Bella absently twirled the pencil between her fingers, her eyes distant as she watched the rain splatter against the classroom window. The droplets merged, racing each other down the glass, each following the path of least resistance until they reached the edge and disappeared. It was hypnotic, a welcome distraction from the monotony of the lecture.
The dull murmur of the teacher's voice droned on in the background, something about cellular biology, but Bella wasn't listening. She let her mind wander, wondering how long it would take for the rain to stop, or if it would last all day, as it so often did in Forks.
A sudden, loud cough interrupted her thoughts, jerking her attention back to the front of the class. Mr. Banner, the biology teacher, stood there, his brow furrowed as he looked directly at her. He was a large man, his black hair thinning and glasses slipping down his nose. His clothes were as tired as he was—wrinkled from age and stained from what Bella could only assume was a late-night fast food binge. The faint odour of greasy burgers clung to him, making her wrinkle her nose involuntarily.
She raised an eyebrow, silently questioning him with a look that said, What?
Mr. Banner cleared his throat again, annoyed at her lack of attention. "Miss Swan, care to share with the class what you find so fascinating outside that window?"
Bella blinked, pulling herself back to the present. The eyes of her classmates turned towards her, curious and amused. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, but she maintained her composure.
"Not really," she replied, her voice steady but uninterested. She let the pencil fall from her fingers, resting her hands on the desk as if to signal she was ready to participate now, though her mind was still elsewhere.
Mr. Banner sighed, clearly not in the mood to push her any further. "Just try to pay attention," he muttered, returning to the chalkboard. He resumed his lecture, though Bella could tell his energy was even more deflated than before.
Bella sighed inwardly and leaned back in her chair, forcing herself to look at the notes on her desk. A boring, purple notepad, she'd been given at the office this morning along with her papers. But out of the corner of her eye, she kept watching the rain, unable to shake the feeling that something was about to change.
Something that would break through the dull, repetitive cycle of her morning of classes in Forks.
Suddenly the bell rang, cutting through the quiet tension of the classroom, as well as her thoughts. Bella was out of her seat in an instant, eager to leave the stifling atmosphere of biology behind. She slipped through the door, shouldering her bag then moving swiftly down the crowded hallway. Dodging a basketball and throngs of students all clamouring in front of her. Some stopped to stare, others brushed past her, too warped in their perceptions, as if this school had any sort of life to offer them after leaving it.
Her thoughts were still scattered, absorbed by the rain and the strange restlessness it stirred within her as she turned the corner into the next hallway.
In her haste, Bella didn't see the student stepping out of the photography lab until they collided. She bumped into her, knocking a camera bag and a stack of photographs to the floor with an unceremonious clatter.
"Oh!" Bella said, startled and dropping to her knees to help pick up the scattered pictures. If it were any other day or time she would have refused, though thinking to blend in she decided to help. It would help with the new girl's image. Which was something she needed to keep strong. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see anyone, or, uh. I'm sorry. Let me help." Bella nervously rambled while gathering what she could.
"It's okay, really," Was the soft reply accompanied by a small smile as she also knelt to retrieve her things. "It happens."
As they collected the photos, Bella glanced at the images—artistic black-and-white shots of the misty forest surrounding Forks. "These are amazing," Bella said, genuinely impressed, which wasn't easy. "You've got a real talent."
The brunette blushed lightly at the compliment. "Thanks. I just try to capture what I see. It's kind of therapeutic." A few beats of silence passed as they rose to their feet, Bella handing over the last of the photographs. "Uhm I'm Angela, you must be Bella."
"I suppose I must." Bella smiled, nodding in agreement. "And yeah, I get that. This place could use more beauty."
Angela's smile widened slightly, and the two began walking together towards the cafeteria, continuing their conversation about photography and school as they joined the flow of students heading to lunch.
As they entered the cafeteria, the usual noise hit them—laughter, conversations, and the clatter of trays blending into a chaotic symphony. Bella followed Angela through the line, grabbing a tray, but her attention was elsewhere, her mind drifting until something—or rather, someone—caught her eye.
She saw her before anyone else, the students and teachers alike began to blur.
She was sitting at a table near the windows with the rest of her family, but it was this strange girl who drew Bella's gaze like a magnet. There was something ethereal about her, something almost otherworldly. She was petite, with short, spiky black hair that framed her delicate, pale face. Beautiful golden eyes that glowed under the fluorescence. She moved with a fluid grace that seemed too perfect for this mundane world, her every motion a blend of elegance and energy, even as she took her seat next to a man who immediately wrapped an arm around her slim waist.
She was laughing at something he had said, her expression light and carefree, yet there was an intensity to her that Bella couldn't ignore. It wasn't just her striking beauty or the way she seemed to glow with life—it was something more, something that made Bella's heart skip a beat in a way she couldn't quite explain.
Her fingers clinched the tray in her hand, and a small crack started to form.
As Bella watched, she suddenly turned her head, as if sensing Bella's piercing gaze. Their eyes met across the crowded cafeteria, and for a moment, everything else seemed to fade away to a dull hum. Her golden eyes were warm and curious, and there was a knowing look in them that sent a shiver down Bella's spine. It was as if he saw something in her, something that no one else had ever noticed.
The connection broke abruptly when Angela nudged Bella gently, snapping her out of her reverie, to move forward in the lunchline. Bella blinked, forcing herself to look away from the mystery woman and back at Angela, who had been watching the exchange with a knowing look.
"They're hard to miss, aren't they?" Angela said quietly, as they moved further into the cafeteria, loading up their trays.
They must be the Cullens. Bella thought as they moved towards a lunch table, keeping her back to them. Drawing any more eyes on her was not ideal.
Bella said nothing for a few moments, taking her seat and unwrapping her cutlery from the napkins. "Yeah… Who are they?" She inquired, knowing full well who they were. She'd spent all night reading through the files Aro had given her. They turned out to have some very interesting information. Though with no pictures, she would have to assume who was who.
"The Cullens," Angela explained voluntarily, taking a sip of her apple juice. "They've been here a couple of years now. Dr. Cullen and his wife adopted them. They don't mix with the rest of us." She sounded a little bitter, but soon the calm edged into her voice.
Bella's gaze flickered back to the pixie-like angel, who was now leaning in to whisper something to the bronze-haired male next to her, her expression unreadable. "They seem… different." She said quietly to Angela, knowing that the coven was listening to their conversation intently.
Angela smiled slightly. "They are. But they keep to themselves, mostly. It's kind of like they're in their own world."
Bella could only nod in response, her mind still swirling with questions.
As the lunch hour wore on Bella couldn't stop herself from stealing glances at the Cullens. The rest of the family was just as striking—the bronze one with the eyes full of pain, with his intense stare and tousled bronze hair. The burly male with dark hair, and an overbearing stance, the woman his arm was constantly around, and lastly the lost-looking boy. She would put money on that being Edward. The traitor.
Bella peered around the room for any human girl that drew his attention but found none. She was either clever or very stupid for not showing. But that alone piqued her curiosity. She'd have to find out sooner or later who the human was, that they deemed so important to risk their entire existence.
"Looks like you have an admirer, Bella," Angela says, chuckling and nudging Bella's side.
The hunter played a long and glanced over her shoulder, and saw none other than the pixie girl staring at her.
She feigned a blush on her cheeks and looked away.
"Which one's that?" She enquired, forcing another bite of the disgusting human food down her throat, mentally blocking the bland taste and gritty texture.
"Alice. She's sweet. We have art history together." Angela remarks, finishing the mess on her tray.
"Hmm." Bella related calmly, totally not bothered that this one young vampire had her golden eyes glued to her form for the entire lunch period.
Unbeknownst to Alice, it was she who continued to draw Bella's attention. Though through a millennium of experience, she'd gathered far more tact about going around it. Alice wasn't even aware Bella had been stealing glances.
There was something magnetic about her, something that made Bella feel like she was standing at the edge of a cliff, looking into an unknown abyss, with a gentle hand tugging her toward it. It wasn't just curiosity—there was an undeniable pull, a feeling that something about Alice was important, though Bella couldn't yet understand why. It confused her. It pissed her off, but above all, it intrigued her. The hunter had never felt a pull like it, not in her service, not with any other vampire or coven
As Bella stood and threw away the wrappers, her mind kept drifting back to that brief, electric moment when their eyes had met. She had no idea what it meant, but she had a feeling that whatever it was, it would change everything.
Speedy update for yall, enjoy :)