Disclaimer: The original Twilight characters aren't mine.
I approached Ms. Cope after Edward Cullen had left the office and handed her the manila envelope, still a little dazed and hurt.
"Did you have a good first day?" she asked pleasantly.
"Yes, thank you." I left the office and headed for the parking lot, sliding into my car and heading home.
All the while, I wondered how someone could hate me so much. I mean, I was used to not being liked since I wasn't exactly popular, but I wasn't outright hated, since a lot of people thought I was pretty friendly. It was weird that a guy already hated me, even though I hadn't even said anything to him, not even a simple 'hi'. It hurt a bit, actually.
When I finally got home, the cats were waiting to greet me. I smiled softly, comforted. "Hey, Isis. Hi, Midori. How are you, Reijin? Kiya, you are getting too big to be trying to claw your way up my pant leg." As I spoke, I made sure to pet each one, and received several happy mews in return.
I smiled again and headed to the kitchen. I found that my mom was sitting at the dining table with job applications and newspapers strewn across the dining room table.
"Hi, Mom. How's the job hunting going?"
"Slowly, but surely…" She sighed tiredly, pushing back from the table and stretching her arms above her head.
I nodded in understanding and got a water bottle out of the refrigerator, unscrewing the top and taking a swig. I placed the bottle on the counter and glanced out the back window, staring into the forest absentmindedly, still thinking back on Edward Cullen's strange behavior.
"And how was your day?"
"Fine," I lied, a fake smile already on my lips. "The classes were actually pretty easy, and the people were really nice." Except for one…
"That's good. Anyway, sweetie, do you mind making dinner tonight?"
"No. I'll take care of it."
The next day, I was still distressed about the Edward Cullen incident. Fortunately, everyone I had met the day before kept me distracted as they made efforts to include me in their circle of friends. But that was before I entered the cafeteria.
I had gotten there alongside Nick and Cameron, and had glanced at the Cullen table before I stepped into the line that was waiting for food. Edward Cullen was absent, although the rest of his adoptive siblings were present, their heads together.
My heart plummeted to my stomach, and I felt a little sick, dizzy. Was I the reason for his absence? Did he really despise me that much? First the tense atmosphere in Biology. Then he tried to switch out of the class. And now this…!? You're probably just overreacting, Tiana, I told myself. Maybe he's just late, or talking to a teacher…Freaking out isn't going to help you any…
But I began to panic again when he wasn't in Biology, either. I sat down at the lab table, and the empty space next to me seemed to only make matters worse.
Edward Cullen was absent for the rest of the week, and I only relaxed, if only for a little bit, when the weekend came. I had already decided that I wanted to check out some of the areas around Forks, so I told my parents I would head over to the Quileute reservation, La Push. I figured seeing the beach might be calming, especially considering the amount of stress the previous week had given me.
When I arrived at First Beach, I sat down on a driftwood log, closing my eyes and listening to the crashing waves. After a seemingly infinite amount of time, I opened my eyes again, a light smile on my face as I realized I was definitely feeling a lot better.
I got to my feet and reached into my messenger bag, digging around for my camera. I stared out over at St. James Island before kneeling on one knee to get a better shot of it. The soothing sound of the waves and the task of taking pictures really helped keep my mind off a certain someone…
I ventured further along the beach, stopping every so often when I came across an inspiring shot. Eventually, I stumbled upon some tide pools, and my eyes widened with fascination as I went around, glancing into the water. I stopped by one and lowered myself into a cross-legged position, watching the life-forms beneath the water's surface for a while before I returned to my feet and started walking off in search of more things to take photos of.
That's when I glanced over and saw a boy around fourteen-years-old. He had russet skin, glossy black hair, high cheekbones, and slightly slanted eyes. He was looking into a tide pool, but from where I was standing, his expression looked so serious, it was a little comical. But it was a worthy picture, so I raised my camera and took a shot.
Unfortunately, the boy decided to look up once I had taken the photo. I felt blood rushing to my cheeks as I slowly lowered the camera. However, a soft smile spread across his face and he jumped down from his perch to approach me. My blush deepened.
"Hi," he said pleasantly.
"Um, hi…" I mumbled, looking down at the rocks beneath my feet.
"So…you're not from around here, are you?" he asked, as if he were teasing. "You're too dark to have grown up here."
I shook my head. "It's just genetics," I replied, and I soon thought it was the stupidest thing I could've said.
He chuckled, a rich sound that seemed a little deep, not fitting with his young appearance. He then extended a hand to me. "I'm Jacob Black."
I shook it, smiling shyly. "Tiana McKay."
"That's a pretty name," he commented, but his words left us both blushing, an awkward silence falling over us.
I racked my brain for something to say. "So, um…What were you looking at over there?" I finally asked him, nodding my head to the tide pool he had been standing at before.
"You wanna come see?" he asked enthusiastically, already heading back.
With what felt like my first genuine smile since Tuesday, I nodded and followed him. Jacob seemed to have such a cheerful aura, and it was infectious. I was really enjoying his company, both for the fact that he was friendly and funny, and for the fact that it was serving as an effective distraction to keep my mind off Edward Cullen. I was startled at how easily I was getting along with him.
It seemed all too soon that the sky darkened, and I told him I had to head home.
"Maybe we could hang out again?" He seemed very hopeful as he stood up to head home, as well, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
"That'd be really fun," I replied with a nod. I dug around my bag for a notebook. Once I had located one, I scribbled down my cell phone number and tore out the paper before handing it to him. "You should call me, if you get a chance. We'll plan something." I smiled warmly. "It was really nice meeting you, Jacob."
"Same here. I guess I'll see you around, then."
I nodded and headed off, turning once to wave goodbye. I found myself hoping that we would become good friends.
When I woke up the following Monday, I found a fine, powdery blanket of snow on the ground, and delicate snowflakes were still falling from the sky. I was dreading going to school, since I didn't want to sit next to an empty chair in Biology again. On the other hand, the snow lightened my mood, if only by a miniscule fraction.
I pulled on a pair of black corduroys, a forest-green turtleneck, and knee-high boots. My bag over my shoulder, a piece of toast in my mouth, and pulling my hair into a ponytail, I walked out to my car before driving to school. Upon my arrival, I found that several students had started up separate snowball fights. I began to walk to my first class, but then I was hit in the head with a snowball.
Laughing, I turned to face my new friends. I bent down and scooped up some snow and formed a ball, aiming for Cameron. We exchanged a few blows, but the laughter died from my lips as I looked past Nick's shoulder.
I could see that the Cullens had also started up a snowball fight, although it only involved their own family members. They were clearly having fun, even if they did look more elegant than the other students. But the real reason my breath had caught in my throat was the fact that Edward Cullen was with his siblings.
I finally managed to sigh slightly with relief before returning to my own snowball fight. His return made it seem like a terrible weight had been lifted off of my chest.
At lunch, I ended up glancing over at the Cullen table, almost as if I were trying to reassure myself that Edward was really back. All of them were looking like they were in high spirits, and I couldn't help but smile softly. That was probably a good thing…
Emmett laughed and shook his head, droplets of water flying off of his hair. Alice and Rosalie laughed, as well, throwing up empty trays in front of their faces to act as shields. Jasper and Edward looked like as if they were in some sort of friendly debate.
"Earth to Tiana!" Nick's voice called from the distance.
My body jerked slightly, and I looked at the others around me, blinking dazedly. They were all staring at me. "W-what?" I stammered.
Amber seemed a tad amused. "Forget it, Nick. She was too busy staring at them," she said, nodding in the direction of the Cullens.
I laughed in embarrassment, a blush creeping up into my cheeks. "Sorry…" I murmured, scratching the back of my head nervously. I forced myself to keep my head out of the clouds for the rest of lunch hour.
While it was a relief to know that Edward Cullen was back, I found that I was worrying all over again as I headed to Biology. How would I greet him? Was he still angry with me? But if he was back, then he probably wasn't…right? When I finally got to the Mr. Banner's classroom, I saw that Edward was already sitting at our table.
I took a deep breath and went over. I set my things down on the table, settled down on my stool, and then turned slightly to face Edward. "Hi," I said cheerfully.
He turned to meet my gaze, a mixture of shock and confusion on his face.
My heart plummeted, and I looked away in embarrassment. Of course. I had been a fool for thinking that he would want to talk to me.
"Hello," he finally replied, as equally pleasant.
I turned back to look at him again, and saw he had a dazzling, crooked smile on his face; I swear I stopped breathing. That smile threw me off guard, but his voice did, too—it was soft, almost musical, and contained a hint of a speech mannerism that seemed more appropriate for the late 19th century.
"M-my name's T-Tiana McKay…" I finally managed to choke out.
He smiled again. "I know. Everyone's been talking about you."
Idiot…I said to myself, blushing in embarrassment.
He chuckled slightly; I guess my expression gave away my self-scolding. "My name is Edward Cullen," he continued, his golden eyes still alight with amusement.
For a moment, I was reminded of Edward Elric, and I almost facepalmed, especially since I remembered that my initial thought when I had heard his name had been the young, anime blonde. I then thought back to the previous week, when I distinctly remembered the Edward's eyes had been midnight black in color.
"Do you wear colored contacts?" I blurted out.
"Yes," he replied quickly, almost as if he had been anticipating my question.
"That's pretty cool," I said, a friendly smile on my face, even though, internally, I was practically dying of mortification. I felt like such a dork…
He seemed to smirk slightly, and Mr. Banner entered the room before I could question Edward's look of amusement. The class fell silent, but then a sort of excited buzz filled the air as he began setting microscopes down at every lab table.
"Mr. Kluth, could you please give each table a box of slides? They're on my desk."
Nick nodded and did as he was told. At our table, Nick gave me a brief smile when he set down the box of slides before moving on.
"Alright, I want you to go through the slides. Each one has onion root tip cells, and I want you to identify the stages of mitosis, without using your books. You may begin."
I stifled a groan. Great. Something I've already done…
"Ladies first." I looked at Edward, mildly surprised. It wasn't a question, asking my permission—it was more of a polite command.
"O-okay…" I murmured, pulling the microscope closer to me, put the slide into place, and put my eye to the eyepiece, adjusting the lens. Once the slide was in focus, I frowned slightly, determining the phase. It only took me a few minutes—the centrioles were relatively close together, and the spindle fibers were few in number…
"It's prophase," I said confidently, preparing to put in the second slide.
"May I?" Edward asked, reaching towards the microscope.
I pushed it towards him, and our hands brushed against each other. I jumped a little, both because his touch was ice-cold, and because I felt something like a pleasant electric spark passing between us. I blushed furiously, scolding my overactive, romantic heart.
He pulled away as well. "I'm sorry." He was entirely sincere, though I wasn't exactly sure what for.
"It's okay," I mumbled, watching as he pulled the microscope towards him.
He looked into the eyepiece, and his examination was even shorter than mine. "Prophase," he agreed, writing it down on a sheet of paper he already had out, labeled and numbered. He then replaced the slide with a second one, examining it. "Anaphase," he said, beginning to write it down.
"May I take a look?" I asked, my hand hesitantly stretching out across the tabletop, only going to the halfway point between myself and Edward.
He nodded, pushing the microscope to me. I glanced into the eyepiece. Chromatids were forming in the center of the cell. I pulled away, noting that he had been right. At least I was paired up with someone who knew what they were doing.
"I guess we need the third slide, then," I said, holding out my hand.
It was a little too obvious that he was trying to avoid making physical contact with me again as he handed the slide to me.
I looked through the eyepiece, finding the centrioles were alone, the nucleus hadn't yet split. "Interphase."
After a quick, confirming look, Edward wrote down the answer and put the fourth slide into place. "Metaphase," he said, already starting to write down the answer before he stopped and looked over at me. "Would you like to check?"
I shook my head. I trusted his judgment. I took the fifth slide he offered me. The daughter cells were splitting apart. Even if I didn't recognize it, the process of elimination only left one option. "It's telophase."
Edward nodded slightly and wrote it down on the paper.
I glanced around the room, and saw that no one else was even close, most just struggling and some others were trying to be sneaky by flipping through their books under the table. I glanced at the clock and stifled another sigh; Edward and I had only taken about fifteen minutes to finish the assignment, and that left a little more half an hour of the class period. I began to doodle in a sketchpad I had stuffed into my book bag.
Mr. Banner approached our table and looked over the answers. He put the paper back on the table, his expression clearly annoyed as he looked at Edward.
"Mr. Cullen, did you even let Miss McKay use the microscope?"
"Yes, I did," he replied patiently. "In fact, she identified three of the five."
Mr. Banner then turned to me, his annoyance replaced with amazement. "Really? Were you in an AP program, by any chance, Miss McKay?"
"I suppose you could say that…I was in double accelerated classes, so I ended up taking Biology during my freshman year…" My reply was soft, embarrassed.
"Well, then, I guess it's a good thing the two of you are lab partners…" Mr. Banner then turned to continue patrolling the room.
When Mr. Banner walked away, I returned my attention to my doodling. I began sketching the outline of a face…hair mussed up, a casual disarray…dark, intense eyes…I blushed slightly and began to erase like crazy.
"You like Forks."
I looked up at Edward. I could tell that he was trying to start up a conversation, probably trying to make up for the previous week. Reintroduce ourselves. Start off on a more positive note.
"What's that supposed to mean…?" I asked, more self-conscious than challenging.
"Most people who move here think it's too cold or too wet," he explained, before he tilted his head to the side ever-so-slightly. "You, on the other hand, seem to be at ease here."
I laughed slightly. "The weather doesn't bother me much. I like the rain and the snow." I smiled slightly and looked away in embarrassment. "Besides, it's so pretty out here…It's the perfect inspiration for my stories…"
"I was pretty sure you were a writer."
I looked at him quizzically.
"There's just something about you. You seem so creative. You're the kind of person that sees past the logic everyone else sees." As soon as he said the last part, his eyes widened slightly, and his face became guarded, as if he had said too much.
I looked at him in confusion, but then shook my head slightly, sensing that I wouldn't get an explanation. Instead, I opted for a slight grin. "Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment." I turned my attention back to my notebook. Okay, draw something other than him…I told myself, but then I sighed and stared at the board, feeling that that was the safer option.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward open his mouth, but then he closed it, shook his head, and looked away.
I was about to ask him what he had wanted to say, but then I thought better of it. If he had stopped himself, then it probably didn't matter. To be honest, I could have cared less. At least we were on friendly terms.
After school, I got into my car and started it. As I waited for the usual parking lot traffic to die down, I played an Evanescence CD. Looking around the parking lot, my eyes fell on the silver Volvo that had been parked next to my Taurus the first day I had been at school. Leaning against its hood was Edward Cullen.
I flushed a little bit, looking away. I glanced around me, and noticed it was relatively empty in the parking lot. I began to pull out of my parking spot, chancing a second glance at the Volvo. Edward's gaze was following me, a soft smile on his face.