Summary: the Gilbert siblings move to Forks and meet Bella and The Cullens.
Elena and Jeremy followed their cousin Lauren to her friends' table. They didn't care about that side of the family, especially Lauren, who always seemed to compete with Elena.
Both girls were about 5'6; Lauren had pale skin, green eyes, and cornsilk hair. She wore a shirt the same color as her hair, blue jeans, and rain boots.
Elena couldn't believe how much it rained in Forks, making flat ironing her hair useless.
Lauren introduced her friends, including Jessica Stanley, who had dark curly hair, fair skin, and ocean-blue eyes.
Mike Newton was next to her; he was about 5'11, had clear blue eyes, tanned skin, and a navy blue and gold letterman jacket.
Elena wondered if he was on the football team.
Next was Ben Cheney, a little Asian kid holding a comic book. He and Jeremy talked about their favorite characters while Elena smiled. Jeremy complained about moving there and wondered why they didn't stay home.
Elena couldn't tell him why they had to leave, not yet.
The girl next to Ben had gentle brown eyes and brown hair with honey streaks; her name was Angela Webber.
She reminded Elena of Bonnie, her very best friend.
After a moment, Elena said, "I have to go to the restroom."
Edward Cullen let out a low groan, and Isabella 'Bella' Swan could tell that another thought about the new students was plaguing him.
She couldn't help but smile as she saw the annoyance etched on his face, directed towards Mike Newton, who was walking in.
Curious, Bella asked, "What is it?"
"Mike Newton's thoughts on the new student," Edward answered gruffly, making it clear that he was not impressed.
"I thought it was two new students," Bella replied, trying to understand the situation.
"Siblings, a boy and a girl. The girl is in our year," Edward informed her.
"What is she like?" Bella inquired, feeling intrigued.
"Mike Newton is a pig!" he growled, not wanting to discuss the topic further.
"Really?"
Bella could think of many words to describe Mike Newton, and pig was one of them.
"His thoughts about Elena Gilbert are -" he stopped abruptly and then stood up, announcing aloud, "Wow."
As the teacher cleared his throat, Edward edged back down into his seat, but everyone in the class giggled as Bella turned to see what had caught his attention.
Wow, indeed, thought Bella.
Standing in the doorway was a tall and striking young woman with an oval face, light olive complexion, almond-shaped brown eyes that Bella described as doe-eyes, and long dark brown hair. She was 5'6 and had a slim, slightly athletic physique. The way she carried herself was both confident and graceful.
Elena Gilbert was a sight to behold, and calling her beautiful would be an understatement.
"Incredible," Edward muttered as he turned to Bella. "Her thoughts..."
"Is radio silent, too?" Bella asked, uneasy about the striking girl being able to steal Edward's attention quickly.
"No, but it's like she can reach out and pull your thoughts to her," Edward replied, expressing awe and concern.
Wow, indeed.
"Class, we have a new student," the teacher announced, interrupting their conversation.
"I'm Elena Gilbert," she smiled, and everyone in the class reciprocated the gesture. "Pleased to meet you."
Edward looked at Bella and muttered, "With one exception."
"Huh?" Bella was confused.
"You seem to be immune to Elena Gilbert's charm," Edward said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Bella frowned and looked at Elena Gilbert, who sat beside Mike. She chatted with Mike and Angela as Edward returned to his work. Bella glanced at Elena and saw her eyeing Edward with a hunting look, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
'This place is so boring.' Jeremy groaned as he and Elena waited for Lauren. 'And wet!'
'It's a fresh start.' Elena sighed.
Jeremy grimaced but nodded as a dark-haired girl stumbled out of the school.
The girl shut the door and promptly fell on her ass; Jeremy burst into laughter as Elena rushed her, helping her to her feet.
'I'm OK. I'm OK.' The girl insisted.
'Do you need to sit down?' Elena asked as Jeremy approached them.
'No, I'm fine, it happens all the time.'
'Whoa.' Jeremy gasped.
Elena shot Jeremy an annoyed glance, then looked at the girl.
The girl was...
How could Elena describe this girl?
It's not like she couldn't understand Jeremy's reaction; the girl was rather pretty.
She had clear ivory skin, very long dark brown hair, a widow's peek, large, widely spaced, unique chocolate brown eyes, and a heart-shaped face with a broad forehead. Her nose was thin, and her cheekbones were prominent. Her lips were a bit too full for her slim jawline, and her eyebrows were darker than the hair on her head and straighter than they were arched.
She made Elena think of that girl from the movie, where she discovered she was a princess.
It was Caroline's favorite movie when they were kids.
'Are you okay?' Jeremy asked as he nudged Elena out of the
way.
'Yes, yes, I'm fine.'
'Are you sure?'
'Yes.'
'I'm Jeremy Gilbert.'
'Bella Swan.'
'I'm Elena Gilbert.'
Bella Swan turned to her, bit her lip, and then turned away. 'We have a class together.'
'We just moved here.' Jeremy said as he stood in front of Elena. 'We live with our cousin and her family.'
'Who's your cousin?'
'Lauren.' Elena said as she pushed him out of the way.
'Lauren Mallory?!'
Elena and Jeremy exchanged looks and nodded. 'You know her?!'
'Well enough.'
'She and her friends mentioned going to the movies-'
'I have to write a paper.'
'What's the paper on?' Asked Elena.
'Maybe I could help you.'
When did you get so studious? Elena thought with a chuckle.
'It's about whether Shakespeare's treatment of female characters was misogynistic.'
That shut Jeremy up as it did Elena; none of the girls in Mystic Falls are writing about that.
'And I have to cook dinner for my dad, and I'm meeting with up friends.'
'Why doesn't your mom cook dinner?' Jeremy asked.
'Why doesn't her dad?' Elena challenged.
'My mother isn't much of a cook, and she's in Phoenix, and my dad will be too tired.'
'What does your dad do?'
'He's the sheriff.'
Just like Caroline's mom.
'Maybe we can give you a ride home-'
'Bella.' Called a voice as a bronze-haired boy came outside.
He was in one of Elena's classes and the most gorgeous guy she'd ever seen.
His facial features were perfect and angular—high cheekbones, a strong jawline, perfect eyebrows, a straight nose, and full lips.
It was then Elena realized that he and Bella were wearing the same clothes: a blue sweater, white shirt beneath, and blue jeans; Bella wore black sneakers, and the boy wore black boots.
Were they twins? Elena wondered.
'Edward.' Bella turned to him, nearly falling, trying to get to him.
'Alice...' He stopped when he saw her and Jeremy. 'Hello.'
'Hello, I'm Elena Gilbert.'
'I know, you kept staring at me in class.'
Jeremy suppressed a laugh, and Elena blushed. 'Well, can you blame me?! You're gorgeous.' She turned to Jeremy. 'This is my brother Jeremy.'
'Hello.'
'What's your name?'
'Cullen.'
'Cullen? That's-' Elena began before Bella interrupted.
'What's going on with Alice?' Bella pressed as she touched his hand. 'Is she-?'
The boy looked broken from a trance; he looked between the two girls before returning to Bella. 'Charlie is going fishing early tomorrow, and she wants you to stay over. She's already talked it over with Charlie.'
'Who's Charlie?' Elena asked, eager to gain his attention.
'Bella's father. Carlisle is on his way; Alice will bring your truck home.'
'Who are Alice and Carlisle?' Elena asked, making sure he didn't forget her.
'My sister and father.'
'Hey, if you're not going home, you should come to the movies with us.' Jeremy said eagerly, touching Bella's shoulder.
'I don't see that happening.' Cullen said as he glared at Jeremy's hand on Bella's shoulder.
'Lauren's not my biggest fan.' Bella mumbled.
'Lauren Mallory?'
'She's their cousin.'
'I'm so sorry.'
'Don't worry about Lauren.' Jeremy insisted. 'Just come.'
'My family awaits us, and your cousin hates my girlfriend.'
'Girlfriend?' Elena flared.
'Yeah.'
Elena decided she didn't like Bella as much anymore as a black Mercedes drove up.
A small pixie-like girl with small features and deep black hair cropped short and pointing in every direction leaped out. She was dressed like a runway model.
'Edward, I-' she stopped when she saw Elena. 'Hello.'
'Hi, I'm Elena Gilbert.'
'Alice Cullen.' She seemed to glare at her. 'We need to go-'
A young, pale blond man rushed to her; he looked better than any movie star than Elena had ever seen.
'Edward, we need to-.' he stopped abruptly when he saw Elena. 'Katherine?'
'Katherine?' Elena shook her head. 'No, you must have me confused with someone else.'
'Let's certainly hope so.' He said as he looked away. 'We have to get going. Excuse us.'
Carlisle did his utmost to avoid contemplating Katherine...
This wasn't the first time Edward had heard her name or glimpsed Carlisle's thoughts surrounding her.
Even though Edward could only catch fleeting images of her lips or the gentle curve of her silhouette in Carlisle's mind, the moment he laid eyes on Elena Gilbert, Katherine's face intruded into Carlisle's thoughts like an uninvited guest.
Katherine was a striking young woman, exuding an alluring charm: she possessed a heart-shaped face with delicate bone
structure, cascading curls of rich brown hair, and deep brown almond-shaped eyes framed by lush, dark lashes.
The sudden flash of Katherine that Carlisle unwittingly revealed to Edward painted an intimate picture of them entwined in bed.
Just thinking about it made Edward's cheeks flush with warmth...
But when he turned his attention to Elena Gilbert...
It became clear that she bore no traces of memories involving Carlisle; she was not concealing anything...
He delved into Elena's childhood memories...
Vivid recollections of her friends Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Jenna...
And the profound sadness surrounding her parents' tragic death...
Elena was undeniably not Katherine...
"Katherine..." Edward murmured as he sat in the cozy confines of the Cullen house. "We've never discussed her."
As the first vampire Carlisle had transformed, Edward naturally felt responsible for breaking the silence.
A brief yet intense debate ensued over whether Bella should remain, but ultimately, she decided that she had the right to know.
Carlisle had been turned in 1663, followed by turning Edward in 1918, and then Esme in 1921; a staggering 255 years could feel incredibly isolating for one man...
"Yes, well... Katherine is indeed a topic worth exploring," Carlisle said, his voice quiet yet laced with a sharp edge. He glanced at Edward before shifting his gaze to the others. "I haven't been entirely honest about the circumstances of my transformation."
"How were you turned?" Esme asked, her tone laced with curiosity.
Carlisle's eyes met hers for a fleeting moment before he averted his gaze; Edward didn't need to read his thoughts to sense the weight of shame resting upon him.
"Katherine turned me."
"Why?" Esme inquired, her gaze dropping in sadness.
"Katherine told me I was turned to be her lover," Carlisle admitted, locking eyes with Esme, then glancing at the others, "but in truth, she transformed me to shield her from another vampire."
"Lover?" Rosalie whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
"Did she reveal who?" Emmett asked, intrigued.
"I don't remember—"
"Why are you disclosing this now?" Esme interjected sharply, bringing a hush over the room.
"The new student at Forks," Carlisle replied quietly, clearly pained.
"Elena Gilbert," Bella murmured, a frown creasing her forehead.
"Who?" Jasper asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"The vision I had while we were away," Alice interjected, her eyes brightening. "The one involving a girl and her parents drowning."
"Wait, that was Elena?" Edward asked, rising to his feet, concern etched on his face.
"What does this have to do with Katherine?" Esme pressed impatiently, surprising Edward with her intensity.
"Because Elena is nearly the spitting image of Katherine," Carlisle explained earnestly, turning toward her.
"Perhaps Katherine had children before her transformation, and Elena Gilbert is a descendant of hers," she suggested, her voice hopeful.
"No, Esme," Carlisle shook his head, his expression firm. "I have stood before Katherine, and I saw Elena Gilbert. The only difference is their hair."
"Could this be Katherine?" one of them pondered aloud.
"No," Edward interjected, a note of finality in his voice, "Elena Gilbert didn't even recognize Carlisle."
"Where is Elena Gilbert?" Esme inquired, her curiosity palpable.
Dear Diary,
Today felt like a marathon, each minute stretching on. I managed to navigate the day, but not without a veneer of forced cheerfulness. Remarkably, I must have repeated, "I'm fine, thanks," at least thirty-seven times. Each utterance felt heavier than the last, a hollow echo of my true feelings, which I kept buried deep inside. Not once did I genuinely mean those words, but somehow, no one seemed to notice the insincerity behind my smile or the fatigue in my eyes.
It's curious how the question, "How are you?" has become a mere social ritual. People often don't seek a true answer;
instead, they seem satisfied with the polite facade. Beneath that surface, of course, lies an intricate web of emotions that often goes unacknowledged. As I went through the motions, I realized how many of us engage in this silent dance, crafting responses that shield our true selves.