Chapter 2

Moving in, I discovered, was a lot easier than actually living somewhere. Charlie had had the sense to remove all my old toys and things that wouldn't be needed now that I was 16. All that was left was clean sheets on an old bed, an empty dresser, mirror, and the clouds painted on sky-blue walls. I loved it then and I still love it now.

I filled the drawers and the cabinet in the bathroom. Finally, I took out my copies of the photos of my friends and taped them up on the mirror. I looked around. A half-an-hour gone and I was already finished. Out my window down on the driveway my new truck rusted.

Charlie had been embarrassed by it. One of his friend's kids was good with cars and had been working on making the old thing drivable. It was rust covered and had 410,000 miles on it. And that was just what I could see on the outside. Never having been good with cars, I could only imagine what was wrong under the hood. Charlie had felt the same, but seeing as how it was his best friend, it was practically free, and that I did need something to get me to school, he agreed.

"But don't think this is it," he had explained to me. "As soon as it breaks down and we can get rid of it without looking ungrateful we'll buy you something reliable."

And so I was left with an old truck without air conditioning, crank-up windows, and seats that smelled like wet-dog. I was ready to crash it just for a new one.

And now I reach the only part of my life that I wish Stephanie Meyer had been right in writing: my first day of school.

If only everyone had automatically fallen in love with me. How awesome would that have been? But no, I live in the real world where, sadly, when you go to a new school, in a small town, a month into the second semester people do not treat you like a god.

In fact, on my way from the parking lot to the main office I was stared at as if I was the vampire in this story. Turning heads with each step, I managed to arrive in the office with most of the dignity I had started with. Sure it was awkward being new, but it was almost invigorating to know that of all the people at this school I was different in a way that made people stare at me.

"Isabella?" I stopped a cringe at my full name. People at home tended to call me Bells or (in Jack's case) Iz. But for some reason I really didn't want the people here to call me either. As if the slightest similarity between Forks and Phoenix was enough to say that that part of me was gone.

"It's Bella," I said remembering the nickname strangers usually associated with me.

She gave me the typical "do I look like I care" look all secretaries are born knowing. "Here's your schedule and you need to get this sheet signed by all of your teachers."

I took them from where she had placed them on the counter and frowned. "Umm, I actually am supposed to be in French. And Art, any type really."

Her eyes said "Oh, are you still here?" "Honey, you're from Phoenix right?" But she didn't wait for my answer. "Forks is not like Phoenix. We barely have enough students in your class to vary the schedules, much less offer classes that do not follow the basic schedule."

I still stared at her but she turned away, dismissing me. I rolled my eyes and turned away, memorizing my first room number before leaving the office.

I immediately bolted for the back of the classroom. No way was I going to be the new student who was also eager to learn.

"Umm, hey,"

I turned to my right and looked through the long fringe of hair into the Asian guy's eyes.

"Hey," I said.

"You're new, aren't you?"

I smiled, trying to look casual. "It's obvious, isn't it?"

He laughed, short high pitched gasps. "Yeah, a little bit. Umm, so, I'm editor of the school newspaper and we're always looking for stories. A new student is kind of a great story."

"Hmmm," I pretended like I was thinking about it even though this was the club I had been hoping to join. "How about I join the paper and write my own story? I'm a pretty good writer and I love photography."

He smiled. "Photography? Really?" But then he seemed to realize that he sounded too eager. He leaned back in his seat. "Umm, well, I'd have to see some of your work first, you know, to make sure you're up to our standards."

I held back my smile. "Of course. I'll bring it in tomorrow, ok?"

He nodded slowly, like he was thinking about it. "Sounds good. If they're decent I'll let you write that story too."

"Deal,"

The teacher walked in and I leaned back in my seat, waiting for class to be over.

The guy came back up to me at the end of class as I waited for the teacher to sign my sheet.

"So where are you going next?" I showed him my schedule. "Do you want me to show you where that is?"

I thought about it. I could probably figure it out on my own, but he seemed a little eager, desperate even. "Yeah, ok."

I followed him down the hall.

"By the way, I'm Eric if you were wondering."

"Bella."

Eric showed me my next class and I managed to make it through my next couple of classes without a struggle. I didn't blend in, but people still ignored me as if I was just another wall.

A girl I met in one of my classes, Jessica, invited me to eat lunch with her. She seemed like kind of a snob but sitting with her would be better than sitting by myself. Trust me when I say Stephanie Meyer wrote her as perfectly as if she knew her.

In a school as small as this one, the cafeteria layout was shocking. There was the nerd table, the bitch table, and the jock table. But the people who usually would have filled the sorta nerd table, aspiring bitch table, and unathletic boy table were all sitting at my table together. There were too few of them to create their own tables. I named my table the outcast tabled. Figures the new student would sit there.

I bought the cardboard pizza and a Pepsi and sat down with everyone. Jessica was talking with the girl next to her about a new shirt she just bought and Eric, the only other person at the table that I knew, was sketching some pretty intense anime in a notebook.

I looked around the cafeteria, trying to find a distraction from the lack of conversation directed at me. A face stuck out at me.

Well, more the table than the face. It was the only other table that I saw which had a mix of different kinds of people at it.

One boy was obviously a football player. His muscle size was crazy in the way that screamed he spent way too much time admiring and improving his looks than doing anything else. The girl next to him, hanging on his arm, had the kind of flip-able blond hair and heavily made-up eyes to make me believe she was a cheerleader. The boy next to her had mad scientist blond hair and a look that screamed "uncomfortable surrounded by things other than technology". He kept rubbing a hand across his mouth as if he had food smeared there. The girl next to him screamed "theatre" with her too-dark-to-be-real black hair and faraway expression. But the face that had caught my eye was of the guy sitting next to her. A natural red-head his ginger hair was a mess of short curls. His face was freckled and pale, but defined in a way that made his boy-ish hair seem manly and grown-up. He was glaring at me. Hatred already forming.

What the hell?

"What's up with ginger?" I asked anyone who would answer at my table. I earned a glare from Jessica.

"Jesus, Bella. Way to make friends." She sighed, seeing the question in my eyes. "He's one of the Cullens, that whole group sitting over at that table? All adopted, all taken."

"More like taken to insest." Eric mumbled. Ewww.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, I mean it's ok because they're not really related." Jessica cut in. "But they live together and they're couples. Rose and Emmett and Jasper and Alice."

WTF? Immediately the words "Small Town" popped into my head. Was that what happened around here? Was everyone ok with this?

Looking at Jessica, it seemed that they were more than respected, almost worshipped.

I looked at Eric.

"It's because of Dr. Cullen." He explained quietly. "He's one of the best doctors out there and he chose to work in our hospital over many better offers. I mean who would come here on purpose?"

So they were all living in their father's shadow? Reaping the benefits from a desperate town. Nice.

I looked back over at Ginger but he was hunched over now, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. Whatever.

Lunch moved slowly with the conversations mostly surrounding me rather than including me. I didn't care, my mind was on my friends back at my old school.

One day, the week before Christmas break, Kim, Ally, Lucas, and me were sitting at our old lunch table. Sky, Rob, Juliet, Jack, and Alex, were in different lunch periods. Lucas had bought a juice box that day. You know the kind- made for 5-year-olds not high schoolers with the bendy straw and a picture of some PBS kids' character on the side. He had finished the Dixie cup sized amount of juice inside of it and was amusing himself by blowing up the carton and then spraying us with the trapped air.

"Lucas, I swear to god if you do that one more time I will smack you!" Kim shouted.

Ally shot me a look and grabbed the carton out of his hand, filling it herself. But when she went to hit Kim with the air some leftover juice came with it.

I laughed so hard my lemonade came out my nose and then I was shouting over the pain as loud as Kim was over her sticky pants.

And Lucas, Lucas took out his phone and took a picture of us.

I wanted to go back. I'd take lemonade in the nose for it any day.

I stepped into Biology, a class that spurred a deep hatred from me. And here in Forks it seemed this class would stay the bane of my existence because sitting at the only lab table with an empty seat was Ginger.

Fan-freakin'-tastic.

I had images of me "accidentally" lighting him on fire with the Bunsen burner as I walked to me seat. I know people always say violence is never the answer, but I can guarantee you that imaginary violence can do wonders for your mood.

I leaned my book bag against my stool and then looked over at him. He was leaned over again, rubbing at his temples as if a large animal was threatening to burst out.

He was better than my last lab partner. Juliet named him "ice man" after an incident with me and the fans in the lab.

We had just been working, separately because he creeped me out, when I turned towards the fan at the end of our table. It was always hot in the science labs and that day was the hottest I had ever seen it. When I turned back he suddenly came closer to me and held his hands close to my face. I froze.

"Wow, you're like ice. I can feel the cold on your skin." He'd said, and then turned back to his work.

I looked at Ginger, hopefully he wouldn't ever do that to me.

He looked up at me, catching my eye with his intense glare. I stared back at him, feeling my "you got a problem?" face taking shape.

He didn't look away. "What?" I snapped.

I swore for a second he was going to answer, but then he turned back to rubbing at his head and staring at the table.

Biology, what a joy it always was.

When I finally got home, I just wanted to call my friends. Charlie had warned me that he usually worked through dinner time so I was going to be alone until late.

Let me tell you something I'm sure you all know: long distance relationships (whether you're just friends or something more) suck.

Kim was at guitar lessons, Sky was at yoga, Ally was working, and everyone else didn't text me back. Jack, for obvious reasons, I didn't try.

I sighed. They were probably all hanging out together and if I was home, I would be too.

I shuffled through my drawers upstairs and pulled out my camera. At least the woods were my backyard so I could get some good pictures before dark.

I pulled on my boots and a heavy coat that Ally called "Mr. Blimp" when I bought it a week ago and stomped out into the ice covered leaves.

It's amazing what new scenery can do when I feel uninspired. Automatically my eye was glued to the lens. I snapped picture after picture of the icy wonderland around me.

Snow blown sideways on a tree, ice coated branches that looked like spun glass, animal tracks leading deeper into the dagger filled winter, everything was new and intense.

And then I stopped.

I had been walking deeper and deeper for hours, relying on the steady stream of boot prints behind me to guide me back home. But then I came across the deer.

She was laying down in the snow on her side, facing away from me with her legs spread out in front of her. It looked as unnatural as the fact that she hadn't heard me stomping around and bolted away.

Despite my mind telling me to leave it be and go home, I crept closer. She was dead, that was clear in the way her eyes lay open and unseeing. Some morbid part of me searched for the cause of her death but she seemed perfectly fine. There was no sign of a struggle or-

My eyes stopped on her neck. Dried blood caked the dark pelt, blending in.

I backed off, glancing around me. It was time to go home.

The boot prints led me back and I found dinner waiting for me in the fridge. That's right, I forgot about the deer in exchange for food. At the time it seemed like a common animal attack to my city eyes, why would I have focused on something so ugly?

I went to bed before Charlie got home after checking my phone and finding no new messages. My first full day in Forks was officially over.