Alaina tried to pay attention in biology. She really did. She probably could have. Unfortunately, Mike seemed absolutely determined to make this impossible. His questions were relentless, coming rapid fire in an endless stream. Alaina had to grit her teeth as she struggled to keep from telling him to just shut up and pay attention. Not too long ago, Alaina probably would have. She was actually pretty infamous at her old school for mouthing off and using her wit to sting and perry whenever she felt the inclination, but Alaina really wasn't that way anymore. Not since… well...before.
So Alaina smiled. She answered his questions. She bit back her frustration even though his whispering voice in her ear was really starting to grate on her nerves.
"How was the weather in Detroit? Rainy?" Mike asked quietly as Mr. Banner droned on, lecturing on the stages of mitosis. You're asking me about weather? Seriously? Why are people so damn obsessed with the weather here? After powering through the onslaught of questions regarding her old school - no. Everyone at an all-girl school are in fact not lesbians - , she had really hoped he'd back off. But nope. Nearing the end of her rope, Alaina pretended she didn't hear, hunching her shoulders as she copied Mr. Banner's notes off the blackboard. Mike soldiered on, either not noticing the distress he was causing or blatantly uncaring. Alaina's handwriting was becoming reduced to a barely legible scribble as she clenched her pencil in irritation.
"- mean I guess I really don't mind the rain all that much, but it would be nice to li-"
"Hey Mike?" Alaina ground out.
Mike jumped at Alaina's interruption, tilting his head in question.
"I'm sorry, but I'm really not all that good at biology so I kind of just need to focus. Is that ok?"
"Oh! Yeah. Sorry."
Alaina sighed in relief. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Alaina returned to her notes.
"It would just be nice to live somewhere where it wasn't always raining-"
Alaina dropped her pencil and barely suppressed a growl in frustration, crossing her arms and raising her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose between her fingers. Dear god. If he and Jessica ever got together and had kids, the world would come to a screeching halt, one meaningless conversation at a time.
All but giving up on actually learning anything, Alaina let her attention wander, settling almost immediately on Bella and Edward across the room.
It was clear that Bella wasn't even trying to pay attention to the class. Alaina would have bet money that she probably had forgotten what the subject even was judging by how closely tuned she was to the boy to her right. And honestly? Alaina couldn't blame her. Edward was... beautiful, as weird as that is to think about a boy. Although he was dressed plainly, she could tell his clothing was expensive and tailored perfectly. She thought of the phrase "money talks, but wealth whispers," and she was certain that this was written about Edward. How is it possible for someone like that to actually be real? Alaina thought to herself in bewilderment. Edwards head suddenly twitched in her direction, and she swore she saw him smirk.
"So?" Mike intoned. Alaina tore her eyes from across the room and returned back to good old Mikey. Apparently he had asked her another question because he was looking at her expectantly.
"What?" Alaina asked in exasperation, resting her head on her hand as she met his eyes. She was officially irritated to the point where she no longer cared if it showed.
"You didn't answer."
"Answer what, Mike?"
"Detroit. Was it as rainy as Forks?" He repeated. It was almost sad how much he seemed so oblivious to her annoyance.
"No, Mike. Detroit is not as rainy as the Pacific Northwest."
Mike finally seemed to catch onto Alaina's body language and tone, and she felt a sudden rush of guilt when she noticed the way his shoulders drooped. He really was just trying to be nice.
"Well, I mean it rains sometimes and can get a little gloomy, but not like Forks. Everything is much greener here though." Alaina added, schooling her tone to something much friendlier.
Mike immediately brightened at her friendly response, soldiering on as though nothing had happened.
"Wait until we drive to First Beach-"
"Mr. Newton," Mr. Banner's voice rang out, effectively - finally - cut Mike off. About damn time. "How on earth could anything you have to say be more important at this time than mitosis? Please pay attention and wait until after class to continue your courtship with Ms. Pawlowska."
The class erupted in quiet giggles and Mike's ears turned a bright red as he hunched down in his seat, grabbing his pencil from his desk and tapping it nervously on his notebook.
Across the room, Bella twisted in her seat and raised her eyebrows. It was very clear that she was trying not to laugh.
Alaina rolled her eyes good naturedly, smiling to herself as Bella turned back around. As soon as Mr. Banner started up his lecture again, Bella and Edward leaned back towards each other, seamlessly continuing whatever conversation in which they previously been engaged. It was obvious that something was going on between those two and the chemistry between them was very clearly obvious.
Alaina was still watching them when Mr. Banner began explaining lab directions. She really hoped that Mike had at least an idea of what was going on regarding the class material, because apparently they would be trying to identify the different stages of mitosis, and Alaina had absolutely no idea how to even start thanks to the chatty Cathy to her right.
"Oh don't tell me you're into Cullen too?" Mike dralwed. Alaina tore her eyes again from the pair and looked at Mike questioningly.
"What?"
Mike nodded his head over at Bella and Edward. How odd. He couldn't pick up on her almost desperate need for him to stop volleying questions every three seconds, but managed to interpret based on a couple of looks across the room that Alaina was possibly crushing on a boy she hadn't even spoken to. Mike was, of course, very wrong. It was true that Edward was extremely attractive, but aside from the fact that it was very clear that he was already very obviously into someone else, his lean and boyish looks didn't really do anything for Alaina.
"Mike," Alaina sighed, barely keeping herself from rolling her eyes. "Can we just work on this lab?"
"So that's a yes…" Mike mumbled under his breath, writing his name across the top of the paper.
Alaina felt her patience start to wear thin. "I've been here for less than a day. How in the world am I going to know who I like or don't like?"
"I mean it's just that everyone seems to like the Cullens," Mike stated, hunching further in his seat. Was he sulking?
Alaina groaned. "I don't like Edward, Ok? I'm just trying to get through 5th period and right now that involves developing the crucial life skill of identifying the different stages of cellular mitosis. Can you help me with that Mike? Please?"
Alaina did her best to keep her tone light and teasing, but the truth was that she was rapidly losing control of her temper. Luckily, Mike didn't seem to take offense and snorted into his notebook. Mr. Banner snapped his head up and glared before returning his attention to the computer screen.
"Yeah. Ok. Sorry. Just trying to get to know you, that's all. So do you think this is anaphase?"
Alaina blinked at his rapid change of attitude. Mike really was something else.
So it turned out that Mike was almost as hopeless at biology as Alaina was, and they were the last group to finish their worksheet. Furthermore, Mr. Banner barely concealed his irritation when he marked more than half of their answers as incorrect before returning the paper to add to their notes. Mike shrugged sheepishly and Alaina rolled her eyes. He was truly a magnificently awful lab partner.
The bell rang only a few minutes later, and Alaina's eyes darted to Bella and Edward once more as the boy hastily grabbed his backpack and all but sprinted out the door, echoing very closely his brother's behavior in English. Maybe it was just a family trait?
Alaina ambled over to where Bella was still shoving her notebook into her bag, noting with mild annoyance as Mike nipped at her heels.
"Congrats on the golden onion," Alaina quipped, retuning Bella's smile when the brunette noticed Alaina's approach. Edward and Bella were the first to finish their worksheet correctly, and Mr. Banner awarded their effort with an onion coated in gold spraypaint. Why? Because science.
Bella rolled her eyes and laughed, looking curiously at her onion. "It's truly a work of art. Isn't it."
Alaina nodded sagely, thoroughly enjoying their playful banter. "An absolute beauty."
Bella laughed before leaning in conspiratorially. "Wanna know my secret?"
Alaina raised her eyebrow in question.
"I may or may not have already covered all this material at my old school. Alas. My glorious onion was in no way rightly earned."
Alaina laughed. Yeah. Bella was definitely someone Alaina could see herself being friends with. "Oh come on, Bella. You and Edward finished that lab in like 5 minutes. It was completely earned. Mike and I literally failed."
Bella grimaced in sympathy. "Yeah. It looked like you guys were having a little trouble." Bella's eyes flicked to the boy hovering behind Alaina's shoulder. Her message was clear. I'm sorry you had to deal with him all class. You're a trooper.
"That we were. I'm not really good at this kind of stuff. Science has always been my weak spot."
"Hmm. Well I took advanced biology back in Arizona so this class is pretty easy. Do you maybe want to study together some time? Maybe I can help."
By this time, the trio was walking amicably down the hallway. Alaina was pretty sure she had P.E. next, but she really had no idea where she was going.
"We can all study together!" Mike suddenly chimed in, wedging himself between the two girls and draping his arms around their shoulders. As soon as she felt the weight of his arm, Alaina stiffened, her heart rate spiking and her stomach dropping into her heels. Doing her best to ward off her sudden panic, Alaina hastily ducked from under his arm and backed away.
"Please don't touch me," she said quickly but forcefully.
"Whoa, calm down Detroit, " Mike said, looking a little startled by her outburst. He lifted his arms in surrender, but smiled good naturedly. Bella eyes, however, flashed in concern.
"Um… I have gym next. I better go." Alaina rushed out. She was embarrassed at her outburst, and while Mike may have been oblivious as to how rattled she suddenly was, Bella was far too observat to miss it and she didn't really want to be asked any questions right then. Losing her shit in the middle of a hallway on her first day of school wasn't exactly on Alaina's list of legacies she wanted to have at her new high school. She started speed walking away, when Bella's voice stopped her.
"Alaina?"
"Um. Yeah?"
"Do you know where you're going?"
"Um. No?"
"Main gym is that way. Just take the stairs down and you can't miss it."
Alaina laughed nervously. She had definitely been walking in the wrong direction.
"Oh. OK. Um. Thanks."
Alaina turned around and started walking when Bella's voice stopped her again.
"Hey. Let's meet up later. I was seriously about the study group offer. OK?"
Alaina smiled at Bella's offer. She seemed to be doing her best to help ease Alaina through whatever freakout she was staving off, and Alaina couldn't have been more grateful. It actually was helping too, and Alaina felt her heartbeat slowly returning to normal. In fact, she was starting to feel really stupid.
"Yeah. Ok. I'd really like that."
"Study group! Sweet," Mike exclaimed cheerily. Bella rolled her eyes, and grabbed Mike's arm, steering him away.
"Alright smooth operator. Let's go."
Alaina found the gym easily by following the erratic squeaks of the tennis shoes against the waxed gym floor. She walked in the open door and scanned the classroom looking for the teacher to have her schedule signed.
"Angela!" Alaina said, spotting her near the bleachers. It felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders to have a familiar face in her class. "Where is the teacher?"
Angela pointed to a middle aged man in a polo and khaki pants. "That's Coach Clapp."
"I should have guessed!" Alaina laughed, walking over to the teacher. Alaina doubted there was a magazine about PE teachers, but if there was, Coach Clapp would be on the cover. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was holding a clipboard.
"Ms. - ?" He asked, raising his graying eyebrows at her.
"Alaina Pawlowska," she finished automatically for him. She handed him her schedule for him to sign.
"Oh, yes. Mrs. Cole said I was getting a new student today. Welcome to Forks," he mumbled absently. He signed her schedule and handed it back to her.
"Here is your gym uniform," he said, handing her a plastic bag full of white and blue cotton. She ordered her uniform a few weeks ago from the main office at the school. She inwardly groaned looking at the clothing.
"You're pretty tall," he commented while Alaina was looking through the clothes to make sure the correct sizes were ordered. "5'10?"
"Close. 5'9'."
"Do you play volleyball?"
"Not anymore," she said quickly, shaking her head. She played on her high school's volleyball team in Detroit. Volleyball had always come quite easier to her growing up; her tall stature made the game odds lean to her favor.
He nodded. "You should think about trying out for the team next year. We are favourites to win state." He said with pride. "The locker rooms are on the other side of the gym, and the girls is on the right side. As this is your first class, you don't have to change today. You can sit on the bleachers and watch how the class is run. It's going to be the same routine class so pay attention."
Alaina nodded, and was incredibly grateful that she didn't need to change. The uniform looked smaller than she anticipated, so she wanted to try on the uniform from the comfort of her room, not a room full of 10 girls she didn't know.
"Now, because the school makes me," he said, irritation showing in his tight jaw, "we have a written assignment every other week. So I can have a grade in your gradebook, you can do this week's assignment today, in class."
Alaina reached into her bag to pull out a notebook and a pen. The school supplies felt vaguely out of place in the gymnasium.
"All you need to do is write a short paragraph about a fitness topic, a sport you think is interesting, a famous athlete," he trailed off, counting each option with his fingers. "You get the idea. Not knowing what to expect makes grading these slightly more bearable."
The first bell rang, and the high pitched shrill rang around the gym. "Alright Alaina, take a seat on the bleachers, watch our daily warm up, and hand in your classroom before you leave. Capiche?"
"Capiche," Alaina responded with a smile. Coach Clapp seemed a little batty, but she liked him all the same.
Alaina round a set in the middle of the beachers, a few row up from the bottom. She sat down on the cool plastic and placed her notebook on her lap. She looked up and did another scan of the gym to see if she knew any other student beside Angela. Her eyes darted to each person and she did recognize a few familiar faces from her previous classes. Her eyes suddenly stopped on a pair of the captivating amber eyes she saw at lunch: the boy Bella said was Emmett Cullen. Alaina's couldn't help but to stare at Emmett a little longer than the rest. He was extremely tall, well over Alaina's stature. His short, curly hair was dark and contrasted strikingly against his pale skin. He had boyish features, and the same Amber eyes as Jasper.
Coach Clapp blew his whistle to signal the start the the warm up. All of the students started to walk towards the left side of the gym. Once they lined up, he blew his whistle again, and the wall of students broke into a run across the floor. Emmett was the first student off the line, and for someone who looked like a professional bodybuilder, his speed was apparent. His gait was somehow graceful during the sprint and he was easily the first student to make it to the other side.
Once he took his place to start the next run, he made eye contact with Alaina. She didn't realize she was staring, and locking eyes with Emmett threw her back to reality. Her eyes instantly darted way.
The whistle blew again. Once more, Emmett was the first to finish. This back and forth sprint continued for 5 rounds total. At the final whistle, Alaina heard her classmates give an audible sigh of relief that the warm up was over. Many, if not all of her classmates' faces were glistening with sweat; she could see if them the stands. She decided to steal another glance at Emmett. He was talking to another student and she cold tell his ego was inflated from the warm up.
Emmett strutted over to where Coach Clapp was waiting for his students in a cocky way. Showing off in class must be his way of boosting his ego, she thought. He was undeniably attractive, but being able to see his self-admiration from the other side of the large gym was an instant turn off.
She opened up her notebook to a blank page and scribbled a title at the top of the margin: Volleyball Knee Pads: Friend or Foe. She started to write her paragraph. The teacher's voice, from years of practice, boomed across the entire gym, giving directions to his students. Alaina wasn't paying attention, so she only heard a few phrases: "Last day for Badminton!" "Teams…"
Thousands of overpriced knee marshmallows, otherwise known as knee pads, are mass-produced each year for the burgeoning volleyball player. But I pose you a simple question: Do we even need these monstrosities?
Alaina had the feeling that Coach Clapp wouldn't be reading these very carefully, based on his annoyance when he explained the assignment, so she decided to have some fun.
She continued to write. I personally own several pairs, and I resent the way the save my knees from potentially impressive bruises. Volleyball player have never been the sort of athletes that one would think as intimidating. But why not? We are strong. We are quick. We have enough courage to wear spandex on a daily basis. Wearing knee pillows make us look weak. Sure, they can help protect against knee and joint damage, but I would much rather look rough and tough. In conclusion, the next time your coach tells you to suit up with your kneepads, toss them over your shoulder and show your new bruises with pride.
She easily finished her classroom, so she decided to watch the badminton games. Her eyes quickly darted over to Emmett, who was playing in the court in front of her.
He was extremely tall and muscular, so watching him play badminton felt off. It was like watching a grizzly bear swing ping pong racket. She couldn't help but smile, thinking of a bear wearing a gym uniform.
Emmett didn't miss a single opportunity to score. Even if it seemed impossible, Emmett saved it. In fact, the other team wasn't able to score one point. After every point was made, he threw his arms up in victory. It's a gym class, not the Olympics. Calm down, she thought. But it was true - he was showing off and in short, it was annoying.
After a few more moments of one sided scoring, Coach Clapp blew whistle. "Last point, everyone! As soon as this round is over, hit the showers."
The games started back up. Still watching Emmett's game, she watched him line up to serve. He threw the shuttlecock into the air and hit it powerfully with the racket. It bulleted quickly over the other side of the next, aiming right towards Alaina.
Alaina put her hands up to protect herself. The shuttlecock swiftly hit Alaina on her forearm. "Hey!" she shouted as it struck her.
"Sorry!" He boomed, not bothering to contain his laughter. "Bad aim!"
"Right," she responded sarcastically, as the class dispersed to the locker rooms to change.
She scribbled her name at the top of her assignment and tore it out of her notebook. She walked up the the teacher and handing over the work.
"Thank you," he said, putting the work aside. "We are starting volleyball tomorrow, so make sure you're here on time and in uniform."
"Got it, Coach," she said, turning on her heel. She walked out of the door as quickly as she could, not wanting to target practice again.
Alaina spent the rest of the day in survival mode. As someone who was more introverted, spending the day surrounded by people she didn't know was mentally, and even physically, exhausting. But luckily, Forks High was relatively small, and it was comforting to see many of the same faces over and over again… especially Bella. She could tell that they would be good friends.
The final bell rang and she walked out of the door of her last class. She smiled at the teacher as she got her scheduled signed.
"The main office is to your left," the teacher stated, pointing over his shoulder.
"Thank you!" She responded and left the classroom. When she got to the main office, she opened the door. Mrs. Cole beamed at her.
"How was your first day?" She asked kindly, taking her signed schedule. She swiveled in her chair to open a filing cabinet.
She paused. "Better than expected," she answered honestly, and received a warm smile from the receptions in return.
"That's so good to hear, my dear," she said. "I hope you have a good evening."
"Thank you!" Alaina responded kindly. "You too!"
She walked out into the cool air, a blanket of drizzle covering her immediately. She threw her hood up over her long brown hair and started to walk to the line of busses stationed at the opposite end of the parking lot. Her stomach involuntarily churned as she thought about the chamber of diesel fuel that was about to suffocate her. Maybe tomorrow I'll bring a gas mask? She thought shrewdly.
"Don't slip tomorrow morning, Detroit!" Mike's voice came from behind her. She couldn't help but to grin. Even though Mike was annoying, he was extremely kind and accepted her immediately which she deeply appreciated.
"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. See you tomorrow!"
Mike waved as he headed off into the parking lot. Alaina's eyes darted to the massive red truck parked in the middle of the lot that caught her eye in the morning. She was surprised to see Bella standing next to the pile of old metal.
Alaina walked to the truck. "Bella!" She yelled as her friend was listening to headphones. "This is your truck?"
Bella nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah. Charlie bought it for me when I moved here. I know it's not much but it runs." She gently punched the door of the truck, in an affectionate way.
"It's amazing! I mean, Detroit is nicknamed "motor city" so I appreciate a cool, old car. I love it! I even noticed it when I walked in this morning. It's pretty memorable."
Bella laughed. "Yes, you can say that! Do you drive?"
"No," Alaina responded, shaking her head. "I wish! Moving out here wasn't cheap…" She trailed off, shrugging apologetically. "I will be taking the bus, unfortunately. And it looks like it's about to leave, so I better go." She could hear a bus honking across the lot.
"Where do you live?" She asked.
"I live on Mayberry Street."
"I only live a few streets over on Ackerly! Want a ride home?"
Alaina bit her bottom lip. As much as she hated the bus, she didn't want to overstay her welcome with her new friend.
"It's not an inconvenience," Bella smiled, seemingly reading her mind.
"Sold," Alaina responded, opening the truck door and hopping in. "You drive a hard bargain."
Bella opened up the other door and jumped in. They threw their bags in the middle of the front seat. Bella turned the key in the ignition and the truck roared to life. The truck shook when the engine was on and it sounded like it would fall apart at any moment. Alaina loved it.
Bella pulled out of her spot and went to the queue to leave the school. It was slightly backed up, so Alaina looked around. Her eyes finally stopped when she saw Jasper.
He was standing next to a silver Volvo on the edge of the parking lot with the rest of his him. She quickly averted her eyes when she saw Emmett.
"Is Emmett staring at you?" Bella asked, breaking Alaina's gaze.
"Oh," Alaina said stupidly. "No. I don't think so."
Bella shrugged. "It totally looked like he was staring at you."
"Well, we did sort of have a badminton incident in P.E. today."
"Sounds like my gym class," she shuddered. "I'm a walking disaster."
"Changing the subject," Alaina said, as the line to leave the lot started to move. "I hate asking the question of the day, but why did you move to Forks?"
The drive was comfortable and the two girls chatted the entire way home. She learned about Bella's family, why she came to Washington, and her thoughts of the place so far. Although Bella wasn't the most talkative person, she was easy to talk to. When the reached Alaina's street, she pointed out her new home towards the end of the block.
As Bella pulled into the gravel driveway, it took Alaina a moment to even recognize her new home and she felt her chest contract involuntarily. Her house was a small two story home. The white paint was slowly turning gray because of the the constant rain that covered this small town and the paint on the green shutters was chipping. It reminded Alaina of a haunted house.
"This is it! Thanks, Bella. I really appreciate it," Alaina said, grabbing her bag and opening the door to get out.
"It was really no problem at all. Like I said, I only live two streets over," she said politely. "See you tomorrow?"
"See you!" Alaina waved back. She slowly walked up the stairs to the porch. She hesitated before opening the door. The soft glow of the lights in the home gently illuminated the impeding twilight. She could hear her parents talking to each other; her mother's soprano laugh contrasted with her father's bass chuckle. She smiled, enjoying their music. For a brief moment, she was transported back to her parent's in Detroit, and the familiar pang of longing took over chest.
She shut her car door behind her and walked to the porch. The Detroit traffic could be heard from her house, as the start of rush hour came. She threw her backpack on the porch swing and plopped down next to it. She could hear her Dad listening to the news and her mother telling him about her day. She would bet that he wasn't listening. Smiling she closed her eyes and took in the moment...
She opened the door, trying to stop thinking about Detroit. She tossed her backpack to the side, and walked into the living room.
"Hi Dad," she said, sitting on the couch next to him.
Her father turned the TV volume down and turned towards her. "Did you survive your first day?"
"Just barely. I only came out with a few battle wounds."
"That's my girl," her dad smiled, satisfied. He pushed the volume button to increase the sound. His weathered hands held the remote and she could see his wrinkled face crinkle slightly while watching the screen.
"How was your day?" Her mother asked, walking out of the kitchen. She wiped her hands on her jeans. Her brown eyes were warm, but tired. Moving to Forks was not easy on any of them, but especially her mother. She was a principal at Alaina's old high school and finding a new job here was becoming increasingly difficult. She had spent the last two weeks trying to find a job while they lived off of her father's construction work.
She spent the rest of answering her mother's incessant questions. Her mother was a very kind woman, but didn't know when to stop. She was the opposite of her father; he knew when not to hover. Alaina became increasingly annoyed with the interrogation
"Mom? I have homework," she interrupted, walking towards the door to grab her backpack. "I'll be upstairs, okay?"
She quickly ran up the stairs to her bedroom and shut the door gently behind her. She had no intention of starting her homework at that moment; she had too much on her mind. She dropped on her bed and stared up to the ceiling. Her mind first went to Jasper. Although their encounter was brief, it was hard to keep him out of her mind. She felt so calm, even serene, around him. It was truly a welcome change from the anxiety and pain that she was accustomed to the last few months. She was drawn to him, but it unnerved her that he looked like sitting next to her caused torment to be etched across his face.
All of their group was completely bewildering. They were unrealistically beautiful; it felt wrong to even look at them, but she couldn't help to stare, particularly at the large one, Emmett. When she made eye contact with him, it felt like her heart stopped. She could feel the eyes of his siblings watch her curiously, but Emmett's gaze was so intense, she could only stare for a moment. She shook her head, trying to shake them from her mind.
As she finally succumbed to sleep, her dreams were full of captivating amber eyes.
As always, the BIGGEST thanks to my beta/co-writer farfrom7. Please check her out!