I found myself staring at the display across the hall from the Main Office. Chemistry could not have ended soon enough. I was supposed to be reporting back on my day to the secretary but a certain 5 by 7 photo caught my attention, especially since I have a wallet size of it in my purse. Gone but not forgotten, Isabella Swan. Her photo and thoughtful words were sandwiched between the number to the Suicide Hotline and a poster containing the number to the Poison Control Center. Ironic considering the photo was nearly being overrun by the hundreds of school event flyers surrounding it. Apparently I'd been gawking too long as someone decided to make their presence known behind me.
"Um…hi. Are you lost?" I turned around to see the owner of the high pitched voice. The girl was obviously shy but for some reason today I must've had a sign that read: Shy People Talk to me, I'm not scary. "You're the new girl right? Bernadette?"
"Yep that's me." She knew it was me or she wouldn't have had the courage to ask. "You are?"
"Kim. I'm from LaPush. I think we have Calculus together." We more than likely do since she's bringing it up. Why didn't I notice her before? Oh right that was a morning class, didn't know she was marked then.
"Right…calc…gotta love math." I said with fake enthusiasm. At least I got a grin out of her.
"Are you headed anywhere in particular?" She was pretty kind I guess asking me if I was lost. It was needless though, considering school's out for the day.
"Just headed to the office." I said. She gave me a confused look before glancing across the hall.
"Well looks like you found it." She said with an exaggerated wave of her hand. Funny. I clasped my hands together to join in the charade.
"I suppose I have." At least that got a laugh out of her. I smiled in response. "I'm going to be in this building a whole five minutes more and I don't have nor know where to find for that matter, the hangout spots." I admitted. Did I just ask the shy girl to tell me where these teens party?
"Most of the Forks kids go up to the Port or Seattle," So the girl does get out, " but we Push kids, can find fun right on our Rez." The way her eyes shifted when she said that last part led me to believe she wasn't telling me everything. I pretended to not notice.
"Considering Angeles is too far, and I'm not up for a ride back to my hometown just yet, I guess that really cuts down my options eh?" I caught a flash of sympathy in her eyes before they brightened again. I assumed she'd just had a brilliant idea.
"You're always welcome to the Rez. I can introduce you to some of my friends." Thank you for so easily falling into my trap.
"That sounds like fun, I may have to take you up on that offer." I admitted, already getting the tingling feeling of interrogating more members of the other elitist high school cult.
"Yeah just tell me when you want to head down there and you can ride down with us on the bus after school. As much as I wanted to say I want to go today, I knew I had to play it slow, especially since my group of "friends" had just banned me a few hours ago from speaking to this group.
"Hey Kim!" A deep male voice yelled from down the hall. Both our heads turned. The voice happened to be one of said cult members. Tall, dark, and hand-not gonna say it. When he reached Kim he slipped both arms around her waist. They pecked quickly but it freaked me out a little. It was one of those kisses that you would expect the hero and heroine in a movie to share before a dramatic scene in the rare blockbusting sequel. Needless to say, I'd never seen anything before like it, let alone in real life.
"Hey Jare, this is Bernadette Coplin. She's new here. Bernadette, this is my boyfriend Jared." Kim introduced us. Jared simply nodded at me. I felt my defenses go up when he started studying me. That's my job. "She's in my math class." Kim added. He looked like he was paying absolute attention to her while she was speaking. It was a little surreal and fake. The dramatics made me believe that they must've recently had an argument about him not listening to her, his defensive response, then her refusal to give him whatever "favors" it was that teenagers gave each other these days. However I really shouldn't be jumping to such conclusions.
"Nice to meet you Jared." I said extending my hand. He looked at it before grasping my hand in a firm shake.
"Dude you're hot." Their faces told me that I'd just said something taboo. "I mean, temperature wise. You're skin's kinda warm." They both relaxed.
"Yeah I've been running a temperature for the past few days. Sorry 'bout that." Totally didn't buy that. And bythe look he gave me I knew that he knew that I didn't. "Kim we should get going, we don't want Harry to leave us again."
"Harry?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"Harry Clearwater. He's the parent volunteer that drives the bus for us to get to and from school. His son goes here, Seth. He's a freshman." Jared shot Kim a look as she explained. Apparently Kim was being Miss Open Ann Truthful today. Just a bonus for me.
"Yes and we don't want to get stranded here in Forks, then have to have Sam come get us." Kim's eyes popped open at the mention of this "Sam". She agreed quickly and they practically sprinted down the hall after throwing a few weak goodbyes my way. I followed them with my eyes for a few moments before deciding upon being the responsible student and turning in my signed schedule to the office.
Nice girl, but that over protective boy-toy is a little much.
I exited the school, half expecting my car to be missing from the parking lot. I'd heard of worse stories of new kids getting initiated into a school. Heck when I was in high school, you prayed to only be stuffed in a locker as a freshman. My beautiful red Malibu.
"Hey Bernadette!" Mike Newton, I should have known. He was just standing near my car waving. I figured I should return the gesture.
"Hey Mike!" I waited to get closer to him and my car before continuing. "About earlier, at lunch-"
"Don't worry about it." He waved me off.
"No really, I didn't want to run you off with whatever I said or did. I just wanted to know stuff-" He lifted his hand to wave me off again.
"It's okay. I overreacted. I have to admit, she's-it's been a difficult subject for me. I guess I just got so used to our group not talking about her, then you came in and I just got a little uncomfortable." So that's the problem. I had made him revisit memories and possibly feelings he wasn't ready to confront. I lowered my eyes attempting to silently convey that I was sorry. "Hey don't worry about it. I noticed this car that'd I'd never seen before and thought I'd come over here and invite you to a party on Saturday."
"A party?" I asked trying to keep the excitement out of my voice at the prospect of cornering unsuspecting guests and interrogating them until their tongues fell out.
"Yeah, it'll be at my house. The whole gang will be there." He stopped leaning against my car then started to back away from me. "Don't worry I'll send you the directions on MySpace." Totally don't have one of those anymore.
"How about Facebook?" I called to him before he got too far across the parking lot.
"Yeah that too." He called back. I wasn't even phased by the fact that he would probably find my profile within the day and do as he said.
At least I'm not too old for Facebook.
