I. Abigail Davis

Abby haphazardly got out of her Honda Accord, ignoring the lingering gazes of the teens within Forks, Washington who obviously knew what happened over the summer. The event gave this small town something to talk about; it was always boring otherwise. But why'd it have to be me, she thought to herself. It seemed like out of everything that occurred this summer, the death of the two people she loved the most seemed to be the talk of the town.

And it made her feel like letting the earth swallow her whole.

She walked down the familiar halls of her dreadfully monochrome school, trying to power walk her way to her locker. Abby let out a breath of relief when she reached the awful yellow steel mechanism that she's had for the past two years without someone stopping her and offering her an over exaggerated pity hug. She tried to block out the murmurs that were already drowning her ears because, of course, it just had to be her.

"Abby," a familiar voice called, causing the girl to jump. "Sorry, sorry," She looked to her side towards Jessica Stanley, who stood a few inches away from Abby. "You just haven't returned any of my calls in the past few weeks. You haven't really spoken to me at all, or Angela."

"Sorry," Abby apologized, in a cold tone. "I've been busy mourning the death of my parents."

Jessica flinched, "Abby, c'mon, I'm trying to be the best friend you've had since forever."

Abby sighed, suddenly feeling as though she really did need her closest friend and actually apologized, "I'm sorry, I am. I just – I wanna' be alone right now. I don't I can be with anyone. Not Ang, not Mike, not -"

" -me." Jessica finished, running a hand through her wavy mess of brunette hair.

"Please, give me some time," Abby bit her bottom lip, in hopes her best friend would understand.

"Okay," Jessica said, with a small smile, "whatever you need. But just don't think I'm not gonna' snoop around in your business."

Abby almost laughed, almost, instead she just settled for a small smirk, "I wouldn't dream of it, Jess."

"I'll see you in Calc," Jessica waved goodbye, as she walked down the hall to meet Mike, who the girl was obsessed with, and was also one of Abby's friends. Mike waved at her too and Abby couldn't help but wave back. She wasn't going to lie to herself and say she didn't miss her friends, because she did. But letting people back in? She couldn't think of anything harder.

Abby closed up her locker and decided that throughout the rest of her remaining high school years, all she would do is survive.

Sighing she thought to herself, go to English or skip high school in general? She wanted art to come but of course, with her luck, it was last period, which meant she had to go through seven meaningless periods first. So, she decided, to sludge her way throughout the day in hopes of it going faster.

The minute she walked into her English room on the third floor to the second door on the right, the air went still. Everyone paused to look at her – even Mr. Reyes. She wanted to perform the cliché: shrink under everyone's gazes. But she couldn't, she knew she'd have to survive through the day, and the next day, and the next -

"Now if everyone would stop staring at Ms. Davis, that would be awfully kind." Thanks Mr. Reyes, Abby thought, sending him a grateful smile. He nodded and motioned for the brunette to take a seat. She did, without glancing at the person who she sat next to.


I couldn't read her mind, Edward thought, frantically trying to break the barriers that seemed to possess her thoughts. But what stunned him further was that she didn't smell...like dinner, Edward wasn't craving her blood, but was simply lusting her – just her mere presence. His arms around her tiny frame, the honeysuckle scent of her with a subtle whiff of vanilla fulfilling his nose, her sweet pouty lips pressed to – holy shit, am I okay? Edward, needless to say, panicked.

Was this love at first sight? From the corner of his eye, he took a quick glance at the lovely wavy-haired brunette and couldn't fathom the urge he had to protect her from all things bad. He didn't know if it was love at first sight; he had a literal lifeless body with no beating heart. But he swears, he heard his heart beat – of course, it actually didn't but for his sanity, he believes it did.

Why was everyone shooting looks at her? He wondered, deciding to ponder through everyone's thoughts and conversations.

'Why is she even in school? I would dropout if my parents died.'

'I wonder if her brothers still hot.' Well.

'She somehow got hotter after the death of her parents.' Okay, no thoughts from boys.

But he understood now. Edward understood the newspaper articles that were swimming through his classmates' minds, how a young girl lost her parents in a car accident. Her brother had to return from a different city to take care of her as her legal guardian taking a job at the local police department as a deputy. The poor brunette next to him had a troubling life, it seemed.

"I'm Edward," he suddenly found himself saying. What on earth was he doing?! He scolded himself, the point is to avoid human interaction, not embrace it – though he wouldn't mind embracing her. Oh, dear God.

Abby looked up from her blank notebook when she heard a smooth voice, almost like wind chimes. Was he even human? Abby thought, as she took in every detail of the man sitting next to her. He was pale, but not sickly pale, healthily pale – almost translucent but not; she couldn't make sense of how pale yet healthy he appeared. Abby's eyes traced the features of his strong hard jaw, his golden dazzling eyes, the curve of his full lips, the straight line of his nose, and the disheveled, untidy bronze hair that sat atop of his head.

Abby could only think of one word: wow. His beauty honestly compared to nothing, absolutely nothing. She let out a shaky breath, before firmly replying, "I'm Abby, Abigail Davis." He shot her a crooked smile, flashing her his stunningly white teeth, and she swore that made him much more attractive as if that was even possible.

"Are you new here?" Abby asked, with new-found intrigue. Nice job laying low, Abby internally sighed, one good looking guy ruins all. No, she wasn't going to let anything ruin her, nothing – not even this new guy.

"Yes," he replied, his smile still intact, "my family, who are quite a nuisance, and I just traveled down from Alaska."

Abby grumbled in her mind, he speaks like he's from the 19th century and who the hell lives in Alaska? But why was she attracted to him? Well, one couldn't blame her. Anyone would be attracted to this man.

"Forks is a long way from Alaska." Abby commented. Why was she making conversation? Was she crazy? "Why a small town in Washington?"

"We all needed a change in scenery and schools."

"We?" She couldn't help it, it was like word vomit next to this man. She wanted to know all about him.

"My brothers and sisters, you'll see them around." He used his flawless hand to motion to the air as if indicating his siblings were about.

"So, why gloomy ole' Forks, Washington? We don't get much sun here." Abby wondered. She was going to suffocate herself if she didn't stop talking to him.

"We don't like the sun very much." Ten minutes into the conversation and I'm already spitting out hints about being a vampire, nice job, Edward scolded himself.

Abby huffed, the sun did suck, "Yeah, I don't either." She had to stop this. Now. She couldn't risk getting closer to him. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to focus on my lovely written syllabus." And, just like that, she ducked her head away from him and buried her face into the slim sheet of paper, her eyes tracing each word as if they all had a piece of her within them.

Well, he thought, that was an abrupt stop. But he knew she'd listen to him, talk to him. He just had to try to break into her tough barrier.