I do not own Twilight.

You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

Chapter 3: First Encounter

AUGUST

August had flown by without any suspicious incidents.

The three-day-long drive from Phoenix to Forks was a nice change from staying home and observing boring neighborhood and it gave me time to think. In those few weeks before my trip I heard many stories about soap-opera-like life of its dwellers. I still had no idea how a woman couldn't notice her husband cheating on her with her best friend or how parents wouldn't realize their teenage daughter was 11 weeks pregnant. People were completely blind and self-absorbed, their conversations provided no relevant information: they would talk about big events but would never notice someone sneaking around. I wondered how perceptive people would be in Forks. Would they notice my constant presence around Isabella? Would I be able to inconspicuously become her friend?

She seemed to be introverted, shy - a loner. I was a loner too. I didn't have enemies in the academy - even Jacob could not be called an enemy - but I didn't have friends either. When I began my studies, I was still grieving and I isolated myself in my room or my meadow, practiced, read a lot, but didn't go out to meet other students. Once I started speaking to people, I made some good acquaintances, but I never let them in. My psychology lecturer would have said that I suffered from thantophobia - the fear of losing someone you love. I didn't think that it was a bad thing. Every agent was at least a little bit thantophobic since our friends and family were in constant danger because of our line of work. As I saw it, this phobia could protect us from feelings such as love and attachment. Love and attachment could cloud our judgment and make us vulnerable, especially if our enemies played brain games that included our loved ones. This is why the rules about relationships between agents were created. Anyway, the fact that my parents were dead and I didn't have any close friends made me a better agent - less likely to be deceived, lured into traps.

The town was already submerged in the dark when I arrived in Forks. Through the curtain of rain almost identical white-painted houses looked somewhat ghostly and, even though it was Friday, only a few windows showed signs of life at this late hour. I stopped by one of those white houses, recognizing the number from Jasper's text.

"Forest Drive 34, Forks" read the message that he texted as soon as he made the deal with the previous owner of the house. "The keys will be left under the liftable tile to the left of the front door."

I got out of the car and within seconds was drenched by the rain. I ran to the door, found the way too noticeable tile and took the keys - there were two copies of the front door key and a garage key. Without hesitation, I went to unlock and open the garage, where I parked my car. Once inside, I quickly locked up and I knew that if someone were to pass the house tonight, they would not be able to tell that someone just moved in.

Lighting my way with a mini flashlight, I explored the oversized house. On the first floor there was a kitchen joined with the dinning room, a living room and a small bathroom. On the second floor I found three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The house was spacious, but a little outdated for my personal taste. During my four years at the academy I got used to modern architecture and minimalist designs, but I knew this would do too for the time being.

A more important drawback of the house was the lack of a safe room for all of my gadgets. Apparently, it was way more difficult to find trustworthy people to do the job in the Forks area, especially on such short notice. Anyway, Jasper had informed me of this little problem and on my way here I had stopped by a hardware store to pick up some tools and materials needed to install hidden safes and secure but accessible hiding spots for various weapons and devices.

Yet, the location of the house concerned me the most: on the contrary to Phoenix, I could not see the target of my observation - Chief Swan's house - from any of my windows and, according to the map, that house was half a mile away. Of course, I would update the security system of the house here too, but this time I would definitely not wait before installing new security cameras that would overlook the front and back doors and the yard. Except I was almost certain that I had to wait at least until early Monday morning, when the Chief would leave for the Police Station and the ones who were not leaving for work would still be asleep and would not intrude upon my business.

The weekend passed as I expected, I worked on my temporary housing and barely left its premises so as to stay unnoticed for the time-being. If I left, I sneaked around in the shadows or hid in the greenery of the forest, along which the Forest Drive curved. The Swans lived practically surrounded by the deep dark forest which was both an advantage and disadvantage: I could reach the house rather easily and keep tabs on it from the forest, but so could my enemies.

That Monday morning I took my pre-packed bag of goods and, dressed in dark running outfit, jogged through the forest to my protectee's home-to-be. It was still very early and Chief's car was still in front of the house, so I waited patiently. Once he left, I spent another 5 minutes lurking in the shadows just to be sure he wouldn't come back and then set off towards the back door. I picked the lock quickly and entered the house. I started to believe it was a rule that houses in Forks looked nice from outside, but were dull and empty inside. I could tell that Chief Swan did not spend much time at his so-called home - there were barely any signs of anyone living and dust covered most surfaces.

I was very disappointed to find out that Chief had no security system at all. Actually, it was illogically logical - he was a small town police officer and what kind of fool would ever try to break and enter Chief's house. Well, I did. But I was no fool, I only acted as one to throw off the suspicion of my non-academy peers and fake friends. Thinking of a way to install the alarms, when there was no previous ones to disguise it, was a challenge, but eventually I managed to hide the little block behind the rack by the door, on which, most likely, Chief kept his gun while off duty. Cameras were another thing - they were small, imperceptible, powered by long-lasting batteries. Placing them was a piece of cake and I put up more than I originally planned. Now I had the view of the forest too. All this feed would be sent directly to my encrypted computer and heat sensors would send triggered messages directly to my state-of-the-art watch so that I would not miss anything. I left the same way I came.

After that day the weather improved significantly. Sun generously shared her rays and warmed the Earth before the upcoming autumn. It corresponded with my mood. Since Isabella was still not here, I had excessive amounts of leisure time, thus I gave in to one of my passions - running. I fell into the habit of running around town exploring the perimeter. Within a week, I knew the town far and wide and had visited most of the surrounding towns too. I was pretty sure that some locals had already started to recognize my face.

It was the 18th of August when I drove to the school. There I found a small office building, when I entered it, three pairs of eyes rose to acknowledge my arrival. There was a red-haired eccentric-looking woman, a rather short older man in a suit and a mustached man in a police uniform. The latter, I recognized - he was Isabella's father and the chief of police.

"Good morning," I politely greeted the trio ant the chief furrowed his eyebrows," I am looking for the secretary."

The red-haired woman eagerly jumped and introduced herself:

"That would be me. I'm Mrs. Coop. What is your name, sweet boy." God, I hated this place already.

"I'm Edward. Edward Cullen, I'd like to enroll here."

"Well, it looks as if we will have a lot of fresh blood this year." The older man stated. " I am principal Green. May I see your documents?"

I handed him a thin file full of falsified documents. Principal Green quickly looked through the documents and seemed impressed. Of course, my family was wealthy, my grades were perfect and recommendations (written by my grandfather and Jazz) were flawless.

"Well, we are happy that students like you are interested in attending this school. There are just a few more documents you have to fill. I am sure Mrs. Coop will help you with that." it was way too easy to get into this school.

"Follow me, sweetie." the woman fluttered her eyelashes. If I could have, I would have ran as far away from that woman as possible. Instead, I followed her to her desk. Out of the corner of my eye I saw principal Green seeing off chief Swan and returning to his office.

10 minutes later I completed my paperwork. Mrs. Coop said I was free to go and rose to take my file to the principal's office. When she disappeared behind the door, I realized that I was alone in the room and Mrs. Coop's computer was left on. Luckily, I had my flash drive with the virus which would provide me complete remote access of this and all other connected computers in the pocket of my jacket. In the matter of seconds I infected the computer and left the building as if nothing had happened.

Three days later I ran into Chief Swan again. Only this time I knew he would be there.

Apart from a small coffee shop near the ridiculously poorly stocked Forks public library, there was only one diner in town - The Lodge. On the contrary to the coffee shop, the diner was more popular with older people, including Chief Swan, who ate there every day.

For that particular reason, I decided to try the food there. Truly, I was just interested what people, especially chief Swan, talked about. While I was getting to know the town or spending my time in the cafe, I saw some of my future classmates, heard what they talked about. None of them knew Bella, but they were interested in her arrival. They also seemed to notice a new face in town - my face. One girl - her name was Jessica - was brave enough to start a conversation with me. Well, it wasn't a mutually-wanted conversation - she was annoyingly flirty and I made it clear that I wasn't interested in her.

When I entered the Lodge, I felt surprisingly out of place since it looked as if the diner was stuck in the 80s. I sat down at the table, which I knew was close to the table where Chief Swan and fellow officers usually ate lunch.

"Welcome to the Lodge!" a woman - the waitress - approached me."Here's your menu. Would you like to order something right now."

" Sparkling water, please. And what would you suggest to order?"

"If you are hungry, I suggest "The Lodge Special". It is a filling fish-based dish. The townsfolk love it."

""The Lodge Special" it is." I smiled.

She left me alone and I took out the book I was reading. She brought my water right away and just a few moments later, chief Swan and his crew entered the diner. Without thinking they took seats at their usual table. Everyone, except chief Swan. He came and sat across from me.

"Edward, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir." I knew the code of conduct.

"I'm Charlie Swan - the Chief of Police. When did you move here? I have seen you before, but I haven't seen your parents yet."

"My father and I moved here last week, Chief. However, I doubt you will meet my father around town. He is seriously ill and he doesn't get out much." I told him the beforehand-prepared uncomfortable background story which would stop unwanted questioning. "Moreover, at this particular moment he's out of town to get his treatment." I added so as to avoid the home visit of the Chief of Police.

"Well, I hope you and your father will enjoy your stay here." He said awkwardly. The waitress saved us from the awkward silence. She brought my meal and the Chief added," Enjoy your meal, too."

Charlie Swan left me alone to eat and joined his friends at the nearby table. I could hear their hushed conversation.

"Already grilling the new kid, huh?" one officer chuckled.

"I think he's just being paranoid about Bella's arrival, Josh. You know, teenagers, first love and all that stuff. A boy like him could make any girl fall heads-over-heels in love. Charlie's just making sure the boy knows who's the boss here." the second officer joked.

"By the way, when is Bella's plane landing?" Officer Josh asked.

" Tomorrow 11 a.m. in Port Angeles." If he was angry with his co-workers for joking about me, now he was elated. He clearly loved his daughter very much."I hope that around noon we will be back."

"Don't make the young lady cook when she arrives. Bring her here for lunch." Josh said. " We want to see how well she grew up too."

"Fine." Charlie grumbled and the waitress brought their dishes too. The rest of the conversation wasn't as interesting - they talked mainly about sports. I already got what I needed - I knew when and where she would be. My plans for the next day were set.

The 22nd of August was the day of the change, the day the girl moved to Forks. By the time the Swans came back from the airport and I had to go to The Lodge, I was highly annoyed. I woke up early that morning and, as always, went jogging. While jogging back home, I was stopped by Jessica, who was yet again trying to start a conversation with me. She was so clingy, offering her help, her friendship, her certain womanly advantages. She did not voice the last part out loud, but her body language screamed that at me. She was so desperate, it repulsed me. I am not sure whether it was due to the moral norms that my parents instilled or due to the fact that she reminded me of that terrible day in the academy when our self-control and resistance was tested by the strawberry blond professional seductress Tanya. When I finally got rid of Jessica, I came back to the house and before I went through the front door, a neighbor hastily ran up to me and I barely refrained from using one of my advanced disarming/defense techniques on her. At first, she seemed like a sweet, caring woman, but over our short conversation her nosiness became apparent. I gave her the same explanation I gave Chief Swan about my father's absence and politely bid farewell. I made a mental remark to avoid her as much as possible as she was one of those people who loved to learn and spread rumors.

Preparing for the meeting, I took more time in the shower than I usually did. I liked how the hot water felt on my body - relaxing and freeing. I was jolted from my relaxation by the spray of cold water. Normally, cold water did not bother me, but after standing in a hot shower for so long, the feeling was shocking and even more annoyed than before I jumped out of the shower. I dried myself quickly, dressed up in black jeans, plain grey T-shirt and sneakers, fastened in my gun and left.

My hair were still a little damp when I arrived at The Lodge. I waited unnoticed around the corner and about 10 minutes after Chief Swan, his daughter and a few friends settled around the table, I made my appearance. I sat at the same table as the day before. I ordered the same meal too - that fish was truly delicious and much healthier than the burgers that chief Swan seemed to fancy so much. I could hear the chatter of Charlie's friends and I could see the girl sitting. I couldn't see her face, but I could tell she wasn't comfortable - she was slouching, leaning away from the men around the table. She didn't speak unless someone asked her, her answers were short, focused. Due to the fact that she was mostly silent she finished her meal quickly, as did I. I saw her rise from the table and whisper something in her father's ear. She went to the bathroom and as soon as she disappeared I went to the bar to pay my bill. The waitress took her time - she acted the same way Mrs. Coop and Jessica did - overly sweet, flirty. That angered me a great deal, however I was a little thankful later

When Isabella emerged from the bathroom and was going back to her table, she stumbled on something and almost fell. Almost just because I hastily reacted and caught her before her face hit the ground. There's your scene from a cheesy movie, Edward, I silently laughed at myself. Charlie didn't notice this incident. I helped her get up and asked:

"Are you O.K.?"

"Um.. Yeah, I'm fine." Mortified, she blushed.

When she was standing on both feet, I thought introduction was in order.

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Edward Cullen - the new student in Forks High." I played the "I'm new, you're new" card.

"You're new?" her curiosity and excitement was evident in her voice." I'm new too. Well, not completely new, since my father had been living here all his life, but I still don't know anyone. " she rambled, still embarrassed.

"Could I learn your name?" I smiled, trying to soothe her embarrassment.

"Bella," she smiled shyly and extended her arm for a handshake, "nice to meet you, Edward."

Then the Chief stepped in. " I see you have met one of your new classmates, Bella."

"Yes. It's also nice to know that I am not the only newbie in town."

"Yeah, that." he said unhappily. I had a feeling he didn't like boys who were paying attention to his daughter. "Are you ready to go home? You had a long day."

"Sure." She turned to me. "Bye, Edward." And the Swans left.

I think that our first encounter was memory of our first meeting would be embarrassing to her, but I hoped that I treated her well enough and she would get over it. Though, I would have to distance myself a little bit, my over-friendliness might be unwelcome and creepy.

A/N:

Thank you again for reading. Please, review, tell me what you like and don't like, criticize, point out my mistakes. All reviews are very welcome.

Love,

luciasy