Chapter 5
On the third floor Edward showed Bella the room that would be hers. The walls were painted a light blue and a large bookshelf filled one wall. Opposite the bookshelf was a queen bed. Like most of the rooms in the house, this one contained a floor to ceiling window looking out into the pines. The floor was littered with a few file boxes which were accumulating dust.
"We'll take the boxes out," said Edward, "Carlisle was using this room for storage. And we can remove the bed since you won't need it."
"No," Bella sat down on the bed and ran her hands over the comforter, "I'll keep it if that's okay."
"Of course." Edward replied. He scrutinized her. "You look disappointed. Is there something you'd like to be changed? There's no obstacle."
"Oh—no, the room is perfect," Bella assured him, "I was just thinking about my room at home, in Phoenix."
"Is that where your human life was?" Edward asked softly. Bella nodded. A lump was forming in her throat, though no tears came. They hadn't since her transformation.
Edward sat on the edge of the bed opposite her, on the corner, as though he was afraid to get too close. Even from that distance, Bella could smell his fresh, clean scent. He looked at her from the corner of his eye, resting his forearms on his knees.
"It takes a while," he said, "but it will fade. The connections to your human life will diminish one by one. After some time it won't hurt so much anymore."
I miss my mom! Bella wanted to scream. She wanted nothing more than to feel her mother's arms around her, and to cook spaghetti with her on the weeknights while they watched America's Funniest Home Videos on TV. Again, she thought about how her life had turned upside down in a flash.
"I've never met anyone like you." Edward said after a few moments, "I mean, whose thoughts I can't hear."
"Does it bother you?" she asked bluntly.
There was a tiny pause before he shook his head. "No. It's just…intriguing." There was the tiny smile again. "You're a mystery, Bella Swan."
Something about the way he said her name sent a tiny tingle down her spine, tearing her mind away from thoughts of home.
Downstairs, Bella heard the front door open and shut. Two voices that she didn't recognize floated up from the floors below.
"Rosalie and Emmett," Edward explained, rising from the bed. "Come on, they'll want to meet you.
Surmising that Rosalie and Emmett must also be members of the Cullen family, Bella followed Edward down the staircase to the first floor. In the living room along with Carlisle and Esme stood a pair that looked like models. All four broke off their conversation when Bella and Edward entered the room. They must have been talking about her.
The man was tall and muscular, with a square jaw and a friendly face. He was dressed in a white T-shirt with jeans and a baseball cap. This must be Emmett.
But it was Rosalie who commanded all the attention in the room. She was nothing short of breathtaking. Gentle blonde curls framed her perfect heart-shaped face. Her lips were full and red, her nose was strong yet feminine, her brows were perfectly arched. Her figure was tall, expertly sculpted, and classically beautiful. In her presence, Bella felt like a stick figure next to a marble statue.
Rosalie's sharp eyes pierced Bella immediately.
"Bella Swan, I presume?"
"Um, yes. Rosalie?"
Bella shook Rosalie's icy hand.
"So you're the shield." said Rosalie, lips slightly pursed.
Bella gestured to herself with an awkward smile. "Yeah, here I am."
"Pleasure. I suppose you'll be going to the community college, too then?"
"Uh…?" Bella looked around, unsure. She hadn't heard anything about college.
Carlisle smiled gently. "I work as a physician in the community, but most of the others choose to attend the local community college. Have you taken any collegiate coursework, Bella?"
"No…" she admitted, "I was supposed to start college in Phoenix before…um…"
"It's not too late to enroll at Forks. The semester's only just started," Esme said quickly, "You ought to have a formal education."
"You'll be surrounded by humans of course," Rosalie added, with an almost imperceptible sneer, "Can you handle that?"
Bella met Rosalie's gaze. "I'm certain I can," she answered. She hoped Rosalie couldn't sense her nervousness.
"I'll keep an eye out," Edward spoke up, "I'll change my schedule to match hers."
Bella felt a flash of irritation. First Laurent, now Edward. True, the bloodlust was difficult to resist, but did she really have to be monitored with every move?
"Just at first," Edward turned to Bella apologetically, sensing her frustration.
Bella bit her tongue and nodded. She didn't want to seem ungracious. She had been here less than an hour and the Cullens had already been very generous to her.
"That's settled." Esme said brightly, "We'll get you registered for classes tomorrow."
Bella spent the night perusing some of the books in her room. Many of them were quite old, from the 18th and 19th centuries. A few of them were in foreign languages. It made her wonder about the vampires she had met – the Cullens – where had they all come from?
When morning came she descended the staircase. It was strange not to have a morning routine. Her hair was perfect. She had no need to shower, or eat breakfast. She didn't even have to sniff-test her clothes for sweat anymore.
"Put these on." Alice handed Bella a pair of brown contacts. "And wear some blush. You have to look human." As she spoke, she dusted a round brush onto each of Bella's cheeks. When she was done she looked Bella straight in the eyes.
"Are you sure you're not thirsty at all?" she asked, "If it's even the slightest bit we can take you hunting beforehand."
Bella shook her head. She was still full from her last meal. "No, thank you."
Alice nodded. "If it gets too intense just think about something gross. Personally, I think about the time Emmett lost a bet with Jasper and had to live off worm blood for a month instead of hunting!" she giggled. Bella smiled.
"So you do smile after all!" Alice exclaimed, "I knew I could crack you."
Rosalie appeared, Emmett's hulking figure behind her.
"You get used to the taste after a few days," Emmett grinned, winking at Bella.
Alice took Bella by the shoulders and turned her to face Rosalie. "Well, does she look alive?"
Rosalie patted Bella's cheek. "Stunning," she remarked, before sailing through the living room and out the door. Bella couldn't help but feel that the comment was a tiny bit insincere.
"Ready for your first day?" another voice asked. It was Edward, lingering at the bottom of the stairs. Her chaperone. Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Hurry or you'll be late," chirped Alice.
"You're not coming?" Bella asked.
Alice shrugged. "My classes don't start till 10:30."
Bella followed Edward outside, where a hatchback sat in the driveway. Emmett and Rosalie were already backing out in a second car. Given the lavishness of the house, Bella hadn't expected the Cullens would drive Volvos. She tried to hide her surprise, but Edward must have seen it on her face, because he chuckled softly.
"We try not to draw attention to ourselves in town. Come on, get in."
Edward drove them into the town of Forks. It was small, but seemed friendly. A forest-green sign read "THE CITY OF FORKS WELCOMES YOU" in white letters. They passed a drugstore, a diner, a florist, and two gas stations. Bella could see people walking on sidewalks and filling their cars with gas. She could smell their blood. The scent was alluring, but from inside the car it was resistible.
The community college was at the edge of the town, a few brick buildings interspersed with tall pines. Edward pulled into the parking lot.
The smell hit Bella like a wave. Students milled about everywhere she looked. A group of four were gathered by a Honda in the space next to them, mere feet from her. They stood laughing and inhaling from their vapes, completely oblivious to the danger nearby. Bella gripped the door handle with an iron fist, fighting not to throw open the door and devour them. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Steady," Edward's voice said gently. Bella felt him reach over her and a cool hand touched her wrist. After a moment, she allowed him to pry her hand off the door handle. Looking down, she realized she had squeezed the metal so tightly that it was now deformed.
A flash of embarrassment momentarily stifled her thirst. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry."
"It's alright," said Edward, "just listen to my voice. Take some breaths, it helps. You need to practice breathing anyway. For the humans."
Bella did as he said and took some long, shaky breaths.
"Focus on what's inside the car. What can you smell?" Edward continued.
Bella tried to ignore the overpowering smell of human blood. After a moment she could identify some other scents.
"Leather seats," she said, "rubber tires, some pine needles on the floor,…um… you." She chuckled awkwardly and immediately felt stupid.
"Good," Edward said, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Keep doing that. We can step out whenever you're ready."
Bella took another long, deep breath. She thought about Emmett eating worms.
"Okay. Let's do this."