Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. But I'll take any one of the Cullens if they're up for grabs.

I spent the lunch period replaying that horrible scene in my head- and sneaking glances at the boy with the bronze hair. He kept his back to me, but there were two distinct times, after my fall, when I saw him turn and look my way. I would always force myself to look away when he started to shift so I wouldn't be caught staring.

Jessica must have noticed where my attention kept drifting, because as much as I tried, I'm sure I didn't make noises at all the appropriate places to appease her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw where my attention was directed.

"Don't even bother," Jessica said with a hint of bitterness.

"With what," I asked, already kicking myself that she'd caught me staring.

"Them," she jerked her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the boy's table. "They pretty much keep to themselves."

"So, who are they?" I tried my best to sound nonchalant. I don't think I succeeded much.

"The Cullens and Hales." She took a moment to sigh and roll her eyes as if they annoyed her. I wondered if she was just upset because she didn't belong in their clique. "The blonde girl is Rosalie Hale, and the blonde guy is Jasper. Their twins. Rosalie's with Emmett- the big one with the dark curly hair. And the short girl with dark spikey hair? That's Alice, she's Jasper's girlfriend."

"And the last one?" The one that's breath-catching, heart-stopping gorgeous? The one my whole existence revolves around now? The one that laughed at me?

Jessica rolled her eyes again before she replied. "That's Edward." Her tone was clipped. It was clear she wasn't going to say anything else on the matter.

"And," I pushed.

"And he's single, as far as anyone can tell. I don't know. Maybe he's gay. Clearly no girl here is good enough for him…"

I let the subject drop after that. I was positive this was a case of sour grapes. But who knew? Maybe Edward was gay and any effort I put in to getting his attention would be wasted. I glanced up at him again and couldn't help staring. I was lost in thought about this mystery man. I was pretty sure Mike and Jessica tried to engage me in conversation a few times, but all I could bring myself to do was look up and smile. Or pretend to smile. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately…

When I heard the bell ring, I grabbed my bag and made my way out of the cafeteria. I felt a hand land on my shoulder and looked up to see Mike hovering beside me. "Hey, Arizona! What class do you have next?" Great. Was this how my whole day was going to be spent? Being shuffled around by Forks' two person pep-squad, Mike and Jessica?

I dug in my pocket and handed over my schedule without a word.

"Biology! Perfect! That's the same class I have next period, too!" Oh, yeah. Perfect. I just smiled.

We walked mostly in silence. When we reached the classroom, Mike gave me a big, goofy grin and walked to his table. I stepped up to the teacher's desk to introduce myself. As if he wouldn't already know who I was.

"Isabella. What a pleasure to finally meet you. And we had one seat left." He pointed in the general direction of the only available seat. I turned to make my way to the back of the room and froze when I noticed who my lab partner would be.

The red haired boy who gave me that crazy smirk when I tripped.

I felt my face flush and tried to concentrate on walking. I didn't want a repeat of lunch period.

As luck would have it, one of Jessica's friends that had sat at our lunch table had left her bag in the aisle. My foot caught in the shoulder strap and I went forward, my hand flailing out to catch me. There had been a glass bottle of iodine on Edward's- my- lab table and I knocked it off the table in my attempt to stabilize myself. And where should the iodine spill? It splattered over Edward's shirt.

"Watch out, Spaz!" Edward cried, jumping to his feet. He stormed to the front of the classroom to grab paper towels. I saw Edward muttering to Mr. Banner as he swiped at his shirt I was positive it would stain.

I had cleaned up around our table and was seated before he made his way back to his chair.

"I'm so sorry! I'll- I'll buy you another shirt!"

He barely looked up and I instantly had one simple thought running through my head: If looks could kill.

All through class, I interacted with Edward as little as possible. I left my hair down and hanging forward, as if it were a curtain I could hide behind. I let Edward use the lab equipment before I even thought about it. In short, I made myself as invisible as possible.

Edward was out of his seat before the bell even finished ringing. I lazily put things away in my bag, waiting for the class to empty out. Mike was waiting a couple of tables ahead of me.

"Man, what was his problem? You'd think you stabbed him with a pencil or something."

"Well, I did spill our iodine all over him. That's almost as bad…"

"Naw. I'd trade that to be your lab partner. I'd definitely atleast talk to you."

Mike followed me all the way to gym. I was a little surprised when he walked inside, but I shouldn't have been. Of course I'd have another class with the golden retriever. In a school this small, I was lucky I didn't have all my classes with him.

I did, however, catch a break once that day. Everyone had already been paired up for tennis, so I was allowed to sit back and watch. I was warned, though, that by Wednesday they would be on to a different sport and I would be expected to participate. Little did the coach know that everyone would prefer it if I didn't.

After school, I stopped by the office to drop off the paper all my teachers signed. At first I was shocked to see Edward already in there. And then I heard what he was saying.

"You don't get it. My new lab partner is a complete spaz." He was trying to get out of 5th period Bio.

"I'm sorry Edward," replied Mrs. Cope, "but all the classes are full. Maybe your teacher could let you switch with someone else?"

"I already tried that. He's not budging." Edward's voice was low and gravely. He was not happy with this news.

She grinned and shrugged sheepishly. There was nothing she could do, but I could tell she would have if she could. Edward had leverage.

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to endure it." He glanced at me before he stormed out of the office.

I slammed the paper down on the counter before turning and running out of the office after Edward. I knew I was a spaz. I was practically disabled, I was such a klutz. But I had offered to buy him a new shirt. There was nothing more I could do about that. And it didn't help that apparently abhorred me over an accident.

This was going to be a long school year…

A/N: So… It's been a while. I couldn't think of a cool chapter title. That's actually harder than writing th chapter for me. I'm just lame like that. Anyways. How did this chapter go? Please R&R. They're like a drug to me. Haha.