Chapter 7
The next morning Alice bugged me to no end to pick out my outfit for me. I finally gave up and allowed her to but I drew the line at my hair and makeup. We all rode in Rosalie's new car and let me tell you, it was a bit of a tight fit. I made a mental note to buy my own car so that the five of us wouldn't be squished into the small car.
When we arrived at the school Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all went off to their first classes. Jasper had waited a couple seconds for Alice but she insisted he go on and that she was going to go with me to the office.
"Alice, you don't have to do this. I have been in school many times on my own and I think I can handle it." I said in a sigh as she walked next to me.
"I know you can Bella. I just thought it would be nice if I introduced you to the secretary and offered to help you out, you know make it a little bit easier." She said smiling at me as she opened the office door for me. When we got up to the front desk Alice cleared her throat to get the lady's attention.
She turned to look at us as she put down the pile of papers on her desk. She had short hair that was grey with white spots throughout it. She had on rather thick glasses and wore clothing that I knew Alice thought was utterly disgusting without even reading her thoughts. "How can I help you my dear Alice?" She asked looking to her.
"Ms. Trayner, this is our new student, Isabella Swan. I thought I would bring her to get her schedule and then I could show her around." Alice said with her most angelic smile.
Ms. Trayner turned her attention to me and took me in. Her eyes went wide with shock and then she quickly composed her face. "Ah yes, your sister called me last week to tell me of your arrival. We are so happy to welcome you to our school. I hope you enjoy it here. At least you have your ah, nieces and nephews to show you around." She said to me, though when she said nieces and nephews it sounded like an unsure question.
"Well I think of them more like my brothers and sisters. I feel that Esme and Carlisle are more like mother and father as opposed to sister and brother-in-law. I am so happy that they gave me the opportunity to come here." I said giving her my best smile.
She shook her head so slightly that no human would notice but we did and then said, "Uh well yes. Here is your schedule and you need to get this paper signed by all of your teachers then bring it back here at the end of your day. Enjoy your first day!" She said as we walked out after I had taken my papers from her.
When we got out in the hall Alice said, "We have five periods together, not counting lunch which everyone has at the same time. So out of the eight periods you are alone for two of them, well actually not alone just without me. It seems you are in Emmett's math and you have history with Jasper and Rosalie. We already have a lunch table just to us so you can just join us obviously." Alice rambled on as we walked to our first class.
"Alice I am not a newborn so you don't have to worry about my control, I haven't had human blood since Carlisle first arrived in Volterra. Just because I was somewhat nomad for seven years doesn't mean that I went on an insane human killing spree. For goodness sake I have worked in hospitals with bleeding humans without a hint of a problem, just like Carlisle so can you please stop looking at me like that." I said. I was frustrated with how she talked to me and was looking at me like she wasn't sure.
"I am sorry Bella, it is just that I haven't been around you with humans around so I don't know how you handle it nor did I know that you too have worked in hospitals. Jasper has so much trouble resisting that I just got used to having to worry about it with people." She said in a sigh.
"Alice, look into my future and tell me what you see." I said. Alice's face went blank and I linked my arm through hers so I could guide her I was reading her mind so that I could see the vision as well. When it was over I said, "See Alice, nothing to worry about."
"Ok, ok so I don't have to worry about you. Think of it this way then, you will always have someone to talk to in every period." She said smiling at me.
"Thank you Alice. So do I get to sit next to family members in every class?" I asked her.
She went into another set of visions and every one had shown me sitting next to a family member. "Yes you will." She said.
"I know, I saw it as well." I said with a chuckle and tapped my temple to get my point across.
"Haha, sorry, I didn't think about that." Alice said with a laugh as we walked into our classroom.
Alice went and took her seat while I went to talk to the teacher.
"Hello, I am Isabella Swan, but you can call me Bella." I said as I approached the teacher's desk.
He looked up to me and his mouth flopped open. I cleared my throat so he quickly composed his face and thoughts. "Ah yes, I knew you were coming this week some time. I am Mr. Brooks. I hope you like it here in Chicago. You can sit in back in that empty seat next to Alice." He said to me as he handed me back my signed paper. "Alice, can you raise your hand so Bella knows who you are?" He said louder.
"I actually know Alice, we are kind of family." I said to him with a little chuckle. I heard Alice chuckle as well though no one else in the room was able to hear it.
"Ah, yes, well um, if you take your seat then I can start my class." He said as he turned away from me so he could actually think.
Whenever I am in school or in a heavily human populated area I always am open to everyone's thoughts just to make sure that there are no suspicions about what we really are. It was annoying to hear everyone's thoughts about what they wanted to do with me and my siblings but it was a price to pay. The day pasted by really slowly and I already knew everything that I would be learning here. Alice and I mostly talked during all of our classes together. Sometimes we had silent conversations where she would focus her thoughts at me and I would think of what I would say to her so she would see it in a vision or if it was a simple question I would nod or shake my head so slightly that only she could see.
Since my history class with Jasper and Rosalie was right before lunch I walked with the two of them to the lunchroom. Emmett was waiting where the lunch line started for Rosalie and Alice was already at the table with her tray of food. I walked through the line with Jasper talking easily about of teacher. Apparently Jasper has corrected him several times throughout the semester already. When we got to the table I sat in between Alice and Rosalie, Emmett was upset because Rose wouldn't let him sit next to me.
"Emmett, we have all of eternity of school lunches for you to sit next to me so stop your pouting." I said and we all broke out laughing, well besides for Emmett. He threw his apple at me too fast for the humans to see and with a flick of my wrist it went sailing to the other side of the cafeteria, smashing against the wall. Everyone near that wall looked around trying to figure out who threw it but came up with no one so they all sat there puzzled for five minutes before just going on with what they were talking about. "Look what you did Emmett, you scared the humans over there." I said acting like I was scolding him.
"Hey you were the one that made it go that way, not me. You could have just caught it." He said with his hands raised in defense.
"I wouldn't have had to do anything if you wouldn't have thrown it at me." I said back.
"Alright enough, no fighting, we don't need to draw any more attention to us." Jasper said as he sent out a wave of calmness.
"So Bella, I am so taking you shopping today after school. We really need to update and fix your wardrobe." Alice said turning to me bouncing in her seat slightly. I felt Jasper send out a more powerful wave of calm and she stopped bouncing.
"Alice, there is nothing wrong with my wardrobe, it isn't that old and I like how I dress." I said as I mashed up my food so it looked like I had eaten some of it.
"Bella, please, your clothes are like tent years old, you stand out. Please let me get you a new wardrobe." She begged. There were more mental begging that sounded so much like a little kid trying to get there mom to buy them candy before dinner. She even pictured herself giving me her puppy dog eyes.
"Fine Alice but nothing to fancy and out there." I said with a sigh since I knew I wasn't going to win.
"So Bella, what is the rest of your school schedule like?" Rosalie asked me, changing the subject which I was grateful for.
"Well I believe I have math with Emmett next and then P.E. and Bio with Alice." I said and Alice nodded.
"Awesome, the seat next to me is empty. This is going to be great!" Emmett exclaimed.
"Should I be scared?" I asked looking around. I had yet to ever have a class with Emmett seeing as I was always a year behind and most schools that we have been at rarely mixed students from different grades into the same class.
The bell rang just then so I had to go to my next class. The teacher looked at me the same way all the others did and had to focus before they signed my sheet and then sent me to sit next to Emmett. Throughout the class Emmett kept whispering me to to fast and low for anyone to hear. He filled me in on everything that I had missed while I was away. Some of the stuff I really didn't need to know, about what he and Rosalie did, he didn't say it but I saw it in his thoughts, they had ruined my old car and my old couch and desk.
I was thankful when that class was over and hurried on to my next class. P.E. is always so boring since we have to rein ourselves in but at least I was paired with Alice for volleyball. Bio went by quickly as thank heavens and I was happy that Alice and I were paired together again. When class was over I turned to Alice, "Hey can you…"
"Yeah, I'll tell Rose and we'll see you at home." Alice said cutting me off before I could finish my question.
We walked out of the classroom, Alice towards the parking lot, Jasper was waiting for her at the end of the hall, he saw me and gave me a puzzled look. Alice filled him in and then he smiled and nodded to me. I walked to the office and walked up to the front desk. "Uh, excuse me, Ms. Trayner right?" I asked to get her attention, she turned to me and nodded. "I have my slip that I had to get signed." I said as I handed it to her.
"How was your first day?" She asked me.
"It was alright, the people here seem really nice." I said trying to act like everyone was nice to me, to my family, though it was a lie.
"Well that is good. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. See you soon but hopeful not on bad terms." She said.
"You enjoy your day and I don't think that will be a problem." I said as I turned and walked out the door.
I walked to the edge of the woods making sure no one was watching me and then took off running full speed towards the house. I made it home just as the others were walking into the house. Obviously Rosalie hadn't put the upgrades in her car yet.
"Hey Rose, I wanted to ask you a question." I said as I walked up to her before she could sit down on the couch.
"Sure. What do you need?" She asked me looking both shocked and curious.
"Um I was wondering if you would go with me to buy a new car. You know, help me pick it out and all. I love your car but I think it is a little crowded with the five of us jammed in there, I mean it is really just a four person car anyhow. We really don't want the humans questioning us more than they do already." I said to her.
"Alright, I do see your point. When do you want to go?" She asked me.
"Do you want to go now? Is that ok with you or do you have something else you rather do? I want to buy one that I can bring home today. You can help me fix it up to go faster." I said with a bit of a giddy grin.
Rosalie grabbed my hand and dragged me out to her car. I had to run full out to keep up with her. I heard Esme and Alice both chuckle from upstairs.
Against Rosalie's advice I got a 1964 Mustang in powder blue. She was trying to talk me into a more expensive, higher class car but I just kept telling her how we don't always need to flaunt our money. "Besides Rose, I know you will make it just as fast as yours and Carlisle's car." I said.
"Yeah, that is true but a Ford? They are junk cars, hardly last five years." She said in a whisper while the sales man went to get all the paper work so I could take it home.
"Well it doesn't matter because I am only going to use it while we are here. At max we will be here for what, five years, and we have at least a year and six months, until Alice and I graduate high school." I whispered back to her.
I signed all the paperwork that I needed to and wrote out my check. After that was all done I took my car home, following Rosalie. When we were back she went to work on the phone ordering the parts that she needed for both of our cars while I attempted to go up to my room. I knew my couch and desk along with the bookshelves were delivered today while we were at school so I wanted to arrange it how I wanted but my newest sister didn't even allow me up the stairs.
"Where do you think you are going?" She asked me as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs blocking my way.
"Up to my room to make it how I want it since all my new furniture arrived." I said trying to get passed her.
"No you are not, we are going shopping." She said pointing me to the door.
"Alice, I really do not like shopping that much and something tells me I really am not going to like shopping with you. It is just torturous." I said.
"To bad, we are going, there is no getting out of this." She said now pushing me towards the door at that point.
"Jasper, save me from your wife please." I said louder making sure he could hear me.
"Sorry there Bella, but I can't do anythin' that would upset her." He said with a chuckle and I noticed a bit of his southern drawl came out.
"Ugh. Fine, whatever. I am not going to like this Alice, and you are going to owe me." I said giving up.
I drove my new car to the local stores and Alice had made several tall piles of clothes that she said I would look terrific in. She forced me to try on about half of them and then after much arguing just bought the rest without me having to try them on.
We finished our time in Chicago and then went on a family vacation to Isle Esme which Carlisle had bought for Esme shortly after they were married.
