Chapter 52

6:40 a.m.

Carlisle and Esme stood on the front step and watched as Emmett's new Jeep Wrangler pulled out of the driveway. The story was that he had been held back in kindergarten, and that seemed to be enough to justify his size and the fact that he held a driver's license. Rosalie always showed her loathsome disapproval in taking the bus, using their bloodlust as an excuse. The truth of the matter was, she wouldn't be caught dead in what Emmett often referred to as 'the yellow limousine'.

Esme slipped her fingers through Carlisle's and looked at him nervously. "There's always that chance that something could... not go perfectly."

He smiled and kissed her temple. "I'm sure they'll do just fine. Besides, now they have cell-phones they can use on a whim."

"How times have changed."

The two of them shared a smile before Carlisle leaned in and kissed her. "The good news is that I have a few days before I have to go in to work."

Esme chuckled. "Mm-hmm."

He pulled her closer, "And school is just about seven hours long."

"Right..." She couldn't keep a smile from her face as Carlisle landed another kiss on her lips.

"So, I say we go inside and take advantage of about... hmm... six and a half of those hours."

"Sounds good to me doctor." Esme tugged lightly on his tie before entering the house ahead of him.

7:10 a.m.

The second bell rang, indicating any student arriving to class beyond that time would be marked late. Edward and Jasper sat side by side in the back row of their first period geometry class. Already, students were whispering back and forth to one another, particularly the girls, though as far as Edward was concerned they might as well have all been shouting.

Who are those guys? They're so hot. They weren't here during the first two marking periods. Where did they come from? Are they brothers? They look alike... kind of.

"Okay," a tall, lean man with a graying hair and glasses struggled to read a sheet of paper he held directly in front of him. His eyes squinted.

It's Cullen, Edward thought to himself as he could see the man was deliberating if his last name Cullen or Cutten. The man's got a ridiculously high IQ but he can't read the paper three inches in front of his face.

"It seems we have some new students," the aging teacher announced to the class. "Edward Cullen, and Jasper... Hale." His eyes scanned the room before he easily spotted the two of them in the back, "Will you boys please stand?"

Great, let's put us on display like we're zoo animals, Edward thought. He smirked when he read Jasper's more morbid approach to his own dismay.

I could kill him right now Edward. Jasper looked to his left and smiled at him, finding amusement in their non-verbal communication.

The two of them rose at the same time, drawing open-mouth stares from all of the females in the room. The boys, too, seemed to be drawn to them and stared blankly toward the back, left corner of the room.

"I'm Mr. Walter. Welcome to Forks High School. You've both recently moved here from Alaska?" The man removed his glasses and smiled.

Edward took the lead, as he sensed Jasper wasn't about to. "Yes, that's right. Denali, Alaska."

"Well, you've handled the snow," Mr. Walter said, "Let's see how you enjoy the rain."

A few of the kids in the class chuckled before the math teacher continued with his welcome.

"Have either of you taken geometry before?"

Just a hundred times, Edward thought, boring himself with the thought. He looked at Jasper, urging him with his eyes to answer the next question.

"Um..." Jasper began, trying not to breath in too heavily, "We took it for the first semester... in Denali."

"Great. Then you have some background on the subject matter."

Both of them nodded.

I hope we don't struggle too much. Gosh, the girl in front of us smells like what humans might compare to... pizza... or nachos.

Edward laughed, but quickly straightened up. "I'm sure we'll be able to catch up." He glanced down at the book on the desk. "We were using the same book."

"Well, if you need any extra help, please let me know." Mr. Walter motioned for them to sit down.

"Can you make it through seven classes?" Edward whispered.

"Piece of... cake." Jasper said back quietly.

The girl in front of the two of them turned around. "I have an 'A' in here," she claimed with a big smile, "If either of you need extra help or anything, I'll stay after with you."

Edward nodded, "Thank you." He eyed Jasper in his peripheral vision.

"Thanks." Jasper, he could tell, was attempting not to get too close.

"I'm Jessica," she whispered, "Jessica Stanley. If either of you, like, want a tour of the school or something I'd be happy to give you one. It's really not that hard. I mean, at first, I was like where the heck are my classes, but now it's, like, so simple. If you need anything at all-"

"Turn your books to chapter seventeen," Mr. Walter said aloud, breaking the young girl's desperate attempts to make nice with the mysterious new boys that now sat directly behind her in class.

She smiled at them and turned around, not finishing her final thought.

Jasper slumped in his chair and flipped open the book. She really has the worst seat in the house.

Edward looked over at him and shook his head, beginning to worry just slightly for the girl's safety. "Jasper..." he whispered.

I'm kidding. He smiled to indicate he was well within the barriers his self-control. I ate two bears yesterday. I'm still stuffed.

Edward's posture loosened just slightly.

But she sure does smell good.

The two of them made eye contact again and shared a smile, attempting to get through their first class together.

12:05 p.m.

Emmett met with Rosalie at her locker and quickly snuck in a kiss, one which she reciprocated.

"P.D.A." Alice teased, "Don't knock down the school." She smiled playfully at the two of them and linked herself to Jasper. The four of them shared a quick laugh before heading to the lunch room where Edward had already claimed a table by the back windows.

"Right in the sunlight... good choice Edward." Rosalie rolled her eyes and Edward shook his head, having heard her sarcasm from across the loud, oversized room.

The four of them sat down with him and he immediately rebutted, "Like there's ever any sunlight here, Rosalie. That's been the number one complaint so far today, outward and inward."

"Speaking of, how are the thoughts of our teens of Forks?" Rosalie asked him. She placed the brown paper bag that Esme had given her before they left on the table in front of her.

"The usual." He commented.

"Elaborate," Alice encouraged with a grin.

Edward sighed, "They're all enamored with every one of us already."

"Tell me what they're thinking about me," Rosalie said. She grinned.

"You sure you want to know?" He flashed her an amused smile, causing her smile to fade and posture to slump just slightly.

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Well the girls for one..." Edward chuckled, "They-"

"They're just jealous," Emmett interrupted. He looked at his wife and winked before stealing a Cheese-It from a clear plastic bag and popping it into his mouth. "Yuck," he said, pretending to enjoy the snack.

Rosalie looked at him and grinned before they kissed again.

Edward rolled his eyes and looked at Alice and Jasper, "I'm so glad you guys aren't like that."

Rosalie didn't break her kiss with Emmett, mainly just to spite her brother.

"Oh, you should hear what the girls are thinking now," he teased, now drawing his much-wanted reaction from Rosalie.

She abruptly broke off their embrace and gave Edward the evil eye.

"Halfway though and no body count," Emmett said, changing the subject. He held up a hand and Jasper gave him a high-five.

Alice giggled and Edward shook his head, trying to block out the thoughts of everyone around them.

"I miss the sedentary, simple life of Denali," he complained, "Too many thoughts to process in high schools... stupid thoughts at that."

"Oh, you mean you miss Tanya?" Rosalie teased him.

Edward glared at her. "Please."

"I still don't understand why you didn't pursue that."

"Enough, Rosalie." He shook his head.

"Edward will find his mate," Alice said with a nod. "Sometimes you just have to wait for love." She looked at Jasper, who let a grin spread across his face.

"I'm not overly concerned in finding a mate," Edward assured them, shaking his head.

"Dude, it's pretty awesome," Emmett said. He draped an arm around Rosalie's shoulders.

Edward felt like making a comment, but even his lighthearted confrontations with Rosalie were beginning to wear him out, or seem dull. He couldn't pinpoint which it was. His thought unwillingly focused on the conversation that was taking place just a few tables away. The girl from their geometry class couldn't have made it more obvious that she was talking about them. Her eyes shifted back to the table where the five of them sat every few seconds and her obnoxious laughter could be heard for miles.

"They just moved here from Alaska," she explained to a small group of friends.

"All three of them are hot," another girl chimed in.

"I know, right? The guy with the reddish-brown hair and the blond guy are in my geometry class."

"Shut-up."

"Yeah! And they sit right behind me. Edward and... Jasper. Don't look but I think Jasper might be dating the girl next to him."

"Aren't they all family or something?" the other girl asked.

"I... I don't know. It's so weird." The two of them looked at the Cullens' table again, "I think Edward might be single though."

Edward couldn't keep up with their conversation for long. It was boring. Perhaps more boring than repeating high school over and over again. And the look on the boy's face who sat next to obnoxious Jessica was even more annoying.

As if he could ever do something about it. Edward hated when human boys sized him up over the wandering eyes of their girlfriends, or love interests. It wasn't his fault he was a predatory animal that drew in his prey with every small tweak, twist and movement of his body.

Keep sizing me up and I'll... Edward let the thought go. Like it matters. He sighed and took a bite from a peanut butter sandwich, compliments of Esme. The thought of her brought him out of his dismay for a moment. He thought of rebelling against going to school, but knew it was too late for that. He respected Carlisle, and had agreed to their plan. The five of them were enrolled at Forks High School now, and he knew he would have to endure it. Maybe after 'graduation' he would speak to Carlisle about changing up the storyline for their next move.

What the hell will an eternity of high school ever get me? he thought. A bunch of human girls' phone numbers.

The joke he made up in his mind was weak, and even more depressing. With that, he took another bite from his sandwich before crumpling up his brown paper bag and tossing it in the trash.

Welcome to four years of high school hell in Forks... where nothing the least bit exciting ever happens. Great.