Disclaimer still stands.

Chapter 2: The Royals

Ms. Coop very kindly gave me my schedule, a map of the school grounds and a slip that I needed to return at the end of the day after letting the teachers sign on it. I gladly got out of the main office, feeling her eyes follow me out. Now, I am in no means egotistical or overly self-confident but I swear, that woman is attracted to me. Somehow, I could easily perceive what people were thinking and I was never yet wrong, and that sudden recognition caused me to be very disturbed and maybe even slightly nauseated.

I found my way to my first subject class very easily— it was such a small school. I saw two girls enter a few seconds before I did and the nerves started kicking in again. I ran a hand through my hair. It was an involuntary gesture that went hand in hand with the nerves.

There was no need to be tense, I told myself— just be yourself. I found, though, that that self-encouragement phrase didn't do so well in reducing the problem with the nerves. If all else, it just increased my anxiety.

I took a deep breath and entered the room, a sudden whirl of wind accompanying me. I headed straight for the teacher, who was sitting in his desk and he graciously signed the slip. He sent me to a chair in the middle of the room with no nonsense about introductions. I wasn't happy with the seat as I went to it, hoping to be less conspicuous.

My classmates' heads turned to look at me as I walked down the aisle. I sat down without looking at my neighbors. I wasn't prepared to meet anyone's eyes yet and I could feel all my classmates observing me— which I felt highly irritating. What was I? An exhibit in a museum?

I shifted slightly in my seat. I could feel the person at my left staring at me intently. I sighed. I glanced to my left and saw that my neighbor was a girl, though she had her head slightly turned away from me. Her dark brown hair was swinging down over her right shoulder, completely obscuring my view of her face.

I sighed. Maybe I was just overly self-conscious.

The teacher started class and I took down notes dutifully, though never really grasping the lesson we were having. I didn't really need to pay attention, trigonometry was one of the many things I prided myself with. Besides, my mind was busy flying off elsewhere.

As I was about to write down the new formula Mr. Varner had given us, it happened again— I felt a pair of eyes watching me, my face in particular. Out of the peripheral view, I could see the brunette's head facing in my direction. There was no mistaking it this time. She was staring at me.

I felt my forehead crease. I decided to simply face her, smile and ask ever so politely on what kept her so distracted from the lesson. My other classmates weren't too preoccupied by me anymore, so it shouldn't be that hard to keep her eyes to herself, right?

As I turned to her, my smile already in place, I saw her mouth open ever so slightly. I was taken aback as my head completely turned to face her. The words I was about to say got lost as I stared at her subtly surprised face.

Her face was angular, perfect— straight nose, full lips, naturally perfect arched eyebrows and high cheekbones. She had dark bruise like shadows under her eyes, as if she was highly sleep deprived, but it didn't diminish her beauty in anyway.

My eyes met her strange golden ones, amusement replacing the earlier shock in her features. Apparently it was my turn to be surprised— she smiled at me then turned back her attention to the on-going lecture.

I forced my eyes to look away from the inhumanly beautiful girl beside me. I pinched the bridge of my nose in an attempt to focus. It was no use. Her face was carved inside my head.

"Mr. Masen, are you feeling unwell?"

I looked up in time to see my classmates' heads turn to me. She on the other hand, was staring intently on the board, not seeming to have heard anything. Mr. Varner was still waiting for a reply.

As I smiled up at him politely, I swore I heard small intakes of breath inside the room. I shrugged it off. I must be hearing things.

"No sir. I'm fine." I said in my naturally low voice. Then I heard it again. This time it was louder. Was I starting to get delusional? I frowned slightly, failing to see that Mr. Varner was still observing me.

"Are you sure, son?" He must have mistaken my frown as a sign of pain or something. Hah!

"Yes sir. I assure you, it's nothing." This time I heard sighs. All right, I am seriously doubting my hearing capacity now.

I kept my face bare of emotions that would cause further inquiry. Mr. Varner finally turned back to the board and continued writing. My classmates on the other hand, found that I was seemingly more interesting than some crap about right triangles. How perverse.

But the heavens showed me mercy. The bell rang. I turned to my left to get my things and found the brunette looking at me again, this time with a frustrated expression. I met her gaze, expecting her to look away as anyone caught staring would do, but she held it. I was about to ask her if there was anything on my face but she suddenly grabbed her things and stood up in one fluid, graceful movement.

She crossed the room and went to a blonde girl who was bent down, and in the process of picking up her things— her friend, I assumed. As soon as the blonde stood up, I saw her face. It was breathtaking. She looked so different from the brunette, but then again so similar. They had the same naturally perfect, flawless complexion. The same pale, chalk white skin and the same dark shadows under their mesmerizing golden eyes. It was hard to decide which one of them held beauty above the other.

Typical males would have said the blonde. On the other hand, even back in Phoenix, I had preferred brunettes— not that I dated much. All right, I didn't date at all.

My gaze followed the breathtaking blonde and the beatific brunette as they headed towards the door. They held their curvaceous bodies as runway models would and walked out with extremely apparent grace. I stood up, my eyes never leaving the door. As I walked outside, the spiky haired boy from my class approached me.

"Hi," He held out his hand. "I'm Mike Newton."

"Edward Masen." I said, shaking his hand.

"Oh, I know. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."

I sighed. I feared as much.

"So, what's your next class ?"

"Government." I said, without even looking at my schedule. I had memorized it back in the main office.

"I have government next too. Come on, we could go together."

The rest of the morning passed with similar fashion. Occasionally, people would introduce themselves and make small talk. I was coping pretty well, if I do say so myself. I didn't have the Newton kid in any more of my classes and I was slightly relieved. He talked a little too much, but he was nice enough.

Next thing I knew, it was lunchtime and as soon as I entered the cafeteria, I was being dragged by Newton to his table. He introduced me to his friends, and I made it a point to remember their names. I didn't want to embarrass myself. They were Tyler, Eric, Lauren, Ben, Angela and Jessica.

At first, they seemed a little awed by Mike's courage to be the first one to talk to me. But after a while, they had finally composed themselves and they started to ask questions about how I was liking Forks so far and how different it was from where I came from. Needless to say, I never talked so much in my life.

The girl named Angela was about to ask another question when she was interrupted by a mass of excited squeals and wolf whistles. I turned my head to find the source of the noise and found a group converged in front of the cafeteria doors.

"They're here!" Mike exclaimed a little too excitedly.

"Who's here?" I asked.

He jerked his head at the crowd who were now inching away from the door and opening up a passage. It was like one of those movie premiers where people went wild in the sidelines as the actors and actresses headed down the red carper.

"See for yourself."

At the exact second after Mike said that, a group of people passed through the wide enough gap the on-lookers had made.

The group was consisted of four people; a short, pixie-like girl walking alongside a blonde, slightly muscled boy and the exquisite blonde from trig hand in hand with a big, muscular, curly haired guy who looked as if he could tear a bear's head off.

They all looked different, but they were all incredibly beautiful and graceful— even the males. They sat down in the middle of the room after buying their food, the crowd around them finally diminishing. Without knowing who they were, I knew what they were. Forks High's royals.

"Where is she?" Mike slumped dejectedly on his seat.

"Maybe she didn't come to school today." Tyler said, in an equally depressed tone.

"No, no. She was there in trig."

I was about to ask who the hell they were talking about when the door opened once more. Silence issued throughout the cafeteria— I could hear my own heart beating loudly against my chest— as every eye rested on her. Mike, Tyler, Ben and Eric grew silent, frustrations forgotten, as they inclined their head to get a better look. I now knew who Mike was feverishly looking for.

It was the stunning brunette. She walked in utmost grace and confidence, without a care in the world— as if it were normal for her to be looked on like this. Of course, it would. I thought to myself stupidly. I would expect no less.

Her eyes scanned the vicinity, looking for something. She stopped in front of the table of the beautiful kids at the same time her eyes flashed up to meet mine. It was only a few seconds but it seemed infinitely longer to me. She looked away from me with a thoughtful expression lingering on her face as she pulled up a chair and sat down with the royals.

As she sat down, the world suddenly woke up again. I heard the screeching of chairs and scurrying of the feet and her table was instantly surrounded by people.

I looked away, deep in thought. I didn't need to be a mind reader or a psychic to know that she was, what could be called, the queen bee.

A/N: I am, again, experiencing writer's block. Sorry for the less fabulous chapter but my mind was buzzing when I typed this.:( I'll make it up to you guys, though. I swear. Oh, and Please review.:) It would really make my day.

And please, also read 'The Decision to Live'. Another twilight fanfic of mine. Thanks!:)