AN: Hi again, well thank you to all who have read my story so far. I plan on posting a new story and maybe a couple one-shots. If any of you have any request for stories or one-shots please do share. I am so sorry for DISAPPERING of the edge of the Earth. Who all hates writers block? I know I do. Ok so for the reviews
Mymusethynameistwilight: Thanks again for being a great friend (read her stories)
Edward Cullen: It's all better so take a look. :) Thanks for letting me know about my mistake I made.
Bookluver07: Yeah I just needed to add in a filler chapter
Well that was long anyways onto the chapter
I WISH I OWNED TWILIGHT BUT I DON'T SO I AM GOING TO GO CRY IN THE CORNER TILL ITS MINE so if Stephenie Meyer is by chance reading this wanna help a friend. HAHAHA
Chapter 4
Alice's pov
"We must get back to reading this story! I need to find out what happens." I said. I want to find out when something exciting is going to happen because right now it's just boring.
"You know Alice, sometimes I worry about you and your hyperness." (Don't know if that is a real word or not so just bear with me.) Esme said. Well Esme, totally feeling the love there.
"Alright before anyone gets into a fight, I am going to read now." Esme said.
Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel claustrophobia creeping up on me. You could never see the sky here; it was like a cage.
"Yeah tell me about it." Emmett said.
Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school. I thanked him, knowing his hope was wasted. Good luck tended to avoid me.
"I might see her at my work a lot then." Carlisle said.
Charlie left first, off to the police station that was his wife and family. After he left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three unmatching chairs and examined his small kitchen, with its dark paneled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing was changed. My mother had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the small fireplace in the handkerchief-sized family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of Charlie and my mom in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of my school pictures up to last year's. Those were embarrassing to look at- I would have to see what I could do to get Charlie to put them somewhere else, at least while I was living here.
It was impossible, being in this house, not to realize that Charlie had never gotten over my mom. It made me uncomfortable.
"Sorry to pause guys but, I just want to almost cry for this girl. I hope she finds away to fit in here." Esme said.
I didn't want to be too early to school, but I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I donned my jacket- which had the feel of a biohazard suit- and headed out into the rain.
"BIOHAZARD SUIT! I am going to fix that girls style and take her shopping." I said. I mean come on. I will make it my duty to fix that girl.
"Alice! We will not interfere within a human's life. It is much too risky." Edward was killing me here.
"He has a point we can't risk with the Volturi." Carlisle said.
It was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me through immediately as I reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eaves by the door, and locked up. The sloshing of my new waterproof boots was unnerving.
"Absolutely no sense of style, this is killing me and I am not even Alice!" Rosalie said. She does have a point though. I totally wish that I could change that about her.
I missed the normal crunch of gravel as I walked. I couldn't pause and admire my truck again as I wanted; I was in a hurry to get out of the misty wet that swirled around my head and clung to my hair under my hood.
Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. Either Billy or Charlie had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. The engine started quickly, to my relief, but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw. The antique radio worked, a plus that I hadn't expected.
"I still do not understand how she could like that truck. I would be complaining very much so." Of course you would Rose. I looked over and Edward was chuckling under his breath at that.
Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, made me stop.
"Well the sign is a dead giveaway." Emmett said.
It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see its size at first. Where was the feel of the institution? I wondered nostalgically. Where were the chain-link fences, the metal detectors?
"Well you see, here we are normal and do not need that kind of stuff." Emmett said.
"What type of school did this girl go to!?" Edward asked.
I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading FRONT OFFICE. No one else was parked there, so I was sure it was off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. I stepped unwillingly out of the toasty truck cab and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door.
Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses. She was wearing a purple t-shirt, which immediately made me feel overdressed.
"Umm… Does it bother anybody how descriptive this girl is? It is like she is aware of everything that happens. This can possibly lead to a bit of a problem." I just realized how accurate Jasper was. She is a little bit too aware of everything.
The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Isabella Swan," I informed her, and saw the immediate awareness light her eyes. I was expected, a topic of gossip no doubt. Daughter of the Chief's flighty ex-wife, come home at last.
"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school." She brought several sheets to the counter to show me.
She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me a slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could.
"I hope she does actually find that Forks is a good place. It would be such a shame to everyone if she doesn't but totally understandable." Carlisle said in a very polite tone.
"Yeah unless she ends up being someone who will be all up in our business, then we would have to worry. You know because she is pretty accurate and descriptive on absolutely everything." There goes Rose always turning a good moment into a bad one.
When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. At home I'd lived in one of the few lower-income neighborhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District. It was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out.
"Hey Eddie, that's YOUR car!" Of course Emmett would say something like that. Great, now we are going to have to listen to Edward complain about being called Eddie. I turned towards my brother who at sometimes is as annoying as heck but also sometimes the person to go to for support. He was looking at Emmett, and you could tell that he was mad but he cleared up. That was unexpected.
"Emmett just please don't do that again. Now let's get back to the story. Esme will you please read?"
Still, I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me.
I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it now; hopefully I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. I stuffed everything in my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. No one was going to bite me. I finally exhaled and stepped out of the truck.
Esme tried to finish that paragraph fairly quickly. This was probably due to the fact that she knew we were going to say something about what the book said.
"I find this very ironic due to the fact that we are vampires but we don't kill humans though but then again the thought is still the same with biting."
"I am surprised. Normally you would make a joke about it and then get yourself in trouble in some way. Very impressive Emmett." I said in a playful tone.
"Fine you want funny here is funny. That girl just said no one will bite her but we are vampires. We should go up to her and pretend to bite her and see how she reacts. Then we will follow her around and all the teachers that pass us will be bitten with plastic fangs that people seem to love sooooo much. Then will see what her thoughts are. Dang it, that wasn't even funny but it would be an interesting prank to pull."
"Emmett! We will do no such thing. This family was not built to do things like." Carlisle said and as soon as he did Emmett's face fell into complete disappointment.
"Now back to the story because it seems like that we need a miracle to occur for that to ever happen." Esme said.
I kept my face pulled back into my hood as I walked to the sidewalk, crowed with teenagers. My plain black jacket didn't stand out, I noticed with relief.
"Why say teenagers? She is one as well and it seems as if she is the shy type." Emmett said.
Once I got around the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. A large block "3" was painted on a white square on the east corner. I felt my breathing gradually creeping toward hyperventilation as I approached the door. I tried holding my breath as I followed two unisex raincoats through the door.
The classroom was small. The people in front of me stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. I copied them. They were two girls, one a porcelain-colored blonde, the other also pale, with light brown hair. At least my skin wouldn't be a standout here.
"Nope. Not with us here." Emmett said jokingly.
"Wait, isn't she supposed to be from Arizona? Shouldn't she be tan then?" I said.
I took the slip up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Mason. He gawked at me when he saw my name- not an encouraging response- and of course I flushed tomato red.
"Aww. I want to see that!" Emmett is a weird freak sometimes and I hope he knows that.
But at least he sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. It was harder for my new classmates to stare at me in the back, but somehow, they managed. I kept my eyes down on the reading list the teacher had given me. It was fairly basic: Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner. I'd already read everything.
"No way, me too! We are like twins."
"Somebody go get the duck tape! I hate how Emmett is interrupting so frequently." I ran off and got the duck tape.
"Edward catch!" I tossed it over to him and he seemed to understand my plan. Oh right forgot mind reader.
He ran to Emmett, pinned him down long enough to get a piece of duck tape over his mouth. Rosalie obviously didn't want him talking either because she grabbed both of his hands and wouldn't release him.
That was comforting… and boring. I wondered if my mom would send me my folder of old essays, or if she would think that was cheating.
"Of course it's cheating. I don't even let any of you take old essays." Esme said. I hated that she wouldn't let us take are old essays. It just puts more work on our shoulders. Not like it matters though, with us not having to sleep.
I went through different arguments with her in my head while the teacher droned on. When the bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle to talk to me.
"Anybody want to bet that the guy she is talking about is Eric?" Jasper asked.
"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?"
"No. She is Kristina Smith. Of course you ding nut its Isabella Swan because it isn't often when we get new students here in Forks." Emmett said.
"Wait. How and when did Emmett get the duck tape off?" I said.
"A magician never shares his secrets!"
"Remind me again why we kept this many children Carlisle." Wow that was hurtful Esme.
He looked like the overly helpful, chess club type.
"Bella," I corrected. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me.
"Where's your next class?" He asked.
I had to check in my bag. "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six."
There was nowhere to look without meeting curious eyes. "I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way…." Definitely over-helpful. "I'm Eric," he added.
"SO CALLED THAT!"
"Emmett it was kind of obvious." Edward said.
I smiled tentatively. "Thanks."
We got our jackets and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. I could have sworn several people behind us were walking close enough to eavesdrop. I hoped I wasn't getting paranoid.
"So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" He asked.
"Very."
"It doesn't rain much there, does it?"
"Three or four times a year."
"Wow, what must that be like?" He wondered.
"Sunny," I told him.
"Well of course it is sunny. It is Arizona. Sometime Eric isn't the brightest." I said.
"Yeah especially with girls." Rose and I shuddered at the memory of that.
"You don't look very tan."
"My mother is part albino."
He studied my face apprehensively, and I sighed. It looked like clouds and a sense of humor didn't mix. A few months of this and I'd forget how to use sarcasm.
"No need to worry Bella, I will help you get it back." Really Emmett.
We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Eric walked me right to the door, though it was clearly marked.
"Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle.
"Maybe we'll have some other classes together." He sounded hopeful.
I smiled at him vaguely and went inside.
The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. My Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Varner, who I would have hated anyway just because of the subject he taught, was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself. I stammered, blushed, and tripped over my own boots on the way to my seat.
"I was right. I will be seeing her a lot if she is this clumsy." Carlisle said.
After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks. I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot. At least I never needed the map.
One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and she walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. She was tiny, several inches shorter than my five feet four inches,
"Alice! She is taller than you."
"Whoa big surprise there Emmett." Everyone obviously had to laugh. All of them are a bunch of immature brats. Grrrr…
but her wildly curly dark hair made u pa lot of the difference between our heights. I couldn't remember her name, so I smiled and nodded as she prattled about teachers and classes. I didn't try to keep up.
"That's Jessica." Rosalie said.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Really? What other person do we know that is a non-stop talker? Also the description just fits her ugliness."
"Must you always be like that Rosalie?" Esme asked.
"Yes. Yes I must."
We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them. They seemed impressed by her bravery in speaking to me. The boy from English, Eric, waved at me from across the room.
It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them.
"Who do you think the strangers are?"
"Emmett I think they might be us." Edward said in a joking tone.
"Really? It's about DANG TIME!"
They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them.
"Great! It's her first day and she already is noticing too much. We are going to have to pack up and move yet again." Rosalie having absolutely no faith in me, the future-seer, said.
They weren't gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes. But it was none of these things that caught, and held, my attention.
They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big- muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair.
"Hey that's me!"
"No we thought it was Alice."
"Hurtful." Wow even though it was a joke. I mean come on, couldn't Edward have chosen Rosalie or Jasper.
Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond.
"Jasper." We all said.
The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students.
"More boyish? I have been here in this family longer than anyone else and I'm boyish."
"Sorry Eddie but you can only dream that you had muscles like these." Emmett as always acting like himself by flexing his muscles.
"My name is not Eddie, Emmy."
The girls were opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit on her self-esteem just by being in the same room. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back.
"I do have to admit though; she did give me an amazing introduction."
"You would act like that Rosalie." Edward said.
"Children calm down so we can get through this chapter." Carlisle said.
The short girl was pixielike, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.
"When can I escape this curse!?" I exclaimed.
"Well Ali, all you really have to do is quit being short and so pixielike." I really wanted to murder Emmett right now.
And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town. Paler than me, the albino.
"Well your welcome Bella for us being so pale. At least that makes you less of an odd ball." No comment to give to Emmett there. I would just be wasting my time. I looked over towards Edward and saw him nodding in agreement.
They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair tones.
"Looks like we need to hunt." Jasper said.
They also had dark shadows under those eyes - purplish, bruiselike shadows. As if they were suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose.
"Well we kind of can't sleep but, good guess though." Emmett said.
Though their noses, all their features, were straight, perfect, angular.
But all this is not why I couldn't look away.
I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. Or painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful - maybe the perfect blond girl, or the bronze haired boy."
"Aww Eddie! She thinks you are beautiful." THWACK. Next thing you know Emmett is rubbing his head complaining to Esme about why she slapped. All the rest of us could not stop laughing at this.
They were all looking away - away from each other, away from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the small girl rose with her tray - unopened soda, unbitten apple - and walked away with a quick, graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed at her lithe dancer's step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible. My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unchanging.
"ALICE! Could you have been a little slower?" Rosalie exclaimed.
"I'm sorry. It's in the book anyways, it's not like I have done that yet."
"Whatever, but because of how observant she is, there is no way we can stay here without being noticed."
"We will just have to be extra careful then." Esme said.
"Who are they?" I asked the girl from my Spanish class, whose name I'd forgotten.
As she looked up to see who I meant - though already knowing, probably, from my tone - suddenly he looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps.
"Actually, I am the oldest based on how long I have been with this family."
"Actually you aren't the oldest based on how long you have been with the family. That would be Carlisle." I said.
He looked at my neighbor for just a fraction of a second, and then his dark eyes flickered to mine.
He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flush of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest - it was as if she had called his name, and he'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer.
"She probably said my name in her thoughts. Wouldn't be the first time though."
My neighbor giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did.
"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." She said this under her breath.
I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy, who was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers. His mouth was moving very quickly, his perfect lips barely opening. The other three still looked away, and yet I felt he was speaking quietly to them.
Strange, unpopular names, I thought. The kinds of names grandparents had.
"Oh honey, if only you knew, we are pretty much older than grandparents." Emmett said.
But maybe that was in vogue here - small town names? I finally remembered that my neighbor was called Jessica, a perfectly common name. There were two girls named Jessica in my history class back home.
"They are… very nice-looking." I struggled with the conspicuous understatement.
"Yes!" Jessica agreed with another giggle. "They're all together though - Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean. And they live together." Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small town, I thought critically. But, if I was being honest, I had to admit that even in Phoenix, it would cause gossip.
"Girl, everywhere we go we cause gossip. It is just something that happens when you are a Cullen or a Hale." Emmett said yet again. Maybe we could put five pieces of duck tape on him and his hands so he won't have to talk again.
"Which one are the Cullens?" I asked. "They don't look related…"
"Oh, they're not. Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales are brother and sister, twins - the blondes - and they're foster children."
"They look a little old for foster children."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we have heard this story plenty of times; can we just skip it, please?"
THWACK. "Shut up Emmett."
"They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs. Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt or something like that."
"That's really kind of nice - for them to take care of all those kids like that, when they're so young and everything."
"I guess so," Jessica admitted reluctantly, and I got the impression that she didn't like the doctor and his wife for some reason. With the glances she was throwing at their adopted children. I would presume the reason was jealousy. "I think that Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, though," she added, as if that lessened their kindness.
"Aw, thanks darling. It really does mean a lot even though you aren't here and you are just in the book."
Throughout all this conversation, my eyes flickered again and again to the table where the strange family sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat.
"Have they always lived in Forks?" I asked. Surely I would have noticed them on one of my summers here.
"No," she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like me. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."
I felt a surge of pity, and relief.
"Weird emotions coming from a human," Jasper commented.
Pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted. Relief that I wasn't the only newcomer here, and certainly not the most interesting by any standard.
As I examined them, the youngest, one of the Cullens, looked up and met my gaze, this time with evident curiosity in his expression.
"Her thoughts must be interesting then." Edward commented curiously.
As I looked swiftly away, it seemed to me that his glance held some kind of unmet expectation.
"Hmm. That's a little weird."
"No doubt." Edward agreed with Emmett. I wonder what this means. Maybe her mind is fuzzy.
"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" I asked. I peeked at him from the corner of my eye, and he was still staring at me, but not gawking like the other students had today - he had a slightly frustrated expression. I looked down again.
"Maybe you are right Alice." I always am Edward. When are you going to learn?
"Mind to enlighten those of us who don't have mind reading or future-seeing powers?" Emmett asked.
"Alice thinks that maybe I can't read Bella's mind."
"Hmm. That will be interesting to find out." Carlisle said.
"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls are good-looking enough for him." She sniffed a clear case of sour grapes. I wondered when he'd turned her down.
"Well it depends, the first time, the fifth time, the tenth time, or the twelfth time?" We all laughed. Yeah that's pretty much how many times Jessica has asked him out and it really does get annoying because we have all seen it before.
I bit my lip to hide my smile. Then I glanced at him again. His face was turned away, but I thought his cheek appeared lifted, as if he were smiling, too.
"I probably would do that."
After a few more minutes, the four of them left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful - even the big, brawny one. It was unsettling to watch. The one named Edward didn't look at me again.
"Oh this is just perfect. I have another girl who has a crush on me." Edward groaned. You know absolutely nothing yet. He gave me this puzzling look. Oh shoot. I mean I can't wait to go shopping for some new shoes and clothes for everyone else. Edward gave me the "you are weird" look.
I sat at the table with Jessica and her friends longer than I would have if I'd been sitting alone. I was anxious not to be late for class on my first day. One of my new acquaintances, who considerately reminded me that her name was Angela,
"Angela is pretty much the only trust worthy and nice girl at our school. I like her a lot." I said.
had Biology II with me the next hour.
"Well it looks like she will be sitting next to me," Edward said.
We walked to class together in silence. She was shy, too.
When we entered the classroom, Angela went to sit at a black-topped lab table exactly like the ones I was used to. She already had a neighbor. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. Next to the center aisle, I recognized Edward Cullen by his unusual hair, sitting next to that single open seat.
"What did I tell you?"
As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching him surreptitiously. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face - it was hostile, furious.
"What is going on Edward?" Esme asked.
"It's the future me and I wouldn't know you are the one reading it to us."
I looked away quickly, shocked, going red again. I stumbled over a book in the walkway and had to catch myself on the edge of a table. The girl sitting there giggled.
I'd noticed that his eyes were black - coal black.
"He must be thirsty." Jasper said.
"He will be fine besides Carlisle he does have the best self-control."
Mr. Banner signed my slip and handed me a book with no nonsense about introductions. I could tell we were going to get along. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by him, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he'd given me.
"Where are your manners Edward?" Esme said in an angered tone.
"This is the future me so I don't know."
I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad.
"Do you think that what happened to me is happening to Edward?" Emmett asked.
"It must be. She has to be my singer." Edward groaned.
"Well we will just have to see what happens." Esme said worried.
Inconspicuously, I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, the scent of my favorite shampoo. It seemed an innocent enough odor. I let my hair fall over my right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to the teacher.
Unfortunately the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. I took notes carefully anyway, always looking down.
I couldn't stop myself from peeking occasionally through the screen of my hair at the strange boy next to me. During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from me as possible. I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed.
"Edward Cullen! How could you…" Edward cut Esme off and said,
"Mom, it's better than attacking or killing her."
He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was surprisingly hard and muscular beneath his light skin. He wasn't nearly as slight as he'd looked next to his burly brother.
"Well of course with these big muscles of mine." We all laughed at this.
The class seemed to drag on longer than the others. Was it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I was waiting for his tight fist to loosen? It never did; he continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn't breathing.
"I probably wouldn't if she is my singer."
What was wrong with him? Was this his normal behavior? I questioned my judgment on Jessica's bitterness at lunch today. Maybe she was not as resentful as I'd thought.
It couldn't have anything to do with me. He didn't know me from Eve.
"Oh sweet Bella, don't you worry, it's not you it's him and well your scent." Emmett joked but none of us were in the mood. We wanted to make sure Bella stays alive.
I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase if looks could kill suddenly ran through my mind.
"This poor girl she doesn't even know what's wrong. Edward you better try to be nice when she comes."
"Mom, I can't help it and besides that is the future me." Edward said.
At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making me jump, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly, he rose - he was much taller than I'd thought - his back to me, and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat.
"What is up with everyone? Are you guys trying to expose us?" Rosalie exclaimed.
"Well would you rather have me attack or well kill her?" Edward questioned. Rosalie huffed in defeat.
I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after him. He was so mean.
"I have nothing to say to you Edward." Esme said.
It wasn't fair. I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled me, for fear my eyes would tear up. For some reason, my temper was hardwired to my tear ducts. I usually cried when I was angry, a humiliating tendency.
"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" a male voice asked.
I looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way. He obviously didn't think I smelled bad.
"No, Edward thinks you smell really good." Jasper said.
"Anybody want to take a guess at who is talking to her?" Esme asked.
"Mike" We all said.
"Bella," I corrected him, with a smile.
"I'm Mike."
"Hi, Mike."
"Correct!" Emmett screamed.
"Do you need any help finding your next class?"
"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."
"That's my next class, too." He seemed thrilled, though it wasn't that big of a coincidence in a school this small.
We walked to class together; he was chatterer- he supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me. He'd lived in California till he was ten, so he knew how I felt about the sun. It turned out he was in my English class also. He was the nicest person I'd met today.
"That better change Edward." Esme said in a strict tone.
But as we were entering the gym he asked, "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that."
"She should stab you. That would be funny." Emmett said.
I cringed. So I wasn't the only one who had noticed. And, apparently, that wasn't Edward Cullen's usual behavior. I decided to play dumb.
"Was that the boy I sat next to in Biology?" I asked artlessly.
"Yes," he said. "He looked like he was in pain or something."
"I don't know," I responded. "I never spoke to him."
"Of course you didn't because he was being a jerk." I said.
"Really Alice?" Edward said. Yes of course Edward.
"He's a weird guy."
"I know right!" Emmett said.
Mike lingered by me instead of heading to the dressing room. "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."
"Edward you have more competition." Emmett said acting like his usual annoying and teasing self.
I smiled at him before walking through the girls' locker room door. He was friendly and clearly admiring. But it wasn't enough to ease my irritation.
The Gym teacher, Coach Clapp, found me a uniform but didn't make me dress down for today's class. At home, only two years of P.E. were required. Here, P.E. was mandatory all four years. Forks was literally my personal hell on Earth.
"Dude I want to be in her gym class. Talk about entertainment everyday!" Emmett said. It probably would be funny watching her in gym.
I watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. Remembering how many injuries I had sustained — and inflicted — playing volleyball, I felt faintly nauseated.
The final bell rang at last. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself.
When I walked into the warm office, I almost turned around and walked back out.
Edward Cullen stood at the desk in front of me.
"What are you going to do now Edward?" Rosalie asked. I hope he doesn't cause any more trouble with Bella.
"I don't know what I'm going to do Rosalie because for the millionth time it is not me. That is the future or book me so, why don't we just listen and find out." Edward said in a very annoyed tone.
I recognized again that tousled bronze hair. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free.
He was arguing with her in a low, attractive voice. I quickly picked up the gist of the argument. He was trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time — any other time
"She will probably be the only girl who realizes you are a freak Edward." Emmett said.
I just couldn't believe that this was about me. It had to be something else, something that happened before I entered the Biology room. The look on his face must have been about another aggravation entirely. It was impossible that this stranger could take such a sudden, intense dislike to me.
The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling my hair around my face.
"Well this is just great." Edward said in a sarcastic way.
The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at me — his face was absurdly handsome — with piercing, hate-filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms. The look only lasted a second, but it chilled me more than the freezing wind.
"That poor little girl." Esme said.
He turned back to the receptionist.
"Never mind, then," he said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And he turned on his heel without another look at me, and disappeared out the door.
I went meekly to the desk, my face white for once instead of red, and handed her the signed slip.
"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally.
"Fine," I lied, my voice weak. She didn't look convinced.
"And it's all thanks to the one the only Edward Cullen. Why don't you give yourself a round of applause Edward?"
"Rose that's a little harsh." I said.
"Oh he can handle it." Edward said nothing but just glared at Rose.
When I got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. It seemed like a haven, already the closest thing to home I had in this damp green hole. I sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield blankly. But soon I was cold enough to need the heater, so I turned the key and the engine roared to life. I headed back to Charlie's house, fighting tears the whole way there.
"Edward, how could you make her cry?" Esme said. Edward didn't reply but just looked down shamefully. "Anyways, that is the end of the chapter."
"I'll read next." Emmett said.
AN: YAY! HAPPY DANCE! I finally made it to the end of the chapter. Well until next chapter…