When I woke up the next morning I could tell it would be an odd mixture of a good day and a bad. Good because I actually got sleep the night before. There was no rain all night long, something that continued for the morning as well. Better because I knew what to expect from school today. Class with Mike and Jessica and lunch with a large group of people, something that will still take some getting used to. It may have been one day but already it seems like the people of Forks follow a pattern. Not only that but I can finally remember the names of most of my classmates. It was bad because of the dread.
Throughout the whole day I was dreading biology. More specifically I was dreading the glare of Edward Cullen. Just the idea of sitting next to him again cast a looming cloud over my head. By the time we got to lunch I had come up with a plan: if Edward looked angry during lunch I would skip class, if not then I would go to biology. With this in mind I bought my lunch and we all sat down at our table, Jessica on one side sitting closer than what would be deemed normal. Judging by Mike's jealous glace between us he noticed as well. Half way through lunch I glanced over at the Cullen table, only to be met with four body filled seats. Edward wasn't there.
For the rest of lunch I watched the Cullen table but Edward never showed. When the bell rang I went to biology with more confidence that I thought I would have today. Mike, the ever faithful follower, walked with me to class and stood by my desk, chatting on about a beach trip he was planning. He finally went to his own table when Mr. Banner walked through the door. Even then Edward never showed his face.
When the school day came to an end I headed to my truck with the intent of going grocery shopping. I found out last night that although Charlie can cook, his meals are essentially the same every week. After a brief chat Charlie finally relented and said he would let me bring new types of food into his life. So with my shopping list in hand I started my truck, ignoring the turning heads, and made my way to the line of cars exiting out of the lot.
As I sat in line waiting I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head I watch the four Cullen kids get into the silver Volvo. I hadn't noticed before but the four, presumably five, all dress in high end clothes. Go figure, they have looks and money. Rolling my eyes I turn back to the line in front of me. It's not really fair that they get both of those assets. That's life for you, never fair and never easy.
Just like everything else in this town, the grocery store was easy to find. Stepping inside was like stepping back into normality. Back in Phoenix I did most of the grocery shopping, if not then Renee would come back with everything but what we actually needed. Putting in my earbuds I quickly fell back into my normal shopping pattern.
I was almost done shopping when I ran into her, quite literally. I was so engrossed in my music I didn't hear anyone come up behind me. Imagine my surprise when I quickly turn around from grabbing a can off of a shelf and see someone's back facing me. By the time I comprehend what's about to happen it's too late to stop it and I rudely run into a woman's back, which somehow feels like running into a wall. Immediately I pull my earbuds out and step back, apologies falling from my mouth.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't see yo- '' I cut myself off as the woman turns around and I see her face. It holds a beauty only seen at a certain table from school. That can only mean one thing:
She's a Cullen.
Shit.
"It's ok," she says with a laugh that sounds like bells, "no harm done."
"Are you sure? I ran into you pretty hard."
"No I'm ok, really."
I breathe out a sigh of relief. I would never be able to show my face at school again if I somehow hurt a member of the Cullen family.
"Ok good, I'm glad," I say with a nervous chuckle. I quickly stick my hand out and introduce myself. "I'm Elliot Brooks." A look flashes on her face so fast I don't have time to identify it before a smile takes its place.
"Esme Cullen." she says, taking my hand.
It's as cold as ice. Before I can comment on it Esme continues on, "You're Charlie Swan's son aren't you?"
"Ya," I say, nodding my head as I make my way around Esme and put the can into my cart. I turn around to face her again once I'm done.
"Well I'm sure you've heard plenty of people say this but, welcome to Forks. We're glad you're here." A smile graces her face before she continues on. "And I would love to stay and chat but I should really get back to shopping, I've got four hungry kids to feed."
We both say our goodbyes and as I'm walking towards the registers to pay I can't help but feel a nagging thought that something about what she said didn't make much sense. It finally hits me as I'm loading the groceries into the passenger side of my truck. She said she had four kids to feed but everyone knows there are five Cullen kids. So not only did Edward skip school but it seems like he's skipped town as well. If my theory is right then Edward won't be in biology for the rest of the week, if not longer. While that's a hell of a way to start school for him, it's good for me as I won't have to deal with his anger issues.
When I got home I put away the groceries, setting aside steak, potatoes, and carrots for dinner. I decided I would surprise Charlie and have dinner ready when he got home, this way he can just relax from the day. Once that is all situated I take all of my school stuff to my room and unpack it onto my desk. Opening my laptop I start working on some homework. I get about half done before I can't take the nagging feeling anymore and I go to my email account.
Zero new messages.
The breath I didn't know I was holding until then leaves me in a sigh of disappointment. Of course Renee wouldn't email me, she didn't even text me to see if I got to Forks safely. Even still I couldn't help but hope that maybe...maybe she still cared enough. Frustrated I close my laptop and head to my bed, pulling out my phone at the same time. Putting in earbuds, I decide to watch some YouTube to pass the time.
Before long I hear the front door open and close, alerting me to Charlie's arrival home. Pausing the video I was currently on, I head downstairs to see Charlie taking his shoes off and putting his gun up. I greet him before heading into the kitchen to finish setting up for dinner, Charlie following behind me.
"Hey kiddo," Charlie says glancing at the tray I'm pulling from the oven. "Did you make dinner because it smells great."
"Ya," I say putting the tray back in as the food isn't quite done yet. "I figured I'd give you a break for once and make dinner."
"You don't have to do that kiddo, I can fend for myself. I appreciate it though."
"I know, I just thought I'd help out."
After an awkward moment Charlie grabs a drink and heads to the living room, probably to watch whatever game is on. I open a can of carrots and put them on the stove to cook before sitting down to finish my video. I call Charlie back into the kitchen before long so that he can set the table. After making our plates, Charlie and I sit down at the table and eat in silence for a while. As Charlie is getting more carrots he breaks said silence.
"How is school so far? I know it's only the second day but have you made friends yet?"
"School is fine and I made friends with a couple of people there." A partial truth.
"Good I'm glad."
As we ease back into the silence I ponder a question I want to ask Charlie but I'm not sure if I should. Curiosity and a need for answers gets the better of me before long.
"Hey dad," I hesitate before continuing, "do you know the Cullen family?"
"Cullen? Sure Dr. Cullen works at the hospital, he's a great doctor there. Why?"
"Nothing, it's just...I saw their kids at school yesterday. They don't seem to...get along with the other students very well."
To my shock Charlie gets a bit red in the face with anger.
"People in this town love to talk sometimes I swear," he growls out, "Dr. Cullen and his family are fantastic and a great addition to this town. He could have picked a job at any big hospital in this country, people should be happy that they settled here. And I've never even had a problem with his kids like I have with some of the other teenagers around here, although I did have my suspicions at first, having 5 teenagers and all. They're some of the most respectful people I've ever met. Just because of some stupid rumor that got started about one of the boys, people feel the need to talk. Folks in the town need to learn to keep to themselves sometimes."
So Charlie knows about the rumor too. Seeing as he has never been a fan of talking behind someone's back, it doesn't surprise me that it makes him angry. I do wonder if he believes it though, and if so how he really feels about the subject.
I say my next sentence with care, not wanting to cause an unintended argument between us this early into my move. "They seem mostly nice to me, I just saw that they tend to stick together is all."
"They're all pretty close, going on camping trips whenever the weather is nice. It's good to see such a caring family around here, especially from newcomers."
The conversation ends there, and although I didn't get all of the answers I wanted, what I did get will have to do for now. We both finish dinner and Charlie helps clean up the mess. Once we finish Charlie heads back to watch the game playing on the TV and I head back upstairs to finish my homework. Once I complete it all I go to the bathroom so that I can take a shower before heading to bed, telling Charlie goodnight as I go. Crawling under the covers, I feel the exhaustion of the past few days finally catch up to me and I fall asleep to a soundless night.
The rest of the week passed without event and before I knew it Friday had arrived. My theory about Edward was proven correct as he didn't show at all through the week. It made biology a lot better, not having to face his glare the entire time. I had also finally stopped being the shiny new toy of Forks and started to just be another student. I even got invited to the beach trip Mike had been planning. I said yes of course. It may not be like a beach I was used to but it was a beach nonetheless, and no one turns down a beach trip.
The weekend I devoted to myself as Charlie was out most of the time. Probably not used to someone being at the house after so many years alone. I got my homework done early and cleaned my room up a bit, although it wasn't really a mess. I attempted to get some new reading material but the bookstores in forks were...lacking to say the least. Instead I resolved to make a trip to one of the city's near Forks to get new books, although I'm not 100% sure my truck can make it. The rest of my weekend was spent relaxing. Everything seemed to be going great it seemed. That was until Monday rolled around.
Monday started off doomed the moment I woke up. It was cold when I woke up and, if it wasn't August, I would have thought it might snow. I woke up later than I planned to and had to rush to get to school in time. Luckily I got there with some time to spare and was able to quickly greet my friends before rushing to class. We had a pop quiz in one of my classes that I'm pretty sure I failed. Who gives a pop quiz this early? I thought maybe my day was going to get better when I walked towards the cafeteria building and it wasn't raining. That hope was shattered when, as I was getting my lunch, I glanced at the Cullen table.
There were five people.
Uh-oh.
Instantly my stomach did flip when I realized I would be stuck with Edward today. Just that thought alone made me not want to eat out of fear of not being able to keep it down. Instead I grabbed a drink and headed to my table. Jessica noticed my lack of food as soon as I sat down.
"Where's your lunch?"
"I'm not that hungry," I say with a forced smile.
She narrows her eyes and I expect her to call out my lie. Instead she just hums and goes back to talking with the table. I sip my drink through lunch, anxiety eating at me. The suspense becomes too much for me and I risk a glance at the Cullen table. I examine them all as they sit there, Edward the most. They all still looked relatively the same but there was something about Edward that seemed different, something I couldn't place.
"Elliot what are you staring at," someone asks. I don't immediately look over to see who because at that exact moment Edwards eyes meet mine. Instantly I drop my eyes and look to where the voice had come from. It was Jessica, of course.
"Why is Edward Cullen staring at you," she asks.
"I don't know," I say with a mumble, angling my head down towards the lunch table, "does he look angry?"
I see her move in my peripheral vision.
"No. Why, should he be?"
"I don't think he likes me very much."
I can hear disdain in her voice at her next sentence, "you're probably better off with him not liking you, all things considered. I wouldn't want him to like me if I was in your shoes, being stuck with him in biology."
How does she know he's my bio partner?
"How do you know he's my biology partner?"
"Mike."
Oh, go figure.
"He's still staring at you."
"Stop looking," I hiss out, raising a hand to make a little flap motion.
Mike interrupts us then, going on about something I couldn't bother to pay attention to. For the rest of lunch I sat there, deciding if I wanted to skip the rest of the school day. I decided against it at the last moment, only because I had told myself I wouldn't let Edward Cullen's temper get the better of me. I would be lying if I said going to class didn't set me off though. So when the bell rang for the end of lunch I took my time heading to Biology class but somehow still ended up beating Cullen to class.
Taking my seat I can't help but feel glad that I got here before he did, more time to mentally prepare for what is almost guaranteed a hell of a class. While the last stragglers trickled in Mr. Banner started handing out microscopes, a box of slides, and a worksheet. Once he puts the materials down at my table I glance at the paper, reading what the lesson for the day is. It's a demonstration on how labs are done in the class followed by a mini cell reproduction activity. Basically a refresher from the end of last year, a gauge of what we remember from labs. The chair next to me scrapes against the floor loudly, alerting me to the arrival of my biology partner.
"Hello," a musical voice says very quietly.
I look over to my partner, shocked that he's actually speaking to me. I quickly take in his posture before I answer him. Just like last time he's sitting as far away from me as possible, although now his char is angled towards mine. Not only that but there's no hint of any prior anger in his face. Just a polite smile and cautious eyes.
"I-Uh, hi." I immediately curse myself on how stupid that must have sounded.
He continues on with no hint that he noticed my blunder. "My name is Edward Cullen, I didn't get to introduce myself last week."
My eyes squint at his implication of not being able to introduce himself. It was a lie, as he had a whole class period to say hello the first time we met. I could call him out on his blatant lie but decide against it, not wanting to cause a fight.
"Elliot."
There's a moment of awkward staring, neither of us knowing what to say, before Mr. Banner calls the class to attention. He starts his lab demo and I take notes, more for keeping myself busy than for studying. Science was a strong subject of mine so this refresher will be easy, besides it's not even for points. He ends with a quick get started and off we go.
"Newbies first?" Edward asks with a crooked smile.
I can't reply for a moment, stunned by the way he smiles. It was gorgeous.
"Or I could go first, if you prefer." The smile fades.
"No, I can do it."
I can feel the blush starting to form as I reach for the mixed up slides. Grabbing a random one, I slide it under the microscope and take a look through the lens. It was simple, almost too easy to identify.
"Prophase."
I start to take the slide out of the microscope before a pale hand catches mine. Gasping I snap my hand back, cradling it to my chest. My eyes immediately darted to Edward. He was ice cold, just like his mother before, although the cold is not what really caught my attention. When our hands touched it felt like an electric spark went through us, searing itself into my core.
"I'm sorry," he says, "I just...wanted to double check the slide if you don't mind."
His hands do an odd mixture of reaching for the microscope and retreating at the same time. Silently I pass over the equipment, trying to see if he just felt the same thing I did. If so, it was very well hidden. Edward looks at the slide before coming to the same conclusion as I had, although quicker. He writes down the answer on the worksheet and changes out the slide.
"Anaphase," He says, proceeding to write that answer down as well.
"Can I?" I ask, already reaching back for the microscope.
He slides it over without protest and I take a look. Damn it, he was right.
"Slide three?"
He hands me the new slide, making an effort not to touch my hand. We continue the rest of the lab like this, sliding the microscope back and forth and Edward writing down the answers. Turns out our technique was efficient as we got done before the rest of the class did and I could see some of the other partners struggling with their mini labs.
Seeing as there was nothing else to do, I took my phone out and started listening to my music, doodling on some paper. I would have gone through my social media but I didn't want to get in trouble with Mr. Banner. I could feel someone's eyes on me and, looking up, realize it's Edward. He's staring at me with a frustrated look on his face, one that reaches his golden eyes.
Wait. Golden?
"Your eyes are weird," I blurt out. That's what seemed so different about him at lunch.
Confusion takes over his face. "Excuse me?"
"Your eyes," I say, "they were black the first day of class and now their gold. How do you have gold eyes?"
"It's a rare eye condition, they do that sometimes." His voice is defensive as he speaks.
I think I made him angry. Or self conscious. "Sorry."
Mr. Banner stops at our table then, questions us on why we aren't doing the lab anymore. As he checks the answer on our papers, I inconspicuously pull my earbud out and pause my music.
"Hmmm. So Mr. Cullen, don't you think you should have let Me. Brooks does some of the lab? It was a group lab after all."
I see Edward opening his mouth to reply but I cut him off.
"I did three of them, actually Mr. Banner, Edward just wrote them down. He does have better handwriting than me after all." I wonder if he can hear the bitterness in my voice. I hate it when people assume I can't do something.
"Oh," he says, sounding sheepish. "my apologies Mr. Brooks, I shouldn't have assumed. Well I'm glad you two remember last year's labs, it's a good thing you're partners."
He walks away then, going back to doing round around the room and helping when needed. I roll my eyes and go back to doodling on my paper, putting my earbud back in.
"You know if I didn't know any better I would have thought it was going to snow today, don't you think?" Edward asks. The question seems to come out of nowhere, giving off the feeling that he's forcing himself to talk. Maybe he's trying to make up for being rude the week prior. Fine, I'll humor him.
"Ya I thought so to, but I'm glad it won't."
"You don't like snow?"
I shrug. "I don't know, I've never seen it in person. But snow is cold and I don't like the cold."
"Then...why did you move to Forks?" I could tell he was trying to be polite with the question, but even still it made me angry. Not at him though, at someone else.
"It's a long story."
"I can keep up."
I sigh and put down my pencil. My gaze meets Edward's and I was intent on fully telling him to mind his own business, but for some reason I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to be mean to him, so instead I told him. Or at least half told him.
"My mom and I don't get along well anymore."
He raises an eyebrow. "Most teenagers and their parents don't."
"Ya, but we had this big fight a few months back and ever since things have been really rocky between us."
His eyebrows furrow more. "A fight doesn't seem like a good reason to send your child away."
"No," I say shaking my head, "she didn't send me to Forks, I sent myself. The fight we had was pretty...personal to me. We couldn't come to an understanding and things around the house got unpleasant. So I left."
"But you're still unhappy," he says sympathetically.
"Not really? Or at least not completely, it's better than before. I mean sure I miss Phoenix and I hate the weather here but I'm better off here."
"That doesn't seem very fair, trading one unhappy life for another, even if it's not all bad."
I scoff. "Has no one ever told you life isn't fair."
"Oh I think I've heard that somewhere before. But that doesn't mean it's right," he insists.
"Why do you care anyway? You barely know me."
"I don't really know," he mutters. I wait for him to elaborate but he doesn't so I turn my attention back to my doodles.
"You hide it well you know," Edward says after a moment of silence.
"Hide what?"
"How much you hate Forks."
I pause. "I do? I've always been told I was easy to read."
"Trust me," he flashes a pearly white smile, "normally I'm great at reading people. But you I can't for some reason."
Mr. Banner calls attention to the front of the room then to go over the lab answers. As I listen to him talk I glance over to Edward from the corner of my eye. As always he's sitting as far away as possible and is just as tense. As soon as the bell rings Edward is out of his seat and through the door before anyone else stands up, just like the week before. And just like then, I can't help but stare at the door in disbelief at the speed.