AN: hello, everyone. I hope you enjoy this story. I just wanted to say that the Bella I am creating is not the one from the books... and she's far from being the one from the movies. I want to make this Bella more real, with emotions and everything... not the martyr or the one who suffers in silence and all that jazz. This one is a friendly, happy Bella who appreciates people giving her gifts. Enjoy!
The ride to school is easy; Alice, the girl in the backseat, keeps asking about your life before you got here.
You tell her about the friends you left, your school, the weather, and how you used to have fun back in Phoenix with your acquaintances.
"So why did you left?" Jasper asked. Everyone in the car seemed interested in your life, even though Alice was the only one brave enough to ask.
"Well, the official version, is that I wanted my mother to make her life with Phil. He travels a lot, and she wants to follow him, but I have to stay in school, so I can't join them" you clear up.
"And the unofficial?" asked Alice.
"I wanted a change of life. Everything I have told you about my friends, my school, and hobbies is true, but it didn't fill me, somehow. They say life starts outside the comfort zone, and Phoenix was my comfort zone."
You feel a bit ashamed of opening up so easily with these strangers, but somehow it felt good. They seem very interested in your life, and its nice to be heard.
"I think people should look for their happiness, instead of sitting and waiting for it to happen. People our age seem to believe that life starts once we graduate or leave our parents' house. Once we are financially stable, or get our own place, or even have a partner... but happiness is found fixing our problems, that's all."
You finish your speech and there's a short silence. Alice giggles. "So..." she starts, "speaking about partners..."
"Alice" Edward cuts her. It's the first time he talks since he greeted you on your house.
"What? I just wanted to know if she had a boyfriend back at Phoenix... girl talk"
You laugh. These kind of arguments between siblings seem amusing to you, since you have never experienced them before. And besides, its even more funny to you because its not like you're a closed book, you like being open about your feelings and thoughts, sharing opinions and emotions.
"Its ok, Edward. I had a boyfriend back at home. His name's Ray, he was ok. We got along pretty well, but he didn't make me... happy. We didn't argue or anything, we would almost never fight, but he was not filling the void that was starting to grow on me. When I just thought about leaving, I told him about it, and he said that he supported me, but we couldn't date no more. He wouldn't make it through a long distance relationship. So we broke up, and we stayed friends."
Alice seems very interested in everything you have to say, and Edward is smiling. Jasper's sitting behind your seat, so you wouldn't know how he is.
You think its rude to be talking too much about yourself, so you want to know about them, too. But as you want to ask them, you arrive to Forks High.
"Can we now talk about you guys, at lunch?" you ask, as Edward parks.
Alice grins and accepts. "But first lets get your schedule".
The three of them lead you to a small cubicle inside the building. There's a nice old lady with red hair sitting behind a computer. "Hi, Mrs. Lawrence." Alice chirps. "Here is the new girl, Isabella Swan"
"Oh, Miss Swan. Yes, so I assume you're here for your schedule." Mrs Lawrence says as she starts looking for something between her papers. She turns to Alice "So nice of you to guide her, Alice"
Alice makes a smug face, as if she overly likes being recognized for her efforts.
Mrs Lawrence wishes you a nice day and stay in Forks while she hands over a piece of paper, which you wanted to take but Alice grabs it before you.
She studies the paper and hands it to you. "Aw, we have no classes in common. You're one grade older than Jasper and I. But you have Biology with Edward after lunch"
You turn to look at Edward with a smile
"Hey, lab partner" you chant.
He eyes you and chuckles, with his hands in his pockets, and you turn to your paper.
"Well, my first class is Trig... Room 312"
They lead you to Room 312, and wave goodbye. "See you at lunch" Jasper yells, between the crowd already on the other end of the hall.
You enter the classroom, and there are a few students already sitting. Ones are on their phones, and others talking between them. You don't know where to sit, maybe some seats are already taken, and it would be awkward for someone to enter the room, wanting to sit on their usual place and find a stranger on their chair. You approach the nearest girl next to you, who is texting. She's sitting on the second seat from the first row from the door, so she's next to the wall. She seems harmless, skinny and wears glasses.
"Hi" you say in a decent level voice, she looks up, and automatically smiles. You smile back. "I was wondering if any of these seats is available. I don't want to take anyone's place"
The girls giggles and stands up, looking around. Then she points the seat next to her. "This seat is available. My name's Angela, you must be Isabella."
You offer your hand "Yes, hi. Everyone calls me Bella. Nice to meet you"
she takes your hand and shakes it. You put your bag on your desk and sit. Angela finishes her text, locks her phone and turns to you.
"So how are you liking Forks?"
"It's nice. People are very nice, so far. I'm not very used to the cold, wet weather but I don't mind very much. Have you lived here all your life?"
You and Angela hit it off, and you can easily see you being friends. The bell rings, and the room starts filling up. A boy puts his backpack on the desk in front of Angela, and approaches her to kiss her. "Good morning" he says to her, and then he turns to you, "Hi, you must be the Swan girl. Im Ben"
"Hi" you smile and Angela introduces you, in a proper way "her name is Bella"
"Be-lla" Ben repeats, in a fake italian accent. Angela and you giggle, and he takes his place as the Trig teacher enters.
The two hours run fast, as the first half hour you spent in front of class, introducing yourself and answering questions. Everyone seem very nice and interested on your life. It does seem like Forks is a very small town, being this excited in an outsider's life.
As the bell rang, you take your bag and your schedule. Spanish is next, which is Angela's next class, too.
You follow her to the next room, and spend your first half hour talking about yourself as well... but in spanish.
"Buenos dias, mi nombre es Isabella, pero me gusta que me digan Bella. Soy de Phoenix, Arizona y estoy feliz de venir a Forks."
Everyone struggles with their spanish to ask you more questions, but you help them.
Miss Rodriguez is happy to know that she has an advanced student and asks how is it that you speak fluent spanish, and you explain you fell in love with spanish music when you were little, so you wanted to learn more about the language. It was appealing to you that spanish was classified as a 'romantic' language.
After class, a blonde boy approaches you.
He introduces himself, his name is Mike, and he seems shy. You smile, in a way that you try to let him know that you're harmless, and he says he needs a spanish tutor. He asks if some day you could both gather up to study after class, and you agree. Then he follows you and Angela to the hall, where you meet Ben. Ben and Mike seem to be friends, and you all walk towards the cafeteria.
As you cross the cafeteria's doors, you look for the Cullens, which they have to stand out.
You find them at a table across the room and you wave them, they wave back. The blond girl and the buffy guy who were in the jeep are also sitting there.
"You know the Cullens?" ask Mike, as you all make line for food.
"Yeah, they're my neighbors, I carpooled today with them. Actually they wanted me to join them in lunch, you guys don't mind, do you?"
Angela smiled towards you, cutting anything Mike was about to say. "Don't worry, Bella. I'd actually insist you to. The Cullens aren't very popular in Forks High. Maybe if you sit with them, they might mingle more with the riffraff."
You don't know how to take this comment. "What do you mean? They seem nice" you ask.
Angela laughs, "They don't hang with anyone. But you're very nice and easygoing, and people are very interested in you. People might want to start sitting with the Cullens just to be around you... I was about to ask you if I could join you, actually."
You order a burger and pay. "Well, if anyone wants to sit with us, just come and join us. They're as nice as you, I swear."
With a smile, you turn and sit next to Alice. It seems like everyone had finished eating, because their trays were empty.
You introduce yourself to the two Jeep strangers. The blond girl's name is Rosalie, she's not as excited as the others were to meet you, but the big guy's name is Emmett, and he had a huge grin on his face.
You started questioning all about them. First, superficial stuff, like their hobbies and taste in movies and music. You wanted to touch the subject of them being fostered, but it is too soon for the subject. You have just met.
They seem normal, why wouldn't people want to hang out with them? or the other way around, why wouldn't they want to approach others? But you shrug it off.
Suddenly, Alice stares into the horizon... as if she just remembered something very important. Edward kicks her under the table but you play as if you didn't notice.
Alice then turns to you "do you want to spend the evening at our place? I want to show you some of my creations" she said, referring to the hobby she talked you about: fashion design. There was no way you would deny her this, so you agreed.
You get a text from Charlie.
"Bells, Im so sorry, I wont be able to make it home until very late, and I forgot to give you a copy of the house keys. Is there any way you'll spend the day with the Cullens? You'll have the copy tonight. Love you"
Well, this is convenient. After replying the message, the bell rings. You take the tray and stick next to Edward, because Biology is your next class.