Summary: What if Bella didn't fall in love with Edward right away? What if she instinctively shied away like normal humans do, like she was supposed to?

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, or any characters. Yeah, whatever, we all know…

Note: I will not be posting 4 chapters every time. This was a one time occurrence. I will, however, try to have one chapter up a week, perhaps more depending on my schedule. Also, I would like to thank my amazing Beta for helping with this chapter. It sucked before, and now I think it is my best so far! So, props to her! :)

CHAPTER 4: INTRODUCTIONS

BPOV

They were beautiful. Absolutely stunning. There, in the cold, rainy, dreary town of Forks, Washington, sat the five most perfect beings ever to walk the earth. It didn't matter that they were just teenagers. They easily outshone the most beautiful swimsuit model, airbrushed to utter perfection.

I couldn't tear my eyes away. Everyone at the table was probably thinking I was crazy, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. Only when he, the most beautiful of all, turned and caught me staring, did I finally break my gaze and looked down. Jessica was smirking at me.

"So you saw them, then?" Was the first thing out of her mouth. When she saw my confused look, she clarified. "You could only be staring at the Cullens, Bella. Five teenagers, perfect, beautiful?" She saw my blush and smiled. "Don't worry, we all did the same thing when they moved here two years ago. You can hardly help it."

I smiled back at her as Mike showed me which seat was mine. "Which one is the boy with the bronze hair?" I whispered. Not that he could hear me all the way across the loud, wild cafeteria. He was the first one I'd noticed. Who couldn't even glance in that direction without having your eye automatically drawn to the messy head of startlingly bronze hair? I looked up from the table with a curious gleam in my eye. Mike was cute, but Oh, My God. He has nothing on this boy.

"Ah. That is Edward, the most gorgeous. He and his siblings are adopted by Carlisle Cullen, our current House. His wife is Esme. I don't know much about her. The two blondes, Jasper and Rosalie Hale, are related. They're twins. The really big dark haired dude is Emmett. He is dating Rosalie, and was adopted by Carlisle and Esme, too. They're all dating each other, except for Edward. The little black haired girl is Alice, the last one adopted by the Cullens. She is dating Jasper. They aren't actually related but they live together, you know, so it's a little weird, but you'll get used to it." After Jessica finished her speech, she glanced behind her at them and smirked, turning back to her food.

I looked back up at Edward, and once I was past the awe-inspiring beauty, I was somewhat unnerved. How could anyone be so perfect? All of them? They weren't related for the most part. Yet so hauntingly beautiful.

As soon as I was finished with lunch, Mike got up with me and we threw our lunch away. He began questioning me about my schedule, only to get disappointed to learn we had just 3 classes together. Mr. Mason, Mr. Hendrix, and Mr. Banner for Biology, our next class. But he did seem cheered by the fact that we had lunch together too.

As we walked to class with some people from our table, he informed me about what they had been learning. I already knew all of it. I was in AP classes in Phoenix. Well, this will be an easy class. I thought smugly. Probably my favorite too. As we walked through the door, I said goodbye to Mike and went up to Mr. Banner. I gave him my slip, which he signed, and handed me a book. He pointed me to my seat, and when I saw where he was pointing, my jaw became unlatched. The only open seat in the room was next to Edward Cullen.

I instantly regretted my earlier thoughts. Favorite class? I snorted.

I hesitantly walked up to the desk that we would be sharing, completely red. I immediately regretted my smugness, too. How would I ever be able to work with him there?! It would be so embarrassing. I might as well move that A down to a B.

As I looked up at him, his face was tight with pain and anger. What had I done? Was it even me? This was kind of weird. He was sitting completely rigid, and it looked like he was having a hard time staying seated. This confused me, as I had no idea why he would be having trouble staying seated.

After I put my bag down, waited for Mr. Banner to start class. After a few minutes, I glanced up at Edward, and he was glaring at me. I had never seen anyone glare so threateningly. I was caught in his eyes though, no matter how bad I wanted to look away. They were pitch black, and absolutely mesmerizing. But just before he looked away, I thought I saw something, though it made no sense in this beautiful boy's eyes. Bloodlust. He finally broke contact and stared straight ahead, one hand clenching the table so hard I thought it would break, the other balled in a fist so tight I thought he would hurt himself. I could see the tendons standing out.

While looking at his hand, I noticed how pale he was. I was so caught up in his eyes when looking at his face that I didn't even notice it. He was paler than me. Also, his features were even more perfect, viewed from up close. He looked like a god. A terrifying god of destruction.

I was concerned though, once I got past the observations about him. I needed to know if it was me, if that devastating glare was my fault. I summoned up all my courage. I almost backed out, but I forced the words out of my mouth. "H-h-hi. I'm B-bella." I just barely stammered. I was so afraid of his reaction to me. He turned his cold, hard eyes towards me and spoke stiffly through his clenched teeth.

"I know."

He knew? How the heck could he know? This was my first class with him. And hopefully my only one. I thought resentfully to myself. It didn't escape my notice what tone he used with me. Angry, painful, curt. I didn't even know this guy, and he already hated me? But he already knew who I was. The whole freaking town knew who I was thanks to Charlie's "bragging". I would have to have a chat with him about that when I go home. I was getting mad, so I glared right back at Edward, although he had turned back around the second the words had left his lips. I was liking Mike so much more. Bah! Mike is so much better than him. I thought. There was just something about Edward. Something foreign, something that repelled. And it certainly was working on me.

EPOV

I waited in class for her, sitting at our desk. I already knew she would sit here beside me for two reasons. First, because it was the only seat left in the room, and second because Alice's vision had shown us sitting together.

I saw her walk in with Newton, and was surprised at the thoughts coming out of Mike. He was pretty popular. Knew just about everyone. Captain of the basketball team. Pretty standard stuff. All the girls liked him, once they got over their obsession with me. It wasn't that I was full of myself, but being a vampire had its quirks, and being extraordinarily beautiful to our prey was one of them. But Mike never really liked these girls back. He dated a couple of them, but it wasn't for very long. Hearing his thoughts about the girl was interesting.

She's pretty. And nice. I hope she likes me. And Eric better lay off. It's obvious she likes me more. Doesn't she?

The thoughts of a typical human teenager. Insecure, and unlike Mike. He was normally very confident, but seemed unsure of himself with Bella. It was even unlike Mike to like her in the first place. Not because she was pretty, the reason other teenage boys normally liked girls. He actually thought she was nice, and thoughtful. He enjoyed talking with her. It almost made me smile to know that Mike actually liked a girl now. I could see his plan. He didn't want to freak Bella out. He wanted to get to know her, let them become friends. Then he would let them become more than friends.

It looked like it might work. The girl did seem to like him. Certainly more than Eric, so Mike was correct. I had seen Eric's thoughts, and he was comparing how Bella acted with Mike to how she acted with him. The situation wasn't looking good for Eric. I chuckled under my breath.

During my observations, Mike had taken his seat next to a kid named Ben, and Bella was going up to the teacher. He signed the piece of paper she handed him, and gave her a book. I had already cleared off her spot at our desk, so I waited patiently to attack her head to figure out why I couldn't hear her.

I never got the chance. The instant she turned her scent hit in a wave, and I was consumed by the violent thoughts in my head. Fire raced up and down my throat. Venom filled my mouth. There was a voice -of my own making- that told me to kill her. Right now. I so very nearly did. But the person who I had become in the last eight decades put up a picture of Carlisle in front of my eyes. It binded the violent thing for a moment. I was able to think clearly for just a second, and had enough sense to hold my breath. It only minutely helped the fire. The beast suddenly broke free and urged me to consume the sweetest blood I had ever smelled.

The urge got stronger as she got closer. I had to hold myself in the chair so I would not end the life of this frail human next to me. She sat down, while her heat and scent washed over me, drenching me in it, making the fire get hotter and hotter. It was forcing its presence in the front of my mind.

I looked down at her. Well, really, glared. My thoughts about this girl had done a three-sixty. Why did she have to come here? I didn't want to be a murderer! I didn't want to disappoint Carlisle.

I was pushing my self-control to the limit as she turned to meet my gaze with her warm chocolate brown eyes. They were very pretty, but the thought got lost in my other rampaging, murderous thoughts. She just looked into my eyes with the most bewildered expression. She looked scared. And there was a hint of confusion. What is that about?

I looked away. I had to. I didn't want to snap, and end up killing her. Just looking at her, seeing the blush and the flow of blood, almost had me up and out of the chair, my teeth at her throat.

After a few moments, I heard a small, hesitant voice. It had a hint of anger and fear there as well.

"H-h-hi. I'm B-bella." Hearing the voice helped me, ironically. I was caught up in the mystery again, momentarily forgetting the beast in my head. I wondered if I had heard it before, and found myself trying to solve the mystery of her silent thoughts. This allowed me to answer without killing her, though I had to be curt. I turned and looked at her, trying not to stare too deeply into her eyes. There were actually quite mesmerizing, although the violent beast in my head snorted saying, They will be dull and lifeless soon, forget it. I decided to answer now, before the beast took full control again.

"I know." I did. It was truthful. I had heard about her all morning. Maybe in less than conventional ways, but I still did.

I caught the look on her face as I turned back to the front of the classroom. I sort of expected it, given the tone I had used. It was a mixture of anger, fear, and her previous emotion of confusion. I understood the anger. I was curt and she had seen the glare earlier. I even understood the fear, for the same reasons. My face was probably absolutely terrifying. I was sure that my emotions from the violent war in my head against the terrible voice was etched across every line and feature on my face.

But the confusion I didn't understand. There should only have been hurt and anger. Pain was a bit understandable. But if I knew human nature, which I positively did, she shouldn't have progressed past those emotions yet. She should still be consumed in the other feelings.

So again, like the idiot I was, I was dying to know what her thoughts were. I knew I shouldn't be, but I was even more intrigued. The fire died down some more with my curiosity, but only minutely. Not near enough to make it bearable. I suddenly found myself picturing ways to kill her. I did my best to shove the pictures out of my head, but they kept coming. Only when they progressed to me seeing her dead did I manage to completely shove them out. I couldn't stand to see her dead.

I glanced down at her, and she was glaring angrily towards the front of the classroom, she expression still the same as the last I saw it. The confusion piqued my interest again. I don't know why, but I made myself a vow right then and there that I would find out. I told myself that I would work to tame this beast, this beast called thirst, so I would be able to figure out the inner workings of her mind.

I would make it so it was barely there when I was around her. I knew it was too much to say the flames would completely go away. Something that strong would never go away, no matter how many centuries one had to control it. But I would try, because it was my duty to family. But there was another reason. One I did not fully understand.

Even with her devastatingly delicious blood that made me more homicidal than a newborn vampire, I was enthralled with Bella Swan already. And that was not a good sign.

Pretty please leave reviews? This is my first attempt EVER at writing, let alone publishing it, so please tell me how good it is! I really want to know. Your opinion means everything to me. :) Hugs and kisses to all who read! And even more to you amazing reviewers...

Kate