AN: A super long chapter for my super amazing readers! As usual, I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does. Thank you so much, everyone, for all the support surrounding this story already. You have no idea how much it means to me! I'm so grateful! Check out my Tumblr for this story at .com! I've updated it with this chapter! Again, thank you so much! (Also, the song Estelle is singing in the truck is Wide Open Spaces, by The Chicks!)
Chapter Three
I slept soundly that night, the familiar whooshing of the rain against my window lulling me into a sense of peace I hadn't felt for months. I doubted Bella got the same sense of rest as I did, though.
As I rolled out of bed and shut off my alarm, I wondered what the day would bring. I had spent an hour the previous night picking out the perfect outfit, and finally settled on an olive scoop-neck shirt in a ribbed sort of material and criss-cross detail across the bust, with low-rise jeans and my worn brown leather boots. I slipped my Grandma Helen's ring on my finger – the only jewelry I wore – and coated my eyelashes in a light layer of waterproof mascara. Bella didn't see the point in makeup, but some days I just wanted a little something extra. This felt like a 'something extra' day.
I skipped down the stairs to find Dad in the kitchen staring at the coffee maker. I smiled and kissed him on his cheek, scruffy from day-old stubble. He mumbled his good-mornings without taking his eyes off his coffee, as if willing it to pour faster. I chuckled softly.
Bella stumbled down the stairs not long after I had settled myself at the breakfast nook with a bowl of Cheerios. I offered her the box, and she took it gratefully. Dad finally joined us, his coffee mug already half-empty.
Breakfast was quiet, with only Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 playing on the radio for noise. I was the most talkative out of the three of us, but in the mornings you usually won't hear from me until after I've eaten. It's one of my quirks, I guess, so breakfasts between the three of us were, as a general rule, silent.
Dad finished his second cup of coffee first, and decided to head off. My eyebrows furrowed.
"You haven't eaten anything," I noted in an almost scolding tone. I knew he could take care of himself, but that didn't seem healthy nonetheless. His expression softened as he looked at me.
"I'll have an early lunch," he told me as he kissed my forehead. That satisfied me. He awkwardly patted Bella's shoulder, wished us a good first day of school, and headed out the door.
I turned to look at my sister. She had finished her cereal and was scrutinizing her surroundings now. Bella was extremely observant, yet at the same time could be so obtuse. I glanced around, wondering what she saw.
Did she see how much had changed since she was last here? All the added pictures on the mantle, and the things I'd put on the fridge? Or did she only see what had stayed the same since mom had left?
"Are you ready to go?" Bella asked me suddenly. I was startled, shaken out of my thoughts. When I took in the uncomfortable look on her face, I nearly sighed. Yeah, it was the second one.
"Sure, just a sec," I told her, taking one last gulp of my orange juice and taking our bowls to the sink. I filled them with water, but decided against doing the dishes. I'd do it after school.
I checked the clock on the oven. It was 7:30. I followed Bella out of the kitchen to the front door where we put on our rain jackets before facing the outside world. When the door opened and the misty air hit my face, I deeply inhaled its earthy scent. It was lightly raining, and I almost wanted to let my hood down and let it soak through me, but one look from Bella told me to not even try. I smiled sheepishly at her. We never got rain in Phoenix, and I relished in the return of the feeling.
"I'll lock up, you drive," I told her, tossing her the car keys. She barely caught them without dropping them in a puddle. I laughed gleefully at her fumble as she scowled in my direction. She then trudged over to our truck without looking back. I laughed again at her retreating form.
I turned on my heel and reached for the house key that was hidden under the eaves by the front door, and locked up quickly. Bella had already gotten the old truck's engine to roar to life and it was up and running by the time I slid into the passenger's seat. We were soon on the road.
As we drove, I fiddled with the antique radio, surprisingly pleased that it worked. Bella was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even slap my hand away when I changed it to the local country radio station. I glanced over to her to find her biting her lip again in worry. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort, and she glanced over at me, smiling weakly in thanks. I relaxed into my seat and sang along to the music.
She traveled this road as a child
Wide-eyed and grinning, she never tired
But now she won't be coming back with the rest
If these are life's lessons, she'll take this test
I had to break off before I reached the chorus, though. We had turned into the parking lot of Forks High School. With its multiple maroon-colored buildings and lack of chain-link fences or metal detectors, it certainly was a change from our school in Phoenix. I grinned over at Bella.
"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," I joked. She rolled her eyes as she parked in front of the first building, clearly marked FRONT OFFICE. I shrugged at her bad mood.
We exited the truck and made our way to the building. I noticed Bella take a shaky breath before preparing to open the door, so I quickly linked our arms. She glanced at me thankfully.
The fluorescent lights inside shone harshly overhead and I had to blink a few times for my eyes to adjust. It was small and warm, and I could tell Bella appreciated this by the way her body relaxed slightly. There were many plants to add greenery, which I thought looked nice. It took away from the ugly orange carpet. There were a few desks behind the counter that split the room in two, and one was manned by a red-haired woman in a purple t-shirt. Overall, your typical small-town school office, I supposed.
The woman looked up. "Can I help you?" she asked kindly. Bella looked at me pleadingly. I grinned at her.
"I'm Estelle Swan, this is my sister Isabella. We're new," I explained. The woman's eyes lit up in understanding. Bella flinched beside me.
"Of course," she said. She began to dig through a tall stack of papers on her desk until she found what she was searching for.
"I have your schedules right here, and a map of the school for each of you," she explained. She brought over some documents to show us.
She was very nice, going through our classes with us and showing us the best routes to get to each of them on our maps. I was disappointed to find that I only had Government, Lunch, and Gym with Bella. We had had more classes together back in Phoenix. The woman – whose name was Ms. Cope – also gave us slips to have signed by our teachers and return at the end of the day.
"I hope you girls will like it here in Forks," she expressed kindly. I smiled sincerely at the woman and glanced at Bella. She was trying to do the same, but failing miserably. I decided to throw the woman a bone.
"Forks is already my home," I told her, making sure to only include myself. I wouldn't speak on Bella's behalf. But Ms. Cope brightened and wished us a lovely day, waving as we walked out the door.
Other students were starting to arrive now. We decided to hop back in the truck and follow the line of traffic, if only to fit in. As we drove, I took note of the cars surrounding us. Most were older, like ours. The most ostentatious was a silver Volvo that was parked towards the back, yet still stood out. I'd never seen it in town before during my trips, so I wondered who it could belong to.
We finally parked, and Bella cut the engine immediately. She pulled out her map and began studying it. I stared at her out of the corner of my eye, subtly shouldering my bag and squirming. I was eager to go.
After what felt like forever, Bella looked over at me and sighed reluctantly. She stuffed her map in her own bag and slung it over her shoulder. I grinned and hopped out of the warm truck into the misty morning air. We both automatically gravitated to each other's side, and I linked my arm with hers.
It was only when we got to the front of the parking lot that my confidence wavered. I turned to look at my sister. She was gnawing on her bottom lip harshly. I gently touched her chin in a reminder and her teeth released it. I pulled her into a hug.
"It'll be okay. I'll see you in Government." She nodded into my hair. Then I swiftly turned on my heel and walked in the opposite direction. I could feel her eyes on my back.
I walked several paces away before pulling out my map. Maybe Bella had the right idea studying it in the truck. But before I could get too concerned over being lost and late for class, I heard a gentle voice from behind me.
"Are you lost?" I turned around to see a tall girl with light brown and honey hi-lighted hair. Her eyes were a soft, kind brown. I smiled, recognizing the local preacher's daughter, Angela Weber.
"Hi, Angela. It's good to see you again. Uh, yeah I think so," I admitted sheepishly. She smiled sweetly.
"Can I see your schedule?" I handed it over eagerly. She scanned it briefly, then looked up from the piece of paper.
"So, Biology is over that way," she paused to point in the direction of some clustered buildings," and I'm on my way to English in Building 3 anyway – maybe we could walk together?" she proposed hopefully. I grinned at her gratefully.
"Angela, you're a lifesaver," I thanked her, and she blushed shyly.
We set off in comfortable silence, ignoring the lingering stares of passersby. While I kept up a confident appearance, Angela shrunk in on herself, seemingly overwhelmed with all the attention. I smiled at her reassuringly every now and then, and to distract her, asked her about her little brothers, Issac and Joshua. She seemed to brighten up after that as she gushed indulgently about them.
When we reached my class in Building 2, Anglea bid me farewell while wishing me luck. I smiled back at her, thanking her and silently hoping we had at least one class together. I could see us becoming close.
As I entered Biology, I hung my rain jacket on the wooden pegs next to the door, and tried to ignore the stares that followed me as I walked over to the teacher's – apparently a Mr. Banner – desk.
"I'm Estelle Swan," I introduced myself. From what Angela had said, he would probably be expecting me. He nodded in greeting and signed my slip.
"You may sit next to Mr. Cheney," he gestured vaguely to a black-top desk in the back of the room.
A boy with dark hair and glasses sat there, nearly hidden behind some sort of graphic novel or comic book that he had his nose buried in. I couldn't see much else of him because of that.
I made my way down the aisle of desks to my new seat, trying to ignore everyone's lingering gazes on me in the process. When I reached my table, I took a moment to settle in, pulling out my notebook, pencil, and textbook. My new lab partner had barely removed his eyes from the page of his reading material.
"Hi," I said, turning in the boy's direction. He looked up in surprise, but smiled shyly at me nonetheless.
"Hi. Sorry, I can get kind of absorbed," he admitted bashfully. I laughed good naturedly.
"That's okay. I think we all can get like that with a good book," I agreed.
"Graphic Novel," he automatically corrected, then blushed. I smiled gently. He seemed sweet.
"I'm Ben," he introduced himself, holding out his right hand to shake mine.
"Hi, Ben. I'm Estelle. Or Elle. I don't really mind," I shrugged as I took his hand. He grinned.
"Welcome to Forks, Estelle." Class was called to attention then, and our conversation ceased, but I was confident that I may had just made a new friend.
When the bell rang that signaled class was over, I waved goodbye to Ben and started on my way to Building 6, and it wasn't long until I caught sight of Bella on the same path, walking with a lanky boy who had black hair. I hurried to catch up, weaving throughout the crowd to many more stares.
"–You don't look very tan," the boy was saying. I rolled my eyes at the rude comment.
"My mother is part albino," Bella replied, and I couldn't hold back my loud snort at her sarcasm.
The two teenagers whirled around to see me, Bella's tense form relaxing immediately upon seeing who it was. The boy looked confused.
"Bella, be nice," I playfully scolded. I linked arms with her on one side, but reached forward with my other to shake the boy's hand.
"I'm Estelle, Bella's sister." He shook my hand eagerly, and I noted that his hand was quite clammy. I tried to subtly wipe it on my raincoat when he pulled away.
"Eric," he introduced himself. He squinted at us for a moment.
"Are you twins?" he asked. Bella nodded, her face flushing in her signature blush, as I clarified.
"Fraternal." His eyes widened in wonder.
"So cool! What's it like?" We got that question a lot from strangers. Our answer was automatic.
"Annoying," we said together. Bella rolled her eyes, and I grinned. Eric's jaw dropped a bit.
By this time, we had reached our building. Eric wished us good luck and expressed hope at having more classes together.
"Nice meeting you, Estelle," he offered cheerfully. I nodded politely. I didn't want to get his hopes up.
Bella and I entered the warm classroom, goosebumps rising on my arms at the change in temperature. We got our slips signed by Mr. Jefferson and found two open seats. Luckily, we had gotten there early enough to get them next to each other. I turned to Bella, ignoring the stares and whispers over our presence.
"How was first period?" I asked her. She shrugged.
"The curriculum is familiar at least. I've read it all." I groaned.
"If it's your usual, then I'm screwed," I complained. Her lips twitched.
"How was yours?" she asked. I pondered how to reply. I knew my sister was struggling today. I didn't want to throw it in her face that I was actually doing okay.
"It was fine. I met a boy named Ben. He was nice." Bella nodded, accepting my answer.
More and more people were entering the room now, and with that came more attention to us. Bella shrunk into herself and quickly pulled out a notebook to scribble in. I absently wondered when the fanfare about us would die down, and Bella would start to feel more comfortable. Soon, I hoped. As the class was called to attention, and necks still craned to get a good look at us, I knew it was a futile one.
…
As I packed up my textbooks when class was over, I watched amusedly as Bella hurriedly gathered her things and made her way across the room as fast as she could without tripping, no doubt to avoid our new gaggle of admirer's offers to escort her to her next class. I snickered to myself as she left without so much as a 'goodbye' to me.
I, on the other hand, saw no point in trying to avoid my new classmates. I had a feeling they would find an opportunity to corner me one way or another.
As if to prove my point, a boy who had been eyeing me earlier sauntered up to my desk. I was nearly finished putting my things away, and didn't let his appearance distract me from finishing my task. I guess he got tired of me waiting to acknowledge him, so he finally spoke.
"Hey, I'm Tyler. You must be one of the Chief's daughters," he introduced himself. I wasn't a fan of the cocky way he spoke, but decided to be polite.
"I'm Estelle. Yeah, that's my dad," I confirmed in a pleasant tone. Inside though, I just wanted to get to my next class and avoid overconfident boys in the process.
"What's your next class? I could walk you?" he offered. I stood from my seat and made my way to the door with him trailing behind me.
"Thanks, but I think I know where it is." And I did. Angela had entered English in Building 3 during first period.
"You sure? I really don't mind," he persisted. I sighed quietly.
"Really, thank you, but I'm good," I emphasized. And without looking back I left for my English class. Unfortunately, I had a feeling getting him off my tail wouldn't be that easy in the long run.
Finding Building 3 was easy, just as I had predicted it to be. But as I walked into the room, I stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening. Sitting in the back of the room was a boy with penny-colored hair and skin as pale as the moon on a clear night. He had perfect features, of course, and strange ocher-colored eyes. He was physically younger than Peter and Charlotte, maybe seventeen or eighteen, so he didn't look totally out of place in this setting, I supposed. But I was still shocked, because he was so clearly a vampire.
"Could you move?" an annoyed voice came from behind me. A Bella-esqe blush spread across my cheeks and I quickly moved to the side to hang my raincoat on the rack next to the door. When I turned to go give my slip to a Mr. Mason to sign, I chanced a glance back in the unusual vampire's direction. He clearly saw me and smiled crookedly, tilting his head towards the seat next to him. An invitation. I was suddenly eager to unfurl his strange secrets.
I made my way down the aisle of desks to the seat next to his. When I sat down, I felt several eyes on me – more than usual – but I ignored them, too curious about the boy beside me. He nodded at me in greeting, crooked smile still in place.
"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen. You must be Estelle Swan," he introduced himself.
Cullen. A lightbulb went off in my head, and I now realized why Peter and Charlotte called them "strange" – they intermingled with society, it seemed. I still wondered about the yellow eyes, but figured I'd learn in due time. I smiled at him.
"Yeah, that's me. It seems like everyone has been expecting me," I said. I had to be very careful with what came out of my mouth, for my safety and for his. But he understood what I really meant when I said those words: I see Peter and Charlotte called ahead. He tilted his head in a subtle nod, but kept his smile fixed.
"Oh, yes. Your father has been bragging for quite a while about your arrival. Everyone is very excited," he told me conversationally. I made a face. While I didn't shun attention like Bella, even I was getting tired of all the stares.
"I can tell," I said sardonically. He laughed, his voice like wind chimes.
"It'll wind down soon enough," he reassured me gently.
"Thanks," I smiled, grateful. "How long have you been here?"
"My siblings and I transferred here from Alaska my freshman year," he answered. Siblings. There was more than one at school. My curiosity peaked.
"How many siblings do you have?" I tried to ask as casually as possible. He chuckled.
"Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett are seniors. Alice is a junior, like us," he explained, and I couldn't help the way my eyebrows shot up. His golden eyes danced with mirth. He was having fun seeing my reactions to his unique coven.
"That's quite a big family," I noted. He shrugged.
"We're adopted," he said simply. I nodded. That made a good cover story. I wondered what Carlisle did for a living, considering his "adopted children" went to school. Or did he even have a job? Maybe he simply stayed at home?
Just then, I saw Edward's brow furrow. He was staring at me hard, and I glanced back curiously. Suddenly, one of his hands shot up to press his palm to grip his head, as if he had a headache. His eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at me. I became concerned. What had I done?
"Are you okay?" I asked timidly. I checked his eyes. Still that unusual ocher. At least it wasn't black.
"I –," The bell rang then, and Mr. Mason cleared his throat as he tried to calm the class down. Edward lowered his voice.
"I'll explain later," he promised. I nodded and turned to the teacher. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye one more time though. He was still rubbing his temple.
Bella was right about the curriculum. She'd read it all, I knew, and while she had tried to push some of her favorites onto me, I steadfastly refused. I was regretting that now. I only hoped the tides would turn next year and I'd get some Classic Gothic Horror. Perhaps Frankenstein?
When class was over, Edward turned to me. "You should sit with us at lunch," he offered. I was surprised. I gathered they didn't really interact with the student body by the many dropped jaws that came when we started talking. But nonetheless, I was touched. However, I had to decline. I shook my head.
"People will talk – well, more than they already are. And I should probably sit with my sister for a while," I explained. He nodded, accepting my answer. We stood from our seats and headed towards the door.
"It was nice to meet you, Estelle. If we don't have another class together, good luck with the rest of your day," he expressed. I smiled.
"Thanks. It was nice meeting you too," I told him as we parted ways.
I had Advanced Placement Spanish, next. It was a senior class, since Forks was so small. I was a little intimidated, to be honest, to be placed with so many people in a year above me. But it's only one class, I tried to remind myself. I took a deep breath to steady myself as I entered Building 7.
As I walked to the teacher's desk to get my slip signed, I felt a burning pair of eyes on me. I thought nothing of it, of course – people had been watching me all day. Slip signed by Mrs. Goff, I turned to face the room with a sigh, expecting to face a room full of stares.
Instead, my eyes immediately locked on a pair of citrine eyes, blazing with intensity. As I took in the rest of his appearance, my heart skipped a beat. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen, even by vampire standards. Honey-gold curls framed his face and fell down to his chin. Dark lashes framed his golden eyes. He had a strong jaw, with a dimple on his chin that I found extremely attractive. His lips were slightly fuller on the bottom than they were on the top, which I found unique considering he was a vampire, but charming nonetheless. He was broad-shouldered and well built, and I felt my cheeks heat at the way he was looking at me.
He raised one finger and with it, tapped the desk next to him. Another invitation by another Cullen. But I shook off my initial shock at his appearance – his very, very attractive appearance – and made my way to the seat next to him. Somewhere in the background I heard whispers break out, but ignored them. I was too enraptured by him.
Get a grip, I scolded myself. The last thing I needed was to develop an eternal crush. The whole point of moving here was to spend time with Dad and Bella, I reminded myself. I mentally shook myself as I sat down and plastered on a shy smile.
"Sorry about them," I apologized, gesturing vaguely to all the stares looking our way. He chuckled in a deep baritone, and my stomach flipped. Stop that, I told it sternly.
"We're quite used to it," he assured me with a very slight southern twang. It was barely there, but I'd spent enough time around Peter and Charlotte to detect it. This was undoubtedly Jasper Whitlock.
"Your brother said it gets better," I commented hopefully. He nodded with a smirk, and I nearly swooned. I had to get a cap on this. He was probably fawned over by girls all the time, and I didn't want to be one of them. This was probably the first conversation he'd had with a human in a really long time. I wasn't going to spoil it for him with my hormones.
"Give it a few weeks. You'll find your footing soon enough," he ensured. I smiled at him, grateful. I noticed some people trying to eavesdrop, and realized it looked like we already knew each other.
"I'm Estelle, by the way," I introduced myself. I held out my hand for him to shake, which he took. I felt a spark shoot up my arm from where our skin touched, and I inhaled sharply at the sensation. He tilted his head, looking at me curiously. Reluctantly, I extracted my hand from his grasp.
"Jasper Hale," he returned. Hale? My eyebrows furrowed, and he shrugged. I realized it was part of his cover. I nodded inconspicuously in acknowledgment. He smiled, looking almost pleased. I wondered if it had anything to do with how quick I was to catch on to things.
Class began then. Apparently today's lesson plan involved partners, which I was happy about. It gave me a chance to get to know the beautiful boy beside me.
I was fluent in Spanish already, having spent most of my free time learning the language for fun. Peter and Charlotte were a great help as well when I wanted to practice. One of the things I was looking forward to with my future of unlimited time was all the different avenues I could explore with foreign languages. This class would be an easy A. And now, everyone was so focused on the lesson we could talk relatively freely if we spoke fast enough.
"Lo admito, no esperaba ver a ninguno de ustedes aquí." I'll admit, I didn't expect to see any of you here. I spoke quickly and lowly, hoping no one was paying attention to us. He seemed surprised at my fluency, but then grinned.
"Mantenemos una residencia permanente cerca. Nos hace sentir... normales." We keep a permanent residence nearby. It makes us feel…normal. I thought about that for a moment. Vampires playing human. Peter and Charlotte were right, it certainly was strange. But I was intrigued nonetheless.
"¿Cómo se hace?" How do you do it? He glanced around the room to make doubly sure no one was eavesdropping, then simply said: "Animales."
My eyes widened, and he chuckled at my reaction, but I was too lost in my wonder to really register it. They drank the blood of animals. My mind was reeling. This opened so many doors for my future, I realized. I had always found the idea of drinking human blood distasteful, even from those who I felt might have deserved it. But what choice did I have, I had always thought. Now, though, I didn't have to be a killer – of humans at least. Hope swelled within me.
Jasper looked at me curiously. I could tell he was wondering what I thought about his lifestyle.
"No tenía ni idea de que fuera una opción," I breathed. I had no idea that was an option. He smiled understandingly.
"Mi reacción fue la misma," he confided. My reaction was the same.
I suddenly felt a sort of kinship with Jasper. Though I could guess he'd been through a hell of a lot more during his time on this earth – especially with the Southern Wars – than I had in my seventeen years, we both discovered a future we never dreamed possible without warning. It was nice to know we had at least that in common.
Just as I went to ask more about it, the bell rang signaling class was over. I looked around, confused. Had it really already been an hour? Surprisingly, he seemed just as dazed as I was about the time. We gathered our things together simultaneously. As we did we continued to talk, this time with words safe for human ears.
"I'm impressed with your Spanish, Estelle," he complimented me. I couldn't help the flush that bloomed across my cheeks. It wasn't every day someone this good-looking praised me on something I prided myself on. But I tried to stay casual.
"Thanks. I practice a lot in my free time, just for fun," I admitted. He nodded in understanding, and I saw a bit of respect in his eyes.
"Do you know any other languages?" he asked as we walked to the cafeteria. I guess neither of us was ready for our conversation to end just yet.
I shook my head. "No, but it's a future goal of mine to learn more. I'm interested in learning French next. I've always wanted to visit Paris," I explained. He smiled, and I lost concentration for a moment.
"It's very beautiful. Alice has dragged me there one too many times for my liking, though," he told me, making a bit of a face. I laughed, the name ringing a bell for some reason, though I couldn't recall in the moment with him next to me.
"You're welcome to sit with us, you know," he offered. I was once again flattered, perhaps even more so with it coming from Jasper. But I stuck to my guns, no matter how tempted I was by him.
"Thanks, but like I told Edward, I should probably sit with my sister for a while until things settle down." Jasper suddenly looked a bit perturbed.
"Edward offered?" he asked a little too casually. I was confused. Did he not want me to sit with them after all?
"Yeah. Is that a problem?" I asked hesitantly. His face smoothed out into a genial smile.
"Of course not," he reassured me. But I was still suspicious.
Before I could question him further, we reached the cafeteria. I made to go through the lunch line for my portion of food, and was surprised when he followed. I raised an eyebrow and he simply shrugged.
"It keeps up pretenses," he explained under his breath. I scrutinized him as the line moved sluggishly.
"Do you actually eat it?" I asked incredulously. His face morphed into an expression so horrified that I nearly doubled over laughing. By the time I was done, half the cafeteria was staring at me again, and Jasper was grumbling under his breath good-naturedly.
We each paid for our meals as the line came to an end, and we parted ways, Jasper making his way to a table far across the room in the corner to sit with his siblings. I saw Edward, who gave me a small smile, and three other vampires – one male, and two females.
The male was bigger than Jasper and Edward, with muscles like a bear and dark curly hair. Even from across the room you could see he had dimples when he smiled at the golden-haired, statuesque female next to him. She was more stunning than any celebrity, and I suddenly felt self-conscious being in the same room with her. Talking animatedly to her was a girl I could easily mistake for a fairy without wings. With her pixie-like facial features, and halo of black spiky hair, she looked like a wood sprite straight out of a mythology lesson. She was petite in size as well, which added to the illusion. Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie, I remembered.
But before I could worry too much about where to sit and wait for Bella, she walked through the lunch room doors with a tiny girl with wildly curly black hair. The girl seemed to gabbing away obliviously while Bella nodded absently. She started to scan the cafeteria, and when she saw me, she finally smiled. I could tell the day had drained her, and she was relieved to see a familiar face.
I wove my way through the many lunch tables to get to her side. When I reached her, I gently touched her shoulder – a reassurance I was there for her. She seemed to let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
The girl beside her eyed me, curious and excited about another addition to the student body. She eagerly introduced herself as Jessica Stanely, and told me that she and Bella had Trig and Spanish together. She said it almost…proudly. I frowned slightly. I didn't like that, like it was an accomplishment. Like Bella was some prize to be won. But I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt…for now.
I followed the girls as Jessica continued to jabber away through the lunch line with Bella. I waited for them at the end with my own tray of food. Then, Jessica guided us to a table where her friends were sitting. I was happy to see Angela at it, and we smiled at each other.
I dug into my meal, suddenly ravenous after a full day of socializing. I hadn't realized how much it had drained me, because this used to come as easy as breathing to me. But ever since Peter and Charlotte came into my life, I had shut myself off from classmates and peers. I forgot how exhausting teenagers were.
"Who are they," Bella asked. I looked up and followed her line of sight to the Cullens. They were all looking in different directions, distinctly bored-looking. The dark-haired pixie – I still wasn't sure if it was Alice or Rosalie – stood and went to throw away her prop. Her grace would make a prima ballerina green with envy, I noted. Even for a vampire her moves were flawless.
Edward looked up then, first at Jessica, then at me, before landing on Bella. He looked away from her faster than her blush could heat her cheeks, which was saying something. I eyed my sister, wondering what was going through that head of hers.
Jessica giggled at being caught by Edward staring, but I rolled my eyes. She answered Bella nonetheless.
"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife," she explained. Once again, my mind went reeling. Carlisle was a doctor. As in, around blood on a daily basis. I wondered at the self-control he must have to immerse himself in such a profession.
Bella was still watching the vampires' table, eyes focused on Edward. I could see she was clearly infatuated. I frowned. He better let her down gently.
"They are…very nice looking," she understated. I held in a laugh at her attempt to seem casual.
"Yes!" Jessica squealed. Then she lowered her voice, obviously ready to divulge gossip.
"They're together though – Emmett and Rosalie, I mean. And I think there's a thing going on with Jasper and Alice, too. I swear, they're together all the time! And they live together."
So Emmett and Rosalie were mates, I mused. It easily explained the way Emmett looked at her, like she was the sun and moon. But upon hearing that Jasper might be with Alice, well…suddenly I wasn't hungry. I pushed my tray away from me and tried to ignore the crippling feeling of disappointment, which was stupid.
"Which ones are the Cullens? They don't look related…" Bella persisted. I was suddenly worried. Bella was usually never this interested in gossip, or other students in general, I supposed. If she became too invested…
"Oh they're not," Jessica confirmed. "Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales are brother and sister, twins too," she glanced at me as if I were a part of the conversation, "–the blondes – and they're foster children." So that was the cover story. I would have to remember it well if we were going to get to know each other.
"They look a little old for foster children," Bella observed. I became annoyed. Did she really have to say it out loud?
"They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs. Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt or something like that," Jessica explained. Bella's face softened.
"That's really kind of nice – for them to take care of all those kids like that, when they're so young and everything," she said, clearly touched by the story.
"I guess so," Jessica agreed slowly, reluctantly. I wanted to scoff, but held it in. The girl was so clearly jealous she could barely say a nice thing about them.
"I think that Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, though," she added quickly, and I saw red.
"What an extremely inappropriate and plain cruel thing to say," I burst out, glaring daggers at her. She jumped, looking at me shocked. I had a feeling she had forgotten for a moment that I was there, so absorbed as she was giving Bella the dirty details of the Cullen family. I continued on, letting her have it.
"Not only is it rude to comment on someone's ability to bear children or not, it's classless. But I can see you're too invested in gossip, so you don't care. How sad."
Bella was staring at me in horror. She had seen me get fired up, of course, but never at another student like this. The rest of the table was staring at me in shock, and Jessica looked like she couldn't believe what just happened. But when I glanced at Angela, she seemed to be hiding a smile behind her paper napkin, pretending to wipe her mouth.
"I-I'm sorry," Jessica stuttered, eyes wide. I rolled my own.
"Please. You're only sorry you got called out. And suddenly I'm not hungry anymore. See you in Gym, Bella," I ended shortly.
I stood from the table and roughly pushed my chair back, stalking to go throw the remainder of my lunch away. I felt several eyes follow me, including Bella's. As I passed the Cullen table on my way to the exit of the lunch room, I paused. I glanced at them out of the corner of my eye and spoke.
"I'm sorry," I said sincerely. I hoped they knew what I meant. Then I continued on my way out of the doors.
"It was really great of you to say that," a high, chiming voice said. I turned to my right, and leaning up against the wall was Alice Cullen. She smiled brightly, and I couldn't help but return one of my own.
"Someone should have said something, anyway," I insisted. Alice smiled a little sadly.
"Humans don't like to stand out too much. At least, not in a way to be ostracized. You're very brave," she complimented. I was touched by her compliment, but felt it was unwarranted. I didn't feel brave, and if I was honest with myself, it wasn't only the vampires I was defending. It was myself. Well, future self.
After I found out I needed to be changed, I'd cried for three months about the fact that I would never have children of my own. I'd always loved kids, and enjoyed babysitting whenever I could – not only for the money. Finding out that that possible future was lost to me was another devastating blow. I was still coming to grips with it.
Alice seemed to know where my mind was and smiled encouragingly.
"I've heard it gets better," she said. I tilted my head in curiosity at her wording.
"I think I'd be a better aunt than a mom," she explained with a giggle. I laughed along with her, respecting that.
Just then, the rest of the Cullens exited the cafeteria and joined us. Rosalie was eyeing me curiously, but seemed to feel a little awkward. As they approached, Emmett squeezed her around the waist in comfort, it seemed.
"Thank you…for saying that," she expressed quietly. I softened. I had a feeling she struggled with the child thing as much as I was at the moment. I smiled at her gently, trying to comfort her from afar.
"It needed to be said," I told her simply. She gave me a timid smile, and then left with Emmett.
Jasper was watching me with an odd expression on his face. I couldn't make it out. Edward was staring at him incredulously and Alice was grinning like a fool. I suddenly felt self-conscious.
"What?" I asked, shrinking in on myself. Jasper spoke.
"Rosalie never thanks people, especially not humans," he explained. Instead of feeling insulted, I felt kind of proud. It must have shown on my face, because Jasper looked amused now.
"It's quite the accomplishment," he agreed. Alice started bouncing on her toes in excitement, for some strange reason. Edward looked at her in disgust.
"Okay," he said loudly, "I'm going to class now," he announced, before turning on his heel and heading in the opposite direction. Alice laughed, and I looked at Jasper questioningly, hoping he could fill me in. He simply shrugged, and I was left in the dark of this particular conversation.
"We should get to Trig, too," Alice said, gesturing between herself and me. I looked at her, surprised. How did she know my next class? She winked, and I had a feeling I would find out soon. Suddenly, something from a long ago conversation flashed in my mind. Now, don't mistake me for a psychic. I ain't no Alice!
Alice could see the future. I wanted to ask her so many questions then and there, but held my tongue. Now was not the time.
I nodded in agreement and Alice stepped to my side, linking our arms like old friends. I wondered if she'd seen me coming and, to her, we were. It was another thing to ask, I supposed.
She guided me away towards the exit of the building, and I glanced back at Jasper. He still had that odd look on his face.
As we made our way to Building 5, Alice started to chatter about the latest fashion project she was working on – an update for Rosalie's closet – and I listened intently, asking questions every so often about the cut and color she was using. She seemed thrilled that I was actively engaging her about it. When I complimented her own outfit, I wasn't surprised to find it was designer.
When we entered Trigonometry, I had my slip signed by the teacher and Alice guided me to a pair of seats in the back corner of the room. Alice placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. She looked at me with those wide golden eyes.
"I'm not with Jasper, you know," she stated matter-of-factly. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Was she a mind reader, too? She laughed at my expression.
"People here like to talk," she explained, "Even more so about our family. Jasper's my best friend, but it's never been like that. I was the one who found him," she confided. I smiled, feeling much lighter suddenly.
"You'll have to tell me that story sometime," I insisted. She giggled.
"You can count on it," she agreed. Class started then, interrupting us. But I smiled every time she helped me with a math problem, knowing now I had made a friend for several lifetimes.
When class was over, she waved goodbye to me cheerfully, and I made my way to the gym. Bella was outside, talking to a blonde-haired boy who was clearly trying to flirt with her. Bella simply smiled slightly awkwardly and then entered the girls' locker rooms. I followed her, keeping my head down so the kid didn't get a glimpse of me and start up a conversation. I sighed in relief when I made it past him without getting held up.
When I caught up to her, I smiled brightly, still on my high from meeting Alice. She smiled back weakly, and I frowned. Something was up. Luckily I didn't have to wait long to corner her about it. Coach Clapp gave us our uniforms, but told us we could sit out today. Bella looked extremely relieved, and I tried not to snicker. The girl was clumsier than a newborn foal.
As we sat on the bleachers and watched people play volleyball, I took her hands in mine. She looked up at me, her deep brown eyes troubled.
"What happened?" I demanded. She shook her head before hiding her face behind her hair.
"Nothing," she mumbled. I squeezed her hands once, harshly. She looked back up at me.
"Bella." I demanded. She sighed.
"Edward Cullen is my biology partner," she told me. I reared back slightly, surprised that this was about him.
"What did he say?" I asked more softly. Had he let her down rudely, or something? Bella shook her head, which confused me even more.
"That's just it. He didn't say anything. He just stared at me with those black eyes, and they were so full of, of hatred. He was so mean!" Her eyes filled with tears, but I knew rather than being hurt, she was angry at the moment. Then it hit me. Black eyes. Oh.
But he seemed fine earlier! They were clearly topaz then, not black. What had changed?
"I'm sure it has nothing to do with you, Bella," I tried to reassure her. And I knew that for the most part, that was true. But what if it does, a little voice whispered in the back of my head. What if it's her scent?
Bella didn't look like she believed me one bit. She opened her mouth to argue, but a whistle sounded, signaling the end of volleyball. Bella and I left the gym arm in arm, but silent – each caught up in our own thoughts.
The mist and rain had disappeared for the moment, it seemed, but it was now cold and windy, so we huddled together for warmth. As we entered the Front Office, Bella froze when she realized who was at the front desk.
"–Please, Ms. Cope?" Edward Cullen tried to coerce. "Isn't there some other section I could switch to? I'm sure there has to be an open slot somewhere? Sixth-hour Biology can't be the only option…"
He was trying to get out of the class he had with Bella. Suddenly, the little voice in my head seemed louder.
"Bella, wait outside," I demanded. If this was about Bella's scent, right now it was very, very dangerous for her in this tiny room. She looked at me, confused and curious.
"But I have to get my slip taken care of," she reminded me." I shook my head frantically, starting to panic. "I'll take care of it. Just go!" But it was too late. Someone opened the door behind us and a draft entered the room, stirring the air.
Edward stiffened, and he slowly turned around, eyes only on Bella. He glared at her with black eyes – hungry, and predatory. I had to do something.
"Edward." My voice was sharp, hoping to snap him out of it. He glanced at me, eyes blazing with loathing, but I thought I noticed them soften a fraction as he looked at me. He turned back to Ms. Cope.
"Never mind, then," he said sharply. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And then he spun around, sweeping out the door without another look at us.
I chanced a glance at Bella. She looked terrified, and hurt. I gently guided her to the front desk, and handed the receptionist our slips.
"How did your first day go, dears?" Ms. Cope asked us kindly. I smiled gently back.
"It went great, thanks," I said at the same time Bella said, "Fine." Bella said it so quietly, I don't think Ms. Cope was convinced.
By the time we were done, our truck was one of the last in the lot there. I could feel Bella relax slightly at the sight of it. We climbed into the cab, Bella in the driver's seat. For a moment, she simply stared blankly out the windshield, seemingly in shock. I watched her sadly.
"Bella?" She jumped slightly, seemingly having forgotten I was beside her. She started the engine, and pulled out of the lot. I laid my head on Bella's shoulder in comfort as she fought tears the entire way home.
It seemed tomorrow I would have to have a little talk with Edward.