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Chapter Five: Forks High School (Welcome to Hell)

EPOV

Monday Morning

"Edward? Time to get up, sweetheart."

I groaned at the sound of Ruby's voice, but did not argue. I knew it would do no good; this was a routine we'd been doing since I'd come here. While there had been no breakfast excursions with that retarded girl, Ruby still insisted I get up at the ass crack of dawn. I had fought her on it the first few times, but it wasn't long before I realized resistance was futile.

I was never able to get back to sleep anyway.

"You go on and get ready for school, honey. Breakfast will be waiting when you come down," she said before she backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

School. Fuck. I'd almost forgotten about that. I kicked the covers from my body and climbed from the warmth of the bed, cringing as my feet touched the cold hardwood floor. This was going to be a long ass day.

I grabbed my clothes from the dresser and stumbled sleepily into the bathroom, rubbing a hand over my tired face.

Definitely need to shave today, I noted as I checked my reflection in the mirror before I turned on the hot water of the shower. I stripped out of my pajamas before I stepped under the hot spray. It was pretty pathetic, but my morning showers had become my favorite part of the day. No, really. It was pretty much the only time that I had any privacy.

I definitely wasn't used to having an adult hover over me, as Carlisle was basically never around. But fucking Ruby! I couldn't get rid of her! Everywhere I turned, she was there! That shit got old real quick, but there was nothing I could do about it. I never thought I'd say it, but I was actually almost looking forward to school, just to get away from her old ass for a few hours.

By the time I finished with the shower, I wasn't sure how much time I had before I had to leave for school, so I didn't even bother trying to tame the hair. It would have been pointless anyway. I dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark blue long sleeved shirt. I grabbed a hoodie, just to be safe, before I headed downstairs.

"Are you positive you don't want me to call Emmett and have him swing by to pick you up?" Ruby asked as I sank down into the kitchen chair.

"Yeah, positive," I snorted. "I'll walk. It's fine."

"Well, if it starts to rain, make sure to catch a ride with him this afternoon. I don't want you getting sick."

"It's fine," I reiterated, grabbing my glass of juice to take a sip. "Do I have time to eat?"

"Of course. You'll be fine on time," she promised, setting a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me. "Did you want me to fix you a sandwich for lunch?"

"No thanks," I mumbled, my mouth full. " I'll just grab something from there if I get hungry."

"If you need anything, you just give me a call. But make sure you keep your phone in your bag during class."

"Yeah, I know. I have been to school before."

"Are you sure you don't want me to call Emmett?"

"Jesus, I just told you I'll be fine!" I shoved my chair back from the table, my half eaten plate of eggs and bacon forgotten. I couldn't sit here and listen to this shit anymore. I had to get out of here.

"You haven't finished eating."

"I'm full," I grumbled as I stalked out of the kitchen, grabbing my book bag out of the hallway. "I'll be back later," I called as I stepped onto the front porch, pulling the door closed behind me harder than necessary.

Shivering slightly in the chilly morning air, I dropped my bag to porch and pulled my hoodie over my head. I couldn't believe that I actually had to walk. Me, Edward Fucking Cullen! What the hell? Whatever. With a sigh, I stomped off the front porch, ready to get this fucking day over with.

I hadn't even made it half a mile when the goddamn drizzle started. Just my fucking luck, I thought bitterly as I pulled the hood up over my head, scowling angrily. Fucking Forks.

I was so busy grumbling to myself about this depressing ass weather that I didn't even hear the loud rumble of the truck behind me. I didn't even realize I was no longer alone until I heard her voice.

"Hey…um… Edward, right? Do you want a ride?"

I glanced up front under my hood, looking over at the retarded girl in the truck. I wondered briefly if she'd even be able to navigate the monstrous thing in this weather when she seemed unable to do so on a perfectly dry day, but it didn't really matter. At least I wouldn't get to school looking like a drowned rat. So with a shrug, I pulled the heavy door open, tossing my bag into the floor before I climbed in.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I rolled the window up, shivering slightly. "Is the weather always like this in this fucking town?"

"This is mild for Forks, I think," she responded as she eased off the clutch, pulling away from the side of the road. I was almost impressed. Maybe she wasn't retarded after all. "I guess you're not a fan of the rain?"

"Does anybody like the rain?"

"It's not so bad," she said with a half shrug. Okay, not retarded, but definitely weird. "It's the snow I can't stand. I'd take rain over snow and ice every day."

"Does it snow a lot here?"

"All the way up until March."

"Fucking perfect," I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest with a huff. "Hey, what was your name again?"

"Uh, Isabella Swan. Well, I don't go by Isabella. I kind of hate being called that actually. Only my mom calls me that when I'm in trouble. But I go by Bella mostly. Sometimes 'Bells' by my dad and Emmett, but mostly just Bella."

I wondered if she knew she was fucking rambling.

"I'm sorry," she grimaced. "I'm rambling. I do that a lot." I almost laughed at the deep blush that crept onto her cheeks, but I kept quiet. At least she knew she was talking too fucking much. I would have hated to have to point it out. People usually hated that shit. "Um… but Forks really isn't so bad. It took me awhile to get used to it when I moved here a few years ago."

"Yeah well, I'm hoping I'm not here long enough to 'get used to it'," I mumbled.

She fell silent at my declaration. I heard her sigh softly as she turned her truck into the parking lot of the school. It wasn't what I'd imagined at all. Back in Chicago, all the high schools were pretty much the same; one huge building surrounded by chain link fences with metal detectors at every door. This place didn't even look like a high school. There were several small, nondescript buildings, each with a number painted over the door. The only reason I even knew it was Forks High was because of the sign as we entered the parking lot.

"Welcome to Forks High School."

BPOV

"Welcome to Forks High School," I said, giving him as small smile as I threw the truck into park and pulled the key from the ignition.

"Yeah, thanks," he grumbled as he pushed the door open and slid out of the cab, grabbing his bag from the floor. "Uh, where can I find the main office?"

"It's in building five. I'm heading that way anyway, so I could show you if you wanted?"

"Sure," he responded with a shrug as he slammed the rusty door. I grabbed my bag off the seat and pushed my door open, cringing as I slid out of the warm cab into the chilly morning air. I pulled my hood up over my head as I made my way around the truck, careful not to trip. I'd made a fool of myself in front of Edward the last time I'd seen him, and I wasn't eager to do it again.

As we walked, I spotted Alice and Rosalie nudging each other and whispering. I did everything in my power to keep from making eye contact with them as we passed.

"Well," I said as we approached building five, "the uh… the main office is right in there. Uh, the lunch room is in building seven and the gym is building three."

"Yeah, thanks," he responded again.

"I guess… well, I guess I'll see you later then." I gave him a small wave as I turned, praying to God that Mr. Varner got started right away so I didn't have to answer any uncomfortable questions from Rosalie or Alice.

"Uh… Hey Bella!"

I turned at the sound of his voice, eyes wide. "Huh?"

"Thanks for the ride to school."

----

"We saw you pull up with him in your truck, Isabella Swan! Give us details! What happened?"

"Nothing happened, Rose! I swear! I was on my way to school and it had started to rain and he was walking! So I pulled over and asked if he wanted a ride!"

"What was he like? Does he smell good?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "He was quiet. And what kind of question is that? Does it matter how he smells?"

"Of course it does! This is all very important information!"

"Do you think he'll sit with us at lunch?" Alice asked with a hopeful sigh.

"I don't think your boyfriends would be too happy to hear you discussing Edward like he's a piece of meat or something. Especially Emmett," I said pointedly.

"Whatever. I'm allowed to look as long as there's no touching involved, thank you very much."

"And Jasper is confident enough in our relationship that it wouldn't bother him."

"You two are hopeless," I said with a shake of my head as I brushed passed them into the now empty hallway.

"Come on, Bella! You've got to give us something!"

"There's nothing to tell!"

"Ugh. I swear to God, you are such a prude," Rosalie complained. "You had the newest piece of meat in the entire town in your ugly ass old truck this morning, and you didn't even try to take advantage of that? Have I taught you nothing?"

"Just drop it, okay?"

Rosalie looked very much like she had no intention of dropping it, but as we stepped out into the rain, we were met by Emmett and Jasper and she really had no other choice. She was well aware of Emmett's opinion on his cousin and in an effort to keep from angering him, she dropped the subject. Unfortunately, Emmett wasn't as ignorant of the situation as I'd hoped.

"Cozying up to the enemy, are we?" He asked casually as he draped his arm around Rosalie's shoulder, pulling her against his side.

"Give me a break, Em. I gave him a ride to school. Last time I checked, that wasn't a crime. And what's with this 'enemy' stuff? He's your family."

"Yeah," he snorted. "Not by choice, let me assure you."

"You're being ridiculous," I mumbled hoisting my bag up higher on my shoulder. "It was just a ride to school."

I didn't know what Emmett's problem was when it came to his cousin. I wasn't sure why he was apparently still holding a grudge from childhood, but it didn't matter. I had promised myself that I wasn't going to base my opinion of Edward Cullen off of anything that Emmett had to say about him.

Sure, he'd rubbed me the wrong way the first day I met him, but maybe he was having an off day; heck, maybe he was having an off year. But it didn't matter. I planned on treating him like I treated everyone else until he gave me a reason not to.

EPOV

This place was shit. And to think, I'd been disgruntled with the education system in Chicago! Forks High made my old school look like fucking Harvard or some shit. Christ. The first class crept by at a goddamned snail's pace and the second class wasn't ending any faster. The only thing that even kept me remotely entertained was the fresh meat.

Back in Chicago, I'd had nearly every piece of available ass in my grade. No, seriously. But the problem was, after awhile, that shit got old. You could only fuck a bitch so many times before you longed for something different. But here… well, let's just say that the variety would be enough to sustain me for awhile, at least.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of my second period hell, I shoved my chair back from my desk and stood, grabbing my bag. I yanked my wrinkled schedule from my back pocket, squinting my eyes at the tiny writing for my next class.

Art. Building Three. Miss Platt.

Great, I thought bitterly as I shoved the paper back into my pocket. I hated art with a passion. It was the biggest waste of time. But at least it would be an easy fucking "A", of that I was sure.

"Hi!" I glanced up at the overly friendly voice, and was met by a pile of curly blonde hair. "You're Edward Cullen, right? Emmett's cousin?"

"Uh, yeah."

"It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Jessica Stanley."

"Yeah, nice to meet you."

"Where are you headed now?" She asked.

"Um, art in building three with Platt."

"Ugh," she grimaced. "Platt's a real bitch. I feel sorry for you."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. Fucking beautiful. Maybe that "A" wouldn't be so easy after all.

"But I'm heading down to building two, so I'll walk with you. I mean, if that's okay," she said, biting her lower lip as she blinked up at me through her lashes. Well, at least this one would definitely be easy.

----

"Art with Miss Platt, huh?"

I turned at the sound of the familiar voice as I stepped out of the art building, nodding dumbly. "Yeah."

"You're lucky. She's a really sweet woman."

I offered Bella as casual shrug as she fell into step beside me. "Yeah, I guess she wasn't too bad. We'll see though. I heard she's a pretty big bitch."

"How are you making out so far?"

"Well, the female population certainly seems friendly enough," I responded with a smirk as we entered the lunch building. "I already got three offers to help me with… ah, any extra credit assignments."

"Oh, well that was nice," she responded sincerely, eliciting a snort from me. Okay, not retarded, but definitely weird and definitely naive. "Um… I didn't know if maybe you wanted to sit with me at lunch. Well, not just me, but my friends too. They're all really nice and Rosalie and Alice asked if I thought you would be sitting with us so I thought I should probably—"

"Bella," I interrupted impatiently, "get to the fucking point. You're rambling again."

"Right," she responded, that damn pink color tinting her cheeks again. "Right. I'm sorry. Edward, would you like to join me and my friends at our usual table for lunch?"

Before I had the opportunity to respond, a shrill voice called my name, causing me to turn my head. From across the room, Jessica Stanley was waving frantically, motioning for me to join her.

"Oh," she said quietly. "Right. You'll probably want to go sit with Jessica and her friends," she said with a nod. "Okay. Well, I should uh… I should probably get to my table. But um… if you need a ride after school… just uh… just meet me at my truck."

"Sure, thanks," I responded, as I set off across the cafeteria to join Stanley and her group of friends. Giving her my best charming smile, I sank down into the hard plastic chair beside her. Maybe I could get used to this place after all.

A/N: As much as I love Pompous!Edward, I love reviews even more! So dazzle me! =)