A/N Thankies to all of you who took the time to review! Stephenie Meyer owns all apart from Rick. He is mine! Lol.

BPOV

I had a bad feeling about today. The idea of starting somewhere different where I knew no-one was somewhat daunting, but there was something else bugging me; a gut feeling that just wouldn't let up.

After dragging my sorry ass out of bed at some ungodly hour of the morning and a cold shower (Charlie had already left, using up all the hot water) I managed to make it downstairs to a healthy breakfast of…uh…

The cupboards were completely empty. Does Charlie just not eat at the house? Great, guess I'm skipping breakfast. Grabbing my messenger bag and an umbrella, I made my way out to my *shudder* truck. There was no way I'd be able to enter the lot unnoticed with this particular brand of noisiness. I wasn't even sure the old rust bucket would make it all the way to school, but still… Reluctantly, I climbed in and made the short drive to Forks High.

Now I'd never really been shy of attention, but there's only so much a girl can take. And when the entire student body stares at you as you rock up in your battered truck and nearly fall out of the driver's seat,(slick) it's a little too much for anyone's comfort. And when you could hear them gossiping about you too…that just made it worse. So, with my treacherous cheeks burning and my head down, I all but ran to the school office to pick up my schedule. Where I was met by more staring. Jeesh, give it a rest already! I thought as I received my timetable and map (uh…) from the secretary, who was burning a hole in my forehead with her laser gaze. Honestly woman, never seen a teenager you haven't known since they were two? Mustering a fake grin, I scurried back to my truck to study the map before class began and I looked like an idiot with my nose stuck in a piece of paper, then walking into a wall or something.

I was distracted, though, when new scents reached me. They were all different, but among them were the two scents I recognised from the night before. What the hell? Before I could pinpoint where these smells had emerged from, the bell went. Damn it!

"Stupid lessons…not like they're going to get me anywhere anyways…I'm stuck like-"

"Hey, you're Isabella Swan, right? The new girl?" My mutterings were interrupted by a nerdy looking Asian guy with greasy black hair. Slightly dazed, I only had enough brain cells functioning to warrant a nod.

"Cool, I'm Eric. So do you want help finding your first class?" Since I'd been distracted, I realised I hadn't actually even looked properly at the map. I smiled gratefully at him.

"Yeah. That would be great, thanks. Uh, it's Bella, by the way."

Class went by surprisingly quickly for a Monday morning, and before I knew it I was shuffling into the cafeteria, fretting over the age old question of who to sit with on your first day. Paying for my food (Really? That's what they call it?), I began scanning around for an inconspicuous place to sit, when a frantic waving caught my eye. It was Eric. Relieved that I'd been saved from further embarrassment and looking like a saddo, I walked swiftly over to his table.

"Hey Bella! How was class? Hope the teachers didn't chew you out too much," Eric said as I sat down. A sandy haired kid who was sitting next to me nearly fell off his seat when I greeted him. He was too busy doing goldfish impressions to reply, so I turned back to Eric.

"Nah, they weren't too bad actually." They weren't too bad, because I'd been giving them glares every time it looked like they were going to ask me something.

"That's good." At this point, a fake tanned brunette breezed over to our table and banged her tray down in frustration. Noting that her meal consisted entirely of salad, I rolled my eyes. Not another one of those near-anorexic girls. Sure, I didn't like how I looked, but that was no reason to starve myself. You looked bad and you felt even worse; simple as.

"God, you wouldn't believe the day I – " the girl looked set to begin an utter bitch about how crap she thought her life was (I could practically see Eric and the blonde guy slump further into their seats) when she looked down and noticed me. Looking at me like she'd just stepped in something nasty for a moment, she then quickly plastered a fake smile on her face. "Oh, hi! You must be, like Isabella, right?" she looked around the table for confirmation, not at me. Nice, bitch. Way to make someone feel welcome.

"It's Bella, but yeah. And you are?" I barely managed to keep the pissed off tone out of my voice, looking her up and down quickly.

"I'm Jessica," She paused, as if expecting all the guys in the cafeteria to fall to their knees at the mention of her name. I looked at her incredulously. "Cheerleading captain." Whoop de doo. How nice for you, sunshine. Hmm, captain of Forks High cheerleading squad. What are there, like, five of you, like? Okay, so I was being bitchy, but people like her really pissed me off, being so far up their arses an' all. But, being the coward I am, I simply smiled lightly and went back to studying my…food.

"So, Bella," the blonde guy started. He said something else, but at that point I zoned out. There are those smells again. I turned my head quickly to look at the cafeteria entrance, in time to catch the entrance of four impossibly beautiful people.

First came a rather intimidating looking guy. He had dark, curly hair cropped quite short, and muscles so large I would have said he was on steroids. He stood about 6'2" and was grinning inanely. Holding his hand was a model. Seriously. She looked like she had just walked off a runway. Long, wavy blonde hair and a body any girl would die for, she gave off the impression of being slightly snobbish, and must have been about 5'9". After them stalked a rather grumpy looking boy, who seemed younger than the last two. His auburn hair looked like it had been rumpled one too many times and at 6' he gave off the air of some kind of predator. I shuddered involuntarily when his black eyes met mine, swiftly shifting my eyes on to the last person. And I nearly fell off my seat.

She was absolutely stunning. Significantly shorter than the other girl, she danced across the room in a care free manner that seemed so refreshing. Her onyx locks fell just below her chin and spiked out at all angles in a way that reflected that manner. Thick lashes framed honey golden eyes, and as they locked with my own, I felt like I was ready to melt.

Blushing at being caught staring at her, I quickly turned back to the people at my own table to find another girl had joined us during my gawking session. She was sitting next to Jessica, who leaned over conspiratorially. Oh good. Time for a dose of gossip.

"Delicious, aren't they? They're the Cullens – moved here from Alaska two years ago with Dr Cullen and his wife. The big one, Emmett, and the blonde one, Rosalie, they're together. Like, together together. They're all adopted, but it's just nasty. And the short one, Alice, she's with Jasper."

"The guy with bed hair?" I asked, feeling my heart sink slightly. She's taken. I swear I heard a snort from the table the Cullens were now sat at.

"No, Jasper doesn't appear to be here today. The other guy is Edward." She said his name so dreamily, but I really didn't get why she was making a big deal over him. "He's gorgeous, but don't waste your time. Nobody here seems to be good enough for him." Her voice turned bitter and she scowled.

"So when did he turn you down?" I blurted before I could stop myself. She narrowed her eyes at me, and I could hear chuckling coming from the Cullen table. What were they laughing about?

"He didn't turn me down," she replied haughtily. This was so obviously a lie that I couldn't swallow the laughter that bubbled up in my throat. She glared at me when the rest of the table, apart from the newcomer, joined me. This person, she turned to. "Come on, Lauren. Let's go." The girl (assumedly one of her sycophants) rose immediately and stalked off with her. "New bitch better watch her mouth, or I might do something that she would really not enjoy," I heard her whisper under her breath to Lauren. Feeling a little reckless, I stood up and shouted at her retreating back.

"And what would that be, Jessica? You gonna have your followers throw insults at me 'cos you're too scared to come do it yourself?" She turned around, wide eyed.

"How did she hear me from there?" I heard her whisper in panic. Aww shit. Then I realised what I'd done. Sitting down again abruptly, I began stabbing at the mush on my plate irately, cursing myself. It was mistakes like this that forced me to move the first time around. I MUST be more careful!

In my pocket, my phone began buzzing. Thanking whatever higher power there was up there, I pulled it out and began walking to the door leading outside, not answering before it was safely closed behind me. Not needing to check the caller ID, I pressed the receive button.

"Hey Rick!" I smiled into the phone.

"Hey baby doll! How's it goin'? Bummer that you had to move, but y'know, I always was telling you to be more careful," the familiar voice drawled into the phone. I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, sure, Rick. So when you comin' down?" There was a pause, then a sigh.

"Bella, you know I have so much stuff to clean up round here. You saw that for yourself. I'm not even sure I could make it this year, so you're gonna have to hold up on your own for a while. What's the sitch down there, hun? There any trouble?"

"Nothing so far. I'm being cautious though."

"Good, good. Well, I gotta run. I know you can handle yourself; you'll be fine, Bells. Catch ya later." He rang off.

I smiled. Rick always did have the best timing. He was my partner in crime; we shared our conditions and our burdens together, and he had been the one to teach me the things I needed to know when I first became what I am. I was indebted to him, and we were the best of friends. But him not being able to come down for a year…the thought made my good mood plummet once more. Staring off in the distance and grasping for something, anything to take my mind off Phoenix, I found my mind settling on Alice.

There was something intriguing and intoxicating about her, like she was intangible. She reminded me of a pixie, constantly full of energy and grace, never anything but smiles and sunshine. But when I had locked eyes with her for that split second, I saw something more. I saw pain. The thought that anybody would hurt this enchanting creature was so beyond my comprehension that it started to make my head hurt. But what eyes! Her perfectly proportioned features and stunningly toned body accentuated by her designer clothing occupied my thoughts for a good five minutes before I realised that I should probably go clear and get to my next class.

Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, I re-entered the building and made a bee-line for the table where I'd left my tray, grabbing it and dumping it before anyone could say anything, I was almost home and dry when I felt and arm grab onto my wrist. Jumping around in surprise, I came face to face with blond guy from our table. I looked at him expectantly.

"Hey, uh, Eric said you had biology with Banner next. I have that too. Do you want to walk with me?" I could see a faint tinge of red across his cheekbones.

"Uh, yeah that would be great. But I'm terribly sorry, I've forgotten your name," I replied, feeling guilty. He scratched the back of his head.

"No worries. It's Mike," he grinned, before walking through the door ahead of me. "Come on."

As we made our way through the hallways, Mike began to talk.

"That was pretty cool, back there when you put Jessica in her place? She really just needed to be told, but nobody would stand up to her." I snorted.

"Why would nobody stand up to her? She's not exactly intimidating." Mike pulled a face.

"Well, they tried to in the beginning, but she just wouldn't listen. I swear she was just so dumb she didn't understand. So people just gave up and didn't bother. Somehow, you did the miraculous and got it through her thick skull that no-one likes her. Kudos to you!"

I nodded. "Figures."

We walked the rest of the way in silence, elbowing our way through crowds when necessary, until we reached the door. Mike turned to me again.

"I'd sit with you, but Banner likes us in seats that he picks." I grimaced.

"That's okay, Mike."

We entered at the same time, then I went to the front of the class and the teacher's desk while he shuffled to his own seat. I looked up and saw he was seated next to Jessica. He looked decidedly uncomfortable. Feeling sorry for him, I turned back and addressed the teacher. He smiled warmly at me (which was nice) and directed me towards the last empty seat, next to…holy crap. It was her.

"Miss Cullen will be your lab partner for this term, Isabella," the teacher finished, as I slid onto the stool next to Alice. She smiled, but it was measured, almost as if she were afraid to be herself around me.

"Hi, Bella. I'm Alice." She stuck out her hand, and I took it. Her body temperature is freezing… at this point I took notice of her scent. What the…it was her! That intoxicating, exquisite fragrance…I took several deep breaths before I could control myself, my nostrils flaring. Then I realised that I'd probably been holding her hand for far too long.

Quickly, before seeming more like a freak than I'd already come off as, I let go of her hand. Something flashed across her face…hurt?...as she turned back to the front of the class. My thoughts were running wild. It's her…she smells soo good! But wait…what was she doing outside my window at night? I sat up a bit straighter. Huh? That was a point. As far as I knew, it wasn't normal practice for insanely beautiful girls to stand near my window at night. I mean, the only things that did that were…but then I hadn't sensed any, even thought there were definitely somethings outside the house last night. Ugh, my head hurts.

Shaking my head slightly to clear the confusing thoughts from my brain, I looked up to see her staring at me. Smirking, I raised an eyebrow at her quizzically and she just shrugged. I felt oddly at ease when I was with her, so I just grinned, and tuned back into the teacher in time to hear him say that we would be working with our lab partners on a week-long assignment to be handed in on the next Monday. When he was done, I shifted to look at Alice. She seemed to be staring off into the distance, but came back to the present went I waved my hand in front of her face. She groaned in annoyance, quietly. I felt a bit hurt, but started off a conversation anyway.

"So-"

I was interrupted by the classroom door opening once more. It was bed head boy, uh wassisname…Edward. The gay looking predator person. What's he doing here? Do they have a lack of chairs in this school, since there is appears to be no place for him?

He threw a slip down on the teacher's desk. "Sorry, Mr Banner. Last minute schedule change." The teacher just nodded and pointed to…our desk? Um…

Edward walked towards us, simply grinning at Alice. She scowled darkly in return, then got up from her seat with a flounce and was gone from the classroom, sending me an apologetic (?) smile as she went. Edward appeared to bear his teeth at her slightly before sliding into the seat she had previously occupied. My nose immediately began to sting. Turning my head away subtly, I tried to get away from his smell. Too sickly sweet, it reminded me of when I was five, and ate too many sweets, and the feeling of being incredibly sick afterwards. Then I realised.

Okay. What. The. Hell.

Both Edward and Alice were outside my house last night. Both of them. Edward's lips began moving, but I just couldn't bring myself to try and focus. I was still in a daze, what with my brain overloading and everything.

"…so I was thinking we could do this in the library, or maybe at your house, if you want." I caught the end of his speech, and nearly threw up when he sent me a crooked smile that he must have thought was charming. What was up with him and his hopeless flirting? Is his gaydar broken? Or is he in denial? Either way, it looked like he was expecting me to swoon and do whatever he wanted. If he carried on like this, I was going to get seriously pissed off. Summoning up my best fake smile, I replied as politely as I could.

"Edward, listen. I really would feel more comfortable keeping this on school grounds, okay? And by the way, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I'm not interested. I'm sorry." For a moment his face darkened and his nostrils flared. My instincts screamed at me that this guy was dangerous, but why on earth would he be dangerous to me? After all, what human guy could hurt me? As quickly as it came, his expression was covered by a strained mask.

"That's okay. Library it is."

We didn't talk much more than necessary after than that, although every so often he'd look as if he was about to say something, then thought better of it. At the end of class, I raced out of the room as fast as I could. It wasn't like I had anything against him per se, he just gave off bad vibes, and I really wanted to see as little of him as possible. His sister on the other hand…

In an attempt to distract myself from daydreaming any more, I studied my schedule to discover that my final lesson of the day was gym. Oh the joy. I wasn't clumsy or anything like that; I was more averse to gym because, at my last school anyway, since I had been officially dubbed as a 'dyke', changing arrangements had become somewhat problematic. In other words, all the paranoid girly girls were scared I was gonna ogle them or something. So not the case. Still, new school new start I suppose.

Dragging my feet towards where I felt the gym would be, I ended up getting lost. Feeling like an utter idiot, I managed to wonder the halls for a good half hour before making it to the gym, by which time the coach had simply told me to watch from the bleachers and that I would start the next day. Which gave me plenty of time to watch Alice play dodge ball.

Oh yes, she was in my gym class too. Well, no longer in my bio class, but in my gym class at least. It was quite fascinating to watch her move, almost lazily, weaving in and out of the flying balls with a grace that I had seen nobody else achieve before. And when she was hit, it almost looked like she had let it happen, rather than it being some fault of her own. Needless to say, the lesson ended way too quickly for my liking. Grabbing my messenger and jacket, I headed back towards the parking lot, keen to be out of this place and into the comfort of solitude.

"Bella!"

I sighed inwardly. What does he want now? Turning reluctantly, I acknowledged the dishevelled Edward jogging towards me with hands on my hips, looking at him expectantly.

"Don't you want to start on this project?" he gestured towards the library. Not likely mate. I need to relax. I can't possibly do that with you breathing down my neck.

"Sorry. I have to go food shop; Charlie doesn't seem to like keeping food in the house," I lied quickly. He nodded like he understood, and I turned to go when a pixie turned up at my side, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Aaand I think my brain just fell out.

"Hi Bella! How was Bio? Sorry we didn't get to talk much, but I was needed elsewhere." In a valiant attempt, my brain connected with the rest of me in record time and I managed to muster up a reply.

"It wasn't too bad, thanks. Although it really is the most boring subject in itself." I rolled my eyes, hoping to subtly convey my irritation.

"Oh believe me, I know. So I was thinking that you could come shopping with me this Saturday, since I couldn't help but notice that your current style doesn't really flatter your body like it could, and I could help you?"

Shopping. Shopping? Ohh Alice, why'd it have to be shopping? Movie night? Sure. Cliff diving? Yeah. So long as I get to see you. But shopping?

"Yeah, sure Alice," I breathed, wondering what I'd just agreed to.

"Great. So I'll come pick you up around 8am? We'll only be able to go to Port Angeles; Seattle is too far, but we'll still have fun. See you later Bella!" And with that the little whirlwind skipped off once more, leaving me wondering how on earth I was going to get through a day of shopping with just Alice.

A/N So what did you think? Review!