Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm excited to present to you chapter three of my fanfiction. So far, I haven't made the changes for the Bella/Edythe version so for now only the Edward/Bella one will go live. Hopefully soon I'll make those changes and get it up. I will keep working on Just Pretend - though it might take me a little longer as I have to make my way through the next chapter in Twilight to help me remember how things progressed. I do hope you like the changes I'm making to it.
I had prepared for a lot of things since my arrival in this dismal town of rain and fog. I anticipated feeling like an outcast in (what I assumed to be) a close-knit community of people who had known all about my mother's flighty nature (and how she had slipped away with me in the dead of night) .
I had expected to embarrass myself by tripping over my feet or not looking like people expected me to.
I had not expected him to saunter into the lunchroom, looking as if he owned the place while wearing that look of boredom and contempt .
His face captured my attention first. He had sharp chiseled features and bronze hair that rested above glittering, obsidian eyes .
The Cullen's didn't speak to each other as they waltzed to an empty table in the back. I did notice that the smaller female peered at me again before she sat down. That same, knowing smile flitting over her lips.
A twang of insecurity ran through me for the thousandth time. Not because the Cullen's were so much more attractive than I was, though that played into the feeling. It had more to do with the way that girl looked at me left an odd taste in my mouth.
It wasn't so much that she made me feel like the new shiny toy in Forks. Oh, no. She gave me a coy smile that had me worried that her family was mocking me.
Bella Swan - the new butt of their jokes.
Shaking those thoughts from my mind, I nudged Jessica. With luck, she'd turn her hungry eyes away from the Cullen's long enough to address me again.
"Hmm?"
"Who are they?" I asked before adding, "I mean, their names."
Jessica didn't bother to look away, which allowed me to steal another glance at him.
For some reason I mentally begged him to turn that dark, brooding gaze on me.
Not that I expected to be special enough to garner his attention. Why would I be any different if someone like Jessica couldn't get him to notice her?
This time, the soft-spoken girl leaned in to answer my question. "That's Emmett," she pointed to the burly-looking boy. Emmett looked like he could play professional football. He also appeared quite awkward nestled at the table and next to his smaller siblings.
"And the blonde next to him is Rosalie." My gaze moved to her, and my heart thudded in my chest. She had the sort of face you'd expect to see in Cosmo. Beautiful eyes, hair like spun gold, and soft-looking features were likely envied among the girls here .
"And then you have Jasper next to her," my gaze moved toward the other blond boy. "Then Alice," the girl who smiled at me, "and finally, that's Edward."
As if aware that someone spoke his name, Edward jerked his gaze in our direction. His lips moved as he finally focused on me.
The mindless chattering drone around me fell away as my vision tunneled to focus only on him. The mocking amusement fled from his lips in an instant. His expression flickered seconds later.
It was something dark and angry.
I continued to plummet further into this rabbit hole, drawn in by the vehemence in his eyes. Lost and wandering until someone nudged his side, forcing him to look away from me. The world snapped back into place, reminding me that we were not alone.
Mortified that Edward had caught me staring, I ducked my head down to my food to hide the flush that rose in my cheeks.
Breaking free from whatever trance she had been in, Jessica looked at me and Edward with narrowed eyes . Had Jessica caught our shared looks? "They are all hot," she sighed, irritated. "But totally unavailable." Her tone held a note of resentment in it.
Had she tried asking one of them out? Peeking up from my tray, I looked at Edward again and wondered if he had rejected Jessica at some point. Though I suppose it didn't have to be Edward, even if he felt like the obvious choice.
"I wouldn't waste your time on them."
Oh, but I wanted to know more about Edward.
Jessica's words and actions contradicted themselves, though. Did she hold onto some hope that Edward, or one of the others, would want to date her? Another smile graced Edward's mouth as he looked away from our group, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest.
It felt unfair that even when he wasn't smiling at me, it still looked so good. My infatuation dug its swift claws into me. Ensnaring me after a single look. Hopefully , this little crush of mine would fade as quick as it arose. After all, how could he ever want me?
Instead of letting my mind linger on that, I tried to focus on the conversation but found it impossible. When I thought he wasn't looking, I snuck glances at him. I felt too mesmerized to engage in whatever Jessica babbled on about. "Did they grow up here?"
"No, they moved here from Alaska. Apparently , they had attended some fancy boarding school there but moved here a few years ago."
So, they were outsiders like me, existing where they didn't quite belong. Is that why I felt inexplicably drawn to Edward? We were both outcasts in this town. With a final look towards Edward, I resolved to be social with my new classmates.
I hadn't realized that people in the cafeteria were starting to drift outside until the Cullen's stood up. Turning my head, I looked up at the giant clock on the wall that told me I only had a few minutes left of this lunch period.
At the thought of being late, my stomach twisted in nauseating knots. Would it be rude to the people sitting with me if I meandered towards the door?
The dark-haired girl, whose name I still couldn't remember, stood up first. It gave me the perfect opportunity to do the same without feeling impolite.
"I should try and find my next class before the bell rings." Giving them a tentative wave goodbye, I picked up my tray and followed the other girl to the trash can.
A gentle smile curled the corners of her lips as she asked, "What class do you have next?"
I dumped the remnants of my lunch in the trash before I answered. "Biology with Mr. Banner," the reply came as I set the tray up on the designated rack.
"I have that class too." She didn't force a conversation between us as we pulled our hoods up and stepped outside. The rain had lessened to a drizzle. It would've stayed that way if I hadn't felt guilty that I didn't remember her name.
"I'm sorry, Jessica rushed through introductions at lunch." My fingers tugged on the edges of my hood, allowing me to sink into the shadows to hide my pink cheeks.
A breathy giggle drew my attention back to Angela, who gave me a genuine smile. "I'm Angela."
"Angela," I repeated before trying to smile back at her. "I would really appreciate some extra help in English. Maybe we can review the paper he said we had to write?"
"Of course."
And that was the extent of our conversation on the way to Biology. It felt more satisfactory than trying to converse at the lunch table. I realized then that Angela reminded me of a shyer version of Cassie.
We got there a few minutes early, much to my relief, though it appeared that most of the seats were taken . As Angela disappeared to one of the tables in the back, I realized that I wouldn't get to sit next to her.
Sweeping my gaze around the room, I saw the distinct bronze hair of Edward at one of the tables. Every muscle in my body froze, and my pulse quickened. If it hadn't been for someone entering the room behind me, I would have remained rooted to the spot. Gaping like a fish out of water at Edward.
Biting my lower lip to hide that anxious lurch in my stomach, I approached Mr. Banner's desk. I my approach went unnoticed as the balding man. He flipped several pages in his binder before I realized he still hadn't noticed me.
Shifting my weight to my other foot I cleared my throat to get his attention.
Irritation made his lips flatten and stilled the fingers turning pages. "Yes, what is it?" he asked, looking up finally.
An uncomfortable feeling settled in the base of my skull, giving way to gooseflesh down my arms. I felt watched.
Just nerves, I told myself as I ignored the feeling of eyes boring into the back of my head.
"I need you to sign my slip." I fished out the paper from my backpack and handed it to him.
"Right," Mr. Banner signed the paper before handing it back to me. "Wait here."
"Okay," I murmured as Mr. Banner went to a nearby shelf to look through a bunch of books and retrieve one for me. While I waited, the sound of chairs scuffing against the floor told me the other students arrived. Who would I partner with today?
By the time he returned, there weren't any footsteps behind me, so I guessed that class had filled up.
After he handed me the book, Mr. Banner said nothing else, so I turned and scanned the room for my seat.
Excitement and panic ignited in my chest as I realized the only seat available was next to him. Edward looked up, his gaze meeting mine with hostility. Averting my gaze, I focused on walking to the empty spot next to him while praying I wouldn't trip over my feet.
Why did he appear irate with me? Closing the distance, I peeked through my lashes at Edward and came to a screeching halt at my seat. He went rigid as I placed my backpack on the table, "Hi," I mumbled before sitting beside him.
Only silence met my greeting. Did he deemed me unworthy of a response, though. Perhaps he hadn't heard me.
Carefully , I managed to slip another hidden glance at him - a mistake on my part. I watched him shift his chair away from me and turn his body away. His shoulders were tense. His arms bulging as he clenched his fingers into a white-knuckled fist on his thigh.
Anxious, I chewed on my lower lip, tearing bits of dead skin away as my shaking fingers reached into my backpack to pull out my notebook and pen .
Mr. Banner walked in front of his desk and leaned his weight against it. "Alright, settle down," he demanded. The conversation died down immediately, allowing Mr. Banner to launch into today's topic . Cellular Anatomy.
I expelled a sigh. There went my chance of using the lecture as a way to distract myself. We had finished this topic at my old school right before the accident, and I had done well.
Deciding to allow my hair to fall between Edward and me like a curtain, once again began to doodle on the margins of my paper . This time, I drew a winding vine down the side of my paper with exaggerated thorns along its stem.
My pencil would pause and tap against the page as I snuck a glance at Edward through the dark veil of my hair between us. His body was still unyielding and strained as he remained angled away from me.
I almost filled the entire paper when the bell rang, ending the lecture and my torment. Before I could put my pen down, Edward stood and bolted for the door. Perplexed, I stared after him with my jaw agape.
Why did he act like that? Did he have a problem with me? Anger began to simmer under my skin as I glared at the empty space beside me. Clenching my jaw, I shoved my notebook into my backpack.
"Hey, Isabella, right?" The harsh sound of the tipper punctuated the question asked as I looked over to the speaker. He had a sweet face, an easy smile, and kind eyes. A stark contrast to Edward. "I'm Mike."
"Hi, Mike. Just Bella, please," I corrected. A few students shuffled around Mike as he waited for me to stand up.
He flashed me a boyish grin that would've melted my heart if I hadn't seen Edward before. When compared to Edward, Mike appeared… average. "Do you need help finding your next class?"
Cringing inwardly , I answered, "I'm heading to the gym, which I think I can find." Though I wasn't looking forward to it. The gym wasn't my favorite class to take. Even though most of us were terrible at sports, I always felt the worst at them. My hand-eye coordination made it difficult to judge distance.
"That's my next class, too; we can walk together if you want." For a moment, I thought about declining the offer, but I remembered the sting of rejection I felt from Edward. Silly, I know, since we weren't even acquaintances.
Nodding, I answered, "Yeah, I'd like that." If Edward didn't want to give me a second of his time, I wouldn't waste a second of mine on him.
We walked briefly with nothing but the rain on our jackets for conversation. "I've never seen Edward act like that before."
Great. A pang of agitation filled my chest. Despite having convinced myself moments before to not think about him, my mind returned to the strange behavior . How could I be the reason for it when I only said one word to him? Entering the gym, he added, "Did you stab him with a pencil or something?"
"I barely said hello to him." He smiled at me, putting my frazzled nerves at ease before his eyebrows lifted to his hairline in shock.
"You mean he didn't even talk to you?" My head shook. "Oh man, if I had been your partner, I would have." Mike being offended on my behalf endeared him to me, though it was likely due to my status as the new girl.
Still, I felt the corners of my mouth tip up in an easy smile. Between Mike and Angela, I could have genuinely found some friends in this town. I hoped they would be. They were both easy to be around. We paused outside the locker rooms, Mike's smile still on his face.
"I wouldn't take it to heart. Edward's weird." He glanced at the locker room and then back to me. "I should head in and change; I'll see you soon." Mike waved at me and entered the door behind him. I did the same with the door on the right.
A few girls were already changing into what appeared to be uniforms. I'd never gone to a school that required gym uniforms. I never needed a uniform at my old school, simply a change of shoes. Placing my things in a locker, I entered the gym to find the teacher, Coach Clapp.
Overeager, he signed my slip. Thankfully , he said I could sit out today's class and that he would give me a uniform tomorrow. Relieved that I didn't have to participate today. I sat on the bleachers and watched my classmates as Coach Clapp split them into groups of four and sent them to the designated areas set up .
I waved at Mike, who was excited as he huddled with his teammates. They spoke for a few minutes before each took a specific spot on their side of the net. Being taller than his teammates, Mike took his place in front of the net.
While still irritated at Edward, seeing Mike with a big grin ebbed that frustration to a dull throb that lingered in my chest . As the games went on, I learned that many students missed the returns or had to hastily duck to avoid a volleyball in the face .
I felt comforted by the knowledge that the others were equally as terrible at sports as me.
A whistle blew near the end of class, signaling the time to put back their volleyballs. "Take a lap when you're done," Coach Clapp barked around his whistle. Getting to my feet, I held my hand out towards Mike, who high-fived it.
"You were awesome." My words brought another smile to his sweat-damped face. He mouthed the words I know to me as he started a trot that soon gave way to a leisurely jog.
By the time they finished their lap, I had already retrieved my things inside the locker. I had one more stop before I could go home to Charlie and, hopefully , pizza. Stepping outside the gym, I felt relieved that it had stopped raining.
At least that felt like a good sign, even with the chill that sank beneath my skin. Crossing my arms to try and preserve the warmth lingering in my jacket, I hastened back to the main office. I had already forgotten about Edward and his peculiar behavior in Biology.
Opening the door, I stepped inside the warm office, only to find myself rooted again as I caught Edward leaning on the counter towards Ms Cope. What was he doing here?
Quietly , I flattened myself against the wall and waited. "Are you sure there is no way I can change my Biology to a different time?" He spoke with smooth, dulcet tones that failed to completely hide the desperate edge of his voice.
I recoiled, flabbergasted. This couldn't be because of me, could it? That anger I had witnessed could have resulted from something that happened before I arrived .
"There are no other openings for me to move you to without you dropping your AP courses."
Edward prepared to argue his case further, but the door opened, and the icy breeze brushed through the room . His shoulders grew stiff, his posture becoming rigid as he turned his head towards me. I hardly noticed someone waltzing to the counter to deposit papers into a wire basket. His look of vile contempt bore down on me, erasing any doubt about his reasoning for wanting to transfer out.
But why? I hadn't said more than one word to him. "Never mind, I see nothing can be done ," he purred soothingly . It sounded artificially sweet, like a predator trying to lull his prey into a false sense of security. Terror slid its frigid fingers around my heart and squeezed it tightly as his weighted gaze found my face again .
It lingered for a moment before Edward fled from my presence. Why did he hate me so much?
The door shut behind him, allowing me to inhale deeply once more. "Oh, Ms. Swan," Ms. Cope smiled warmly at me. "How was your first day?" Turning my gaze back to her, I tried to force a smile back onto my face.
"It was okay, typical first day." Approaching the counter, I sat my backpack down and fished out the sign-off sheet she'd given me. Before handing it to her, I unfolded it by flattening it against the counter.
Ms. Cope quickly glanced over the paper, another sincere smile on her face. "It will get easier." She spoke gently to me. I assumed she wanted to portray herself as a kind, motherly staff member to me. "But if you ever need anything, you can come talk to me, okay?"
Bobbing my head, I replied, "Yeah, of course." I didn't wait longer than I had to and made a beeline to my Beast. Safely tucked inside, my emotions were raw and gritty as they rioted inside me. How could Edward affect me so much?
It shouldn't matter that he disliked me. I gripped my steering wheel, my knuckles popping audibly with my frustration. Tears stung my eyes, though I refused to let them fall. I would not cry over Edward's reaction.
Exhaling warily , I forced my shoulders to relax and my fingers to unfurl from the steering wheel. Stress and grief that is why I felt this conflicted. The shock of having to move to Forks, my mother's death, and Edward's monstrous behavior pushed me over the edge today.
That's all there is to it.
Shoving the key into the ignition, my truck roared to life. It was time to go home.
