Note: Comment on my story! I don't mind constructive criticism or long reviews. This chapter goes out to VampyChick95, who submitted a very encouraging review. I also thank my faithful reviewers who have read this story and loyally reviewed. I appreciate you guys so much!
By the way, Bella's power is not to shield. It is not mind-reading - that will always belong solely to Edward (for me, at least). You will probably be able to figure it out in this chapter. If not, then you definitely will as the story unravels. If you don't like AU FanFics, don't read this because it is not a parallel universe. Things are a bit different, but not TOO weird.
"I just know that it will be, like, love at first sight. Sara said he's super hot, I'm popular and beautiful - the guy'd have to be an idiot not to want me. I mean, who doesn't?" Lauren boasted to her so-called friend, Nikki, smugly.
Bella rolled my eyes. Some humans can be so shallow to base their feelings solely on looks. Lauren hadn't even met the boy, yet she already claimed to love him. The word 'love' was used far too freely nowadays - hardly any of the population truly knew what that meant. No, many of them often mistook passion and lust for true love.
It saddened Bella that there were such vain people out there. And, what was worse, she knew that many of them were that way to their very core. Rosalie had a much more beautiful soul than any of them could ever hope to have. Despite her cold demeanor, Rosalie was a good person - much more kind than she seemed to be at first. The others, however, were a different story.
The air had been filled with gossip all morning, most of it centering around the new student. When you live in such a small town, the residents tend to grab at anything even remotely interesting. It was sickening to listen to - the girls like Lauren were willing to give up their boyfriends if the new guy turned out to be as handsome as their fellow classmates claimed him to be.
Bella tuned it out, a skill that had become more and more useful as the years progressed. The periods blended together in a mix of dull droning until the bell finally sounded, releasing the students into the hallway. Bella became a part of the crowd hurrying towards the cafeteria, merging into the long lunch line once the group had slightly dispersed.
It had become routine to buy food at school, although it was, of course, unnecessary to the Cullens' diet. The food was nothing but a prop to maintain their façade in front of the humans. Bella had, as of late, formed the habit to play with the meal on her tray. That way, her lunch would look at least partially eaten.
After purchasing her meal, Bella joined her family at their usual table located in the back of the room. They tried to draw as little attention as possible and, therefore, isolated themselves from the rest of the student body. That action had, in a way, almost made them even more noticeable - people would, every now and then, discreetly look over their shoulders to sneak a peek at the elusive Cullens.
Under any other circumstances, Bella would find that rather stalker-ish, but her situation was far from normal. The staring was more annoying that creepy, although that depended on who was doing the staring.
They would never do such a thing if they only knew what knowledge the family (Bella in particular) had of them. Alice was aware of their future actions, Jasper knew their every mood and emotion (he could even manipulate said feelings), and Bella knew of every little detail of their past - the things they were ashamed of, the wrongs they had committed, and their deepest, darkest secrets. If someone knew that much about her, she would try to avoid them at all costs.
Therefore, it wasn't difficult for Bella to tell what kind of person someone truly was, though she knew that she wasn't 100% accurate. But, when you know everything that someone has done in their entire lifespan, you come pretty close.
Emmett whispered something in Rosalie's ear, and she cracked a smile that radiated beauty for a mile around. Jasper held Alice's tiny hand in his own underneath the table. Once again, Bella felt out of the loop - the fifth wheel. And, what's more, it hurt even worse to know that it wasn't because she hadn't found love. It was because the only one she'd ever fallen in love with was gone.
Bella averted her eyes, not wanting to remember when she saw them. Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie (ironic last name - he doesn't resemble a Yorkie dog, though she wasn't sure about another breed) were talking to who she assumed to be the new student. His voice, strangely rich for a human, was new to her. Bella looked up yet, so she wasn't able to assess his level on the '1-10 hotness scale', as Lauren so ingeniously called it.
"Ah, I see you've already seen the Cullens," Eric said knowingly. I could practically hear him smirking.
"Who are they?" the other boy, whose name Bella had yet to learn, asked. He sounded genuinely curious, which was a definite change compared to other people's questions when they first lay eyes on Bella's family.
"Dr. Cullen's kids. He adopted all of them some years back at separate times, of course. As you can tell, they're all extremely good looking, but don't get your hopes up," Mike added in a hushed tone. Dun-dun-dun-duh, Bella thought, once again rolling her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Again, his question was neither too nosy or impolite. It was innocent through and through - a rarity.'
"They're together," Eric explained. "You know - dating." OMG! Bella said to herself sarcastically. All we need now is a gay werewolf, and we'll be set.
"What are their names?"
"The big one is Emmett. He's dating the blond girl, Rosalie. Then there's her twin, Jasper, the other blond one. He's with Alice, the tiny girl with the dark hair. And then there is Bella, the only single one among them. Apparently, none of the guys around here are good enough for her." Mike's resentment was painfully obvious. He'd asked Bella out numerous times, finally giving up after the fifth.
There was a long, silent pause. After a few moments, Mike and Eric resumed talking, but the other participant remained quiet. Curious, I looked up, and our eyes met.
Her day had been like any other day: repetitive with an uncanny resemblance to purgatory…until she saw him. Bella had never seen such a beautiful human or, to put it simply, a human that so resembled a vampire. The new student had perfectly-mussed brown hair, tinted with red. His skin was smooth, flawless, and almost as pale as her own. His features were slim and angular, but with just the right amount of lean, strong muscle lurking underneath.
Despite the boy's unique hair color, his deep emerald-green eyes, framed by long black eyelashes and sparkling brightly, stood out the most. She watched him, frozen. It was amazing how much he looked like...
No, stop thinking that. Bella closed her own eyes for a moment, attempting to stop the flow of memories in her mind. She couldn't say his name even in her thoughts. Although it had been sixteen long years since Bella had seen his face - and, more specifically, since he had been alive and she had been human - it still hurt whenever she thought about her fallen angel and the life that they almost had together.
Bella couldn't bear to look at his beautiful face anymore, and she broke their gaze. Was fate trying to further torture her? Wasn't damning her to eternal hell enough? Must they strengthen their attempts to punish her?
Bella closed her eyes and, after unsuccessfully trying to rid her thoughts of the bronze-haired boy, opened them. Alice sent her a quizzical look - she had obviously seen what had happened.
"I'll explain later," Bella whispered far too low for listening ears to hear.
Apparently, I was wrong. Today is going to be far more interesting than I thought. Grimacing, Bella went back to tearing her roll with her fingers, hoping furtively that the mysterious student wasn't in any of her coming classes.
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"You're late, Mr. Masen. But since you're new here, I'll make an exception," said Mr. Banner. "Take a seat back there with Miss Cullen."
Bella slumped a little. She was beginning to think that maybe the world really was against her…when it happened.
As he walked past her, Bella caught a whiff of his heavenly scent, and her throat instantaneously erupted in flames. She had never tasted human blood before, but Bella could not imagine that anyone's blood could smell better than this boy's did. It was as if he were a drug, and Bella was an addict…as if he was her own personal brand of heroin.
She wanted his blood, and she wanted it now. Never before had Bella felt so strong a desire - no, a need for something. Not until this boy dared to threaten the life that her family had built for so long.
Bella gripped the edges of the sleek table so hard that it seemed if she let go, it would be a matter of life or death. In reality, it would be, but not for her. Instead, it would be her his existence on the line.
Why did Mr. Banner have to pair Bella with him, the single person whose blood she wished to take? Due to her aversion of blood in her human life, Bella never found herself to crave only animals' blood. This boy, however, was an entirely different story.
She turned to glare at him, and, feeling the stare on his back, looked up to see her furious expression. Shocked, he cringed and switched his gaze to the blackboard.
During the next forty-five minutes, a great internal struggle took place. Bella's willpower and self-control was tested to the maximum strength. Take his life, get what she, at the moment, most desired, and ruin the life that Carlisle had created for her whole family. Then the other option: restrain herself from doing such a thing. To anyone else, it would be an easy decision. Here the saying 'easier said than done' comes into place. But, by some miracle, Bella was able to hold on when, after what seemed an eternity, she was saved by the bell for a second time. Bella bolted out of her seat, barely bothering to grab her bag before leaving the room.
You did it, Bella. Just don't look back. There's no turning around now. You're already in too deep.
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I could still feel my face burning from Bella's sudden departure from Biology as I fought my way through gym. My embarrassment and anger from contemplating why she must loathe me so numbed the pain from getting hit in the stomach with a dodge ball.
No matter how I tried to ignore it, I was undeniably hurt by Bella's behavior. When I closed my eyes, her murderous glare wavered through the darkness, full of pure, indescribable hate. The sight was branded on my heart, forever etched upon my memory.
When school was finally over, I went to Forks High's office to give Mrs. Cope my slip of paper that my teachers had signed. Inside, the receptionist was there…talking to Bella Cullen. I froze, leaning against the back wall, and listened to their conversation.
She was arguing almost inaudibly with the woman, trying to ask for another trade sixth period Biology for another time - any other time. Someone else entered the already crowded office, and the cold air blew slightly from the door being opened. Bella immediately stiffened and turned her head to look at me, her delicate nostrils flaring.
"I've changed my mind. I can see that the switch is impossible. Thank you for your help," she said quickly, and then she was gone, leaving the room just as fast.
I stepped up to the desk in a daze and handed Mrs. Cope the slip.
"How did your day go, dear?" she asked in a very motherly sort of tone.
"Fine," I lied, my voice barely above a whisper. She didn't look convinced, but I didn't care whether she believed me or not at the moment. My job done, I got into my Volvo and sat there for who knows how long.
Although the heater was on high and the windows were rolled up, I felt like an icicle. I looked outside and noticed that the sky was considerably darker, so I started the engine and drove home, still in a deep reverie. It was all I could do to not run into a tree, let alone think, so it was a miracle that my hands maneuvered the steering wheel and I found my way home.