Hey everyone! Thanks for the awesome reviews! I know that chapter one has a lot of Twilight in it, trust me, I'll start to veer soon. I just have so set stuff up. I forgot to say in the first chapter that this is a disclaimer. I don't own Twilight. The magic belongs solely to the amazing Miss Meyer. And unless she randomly decides to give me the rights, I never will own Twilight :'( Anyway, here's chapter two! Enjoy!

Chapter Two

The next day was better. I could name some of the people who had sat at my lunch table the previous day. Jessica, Mike, Ben, Angela, Lauren, and Tyler. My day was also worse, because I was tired, and when I was in Trig, I got called on when my hand was not raised and I had the wrong answer. Also, Bella Cullen was not there. I knew this should relieve me after that look she gave me yesterday, but I couldn't find it in me to be relieved. I was actually really disappointed. I had thought of confronting her and demanding to know about her strange behavior the previous day, but I knew I would never have the guts to do it. I wouldn't ever really confront anyone. No, what I really hoped for was some kind of insight to her behavior. I wanted to talk to her. And that was very, very stupid. I should have no reason to be anything but wary of this girl, maybe even afraid. Instead, I was curious. I drifted through the day in a haze, and I'm sure Jessica and Mike thought I was nuts. Maybe I was. In Biology, I had to sit at my empty lab table, where I could fell the stares of my classmates on me the whole day.

I finally made it through the school day, and afterward I went to the grocery store, where I could escape for a little while. The store was even big enough that I couldn't hear the rain pounding on the roof.

When I got home, I began making dinner. Once I got everything in the oven I headed upstairs to do my homework while everything cooked. It was a restful afternoon, and I timed dinner perfectly. Edward Sr. walked through the door just as I was taking the steak out of the oven. He sniffed the air, and a grin appeared on his face, "Something smells good. What's for dinner?"

I grinned, "Steak and potatoes."

Dad's grin grew a little bigger, "Perfect."

Silence took over the kitchen, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Dad and I didn't talk much, so when we were together the conversations tended to be short and to the point. I don't think he minded, and I know I didn't. After dinner, I washed the dishes and he shuffled into the living room to watch a game that was on TV. When I was younger, my dad tried to get me to watch sports with him, but it never succeeded. He gave up eventually, around the time I stopped coming to Forks in the summers. I hated Forks so much I insisted on vacationing in California for two weeks instead of visiting him here in Forks. And now I lived here. I shook my head a little as I headed up to my room, thinking about my move here. It was a little better than I had originally expected, mostly due to the fact that I had a truck so I didn't have to ride in the cruiser, and also to my new friends at school.

Just as I reached my room, the doorbell rang downstairs. I sighed and jogged down the stairs to get it. I fell on the last step, and I caught myself with my arm and continued on. I opened the door, and there stood Harry Clearwater. I remembered only then that he and Leah were coming over to tell me about my truck.

"Hi Harry," I said awkwardly, "Do you want to come in?"

"That's OK, Edward. We're just stopping by."

"Harry!" My dad's voice came from behind me, and I stepped back to let him embrace his friend.

"Hey, Edward. Leah and I are here to tell your boy all the ins and outs of the old truck."

Dad nodded, and we all headed out into the drizzling rain. Leah Clearwater stood out there by my truck, looking it over.

I cleared my throat, "Hey Leah."

She glanced up at me, "Hi. So there's a dent in the back tire guard here. It shouldn't give you any problems, but I thought you might want to know. When you drive it, don't go over sixty, it'll kill the engine. Um. . . the radio still works I think."

"Yeah, it does. Found that out this morning."

Leah glanced at me and laughed, "We took good care of it. The thing still runs great, radio included."

I nodded, smiling, "So how come you guys decided to sell it?"

"Well, Dad's not really driving anymore, he just hangs out on the rez, and it goes way to slow for my taste," she grinned, "I'm building a car now that Dad's sold the truck. He wouldn't let me build one 'til we sold it, so I'm glad your dad took it off of our hands."

"When did you start building cars?"

"About a year or two after you stopped coming in the summers. I was sixteen, and sick of all the drama and backstabbing that came with being a popular girly girl. So I kinda backed off, stopped hanging out with my 'friends' as often, not really going out. Then, one day, my cousin Emily's car broke down. She called me and I headed over there to see if I could help. I managed to fix it, there was a wire unplugged, and I've been into cars ever since."

I looked at her for a second, then I laughed a little, "No offense, but you're the last person I would have ever expected to be into cars."

She smiled at me and patted my truck, "I never saw it coming either, trust me."

"So, how'd you get here if you don't have a car?"

Leah gestured over her shoulder to a black SUV on the street, "Borrowed it from some friends."

"Oh, OK. That makes a little more sense."

Silence fell over us for a second, then we moved on to talking some more about my truck. When Leah and Harry left, I found that I'd really enjoyed talking with Leah. I smiled a little as I walked inside to start my homework for the day.

The rest of the week at school continued to improve, and at the same time it got worse. I was in the strangest tandem week-wise. It was better in the way that I felt more and more comfortable at school. I could give names, and answer questions. I began to feel like I was treading water instead of drowning. My week was worse because Bella Cullen never came back to school, and I was afraid it was all my fault. It didn't make sense for her absence to be of my own doing. I was egotistical and pompous to think it, but I couldn't help but wonder if it really was my fault. Bella's flat, glaring black eyes seemed to be burned into my memory, as well as her quick exit after Biology. I tried to push the instance from my mind, but I couldn't do it. So I contented myself with distractions. I talked to Mike a lot, and Jessica less often, but often enough that we were friends. I made more complicated meals for Dad, and I did all of my homework the day I got it. By keeping busy, I didn't focus as often on Bella's apparent hatred for me.

When Friday came around, I was confident walking into class that she wouldn't be there. I sat again at my empty lab table, and tried to convince myself that I was relieved that I was alone at my table. It didn't work. I couldn't help but to feel that Bella's continued absence was my fault.

The weekend passed quickly, mostly because I had a ton of homework that I had to get done. Dad spent most of his weekend fishing, and he came home with a big load of fish for me to cook. I looked up a bunch of fish recipes in my grandma's old cookbook, and that was our meals for the weekend. It was nice and restful, just what I needed after my first week at Forks High. On Monday, I woke up refreshed. I was getting used to falling asleep with the constant whoosh of the rain. I was in a good mood, and Dad picked up on it right away as I bounded down the stairs.

"Someone's in a good mood today."

I shrugged, "Kinda. I'm a little excited to see my friends."

"Who?"

"Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Angela Weber, Ben Cheney. . ."

"They're a good bunch of kids."

I shook my head a little bit. Of course he knew everyone in town, "Yeah, they are. I better get going though or I'll be late."

Dad gestured toward the door, "I'll see you at dinner then."

"Yep, see you then." I walked briskly through the rain and got into my truck. I immediately turned on my truck's heater, reveling in the warmth it presented. I drove to school in high spirits, and when I saw the shiny silver Volvo in the parking lot, I didn't even flinch. The car had been at school every day Bella had not been, so I felt reasonably comfortable with the fact that she would not be here today. I was slightly relieved, but mostly disappointed.

I pulled into a parking space and headed to my first hour. I got there a little early, so I started talking to Mike.

"So, do you like Jessica?"

Mike looked down, "Yeah. But I can't hold a candle to you, so I guess you can. . . you know, ask her out."

I laughed, and he looked at me with a surprised expression on his face. "Mike I do not want to date Jessica. No way. I was just curious."

Mike's face lit up, "Seriously?"

I nodded, "Seriously."

"Well, that's really good then. I might ask her to homecoming. It's in three weeks you know."

"Really? That'll be fun."

"You should come. And if you don't get a date, all the girls would dance with you. Not like getting a date would be hard for you."

"Why do you keep saying that? That I could get a date so easily, and that 'you can't hold a candle to me.'"

"Well, because every girl in this school wants to fell in love with you. You're new, and you're good-looking." He shrugged, "That's why."

"I don't even-"

The teacher walked in then and called that class to order, and so my conversation with Mike was soon forgotten. By the time the bell rang and we got to second hour, Mike was having a complete panic attack.

"She's gonna say no. I know she's gonna say no."

Mike, chill. She won't say no."

"You don't know that."

"Nor do you. Just go."

We walked to the entrance of the classroom, and I slipped inside, waving to Jessica and saying a small 'hi'. Then I let Mike do his thing. I watched the whole time, and just before Mike left, I saw his face fall a little bit. Oh, no. She said no. Why did she say no?

After class, Jessica sauntered up to me, "Hey Edward."

"Hey Jessica."

"So. . . what are you doing for homecoming?"

"Me? Oh, I'm not going. I'm going to Olympia to look for a piano that day."

"Are you sure? I mean, you could, you know, ask someone and go with a group."

"Sorry, Jessica. I've been planning this for a while, and I can't change it." I lied through my teeth and hoped my voice didn't sound off. I was a terrible liar, but I was banking on the fact that Jessica didn't know me very well yet. It worked.

"Oh, OK. Well then, Mike asked me."

I feigned surprise, "Did he? That'll be fun for you guys!" I put as much enthusiasm into the comment as I could, for Mike's sake.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"It will be. Now let's go to linch, I'm starving."

When Jessica and I walked into lunch, she walked straight over to MIke, and when she spoke to him, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. Clearly, she'd told him yes. My eyes wandered over to the Cullen/ Hale table quickly, glancing, checking. What I saw made me freeze, There were five people sitting there. Bella Cullen was back.

OK guys, I'm so excited right now! I got FIVE reviews in less than twenty-four hours! Thank you so much! Just so you know, updates will not usually be this fast. I'm just really excited about this story, and had about half of chapter two done already when I published Chapter One. Review please!