i

IT WAS YET ANOTHER FIRST DAY for Bella Swan. She hated every single one, but she was sure that this one was going to be the worst. In a small town like Forks, everyone had grown up together. Everyone knew everyone, and outsiders were like fresh meat to be picked on by vultures. "Alright, maybe not that bad," Bella thought to herself, "But still bad enough."

She had been able to feel eyes on her from the moment she had pulled up in her truck. Gaggles of teenagers turned to the loud vehicle and continued to watch as she awkwardly pulled herself from the driver's seat. With her being so short, hopping out made her feel even worse. She had to shuffle down the side of the seat and drop down. She turned around the front of the Chevy and pulled her bag from the passenger seat. It was only when the door was shut, and the truck securely locked, that she faced back toward the other students. "Yep," she thought grimly, "Definitely staring at me."

The students kept their eyes on her, even as the bell rang and they continued their conversations. Bella could feel her heart race, and she just wanted to go back home. She didn't really think that her senior year was worth going through the awkward phase of being new, again. Her mom had always been so unapologetic about it. She could understand the "It's a chance to start anew, Bella!" once from her mom, but not every single time they had to move. She was so bitterly aware that Renee hadn't given a shit about her or how she felt. Bella could only gulp down that feeling as she walked to the front doors of the school.

"Start anew Bella, just start anew."

ii

Bella had remained super uncomfortable up until gym class. It was the first time all day that someone had bothered to talk to her for more than a moment. Unfortunately, her first proper interaction was because of Mike Newton, who absolutely- "Can't take a hint," Bella grumped to herself as he walked over to where she was avoiding the volleyball in her game.

The blonde boy was incredibly nice, although she could tell he was also interested in more than friendship. She thought that it was ridiculous, as they had met only that morning. She had practically tripped on him, and he hadn't left her alone all day. He wasn't being overly pushy, but he also tried to flirt, and poorly. However, with his attention on her, someone else had noticed her. A mousy blonde girl, who was petite and had a look of extreme focus on her face, bounced over to where Mike and Bella were.

"Jessica," she said almost immediately to Bella, holding her hand out. Bella tried to be polite and shook it, albeit awkwardly. Jessica gave her a polite smile, although there was a hint of annoyance in her eyes. Bella fumbled for what she could have possibly done to annoy this girl that she had just met. As Bella searched her memories of the day, the other girl turned to Mike. "Hey, Mike! How is it going?"

"Ah," Bella looked at the other two, connecting the dots. "She thinks I like him back, doesn't she? They've got something going on, and here he is, being kind of all over me." Bella considered that Jessica was also possessive for no reason, but the way Mike looked a little guilty made her dismiss it.

The other two were still talking to each other when Bella finally tuned back in. Mike turned his head to Bella and looked at her imploringly. "Would you like to come to hang out with us for a couple of weekends? We're going to the beach in La Push, kind of like a last celebration of the warmer weather." He fiddled with his hands as he asked her, and then the confidence was back as he raised his eyebrows.

Jessica immediately started glaring at him. Bella winced internally before responding with what she hoped was reasonable. "Uh, sure. I'll probably bring my friend though. I promised him we'd hang out as much as possible."

Jessica grinned a bit, and said, "Of course! We'll give you all the details once we know when everyone is available. See you later, Bella! Class is about to end." The girl bounced back to where she had started, ponytail swinging back and forth as she went.

Mike twisted his mouth a bit as he thought about what Bella had said to him. He shrugged a bit, and responded, "Alright. I'll see you at lunch then. You can sit with us."

Bella sighed as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. She had one more class before lunch, and then two after. She could do it, and then she'd be headed back home. Part of her hoped that she would actually make friends at this school. Even if they didn't last after high school, she wanted some for the duration of the year. She went to change, hoping that the rest of her last first day would be better than the previous ones had been.

iii

It was official, she liked biology. She had never been super proficient in science, but she enjoyed the soft voice of her teacher and the setup of the class. Angela, Jessica, and Ben were in with her, so she got to sit next to Jessica. At lunch, she had gently whispered to her that she didn't like Mike at all and that she hoped they could be friends. Jessica had squeaked a bit, and given her a bright smile. She had declared, "Hell yeah! We can be friends. I totally didn't mean to be rude, but you know how it is. Being in such a small town kind of limits your dating choices. Plus, I've liked him for forever and we've been kind of off and on-". The girl had rambled on a bit during lunch, but Bella enjoyed the whole conversation. Jessica wasn't so bad. Plus, she had been introduced to Angela, who had dark hair, thick glasses, and a soft demeanor, and Ben, who was nearly the opposite of his girlfriend but just as nice. Bella was enjoying her day for sure.

The class, being the first of the year, mainly had been going over the syllabus and the materials they were going to need. Thankfully it wasn't much, as, despite her feeling good, she was tired from the day. She wouldn't have been able to remember much, or even remember the notes she took for it.

Bella smiled to herself as she looked out the window. A light drizzle was starting, and although she wasn't a big fan of rain, she welcomed the change. Maybe she'd finally have roots.

Maybe the rain could water them.