Isabella Swan sat silently in her seat, gazing out the airplane window. It was raining hard outside. In the seat next to her, a woman was taking deep breaths.
Bella hadn't paid much attention to her anxious seat neighbor. The woman had been sleeping for most of the flight. She side-eyed the woman curiously.
The woman couldn't have been much older than Bella, early twenties perhaps. Bella only guessed that because of her face. She was petite, but her face was very mature. She had short spiky black hair. She was clutching the armrests of her seat, breathing hard.
"First time on a plane?" Bella asked.
The woman blinked a few times, her gold eyes landing on Bella. A chill immediately washed over Bella, stiffening her. Was that anger?
"Oh," Bella stuttered. "I didn't mean—"
"I'm sorry," The woman said, a smile appearing on her face. "Oh no," she said. "I'm just having a day."
"Oh," Bella said. She returned her attention to the window. She got a glimpse of the woman's reflection in the window.
"Where are you headed?" The woman asked, watching Bella.
"Forks," Bella said, not looking at the woman. "My dad lives there." Bella considered telling this stranger about her situation, about her mother. But the woman had fallen asleep again.
Bella sighed and returned her attention to the rainy sky.
It was another hour before the plane landed in Port Angeles. Bella had ended up snoozing. By the time she'd woken up, the woman was gone.
Bella got her luggage, it wasn't much. Most of her Arizona wardrobe wasn't suited for Washington, too permeable. Her mother and her had pooled their resources to get together some winter clothes. It all fit in one suitcase.
Charlie Swan was waiting for Bella outside of his cruiser.
He was a tall man. He had Bella's dark hair, but it was much curlier. Bella's mother always said she and her father had the same eyes.
Bella trudged through the mud to her father's cruiser. This, like the rain, was one of the things Bella wasn't looking forward to. She despised the idea of being driven around in a police cruiser. She'd made it her mission to save up enough money to buy herself a car.
"Hey, Charlie…" Bella started. "I mean, hey dad."
Charlie gave Bella an awkward one-arm hug and took her suitcase. Bella got in the passenger seat as Charlie tossed her suitcase in the trunk.
"You haven't changed much," Charlie said, getting into the cruiser. "How's Renée?"
"Mom is fine," Bella said, wringing out her hair. "It's good to see you."
"I found a good car for you," Charlie said, starting the cruiser. "Really cheap."
"What kind of car?" Bella asked, suspicious. "I've only saved up six hundred."
"It's a truck actually," Charlie said as they pulled onto the road. "Chevy."
"Oh yeah?" Bella tied her hair into a ponytail. "How much?"
"Oh, don't worry about that," Charlie said.
"What?" Bella snapped; she sounded more annoyed than she'd intended to. Charlie didn't seem to mind.
"I already bought it for you," he said. "Remember Charlie Black, from La Push?"
"No," Bella said simply.
"We used to go fishing with him in the summer," Charlie prompted.
Bella vaguely remembered fishing with the man. She didn't bother pointing it out.
"Well, he's in a wheelchair now," Charlie continued. "Can't drive his truck. He sold it cheap."
"How cheap?" Bella asked.
"Cheap enough," Charlie said. "It ain't nothing new but I wanted you to have something."
"How old is it?" Bella asked, gazing through the window at the passing woods.
"I think he bought it in the 80s," Charlie said. "It wasn't new then either," He added with a laugh.
"As long as it runs," Bella said. She gave Charlie a sidelong look. "I can pay you back," she said. "You didn't need to buy it for me."
"Oh no," Charlie waved Bella off. "I bought that truck because I want you to be happy here."
"Well, thanks," Bella said. "I appreciate it." She stared ahead at the road as she spoke. Charlie smiled at her.
It wasn't long before they reached Charlie's home. It was a small two-bedroom house. Bella's 'new' truck was parked on the street in front of the familiar house.
Bella grabbed her suitcase from the trunk as Charlie got out of the cruiser. The two of them trudged through the rain, climbing quickly onto the front porch.
Bella gazed out at the front yard while Charlie unlocked the house. She was drenched from head to toe. She felt like a half-drowned rat.
Charlie opened the door and the two of them entered the house. He took his coat off and marched into the living room.
Bella lingered by the door, taking her shoes off.
"I didn't miss this," Bella said. "When's the last time it wasn't raining?" She asked, pulling her wet socks off. Her shoes had proven to be less waterproof than they'd advertised themselves to be.
"Eh," Charlie said, sitting down on the couch with a grunt. "You remember where your room is?"
"Yup," Bella left her shoes, grabbing her suitcase. She headed upstairs. She found the familiar bedroom waiting for her.
Nothing had changed. The same bed, computer, and even her old rocking chair in the corner.
Bella tossed her suitcase on the bed and booted up the computer. She opened her email, finding three emails from her mother.
Bella's dark eyes darted over the words. Each email was more urgent than the last, yet for the most part, they were all the same. Asking why Bella hadn't sent her an email confirming her arrival.
Her mother had insisted that Bella email her the moment she'd arrived at Charlie's place. That was the only reason Charlie had bought the computer a few years ago.
The last email ended with a threat of sorts.
If I don't receive your reply by five pm, I will contact Charlie.
Bella's eyes fell to the bottom corner of the screen. She had a few hours. She took a deep breath and typed up a reply.
She hated when her mother got like this. She was always so quick to jump to conclusions. So quick to panic over nothing. How fast did she expect Bella to get here?
Bella sent her mother an email, assuring her that she'd made it safely to Forks. She'd just been napping and hadn't had time to get an email out.
With that, Bella shut the computer off. She sauntered to the bed, shoving the suitcase down to the floor.
She almost went straight to sleep but forced herself to clean up. She unloaded her clothes into the dresser and brushed her hair in the bathroom.
Bella had to come to terms with the fact that she'd be sharing this bathroom with Charlie. She'd get over it, eventually. She let her black hair rest on her shoulders, looking herself over.
Her skin was pale as ever. She hated it. Her eyes were dreary, she didn't like looking at them. She raised her shirt, inspected her stomach, and counted her ribs.
"Disappointing as ever," Bella remarked, smirking at herself. "You never change."
She glanced down the stairs as she left the bathroom. Charlie was watching a game on tv. She watched him for a moment before returning to her room.
Bella spent most of the night contemplating her future. This place was her future, right? She thought of her mother and her new husband. The two of them were likely partying it up in Florida.
Good for them.
Bella wasn't angry at her mother. She wasn't angry at Charlie either. But she was without a doubt angry. She couldn't comprehend why, though. Her frustration puzzled her.
"Maybe if I end up dying," Bella said. She pulled a quilt over her head. "I won't have to worry about it."
Bella hardly recognized morning. There was no warm sunlight flooding her room. The only thing outside her window was a thick fog and the sound of a drizzle.
She was up and dressed before Charlie had made breakfast.
"You want some pancakes?" Charlie offered from the kitchen. Bella paused, putting her raincoat on. He'd just started on the first pancake.
"I'm good," Bella said. "I'll see you later."
"You're leaving already?" Charlie asked.
"Lots to do," Bella said, letting the door close behind her. She darted through the mud, jumping into the truck. She didn't get much of a look at the exterior in the hurry.
It took a few turns to get the truck running. Once it did, it ran as smoothly as a pile of bricks with wheels made of pebbles. The interior reeked vaguely of tobacco and peppermint.
Bella didn't mind it so much. She was distracted by the scenery as she drove around town.
Everything in Forks was on the edge of the forest. The entire town seemed like it was one breath away from being consumed by the woods around it.
Bella found herself gazing out into the woods as she drove. She drifted into the oncoming lane a few times, earning a few angry honks.
Bella hated how small Forks was, she always had. Even so, it took her a few passes to notice the sign on the side of the road that read: Forks High. The sun was rising over the treeline as Bella parked the truck.
The parking lot wasn't very full. The school was made up of several small brick buildings.
Bella hopped out of the truck, stretching.
A pair of guys that were leaning against a nearby van waved at Bella.
"Are you new?" One of the guys asked.
"Yeah," Bella said. "What's it to you?"
The guy spread his arms wide. "Welcome!" He said happily.
"Thanks," Bella said, turning away from them. She started for the building labeled 'front office', quickly crossing the wet parking lot.
There was a hedge-lined path leading to the entrance. Bella lingered in front of the door for a moment. The only sound was the patter of rain on the ground.
Bella stared out at the woods beyond the school. The trees were dense, so closely packed it seemed nothing could fit between them except the heavy fog. Despite that, Bella thought she saw something. A strange shape between two of the trees.
A deer?
Bella blinked. She lost the figure in the fog. She rubbed her eyes and groaned. She was already losing her mind.
Bella opened the door and stepped into the office.
"Hello?" Bella said. "I'm a new student,"
A redhead woman was sitting behind a desk.
The office was small and clearly low-budget. The walls were cluttered with tacky awards and uninteresting notices. A large clock ticked loudly, catching Bella's interest.
"What's your name?" The redheaded woman asked, distracting Bella from the clock.
"Oh, I'm a new student." Bella crossed the office, leaning on the desk.
"Right, Isabella Swan," The woman said. "I have your schedule right here."
"Just Bella." Then Bella added, almost under her breath. "I mean, how many other new students do you get around here?"
The woman gave Bella a strange look. Bella smiled sheepishly. She hadn't meant for it to come out as an insult.
The woman fished a schedule and a map of the school from her pile of papers.
"Okay," The woman said. She went through Bella's classes, using a highlighter to point out the best routes to each class.
Bella watched absentmindedly, not paying attention. She was distracted by a scar on the woman's forearm. It started at the base of her wrist and extended a few inches up her arm. It was a jagged scar, almost like a bolt of lightning.
"You'll have to get all of your teachers to sign these slips," The woman was saying.
"How'd you get that scar?" Bella asked, interrupting the woman. "Looks weird."
The woman sighed and stood up. She held out a handful of papers. Schedule, map, and a bunch of slips.
"I hope you were paying attention," she said. "Have a nice day."
Bella blinked a few times before taking the papers.
"You're not gonna—" Bella started.
"That's your cue to move on!" A man called out from further into the office. Bella had to crane her neck to see him.
"Okay," Bella said. "Great chat." With that, she stomped out of the office. "Yeesh," She grumbled as she marched across the parking lot.
She took little care to guard the papers from the rain. She opened the truck and climbed inside with a huff.
"Am I throwing a fit?" Bella asked after a moment of heavy breaths. "What am I, twelve?" She chuckled, tossing her papers onto the passenger seat. "Maybe I should just go home," she said quietly.
Home.
She certainly didn't mean Charlie's place. That was as much of a home as this school was. She thought of her home in Arizona. Her mother. Now that she thought of it, did she really have a home?
Bella noticed other vehicles pulling into the school. It was getting closer to time. The vehicles were heading around back. Is that where students were supposed to park?
Bella revved her engine and pulled into the line of traffic. She racked her mind as she headed to the back of the school.
It wasn't long before she'd found a new parking spot. She parked next to a shiny Volvo. She found herself staring at it for a moment.
"I hate Volvos," Bella said without a thought.
She watched other students getting out of their vehicles and picked up her schedule. Her first class was in building three.
"Let's do this." Bella stuffed her schedule into her bag.
Bella got out of the truck, slamming the door shut behind her. She spotted a boy walking by and matched his pace.
He had acne all over his face, and his hair was the color of oil slick.
The two of them walked in sync for a few moments before Bella spoke up.
"Hey, you know where building three is?" Bella asked.
The boy seemed uncertain that Bella was talking to him. He pointed at himself curiously.
"Nah, I was asking that guy," Bella pointed out a guy walking a few paces ahead of them.
"Oh, sorry," The boy said. His eyes fell to the ground.
Bella fell out of pace with the boy for a moment, stunned. She regained herself and hurried to catch up with the boy.
"I was talking to you!" She snapped, grabbing the boy's arm.
"What?" The boy gasped, putting his hands up as if Bella was attacking him.
"I was talking to you!" Bella repeated. A few other kids were looking their way now.
"But you said—" The boy started.
"Forget what I said," Bella waved him off. "Do you know where building three is?"
"Yeah."
"I'm the new girl," Bella said. "Could you show me?"
"Oh," The boy perked up. "You're Isabella Swan?"
"Just Bella."
Oil slick barely managed to lead Bella to building three. He somehow got it in his head they were looking for building six and led her there instead.
Luckily, Bella spotted the massive '3' painted on the side of building three and headed to it.
She paused at the entrance of her classroom, looking the inside over. Only a few students were already seated, and none of them looked interesting.
Oil slick put his coat up on a rack by the door. He apparently had the same class.
Bella put her coat up as well before approaching the teacher. An old balding man called Mr. Mason.
"Excuse me," Bella said. "I'm new."
"Isabella Swan?" The man gawked at her. "Do you have your slip?"
"Just Bella," Bella said. "What kind of slip?"
"You're supposed to have slips for all of your teachers to sign," Mr. Mason said.
Bella frowned at him. She fished some notebook paper out of her bag.
"You can sign this if you want."
"No, no," Mr. Mason said. "After class go to the office and get the slips, I'll sign it after school for you."
Bella crumpled the paper and stuffed it in her bag.
"Find a seat," Mr. Mason said. Bella stomped off, finding a seat in the back of the class. She felt the few students in the class watching her.
She hadn't meant to show her ass in front of everyone. A part of her was embarrassed. Every other part was pissed off. What did she need a stupid slip for anyway?
Oil slick got up from his seat on the other side of the class and hurried over to Bella.
"My names Eric," he said, leaning on Bella's table.
"Hi, Eric," Bella said. She didn't bother hiding her aggravation. She looked the boy over again. "What do you want?"
"You're dad's the police chief?" Oil Slick asked. "He's a pretty cool guy?"
Bella stared blankly at the boy for a moment. What did he expect her to say to that?
"Sure," Bella said finally. She all but pushed him off her table. He smiled and sat in the seat next to hers.
"Why did you live in Arizona? Because of the divorce?"
"If you already knew, then why are you asking?" Bella snapped at him.
"Sorry," Oil slick said. "A lot of rumors in this town, everyone talks you know. Hard to know what's true or not."
"Rumors about me?" Bella asked, her interest piqued.
Oil slick shrugged.
"Lots of crazy stuff," He started.
Mr. Mason stood up, clearing his throat.
Bella hadn't noticed how many people had filed into the classroom.
"Everyone get to your seats," Mr. Mason said. "Come on now."
"Can I sit here today?" Oil slick asked, raising his hand. "I'm gonna help Bella with the notes!"
Bella gave the boy a sidelong look, while Mr. Mason agreed, spouting off that Bella seemed like she needed all the help she could get.
She didn't say anything. She just smiled wryly at Oil slick.
Luckily the class went by quickly. Oil slick didn't bother Bella much beyond asking to borrow a pencil sharpener. Bella didn't have one. She only used pens.
"Where's your next class?" Oil slick asked as they grabbed their coats.
Bella fished her schedule from her pocket and eyeballed it.
"Don't forget that slip after school, Isabella," Mr. Mason called from his desk.
"It's just Bella!" Bella yelled back before leaving the classroom. Oil slick hurried after her.
"I'm going to building four," Bella said as the two of them walked.
"I can show you the way!" Oil slick declared.
Bella tried not to roll her eyes at him.
"You know," Oil slick tapped his chin, trying to match Bella's pace. "You're pretty pale for somebody from Arizona."
"I'm a vampire," Bella said stepping out of the building.
"Wow, really?"
"No."
"That's a shame, it'd be really cool if you were a vampire."
"Sucks for you," Bella said. The two of them walked along the paved path between the buildings. There weren't many students out and about despite the class change. There probably weren't that many students period.
Bella spotted building four. It was on the other side of a small clearing of grass. She turned and started for it.
"Wait for me!" Oil slick hurried after her.
A tall guy stepped in front of Bella. He looked her up and down with a smile.
"You must be the chief's daughter," The guy said. "Isabella, right?" He offered her a hand.
"Just Bella," Bella said. "Excuse me." She tried to step around the guy. He followed, blocking her path.
"I heard you have an interesting story," he said. "Interested in an interview."
"I said excuse me!" Bella shouted, much louder than she meant to.
Suddenly, it seemed, there were students everywhere. All their wide eyes were focused on Bella.
"Just—" Bella stuttered. "Get out of my way!"
The guy raised his hands and stepped aside.
"Sorry," he said.
Bella stomped past him, ignoring Oil slick's comments. She found her next class easily enough.
"Maybe we'll have some other classes together," Oil Slick was saying. "Sorry about that jerk earlier, he really doesn't…"
Bella paid him little mind as she entered the classroom.
Most of her day went by rather quickly. Most of her teachers paid her little mind aside from demanding she get a slip to be signed.
Mr. Varner, a trigonometry teacher had Bella stand in front of the class and introduce herself.
Bella didn't have much to say.
A girl that sat next to Bella in Trig, as well as the following Spanish class, happened to have the same lunch as her as well.
Bella missed the girl's name, both times she said it. She was a small girl with wild curly hair that gave her a few extra inches.
The curly-haired girl followed Bella through the lunch line and all the way to the edge of the cafeteria where Bella decided to sit. A few of her friends joined the two of them.
Bella didn't pay much attention as the curly girl introduced all her friends. They were a varied group of boys and girls.
It wasn't long before the introductions ended and the group collectively lost interest in Bella and started chatting with each other.
Apparently one of the girls dumped her boyfriend recently because he'd refused to spend time with her. She suggested that he's probably been roped into a gang.
Bella was curious enough to listen in. She ignored Oil slick waving at her from across the cafeteria.
She didn't have a problem with the boy, she just wasn't in the mood.
"Hey, Isabella," One of the boys spoke up, tapping the table.
Bella looked up at the boy as if she'd just noticed him. He was a tall boy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
"Don't call her that," Curly spoke up, swatting the chatty boy's hand. "It's just Bella!"
"Oh, sorry." The boy smiled at Bella. "What's it like having a cop for a dad?"
"Normal," Bella said. "You have a dad?" Something caught her eye on the other side of the cafeteria.
A group of people were walking across the cafeteria together. Five people. They were all well-dressed. They walked with a casual sense to them.
Bella watched them find an empty table and sit down.
One of them lingered for a moment, placing his tray down and looking around. He seemed confused; his brow was furrowed. He was a scrawny boy with bronze-colored hair. His eyes met Bella's.
Empty black eyes.
Bella stared at the boy, frozen. Her heart pounded in her chest. A cold sweat appeared on her forehead. A shiver was rising in her back.
She was going to die.
"Bella?" Curly spoke up, tapping Bella's shoulder. Bella jumped away from the table, stumbling back onto the floor with a shriek.
"Bella!" Someone yelled. The kids jumped, crowding around Bella. Everyone was talking at once.
Bella's head was spinning, she raised a hand to the back of her head and winced.
"Help me up," Bella mumbled.
The group slowly backed up as Curly and a boy pulled Bella to her feet.
"Are you okay?" Curly asked.
"Yeah," Bella's eyes landed on the table on the other side of the cafeteria.
The boy was gone.
The four people he was walking with were still sitting and had started eating. There was a single tray left alone.
"Who was that?" Bella asked.
Curly guided Bella back to the table. She followed Bella's line of sight to the group of people.
"Who are those people?" Bella asked again as the group collectively sat down.
"Those are Dr. Cullen's kids," Curly said. "They're weird."
Bella spent most of lunch watching the kids.
A few minutes before the bell rang, the four of them stood and threw away their trays before striding out of the cafeteria.
"Hey, Bella what's your next class?" Curly asked.
It turned out one of Curly's friends, had the same next class as Bella.
She introduced herself as Angela. The girl was at least six feet tall. She had deep black hair and intense dark eyes. Despite her impending presence, she seemed quite relaxed and friendly. She didn't force a conversation with Bella as the two of them walked together to Biology 2.
"Are you sure you're, okay?" Angela asked. "Do you need to see the nurse?"
The two of them were standing by the classroom door. Bella had paused to hold her head.
"Yeah," Bella said. "Just got a headache."
"Hold on," Angela stepped away from the door, slipping her backpack off her shoulder. She fished a pill bottle out of a pocket and offered it to Bella.
"Is that a drug?" Bella asked.
"It's a pain pill," Angela said.
"Oh, right."
Bella took the pill and washed it down with a nearby water fountain.
"Do you know the Cullens?" Angela asked. There was a sharpness on her tongue that caught Bella's attention.
"Nope," Bella said. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
The two of them stepped into the classroom. Angela sat at one of the black-topped lab tables.
Most of the students had already arrived. Everyone was seated with a partner.
Everyone but him.
Bella spotted the boy sitting at a table by the window. The boy with the bronze hair.
"Isabella Swan, I presume?" The teacher spoke up. "Everyone this is our other new student."
"I don't have my slip," Bella said, crossing the classroom. She chucked her bag onto the boy's desk.
The boy flinched, eyes wide. He had deep dark eyes as Angela did. But his eyes were fearful and unfocused. They looked completely different from how they looked in the lunchroom.
"What's your deal?" Bella asked, standing in front of the desk. She glared down at the boy, ignoring the teacher's ramble.
"Who are you?" The boy asked.
