"My name is Edward, Edward Cullen," the boy with the strange eyes said.
"Bella, Bella Swan," said Bella as she huddled in her chair staring.
Now that he was near her, she could see that his eyes were yellow. The intense stare flickered and glowed like a candle's flame.
Or a bonfire.
"It's nice to meet you Bella," he said in a honeyed voice. Her name sounded very odd on his lips, as if he meant it somehow. He held her gaze as he sat down.
What are you? She thought, turning back to Mr. Banner, shivering as she felt his stare on her back.
A monster. A predator. Answered Bella's instincts.
She forced herself to stay in her seat, to listen to the lecture drone on.
It seemed silly to run from a figment of her imagination.
But as soon as class ended, she grabbed her books and rushed out.
Gym was next, and it was as uncomfortable as she remembered.
The odd dreams seemed set on taking her through her first day at Forks High School.
Edward did not seem to be in her gym class, and she felt herself relax as she realized it.
Calm down Bella. You must have watched a horror movie that messed with your head.
She shook her head, trying to clear it.
It's only a dream Bella, just enjoy this while you can.
She played the game of volleyball through, doing as poorly as she always had.
After gym was lunch. She went through the line, grabbing a sandwich and an apple as she had hundreds of times as a teenager. She paid for her food from money she found in her pocket, that she remembered Charlie awkwardly handing her on her first day.
As she entered the cafeteria, with its big windows and linoleum floors, she suddenly froze.
There they were: Mike, Jessica, Angela and Ben. Sitting in the same spot, the one she had almost forgotten. There were her high school friends, with their friendly teenage faces.
Bella stood there, gripping her tray, as waves of bitterness, resentment, and something like terror entered her mind.
Visceral feelings rose up in her memory, and she gulped and stared for a long moment.
They had all come over, that last summer before the end of college. The one right after her dad's accident.
That long summer that had seemed to go on forever. The one where her hopes had not completely been dashed yet, when she had still seemed like a promising college student, that something bad had happened to. Back when she had still been Bella Swan the student, and not Bella Swan the caretaker.
All five of them had gone to different colleges, but they had seen each other around, and gotten together on breaks some. Mike had really drifted from the group, chasing new girls at his college, but even he came over with the others once that summer.
She could still remember that last time, when Angela and Ben had brought over a casserole. Somehow it had meant more than all of the other casseroles she had received. She could see Angela pushing it in the refrigerator, and her bright smile as she turned. Could see her pressing a card in her hand, one signed by Jessica, with her bubbly college handwriting. They'd all get together soon, Angela had said, they'd all go out together on the next break. Bella's father would be better. Life would go back to the way it had been.
And then Angela had gotten into medical school on the other side of the country, and she had simply not come back. For three years she had not come back to Forks, and when she had it was too late. Angela had hugged Bella and smiled brightly, and Bella had been polite. But it had not been the same. Bella was not the same person that had hugged her before.
Somehow all these years later, that moment that Angela had pushed the casserole in the freezer and placed the card in her hand still seemed the last time Bella had ever been herself.
Bella froze and stared as Angela turned, smiling brightly at her, her old friend.
A dragon was rising in Bella's soul as she continued to stare.
Jealousy and betrayal roared throughout her body.
I should be furious, thought Bella mindlessly, but as the dragon raged there was only pain.
Suddenly Edward was there next to her.
The demon with the yellow eyes was close to her shoulder.
"Bella," said the creature, "Would you like to eat lunch with me?"
Bella looked at him, this odd good-looking boy she had somehow created, and then back at the table as Angela turned away.
That's right, this is my first day here. I don't have to sit with them. I could choose something different this time.
Bella sighed, "Alright," she said uncertainly, still glancing at her former friends.
Edward might be a monster, but she expected nothing from him. He could not betray her as her friends could.
She followed him with her tray, and they sat down at a table by the window.
"Do you like Forks High School?" she heard that honeyed voice ask.
She paused for a moment, had she liked Forks High School back then, on her first day?
Or should she answer like now?
"It's alright," she finally said generically. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down, playing with the sleeves of her shirt nervously.
"Where do you come from? Tell me about it," the honeyed voice asked patiently.
"Phoenix, Arizona," said Bella, continuing to look down.
"Why'd you leave?" he pushed, voice coaxing.
Bella finally looked up, but continued to avoid his yellow eyes, "My mom got remarried."
"Oh," said Edward, nodding knowingly, "You don't like him then."
"No, I…My mom wanted to travel with him. I thought I would let her. So I came here to live with my father."
"That must be hard," said Edward, "To move to a whole new school to make her happy."
"It was," said Bella, looking back at him now.
"I hope I can make it less difficult," said Edward, eyes looking at her sincerely.
Bella twirled her hair again, looking up at him, feeling sudden gratitude.
She tapping one finger on her knees as she slowly felt a smile forming on her face.
Bella Swan, what is wrong with you?
She was acting exactly like teenagers did when they liked someone.
Was she smiling?
Bella looked down quickly, and tried to ignore it, but as she looked up again, at his eyes which stared at her with a slight little smile, as if she was worth staring at, she could not help smiling again.
It doesn't hurt, I'm not hurting.
Bella was shocked that for a moment she was, in fact, not hurting.
This could be dangerous, she thought immediately.
How? Bella answered herself, you're having dreams.
But Bella had never been the type to throw caution to the wind. And a moment later she felt herself wake up.
Bella blinked at the light in the living room, staying on the couch for a long moment, feeling depressed.
The memories came back.
A lifetime of looking out for her flighty mother.
Her mother was not an addict, had not brought home strange men, had worked off and on and kept her in reasonably nice housing with food in the refrigerator and clothes on her body.
Still, life with Renee had taken its toll.
She still remembered the time they had turned off the electricity at their home. Renee had forgotten to pay the bill. Bella had known her father sent his child support every month on the 15th like clockwork. It had happened to be the 16th, and so she had found the bank book and called the company and gotten it turned back on. At 10.
Bella had been to five different elementary schools due to Renee's moves, and had only gone to the same middle school for all three years after she had sat her mother down and given her a lecture. At 11.
Bella was cooking regular meals for her mother at 12, and took over the family meals completely at 13. She was paying the bills regularly at 14. All her life she listened to her mother cry and complain and tell Bella things she shouldn't have.
At 15 there was no doubt who was taking care of who.
When her mother remarried when she was 16, it was a mix of relief and deep betrayal that resulted in her feeling numb. It was nice to have fewer responsibilities, and yet she was pushed to the side, discarded like one of Renee's many old jobs or interests. Bella had done such a good job of taking care of her mother, and her mother had replaced her without considering her feelings. Bella had known, even then, that her mother had done it because she was terrified of being alone. Bella had been heading into her junior year of high school, almost out of the house, and talking about living at college. If Renee had waited another two years, she might not have found a man to marry quickly enough to stop her from living by herself for awhile. So she replaced Bella early, while she was still at home.
It had not been the same at all, that semester Bella had spent with Renee and Phil. Her mother had always been pining to be on the road with Phil and his baseball team, and not at home with Bella. As Renee grew more morose and depressed, Bella had felt obligated once again to do what was best for Renee.
And so Bella had gotten out of the way, and moved to be with her father in Forks. So that her mother could be happier.
All these years later she could see how wrong it had been, that at 17 she had felt duty bound to move out of the house so that her mother could be happier.
No one had ever really asked her why. Then or now. Edward was the first person in 38 years to show concern about her relationship with Renee.
Not even Charlie had brought it up.
I miss you dad. She thought suddenly.
They had had so little time together. Women always got custody back then, in the 80s when she had been born. It had not even been a question. Renee had simply taken her and left. She was the woman, so baby Bella went with her.
It was true that Charlie was not a natural caretaker, and that his job would have made it difficult for him to care for Bella by himself.
Still, Charlie could have learned. She might've had a stable parent who loved her.
I had one, Bella corrected herself, He's just dead now.
Along with my mother.
Bella groaned. She got out of bed, and left the house for work as soon as possible.
That night she picked up the book, and read until early morning.
I wonder if I'll see Edward again.