First of all, a big THANK YOU to everyone who read and reviewed. I hope to keep you all entertained throughout this story.
Also, forever grateful for my Magic Trio for helping me improve my writing and make this easier to read.
[Bella]
Monday morning found me awake at five in the morning. After a shower, I turned up the volume to Paradise City to give me good vibes for the day ahead as I started getting ready. I danced around my apartment while the coffee brewed, and I did my make-up. I'd never been a fan of full-on make-up, so I stuck to my usual mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to choose the perfect outfit for my first day. Before I'd started the journey to Forks, I'd gone shopping for more mature clothes, as I liked to call them. I only kept a few pairs of skinny jeans, some T-shirts, several skirts, and only a handful of dresses; everything else I now owned was new.
I sipped from my coffee, bobbing my head to the loud beat of another Guns 'n Roses' song, riffling through the dresses hanging in the closet. I had spent the whole weekend unpacking, and there were still some boxes left. On top of that, I had a couple of other boxes I planned on taking to school and keep them in my office there.
In the end, I opted for a navy-blue pencil dress with white cuffs and collar, which I paired with my new beige wrinkled ankle boots. They were suede, complete with a stiletto heel and pointed toe. I chose nude stockings, as well, which I managed not to puncture with my nails.
I donned my favorite moonstone ring, which my father had left for me from Grandma Swan. I couldn't remember a day I didn't wear it from the moment he'd given it to me. It had been shipped to me as a gift for my seventeenth birthday. After a touch of my favorite floral perfume, I was ready.
I was usually more efficient with my time preparing for the day, but today it took me almost two hours to get ready. By the time I carried the boxes with my notes and books back to the car, it was seven-fifteen. Classes started at eight, and I planned to be there at least half an hour early.
I shouldn't have worried about being late because the ride from my apartment to Forks High School took me thirteen minutes on the clock.
There were no designated spots for teachers, so I parked in the far corner next to Jacob's bike.
I contemplated whether I should carry one of the boxes inside the school or just wait until I was more familiarized with the surroundings when a red Jeep parked next to my car. The boy appeared to be a senior, judging by how much more mature he looked than the usual peers. He jumped out of his car, eyeing me up and down, before crossing the lot and stopping next to a silver Volvo, slapping his hand over the hood a couple of times. The boy from the Volvo rolled his window down, cursing loudly.
I sighed, deciding to head inside and find Jasper like he'd prompted me to do during our conversation on Saturday.
The woman behind the desk in the Administrative Office looked up from the computer when I stopped next to her. She appeared to be in her sixties, approaching retirement.
"Hello, I'm Bella Swan."
Her brown eyes widened. "Good morning, dear. Give me a moment."
"Sure." I wasn't sure what she started searching for, but I figured I'd have to fill in some papers, though I'd given Jasper all he needed by email.
A few minutes later, she had a couple of folders in front of her, sifting through them, frowning. "Swan?" she checked.
"Yes."
"I have a Jessica Stanley here. Maybe your transfer file hasn't arrived yet."
It took me a moment to realize she thought I was a student, which was a compliment but still laughable.
"I'm the new Biology teacher," I explained, trying not to laugh.
"Oh, my!" The lady gasped. "I'm so sorry! We were expecting a new student, but I…of course." She picked up the phone, speaking softly into it. I caught her saying, "Yes, Mr. Whitlock," a couple of times. Her eyes met mine when she hung up. "Right this way, dear. I'm really sorry for the mix-up."
"It's okay, really." I dismissed her worries with a wave of my hand, following her to Jasper's office, right across the hallway.
Jasper smiled brightly when I stepped into his office. He waved me to the chair across his wooden desk.
"Good morning, Bella. How are you?"
"Good morning. Truthfully? A little nervous," I admitted.
"It will be fine. Let me show you to your office and the Biology lab."
"Okay," I agreed.
He pulled a set of keys from his drawer, handing them to me. "For the lab, your office, the supplies closet."
I nodded, following him back into the hall. It was much busier as students started arriving. No one paid us much attention, but they stepped away from Jasper's path. From what I could see, he had their respect, which was a hard thing to earn from teenagers.
The Biology lab was on the second floor, tucked in the far end of the building's west wing. The first thing I noticed was the many plants dotting the windowsill and the corners of the room.
"Mr. Banner loved these plants. I'm sure the cleaning lady kept them alive for the past couple of weeks, but if you don't like them…" Jasper shrugged.
"No," I gasped. "I love this place. It's so green. You have to understand, green is a color I didn't often see in Arizona or Florida," I said seriously. "I'll have to check if they need more water or even to be repotted."
"Yeah, I think Mr. Banner usually repotted them in early spring," Jasper said thoughtfully. "Through that door is your little office where you can keep your personal belongings." He pointed to a door between the blackboard and the windows. "In the cabinets around the room, you'll find anything you need. If you find something missing or broken, please let me know. I'd be happy to help and repair or buy new items. This school is one of the most modern ones in the area."
I nodded. "I can see that. Thank you, Jasper."
He smiled. "I left all of Mr. Banner's notes on the desk in your office. It might give you an idea of where you're standing in each class, but the best way to find out is to ask the students. Not every teacher follows the syllabus to the dot."
"Of course."
"Well, good luck, Bella." He winked, leaving me alone in my new classroom.
I placed my bag on the swivel chair, tracing the top of the desk with my fingertips. I'd never been so anxious in my life.
Jasper's loud voice from the hallway startled me. "If I see that ball outside the gymnasium, I'm going to feed it to you, Cullen!"
I had no idea what that Cullen person answered, because the words were drowned by loud cheering and laughter.
High school…I could clearly remember being one of the students. Now I was the person I used to hate as a student. But I wanted to become their friend; I didn't want them to hate me, though I knew I needed to draw the line clearly. We could be friends up until they tried to abuse the trust and friendship I offered them.
I only had time to check my future office before the first class of the day began.
Good luck, Bella! Jacob texted me just as the first students started arriving.
Fingers crossed, I typed back, placing my phone next to my laptop on the desk.
Every head turned to me, some gazes lingering, as they went to their seats.
I opened the file with the registry for my first class, scanning over their names. I'd hate to embarrass myself by mispronouncing any.
Five minutes later, and most of the tables were occupied, I decided to begin. I stood and went to close the door before turning to face the room.
"Good morning. My name is Isabella Swan, and I'm going to be your new Biology teacher." I picked the white chalk, scrawling Ms. Swan on the blackboard.
Several murmurs grabbed my attention, so I scanned the room, not spotting who exactly had something to comment.
"If any of you have anything to say, I'd love to hear it. Starting with…what have you covered with Mr. Banner."
A few girls spoke loudly, shooting each other glares, raising their voices to be heard.
I held a hand up, stopping the chaos about to erupt. "If you want to talk or answer a question, please raise your hand. And before I learn your names, please, introduce yourself before you speak." I pointed to a brunette in the third row.
She introduced herself as Mary before telling me what they'd studied so far and how they were just beginning to learn about cell structure and function.
I picked the notepad I'd found on the desk in my office, flipping the pages. Some words or sentences were circled or underlined several times in a red pen.
I didn't want these juniors to hate me, but if I wanted to do my job right, I had to check how well they'd learned so far. It would be on me if they didn't know common terms from the syllabus.
"Okay, this means you've covered Diversity of Living Organisms and Structural Organization in Plants and Animals?" I checked.
Some groaned loudly, catching up with what I planned on doing. I kept a small smile on my face as I pointed out to one of the boys who'd groaned the loudest. "What can you tell me about biodiversity?"
He gave me an incredulous look, mumbling his name, then stammered an answer. It wasn't a difficult question, and even if he hadn't paid attention in class, he couldn't have screwed it up. Mark mumbled something about the "variety of species on Earth," which wasn't exactly wrong, but I'd expected a more elaborate answer.
Mary's hand shot up, her eyes begging me to allow her to answer correctly.
It was never difficult to pinpoint who was the nerd in a class. Being one myself, but too shy to actually raise my hand that often, I sympathized. However, I wanted everyone to learn in my class, so I prompted the boy next to Mark to try to improve his friend's answer.
By the time the bell rang, I understood that these kids had the general concept of what they'd been taught so far, but they hadn't paid a great deal of attention during the lessons. I made it my mission to make it fun for them, to make them interact.
The first thing I was going to do during our next class together was to separate the groups who I noticed tended not to pay attention. I'd learned that trick from my high school English teacher. Whenever she noticed us getting friendly with the person next to us, she switched us, and it had worked in our favor.
I had a free period after, which I used to grab the boxes from the car and organize the small office. The next class went slightly better since the seniors were somewhat better prepared.
By the time lunch break rolled, I was famished.
I was ready to get the usual unhealthy food served in high school, but what greeted me at the buffet was a variety of healthy food, besides the usual carb-filled dishes. I opted for a Caesar salad and a bottle of water since I'd left my portable bottle on my desk.
"Hey," a husky voice said from behind me, startling me.
I turned to see Jacob, smiling. "Hi," I answered, returning his smile.
"How's your first day?" he asked, getting a burger and fries.
"Long," I mumbled.
He laughed, leading the way to a table away from the students.
"Do you usually eat in the cafeteria?" I asked curiously. I thought teachers ate in the staff room.
"Yup. I took over supervising the kids when the older routine of taking turns didn't work. It's not often, but if there's a fight, a man's hand is needed. Besides, they don't dare pick fights with me around because most of the testosterone-induced altercations are between the basketball team and anyone they can pick on." Jacob rolled his eyes, sitting down with a sigh.
"Basketball? Are we any good?" I actually liked basketball better than any other sport. Not like I'd be caught dead shooting hoops; I wasn't coordinated enough. I liked to watch it on TV.
"Yup." He nodded enthusiastically. "I have the dream team, and as much as some boys from the team are usually trouble, they're focused in my class. Boys and sports."
"I want to find a way to make Biology fun for them."
"You will."
I picked through my salad, looking at the students spread across the large room. The social groups were defined clearly. The bookworms and nerds stuck together, far away from the popular crowd. A flock of girls was giggling not far away from a table hosting several boys who were clearly on the basketball team.
Some of those boys were currently staring at our table, elbowing each other and waggling their brows.
Jacob huffed. "Grow a brain," he muttered, making me laugh.
"I bet they're not used to see you having company."
"Especially a pretty woman."
I wasn't entirely sure if he was flirting, but I wanted to keep my promise to myself and not start something with one of my colleagues. "Thanks," I whispered, hiding my blush behind my hair.
"Don't mind those two." He subtly pointed to two of the loudest from the team's table. I recognized one of them as the Jeep owner. The other one was probably his friend, the Volvo owner. I couldn't see them well from all the way across the room, but they radiated confidence. "And don't let them give you any shit."
"Tell me about them," I urged. I had to know my enemies because they'd most likely give me headaches.
"McCarty and Cullen – the two troublemakers of this school. I swear, they're very smart kids, but the popularity they gained from the team made them act out. They still get good grades, but they don't go out of their way to show how smart they are. You'll often see them in detention, which gets them in trouble with me because they miss practice."
I shook my head. "I'll never understand how teenage boys work."
"McCarty drops to a toddler's level of maturity when he's around Ms. Hale." Jacob nodded to a blonde girl at the table closest to them. She was really beautiful for her young age. "Of course, she doesn't give him the time of day."
"Is she the head of the cheerleaders?" I asked, watching the girl in question.
Jacob laughed loudly. "Don't let her hear you said that. She's pestering me to get her on the team. The girl has talent, but I'd hate to see her not being able to keep up with my boys. They'd likely not pass to her in fear of hurting her, or, worst-case scenario, they'd turn into bumbling idiots like McCarty."
"I see what you mean, but if it's what she wants, let her try."
"You know what? I might do just that. I lost my small forward due to an asthma diagnosis before winter break."
"She'd be perfect for that position." I nodded in agreement, chewing a piece of feta cheese.
"Shit." Jacob's eyes were on the girl in question. There was a native boy with short dark hair leaning over Ms. Hale's shoulder. "Lahote!" Jacob shouted, already on his feet. "McCarty, you're benched for the rest of the season if you punch Lahote again."
I stared as Jacob strode across the room, pushing Lahote away from Ms. Hale while keeping his eyes on McCarty. I saw McCarty's friend, Cullen, punching him in the arm, shaking his head. It made McCarty turn to him, but Jacob was there to separate them.
I'd forgotten how often fights ignited between teenage boys.
By the time Jacob returned, scowling, I was done with my food. He wolfed down the rest of his burger and fries, not talking much.
"See you later," he said as we walked to the door. He intercepted the team, wheeling them out in the hallway.
"Can't meet you; I've got Bio, remember?" A quiet, velvety voice complained loudly. "Word is Whitlock found a replacement."
"You're a smooth talker; that's what you are, Cullen. We'll talk during gym, then." Jacob continued down the hallway.
I passed the boys Jacob had been talking to, but I could only see McCarty's amused face. Cullen had his back to me.
What was to be appreciated at this school was the fact that the students actually wore the uniform Jasper wanted. The uniform required a white dress shirt and dark pants or jeans. I spotted some girls wearing dark skirts, a few inches above their knees.
Back in my classroom, I took a few minutes to prepare for my last class, which would be AP Biology. The crème de la crème, like my high school Biology teacher, used to call us. There weren't usually many students in this class, since it was so advanced.
The door opened a few minutes before I sat at my desk. A mousy girl with cat eyeglasses stopped in the doorway, gasping.
"Hello," I said in greeting. "Come in."
She scurried to the second row desk, eyeing me curiously.
Since there were ten more minutes until class had to start, I went to use the bathroom. By the time I returned, the last bell had rung.
The door of the Bio lab was ajar, and I could hear loud voices from the inside. I took a deep breath, reminding myself I was an adult and they had to see me as confident. This was my first class who hadn't found me at the desk, so my entrance had to be something to be remembered. Hopefully, I wouldn't trip. God, please don't let me trip.
I stepped into the room, shutting the door behind me, before walking to my desk with my head held high. I leaned against the front edge of my desk, looking at the students. There were only ten people.
My eyes were drawn to the boy in the front row, right in front of me. He was sprawled in his seat, his boots poking from under his table. He met my eyes, lifting a thick brow in challenge. His piercing green eyes stole my breath for a moment. His tousled light brown hair shone in bronze shades in the fluorescence. His sharp jaw was smooth, and it looked like it could cut diamonds.
I cleared my throat, looking away. My eyes landed on the mousy girl sitting behind him.
I wasn't going to let a teenager intimidate me, but before I gathered enough courage to meet the green gaze again and show him I was the boss in this class, I chose to search every face in the room.
"Hello!" I greeted them warmly, smiling. "My name is Isabella Swan. You can call me Ms. Swan."
"So, you're not married," the boy with green eyes commented, clicking his pen in boredom.
"I don't see how that is relevant, Mr.…" I left my voice take a questioning tone.
"Edward Cullen."
Oh, so he was the famous Cullen. I was finally seeing what Jacob had been telling me.
"Well, Mr. Cullen, you'll have to raise your hand if you want to speak in my class." I looked toward the back of the classroom, not focusing on anyone in particular. "Would any of you like to tell me what you were studying when…before…"
"Mr. Banner croaked?" Cullen snorted.
I narrowed my eyes at him, returning his gesture from the beginning of the class, and lifted my brow. He smirked, still clicking his pen loudly.
The girl behind him lifted her hand. I nodded to her.
"I'm Angela Weber. We covered Genetics and Evolution, and we were just getting into learning about reproduction in flowers."
"Thank you, Ms. Weber. That's quite behind in the syllabus," I said thoughtfully.
Cullen spun to his classmate. "We started with Ecology and Environment. Ring any bell?"
The poor girl was nearly in tears. "Mr. Cullen." I grabbed his attention. "Maybe you'd be kind enough to give us some details about what Mr. Banner has covered in these points."
"Kind is my middle name, Ms. Swan." A large smile spread on his dark pink lips.
"Could have sworn it was Jerk," the blonde girl Jacob had pointed out in the cafeteria, Ms. Hale, muttered from the other side of the room.
"Can anyone else smell it? Oh, it's the pile of shit you've climbed out from," Cullen snapped.
"Enough!" I raised my voice to cover Ms. Hale, who started retorting. "Do either of you want detention?"
Cullen rolled his eyes, resuming clicking his pen.
"You were telling me about what you've learned so far in AP Biology," I prompted him.
"I wasn't telling you shit." He glared at me.
I blanched at the sudden hostility.
"I bet Angela would love to tell you all about it." His thumb jerked over his shoulder at the girl sitting behind him. "Her hand's in the air, right?"
I didn't give him the satisfaction to know he was right. So, I focused on Ms. Hale, whose name I shouldn't yet know.
"Miss…" I trailed off, looking right into her blue eyes.
"Rosalie Hale," she said flippantly. Though, she went into detail about everything they'd learned so far.
Only when she was done with a long summarization about Ecology and Environment and Genetics and Evolution, I allowed Ms. Weber to catch me up to date with what they'd learned about reproduction so far.
It seemed to me that Mr. Banner had planned to leave the reproduction system for the last semester.
I walked them through what I planned on teaching them about all types of reproduction, getting various suggestive reactions, which were to be expected from seventeen and eighteen-year-olds when talking about sex. I also made a mental note to ask Jasper if this school provided any practical part like my high school had. We had to grow a bean and write about it, but if Jasper allowed me to choose, I'd be inventive and make it fun for the students.
.
.
.
My whole first week as the new Biology teacher was a process of catching up to what the students had learned so far and getting to know them.
Today, during lunch, everyone could tell it was a Friday, judging by how rowdy everyone was. Jacob had to abandon me several times to calm the spirits. I had taken to sharing the lunch period with him in the cafeteria, not only because I considered him my friend, but he was a great guy, and I liked talking to him.
Of course, our time spent together didn't go unnoticed by others – teachers and students alike. Even Jacob joked about how narrow-minded some people could be and that in today's society, a man and a woman couldn't be just friends unless they were secret lovers.
After I finished eating, I returned to the Bio lab. I'd meant to inspect the flowers and see what sort of attention they required. I also had to identify them, which gave me an idea. I could make it a game for my next class and have them help me find out the name of each plant in the room and its species.
I noticed that I'd have to repot most of them as I walked along the long row of windows, checking the soil in each pot. I stopped near the door leading to my office to look at an odd plant I didn't expect to find. It was a Venus Flytrap.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." A soft voice spoke from right behind me, making me jump. Cullen didn't apologize, but I felt him hovering.
I hadn't heard him stepping into the room. In the past week, I'd learned he was dedicated to learning in my class, which contradicted his bad-boy act.
"Was there a specific reason Mr. Banner acquired this plant?"
"It was for teaching purposes in last year's class."
I turned to look at him, expecting him to elaborate. He was standing a foot behind me; his hands shoved in his dark jeans. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled to his elbows, showing straining tendons.
"I see. Any idea when it's been fed the last time?" I asked, smoothing a hand over my skirt.
For reasons beyond me, I felt like a trapped prey in his intense gaze. It made my hands sweat, which was ridiculous. I couldn't allow a student to have this power over me. He'd eat me alive if he noticed he had the upper hand.
I knew Cullen's type. The bad boys in my high school used to toy with the teachers any way they wanted, but I was smarter than that.
His green gaze lowered to my exposed legs, and I cleared my throat loudly. He shot me a cheeky smile.
"If you promise not to give me detention for being late, I could go and get something for Eve."
"Sorry?" I blinked. He was actually early for class, which wasn't unusual. He'd arrived before Angela a couple of times in the past few days.
"Eve." He pointed to the carnivorous plant.
"Oh." I felt my cheeks reddening. I was such an idiot. "Of course. But don't return at the end of the class."
"How could I miss learning about pollination?" He rolled his eyes, heading out of the room, nearly colliding with Rosalie. He didn't even apologize.
"Hello," she greeted, going to her desk.
"Hello, Ms. Hale." I returned to studying the plants.
By the time everyone arrived, and I was ready to start the class, Edward returned. He had a paper cup of coffee in his hand. Why did I expect him to have gone after insects as promised?
He strolled to the window, not sparing me a look. Since his back was to me, I couldn't see what he was doing.
"Mr. Cullen," I called, grabbing his attention.
"Would you like to do this?" he asked, not turning around.
I went to him, surprised to see several flies and even a bug in the paper cup. Maybe I shouldn't have judged him so quickly.
I returned to my desk, leaning against it.
"All right. Please name plants that grow in full shade," I said, looking at the nine pairs of eyes watching me.
"Vines," Edward muttered.
I pretended not to hear him since he hadn't lifted his hand. I pointed out to Rosalie, who had her hand up, scowling at the back of Edward's head. I'd learned from moment one about the animosity between them, but I couldn't tell why they were so hostile toward each other.
"Vines," she answered sweetly.
"Thank you, Ms. Hale."
Edward dumped the now empty cup in the trashcan in the corner of the room before throwing himself in his chair and bringing up his right hand. I had to do a double take. He'd never done that before.
"Yes, Mr. Cullen?"
"Perennial plants," he said smugly.
"Can you name a few of them?" I challenged; no doubt in my mind he knew the answer.
His teeth snapped together, and he rolled his eyes. Of course, he was a step ahead in the game I was playing. "Amsonia, Baptisia, Sedum, Daylily, Foxglove, Lavender, Hellebore, Peony, Penstemon, Chrysanthemums, to name a few."
"Thank you." I nodded, resting my ass against my desk. "We're going to plant daisies, and the student whose flower looks the best by the end of the year will get high credits." To my surprise, everyone looked excited. "I want you all to keep a journal where you'll write everything about your plant, from the moment you pot it and throughout the process of it growing."
"Does it have to be daisies?" Edward asked, raising his hand.
"Everyone should have equal rights, so yes, the flower of my choice is daisy." I went to the first drawer of my desk, picking up the bag holding the seeds.
I walked between them, placing the small packets holding the seeds on their desks. I returned to my chair as I continued telling them about types of plants who liked the sun and who liked the shade, when it was best to plant them, and how fast they grew.
Edward fiddled with the seed packet, effectively distracting me. My eyes kept following his long fingers, but I did my best to stay focused on what I was saying. He met my eyes several times, frowning and clenching his jaw.
When the bell rang, he was the first out of his seat and through the door before I had time to dismiss them.
Being done with my classes for the day, I went to Jasper's office. He'd told me to ask for anything I might need, and I had a long list. If I wanted to repot the plants, I'd need soil and bigger pots for some of them.
I left shortly after my conversation with Jasper. The bell rang loudly as I made my way to the car. The hallways were swamped immediately with excited voices about the upcoming weekend.
In the parking lot, I saw Edward with his friend McCarty near my car. They were standing, leaning against the hood of Edward's Volvo, sharing a cigarette.
I was a foot away when Jacob appeared from the gymnasium looking murderous. Edward's eyes widened, and he threw the half-burned cigarette to the ground, attempting to duck inside his car, but Jacob caught his elbow.
They were close enough for me to hear Jacob scolding them about smoking and ditching class, threatening to kick them off the team if it happened again. McCarty protested loudly but shut up when Jacob grabbed his elbow, as well. He wheeled the boys toward the school building.
"No, come on, man!" Edward protested loudly. "Not to Whitlock!"
I snorted in my hand, getting inside my car.
I couldn't wait for the weekend to relax.
What do you all think of Edward?
Reviews are love.
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