AN: Hey, so I got a chance to reply to some of the reviews, but not all of them so I'd just like to thank anyone who reviewed the last time and I swear I'll do my best to respond this time. I'd really like to thank all the people who have congratulated me for coming back, and I'm really happy you guys all stuck with me.
Not dead yet, and hopefully not soon.
I'm thinking weekly updates, or I'll try to do it sooner, but this week has been slightly chaotic for me with stuff happening that hadn't yet been fixed or anticipated.
Sorry, if that annoyed you guys for not updating, but I still had to sort out some stuff.
Bella Swan was determined to be a complete and utter bitch.
Despite what her sister believed, Bella was perfectly aware of the fact that she had never been a bitch in her entire, admittedly long life. She knew it was unethical, mean and cruel. That it would go against her nature, and it would be the exact opposite of what she was, and what she was trained to be. It was against her species.
But she was determined.
It was the only quality she and her sister shared, one that they had no doubt inherited from their father; a man who could never be swayed, one who stood firm in any decision he made. Their strong minds, extreme pride and fearless determination shaped them into the creatures they were together: no light is cast without darkness, no coin has only one side.
And if this particular decision called for a particular edge Bella had never quite possessed then she would learn. She had spent far too much time following around the Cullens waiting for them to make another mistake, and when her Father had planted her within Forks High school, as a closer lookout, it would be an understatement to say she was less than pleased.
It had been a hundred and ten years, perhaps it wasn't the longest time to her, but Bella Swan had had enough of the repeatedly reckless family and their annoying habit of getting into danger. So she herself would wreak havoc upon them, revenge for the years she could have spent otherwise, on families that would actually die.
And to add to it, Jane was particularly amused by the situation, her sister currently taking her leave, and although Bella was more than happy to contribute to both sides of the family business, especially for their Cullen friends, she did not appreciate her sister watching her.
Angrily, she slammed the door closed of her car, a less than flashy substitute she had chosen, but one that would satisfy her thirst for the speed she had grown fond of. Who knew humans could actually do something right without a helping hand?
A few stares followed her to her short journey to the student office, the number increasing with each step she took, and the more people arriving at the school. Finally, she pulled open the rusted handle to the shabby building where a young woman chewing pink bubblegum nosily turned over a page of a tabloid newspaper, the name stated proudly in bold: Forks. How appealing.
Clearing her throat noisily, the receptionist looked up, "'Ello. Your the new student, aren't yeh? Isah-Bella Swan? I've got yeh stuff righ' 'ere, if yeh'll just bare with me a wee sec'." She rummaged in a drawer, before pulling out a time table, popping another strawberry bubble as she did so. The muddy brown eyes were raised to meet Bella's
Car crash, three years old … New foster parents … A strange feeling: happiness ... a bubble of laughter echoing from her mouth for the first time since her parents died … Passing college … A new boyfriend … a good job …
The receptionist was saying something, Bella looked up, though she hated to admit it, slightly flustered by the quick flash of images that had caught her off guard, staring at the young receptionist with a new found respect. Clearly, Jane had had her hands full with this case, just waiting to be discovered by Bella. That was why she was so annoyed by the Cullen: cases like these when she should have been there.
The receptionist looked up again, and Bella smiled warmly – that would do it. To make up for when she had been … absent.
"... So, do you understand? Or should I go through it one more time?" She smiled, chewing her bubblegum thoughtfully as a warm feeling spread through her stomach. Something good was going to happen – she was sure of it.
"No, I'm good." Bella said, reaching out for the schedule and glancing across it. Junior classes – Bella stared distastefully, "Uh, actually … I think you'll find that in Alaska I was attending senior level classes in all my subjects. I have my transcript here." She handed the receptionist the thin folder, containing her new identity: Isabella Swan, a feeble, and clumsy human with a tendency to blush.
"Yes … That error will have to be corrected." She blew another bubble thoughtfully as she clumsily typed on an ancient computer. "Oh no … Uh … Mrs Cope! I need you for a sec'." The girl inserted a fresh stick of gum into her mouth, "Want any?"
"No thanks," eyeing the sticky material warily, Bella took a seat, ready for the long wait and endless questions on exactly what she had done in Alaska in her classes.
It was as she sat down and the aforementioned Mrs Cope hurried in looking flustered that Bella smelt it.
Vampire.
The five Cullen children stepped out of their car, glancing at the student office, where the entire human body was watching a girl walk in. Alice looked up at Edward, "Did you know that there was a new girl?" She asked, a slightly nervous tone creeping into her voice.
"No," Edward glanced around thoughtfully, ignoring the concerned looks he was receiving from his remaining family. "You would think I'd have heard something."
Jasper quickly calmed the rising bubble of concern in Alice's chest, and the doubt in her mind. "I'm sure you were just concentrating so hard on the nomads that you didn't check for a new student." He lowered his voice, "It doesn't matter anyway – I hardly doubt some human would affect us."
"Yeah," replied Alice, trying to convince herself Jasper was right. It was just there was something about her … the girl … the unexpected sight … No, she was probably just looking into things too much. Jasper was right, she'd been thinking about the nomads a lot, and not enough about Forks.
The corridors flooded with humans of all shapes and sizes as the warning bell sounded and the humans walked quickly to their destination. Bella herself, dawdled by, smirking at the humans' slightly flustered, pink faces as they pushed open doors with a sigh of relief that they weren't late.
It was interesting being in a school, where fresh humans she would no doubt meet later in life, were being taught the necessities in a world where few could survive without the helping hand Bella provided. Already, she could pinpoint a few stereotypes in her field: teenage mothers, drug addicts, abusers and the abusees.
Bella stepped into her home-room, an excuse on hand for why exactly she was late, applying her glamour so the humans would see only a puffed new girl, albeit a rather extraordinarily beautiful one. The teacher looked up, startled by the interruption, clearly half way through calling role. Inspecting Bella through thick glasses, the man quickly decided for this girl he could make an exception.
"And, here class, is our new student, Miss Isabella Swan!" He told the class dramatically, raising his voice in a crescendo – he was after all, the drama teacher. The students clapped politely, admiring the new girl with interest. Unlike Bella, no one noticed the pale girl in the back of the class who looked distinctly unimpressed.
"Bella," the human corrected.
"Sorry?" The teacher asked in confusion, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his tone.
"My name," the girl shuddered. "I prefer to be called Bella."
So there she was, the famous Bella Swan – talked about by all the humans, and clearly the capturer of all the boys affections. She wasn't even that pretty, Rosalie thought angrily. Just an average little brunette girl, who was strangely pale and blushed far too much. Even now, her cheeks were a tantalizing red, as if trying to provoke the already willing vampire.
Rose glared as the human smiled shyly at the humans, raising her hand awkwardly to touch her ugly common hair and angrily correcting the teacher using a hoarse ugly voice with irritation when he called 'Bella' her full name. Did she expect all of the teachers to research her background before she came here? Would she be annoyed if the cafeteria workers didn't have her favourite meal prepared for her at lunch? Would she be angry that there was no black limousine waiting for her at the front of the school?
The vampire scoffed as she watched 'Bella' walk towards an empty seat, ignoring Mike Newton's frantic movements to clear his things off the spare desk beside him. Her irritation only worsened when she noticed the human walking steadily towards her, unblinking, unfearing and looking completely unbothered and uncaring at the ice-cold glare Rose was giving her, the harshest one she had.
With a thud, books landed next to her. And then pens. A heavy bag soon followed, landing heavily on the floor. And, next to it, stood a human who smiled warmly, "I hope you don't mind." An innocent expression crept onto her face, "I've never been to a such a small school before, so this is such a new experience for me."
She blinked, showing off a sluggish pair of eyes, and without waiting for a response, or any sign of permission from Rose, pulled out a chair and plunked herself down – rather ungraciously, even for an annoying teenager like her – and fluffed out her hair, as if trying to be as annoying as possible for the vampire next to her.
A wave of fragrance met her nostrils, and she shuddered away from the aroma rising quick and fast to her nostrils.
"Do you reckon I suit this style? I mean, I always used to wear my hair straight in Alaska, but I figured, you know, maybe a nice change for a new place? Do you get what I'm saying ..."
'Bella' continued talking, the persistent babbling, while the ice-queen questioned whether she had ever given any indication that she wanted to be friends with the girl next to her. Or did the Lords just hate her?
AN: Hey, I understand you guys might be thinking – Bella can't act human. She can't blush. She can't have a human scent, or a heartbeat and all that crap that comes with being a human, but Bella can create a kind of glamour around her that will make the people around her believe she is human, kind of like putting images into people's heads, if you get what I mean. As for the flash of images, that's a secret that will be revealed later.
So, I know this is really like a short-short chapter and for the next one, I swear it'll be longer and all but I figured you know, might as well just get it out and start the next chapter rather than ruining the plan and fitting in bits from the next chapter into this one, which would just completely mess the whole thing up.
I know it may be a tad short, but if you gave me more reviews, I swear I'll make the next one REALLY long. Like actually, I'll combine two and three for an extra-mega chapter. And sorry that this is like, a giant AN.
So all I can say is …
REVIEW!!!!!