A/N: OK, I want to start off saying thanks to each and every one of you for reading, and for your reviews. To say that they make my day is one helluv an understatement. Thank you. I had hoped to have this up on Friday before I took off for Florida for the weekend; but obviously, that didn't happen. I did have it finished, but since I don't have a beta I try to proofread everything three or four times before I post it; and even then I know I don't catch everything. Seems like my brain knows what I meant to write and therefore I tend to read right over my mistakes without realizing it... Most of this was proofed at the airport last night in Charlotte and I only slept five hours all weekend, so I ask that you forgive me if there's a few more mistakes than usual. Anyhoo, here we go - the first day of school. All twenty-seven pages of it. My longest chapter ever.
Sad fact, SM still owns all things Twilight.
Prey For Protection
Chapter Ten:
Leah
I snuck a sideways glance at Bells and was torn between snickering at her and wrapping her into a sympathetic hug. She was a nervous wreck. She had been since she tripped out of bed at 4:45 this morning. She was straddling the line for a full on meltdown before we even managed to get downstairs for breakfast.
"What if everybody hates me?" she'd muttered earlier from her bed, with her face burrowed in her pillow.
"Then fuck the whole lot of 'em. You know we love ya;" I'd replied simply.
"Are Embry and Quil betting on how many times I face-plant today?" she'd grumbled.
"Nope," I lied. Technically, they hadn't said anything specifically about her face planting, but they did have ten bucks on how many times she embarrassed the hell out of herself. I decided she'd be ok without that little bit of knowledge. "You'll be fine Bells," I'd promised her before pulling her up off the bed and shoving her into the bathroom to shower.
She was turning into the parking lot of Forks High School, her knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard, and we hadn't spoken a word since we'd left her house. I reached out to give her shoulder a reassuring pat and repeated my sentiment from earlier, "You'll be fine Bells."
She pulled into a parking spot close to the tiny building marked "Front Office" and shut off the Chevy's roaring engine. She inhaled deeply before turning to me with a tight smile. We had almost an hour before the bell rang, so the parking lot was close to empty. We needed to meet with the guys, get our schedules and compare them and all that shit before the day actually got started.
"Bella," she looked downright timid when she looked over at me. "Listen to me. You are gorgeous. You are smart. You are one of the sweetest, most down-to-earth, most worth-knowing people I've ever met. Please stop freaking out. Some of them will love you even if you fall flat on your face. Some of them will hate you in spite of you being an amazing person. Some of them won't give a shit one way or the other. Don't stress it; just remember to breathe and you'll be fine." With that I opened the passenger door and hopped out of the truck, grabbing my book bag and slinging it over my shoulders as I closed the door. I walked around to Bella's side and opened her door for her knowing that if I waited for her to get out on her own we'd be there all week. She grabbed her bag and reluctantly dropped down out of the truck. I shut the door and as I turned to walk away I found myself wrapped in Bella's embrace.
"Thanks Leah," she whispered as I hugged her back; "I don't know what I'd do without you."
I heard Jake's Rabbit pulling into the lot and realized there was another way that I could ease Bella's nerves today. "Hey Bells, I need to chat with the guys a minute. Would you mind going on ahead? I'll be in there in a few."
She nodded and traipsed off, disappearing into the building just before Jake parked his battered piece of shit next to hers. He and Embry both got out and joined me in front of Bella's truck.
I noticed Jake anxiously looking around, presumably for Bella. "Hey Embers, I need to talk to our brother a second. Bella's in the office doing the sign up thing, how 'bout you go join her?"
Embry looked from me to Jake curiously for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and strutting off toward the office. Once he was inside I embraced the rage I'd felt the night before as I tried for hours to soothe Bella, and I spun to face Jake.
"Jacob Ephraim Black!" His eyes widened at the force of my voice. "What the fuck kind of stupid shit did your dumb ass pull yesterday? Are you really that god damn dense?" I inhaled deeply and counted to ten before exhaling in an effort to calm myself down. I could feel the vibrations threatening to overtake me, and no matter how badly I wanted to phase and rip a couple of his limbs off and shove them up his ass, I knew I had to keep myself in check.
"First of all, she's barely been in Forks for three months. Second, the only fucking reason she's here is because her last boyfriend is a bloodsucking psycho who wants to kill her. Remember? Do you really think she's ready to jump into a relationship with the first guy that doesn't want her dead? I mean really, how clueless are you?"
"But… Lee-Lee…"
"Don't you dare 'but Lee-Lee' me! I'm not even close to being done with you." I took another deep breath and with a huge effort, I was able to bring my voice back down to a reasonable level. "I get that you like her Jake, I really do. I can't believe how blind that girl can be sometimes, but what you pulled… that was wrong. You dump your feelings on her and then get pissed off because she doesn't see you the same way? How fair is that? How could you treat her like that? Let me remind you, that girl doesn't owe you shit. You are here to protect her, and if I think for a half a second that you're not giving it your all, I'll call Sam and he will have you outta here faster than you can say, 'Leah whooped my ass.' Put your personal feelings aside and get on task; and if you're anything less than wonderful to Bella I will whoop upon your ass. I don't wanna hear another fucking word about it. If you understand you nod, we go to the office and get this show on the road. If you don't understand, get in your car and take your ass back home."
I glared at him impatiently and watched the flurry of emotions pass across his face. He was pissed; he didn't like being put in his place, especially not by me. It had to be done though, and I think he realized that because in the end he just nodded and walked toward the doors Bella and Embry had previously passed through. I sighed and followed Jacob into the office.
Twenty minutes later, we were all huddled around the hood of Jake's Rabbit comparing schedules. The only downside to being a senior was that I'd only actually be with Bella during lunchtime. We had Bella's schedule laid out in the middle, and we were checking Jake's and Embry's against it.
Bella was on her own for homeroom. She had English Lit first period with Embry and US History second period with both Embry and Jake. She was on her own again for her third period French class and then we'd all hook up for lunch. After lunch she was yet again on her own in her fourth period Biology class before joining Embry for Calculus fifth period and Jake for Gym at the end of the day.
We went over the school map and compared class locations. We marked which rooms each of us were in for each class period and even marked where we'd decided to meet for lunch. By the time we were finished going over the map and our schedules, the parking lot was more than half full. I gave Jake a meaningful look and then nodded toward Bella. He grimaced but nodded before turning to Bella and quietly asking her to take a walk with him before homeroom. She glanced up at me and I shrugged, trying to look clueless. She knew better, but said nothing as she followed Jake across the parking lot and away from the school.
Embry looked from them to me curiously, appearing to debate whether or not he should ask. He settled with a nod in Jake and Bella's direction and a casual, "so, they ok?"
I shrugged. "I suppose. Fortunately for Jake, Bella borders sainthood in both forgiveness and patience. He blows up at her and she's feeling all guilty about hurting his feelings. I mean… only Bella right?" I chuckled shaking my head.
"Yeah," he agreed, laughing, "only Bella." He shouldered his backpack and glanced toward the woods that surrounded the campus on three sides.
Jacob and Bella could be seen just beyond the tree line. They were standing close together and obviously engrossed in conversation. I'd secretly hoped that the two of them would end up together. If Jake would just back off and give her some more time… She was obviously drawn to him, she just didn't recognize it, and I didn't think she was ready for it. When he offered her his hand, her hand seemed to just migrate into it. When he slung his arm around her shoulders, her arm automatically went around his waist. The two of them seemed so natural together, so right for each other. I refused to let go of my hope. She needed him to be her friend right now; the rest would have to wait.
"Oh," Embry cut in to my thoughts, "Sam wanted me to make sure we all had our speed dials set up. You get yours and Bella's programmed?"
"Yeah," I smirked, "last week."
He grinned and checked the time on his phone before glancing off toward the missing duo again.
I started to comment when a flash of silver caught my eye from halfway across the parking lot. Standing out like a sore thumb against the rest of the vehicles in the lot a sleek, shiny, silver Volvo quickly pulled into a parking space. A cherry red, BMW M3 pulled up alongside the Volvo and parked barely a second later. There'd been a light rain this morning, the remnants forcing the driver to keep the top up.
I shuddered and I swear every little hair on my body was suddenly standing on end as the doors to both vehicles opened almost simultaneously. The damp morning breeze picked up momentarily and I was assaulted by the most disgustingly sweet stench. I recognized the smell immediately, vampires. One, two three, four, five vampires!
I heard a low growl emanating from Embry at the same time that I realized I was visibly trembling. The bloodsuckers must've heard him too because they all stopped abruptly, staring at us in shock and disbelief. I recognized the smallest as one of the females from Seattle. I hadn't seen the second female; I'd just caught her scent in the dressing room. As soon as I'd realized that she wasn't alone, I'd literally thrown some bills at the cashier, waved the jeans at her and ran outside to Bella.
Wait a minute. Why would the same vampires from Seattle even be here in Forks? And what the hell were they doing at Forks High School? Something was nagging at me, some half realization begging to be brought fully to life. Then it dawned on me, five vampires. Didn't Bells say her ex ran with four others? Fuck.
"Embry," I spoke quietly, "go to Jacob and Bella. Don't let either of them leave the woods yet. If anything happens get'em the hell outta here. Once you're with them, give Sam a call."
"Leah…" Embry started, I knew he was going to object. He didn't want to leave me here alone, especially not with five leeches staring me down. If this was James and his coven, we had to keep Bella out of their sight.
"God damn it, Embry!" I cursed, "Go. Keep Bella safe or I will personally rip your throat out."
He muttered something under his breath, I was only able to make out the words bossy and bitch, but he started backing off in the direction Jake and Bella had walked off in.
The rest of the student body walked around us, excited conversations buzzing over the first day of school, totally oblivious to the vampire/werewolf stand-off taking place right under their noses.
I returned my full attention to the bloodsuckers, wishing desperately that I could better remember the picture Forks' finest had sketched of James. I remembered Bella saying he was tall and blond, and there was a tall blond standing amidst these bloodsuckers. I was also pretty sure that she'd mentioned two other males and two females. That part seemed to fit this group also.
My hands were shaking so much I couldn't force them to be still. I was trying to measure my breaths and I kept clenching and relaxing my fists in an attempt to release some of the tension. I needed to phase, needed to go wolf and rip each and every one of them to shreds, but I couldn't exactly do that in the middle of the Forks High School parking lot. I knew that if I stayed there much longer I would lose control. I hadn't felt that way since back before I'd first mastered the art of phasing.
I tried to memorize their faces so I could describe them to Sam. In addition to the tiny female I'd encountered outside of the shop in Seattle, there was a tall leggy blond. She put out the vibe that she was her own biggest fan. The tall, slender, blond that I assumed to be James had wavy hair that hung just off his shoulders and an almost pained expression on his face. His arm was protectively clutching the tiny, dark-haired girl. Next to the leggy blond bimbo was an enormous bear-looking vamp. He had short wavy dark hair and an almost child-like grin on his face, complete with two big dimples. Who the hell ever heard of bloodsuckers with dimples? The final leech I settled on had the strangest hair I'd ever seen. It was a copper-color, and it almost looked like he had a near fatal case of bed-head. He was tall like the other males, though not nearly as tall as the bear.
I decided I had to get to the others, get Bella to safety, and then take care of these filthy fucks once and for all. Just as that thought passed through my mind the coppery headed leech took a step toward me, his expression suddenly fierce. The other two males grabbed at him, and I took that as a sign to make my exit. I followed Embry's example and began my retreat backwards. I didn't dare take my eyes off the bloodsuckers until I was a couple hundred feet away at which point I turned and ran as fast as two feet could carry me. The first warning bell of the day rang as my feet left the concrete. I turned around quickly, half expecting them to be following me but instead, seeing them splitting up and heading into different buildings. Going to class? I wondered. Or hunting for our Bella?
"C'mon guys! You're gonna make me late to class! PLEASE don't make me walk in there late!" Bella's frantic whining caught my attention and I quickly jogged the remaining distance to find both Jake and Embry carefully restraining her.
"Leah!" She gushed, relief evident in her voice; "PLEASE tell them to let me go so I can get to class. You KNOW that if I walk in late I'll get nervous and trip over my own feet and make a complete ass of myself in front of the entire class."
It was sad, but odds are she was making a pretty accurate prediction. I put a hand on her shoulder in a soothing gesture, "Give me one minute Bells, and I'll walk you to class ok? I'll escort you all the way to your seat if you want me to." I turned my gaze to Embry, "Can I talk to you for one minute, Embers?"
He released his hold on Bella, leaving her in Jake's strong hands, and followed me deeper into the woods. "You caught their scent too?" I asked, knowing full well he had.
"Yeah, but what the hell are they doin' here?" he asked.
"I don't know, kind of looked like they were heading to class. You realize there are five of them? One could be James, but I don't remember much of her description of him. Call Sam tell him what we saw and see what he wants us to do. In the meantime I'll take Bells to homeroom and wait outside her door until the bell rings. We'll meet you back here before first period, unless Sam wants her outta here, if so come get us. Got it?"
He nodded and we quickly rejoined Jake and Bella. He had his arms wrapped around her middle and she was quietly leaning against him. I found myself grinning in spite of the current drama; there was still hope for them yet.
"Ready to get to homeroom Bells?" I asked, trying to force my voice to sound as casual as possible.
She nodded and slipped out of Jake's arms and hooking her arm in mine. I gave her a reassuring smile as we strolled across the parking lot. We headed into Building Two and I walked inside the classroom door with her as the tardy bell rang. I gave her arm an encouraging squeeze before releasing her to take the last three steps to the teacher's desk on her own. A quick glance around the classroom and a taste of the air assured me that the only threat to Bella's safety was Bella herself. Satisfied, I turned and stepped out of the classroom. I staked claim to a piece of wall across the hallway and casually leaned against it, silently cursing the clocks and urging the bell to ring.
It wasn't even really homeroom. It was a five-minute advisory period, but the second hand on the large black clock hanging at the end of the hall seemed to be mocking me. I could've sworn it went backwards on more than one occasion. When the bell finally rang, yes an agonizing five minutes later, I straightened up and stepped forward just as the door burst open and Bella's classmates started stampeding out. She, of course, was one of the last to come out.
I grabbed her arm, weaving it through mine again and pulled her toward the exit as quickly as possible without outright dragging her. I realized I needed to talk to Embry and Jacob without freaking Bella out, and I couldn't very well do that if she were with us. So, on a whim, I asked Bella where her first period class was.
She reached into the back pocket of her jeans with her free hand and shook her schedule out as we walked. "English Lit… Building three, Room three-eleven," she informed me.
I nodded and pulled her toward Building Three, my plan taking shape as we walked. I'd make sure she was safely in her classroom and then I'd run back and see what Embry found out. He was supposed to be in there with her and as soon as he told me everything he knew I'd send him back to join her.
"Try to save Embry a seat Bells," I instructed her. "He'll probably be late," I added, in response to her quirked brow. I rolled my eyes indicating that it was just typical Embry behavior. She chuckled as we stepped into her classroom. I stopped just inside the door and glanced around nonchalantly. It looked and smelled like a classroom full of humans to me. I noticed that almost half the desks were still empty, but I couldn't stand not knowing what Sam wanted us to do. So as soon as Bella checked in with her teacher I slipped out of the room and took off down the hall.
As soon as I was outside I ran, almost full force, across the lot to the woods where I'd left Jake and Embry. Embry was almost frantically pacing back and forth, and Jacob was snarling into his phone when I arrived. I gave Embry a quizzical look and he paced up to me and stopped. "So?" I asked impatiently.
He took a deep breath before starting. "Well, those aren't our bloodsuckers."
"How do you know?" I demanded.
"Sam said those are the Cullens. You know, the Cullens from the treaty? He knew they were around, but he didn't know they were going to school at Forks High. He and Billy have requested a meeting with their leader to make sure they know what's going on and to stay out of our way."
"So what we're just supposed to carry on and ignore them?" I asked in disbelief, the volume of my voice increasing as I spoke. "Sam really wants us to go to school with a coven of fucking leeches? Why can't we just have Bells go to school on the rez? Damn sure won't be any bloodsuckers for student council there."
"Won't happen," Embry stated.
"I know," I sighed, but I wish it would. "So is that all you've got Embers?" I asked, my thoughts suddenly shifting back to Bella.
"Yeah, at least for now. You want me to head on to class and keep an eye on Bells?" he offered.
"Please," I nodded in agreement. "I told her to save you a seat," I called as he grabbed his pack and took off across the lot at a jog. He waved back over his shoulder, and I watched until he disappeared into Building Three.
I shot Jacob an impatient glare and silently indicated that I wanted to talk to Sam before he ended the call. What the hell was our fearless leader thinking? The whole idea of wolves and vamps in the same building was absurd. Someone, one of them or one of us, would lose it, and Forks High wouldn't know what hit them. Mortal enemies can't just up and decide to play nice. Tearing them to shreds was almost as instinctual as breathing; he knew this. I had to talk some sense into him, even if it took me all day.
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
Bella
"Bells… I was an ass. I admit it and if there was anyway I could take it back I so totally would. You HAVE to believe me. You were open and honest and gentle and all those other good things that make you, you." He chuckled nervously before continuing. "You can't blame me for fallin' for ya, any more than I can blame you for not fallin' for me. I love you Bells and that's probably never gonna change. You love me too and that's enough, even if it's not in the same way. I'll take whatever you can give me and be happy with it."
"Jake! I told you, you don't owe me an apology or anything else. I understand. I do. You put your heart out there and… well I guess I broke it." I threw my arms around his waist, squeezing him as tight as I could. "I'm sorry I hurt you Jacob," I said, my face buried in the bright orange, cotton t-shirt he wore stretched tight against his warm, broad chest.
Embry ran through the trees to join us. "Hey guys!" He called out in what sounded like a forced cheerfulness. "You two good? Did ya kiss and make up and all that stuff?"
I turned in Jacob's arms so that my back was leaning against his front. I smiled up at Embry and gave him a slight nod, and he smiled back.
"Good to hear," he said with a wink. "Oh and Bells? If he acts up again you just let me know. I'll straighten him out for ya." He slugged Jake on the shoulder good-naturedly, and Jake rolled his eyes and joined in our laughter.
"So, where's Leah? Isn't it about time we head to class?" I asked, glancing around for any sign of her.
"She uh… She'll be here in a minute," Embry said.
"If she makes us late to the first class on the first day…" I muttered. I shuddered as my mind suddenly filled with the various 'grand' clumsy entrances I was prone to making, most of which ended with much snickering and me somehow broken or bleeding. Not today, I silently prayed.
The shrill ringing of the warning bell pierced through the air just then and I was NOT going to be late to my very first class. I huffed and made to walk away, only to find both Jacob and Embry grabbing for me. Each of them took one of my wrists and while their grip was gentle, there was no questioning the iron-like strength in their hands. I would not be getting away from them by force.
"C'mon guys!" I urged them, quickly switching tactics, "You're gonna make me late to class! PLEASE don't make me walk in there late!" I whined desperately.
A noise to my right caught my attention and Leah stepped into sight. "Leah!" I gushed, "PLEASE tell them to let me go so I can get to class. You KNOW that if I walk in late I'll get nervous and trip over my own feet and make a complete ass of myself in front of the entire class."
She patted me on the shoulder and gave me a look similar to a half-smile. "Give me one minute Bells, and I'll walk you to class ok? I'll escort you all the way to your seat if you want me to." She looked to Embry and asked, "Can I talk to you for one minute Embers?"
He let go of my wrist and the two of them disappeared deeper into the woods. I gave Jake a questioning look and he just shrugged. "I've been right here. You know as much as I do," he said and then pulled me closer to him, resuming our earlier position with my back against his stomach. He leaned down and spoke quietly against my ear, "So, we're cool right? Still friends?"
I nestled as close to him as I could before nodding in response, enjoying the warmth and safety I always felt with him. "Best friends," I whispered.
"Ready to get to homeroom Bells?" Leah asked, surprising me as she and Embry stepped out of the trees.
I nodded and removed myself from Jake's arms before hooking my arm in Leah's. I took a deep breath and she gave me a reassuring smile as we quickly strolled across the parking lot. We headed into Building Two and I was surprised when she walked through classroom door with me. We stepped inside just as the tardy bell rang and she gave my arm a squeeze before letting go.
She left and I stopped at the advisor's desk and had her sign off on my slip and add me to her attendance record. She pointed me toward a desk behind a fair-skinned girl with dark curly hair who immediately spun around in her seat to introduce herself as Jessica Stanley.
"You're Isabella Swan," she told me matter-of-factly. I wondered if she thought I'd be impressed that she knew my name or if she thought I might need to be reminded.
"Bella," I replied automatically. She turned to face the front when Ms. Schmidt, a middle-aged woman with stringy black hair and thick-framed glasses, started reading off from a list of announcements. She wrapped up just as the dismissal bell rang, and Jessica practically pounced on me.
"I have Geometry first, how bout you?" she asked.
"Umm English," I replied, unsure as to why I felt a sudden wave of relief.
"Oh," she said, obviously disappointed. "Well, maybe I'll see you later." And she followed the rest of the students out the door. I shouldered my messenger bag and made my way to the hallway, surprised to find Leah waiting for me.
She grabbed my arm, weaving it through hers and practically dragged me toward the exit. "Where's your first period class?" she asked, seeming rushed and more than a little distracted.
I reached into the back pocket of the snug fitting black skinny jeans Leah had coerced me to wear that morning and pulled out my schedule. "English Lit… Building three, Room three-eleven," I told her.
She nodded and pulled me toward Building Three, "Try to save Embry a seat Bells," she instructed me. I was about to ask her why I'd need to when she added, "He'll probably be late." She rolled her eyes and chuckled as we stepped into the classroom. She stopped just inside the door and glanced around a moment, before spinning on her heel and leaving, presumably heading for her own class.
I stopped at the teacher's desk and handed my slip to Miss Evanston. She was a younger woman. I'd guess her to be in her late twenties. She was tall, with platinum blond hair, kind green eyes and a warm smile. She signed the slip and returned it to me, instructing me to find an empty seat and lay claim to it. I carefully made my way toward the back of the room and took a seat that was surrounded by empty desks. I slipped out of my black hoodie and draped it across the seat to the left of mine, hoping that that would be enough to reserve the seat for Embry.
I sat watching as students continued to trickle into the classroom. A tall, shy looking girl with light brown hair and soft brown eyes smiled warmly as she took the seat to my right. I smiled back and busied myself removing my binder from my bag. I was digging for a pencil when a tap on my desk startled me. I gasped and looked up into the playful blue eyes of the blond-haired boy who'd claimed the seat in front of me.
"Hey," he smiled, "I'm Mike Newton. You must be Isabella."
"Bella," I corrected him, realizing I'd probably be doing a lot of that over the next few days.
"Bella," his smile broadened, "I like it. Very pretty name for a very pretty girl," and he winked at me. He actually winked at me. Ugh.
I felt my cheeks burn as the blush lit across my face. "Thanks," I mumbled uncomfortably, silently wishing he'd turn back around.
Just then, another girl took a seat next to Mike calling for his attention as she quizzed him on his summer. She had silver blond hair and fishy-looking, blue eyes. There were traces of a smirk on her face as she looked past Mike to meet my gaze. She appeared to be happy to have stolen his attention away. I chuckled to myself and wondered if I should send her a thank you card.
The tardy bell rang and Embry was still nowhere to be seen. I glanced at the empty chair next to me and prayed he hadn't already managed to get himself into trouble. He had to be the single most mischievous person I'd ever known. Just as they were finishing up the door flew open and he came strutting into the classroom. He stopped to speak with the teacher before plopping into the seat next to me. He offered me a lazy grin when he met my questioning gaze and mouthed 'got lost' with a shrug.
The rest of the hour passed in a blur of classroom rules and expectations. When the bell rang, I noticed several disappointed looks from our female classmates when Embry took my elbow and led me out of the room. I felt my cheeks burn again as I realized they probably thought we were together.
Our second period US History class was right down the hall from English Lit. Embry seemed to be looking for someone as we walked through the hall, and then I remembered Jacob would be joining us this hour. We walked into the classroom and stopped at the teacher's desk where an older and very wrinkled gentleman, whose nameplate read Dr. Andrews, signed both of our slips and directed us to find a seat 'wherever.'
I followed Embry to the back of the classroom and took a seat directly behind him. He grabbed his binder out of his backpack, and then dropped the pack into the empty seat beside him. I heard a shrill squeal and turned in the direction it came from, only to find Jessica from homeroom bounding across the room.
She cast an appreciative glance in Embry's direction before sliding into the seat next to me. "Bella!' she nearly yelled. "I'm so glad you're here," she beamed.
"Hey Jessica," I smiled weakly in return and then caught sight of Jacob entering the classroom. He winked at me before dropping into his seat with a sigh. He leaned across the aisle and he and Embry spoke in hushed whispers until the tardy bell rang and Dr. Andrews called the class to order.
I chanced a glance at Jessica and found her staring at Jake and Embry, mouth agape. I fought to hold back a giggle when I caught her wiping the corner of her mouth. She was literally drooling over them!
Textbooks and a variety of handouts were distributed and all the while, Jessica ranted, raved and rambled, barely pausing to breathe. Fortunately, the hour seemed to pass rather quickly. When the bell rang I nearly collided with the brick wall that was otherwise known as Jacob Black in my haste to escape Jessica's incessant chattering.
"Whoa, Bells!" he laughed, reaching out to steady me. "Where's the fire?" he teased.
I rolled my eyes and huffed at him. "Ha. Ha," I responded petulantly, barely resisting the urge to stick my tongue out at him. "I have to get to French class Jacob," I told him, unable to hide the annoyance in my voice.
"Well, let me walk you," he offered, shouldering his pack and smiling down at me warmly.
"Don't you go in like the opposite direction Jake?" I asked him.
"Well yeah…"
I chuckled, trying to diffuse my growing anger. Why were they babying me all of a sudden anyway? "I'm pretty sure I'll be alright Jacob. In case you've forgotten, I managed ten whole years of school before you guys came into the picture. I think I can find my way to French class."
With that I spun on my heel and stormed off. I knew that they were there to help keep me safe in case James showed up but they'd been smothering me all morning. Unfortunately, my innate clumsiness kicked in just three stomps in to my dramatic departure. My right foot flew right out from under me and I felt myself falling backwards. I readied myself to hit the floor, expecting the hallway to burst in laughter around me but instead I felt Jacob's arms quickly wind around my waist.
He breathed out a chuckle as he pulled me against him, giving me a moment to regain my nearly handicapped sense of balance. "What are we gonna do with you Bells?" He asked quietly.
I slipped out of his grasp and took a deep breath, willing the blood to leave my burning cheeks. "I'll see you at lunch, ok Jake?"
He grinned, obviously still amused at my near inability to walk and waved as I turned to hurry off toward Building Four. I walked as quickly as I dared without unnecessary risk of falling, and I stepped into class a full minute before the tardy bell rang. I carefully navigated my way through the aisle and to the teacher's desk at the back of the room. Madame LaSalle smiled brightly as I handed her my slip, which she promptly signed and returned after adding my name to her roster. She had a kind face and warm brown eyes. She wore her gray hair pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head. She pointed for me to take a seat next to a familiar looking girl with light brown hair. I recognized her from my English class, although we hadn't yet spoke. We exchanged smiles and both busied ourselves getting our supplies out.
Laughter from across the room caught my attention, and I turned to find my gaze looked with the fishy-eyed blond who'd also been in my English class. She was smirking at me, and I immediately felt the blush burn my cheeks and neck. I turned to face the front of the classroom, refusing to be caught up in any drama on my very first day.
Much like in the classes we'd already endured, most of the hour was spent assigning texts and passing out what seemed to me like a ridiculous amount of paperwork. I learned that the shy girl who sat beside me was named Angela, and I liked her immediately. She was soft spoken and unlike Jessica she didn't try to squeeze my life story out of me in our first five minutes of conversation.
Madame LaSalle dismissed us ten minutes early, so I was in no rush as I set off for Building One. I stood outside until the bell rang, enjoying the fresh air and reveling in the fact that the day was half over. I checked my schedule to verify the room number before pulling the heavy doors open and slowly walking through the crowded hallway.
"Heya Bells!" Embry panted over my shoulder as we entered the classroom together.
"Embry," I glanced over my shoulder to offer him a warm smile. We stepped to the teacher's desk together and presented Mrs. Stewart our slips to be signed. She signed them and handed them back to us distractedly, instructing us to find seats wherever.
Embry followed me to the back of the classroom where we found two empty seats side by side. He plopped into his seat, dwarfing it with his large frame and stretching his long legs out in front of him. I smiled at Angela when I saw her walk into the room. She smiled back and seated herself directly in front of me. I had a feeling she and I would be friends.
The door to the classroom burst open as Mrs. Stewart called for us to pass up copies of the classroom rules that she'd asked us all to sign. I looked up after passing my paper to Angela, to see a very familiar, dark-haired girl burst into the classroom. She glanced at the instructor apologetically before hurrying to the first vacant seat she came to. At a glance I took in her pale skin and her every-which-way spiky hair and realized I'd seen her before. As soon as I remembered where I'd seen her, outside the little boutique in Seattle, I realized there was a very strange noise coming from Embry. Not only that, but his entire body was trembling. You could hear the wood of his desk squeak out in protest as his large frame vibrated within it.
"Embry," I whispered, but he gave no indication of having heard me. "EMBRY!" I called to him again, as loud as I dared without fear of attracting the teacher's attention, still no reaction from him. So, I leaned across the narrow aisle that separated our desks and pinched him on the side as hard as I could.
"Damn it Bells!" he cried out loudly, twirling in his seat to give me a death-glare and earning a disapproving glance from our instructor.
"What's wrong?" I asked him quietly.
His expression was fierce, and he was sitting rigid in his seat but he shook his head refusing to answer me. The low rumbling sound continued to reverberate through him, and I swore it sounded like he was growling. I tried to get his attention again, but he ignored me completely. I sighed in frustration and returned my attention to the front of the classroom. I decided I'd wait and ask him about it at lunch.
When the bell announcing lunch finally rang, I took my time gathering my belongings and storing them in my messenger bag. The dark-haired pixie was one of the first out of the room. Embry hung back with me, albeit impatiently. I'd always tried to avoid the initial stampede to get out the door. As the crowd dispersed, we quickly strolled out of the room to meet up with Leah and Jake for lunch.
As soon as we stepped out of the building, I found myself being practically assaulted by Jessica, the chatterbox from my History class. "Bella!" she shrieked, forcefully grabbing my right arm and winding it through her own. "You have to sit with us at lunch!" I nearly tripped when she gave my arm a not-so-gentle yank, forcing me to fall in step with her, as we made our way, presumably, toward the cafeteria.
"I uh… That's really sweet of you Jess," I started, forcing sincerity into my voice. "But I sort of already promised some friends I'd meet them for lunch."
"Oh," her face momentarily fell but then brightened up immediately before she asked, "You mean those two totally gorgeous guys from History?" pretending not to see Embry standing right there. "Oh," she giggled when he raised his brow at her, "hi there."
He winked and offered her a toothy grin, sending her into another fit of giggles. I rolled my eyes before making the introductions. "Oh uh, Jess this is my good friend Embry Call. Embry meet Jessica, she's in our History class.
"Yeah I kinda picked up on that," he smiled. "Good to meet ya Jess," he said with a swooping bow.
"Well," I cut in, "we need to go meet Jake and Leah. Maybe a rain check for lunch?" I asked, trying to shove Embry into motion again.
"Leah?" Jessica asked, looking confused.
"Yeah she just started today too," Embry explained, "She's a senior."
"Oh…" Jessica replied. "Well, why don't you all come sit with us at lunch? I can introduce you and your friends to all my friends!"
I was wracking my brain for an excuse. I'd been looking forward to sitting down with Leah, Jacob and Embry and quietly going over our days. Embry, on the other hand, seemed to have other plans.
"That's sounds great," he answered, mirroring her excitement. We'd both temporarily forgotten about the way he'd acted in Calculus by then.
Jessica let out a high-pitched squeal and then looped her free arm through Embry's, dragging the both of us toward the cafeteria.
Embry was the first to spot Leah and Jacob waiting for us at one of the outdoor tables located just outside the cafeteria. He gave a shout to get their attention and waved them both over.
I immediately noticed that Leah appeared to be more than a little annoyed. I shot her a curious glance but she just shook her head and looked expectantly from me to Jessica.
"OK, Leah Clearwater, Jacob Black, this is Jessica Stanley. Jessica, these are my best friends, Leah and Jake." They exchanged smiles and hellos and I caught Leah's 'What have you gotten me into look,' and nodded toward Embry who was currently quietly talking to Jessica, his arm casually slung around her shoulders. "Jessica invited us to join her and her friends for lunch," I explained, hoping Jess would miss the apologetic tone in my voice.
Jacob had a pleasant smile plastered on his face but he didn't say anything. So, when Leah nodded her acceptance, we all filed into the cafeteria to take our place in the lunch line.
We progressed through the line slowly. Embry and Jacob both stepped out with trays piled high with food. Leah and I each grabbed a slice of pizza and a bottle of lemonade. Jessica grabbed a salad and a carton of milk, before leading us across the crowded lunchroom. As we followed her to her table I couldn't help but notice the amount of attention we were all getting. Charlie had already alerted me of the fact that new faces were a rarity around here so I assumed that four new students in one day was pretty big news.
When we arrived at a large table in the center of the room, Jessica stopped and dropped her tray in front of an empty seat at the end. She gestured for the rest of us to sit down as well, eyeing Embry as she pulled out the seat next to her. He smirked and quickly sat down beside her. I took the seat opposite her, Leah sat next to me with Jake on the other side of her.
The remaining seats were filled quickly and Jessica set about making the introductions. I recognized several faces from my morning classes, including the fishy-eyed girl from my English and French classes. I learned that her name was Lauren but her big eyes and tiny pouty mouth made it difficult to think of her as anything other than fish-face or the fishy-eyed girl. I said a silent prayer that I'd be able to remember at least some of their names.
Leah's phone went off a few minutes later, and she excused herself from the table to answer it. She was back within a couple of minutes, asking Jake and Embry to step outside with her. I gave her a curious look and she leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Nothing to worry about but Sam's in the area and wanted to talk to us. We'll meet you back here before the bell rings."
I nodded, reluctant to be left alone with Jessica and her cronies. As soon as the three of them disappeared from sight, Jessica started giving me the third degree. What did I know about Embry? And Jacob? Were either of them my boyfriend? Had either of them ever been my boyfriend? How long had I known them? My head was spinning, and Leah and the guys hadn't been gone for five minutes!
In the middle of my telling Jessica about just how wonderful Leah really was, under her sometimes-gruff exterior, the outside doors to the cafeteria opened. I glanced up, expecting to see Leah, Jacob and Embry. Instead, I found myself a spectator to Forks High School's very own, 'Parade of the Beautiful'.
I gasped in surprise as the tall, beautiful blond-haired girl I'd seen a couple weeks before in Seattle strolled in on the arm of a gorgeous, hulking, bear of a man. His dark brown hair was short and curly and his physique reminded me of a grizzly bear, in spite of his boyish grin and deep dimples. Together they were perhaps the most beautiful couple in the world. Another couple came in on the heels of the first. The dark-haired pixie I'd now seen twice, twirled into the room under the arm of a tall slender boy with shaggy honey-blond hair and an almost pained expression on his face. She laughed, a light, musical sound that reminded me of bells, as he twirled her around and around.
Curiosity getting the best of me, I turned to Jessica and quietly asked, "Who're they?"
She leaned in and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Those are the Cullens," she whispered as the door opened again.
My breath caught as the most… beautiful boy I'd ever seen in all my life walked into the room, following the others toward the lunch line. I could hear Jessica talking, but I couldn't drag my attention away from the beautiful creature. He was tall and lean, but not skinny. He had the build of a swimmer or someone who ran track, and he had the most unusual hair I'd ever seen. I was a reddish-brown color with coppery highlights and it stuck up all over the place like he'd just rolled out of bed.
"So," Jessica continued, not realizing that I'd checked out of the conversation for a moment. "The first two are Rosalie Hale and Emmett Cullen. That other couple, the one that looks like he's in pain is Jasper Hale, Rosalie's twin brother and the little one is Alice Cullen. They're like all together and they live together. I mean how weird is that?"
"They're not really related Jess," Angela cut in, turning to me before continuing. "Dr. and Mrs. Cullen are like thirty-something and super-nice; they adopted the kids. Jasper and Rosalie are really Mrs. Cullen's niece and nephew, but the rest of them are orphans or something. They've only been here a couple years."
"Moved here from somewhere in Alaska or something," Jessica added.
The couples reentered the cafeteria and settled down at a table across the room from us. When the last boy came out and made to join the others I couldn't help myself. "Who's he?" I asked.
Jessica smiled a very tight smile. "That's Edward, the only eligible Cullen," she informed me as I watched him take a seat at the table with the rest of his family. "He's only eligible in that he doesn't have a girlfriend though; he doesn't date, so don't waste your time. No one around here's good enough."
Edward. I repeated the name silently to myself. I glanced over at Jessica; her voice was jaded when she spoke the last part. I couldn't help but wonder how many times he'd rejected her. I returned my attention to the table they were sitting at and saw Edward looking toward us, a look of severe concentration on his beautiful face. Our eyes met for a moment and I swore I saw a look of annoyance cross his face before he turned to look away.
I leaned forward, allowing my hair to fall in front of my shoulders, tuned out the chatter around me and picked at my pizza. I spent the remainder of the period watching the beautiful people push their food around on their trays, from behind the curtain of my hair.
Five minutes before the bell rang, the pixie rose and seemed to dance across the cafeteria to throw her untouched lunch into the trash bin. She frantically motioned for the others to follow her before she glided out the doors. The blond boy appeared to be exchanging some rather heated words with the other female before spinning on his heel following the pixie's path out of the cafeteria. The giant then stood and took the beautiful blond's hand, wrapping an enormous arm around her before they too took their leave. Edward was hot on their heels.
He'd no more than disappeared from view, when the door opened and Leah, Jacob and Embry rushed in. I instantly noticed that all three of them seemed tense and I wondered what could've happened to cause it. The bell signaling the end of lunch rang before they made it to the table. We wordlessly gathered up our trash, and disposed of it on our way out of the lunchroom.
We walked in an awkward silence until we stepped outside, at which point Embry cleared his throat and tried to lighten the air. "Just two more classes and we can blow this popsicle stand." His smile was warm but obviously forced.
"Where you headed now Bells?" Jake asked, stopping to allow me to pull my schedule out and check.
I pointed to the building to our left. "Biology. Right here in two twenty nine."
"Cool, Embry and I have Spanish in room two fourteen. We'll walk ya," he offered.
"I've gotta head to the gym," Leah muttered sourly. "I'll meet you back at the truck after school Bells," and with a quick wave she was off.
Embry and Jacob hooked their arms through mine and we walked through the doors and into the crowded corridor. I couldn't help noticing the looks we were getting. I figured my little self between the two burly Quileutes must've made a pretty comical sight.
We came to a stop just outside the door to my Biology class. Jacob smiled down at me and gave me a quick hug. "I'll meet ya right here after class," he said, "and we'll walk to gym together."
I nodded and watched as the two of them turned to head back to their Spanish class. When all but the top of Jake's head disappeared into the crowd, I took a deep breath and stepped into my classroom.
I walked to the corner of the room where Mr. Banner, the Biology teacher, sat going over a stack of papers. He was an older gentleman, with salt and pepper hair and a thick, graying mustache. He glanced up and wordlessly took the slip of paper I offered him. He scrawled his initials on the form before returning it to me. He looked up, eyes scanning the room as the tardy bell rang.
"Have a seat next to Mr. Cullen, Miss Swan," he said, gesturing toward the sea of lab tables.
I looked up and saw that there was in fact only one empty seat remaining and perched next to it, was the beautiful boy I'd seen in the lunchroom. Edward Cullen.
I took a deep breath in an effort to quell the sudden rush of butterflies that chose that moment to take flight in my stomach, and carefully made my way to my seat. I glanced over at him before climbing onto the empty stool beside him. He was staring straight ahead, the annoyed look I'd noticed earlier back on his handsome face.
I took out my binder and my pen, settling my messenger bag at my feet while stealing glances at the Greek God sitting next to me. A loud thump startled me, and I looked up to find Mike, the blond boy that reminded me of a Labrador retriever, smiling down at me after dropping two textbooks on the table in front me. He chuckled at my surprised expression and winked before moving on to continue his task of passing out books.
I slid one of the books across the table to Edward and found him staring at me. His skin was incredibly pale, and his eyes were so dark I couldn't tell where his irises ended and his pupils began. I felt a shudder run down my spine when our gazes locked. His brow was furrowed and his forehead creased like he was intently focused on something that he couldn't quite understand.
He looked down at the book I'd slid in front of him before returning his piercing eyes to my face. He offered me a tight smile and said, "Thank you. Bella right?"
I nodded, momentarily struck silent and feeling the blood rush to stain my cheeks a bright red. His voice was incredible, velvety smooth with an almost musical quality to it. I wanted him to keep talking, just so I could keep listening to his beautiful voice.
"I'm Edward Cullen," he said in that same lilting tone, and I found myself lost in the beauty of this young man. I'd never felt anything close to what I felt just sitting next to him. He was unadulterated perfection. Michelangelo would be sorry to have missed seeing Edward Cullen, I thought to myself.
Mr. Banner was wrapping up his first day lecture by the time I realized I was still staring unabashedly at Edward. I felt the blush heat up my face again as I returned my attention to the front of the room. "Take a look at your neighbor," he was saying, "because the person sitting next to you will be your lab partner for the year."
I glanced over at Edward again and could've sworn he was peering at me from beneath his long lashes. He sat stone still and had I not known better I would've sworn he wasn't even breathing.
When the bell rang, Edward practically leapt from his seat and was out of the classroom in a flash. I sat there, stunned by the curious boy and his odd behavior until I heard Jake calling for me from the door. With a firm shake of my head I shoved my books back into my bag and hurried out to walk to gym with Jacob.
We spent the next half-hour running laps around the basketball court. Jacob couldn't resist the opportunity to show off his speed, and ended up lapping me three times before we stopped. Coach Clapp called us all over to the bleachers and instructed us to bring our gym clothes the following day and to be prepared to play volleyball. I groaned, not feeling especially anxious to put my lack of coordination on display. I heard Jake chuckle behind me as he gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"I'm sure they have a nurse on staff Bells," he teased. "It won't be too bad."
When the bell rang I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Unfortunately, quick and clumsy just don't go together, and I tripped over the bottom row of bleachers and went tumbling, right into Mike Newton. He caught me, but almost lost his balance and fell in the process.
"Whoa!" He exclaimed chuckling, "I thought I was supposed to be trying to sweep you off your feet, not the other way around," he teased good-naturedly.
I mumbled an apology as I righted myself and walked out of the gym as fast as I dared. Jake jogged up along side of me and he tried to restrain his chuckles, "Hey. You ok?"
"Of course I'm ok Jake," I huffed, "nobody falls better than Bella Swan," I muttered, still burning with embarrassment over my latest tumble.
He laughed outright, "Yeah you're probably right there."
We walked across the parking lot and stopped in front of my truck to wait for Embry and Leah. Embry arrived first, having apparently bumped into Jessica along the way. She was walking with him and giggling over something he was saying as they approached us.
"You guys remember Jess, right?" He asked.
Jake and I both nodded and Embry turned to speak to her again. "Well you have my number. Don't be afraid to use it. I think we're all gonna hit First Beach this weekend, ya know kind of celebrate surviving the first week of school… You should come."
She looked as though she were about to burst at his invitation. "Sounds great! OK, well… I gotta get home. I'm sooo glad you guys are here. I just know this is gonna be the best year ever!" With that she spun around and hurried off through the parking lot.
"Dude," Jake smirked at Embry, "What was that?"
Embry just smirked back and wiggled his eyebrows at Jacob, but refused to comment at all.
Leah joined us then, slightly out of breath, but happier than she'd seemed earlier. "You guys all set?" she asked us.
I opened the door to my truck and hoisted myself up and onto the seat. She came to stand in the open door and handed me her bag. "Bells, the guys and I have to run home for a little while. I'll have Jake drop me off back at your house this evening. That ok with you?"
"Sure," I replied, thinking about the peculiar behavior earlier in the day. "Is everything ok?" I asked.
"Sure, sure" Jake responded. "It's just some silly traditions we have on the first day of school," he assured me.
My gaze darted between the three of them, and I couldn't shake the feeling that they were lying to me. I took a deep breath and nodded, "I guess I'll see ya later."
Leah stepped back and closed the truck door. Jake reached up to muss my hair, and Embry gave me one of his mock salutes. The three of them glanced toward the other end of the parking lot before climbing into Jake's Rabbit.
I turned the key and the Chevy's engine roared to life. Jake pulled out of his spot and I fell in behind him. As we neared the end of the school lot, I felt my skin prickling, like it does when your body's trying to make you aware of the fact that you're being watched. I glanced into my rearview mirror, standing next to a shiny silver car was none other than Edward Cullen and his beautiful siblings, and it appeared as though every single one of them were staring after me.
I sighed and pulled out onto the highway, anxious to get home to replay the events of the day. There were a couple of things I was already certain of. Leah, Embry and Jacob were definitely hiding something from me, although I couldn't fathom what it was, and there was something VERY different about Edward Cullen and his inhumanly beautiful family. By the time I pulled up in front of Charlie's, I'd come to the decision that no matter what, I was going to figure it out.