I was frozen in his icy glare. His eyes, as dark as night, bored into mine. My thoughts spun wildly out of control. Is he angry with me? Could he know why I'm here? What is he going to do?

"Here you go, Miss Swan," the teacher said as he offered me the slip I'd handed him before I'd seen Edward and my awareness of everything else faded away. "It's Isabella, isn't it."

"Bella," I corrected automatically, unable to break eye contact with the vampire across the room.

"Well, I'm Mr. Banner. If you'll just take the seat next to Mr. Cullen there. Edward, raise your hand."

As if to destroy my hope that I had mistaken his identity, the deathly beautiful boy slowly raised his arm a few inches off the desk in front of him. His hand twitched in the air, and I noticed that the other was clenched in a tight fist, half hidden in his lap.

I nodded shakily, reminding myself to breathe, and made my way over to the vacant chair beside 'Mr. Cullen'. The short journey down the aisle between two rows of lab tables felt like a forced march to my executioner. I stumbled twice, once over a chair leg, and the other over my own feet, but I barely noticed the muffled snickers from my fellow students. Finally, I reached my seat. I turned to sit, trying to control the shivers that ran down my spine at the thought of turning my back on a furious vampire.

"Turn in your textbooks to page 208, class." Mr. Banner was oblivious to my panic as he settled into his daily routine. I tried to imagine that this classroom was identical to all the others I had been in before as I set my bag on the floor next to the desk. It leaned against a table leg, and I couldn't help but think that it seemed to slump down in relief. At least it was out of Cullen's reach.

My gaze drifted to the front of the room, carefully avoiding the looming predator to my right. It was then I realized that I hadn't been issued a biology book. Could this day get any more complicated? I raised my left hand, being sure not to make any sudden movements.

"Yes, Miss Swan?" Mr. Banner asked, breaking off mid-lecture.

"Sorry," I said, blushing under the gaze of the entire class as people turned to look at the new girl. "But I don't have a book."

He blinked. "Oh. Well, I don't have any extras at the moment, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind sharing with Edward, would you?"

I took a deep breath as I reminded myself that the question was meant to be rhetorical. I tried to remember all the reasons why I couldn't jump out of my chair and shout that yes, indeed, I did mind sharing with the bloodthirsty vampire in the room. Because I knew that I was absolutely trapped. Cullen could never find out that I had been told what he really was. If he did - it was something I didn't even want to imagine. With the last bit of common sense left to me, I saw that the chances of me being attacked in a crowded room in the middle of a school were very low. Even if he - somehow - was aware that I knew his family's secret, he couldn't do anything about it now, surrounded by witnesses. . . . Unless, he was willing to get rid of them after he finished with me -

No, I wasn't going to allow myself to think that way. This was the first day of school in a new town. No matter how hard today was, I would survive to make it home, just like every other kid who moved in the middle of the year. It was harder than it should have been to remind myself that the normal world still existed.

Jerking myself out of my self-inflicted downwards spiral of doom, I looked up to see that Edward Cullen was staring at me again. This time, however, he gave more of an impression of humanity. His eyes were still an impossible shade of black, but they held a forced mildness that sought my gaze. I mustered a weak semi-smile in response and shifted my body towards his half of the desk, the better to see the schoolbook he had opened on the correct page without my noticing.

The tension that hung unspoken in the air crushed my lungs and made it impossible to drag in normal breaths. My head began to swim before I pushed the dizziness back. I couldn't afford to be anything less than alert right now. I saw that the day's lesson was on cell theory, something that I'd studied in Phoenix. That, at least, allowed me to focus on the much more urgent problem in front of me.

I was aware of every shift of Cullen's weight. My eyes were quick enough to glance down without detection and note that both his hands were under the desk and curled around the wood. The rest of his body seemed to be relaxed and concentrating on Mr. Banner's lecture, his hands releasing their hold to flip the page on cue at regular intervals. From my limited field of vision - limited because I didn't dare make my observations known to the vampire - I could tell that his eyes traveled from the teacher's face to the text book, the model student. Slightly more confident, I used the time while Mr. Banner droned on about asexual reproduction as an opportunity to study Edward Cullen more closely.

If forced, I would have to admit that this creature was the most perfect thing I had ever laid eyes on - or even dreamed about, for that matter. His features were flawless, strong, but effortlessly infused with a masculine beauty. The long sleeves of his almost formal button-down, collared shirt had been rolled up to the elbows, revealing unbelievably pale forearms with bands of subtle muscle wrapped around them. I was completely convinced that the rest of his body was equally well-built. He was a mythical monster, after all. As spell-bounding as his physique was, I barely registered the obviously expensive clothing he wore before my eyes journeyed back up to his face. A tendon stood out in Cullen's forehead, and my brain finally registered the fact that his jaw was clinched in either anger or constraint. So he wants to attack me, but he's holding back. My thoughts were ridiculously calm for the situation, but I couldn't seem to summon up the proper horror. I'd been sitting in this small classroom next to this major threat to my life for what seemed like hours already. My mind was simply unable to process danger anymore.

Throughout the rest of the period, Cullen kept up his act of a student, interested in what was being taught. He never once glanced my way; it was as if I didn't exist. Only the angle of his book, turned so that I could see the pages, and the rigidity of his body showed that he was aware of my presence. After an hour-long reflection on Edward Cullen, I decided that I much preferred this behavior to what his body language when I first entered the room had suggested. I let out a gusty breath when the bell finally released us and Cullen rose and exited before I could process the movement. I reached down, grabbed the strap of my book bag, and left the room almost as quickly. As I hurried through the doorway of the classroom, I thought I heard someone call my name. I didn't pause.

The halls were rapidly filling with chattering teenagers. I envied their carefree ability to focus on the unimportant concerns of high school. I was so wrapped up in my gloomy thoughts that I barely noticed the slight figure in my path until I had bumped into it.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said automatically, stepping back.

"That's fine." The high, musical twinkle brought me out of my preoccupation with a jolt. I had walked right into another of the resident vampires.

This one was the smaller, dark-haired female. Alice - I remembered Jessica saying that that was her name - stood in front of me, unaware or ignoring the crush of bodies against her slender back as she stood still in the middle of the hall. She smiled at me while I gaped at her unabashedly.

"That's fine," she repeated.

I felt unnerved as she stared up at me. I began to edge around her; her unblinking, grinning expression caused goose bumps to break out on my arms.

"Wait," she said, flinging an arm out to stop my escape.

I froze. What was she going to do?

She stuck out her hand.

"Hello, I'm Alice."

I stared at her stupidly for a moment, then her actions clicked in my mind. She was introducing herself to me. Like a normal person, like a human.

I forced my own hand towards hers several seconds too late.

"Hi," I said slowly as she grasped my hand and shook it energetically. "Nice to meet you?" It sounded like a question.

"You're Bella, right? I'm so glad you decided to come to Forks, Bella! This town is so small that nothing ever happens, but now that you're here, maybe things will start getting interesting, huh?" She giggled. I felt my eyebrows rise sky high.

Alice continued to hold onto my hand as she spoke, and soon it was numb with the unnatural chill of her skin. I pulled back slightly, all too aware of the damage this tiny little girl could do.

To my intense relief, she relinquished her death grip on my hand. It didn't seem to quell her enthusiasm, however, as she was now bouncing in place. I racked my brain for an excuse to get away from this awkward social situation straight from a horror flick.

"I have to get to my next class," I said unoriginally.

"Ooo," exclaimed Alice, as if I'd just announced that I had a special mission to complete. I look over her shoulder pointedly, but she still didn't take the hint.

"I have to go now." I wasn't even attempting to sound polite now.

"Oh, I don't mind walking with you, Bella." Alice turned and looked back at me while she spoke. Her face never lost its happy grin. "So, what do you have?"

I stared at her in disbelief. No one could possibly be this ecstatic about a new kid. Not to mention the fact that this bubbly teenaged girl wasn't actually human. Okay, I thought. I'm just going to act like I don't think anything's odd about this. I glanced down at my schedule to collect my thoughts.

"I have Jefferson in Building Five," I read, hoping that the long walk through the ever-present rain would discourage her.

"Wow!" Alice was now walking next to me, parting a wide path down the middle of the hallway. "So do I."

This could not be happening. I struggled to remind myself that Forks High was a very small school, and that I would have many of the same people in more than one of my classes. Even with the numbers, though, it seemed to me a little far fetched that Alice Cullen would run into me right before we had our first class together. I then realized, belatedly, that although I had never confirmed my name with her, Alice continued to call me 'Bella' as if she was sure of it. What would make her go to the lengths of finding out my name and schedule just so that she could walk me to class?

We pushed our way outside past the heavy double doors that were apparently located at the ends of all the hallways. I pulled up my hood immediately, the movement already a reflex.

xXx

I found the classroom with little difficulty, only half-aware of Alice's incessant chatter. She seemed capable of dishing out mundane school facts and gossip without end. It was more than a little unnerving. My mind was scurrying to produce a game plan. This is what I needed, I reminded myself. I have an in to the Cullen coven now. All I have to do is play up this little thing with Alice until we become 'friends.' After that, I get invited over to her house, run into Edward where there would be no witnesses, and . . . . I paused there. And what? Just hope that Jacob shows up in time to rescue me? I shook my head to banish the rising panic, swiftly turning it into a nod at what Alice had just said.

I realized that I had to commit to this little 'project' if I wanted it to work. After all, super-human vampire senses would surely notice a false note in a friendship. With this thought in mind, I chose a desk in the nearly empty back of the classroom and motioned for Alice to take the one immediately beside it. She gave me a wide smile as she gracefully settled her books on the desk and sat down daintily on the standard blue plastic seat. Her grin revealed dazzlingly white, straight teeth that made me second guess my decision. However, I forced back my shiver and smiled back.

Mrs. Jefferson proved herself to be a no-nonsense type of teacher. She hardly spared me a second glance after signing my slip, for which I was grateful. The moment the tardy bell rang, she began her lecture. I scurried to find a fresh notebook and pencil in my bag. Flipping to the first page of the spiral-bound that I'd found, I noticed that the other students were poised over their papers with a practiced air. Apparently, this was Mrs. Jefferson's usual teaching method. I remained bent over my desk as the class period wore on, honestly trying to record a decent amount of the facts and dates that the teacher spouted off effortlessly.

I jumped suddenly and looked for the first time in half an hour when I small piece of folded paper landed on my desk. Looking beyond it, I saw the vampire that I'd managed to momentarily forget wink at me and raise a finger to her lips. I paused before picking up the note and reading it.

You don't have to strain yourself.

Jefferson keeps all her lecture outlines online . . .

if you know where to look.

I'll show them to you if you'd like.

I glanced up, shocked at how quickly this Cullen had taken to me. Judging by the scratching noise of the other students' pencils that still accompanied Mrs. Jefferson's droning voice, Alice had not extended the offer to anyone else.

Meeting my gaze again, the female vampire nearly stopped my heart with that seemingly innocent grin of hers. I dropped my eyes to the note again and made a split-second decision. It seemed like I'd made a lot of those recently.

Sure, I wrote, my hand only shaking a little.

But my internet connection at my house is terrible.

Maybe you can show me at yours?

With a practiced look that every student tries to perfect, I studied the teacher at the front of the room. She turned to write an important event on the outdated blackboard. I reached across the aisle to place the refolded note on Alice's desk. I forced myself to return her secretive smile with a strained one of my own.

In less time than would have been possible for a human, the paper was back on my desk. Avoiding eye-contact with the female vampire, I unfolded it quickly to release the tension building in my chest.

Haha. I know what you mean.

Of course, you can come over.

My parents wouldn't mind at all.

I was going to invite you anyway.

My eyes caught on the last sentence. I felt my throat constrict, but I could not force myself to exhale. She was planning on having me over at their house?! What does that mean? Recalling that Alice was waiting for my response and probably watching my face, I raised my head and met her eyes. I nodded.