Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. That world belongs exclusively to Stephenie Meyer. Wish I was her!

Chapter 2: Opening Pandora's Box

The bell rang and I shot out the door, Mike on my heels.

"So. You want to sit with us at lunch? I can save you a seat." I glanced at him, unsure. "Come on. It'll give you a chance to meet everyone and get to know us. It'll be fun." I nodded my head, resigned. Sure, I'd sit with him. The fact stood that I didn't know anyone else and he was trying awfully hard to be friendly. I had an uneasy feeling that the guy was trying to be more than friendly, but I hoped I was just jumping to conclusions. Maybe they were all this… Overbearingly nice in a town this small.

"Great," Mike exclaimed, obviously pleased. "I'll see you at lunch, then! Now that that's handled, would you like me to walk you to your next class? You know. Show you where it is?" I shrugged my shoulders and let him lead me. I was pretty sure I could find it on my own, but at least this way I would get there in time.

Mike rambled on about a few of his friends, the soccer team he was on, and a trip to the beach he was planning in a couple weeks. I tried to nod my head and make the appropriate sounds so he would think I was paying attention.

"Well, here we are, then. History with Mr. Greene. You'll like him. Just take notes and you'll be fine…" Mike trailed off, waiting for me to say something. And because I couldn't think of anything better, all I could offer up was an 'okay' and 'thanks'. I tried a smile. It felt horribly fake to me, but it must have seemed genuine to Mike, as he smiled back. I ducked into History, sat in the back again, and waited for the day to be over.

"Hi! You're the new girl! Isabella Swan, right? Ohmygosh, I've heard so much about you. Well, not really, but enough. We're going to be great friends!" The ball of energy standing beside my desk kept gushing and all I could see was a female version of Mike.

"Um. Hi. I just go by Bella." I bit my lip nervously and offered my hand to shake. She reached out enthusiastically and pumped my arm up and down a couple times. After releasing me, she took a seat in the desk beside me.

"So tell me everything about you! Where did you move here from?" And that's how it went. Before class started, when ever Mr. Greene wasn't looking at us during class, and while she "helped" me to third period, Jessica Stanley asked me question after question.

"So, if you're from Arizona, shouldn't you, like, have blonde hair? And be tan?" I self consciously looked down at my pale arms. I was amazingly fair skinned for living in Phoenix my whole life…

"Um. Yeah. I guess that's why they kicked me out." It slid out before I thought about it and I hoped she didn't take offense.

"Oh. You're funny," she said, wagging a finger at me. "Well, here you are. Calculus. I'm in the class right next door, so I'll walk you to lunch?" I tried another smile and it worked on her as well as it did Mike. Maybe I should take up acting classes…

"Alright! See you then!" And then Jessica and I both ducked into our classes. Maybe I wouldn't have to lead Mike on and sit with him at lunch after all.

Jessica was waiting outside my classroom to walk to lunch just as she'd said. We walked, she chattered, and I just watched where I was walking. I had made it three hours without tripping or bumping anyone, or anything else equally humiliating, and I didn't want to do something stupid such as not watch where I was going. This kind of luck only lasted so long.

We walked into the cafeteria and went straight to the lunch line. Mike was at a table near the entrance with his friends, Tyler and Erik, along with a few other kids I hadn't met yet. He must have seen us enter, because he was immediately behind us in the line.

"Hey! Arizona! How were your last two classes?"

"Um. They were okay…" I trailed off, biting my lip in nervousness.

Jessica looked at Mike and then back at me, a new wave of emotion clouding her face. "So, you two already met?"

"Oh, yeah!" Mike said, snaking an arm around my waist that I couldn't quite figure out how to wiggle away from. "I already invited her to sit with us. Isn't that right, Arizona?"

I saw Jessica wad her face up, but just as fast as it was there, it was gone. I wondered if her and Mike had a thing.

"Mike, her name is Bella."

They continued to banter back and forth as we made it through the line. I grabbed a tray while looking around the cafeteria. I observed how everyone was interacting, how they dressed, how they moved. They weren't too different from the kids I'd known back home. I might even find a way to fit in here. As I moved forward to pay, I noticed which tables were for which clique. There were the preppy cheerleader types, kids playing guitar, jocks, the nerds, the list goes on. And then, at a table in a corner in the back, was them.

There were no words to describe how beautiful they were, how captivating. There were two girls and three guys sitting there. My eyes were drawn to the boy with the reddish hair and his back turned to me. I barely heard Mike and Jessica behind me as my whole existence suddenly relied on him. I felt Jessica nudge me forward to pay, and then it happened.

Just then, the boy turned around, singling me out and making direct eye contact with me. I absent mindedly took one step forward, the toe of my shoe catching on nothing, on thin air, and I went down. I caught myself on the bar to my right, but not before my lunch tray flew from my hands and I saw the boy smirk at me.

Never before could I remember my face burning that bad, my cheeks a fierce red.

And then everyone was clamoring around me. The cafeteria lady looked at me in sympathy and grabbed another filled tray for me without saying a word. Jessica and Mike were asking if I was okay, what made me fall. And everyone else that I could see was laughing.

"I'm fine. Let's just go sit down, okay?" I bit out, instantly regretting it. It wasn't their fault I was such a klutz.

AN: So? How was it? I thought that was a good first impression… Please review and let me know what you think! By the way, I need good chapter titles. It's harder than I thought it would be. If I use one that you suggest, I'll give you all the credit. Thanks! Now click that little review button…