CHAPTER 2
Strange Behaviors
There he was the velvet voiced, golden eyed, beautiful guy I had seen earlier.
He grinned a crooked sort of smile and pulled me to stand flat on my feet. While he asked me, " Are you okay?" All I could manage was a stiff nod before the young boy's mother came running over to apologize for her sons behavior. But I didn't hear one word she said. All I was paying attention to was the one that saved me from landing flat on my face in public. Then the lady walked away scolding her son telling him why it's bad to run in stores and other busy places. As I watched them go and when I turned back he was gone. I walked out to my car and drove home. All the way thinking about those two beautiful people I saw today. But mostly the one that caught me.
(Monday Morning)
"Hey, Bella!" I turned to see who was calling my name only to find my best friend Angela Weber running to catch up to me.
"Hey Angela..." I said as we continued down the crowded hallways of Hazen High school. "How was your weekend?" I asked.
"It was fine…My dad has to go to D.C. in a couple weeks for a little while…how about you?" She asked. Since I had no intention of telling anyone of my encounter at work I simply just said, "Fine."
Once we got to our first period class (calculus) we took our seats in the back corner of the room and Angela talked to our other friends while I just stared out the window. I could feel the dazed expression on my face. By the time I pulled myself together class was just starting. After first period, I went my separate way from Angela to head to second period (L.A.). When I stopped right in my tracks. I just stared as there I saw him. Just as flawless as he had been two days ago. Next to him was the same flawless girl that was with him on Saturday but they weren't alone today. Today there were 3 other too perfect people. It must have been at least a minute until I realized he was staring back at me. I bowed my head so I was looking at the floor and starting turning a bright red. I walked past the group of five into the class room and took my seat.
"Hey…Haven't we met somewhere before?" Asked the velvet voice I remember from Saturday. I was too embarrassed from staring earlier to look up so I just said, "I don't know maybe." "Well wouldn't it be easier to tell if u looked at my face?" He asked, I could just hear the smile in his tone. I glanced up and I felt my mouth fall open as I stared at his faultless face again. "Well?" He asked, "Do you think we have met before?" But before I had to find my voice again Mr. Hurtig came in and called everyone to calm down. "May I sit here?" He asked in his soft voice. "S-s-sure." I stumbled trying to force myself to make sound.
During that period I found out his name is Edward Cullen. After the bell rang I rushed to get out of there and catch up with Angela before he could remember that I hadn't answered his question from before class. Third period when by as well as any normal Social studies class can go.
"Meet ya at lunch." I told Angela as she walked me to my locker. "Kay." She replied cheerfully then walked away to catch up with our friends Tessa and Shelby.
As I walked into the lunch room I didn't see Angel, Shelby, or Tessa anywhere so I went outside. Once I got outside I heard some music playing then Angela calling out over the music "Hey Bella over here!" I looked over at a long picnic table. At the table there was a large boom box and the occupants of the table were Angela, Tessa, Shelby, and our guy friends Alex, Eli and Greyson….Then there were some unfamiliar faces. As I approached the table I kept thinking to myself… 'I've seen these people hanging with Angela but I can't remember their names'.
"Anything wrong Bella?" Shelby asked me as I sat down next to her. "Uh…." I didn't wanna be rude so I leaned close to Shelby's ear and asked, "Who are they?" in a quiet whisper.
"Oh…is that what was bothering you…? Don't worry about not knowing their names we haven't introduced you before, Bella this is Constance, Jacie, Katherine, Cindy, Maddie, Jamie, Cody, Grant, and Colbe." She introduced them all so easily without hesitation I am now not totally sure I got all of their names with their faces. I do remember Constance, Katherine, Cindy, and Colbe are Asian like Shelby and Tessa.
"Nice to meet you." Katherine told me as she extended her hand for a handshake.
"Nice to meet you too." I replied with a grin, as everyone continued on with their own conversations.
Then I heard that velvet soft voice again only it was more musical…It was filled with laughter. I turned to see that Edward and all his friends from before were sitting not too far from us in the covered area.
"Who are those four that Edward seems to hang out with all the time?" I asked Shelby and Tessa.
"Those guys….Those are his siblings…well Edward, Jasper, and Rosalie are, they were adopted by Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme….The shorter one…the one that looks like a pixie is Alice, The one next to her…the guy with the blond hair that is Jasper, the really muscular one is Emmett the one Emmett has his armed wrapped around is Rosalie." Shelby told me. And Tessa finished her sentence "And apparently you already know Edward."
I saw Rosalie wave to us and I saw Shelby and Tessa wave back. "Hey were gonna ditch you guys and go sit with the Cullen's okay?" Shelby said. I asked not trying not to be rude. "Your actually gonna go sit with them?" I was very curios… "Ya you wanna come?...They won't bite." Tessa teased me.
"Nah, I'm cool with getting used to all these people for now I don't think I can handle meeting anymore people today." I said. But I truthfully couldn't I was already afraid I would mix up all these people I don't needa worry about embarrassing myself in front of more people.
"O.K. If you say so….well then, we'll see you guys later." They called over their shoulders as they walked to the table with the group of extraordinary beautiful people. "Isn't it kinda weird how they are just walking over there without being invited?" I asked Constance.
"Well not really, they don't really need and invite, they have been friends with the Cullens since freshman year… No one knows how they did it though." Constance replied with a confused look.
"What do you mean, 'how they did it'?" I asked with even more confusion then I can see on her face.
"Well the Cullen are kind of…how should I put this…exclusive is too powerful of a word…..Oh I know, they tend to keep to themselves and their family. No one ever thought about sitting with them, truthfully I think people were afraid to." She finished as she turned to answer a question Cindy had asked her.
"I think there is something strange about the Cullens though." Alex replied, "Since they started hanging out with those guys they don't seem to be themselves all of the time." He said as he glared over at the table with the Cullens.
I glanced over my shoulder to look at the table to. 'But they seem so ordinary, what could there possibly be that makes them so different, I mean other than their beauty' I thought to myself.
After school I saw Shelby and Tessa running to catch up with me as I headed for my old beat up Chevy truck. (My present from Charlie when I first moved to live with him)
"Hey, sorry about lunch. We haven't eaten with the Cullens in a while and we just thought it'd be fun to catch up with them." Tessa said with an apologetic expression. "Hey I know how we can make it up to you. How would you like to come to my birthday party this Saturday night?" Shelby asked me. I gave her an unsure look but before I could answer Tessa added "Come on Constance, Maddie, Angela, Cindy, Katherine, Alice, and Rosalie are gonna be there. It will give you a chance to get to know everyone."
"Oh alright…..I guess it couldn't hurt -" I said with a sigh. But before I could finish I was attacked with hugs and a 'thank you' from Shelby
Then I heard a honking noise and we all looked over and saw Edward and Alice in a Black Volvo. "Sorry. We gotta go; Alice wants to go shopping, unless you wanna come. Then it would be okay." Tessa said, I replied with a fake smile and a "Thanks for the offer but I needa get home and start on all this homework." With a disappointed look Tessa said, "Oh…Okay, well maybe some other time okay."
"Ya…sure." I said under my breath. I never thought that Tessa or Shelby ever acted this strange. Come to think of it today has been a little weird. They turned back as they walked toward the black Volvo and shouted in unison, "See you tomorrow."
"K." I shouted back to them. I watched as they climbed into the back of the Volvo and sped off. When I got home I started dinner and went to check my e-mail. It said I had 3 new messages from Renee. 'Hmmm she usually would just call, I wonder what's up' I thought to myself.
Message 1, received: 7:00 A.M.
To:
From:
Hey sweetie how is it in Washington? How is Angela and whatever their names are? I really miss you. You should come visit me and Phil in Florida soon. Hope to hear from you soon.
Love you,
Renee.
Message 2, received: 7:10 A.M.
To:
From:
I forgot to ask you before if you would like me to ask my friend in Washington to have her son look you up. I hear he is really nice and he is a freshman at your school. He can find his way around Washington as if it's the back of his hand. Well I will talk to you later.
Love you,
Renee
P.S. Phil says hi.
Message 3, received: 1:00 P.M.
To:
From:
I'm just sending this because I'm worried that you didn't get the first two messages. Please reply soon, love you.
Renee
Well at least I know my mom is still her old worry wart self. I laughed a little as I imagined my mom typing these e-mails. 'Well I better reply before my mom has a heart attack or something' I thought to myself.
To:
From:
I'm okay mom, Hazen start at 7:20 and let out at 1:55 so I haven't been home to check my e-mail. Washington has been good. Angela and my friends Tessa and Shelby are also well. I miss you too but now wouldn't be a good time for me to go see you guys. I'm still getting used to my class schedule and I am still getting used to living with Charlie so I don't think I should have a break from any of it yet. You don't need to tell your friend to have her son look me up I am doing just fine as I am. And tell Phil I say hello back. I love you too,
Love you,
Bella
Okay… Now that that's done I can start on my homework. As I flipped open my notebook and tried to work on my science homework I couldn't seem to concentrate…. 'What is Alice like?' I thought to myself as I looked at my pages of math homework….. "I guess I better go check on the dinner." I grumbled to myself as I pulled myself off of my bed.
Later that evening when Charlie came home and we had dinner I told him I was going to finish my homework, shower than take a bath so we said our good nights and I headed upstairs. Well considering how the homework thing worked for me earlier I decided to just take my shower and I went to bed. I mainly just stared at my ceiling till drifted into a light sleep. When I woke up I looked and saw that it was 6:45, crud I'm gonna be late…. "Ugh…" I moaned as I lifted myself from my bed I got ready quickly but when I got outside Charlie's cruiser was gone and another car had taken his place…