BPOV

I stared out at the endless expanse of gray as Charlies cruiser pulled out of the driveway. Forks was overcast almost every day of the year. I loved it.

Back in Phoenix it was clear skies and blistering heat year-round. Most people love it; perfect beach weather. But when you have porcelain skin like me, clear skies mean one thing: agonizing sunburns. I was forced to either wear long-sleeved shirts and jeans(not comfortable in 104 degree weather) or slather on 30 SPF sunscreen from head to toe every morning(not comfortable in any weather).

So when Renee, my mom, married Phil, I decided to come live with Charlie. Phil plays minor league baseball, so he travels a lot. My mom stayed with me in Phoenix, but I knew she was unhappy. So when Phil called to say he was offered a temporary position with a team in Florida, I called my dad and made the arrangements to come live here: Forks, Washington.

I miss my mom of course. She is my best friend. She's carefree and energetic with a heart of gold and an almost childlike view of the world. I was always the adult in our relationship, but that never bothered me. I knew living with Charlie would be a big change, but this way she could be with Phil and I could avoid frying like bacon on a daily basis.

I haven't been to Forks in so long. My parents divorced when I was only months old. They had gotten married young, and were just too different to coexist. They still love each other though; they just knew that they weren't meant to be a couple. So Charlie stayed in Forks as the Chief of Police, and Renee took me to Phoenix where she became a kindergarten teacher.

I used to visit Forks every summer to see Charlie, but he had a hard time staying away from work while I was there, so we started taking vacations together when I was seven. We usually ended up at a cabin somewhere so he could fish and I could read. Charlie are a lot alike. We are both pretty quiet and like our privacy, so we get along great.

I sighed before turning away from the window to get ready for my first day at Forks High School. I pulled on my usual jeans and a long-sleeved, tight black shirt. I slipped on a pair of bright green converse before heading into our only bathroom.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror for a few minutes. My skin was clear and smoothe, and my wide chocolate brown eyes stood out against my pale face. I washed my face and brushed my teeth before brushing my hair and pulling the top half back in a clip. The thick, mahogany waves hung heavily down to the curve of my lower back.

I walked downstairs and fixed myself a bowl of cereal before heading to the door. I grabbed my jacket off its hook by the door and slid it onto my shoulders before picking up my bag and keys. I turned to lock the front door before making my way through the misty-rain to my truck.

Charlie bought me a big, red, '67 Chevy as a welcome home present. It was an iron beast and couldn't go over 55 mph, but it was perfect for me. It meant I didn't have to have Charlie drive me to school every day in the cruiser.

I climbed into my truck and threw my bag into the passenger seat before starting the engine and blasting the heat.

I slowly made my way through the rainy streets to the high school. It didn't look so much like a school as it did a cluster of small brick houses. I pulled up in front of a building that had a sign on the front that said "office".

I stumbled out of my truck and carefully made my way up the sidewalk, only triping twice on the even surface. As I pushed open the door I was greeted by a blast of warm air and the usual smells of an office building.

My eyes wandered around the small room, taking in a cluster of chairs and an assortment of potted plants, before coming to rest on a long counter with a woman seated at the desk behind it. She looked up at me, her brow furrowed in confusion as she waited patiently for me to speak.

"Hi, um...I'm Isabella Swan. I'm new here?" It came out sounding like a question.

"Oh, yes, dear! The Chief's daughter!" Her face lit up in recognition as she shuffled through the papers on her desk. She quickly handed me my class schedule and a map of the school before wishing me good luck on my first day and welcoming me to Forks. I thanked her quietly before walking back to my truck in the icy rain.

After starting my truck I followed a line of cars to the student parking lot. I parked close to the back of the lot so it would be easier to get out after school, then spent a few minutes memorizing my map and schedule before climbing out of my truck.

I surveyed the lot as I made my way to the school, noticing that most of the cars were fairly basic, save three. A Porsche, BMW, and Volvo were parked side-by-side in the front of the lot and I wondered idly who they belonged to.

I quickly found my first class and made my way up to the teacher's desk to have him sign a slip the office had given me. He smiled politely and took the slip before gesturing for me to find a seat.

I made my way to claim a seat in the back of the room, a blush rising to my cheeks when I noticed the other students eyeing me critically. Just before I reached my seat I tripped over a backpack that was left in the aisle and I went flying towards the floor.

I braced myself for impact when I felt a pair of hands grip my shoulders tightly, pulling me upright. My blush intensified as I turned to thank my rescuer. I was met by a boy a few inches taller than me with a round face and spiky blonde hair.

"Be careful, beautiful. We wouldn't want you to get hurt, now would we?" He smiled at me widely, his blue eyes twinkling as they roamed over my body, lingering on my chest.

"Thank you," I mumbled, dropping my bag and sliding into my seat.

"I'm Mike. You must be Isabella," he introduced himself as he extended his hand.

"Bella," I corrected as I hesitantly shook his hand, and Mike beamed at me before turning to face the front.

To my relief, the teacher chose that moment to begin his lecture. I took notes while he spoke, only halfway paying attention. My mind wandered to my music, and the piece I was working on. I hoped that I would find time to go to the music hall during my free period to use their piano.

I was brought out of my thoughts by a loud bell, signaling the end of the class. I rose from my seat and began putting my things away when I noticed Mike standing only inches away.

"So, beautiful, how 'bout I walk you to your next class?" he asked, a little to cocky for my taste.

"Um, sure Mike," I replied slowly. I may not be his biggest fan, but I could use a little help finding my next class.

We walked side-by-side to another building, with Mike rambling on about being on the football team and wanting me to watch him play. I smiled politely and told him I would try, earning a large grin from Mike before I slipped into my next class.

I handed my slip to the teacher before making my way to an empty desk. There was a girl sitting quietly next to me, waiting for class to begin.

"Hi, I'm Angela," she introduced herself quietly with a soft smile on her lips. She had black hair pulled up into a ponytail, and bright red glasses perched on her nose.

"I'm Bella," I replied, smiling back at her.

The teacher began class and told us to split up into pairs to begin working on our German dialogues. We were in third year German, so it was expected that we could get started on our own. Angela and I slid our desks together and began the assignment. We talked quietly in German, slowly drifting from the dialogue into our own conversation.

Angela was the photographer for the school newspaper, and her boyfriend Ben is the editor as well as a member of the football team. We talked about our favorite books, and I told her all about Phoenix. I knew that Angela was going to be a good friend, and I started to like Forks a lot more.

Class finally ended and Angela and I discovered that we had the next two classes together as well. They passed by quickly, and free period was up next. Angela showed me to the music hall before leaving to go find Ben with the promise that we would sit together at lunch.

The music hall was empty when I entered, just as I had hoped. I wasn't fond of having an audience. I had been playing the piano since I was five, but only my parents and Phil had ever heard me. Music was my outlet, and I preferred to play in private.

My fingers ran lightly over the ivory keys as I began to play the piece I had been working on. I closed my eyes and allowed my mind and body to relax as I sang the lyrics I had written for the piece.

This is real, this is me.

I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now.

Gonna let the light shine on me.

Now I've found who I am.

There's no way to hold it in.

No more hiding who I wanna be.

This is me.

The peaceful environment was shattered when I heard a girl's high-pitched squeal just outside the door. I quickly grabbed my bag and flew out the side door as I heard the door to the music hall open. I may have panicked just a little bit, but I really didn't want anyone to know I played. I liked having my own little secret, something for just me. I walked quickly across the school grounds and into the cafeteria.

I made my way though the lunch line and just grabbed a coke. I wasn't very hungry after rushing from the music hall, and my face was still flushed. My eyes scanned the room and rested on Angela, who was waving me over to her table.

I smiled brightly at her and made my way over, noticing that she was sitting with Ben, Mike, and a few other kids I recognized from my morning classes. I sat in front of Angela, and Mike quickly got up to occupy the empty chair next to me.

A girl with curly, light brown hair quickly caught Mike's attention after glaring at me, and I quietly sipped my drink while looking around the cafeteria. My eyes landed on a table of five, each of them absolutely beautiful.

There was a tall guy with honey blonde hair and blue eyes with a lanky, but muscular, build talking quietly to a small pixie-like girl with short black hair and black eyes.

Next to them was a girl who looked like she could be a supermodel, with long blonde hair and smoldering blue eyes. Her features were set off by a dark tan and perfectly proportioned curves. She was sitting in the lap of a huge guy with enormous muscles and a lopsided grin. He had curly brown hair and his hazel eyes were glued to the goddess in front of him.

The last guy was breathtaking. He seemed to be the odd man out, and I felt a rediculous desire to go sit with him and keep him company. He had oddly colored bronze hair that stuck up in all directions, the epitome of 'sex hair', just begging for me to run my fingers through it. His skin was smoothe and white, possible lighter than mine. He was tall like the other two men, and I could see his muscle definition through his tight black t-shirt, though he wasn't bulk like the dark-haired guy.

My eyes traveled up to his full, pink lips, straight nose, and high cheekbones, finally resting on the most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen. I was broken out of my inspection by Angela's soft giggle across from me.

"Yeah, he tends to have that affect on people," she said. I blushed furiously and dropped my gaze to the table, taking a sip of my coke.

"That's Edward Cullen," she continued, leaning forward slightly so no one could hear her. "He's the quarterback of the football team, and the most desired man at Forks High. He's really sweet though, and keeps to himself."

I mulled over what she had said while glanced back over at him. Well, he's popular, so he definitely won't want me. Not that I want him. I think.

"The dark-haired girl is Alice, his twin sister." I quirked my eyebrow in confusion and she laughed.

"I know, it doesn't look like it does it?" I shook my head at her and she continued. "Their dad is Dr. Carlisle Cullen at the hospital here in Forks. Him and his wife adopted them when they were in elementary school. The blonde-haired guy is Alice's boyfriend, Jasper Whitlock. The other girl is his step-sister, Rosalie Hale. Her dad is a retired investment banker, and his mom is the daughter of an oil tycoon from Texas. The big guy is Rosalie's boyfriend, Emmett McCarty. Him and Jasper are both on the team with Edward."

I nodded quietly as I listened to Angela talk. The group sat at their table, looking like they belonged more on a TV show than in our high school cafeteria. I glanced back at Angela and noticed that our table had emptied out, so we picked up our stuff and headed to our next class together.

We walked into the biology room and Angela waved goodbye as she went to her seat and I handed my slip to the teacher. He took the paper and handed me a textbook, then directed me to the only empty seat: right next to Edward Cullen.

I made my way down the aisle and turned to take my seat when my toe caught on the table leg and I stumbled forward. Before I could hit the ground a strong arm wrapped around my waist, holding me up. An electric current flowed through my body, and I looked up in shock as my eyes met the vibrant green orbs that belonged to the god only inches away from me.

We stood there for a moment, his face wearing a lock of shock that I'm sure mirrored my own. Slowly he pulled his arm away from my waist, and I missed the contact instantly. He shook his head quickly before clearing his throat and looking back into my eyes.

"Hi, I'm Edward Cullen," he introduced himself with a voice like velvet as he extended his hand.

"Um...I'm Bella Swan," I replied, shaking his outstretched hand. I blushed instantly as the spark returned when our hands made contact. He grinned at me, a large, crooked, heart-melting smile, as he slid into his seat, pulling mine out for me. I stood there in a daze for a moment, then blushed again as I quickly took my seat.

The class went by quickly, with the teacher talking about the labs we would be doing this year. I payed little attention since I had done all of these labs in my advanced class back in Phoenix. Instead I focused on breathing steadily, a difficult task with Edward sitting so close to me. I reached into my bag to pull out my sheet music, hoping to distract myself by working on my latest piece. With a groan I realized that I must have left it in the music hall when I ran out unexpectedly. I would have to make a trip by there before heading home.

When the bell finally rang I grabbed my bag and flew out the door, eager to reach the solitude of my bedroom. I ran to the music room and reached for the piece of paper on the bench seat, only to realize that it wasn't my music, but a noted addressed to 'I.S.' I assumed the letter was for me, and quickly unfolded the paper. A blush rose to my cheeks as my eyes scanned the page. I refolded the paper and stood still for a moment, debating on whether or not I should respond.

I finally stuffed the note in my pocket as I pulled an blank sheet of paper out of my bag and quickly scribbled out a response. I smiled to myself as I addressed it to 'E.C.' and placed it on the seat. I walked slowly out to my truck, mulling over the note I had received.

I was flattered, of course, and a little embarrassed at having been heard. But more than anything I was curious. Who was E.C.? My mind automatically screamed 'Edward Cullen', but I brushed that aside as wishful thinking. It couldn't be him, could it? I contemplated calling Angela, and asking her how many guys in our school had those initials, but decided I would rather keep this to myself for the moment. I would just give it a little while and see if I could get anymore clues out of my admirer.

Once I reached my truck, I quickly pulled out of the lot, noticing Edward leaning up against the silver Volvo like the god he is.

Okay, I'll admit it: I really want Edward to be my admirer. That's not too crazy, is it? Regardless, I was definitely starting to love it here.