"You ready for school little bear?"
Delaney sat on her bed and pulled on her bulky rain boots, preparing for the inevitable, almost perpetual drizzle outside. She sighed deeply as she stood up with the unfamiliar boots on her feet, feeling like a toddler trying on her parents shoes. "Almost!" She yelled back to her father. Her long, dark brown hair was wavy from a restless night's sleep and the dark circles under her eyes shown darkly, even under her makeup. She bit her lip, unsatisfied with the reflection.
"I'm going to have to give you a police escort if you don't hurry up!" Her father yelled up the stairs. Laney's stomach gave a nervous jolt as she realized she can't stop the inevitable. "Bella's here!"
She grabbed her backpack and started down the stairs. "Sorry dad," she said, grabbing her jacket. "I didn't sleep well last night so it took a minute to get up." She walked towards the door, but her father stopped her, gently grabbing her arm.
"Hold up there, little bear," he said, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. His light green eyes were filled with worry. "You okay?"
She shrugged and tried to give him a small smile. "I'm fine, dad. It's just the first day of school jitters."
He didn't seem completely satisfied with her explanation, but nodded and enveloped her into a quick hug anyway. "We will talk when you get home, okay? And text me if Bella's boyfriend is a crazy driver. I don't want -"
"Bye dad!" she said quickly, not wanting to catch the lecture that she felt was coming. Living with a police officer, lectures came rapidly and often. She threw the hood of her rain jacket over her head as she walked into the drizzling Washington Monday. A clunky, seemingly ancient red truck sat in their driveway and she almost laughed out loud at how out of place this car looked, surrounded by the lush foliage and gray sky. It felt like a dark bruise on porcelain skin.
Delaney made eye contact with Edward who gave a small wave. She walked to the truck, opened the door, and slid in to sit next to Bella.
"Good morning Delaney," Edward said warmly as she put on her seatbelt. He was also wearing a rain jacket, but Delaney could tell that it was tailored, even though he was sitting. She was still alarmed at how distractingly attractive he was. She shrewdly wondered how Bella could even focus around him.
"'Morning Edward, Bella. Call me Laney, by the way," she said, putting on her seatbelt. "Delaney is a bit of a mouthful." Clicking the lock into place, she locked eyes with Edward in the rearview mirror. He didn't break his gaze with her and she could tell that he was studying her.
"Did you sleep well?" He asked politely, breaking their silence. He turned the key in the ignition and the truck roared into life, startling her with how loud it was.
"You look exhausted, Laney," Bella said, turning around to look at her, her face hinting at concern.
"I didn't sleep well, no. Just nervous about school, I guess. Let's get going so I can get today over with, yeah?" She said lightly, shrugging off their concern. "Is this your car, Edward?"
He chuckled. "Absolutely not; This is Bella's. I will be leaving early from school today so I want to make sure that Bella has her truck at school."
"Just a quick warning - Edward drives fast," Bella said apologetically. Delaney raised her eyebrows at Edward as he shifted into reverse.
As Edward pulled out of her driveway and started to drive down the road, Delaney thought cooly that Bella had never been more right than in that exact moment. She closed her eyes as she felt the car almost flying over the road. Maybe I should text dad… he did say he wanted to know about Edward's driving…
Almost as soon as she finished her thought, Edward slowed down to a more reasonable speed. Delaney opened her eyes and saw Bella staring at him, confused. It was like she has never experienced him driving less than 90 miles per hour and she was taken aback. Edward kept his eyes on the road as he placed a hand protectively on Bella's knee as if to say we will talk about this later.
A few moments passed and they pulled into the school's parking lot. Edward parked near the front of the school, right next to a large red jeep. Laney's eyes widened at the jeep, admiring it.
"I love that car," Delaney said, hopping out of Bella's truck. Edward was next to her in an instant, helping Bella out of the truck, a smile on his lips.
"That's my brother, Emmett's car. He'll be ecstatic to hear that you like it."
The trio walked together into the school, Edward's arm held tightly around Bella. Delaney held on tightly to the straps of her backpack as she walked with them, eyes burning in to her. It truly felt like they were animals at a zoo.
She felt as if her new classmates had never seen a new student before, as they gaped at her rudely. She was shiny - a new toy. She knew that Forks wasn't necessarily a popular destination, but she thought that the students would at least have the decency not to stare so obviously.
"What class do you have first, Laney?" Edward said, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Good question," she responded, pulling her backpack off and rummaging through the front pocket. The school had mailed her schedule to her and it was waiting in their mailbox when they arrived over the weekend. "I have English with Mr. Mason."
"That's my first class too," Bella said with a comforting smile, and Laney sighed in relief.
"Thank God," she responded. With everything that had happened over the last few months to her family, she was grateful that she didn't have to spend her first moment at her new school alone.
"I'm off to Calculus," Edward said, kissing Bella on her forehead. "I'll see you two at lunch."
"Let's go," Bella said, starting to walk down the hall. The cast on her leg slowed her down, and with Bella's clumsiness, Delaney was amused.
"Slow down there, speed racer," Laney laughed. "If you walk any slower, we might actually start going backwards."
"Ha, ha, ha. You're so funny," Bella said sarcastically, but she couldn't help laughing. "I forgot how much I missed you, little cousin."
"Little cousin? Please. You are barely two weeks older than me. And I'm like, half a foot taller than you."
"Details, little bear," Bells grinned. Delaney shuddered at the nickname.
"Please, please don't let that nickname be a thing here."
Laney's morning sped by with the usual fanfare of being a new student. Stand up and tell us a little about yourself! Welcome to Forks - I'm sure you'll love it here. If you have any questions, let me know! She met up with her cousin before lunch; Bella and Delaney walked to the cafeteria together, struggling to weave in and out of the high school students cluttering the hallway. She could feel dozens of eyes on the pair of them as they maneuvered their way through the hallways. Biting her lip, she picked up her pace, trying to avoid the conspicuous glares of her classmates.
"Why are all these people staring at us?" Delaney asked Bella, wrapping her sweatshirt tightly around her body. "It's like we are at the circus."
"It's a small town. Anyone new is a big deal," Bella said simply, opening up the lunch room door. "And they aren't staring at me; I'm old news. They are staring at you."
Delaney scoffed. "Sure, Bella." Delaney knew that she was wrong - she never fit in at school. She was always on the taller side, with broad shoulders and a muscular frame. Delaney's father sometimes called her sturdy, which she hated with a passion. She always envied Bella's lithe physique; she was so tiny and thin, she almost looked fragile.
"This way," she said, turning toward the back of the cafeteria. "And yes, they are staring at you… just for the record."
Delaney rolled her eyes and followed her cousin through the cafeteria, actively trying to push her thoughts to the back of her mind. Bella stopped at an empty table and motioned for her cousin to sit down next to her. Laney raised her eyebrow. "So… Edward's siblings. Do we like them?"
Bella took in a deep breath. "For the most part," she said slowly, meaningfully. Delaney furrowed her brow and tried to read her.
"So...We like some of them?"
Before Bella could answer, she saw Edward walking towards them with what Delaney assumed were his siblings behind him. Their facial features were extremely different; neither one of them looked like one another. There is no way in hell that any of them are related, she thought. But they all had the same pale skin tone and honey gold eyes. In fact, they were the most beautiful people Delaney had ever seen. No words could adequately describe them; in short, they were perfect.
"Hello Bella, Delaney," Edward smiled, his teeth sparkling white. "Delaney, I'd like you to meet my adoptive siblings."
Adoptive. There we go, she thought as she glanced around his siblings. That makes more sense.
"This is Alice," he said, gesturing to the small, pixie-like girl sitting on his right. She gave Laney a large smile, revealing perfect, blindly white teeth.
"I'm so glad to meet you! Ever since Bella told us you were coming, we had been looking forward to finally seeing you! I can tell we are going to be great friends," she said enthusiastically, almost bouncing from her excitement. The blonde boy next to her placed a hand on her thigh which seemed to bring her back to reality. "This is Jasper. He is Rosalie's brother," she said, glancing at the modelesque girl across the table. "And that's Emmett." A large, burly teenager sat next to Rosalie. Although his eyes were the same shade of honey as his siblings, they seemed to be filled with more warmth.
A few quiet moments passed as they picked around at their food. Delaney noticed Rosalie was carrying a very expensive, designer handbag. Trying to be polite and break the increasingly awkward silence, she gestured at her purse. "Rosalie, I really like your bag. It's gorgeous,"
The blonde locked eyes with Laney and her gaze was cold as ice, almost as if she just realized she was there. Blinking, she could have sworn Rosalie passed a fleeting glance to Edward, but it was so fast she thought she was imagining things. "At least one Swan has decent fashion sense and can appreciate fine craftsmanship."
"Well, she's not wrong about that," Bella smiled sheepishly, tugging on the sleeves of her sweatshirt.
"I know I'm not wrong," Rosalie snapped rudely, looking Bella up and down.
"Play nice, Rose," Edward said, a dangerous tone in his voice. Rosalie rolled her eyes and leaned into Emmett, as if she was suddenly bored with their conversation.
Emmett wrapped a (very large) arm around her small frame. "So, new girl, what do you like to do for fun? You play any sports?"
"Well," Delaney started, feeling uncomfortable. She could feel the gaze of the Cullens on her and felt extremely nervous in their presence although she couldn't place why. "I'm pretty boring. I like to read, I guess. Oh, and I rowed on our crew team at my old school."
"That's right! I remember Charlie telling me about that. He said you were pretty good, too. There, Emmett. You have a more competitive Swan to play baseball with now."
"Nice! Looks like you're off the hook for all future family baseball games, Bella," Emmett said, a large grin playing on his features. Rosalie once again rolled her eyes.
"Well, this is riveting, isn't it?" she said, standing up from the table. "Come, Emmett. Let's get ready for class," Rosalie demanded. Emmett shrugged and followed Rosalie.
"See you later, Delaney!" Emmett loud voice boomed through the cafeteria. Delaney watched as the pair walked through the cafeteria, hand in hand. Rosalie was truly the most beautiful girl she had ever seen, and even thought she was obviously head over heels in love with Emmett, that didn't stop almost every boy in the cafeteria to sneakily catch a glimpse of her as she walked past.
"So, what are you doing here?" Alice said cheerily, bringing Laney's attention back to the table.
"Umm," she started, taken aback by the question. Who asks that?
"Easy, Alice. Let the girl breath," Edward said, smirking, as if sharing an inside joke between sibling. Delaney shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
The bell rang shrilly through the cafeteria and Delaney was relieved. "I'll see you guys later," she said, rushing out of the cafeteria. She felt like an outsider; the Cullen's, save for Emmett, were either terse or detached and she could sense that her presence wasn't welcomed. Walking quickly down the hallway, she reached her next class, praying that the day would end quickly.
Throughout her last few classes, Delaney's mind freely wandered. Glancing at her watch, the time read 1:32. I would have been in choir right now, she thought bitterly, her thoughts jumping towards her old school. We would have been preparing for the spring concert and Mrs. Saunders would have been berating us for being out of uniform. Soon enough, the final bell rang through the classroom, signaling the end of the day. She happily sighed in relief.
Pushing the school doors open, she walked out into the sunlit parking lot. Her eyes squinted, as she was surprised it was actually sunny outside. Delaney saw Bella, already at her truck, leaning up against against it reading a book. Bella glanced up, and gave her cousin a small wave. Weaving in and out of the cars in the parking lot, Delaney reached her cousin. "Are you sure you can drive with that thing?" She asked, gesturing to the cast on Bella's foot.
"Barely. Luckily you only need one good foot to drive," she said jokingly as she pulled out her keys. "How was the rest of your day?" Bella asked, opening the truck door and tossing her backpack on the empty seat. She slid in the truck and turned the key, causing the engine to roar to life. Delaney followed suit, and sighed.
"Another normal day in high school, I guess. People here are nice enough," she said with a shrug. "I miss Cincinnati, though. I miss my friends."
Bella bit her lip and glanced at Delaney. "I know this is hard for you. But I'm here for you… and so is Edward. I didn't tell him everything, but he can tell that you have a lot going on."
"Speaking of Edward," Delaney said, seizing her moment and changing the subject. She didn't want to think about her old home; it was far too painful. She didn't want to admit to herself that this was her new life… not yet. "We didn't get a chance to talk after lunch. You have to give me the rundown on his family."
"Well, what did you think of them?" Bella asked, the truck clanging noisily while they drove down the road. Delaney couldn't help but be relieved that her cousin drove at a normal speed, still reeling from the car ride this morning.
"Well, Emmett seems like the fun one. I like him a lot, actually. Alice seems…. Spunky?" Delaney said, naming the Cullen's on her fingers. "Jasper seems like the 'suffer in silence' type. I don't think he said one word to me, actually. And Rosalie is just sort of scary."
Bella laughed. "Honestly, that's just about right. They liked you though, which is good."
Delaney turned to stare at her cousin. "You're joking right? It felt like they would have killed to get me away from them."
"I know they can be a little…" Bella paused, trying to find the right words. "Different. But they do like you. Edward said so himself, and he's very good at reading his siblings." She said, turning on her blinker to drive down their street. "You want to come over for a little bit?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "You can help me catch up on this bio homework."
"And by catch up you mean…" she said, grinning. She pulled her truck into her driveway, parking next to her dad's police cruiser.
"I mean you finish my biology homework because you love your favorite cousin."
"That's what I thought you said," Bella grinned, getting out of the truck. Delaney grabbed her backpack and they walked into Bella's home.
"I thought I heard that piece of junk down the road," Charlie said, turning down the TV as the two girls walked in. "How was your first day, little bear?"
"Standard day, Uncle Charlie. Arrest anyone today?" She said, tossing her backpack on the kitchen table, and sitting down next to Bella to do her homework.
"Fortunately, or unfortunately, no. Depends on how you look at it," Charlie said gruffly. "You girls want pizza for dinner?"
"Sure, Dad," Bella said, and Delaney nodded in agreement.
"Thanks Uncle Charlie," Delaney smiled, pulling her books out of her backpack. "I'll make sure that dad gives you money for dinner."
"No need, Little Bear. Your favorite uncle can spring for pizza every once and awhile. I'm just glad you're here."
"Me too, Uncle Charlie."