Author's Note: Thank you all for the support! I don't own Twilight.
Chapter 3: Aloof and Sexy
I spun around my room and fell giggling onto my new purple comforter. I had just finished taping the last of the LED lights to the ceiling so that they made their way around the room.
My room!
I had never had a room that I could call mine. Charlie and I had never stayed anywhere for more than three weeks. That was our time limit, but Forks had no limits. While we had just moved in a few days ago, the house had the potential to be our forever home. I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I thought about the prospects. I'd already started decorating, having found Cheney's Comics here in town. I'd just stuck up my new poster depicting the bridge of the Enterprise with the crew from The Next Generation, except that the crew was cats instead of the original cast. I loved it! I mostly liked offbeat fan art, so I would get most of my decorations from Etsy. I had already ordered a poster of Ramiel looming over the city of Velaris.
Eeeek! I get to buy fanart! I have somewhere to hang it! I have somewhere to ship it to!
I sat down at my new desk to order t-shirts.
Oh, the t-shirts I would buy.
I would try to get at least some of them from Cheney's Comics, I had to support my local comic bookstore after all. I did a little dance in my chair when I realized that it was my local comic book store.
I'd gotten a chance to check out the town of Forks in the last three weeks. Once we'd arrived, Charlie and I decided that it was prudent to stake out the town a little, make sure there wasn't an ambush awaiting us. We stayed at the Port Angeles Inn and every day we would drive to Forks. For the first three days we just drove around town to scope things out. On the fourth day we decided that we could let some of the citizens of Forks see me and gage their reaction. I got out of the RV and we stopped to get gas. No one even looked up at me. We got gas again the next day, following the same pattern to see if anyone would follow us or make their move. Charlie sat just inside the RV with his rifle loaded. I got a bit nervous when one man asked if I needed anything, but I just got directions for a local campground and he moved on. That was it. No one jumped at me from behind the building, no helicopters started circling. No one even followed us back to Port Angeles. I spent the next two weeks going to more locations in Forks: the grocery store, the comic book shop, Newton's Olympic Outfitters. I never spotted anyone that fit Esme's description, but I would keep looking for her.
People did start to notice me, saying they saw our RV around, asking friendly questions. Nothing more than you would expect in a small town. I started to tell them that my dad and I were thinking about moving to the area and three days ago we cashed in some of the gold and bought this house.
It was a two-bedroom house with faded white siding and a green garage door. The first floor had a tiny living room with a fireplace and a kitchen with yellow painted cabinets. We found a retro dining table with a white Formica top to place in the center. I loved how warm and homey the place felt. With just me and Charlie, we didn't need anything big, just a home. The best part was that it had two bathrooms, Charlie would have to use the bathroom on the first floor, but I wouldn't have to avert my eyes while he peed in the middle of the night. I would have to sleep in the bath at least three times a week to keep my energy reserves full, but we'd bought a heated blanket for my bed so I would be able to sleep there for at least part of the week. It was better than I'd ever imagined.
Tomorrow I was starting at Forks High School. Charlie had forged some paperwork and I was registered as Isabella Swan. He had picked our new last name randomly while we were watching National Geographic in the motel. I could keep my first name since the Agency only knew me by my call sign, Phoenix.
I started getting ready for bed early, knowing that trying to blend in and being social would take a lot out of me tomorrow. I really didn't have social skills, with Charlie as my only friend. Tomorrow might be hard.
I was in a misty white room that was blurring around me. The little boy's face was split in a smile that lit up the room. We were holding hands and spinning in a circle so fast I couldn't make out anything around us, but I didn't care. We were squealing with glee as we spun and I felt like we were flying, just me and him.
I woke with a smile on my face. I guess Peter Pan approved of my newly acquired life. I brushed out my hair and plugged in the flat iron since the hair on the back of my head was sticking straight up.
Who knew that short hair was more work?
I put on a pair of blue jeans and a S.T.A.R. Labs t-shirt that I hid under a grey hoodie. Hopefully, this was a middle of the road style for Forks High that wouldn't stand out. My red chucks were the only bright color I wore. I hoped it wasn't too much.
"Good morning" I greeted Charlie in a sing-song voice as I went downstairs. The aroma of the coffee warmed my chest and I poured myself a cup.
"You're chipper" he said.
"Just excited about my first day of high school" I did a little dance.
"Yep, that's because you have never been to high school. We'll talk tonight." he replied with a smirk as he gathered his fishing supplies. He would go out on his own while I was at school today but would stay in range of our burner phones in case something came up.
I rolled my eyes
Way to be a pessimist.
I grabbed a piece of peanut butter toast off Charlie's plate.
"Here" Charlie said as he tossed me a set of keys to a 2016 Toyota Camry. It was white and probably the most generic car known to man.
"See you later" I called as I dropped the keys to the Camry on the table next to the door and picked up the keys to the 1963 Chevy Step Side pickup Charlie had bought himself. It was a rusty red color and made a booming sound when you started it. I loved it. The interior smelled like gasoline and peppermint. It even had a working radio, obviously not as good as the Bluetooth stereo in the Camry, but you can't have everything. I pushed the keys into the ignition and the thing roared to life. It was so loud; I couldn't hear what Charlie was yelling as he chased me down the street in his pajamas.
Forks High School was close to our new house, but I drove past it twice before I pulled into the parking lot. It didn't look anything like the high schools I had seen while traveling with Charlie. No chain link fences or sprawling campuses of beige stucco. This looked like a bunch of matching brick houses.
I pulled into the faculty parking lot, I knew that I couldn't stay there, but it was closest to the office. Since I had left, it had started pouring rain. It would take a little time to get used to living in the Pacific Northwest, but honestly, I loved all the green. Charlie and I usually stayed in the warmer climates so this was a pleasant change.
Warm air gusted at me as I walked through the office door, and I pulled down my hood to introduce myself to the administrative assistant. She was a heavy-set older woman and had red hair that she had backcombed and held up with at least a full can of Aquanet. It made her head look at least three times the size of mine and didn't move when she turned her head. I wondered how it would sound if I knocked on it with my knuckles.
"You must be Isabella Swan, I'm Ms. Cope" she said, "I've been expecting you."
Her words sounded ominous and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I scanned around the office but only saw filing cabinets. There was an open door behind Ms. Cope's desk that held an examination table covered in paper. Just the nurse's office.
Ugh, Bella! She is expecting you because you are a new student. Chill!
Ms. Cope handed me my class schedule. I moved my truck to the student lot and made my way to my first class, English with Mr. Mason. I was early, so he let me pick my own desk. I chose the desk closest to the door. Would I be able to make it out of the building if this was an ambush? I bit my lip and started twisting my eyelashes between my thumb and forefinger.
Nice! I got seven that time.
The rest of the students trickled in and though many of them stared at me, I noticed that they were all dressed in sweatshirts and jeans. I had nailed the look and blended into the crowd easily. Mr. Mason handed me the reading list for the semester with the books the class had already completed crossed out. It was basic: Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, Faulkner, Chaucer. We would read the Great Gatsby next.
Fuck, I hate that book.
Luckily, I wouldn't have to read it. Charlie had already made me read everything on the list, plus a lot more. He took my education very seriously and we dedicated most of our travel time to it. Of course, since I had been taught by a former cop while on the run, everything related to fighting or survival. Our physics lessons were mapping the arc of a bullet and my biology lessons were on identifying edible plants, but he covered all the curriculum in public schools. Just in his own unique way.
I twisted my eyelashes and eyebrows while the teacher droned on about conspicuous consumption until a nasal buzzing sound startled me and I pulled out a chunk of hair. If I wasn't careful, I wouldn't have anything left by tomorrow. The other students stood, and I realized that the buzzing sound was the bell to dismiss us. Weird, in the movies it sounded like a real bell. I got up and a boy with greasy black hair walked over to me. I backed away from him, but he persisted forward and said, "Hi, I'm Eric. Where's your next class?"
"Oh...umm...", I looked at the schedule, "Government." I finished weakly.
What does this guy want from me?
"Oh, that's on my way, I'll walk you over there" he said brightly.
"Why?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. I didn't need an escort.
"In case you get lost silly" he laughed.
This seemed like a good opportunity for him to lead me off in the wrong direction so he could knock me out and drag me into a windowless van.
"I think I can make it on my own" I replied and walked away from the hurt looking Eric. I wasn't going to let that stop me. Charlie had warned about rapists and murderers preying on a women's politeness to get their victims alone. It would be a great way for an agent to get me away from a crowd and abduct me without causing a scene.
Well, not today, Eric. If you want to take me back to the Agency, you will have to do it the hard way.
A short girl with curly hair caught up to me as I walked to Government.
"I am so glad you put Yorkie in his place right off the bat" she said.
I turned and looked down at her, confused. "What?" I asked.
"Way to establish yourself as a popular girl by telling the nerds to scram. You can sit next to me and Lauren at lunch." She walked away without waiting for me to respond.
Wait, what if I didn't want to sit with her? Who was Lauren?
My stomach twisted; I had hurt a fellow nerd's feelings. Was he just trying to be nice? And now I had inadvertently established myself as a popular girl. Interacting socially was a lot more complicated than I had realized. I pondered how to fix my misstep through my next three classes. The 'popular' girl, Jessica, sat next to me in both Trigonometry and Spanish, I would have to try to test out of Spanish. I had spent at least half of my life in Central and South America traveling with Charlie.
I made my way over to the cafeteria and 'popular Jessica' kept by my side, despite my efforts to lose her by walking uncomfortably fast. I got my lunch tray and loaded it up with a salad and an apple before scanning the room for Eric Yorkie. I found him eating lunch with another boy and a girl with glasses and walked over.
"What are you doing? You don't want to sit there" Jessica hissed. I ignored her and walked up to the closest empty chair.
"Is this one taken?" I asked Eric.
"Umm, sure." he stammered. I sat down and was introduced to a thin, spikey haired Asian boy named Ben and a pretty girl with glasses named Angela. Jessica sat down next to me with a huff and I wondered how popular she could be if she was latching on to me in this way.
"Hey Jess, who's the new girl?" I looked up at the bland looking blond boy making his way over to us. He wore a letter jacket and had the build of a wrestler.
"Hey Mike" Jessica swooned, "this is Isabella" she said the last part like I was made of boogers.
"It's actually just Bella" I corrected.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Bella, mind if I sit with you" he asked with a greasy smile.
"You want to sit with us?" Ben blurted.
"Of course, I love hanging with you guys", Mike said as he plunked his tray down between me and Eric.
"Sure, in grade school" Angela whispered in a voice only superhuman hearing could have made out.
I furrowed my brow, confused by the interaction, but shrugged and looked around the cafeteria. The students were clearly sitting at tables according to their social standing. Charlie and I had binged high school comedies this weekend in preparation for today, and they seemed to be an accurate depiction of reality. I looked around to try to figure out the groups, finding the jocks, the band kids, the drama crowd.
One group of students didn't fit into any of the categories I expected. There were four of them, and the only commonality they had was their beauty. There were two girls. One, a tall blond bombshell in tight jeans and a red body suit. The other girl was short with a black pixie haircut. She was wearing an oversized pink hoodie with bunny ears and shorts that matched the hoodie perfectly so at first glance she looked like she wasn't wearing pants. It was both innocent and alluring. One of the boys was bulky with curly black hair. I was surprised he didn't have a letter jacket on, because he would have made a great linebacker. The other boy had curly blond hair and work khaki cargo pants that were rolled up enough to show his black socks and high-top Converse. I saw him lean down and whisper into the short girl's ear.
"Who are they" I asked the table.
"Those are the Cullens" Jessica answered in a bored voice.
"They're siblings?" I surmised.
"Kinda" Angela said.
"They were all adopted by Dr. And Mrs. Cullen." Jessica said. "but, they are all together. Like, together, together. Jasper, the blond boy, is with Alice, the short girl with black hair. The burly guy is Emmett, he's with the blond girl, Rosalie" she pursed her lips in judgment.
I wasn't sure why Jessica would care about the dynamics of another family.
The door to the cafeteria opened, and a harried looking boy rushed in and grabbed a tray just as they were closing the serving window. If the Cullens were beautiful, I didn't know what to call him.
A god.
He was tall and even though he was clearly rushing, he moved with a dancer's grace. His brown hair had a red tint that made it look like bronze when the light struck it, and his eyes were so bright I could see that they were green from across the room. He ran his fingers through his hair as he spoke to the lunch lady, then grabbed his food and sat down at the table with the Cullens.
Oh, they are the pretty people club.
"Who's that" I whispered to Jessica
She rolled her eyes. "That's Edward Cullen, he's gorgeous of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date apparently"
I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. Clearly Edward Cullen had turned her down. I glanced up to see him smirk briefly before going back to his broccoli.
I shrugged out of my hoodie and Angela gasped.
What? What is it? Is there someone with an ether-soaked rag sneaking up behind me?
I spun around to assess the situation and Angela shrieked, "You like DC!?"
I looked down at my S.T.A.R. Labs T-shirt and a wide smile stretched across my face.
"You like DC?!" I shouted back.
We spent the next ten minutes discussing the merits of various heroes. Angela argued that Batman was the best and I made a case for the Flash, although I had to admit that the actor in the new Batman movie caught my eye.
"Um, I don't want to mislead you guys though...I don't actually read comic books. I watch movies and TV shows and I love superheroes, but...I always feel intimidated by comic book stores. Where are you supposed to start?" I finished weakly.
"Oh girl, I got you" Ben responded. "My dad owns the comic book store in town. We will start you with a Geoff Johns Flash omnibus."
"Your family owns Cheney's comics?" I shouldn't have been surprised; it was a small town.
"Yep, Ben Cheney, and I am happy to be your comic book ambassador" he said sticking out his hand. I shook it firmly and smiled, but a sickly feeling overwhelmed me for a moment. This was going too well.
I glanced around myself to make sure I was still safe and noticed Edward Cullen looking at me with a puzzled expression. I raised my eyebrows and he quickly looked away. I shrugged and went back to talking with Angela, Eric and Ben about superheroes. We stayed talking past the first bell and I had to rush to my Biology class.
I came in just as the second bell rang and introduced myself to the biology teacher, Mr. Molina.
"Sorry, but we only have one seat left and it seems to be right in a draft. Edward here is the only one that hasn't requested a different seat." he apologized while he pointed to a stool next to Edward. Honestly, a draft was perfect. I had been a little concerned about the layout of the classroom since each lab bench had to be shared by a pair of students. The other classes had individual desks and I could sit far enough away that no one would notice how cold it was next to me. Now I could use the draft as my excuse.
"No problem, I always bring a sweater" I said, holding up my hoodie as evidence.
I sat down next to Edward, and he smiled politely.
"Hi, I'm Bella, your new lab partner" I said as I looked up to meet his eyes. Everything went quiet and his breathing quickened. I froze and felt locked into his emerald gaze. I was reminded of the precious few carefree days of my childhood. Summer light filtering through a green forest canopy. A tightness in my chest that I hadn't realized was there started to uncoil. I felt myself lean in, suddenly yearning to be held in his arms and melt into his chest. He smelled like sage and even though the draft made it quite cold in this part of the classroom, he smelled like... warmth, like a heated oven or sun striking clean hair.
His eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up in surprise, but then his face crumpled in pain and my hand moved of its own accord to cup his cheek. Thankfully I stopped myself before I touched him, but my hand was left hanging awkwardly between us. He quickly turned his head away to look out the window. I dropped my arm limply in the empty space between us.
"Edward" he responded shortly, then covered his mouth with his hand.
Gah, Bella. What was that about? It's like you've never talked to a boy before.
In honesty, I hadn't spoken to very many boys. My conversation in the cafeteria had been the longest I had ever had with anyone other than Charlie. But my lack of social experience couldn't excuse my strange behavior. Even I knew that you shouldn't try to touch strangers' faces.
"Sorry" I apologized weakly and looked away. I suddenly missed my long hair. If I had it now, I would have moved it over my shoulder to hide my face like a curtain. I chewed my lip and tried to think of how to fix yet another faux pa.
Maybe pretend like it didn't happen. Maybe he didn't even notice!
He noticed, idiot. Look, he keeps clenching his fist and tapping his foot. He's obviously agitated.
Okay, so I would just never speak to him again. That's really the only course of action once you've tried to touch a beautiful stranger's face, right?
Right.
I committed to this plan, though for some reason the idea of avoiding him left me queasy. I tried to focus on Mr. Molina's explanation of DNA synthesis and busied myself by drawing a detailed diagram of DNA until the bell rang and Edward shot out of his chair and practically ran out of the room.
Yep, he noticed.
I drug my feet down the hallway to my last class, Gym. It was fated to be my least favorite since I had to pretend to be bad at everything. Charlie and I had decided that the best way for me to not draw attention during Gym was to affect an air of clumsiness. It was all the worse because my brain kept reliving the incident with Edward and rehearsing conversations with him.
"Hey Edward, remember how I reached out to touch your face the other day. Well, it wasn't actually weird. You had a bug in your hair." I practiced in my head.
He might buy that, maybe tomorrow I could...
A volleyball hit me in the back of the head. If I kept obsessing over this Edward fiasco, I wouldn't even need to pretend to be bad at sports.
"Sorry!" Mike yelled as he ran over and rubbed the spot the ball hit. I jumped away from his hand. Because it's unpleasant to be randomly touched by strangers.
Yep.
I changed out of my gym clothes and headed to my locker, shuffling my feet, hands shoved into my pockets. I wouldn't speak to him again. I would just leave him alone.
Just as I thought this, I saw the men's room door open, and Edward walked out towards me. His hair was damp, and his collar was wet in spots. He had red rimming his eyes.
Had he been crying?
There was no way my blunder would have caused this, right? No, something else was wrong. I was just being silly. Maybe he had suddenly gotten sick in class and that was why he seemed so distressed. He might not have noticed me reaching out.
Hah! I am being totally self-centered; this isn't about me at all!
Edward looked up at me, scowled, turned on his heel and walked straight back into the restroom.
Okay, so maybe it was about me a little.
I ran from the spot straight to my truck and hit the steering wheel several times with my fist.
It wasn't that bad. Why is he making such a big deal about it. So I'm a dweeb with boys. Get over it, not everyone can look like a Greek god, all aloof and sexy.
I got home and slammed the front door.
"How was your first day" Charlie yelled from the kitchen sink. I could smell the fish he was cleaning.
"I don't want to talk about it" I screeched as I ran upstairs.
"mmmyup..." I heard him say softly before I slammed my bedroom door.