Chapter 20
The two weeks before school started up flew by. I got into a quick groove, going out for a run each morning. During the day, while Charlie was away at work, I practiced with my abilities. I decided to spruce up my room, opting for a much brighter eggshell white instead of the dark and depressing purple. My wardrobe got a makeover too, with several pairs of skinny jeans and stylish boots to combat the constant rain and future snow. As I looked at myself before heading off for my first day, I thought I looked really hot. Hopefully, I could make some new friends or at least do a better job than I did with the boys at the reservation.
They acted like I had cooties or something the two times I visited with Charlie in the past two weeks. The second time, I got the impression that Billy had a problem with me too, but I couldn't understand why, as he seemed perfectly fine the first time I met him. I had not met any of my new classmates yet, but that would all change today.
I grabbed a Pop-Tart and waved goodbye as Charlie wished me luck on my first day. I hopped into my truck, and it fired up with a loud roar, just like it always did. Making my way to the school, I parked in an empty spot. As I looked at the kids walking around the parking lot, they seemed normal enough. A lot of people appeared to be looking my way. I guess there weren't many new kids at a school the size of Forks High. Thankfully, I had already received my schedule in the mail, and Charlie had been nice enough to show me around and inside the buildings the other day, so I wouldn't be wandering around like some newb on their first day.
I first went to my locker and stashed my jacket and bag. Then, I headed off to my first class, which was History. As I walked into the classroom, I took a quick look around. It seemed pretty ordinary, with several rows of long desks accommodating three students each. The class appeared to have around 20 students. Finding an empty seat in the middle, I settled in and began to pull out a notebook and pen. Before long, the girl in front of me cleared her throat, and I looked up.
"Hi, I'm Jessica. You must be the new girl Isabella," she greeted me with bushy blonde hair and a wide smile on her face.
"Hey, nice to meet you. Call me Bella," I replied, wondering how she already knew my name. It must have been Charlie, mentioning me around town. Jessica and I had a pleasant chat before our class started. It followed the standard introductions one makes when meeting someone new. She seemed like one of those popular girls who liked to know everything about everyone. Back at my old school, I usually kept to myself and avoided her type, but I decided to act differently here. I asked her questions in return, trying to get a handle on what life in Forks was like.
As we left for our next class, Jessica invited me to sit with her and her friends at lunch, and I gladly accepted the offer.
The next class was gym. It used to be something I'd dread, but now I was actually looking forward to it. The only challenge was holding back a bit to avoid standing out too much. Forks High had a uniform policy, which was new to me. I headed to the girls' locker room and quickly changed into my gym attire - a top, shorts, and gym shoes. It felt a little strange changing in front of people I didn't know yet, but I brushed off any awkwardness. After all, I had nothing to hide.
Once gym class started, we began with some warm-up exercises before dividing into teams to play badminton. A boy next door type approached me and asked if I wanted to team up with him.
"Sure, I'm Bella," I replied with a smile. He introduced himself as Mike Newton. Hah, this was the kid my mom told me about, the one who used to pull my hair. His dad was 'One Minute Mike.' I couldn't help but grin, recalling my mom's humorous nickname for him. Well, I certainly wasn't about to find out if we had 'One Minute Mike Jr.' among us.
Despite never having played badminton before, Mike and I wiped the floor with all the other teams. He looked impressed and asked if I had played before. I decided to give myself a little boost and lied, saying I had played a lot in my previous school. No harm in framing how I'd like to be perceived.
The next two classes went smoothly. Several boys approached me, asking if I needed help finding my next classes, I thanked them but said I already knew where to go. So far, everyone had seemed nice, so I felt that was a good sign. I did my part to be helpful by giving directions to a boy who was obviously a freshman and had no idea where to go. He seemed so young, and I appreciated being a senior all the more. The next period was lunch, and I met up with Jessica. As we walked to the cafeteria, we got to talking about the other students. At one point, Jessica's demeanor changed, and she looked melancholy, saying with a sad smile, "You know, Lauren would have really hated you."
I looked at her, noticing the shift in her bubbly mood. "Who is Lauren?" I inquired.
She looked away for a moment, wiping at her eyes, and then finally said, "Lauren was my best friend. She... she was killed last year in a bear attack, along with her boyfriend Tyler."
I was taken aback. Charlie had neglected to tell me this story. "That's awful," I said, shocked. "My dad told me to stay out of the woods, but I had no idea it was that bad."
"Yeah, we had a string of bear sightings last year, and one day they found Lauren and Tyler. I try not to think about it, but it's hard sometimes. The bear also killed someone at the reservation. Luckily, the men at the reservation tracked it down and killed it," Jessica said, with a tinge of sadness in her voice. "Lauren always liked to act the queen bee role. I don't think she would have liked you coming into what she thought of as her domain. I think you're going to be very popular with the boys, Bella. Did you have a boyfriend back in Phoenix?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah, I did. We decided it was best to end it when I moved here. No reason to try the long-distance thing or anything like that. He should be off in college now anyway. Let him have his fun," I replied, choosing to share a more acceptable version of the story. That story sounded a lot better than admitting that I had a boyfriend but I broke him while fucking. That story was not leaving my lips, especially in front of Jessica. It felt like she was the type that loved gossip and loved spreading gossip even more.
After getting our food, we made our way to a table, and Jessica introduced me to her friends. I said hello to Angela with a smile. I'm pretty sure I had crossed paths with her at the supermarket. There was Mike, whom I knew, and I nodded to Ben and Austin when they introduced themselves. As we sat down, everyone was chatting away while we ate, and I chimed in with my two cents when something I heard caught my interest. I had just finished telling Jessica and Angela the story of how my truck got the cool flames on its sides. It seemed it had been a topic of conversation after I parked this morning. I turned my head for a second and then turned back quickly, doing a double take. I thought I had to be crazy, but there was no mistaking it. Walking into the cafeteria were five vampires. What the fuck!
What were vampires doing in Forks High? Were they a threat? No one seemed concerned to see them, and they appeared to be getting lunch. I wonder if they're going to eat it? Demetri had told me human food tasted like shit. I can understand them wanting to be in a town with no sun, but why were they in high school? They can't be newborns, so they must be a lot older than they appear. There were so many questions that my brain couldn't handle them all coming one right after another. Jessica must have seen me staring, so she took on her role of the school gossip queen. "Those are the Cullens. They moved here two years ago. They are all seniors like us."
"What's their story? A couple of them look pretty old to still be in school. Were they slow and had to be held back?" I couldn't help it. I knew they could hear our conversation if they were bothering to listen.
"No, actually, they all get perfect grades." She leaned in like she was going to tell me a secret. "They are a weird lot if you ask me. They don't really interact with anyone, plus they are all dating each other even though they are brother and sister."
"They sure are all really attractive. Isn't there a loophole that you can fuck your brother if he's as hot as that blonde guy?" Everyone at the table started to laugh, and I couldn't help but chuckle along. These days, my quick wit seemed to lean more toward the dirty side. "I'm just joking. They're not real brothers and sisters, are they? Other than them all being hot, they look nothing alike body type-wise."
"Well, actually, they are all adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. Dr. Cullen works at the hospital."
Demetri had mentioned he knew a vampire doctor. It's probably this Dr. Cullen. What are the odds that I would move to the one town with a vampire infestation? I wonder how they can all eat and not have people going missing left and right. Maybe the doctor gets blood from the hospital. I wonder if there even was a bear or did Lauren and her boyfriend run afoul of a vampire, and they just covered their tracks. I would have to be wary until I determined their intentions. I had run into one nice vampire, but I can't assume they are all like that.
I turned my head to get a better look at them. They were all gorgeous just like Demetri. There was a tall blond vampire who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Why was he doing this to himself? It must be his girlfriend next to him as she was smiling away and talking a mile a minute to him. She was a little thing with very short spiky hair. I never asked Demetri if a vampire's hair can grow. I should ask him next time we chat.
Next was the definition of a super model. Holy shit. I hope I can look half as good as her when I become a vampire. It looked like she was with the giant vampire next to her who had a big smile on his face and was talking with the last vampire. The one at the end was certainly good looking with unusual copper-colored hair. He looked younger than the rest, except for maybe the tiny vampire. The copper-haired one all of a sudden started to stare at me. I looked right back and gave a slight smile.
I turned back to Jessica, "They certainly are a good looking group."
"Yeah, unfortunately they were already paired off with each other when they got here. The only available one is Edward at the end there. I tried my best to get him to go out with me, but he does not seem to be interested in girls." Jessica said, sounding a bit bitter.
At this point, I started to feel a slight tickling in my head. I wouldn't have minded it, but it persisted. I wondered what that was since I'd never felt it before. It felt a little like a feather dusting over my skin. Jessica then leaned in and whispered to me, "Edward Cullen is staring at you, Bella. Maybe a miracle has occurred, and he's interested in one of the common folk."
I turned my head to look at Edward again, and I saw him staring intently at me. I didn't like it. Why was he doing that? The tickle in my head persisted, and I realized he must be the cause. He had to be gifted. I wondered what he was attempting to do to me. I didn't feel anything beyond that slight annoyance. I wanted him to stop. I rather enjoyed experimenting with my abilities alongside Demetri, but I wanted to be a willing participant.
Observing that he was leaning back in his chair, balancing it on the rear two legs, I swiftly used my abilities to pull the two legs forward, causing him to fall backward in an awkward tumble and creating quite the racket. The entire lunchroom paused and looked in his direction. The giant vampire next to him burst into laughter, joined by many of the students who had witnessed the spectacle. The tickle in my head stopped immediately, confirming my suspicion that he had been the cause of it. I realized I probably should not have done that to an unknown vampire, but he had provoked me. In any event, I had not moved a muscle, so he would have no way of knowing that I had done anything. After all, I was just a human.
Soon, the bell rang for my next class, and I said my goodbyes to the table. I had physics next, and after grabbing my textbook from my locker, I made my way to the physics room, which was in another building. By the time I got there, the class was almost full, but luckily, I found an empty seat in the second-to-last row.
Notably, the short little vampire and the blonde guy, whom I assumed was her boyfriend, were sitting behind me. I offered a smile as I settled into my seat. Though I could hear the two vampires whispering, their voices were too low for me to make out the words. Demetri and I had tested my hearing, and while it was better than that of a normal human, I couldn't hear a vampire when they were truly whispering.
As I was taking my textbook out, I heard a throat being cleared. I looked up, and there was the tiny vampire standing in front of me, smiling widely, her gleaming white teeth on full display.
"Hi, I'm Alice," she said, holding out her tiny hand.
"Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Bella," I said, taking her hand. It was cold, just like Demetri's. I studied her for a moment, trying to gauge her age. She appeared to have been changed around 17 or 18. Her face had a sweet innocence that I thought people might mistake for that of an angel if she dressed the part. Despite her petite stature, she had a striking presence. Her golden eyes puzzled me. Demetri had told me that vampires all had red eyes. If she was trying to fit in by wearing contacts, why would she choose gold as the color?
I turned my head to look at her boyfriend's eyes, and they were also golden. Curiosity getting the better of me, I looked around to ensure no one was paying attention, and since we still had a couple of minutes before class started, I leaned in and asked in a lower voice, "I love your eyes. Are those contacts?"
Alice looked away for a second and quickly said, "No, I have a rare eye condition." I smiled and nodded, going along with her response.
"I see your friend has the same rare condition?" I said, tilting my head towards her companion. I knew I probably shouldn't be antagonizing them, but they really needed better answers.
"Yes, our father adopted all of us with the same condition," Alice replied, looking a bit worried and lost in thought, as if she wasn't used to thinking on her feet.
"That was nice of him. Let me guess, he did it because he has the same condition?" I decided to help her along, continuing with the back and forth banter.
"Yes... He does. Good guess," Alice said, clearly looking to change the subject. "So, how are you liking Forks so far? You're the first new student since we arrived here a couple of years ago?"
"I'm actually liking it a lot more than I thought I would. I love the fresh air, and I've been jogging every day. The only thing I miss is the lack of good restaurants. Phoenix had every type of food available. I'd kill for some Chinese food right about now. You must know what I mean, being relatively new yourself. What food would you kill for?" I smiled, observing Alice's jaw drop in shock at my question. I hoped she has a good sense of humor.
"I miss Chinese food too," Alice finally replied. "So Bella, what brought you to Forks?"
"I know it might sound strange, but I actually got tired of the sun. I searched Google and it suggested Forks as the best place to avoid sunny days," I explained, flashing a smile. "So, Alice, what brought your family to Forks?" I held her gaze for a moment, waiting for her response, but it seemed like my answer might have broken her as she just stared at me, unable to come up with a response. I couldn't contain myself any longer and burst into giggles. "I'm sorry," I whispered, "I'm just fucking with you."
"What?" Alice said, looking confused.
I made sure no one was listening to us and continued in a very low voice. "You know, I have a friend with the same eye condition as you, but it made his eyes turn red."
Alice's eyes widened beyond belief, and I saw her boyfriend stiffen. Maybe I shouldn't have let on that I know what they are. I better fix the situation. "It's okay," I whispered. "You can trust me. Probably not the best topic to discuss in class, in any event. Sorry to alarm you."
"Yes... Probably for the best. Maybe we can meet after school to talk? I won't harm you. It's just important for us to know how you know," Alice replied, her voice still tinged with worry.
I could see the concern in their expressions. From their perspective, I had just thrown a grenade in front of them by revealing I knew about vampires. Keeping the secret was their number one rule, and I could understand why they were worried. I really should have spoken to Demetri first before engaging with them. Damn.
Despite their concern, they didn't give off killer vibes, at least not Alice. "Okay, you can come by my house after school. But keep to your word," I asserted, giving her a serious look that showed I meant business. I wouldn't hold back if I ever felt threatened. Demetri had drilled into me that if a vampire ever posed a threat, I had to act decisively.
Alice smiled and nodded in my direction. She then turned her head towards her boyfriend, and though they seemed to be whispering, I couldn't hear what they were saying. When she faced me again, Alice spoke up, "Jasper would like to come too. Is that okay?"
I glanced at Jasper, and he offered a slight smile that didn't quite look natural. Turning back to Alice, I said it was fine if he joined us. The rest of the class went by smoothly without anything noteworthy happening. For my next class, English, I sat next to Angela, who seemed very nice but a little shy. After the last class, I headed to my car and noticed all the Cullens gathered around a silver Volvo. They appeared to freeze and stop talking as soon as they saw me. Even if I didn't know they were vampires, I would have found them odd. Their attempts at acting human needed a lot of work. Ignoring their strange behavior, I waved to Alice and hopped into my truck, driving home to await my meeting with the Cullens.
Let me know your thoughts. Next chapter will have Bella's conversation with Alice and Jasper. Additionally, there will be a rare POV change so we can catch up with the Cullens. Let's hear your predictions on whose point of view among the Cullens I will choose, or which you would most like to hear.