonder if they ever come hang out at La Push? Alice…I really want to meet her. Alice…God, she is beautiful. "Alice"…her name rolls off of my tongue in a whisper so quiet I barely even hear myself.

But before I could even register movement a pair of golden eyes met mine from across the room and I swear my heart was hammering so loudly in my chest she could probably hear it all the way over there. I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks. I wanted to avert my eyes but I couldn't…it was like they were magnetized.

I saw Alice's blonde sister, Rosalie, lean over and whisper something to her and Alice nodded just slightly. Now one of her brothers...a gay one that started with an "E"…was shaking his head and looking angry. And then just as suddenly as our eye contact began, it was gone again and then she was leaving. I couldn't help but be curious as to where she was going. Lunch period wasn't over for another twenty minutes. And I wanted to watch her…in a non-stalkerish way of course. Oh, who am I kidding, I want to stalk her. But the way she stared back at me, I am thinking she wouldn't really mind if I did.

A/N: Next Chapter: Alice spots Bella!