Bella pulled into the half-full parking lot of Forks High half an hour before classes began on the first day of her junior year feeling more out of sorts than she had for the past three weeks. She had spent the last three days pouring over the journal she found in the attic. The tales of her Granny's life were unbelievable, not the least of which being the apparently hereditary ability to turn into a tiger at will. Bella still wasn't sure if she believed in any of it all, but the evidence was lining up.
A drastic growth spurt that came out of left field? Check.
A constant feeling of being on edge and having an endless amount of energy? Check.
Weird dreams about running through the woods on four legs, feeling an indescribable power rushing through her veins? Check. Though to be fair, those didn't start until after she had found Granny Swan's diary.
Now Bella felt as though she was stuck in a constant state of anticipation. The Shift was coming, she could feel it growing stronger beneath her skin, hear it fumbling in her chest, but Bella had no idea how to bring it out. She didn't know what was keeping it from getting out either. Granny Swan's diaries had mentioned a few covens of witches that she had met on her travels - a concept that Bella was still trying to wrap her head around as well - but there was nothing about binding Shifts, either Granny's, Bella's or anyone else's.
Her old Chevy rumbled to a stop in the same parking spot that Bella had used since she had gotten her license last year, caddy corner to Tyler's van where he, Mike, Jessica, Lauren, Angela, and Eric had already gathered up. Bella lugged her backpack over one shoulder and climbed out of her truck, pressing down on the lock out of habit rather than necessity. She was greeted with smiles and cheers as she joined her friends, Lauren moving somewhat awkwardly to put a bit of distance between the two of them.
Bella let the conversations of school and sports and the various extracurriculars her friends were in wash over her without making much effort herself. There was still plenty of time before classes would start so Bella was content to wait it out. She was considering pulling her book out of her bag when her attention was arrested by two new vehicles pulling into the parking lot. A silver Volvo and a gray Jeep. It didn't take more than two guesses to figure out who was going to step out of the vehicles.
It felt as the though the entire parking lot was waiting with baited breath as they caught their first collective glimpse of the Cullens.
They climbed out of their vehicles looking as though they weren't the center of attention, or at least, acting like it wasn't affecting them. A tall boy with large arms and short, dark hair was laughing loudly at something that the petite brunette with spiky hair had said as they climbed out of the Jeep. Another man that was slightly shorter than the other climbed out of the Volvo, bronze hair styled in that effortlessly disheveled look that probably took a lot longer to perfect than he would admit. Finally, Bella's eyes caught the flash of brilliant blonde that could only come from the Cullen that she had seen at the diner a few weeks ago. She was standing next to a boy who looked like her twin, though his hair was a few shades darker.
Actually, Bella thought, they all looked like they could be legitimately related, even distantly, but it was common knowledge that all of the Cullen children had been adopted.
"Damn." Jessica said, Tyler whistling from his place beside her. While Bella wouldn't voice it, she'd be an idiot to not notice that all five of them were ridiculously attractive. Though in Bella's eyes, there was one that stood out from the rest and by some miracle, the blonde goddess that she was thinking of glanced across the parking lot and their eyes met.
It was just like the diner. Bella was frozen in an impossibly long moment where all she could do was stare in wonder at the magnificent creature before her. Bella was, fortunately, a bit more aware of her surroundings than she had been in the diner and so she noticed when her friends seemed to gather around her. She tore her eyes away from the golden gaze of the goddess across the parking lot only to find Mike, Jess, Angela, Lauren, and Tyler gathered to her sides in an almost protective fashion. Lauren had gone as far as to step in front of Bella, placing herself directly in the line of sight of the Cullens.
"What are you doing?" Bella asked, confused.
"They were staring at you, Bella." Angela said. "All of them."
"What?" Even as she asked, Bella was turning to look back at the Cullens. They had gathered around the Jeep now but there was no mistaking the angle of their heads as they all looked in Bella's direction. The bronze haired boy was frowning slightly. Bella could see his mouth moving as he spoke but had no way of knowing what he was saying. The pixie-cut girl shook her head, puzzled as well, as the dark blonde boy rubbed her arm in comfort. It was an oddly intimate gesture for people who were supposed to be siblings.
Bella felt a warmth against her hand and looked to see that Lauren had grabbed her hand, attempting to pull her along. Bella began to follow, only pausing for a moment when a faint sound reached her ears. Like an animal, a very angry animal, warning whatever was near it to stay away. Bella glanced around but all she saw was the Cullens slowly walking into the building, the blonde goddess' lips pulled into a thin line as she resolutely did not look at Bella again.
By lunchtime, the school was buzzing with gossip about the new students. Bella sat down at her usual lunch table with a loaded tray, sure that she would still be hungry after she ate all of her food. She'd notice an intense increase in her appetite since she became aware of the coming Shift, as though her body was preparing itself even more for the trauma of changing. From what Bella had read in Granny's diary, the first change was not going to be a quick and easy process.
"They're together," Jessica announced as she and Lauren took their seats around the table. Lauren sat right beside Bella, scooting her chair just a bit closer than she usually would have. Wonderful, Bella thought. Just when she was finally over what had been happening between her and Lauren and had much bigger things to worry about, Lauren was starting to figure it out.
Or maybe she was just jealous because the Cullens had spent all day staring at Bella as though she was the most intriguing puzzle they'd ever seen. Bella had been making a great effort to act like it wasn't bothering her.
"Who's together?" Angela asked.
"The Cullens."
"Yeah, they're all over there." Mike gestured to the corner of the cafeteria where the five siblings were sitting together, barely even picking at the food on their trays.
"No, I mean, they're together together. As in, dating." Jessica said. "The short one, Alice, and the blonde guy."
"Jasper." Bella supplied the name. He was in her A.P. History class, where he had sat in the back of the room with his sister, the blonde goddess that Bella had learned was named Rosalie.
"Right. McKenzie saw them kissing in the hallway. Like, on the mouth, with tongue." Jessica shuddered dramatically.
"What about the rest of them?" Eric asked, despite being a self-proclaimed man of science, he was not immune from getting wrapped up in Jessica's gossip. "Emmet's the big guy, he's in my science class."
"I haven't heard anything about him or Edward yet, other than their names." That must be the bronze-haired guy. "I have heard that Rosalie is a bitch."
"Really?" Bella could hear the surprise in her own voice and her friends blinked at her. She had never been one to participate in gossip before. "I mean, she's been in all of my classes so far and I haven't heard her say anything remotely rude."
Actually, Bella hadn't heard Rosalie say much of anything really. Only her name when prompted. Rosalie Hale. She'd answered a few questions about where her family had come from, giving half-hearted but not rude answers. Bella thought she was annoyed with the attention from the rest of staff and students at Forks High. They got new students so rarely, getting five at once was like having free dinner at an all you can eat buffet for the student body.
Jessica launched into a story about how some freshman had pumped into Rosalie in the hall and asked for help for finding a classroom, help that the girl had refused to give. Bella tuned out of the conversation after she heard Angela hesitantly remind Jess that Rosalie probably didn't know where the classroom was either and finished her lunch.
As she ate, Bella was aware of multiple eyes on her. First from Lauren, who had not so subtly slid her tray closer to Bella's when Bella finished eating and had looked at her untouched fries. Bella had taken them with a small nod of thanks, ignoring the uncomfortable pressure in her stomach when Lauren reached out to squeeze her arm gently. That sound reached her ears again, a faint growling sound that Bella couldn't place and judging from the non-reaction of everyone else, no one else could even hear. The sound lingered as Bella stood up to take care of her tray, taking Lauren's at the same time. In their corner of the cafeteria, Bella saw Rosalie watching her again. There was a shadow of something, not in her blank expression, but in the golden hue of her eyes. Recognition of something, Bella thought, or maybe acknowledgement.
Edward was staring at her too, the frown still in place on his lips. Bella was wondering what on earth could make the boy so happy when she was suddenly met with another pair of bright eyes and pale skin much closer than the others.
"Hi." It was Alice who greeted her cheerfully, Jasper dutifully at her side. They were both holding a few half-full trays and Bella stepped out of the way of the trash cans so they could dump their food.
"Hey." Bella returned. "Sorry about that."
"Oh don't worry about it." Alice said. "I was just glad someone finally took care of their trays so we knew where to put ours."
"Right," Bella nodded. "Do you need help with anything else? Finding your classes or the bathroom or something?"
"I think we've got most of it figured out," Jasper spoke for the first time, a noticeable drawl in his voice that reminded Bella of the old western movies she used to watch with her dad and Billy Black. "We have history together, don't we? You're Bella?"
"That's me." Bella held her hand out. Jasper shook it warily, looking as though he was waiting for some kind of reaction. His hands were cold, Bella noticed, but not uncomfortably so. The touch was oddly soothing, that hum beneath her skin going quite for a second before it renewed, muted but still present. "Bella Swan. Pleased to meet you."
"The pleasure is ours." Alice said, also taking her turn in shaking Bella's hand after she and Jasper had officially shared their names with her. "I'm sure we'll see more of you around."
"If the rest of the day is anything like this morning, I think your sister is stuck with me." Bella said, joking. Alice's eyes lit up as she looked over her shoulder where Rosalie was just beginning to get her things together to head to her next class. "I mean, it looks like we have the same schedule so far, but I doubt it will stay that way."
"What makes you say that?" Jasper asked, following Bella back to her table so she could retrieve her backpack. The two Cullens ignored the eyes of Bella's friends at the table and Bella decided to follow their lead.
"I know I don't know her at all but," Bella shrugged. "I can't really picture Rosalie in gym class. Or in the gym at all."
"Oh no, she'd have to have a pretty good reason for being in there," Alice said with certainty. "But who knows, really? People are full of surprises."
"Sure," Bella agreed easily. "I've gotta run, but I'll see you around."
"Bye, Bella." Alice waved, Jasper moving his head as though he was tipping an invisible cowboy hat in her direction. Bella hurried to her next class where Angela was saving a seat for her. As Bella had thought, Rosalie was there too, already seated in the back of the room.
"What was that about?" Angela asked as Bella took her seat moments before the tardy bell rang.
"I have no idea." Bella shrugged. "Maybe they were just trying to make friends."
Angela didn't look convinced but she let it go, as Bella knew she would. That was why Bella and Angela had always gotten along so well, they were both as quick to drop a conversation as they were to keep a secret for one another. Well, most of the time at least.
"Okay, but what about Lauren?"
"What about Laruen?"
"She's been staring at you all day and don't think I didn't see her hand on your arm during lunch."
Bella groaned. It was going to be a long week.
By Friday evening, Bella was more than ready for the weekend. The first week of school was behind her and while it was nothing to write home about, there had been a few odd encounters. Besides Lauren continually walking the line between respecting Bella's words from the summer and showcasing her obvious desire to resume what they'd been doing before break, Bella was now on the radar of the Cullens. All but one of them, at least.
Alice and Jasper had found multiple opportunities to find and talk with Bella for at least a few minutes every day, both together and alone. Jasper had even gone as far as trading seats so that he was behind Bella now, a disgruntled Rosalie sitting in the open chair to Bella's right since chronic sleeper Jesse had been unwilling to move from the chair beside Jasper. Bella didn't share any classes with Edward since he was a year below her, but she had had a few conversations with him in passing. Emmett had a free period at the end of the day, just like Rosalie, but he would come find her in the gym and they would talk about basketball when Bella had a break between drills or after when Emmett walked her to her truck.
Bella was only a little annoyed that the only Cullen she hadn't talked to was the one who had captured her attention from the moment she first saw her.
Not for a lack of trying, at least on Bella's part. It was difficult to at least not explain pleasantries when one shared seven out of eight class periods with another person. But they didn't sit together in any of their shared classes. They barely sat adjacent to each other at most and Rosalie was normally the first one inside the room and the first one out, despite her seat in the back. It was frustrating for Bella and so was the hints of amusement she found in the rest of the Cullens with the situation.
Bella had done a decent job of putting the Cullens out of her mind as she drove out to La Push for the annual back to school bonfire that Jacob had invited her too, just like he did every year. It was easy to get wrapped up in the warm energy of the reservation. She didn't feel like she had a tiger pacing through her bloodstream when she was surrounded by the boundless energy of Jacob, Quill, and Embry.
It was well into the evening when all the boys were feeling a bit buzzed from the booze that Elders turned a blind eye to for one night only, Bella hadn't had any to drink because she had to drive back home after the fire died and the smell alone was revolting to her, that the questions began coming up. Even going to school on the reservation the boys had heard about the new students and they were filled with questions and comments and speculation about the new family in town.
Most of it wasn't anything different than what Bella had been hearing at school for the past week, except for being asked and told in increasingly dramatic ways and punctuated with the roar of the flames or one of the boys pretending to howl at the moon. Bella had given non-committal answers to all the questions that she could and simply ignored the others. It wasn't like she had any more information than anyone else, except for maybe the explicit confirmation that Jasper and Alice were in fact dating, but that wasn't something that they had hidden at all.
"My dad says the Cullens are bad news," Jake whispered to Bella as he walked her back to the truck on unsteady legs, leaning into Bella's side. He was still on the scrawny side and thanks to the tiger in Bella's blood, she had nearly half a foot over the kid now and was able to easily get him into the passenger seat of her truck to drive him home.
"Why's that?" Bella asked, mostly to keep Jacob awake and talking because she wasn't sure she could carry him all the way into his house.
"Says they're dangerous," Jacob answered, his words slurring as he leaned against the window. "They've been here before and they weren't supposed to come back. And they're not allowed on our lands." Jacob shrugged. "Something about a treaty and our legends and whatever. I stopped listening."
"You shouldn't ignore your dad, Jake."
"Says the girl who barely went to her mother's wedding." Jacob snapped back, the alcohol making his temper flare far faster than it normally would. Bella glared back at him until he hunched down, sheepish. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."
"You did, but there's a big difference between my mom and your dad."
"Yeah?"
"Your dad actually cares."
Jacob remained quiet the rest of the short drive to his house and stumbled inside alone, apologizing again and promising to call Bella in the morning so they could hang out again, sans alcohol.
Bella made the slow drive home, listening to the radio play and thinking, despite her desire not to, about the Cullens. There was something about them that Bella couldn't put her finger on, something that she was missing. Something that had the tiger within on the prowl, but not hunting, Bella thought. Searching, longing, but not hunting. There was no anger, just a desire to know, to understand, to see and be seen. A confusing jumble of emotions that made Bella feel as though she was standing at the top of the cliff and simply waiting for a strong breeze to wash over her.
That night, Bella dreamed of rushing waters, a forest alive with color and sight and sound, golden eyes, blonde hair, and a cold hand clutched to hers.