Chapter One: Twilight Falls - Bella
"When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end." - Twilight
August 22, 2004
My father was waiting for me at the small regional airport in Port Angeles, standing stoically in the rain. He was there to take me home to Forks, a place I had once promised myself I would never return to. Without exaggeration it rained on this inconsequential blip on the map more than any other place in the continental United States. A fact that made me bring my only carry-on item - a faux-fur lined waterproof ankle length coat. My goodbye gesture to the sun was a sleeveless white eyelet lace top that was far too thin for the gloom and constant cold that enveloped Forks most of the year.
My mother had escaped the sleepy little town nestled in the northwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula when I was only a few months old. I had spent every summer there visiting with my father Charlie for a month, until I was fourteen and refused to go back. Afterwards, I would spend two weeks of my summer vacation with Dad in sunny destinations like Hawaii or Florida. Just after finishing our latest vacation in California, I realized I was being unfair to him. I spent the following few days in a state of consternation and confusion as I worked out what I was feeling. Then it hit me, realizing I had been projecting my mother's hatred of Forks onto my opinion of the town.
It took a while to sort out my own opinion. I had to sift through all the negative comments she had said about Forks throughout the years, combined with my personal experiences as a child. Coming to the conclusion that even though I disliked cold and wet weather as a rule, it was hardly a reason to hate Forks. Especially when it kept me from developing a stronger bond with my father.
While I would miss my flaky eccentric mother, it was time for a change. Her situation made the choice even easier. Her new husband Phil was a nice guy, a minor league baseball player who was on the road months out of the year. She didn't say it, but I knew she was miserable while he was away. They loved each other so much that I couldn't stand in the way anymore. Thinking over both problems, the choice was simple. My family as a whole would be happier if I spent my last two years of school with my father.
I would also miss Phoenix, the sun and the blistering heat, the sprawl of the congested city and the sheer variety of the people. Forks had a population of just over three thousand people, and was three hours away from Seattle and an hour from the closest city of Port Angeles. There was one good restaurant, two diners, three motels, four take out places, and five bars within six square blocks. The small downtown had some quaint little boutique shops, but nothing with decent clothing or new books. I had counted everything as we drove north past the outskirts of town to a small strip of houses cutting into the untouched forest. It had been planned as the first street in a new development, but the developer folded after finishing only six houses. Ours was at the end, a simple two story with two bedrooms and one full bath, a detail I had forgotten entirely.
As we got closer I could see the truck Dad had bought me as a welcome home present, a giant bulbous faded red Chevy that might've been new in the 60's. He had bought it from Billy Black, a family friend who lived on the Quileute reservation down by the coast twenty or so miles away. Billy's son Jacob had been a friend when we were younger, although he was two years younger than me. I was closer in age to Billy's twin daughters Rachel and Rebecca who were a year older. Yet despite the time we spent together as children we had never gotten close for one reason or another.
"There it is." I said trying to force myself to be excited, I would've preferred a nondescript sedan, like a Toyota. But I wasn't about to turn down a car, especially when the alternative would be getting driven around in Dad's police cruiser. His position as the Chief allowed him the privilege of taking it home as a personal vehicle.
"So why did Billy want to get rid of it?" I asked when I didn't get a response from Dad.
"He didn't have a need for it anymore. Jacob is getting Rachel's car when she graduates and they rarely use the truck anymore, it just doesn't make sense to keep it. That and since the accident Billy doesn't drive." Charlie was oddly verbal, at least for him, but didn't seem to have an urge to continue. That was one of the things I liked about my father, he wasn't what you would call verbose. My mother talked all the time, usually about nothing.
"Oh right, I forgot about that. How're they coping?" I asked, needing to fill the silence for some reason as we pulled up to the house. Perhaps it was because I was about to finally reach my destination. Two months of planning, and I was actually here. I had to repress a sigh as we stopped, the cruiser's brakes squealing ever so slightly.
"About like you would imagine." Charlie said as he opened his door, and immediately got out and began to pull my luggage out of the trunk. I took the opportunity to be alone and let loose my sigh before getting out and joining him.
"I can't believe Sarah is gone, and Billy can't walk now?" I asked fidgeting slightly as I grabbed my smaller suitcase. Dad just shrugged and we headed inside.
"No he can't walk, but I think he's okay. So anyway, the thing runs so you shouldn't have to worry too much. Jacob is also pretty good with cars, so you could call him if there's trouble." He was nodding as he spoke, and only paused long enough to pull out his keys and unlock the front door. I liked the idea of calling the truck 'The Thing'. So, I nodded at it, silently christening the ancient beast with the admittedly silly name.
I paused at the threshold and held my breath, then stepped through and felt nothing. I wasn't sure what I expected, but the total lack of any kind of emotional revelation disappointed me for some bizarre reason. Charlie didn't seem to notice my hesitation or disappointment and continued up the stairs without another word. Once we were in my room he set down my big suitcase and made a sweeping motion with his right hand.
"Pretty much the same, I got you a new… ish computer from work to use for school, and the bedding is new. You like purple right?" He winced a little, but I pulled him into a hug.
"Yeah, purple is my favorite. Thanks Dad, I'm happy to be back home." I was exaggerating, but I hoped he couldn't hear it in my voice. Thankfully he just nodded, and as we pulled apart he managed a small smile.
"I'll let you unpack, we can hit the diner or order pizza or something in a couple of hours." He cocked his head and turned to leave without another word.
"Sounds good." I said even though he didn't wait for me to confirm if that was okay, but he did nod as he closed my door.
I didn't try to unpack, instead I plopped onto my bed and closed my eyes. I tried to cry, to get out the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm me, but all I could feel was empty. This new life might've been a mistake, but it was only a couple of years. I racked my brain trying to remember the names of the girls I used to play with as a child. But nothing came to mind, so I clenched my teeth and sat up to look around.
It was basically the same as how I had left it three years ago, with light blue walls and a peaked ceiling. The window looked out over the back yard, and the sole tree on our property. The room had been mine since I was born, and it was tied to my childhood memories of this place. The computer was a nice addition, it had a color monitor and supported Windows XP so at least I knew the police department wasn't working with antiquated equipment.
I booted up the system and was immediately greeted with a login screen for the Forks Police Department. A small piece of paper was taped to the bottom of the monitor with a username and password in hastily scribbled black ink, my father's hand writing. Thankfully it worked on the first attempt, and I took the time to send Mom an email with enough fake joy that I hoped it would placate her, or she would see right through it and I'd get a follow up call. A chore I was hoping to avoid, because Mom's phone calls were marathon length exercises in managing irritation, patience and frustration all while feigning positivity and interest.
I moved over to the old rocking chair, left over from my baby days, and tried not to think about tomorrow. I had never been to a school in Forks, and couldn't quite remember what the building even looked like. It was a small school of just three hundred and fifty seven students, now one more. I was entering a situation where everyone had grown up together, and knew each other from kindergarten. I was the new girl, from a big city and the daughter of the Chief of Police. I just knew I would be a curiosity, a freak… perhaps the center of attention, which was a possibility I was dreading with every fiber of my being.
Maybe if I looked and acted like a typical Phoenix girl, I would be able to enjoy my inevitably short popularity. But I was not that girl, in most ways I'd never really fit in anywhere. My ivory-white skin and dark hair might look good on a twenty-something movie star, but not on a kid in a city where the sun dominated the sky most days of the year. I should've been tan, maybe athletic with bottle blonde locks and a jock ex-boyfriend and a resume including cheer squad and volleyball. All the things that would go with living in the Valley of the Sun.
I was thin, but soft and obviously not into sports in the slightest, not that my coordination would let me even indulge in the attempt. I could trip over my feet walking in a straight line, and the last time someone made me throw a baseball, I almost knocked out the Gym teacher when it bounced off his head.
I wasn't sure what else to do, so I moved over to my suitcases and began to put away my clothes. Most of them were new, bought on a shopping spree with mom, who insisted on getting me clothes for the 'depressing and cold northwest', as she put it.
After I put away the last shirt, I went into the bathroom to check my appearance. It was just about what I expected, with my damp tangled hair hanging limply from a haphazardly chosen middle part. My eyes had dark circles under them from lack of sleep, and my skin was looking more pale than usual. Generally my skin could look pretty, especially in the right lighting. Here I just looked washed out and colorless, as though the very world around me was draining my life away. I splashed some water on my face, brushed my hair out and shrugged when I realized that was the best I could do without makeup.
Dad was watching a baseball game and motioned towards the kitchen table where there were two boxes of pizza. I blinked a few times in confusion shaking my head slightly, I hadn't even heard the delivery guy knock.
"Thought you would want to stay in tonight. I got you a veggie." Charlie said between swallows, just as a play distracted him towards the game. I walked over and found my pizza on top, it had all my favorites which was more thoughtful than I would've given him credit for, because he had to ask Mom what I liked. The last time I had pizza with Dad, I was still eating meat.
"Thanks, I'll be upstairs." I said as I grabbed the pizza and made for the stairs. I glanced over once and he was giving me a look but didn't linger and returned his stare back towards the game. I shrugged it off and closed my door as I got in my room. It took me several hours to wind down enough to sleep. The rain was a constant reminder I wasn't home, or rather, I was in a new home that was vastly different from where I had grown up. When I finally managed to get to sleep, it turned into a light restless night that was plagued with nightmares I couldn't quite remember when I awoke.
August 23, 2004
I felt drawn and tired the next morning as I got myself ready. Dad was already gone, but he left a note wishing me luck on my first day. I ate breakfast at the small table in the kitchen, the bright yellow cabinets only partially faded after seventeen years. Mom had painted them on impulse, hoping to brighten up the space a little, all it did was draw attention to the size of the kitchen and the distinct lack of counter space.
As I made my way through the house, I noticed he hadn't done much since the last time I visited, with a row of pictures showing my life in succession. Their wedding picture, a picture of the three of us just after I was born, my first day at school and so on. The last several were professional photos of me that Mom had made me sit for each year, a way to give Dad something so he wouldn't miss me as much. The pictures gave me the impression that Dad's focus had always been on me, and my absence had been a massive hole in his life. It left me feeling sad and more than a little guilty.
I didn't really want to linger in the house alone with those feelings, so I left early for school. The truck started up easily, but roared into life and made me jump a little. The interior was tan leather, which was aged but in good condition and had a vague scent in a strange combination of tobacco, gasoline and peppermint. The radio worked, but was clearly an antique and was tuned to a classic rock station. Thankfully, beyond the need to double clutch, I was able to drive it without any problems. Unfortunately a fogbank had settled in and engulfed the tiny town in a blanket of white that made driving through Forks utterly nerve wracking.
Forks highschool was a relatively modest place, with a few large buildings and an adjacent athletic field that stuffed together a baseball diamond right next to a football field. In the back of the main building I could just make out a large square that seemed to branch off of it with a single narrow hallway connecting the two structures. A third building was just out of sight through the fog, but I knew it was there according to the map I'd been given in the packet the school had sent Dad before my arrival.
The lot was mostly empty when I arrived, and I felt myself sigh again as I made my way inside to check in at the office. The office was just a converted class room with more decorations and the lack of a chalkboard. The floor was a generic grey speckled tile that was probably made with asbestos, some scattered desks and an attempt at bringing it to life with a few potted plants. There was only one person working, an older woman with frizzy bright red hair, sitting behind a desk with a nameplate on the front edge designating her as "Shelly Cope - School Administrator". I attempted a smile as I approached, but could tell it came off as forced. Her return expression was bright and oddly comforting. She motioned for me to sit down.
"Isabella Swan?" She asked, almost rhetorically.
"That's me, I prefer Bella though." I corrected, hoping it wouldn't become a trend. Isabella was such a formal, adult sounding name. While I planned to use it as an adult, I wasn't quite ready to give up my childhood, so I stuck with Bella. She nodded with a friendly enough smile, and turned towards a long table set against the interior wall. Dozens of metal baskets were laid out on top, although she didn't take anything from them. Instead she opened up one of the short filing cabinets nestled underneath the table and pulled out a thin manilla folder with my name on the label. As she opened it up I could see my transcript from Phoenix on top. She flipped those pages to the bottom and pulled out a stapled bundle of papers and handed them to me.
"Here you go, your schedule and some details about our facilities. There is also your locker location and combination in there, and another map to the grounds in case you lost the one we sent you. There's a list of books you'll need too, you can get them in the library. Last is a page of all your teachers, get that last sheet signed by each of them over the next couple days and hand it in by the end of the week." She had rattled off the contents clearly by memory, and looked at me fully for the first time when I started to flip through the bundle. "You'll fit in just fine here dear, we rarely have discipline issues and as far as I know none of the students bite."
"Good to know, thanks." I stood and gave a slight bow and left as quickly as was polite. I knew my first class was on the other side of the building and I didn't want to get lost. The layout wasn't confusing exactly, but it wasn't a few big buildings like I originally thought. There was a large interior courtyard and through that open space each of the surrounding structures was labeled as separate buildings, despite being physically connected. I made my way towards the door marked with a sign for the library, and found it to be a bit larger than I expected with about two dozen rows of books clearly marked by genre and a couple rows for text books.
The librarian was a young woman, maybe a bit out of college, sitting alone with a cart full of very worn textbooks separated in specific bundles, perhaps for the various class blocks. A small line had already formed, and she was taking down names and handing out books in turn. I took a spot behind a tall dark haired girl with black framed retro glasses and a kind expression. She glanced back at me, and did a small double take.
"Isabella." She said as though familiar with me. I narrowed my eyes slightly, but couldn't think of who she could be, still searching for the names of the girls I used to play with during my summers in Forks with dad.
"I'm sorry, do we know each other?" I said wincing slightly, feeling embarrassed if she had been a friend when we were little.
"No it's okay, I wouldn't remember me either. I'm Angela Webber, my father is the town minister. Mom babysat for you a few times over the years when your Dad had duty." The name suddenly rang a bell, and I was surprised how easy it was to pull on those memories of my time in Forks.
"Angela, right. Sorry, I think I actively repressed my time here."
"I wish I could do that, this is about as exciting as it gets. New year, same people, same teachers." She looked a little forlorn, perhaps tired of her life in Forks. I couldn't begin to guess, but it did give us a bit of common ground.
"Could be worse, could be a no one in a big school." I said realizing my time at my school in Phoenix wasn't all that great.
"I can imagine the advantages of anonymity." Angela's expression was a bit hard to read, but something in her tone made me think there was more to her desire to hide.
"There's anonymity and then there is being a loser. I fit into the latter category." I smiled wistfully, I wasn't good at self depreciation.
"I somehow doubt that. You shared your juice box with me, kids don't usually share." She said kindly, a gentle smile on her face.
"God, how do you remember that? We were like five." I gave her a mildly incredulous look.
"I didn't like apple and you loved cranberry, but you gave me yours because you didn't want me to do without." She said as if her explanation was enough. Although after a few seconds, I could vaguely remember the moment she was referring to; a trip to a museum with a few other families. Someone had brought bag lunches for everyone, and Angela drew the short straw.
"I bet you would've done the same. Besides, I don't hate apple juice, so I was probably just fine with that trade." I attempted to counter, but she shook her head slightly.
"Cranberry was your favorite though, and honestly at the time I wouldn't have given up my favorite thing. But I would now, you taught me that. I'll see you around." She was next up and got her books, and then waved as she ran off to her first class. I watched her go and realized she had said exactly what I needed when I was feeling like shit.
I picked up mine and made my way out into the cold again, a light rain just starting to fall had cleared up the fog almost completely. Looming above the building roofline a copse of trees rose like brown fingers into the sky, ending in sharp green points. They felt oddly oppressive, but I shook it off and closed my coat closer around me as a sharp gust of wind slammed into me, stinging my eyes with rain so cold that it gave me an instant headache. I was momentarily disoriented until I noticed the door with the giant 3 painted above it, and made my way to the last classroom down a long hallway with lockers. I ended up being the last student to arrive.
"Miss Swan?" The teacher looked up as I entered, and I nodded in confirmation.
"Guess I'm the only new student." I said, feeling awkward, as the room stared at me. He motioned me over. I heard whispers, and my name was mentioned a few times. Confirmation that I was the subject of gossip, the daughter of the Chief's flaky ex-wife had finally come home to stay after seventeen years. What could have induced her to come? What had she done at her old school? Had she been expelled? I doubt any of them guessed the truth, except maybe Angela who seemed to know me almost too well.
"Let me have your sign off sheet, you can hang up your coat over there. Next time, leave it in your locker." He almost barked the order at me, so I just stood and frowned at him.
"First day, new school, and I haven't found my locker yet. It is pouring down rain and the fastest way to this class is through that courtyard. I may have to bring my coat to class on occasion, I do apologize if I drip on the asbestos laden tile." I felt my eyes almost widen involuntarily when I realized what had just come out of my mouth. I wasn't normally assertive, although I had never really been a wilting flower. My issues tended to be related to people treating me like a child, and not anything related to rebellion or authority. The teacher's eyes narrowed, as he took my sign off sheet and pointed towards an open seat at the back of class.
Not really sure what else to do, I shrugged and hung up my coat, and then took the seat he pointed towards. A few minutes later he started, and seemed to have calmed down enough not to glare at me every few minutes. The first part of class went over the syllabus for the semester and I was mildly disappointed to note there was nothing I hadn't already read. I did wonder if I remembered to pack my old papers, reasoning that using my own work could hardly be construed as cheating. After he was done he asked us to read the first few pages of the prologue of the Canterbury Tales aloud, picking on me as the first volunteer. I stood and cleared my throat, while public reading was not my favorite thing, I had spent most of last year preparing for a play that fell apart at the last minute.
"When in April the sweet showers fall, and pierce the drought of March to the root, and all the veins are bathed in liquor of such power as brings about the engendering of the flower, when also Zephyrus with his sweet breath exhales an air in every grove and heath."
"So what do you think it means Isabella?"
"Um, I prefer Bella. So Zephyrus is the greek god of I want to say the west wind or Spring. I think his breath is a metaphor for the rain and winds that come with the change of seasons. The language is kind of heightened, but it sounds to me like it is describing that wind spreading across the land. The groves and heaths are probably trees and the British grasslands. It would seem like a magical time, as the flowers return after the drought of winter, which usually ends in March."
"That's ah, well said. Eric, next part." He sounded impressed enough that he looked around the room and I sat back down. A gangly black haired boy stood then and perched his book on a pair of thin arms. Looking down he seemed a bit lost and started, clearly uncomfortable reading aloud.
"Exhales, um… an air on, I mean in every… wait she did that part. Upon the tender shots, ah, shoots, and the young…" My eyes glazed over a little and I found myself staring outside wishing the rain to end.
I kept my attention on the reading enough to hear several other students stumble though their passages. Some had no trouble, others clearly hated to speak in public. After thirty minutes going around we'd gotten barely through two pages of the text, and he assigned the rest of the Prologue for homework. Once the bell rang I got myself together and made my way out towards Government with Jefferson. Which was on the other side of the entire structure in a section called building 6. I wasn't sure how they organized things, but it seemed to be as inefficient as possible and required another run across the courtyard to make it in time.
Thankfully I wasn't the only poor soul forced to choose this route, as a small group of us made the mad dash through the downpour. I almost tripped over my long coat three times, but the same girl from before in the library kept up with me. I remembered her name, Angela, she was joined by two others as we made our way into building 6.
"Bella, I was hoping to catch you again. These are my friends Jessica and Lauren, we're all headed for Government." Angela said with a welcoming smile, undiminished by the rain.
"Me too." I said slightly out of breath. Cold Autumn showers were nowhere near as pleasant as the spring rains I had been thinking about after reading Chaucer.
"I bet this is a lot different from Phoenix, huh?" Lauren asked somewhat snidely.
"Very." I replied trying not to let my sarcasm shine through again.
"That's a fairly arid area right, so it only rains a few times a year?" Angela added.
"That's about right, I think last year it was like five times and the city practically shut down from shock." I said mostly in jest, although there had been one major downpour that caused a ten car pile up.
"I wonder what that's like?" Jessica wondered aloud.
"Sunny." I said slightly monotone.
"You clearly didn't take advantage of the sunshine." Lauren said with a mild look of distaste on her face, her own tan was dark enough that I could tell she spent too much time in one of those salons with tanning booths. Or was it spray on? I was starting to examine her hair line when she took a step back.
"My mom is a vampire, so you know I'm allergic to the sun." I kept my expression serious, and they all looked at me strangely before I shook my head and let out a vague smile before marching off towards class. My locker number caught my attention along the way and I stopped and unloaded my extra books and coat, which was actively dripping. Thankfully it was a tall locker and my books fit on the top shelf.
I turned to find Angela lingering nearby. "Sorry about that Lauren has no sense of humor and Jessica... she's, um, difficult."
"It was a bad joke, I should've gone for skin bleaching or something." I motioned towards class and we began to walk. "They are your friends right?"
"Yes, well most of the time. Lauren is never really that nice, but we grew up together so I'm sure she'll grow out of it. Jess, well she's Jess."
"Right, I suppose I'll figure it out. So are you in B or C block?" I asked, realizing that I liked this girl and I hoped to have another class with her.
"Oh, I'm in C, and you're in A right?" She confirmed what I had hoped, A and C blocks shared at least three classes for most of the week. I had Spanish next with her, and then after lunch both Biology and the dreaded Gym.
"Do you have a lab partner for Biology yet?" I asked, feeling hopeful.
"Ben asked me this morning, or I would've totally partnered with you." She winced slightly, clearly as disappointed to tell me as I was to hear it.
"Is Ben your boyfriend?" I said trying to brighten the exchange a little.
"Um, no." She shook her head and blushed, looking down at her feet.
"Maybe we should fix that." I smiled widely, and gave her a friendly nudge.
"I couldn't." She shook her head, eyes wide and her mouth rounded in the shape of an 'O'.
"We'll see." I winked and looped and arm around hers and turned towards class.
Sitting next to Lauren and Jessica gave me a better idea of their personalities. Lauren was smart, but arrogant, perhaps believing she was the smartest person in the school. Paradoxically, Jessica was possibly the smartest person in the room, with a personality a bit like my mother. She was bright and bubbly, but with a sharp wit that she used to dance around any conversation we attempted to have between the four of us. And it was the four of us, as I was roped in within minutes of sitting down. Lauren and Jessica were both in D block, which only shared two classes with me, Government and Spanish. So we all left the class together and braved an hour of cross referencing the teacher who only spoke Spanish as she went over the syllabus and the first lesson.
Then I was on my own again, and in the one class I could actually use a friend and study partner. Trigonometry. I managed to get a spot in the back row next to an odd looking guy with gorgeous blonde hair and almost completely black eyes. He looked vaguely uncomfortable, but answered all the questions asked of him perfectly in the cleanest southern accent I'd ever heard. His name was a bit unusual too, Jasper. The kind of name popular maybe a century ago and usually handed down or inspired by some famous person. He only glanced at me once, and clenched his jaw slightly as if deciding against something before the bell rang, and then was out the door before most of the class had even gotten it together to stand.
It had been a long morning already, and while lunch would be an interesting experiment in whether I had actually made some friends, I wasn't really in the mood to deal with a lot of people. So I made my way towards the cafeteria slowly, arriving just in time for the line to dwindle to almost nothing. Most of the hot entrées were down to dregs, they were all foods I wouldn't touch anyway. Save for one kind of sad looking grilled cheese sandwich. Instead I made my way through the salad bar, and grabbed a piece of questionable looking chocolate cake. As I turned towards the din of students, I could see Angela's table, and was somewhat happy to see them wave me over. Well at least Angela and Jessica, Lauren looked uninterested to the point of boredom, and almost as for effect she yawned.
There was one other table I noticed, far in the back near the window was a group I hadn't noticed before, save for Jasper, the blonde haired boy with the southern accent. There were two women, both utterly gorgeous in opposing ways. The taller one was statuesque, with a figure that seemed almost impossible, as if cut from an issue of Sports Illustrated or Playboy. Just looking at her gave me a self-esteem hit that circled around the room and made me feel sympathy for everyone else. Her golden hair was gently waving, cut in a style that was a bit outdated but still perfectly framed her features. She was talking to the largest guy at the table, a hulk of a man with dark hair and a genuine smile. Without even knowing them, I could see how much he loved her.
The other girl was tiny, and almost looked too young for high-school. She was waifish to the point of worry, with delicate angular features, like something straight out of a fantasy novel. Her hair was midnight black but glossy and spiked out pointing in every direction. The actual length was difficult to parse, if flattened out it would probably hang to her shoulders, but it was impossible to tell. She glanced at me directly as I took them all in, and a small mysterious smile danced across her features before turning and speaking at the last member of their group.
He had bronze hair and chiseled features that gave him a unique profile. His movie-star looks sent a chill down my spine and I felt my mouth open slightly in awe. What hit me then was how utterly alike they all were, with perfect alabaster skin, even more pale than me, and the same strange black eyes. They also had dark shadows under those eyes-purplish, almost as if they had all been in some fight that gave them broken noses.
I couldn't stop staring as I made my way slowly towards the table and sat down between Angela and Jessica.
"And she's discovered the Cullens." Lauren's dry voice drew my attention away from the beautiful strangers. While still trying to put a finger on why they stood out to such a degree. They were beautiful, perhaps almost unnaturally pretty, like some airbrushed photograph you would find in a fashion mag, or perhaps a Botticelli painting. Angelic, flawless, perfect.
"The Cullens?" I asked turning towards Lauren who rolled her eyes at me.
"Doctor Cullen and his wife Esme, moved to town a couple of years ago with five kids. They are all sitting at that table." Angela explained, but the answer wasn't quite what I was looking for.
"Who are they?" I said, trying to impart my sense of awe.
"The big one is Emmett, he's almost twice the size of anyone on the team, enough to be a star quarterback, but he doesn't play sports." Jessica started, and her description gave me pause as if he could only be described by his size and physique.
"The blonde guy who looks like he's about to jump at a loud fart, that's Jasper." Lauren said with obvious distaste.
"Yeah, he was in my last class. He's southern?" I added from my own encounter with him,
"I think so, we know almost nothing about them except Doctor Cullen transferred down from Alaska. His sister Rosalie, doesn't have a trace of an accent. So the rumor is they didn't grow up together." Angela explained. I looked over at them, and guessed the blonde was Rosalie because of their similar coloring.
"I can understand that, but they aren't all related though?" I turned back towards the group as I asked the question, noting the Cullens had each glanced towards us as if they felt their ears burning from us whispering about them. Or maybe they were just aware of my frequent stares.
"Rose and Jasper are adopted, but I think they started as foster kids, or Mrs. Cullen is their aunt, it's all kind of vague and they aren't explaining. Emmett, Alice and Edward are all adopted too. Doctor Cullen and his wife are young, maybe late twenties early thirties. I don't think his wife can have kids." Jessica seemed to find their kindness odd or distasteful. Giving a good life to that many children was remarkable in my eyes. She didn't seem to notice my mild dislike of her tone, and continued. "You can probably figure out the rest."
As Jessica spoke I dared to look over again. This time I found Edward was staring at us, specifically at me. His eyes narrowed, and obvious frustration began curling down his mouth into a frown. He looked away shaking his head slightly, and turned towards Alice who seemed to sigh and stand up in one fluid motion. Walking towards the exterior exit with a graceful lope, like she had spent her entire life on a dance floor. Then dumped her uneaten apple and unopened soda into the trash.
"It is kind of strange though, with them all together." Lauren seemed to hiss, leaning in conspiratorially.
"It isn't as if the couples are directly related. The twins are dating Alice and Emmett, so what?" Angela countered with a shrug.
"Yeah but they all live together. It's just creepy." Jessica shuddered slightly, and I had to suppress a bit of eye rolling.
"What about him." I motioned with my eyes only toward Edward, only to find him staring at me again. His frown was gone but he seemed intent on something.
"Edward, no he's single. Not that anyone here is pretty enough for him." Jessica said with a small sniff of irritation.
"Just because he turned you down Jess, doesn't mean he's like that. Maybe he is just looking for the right person." Angela said in defense of the boy, which made me smile in spite of myself. Glancing over at Edward again, I noticed he had turned away, but from the side it almost looked as though he were smiling.
"Angela!" Jessica's eyes were wide and her nostrils flared. She was furious with her, and it left me with a less than pleasant impression of her as I excused myself for my next class. The salad was wilted and the dressing tasteless, and I found myself not very hungry. Angela shook her head, and got up suddenly at the same time as me, her eyes welling up with tears. I held out my hand for her tray, and she gave me an appreciative smile before she ran out of the cafeteria.
"Sorry about that. Angela is always about theatrics, you learn to ignore her." Lauren offered, and I didn't do anything but nod vaguely.
"Later." I said as I turned away, and bussed the two trays before starting to head for class. I got about halfway when I saw a bathroom for the first time all day. I ducked inside and did my business before going over to the sinks and checking out my reflection. I looked a bit haggard, but not my worst. As I turned off the sink I thought I heard a sniffle.
"Angela?" I guessed, and a second later she emerged from the furthest stall from the door.
"Hey." She said as she slowly made her way to the sinks. She glanced over, her eyes slightly red from tears. I gave her a sympathetic smile and she managed one in return.
"Your friends don't treat you that well." I wasn't asking, but she nodded once.
"Sometimes. I think they are just not sure how to take a new presence in our group. It's probably just jealousy."
"Over what? I'm not pretty, I'm not especially smart and my dad is like the only cop in town."
"Bella…" She started but stopped and just shook her head. "Let me get cleaned up and we'll head to class together."
She took a minute to wash her face and check her hair, and then we were heading out the long way around the building. It took a few extra minutes, but it was nicer than braving the cold rain. Once again I was nearly the last person to arrive, and Angela reluctantly left to join her lab partner. Ben was average looking, but seemed to have kind eyes. I would withhold judgement until I formally met him, but he seemed worth her time on the surface. They had a moment of awkwardness before she sat down, and I made brief eye contact with her to encourage her to interact with him. She gave me a mildly imperceptible smile, then glanced towards the only empty seat… next to Edward Cullen.
I found myself stopping almost involuntarily, and used giving the teacher the sign off sheet as an excuse. Then tried to make my way to my seat as casually as possible. I was about one desk away when I looked up to meet Edward's curious expression. In almost the same instant his features shifted. He pulled back, and almost seemed to retech. A look of extreme hostility took over, and his fury bored into me like a bullet. I almost didn't sit down. I was so bewildered by his reaction.
His coal black eyes never strayed, even during the lecture. Thankfully the teacher was covering cellular anatomy, something I had already studied last year. I took notes anyway, just to make sure he didn't cover anything new, and to distract from the creepy vibe my new lab partner was giving me. He hadn't even said hello, and was sitting on the extreme edge of his chair away from me. I was so sure I had somehow offended him on some level that I discreetly checked my breath, hair and pits… I smelled like me, mostly like strawberries from my favorite shampoo.
Yet despite his hostility I kept sneaking glimpses at him. He was even more unbelievable up close. His crisp, tailored and clearly expensive white button down shirt hugged the contours of his chest in just the right way to hint at a sculpted physique. His sleeves were partially rolled up, exposing forearms with a light coverage of barely visible arm hair over skin so pale that it had small blue lines running underneath. The more I looked I could swear at certain angles his skin appeared almost like stone it was so smooth.
His fists were clenched, and I could swear he wasn't breathing, and as the minutes ticked by my fear seemed to grow until I was sure he was about to reach out and twist my head off. Had Jessica been right about him? Was Angela just being too kind? Time dragged on as the lecture turned out to be far too familiar. I kept turning over in my mind what I had done. Was he aware of our conversation at lunch? How could that have offended him, it was just polite questions about his family?
Then the bell rang, and Edward lurched forward. I flinched slightly, but he was past me in a blink. Then I watched him practically run from the classroom feeling a bizarre form of whiplash. I knew I wasn't the prettiest girl in the world, but I had never been so sidelined and belittled by a stranger before. I wasn't sure if what I felt initially was attraction, but I knew I could never let myself get involved with someone that toxic.
Author's Note:
Okay, so those who have read this story before may be asking what the hell is this? Well, quite simply I realized I had a couple of plot holes in the beginning of my story. Not really story breaking but enough that they bothered me. I also noticed some continuity errors when I was re-reading the story to get myself back in the right headspace to continue towards the end. So, I went back to the beginning and realized I had a unique opportunity. More than just a polishing pass (to fix typos and clean up continuity errors, etc) this was a chance to finally fix my least favorite part of the story, the beginning. I have never been terribly fond of the first few chapters as they were written.
They felt like exposition without character context, and based off of existing material. Sure this is a fan fic, but it is kind of mean to require the reader to check out 50 pages of the source book before coming to this story. I also have some minor character alterations and interactions I wanted to play with a bit, specifically how Bella interacts with people. Plus characters like Jessica, Mike and Lauren are dropped entirely from this story, so emphasizing them makes little sense. So these first three chapters are now dedicated to telling the initial part of this story, before the big change occurs. If you have read this before, this will just be a fuller experience as you will get the entire story. For those who haven't read this before, please do not think of this as a simple rehash of Twilight, be prepared for some massive changes to come!