I did some serious corrections affer my first draft of this chapter first draft was terribly sloppy and poor very sorry I actually tried this time. Hopefully, it's a lot better and more in line with my work.

Crooked

Chapter Two

OC POV*

As my sister and I pull into the parking lot of our new school in our shared truck, I can't help but dread this day. It's unfortunate because yesterday, I was actually looking forward to it. I step out, my boot landing in a puddle—a fitting omen for the day to come. I smile faintly at the gesture of fate, grab my bag, and walk beside my sister, who is nervously twisting her hair between her fingers.

We collect our schedules from the attendance office, where an overweight, red-haired woman in her later years greets us. From there, we weave our way through the school halls to our respective classes. I don a mask of friendliness and ease for the classmates who introduce themselves, but the truth is, I wouldn't mind killing every last one of these pigs.

I already torture animals, but it's not the same. I want to kill a human—maybe just to see what would happen. To quote the Zodiac Killer: *"Man is the most dangerous animal of all."* Killing a man would be like hunting a great beast. Besides, there's something so much more exhilarating about killing people—the screaming, the begging, the look in their eyes.

I haven't done it yet, but I fantasize. Even better, to quote the Bible: *"Man is created in God's image."* Killing a man would be like killing God. The power that implies is vast—limitless. Maybe I am messed up. Maybe that umbilical cord around my neck at birth did something to me.

No matter.

I dismiss myself from Isabella, who is currently being drooled over by some boy named Michael, and head to my first class, art. I walk off with a surprising amount of swagger. Happiness and contentment surge through me as I imagine sweet, bloody fantasies. Lost in thought, I glide into class and take a seat in the back, waiting for it to start.

The room fills quickly, but just as I think it's full, two more students slip in, narrowly beating the bell. I don't pay much attention until the girl takes a seat next to me, the boy sitting across from her. I glance over and do a mental double-take.

Outwardly, I remain meticulously composed.

The girl is absolutely stunning—angular features, porcelain skin, golden eyes, and short, spiky hair. She smiles politely at me, and I force myself to smile back before focusing on the teacher. Ms. Reed is showing us different techniques for creating shadows in drawings, but my mind drifts back to the girl.

She's too perfect.

I want to ruin her—strip her of her beauty and happiness. More specifically, I want to carve her to pieces. I imagine cutting off her legs and beating her to death with them, just to watch her scream at the twisted fate that brought someone like me into her life.

"Excuse me, are you listening?" Her voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

Her voice is so perfect I want to slit her throat. I turn to her and smile. "Sorry, what was that?"

"My name is Alice Cullen," she says.

The boy introduces himself too: "I'm Jasper Cullen."

He looks pained, like a lion sizing up prey. Weird guy. He's also porcelain-skinned and golden-eyed, with longish blond hair. He looks like he might be related to Alice, but they're holding hands across the table.

I extend my hand for a shake, surprised when Jasper answers with the coldest hand I've ever felt. He smiles faintly, and Alice pats his arm affectionately.

"Joey Swan," I say.

Alice nods. "Bella Swan's brother, right?"

I nod, though it's strange she calls her Bella. Most people here know her as Isabella.

I spend the rest of class making small talk with the creatures. I've wanted to kill people before, but Alice is so irritating it's almost unbearable. It takes every ounce of control not to slam her head into the table or crush her weird, pale boyfriend under my boot.

After class, she wishes me luck on my first day. I thank her and shake Jasper's hand again, feeling the same icy chill.

History class was alright. Some girl named Jessica tried flirting with me. I didn't shut her down because I might want to lure her away to kill her soon. One perk of Forks: a small police force. Plus, I knew the chief.

When history ended, it was time for lunch. I came in late to the cafeteria. I'd been letting off some steam torturing a cat I found on my morning run. I'd stuffed it in a box in the truck and dealt with it there. Afterward, I dumped the remains in a trash can and stopped at the bathroom to wash my hands.

Finally, I made my way to the cafeteria. It was packed, except for one corner occupied by Alice and several others. They shared striking similarities but were also notably different. None of them interacted with anyone else.

Then, something caught my attention—a weird-looking guy with copper hair and a fragile, axeable face. He was staring at a table in the center of the cafeteria. Following his gaze, I saw my sister, Bella. She was sitting with a bunch of misfits.

Mike—or maybe it was Michael—was sitting beside her, trying to talk her ear off. I strode over and pulled up a chair next to Bella, who greeted me with a tinge of relief. I turned slightly and pretended to notice Mike for the first time.

I grinned and offered him a handshake, which he clumsily accepted.

"Joe Swan. Call me Joey."

"Mike Newton," he mumbled.

I pretended not to hear him. He had to repeat his name, further humiliating himself and establishing my dominance. Leaning back, I surveyed Bella's little collection of freaks.

Jessica was trying to catch my eye, and Mike and another acne-covered kid were awkwardly avoiding looking at me. The acne-covered boy was likely another one of Bella's admirers. A frightfully thin girl with ugly glasses and worse hair blushed when I made eye contact. Another girl sitting beside Jessica smiled provocatively. She was a sad case—one who could use a tan, a shower, and some time at the gym.

Good lord.

I turned back to Bella and motioned with my head toward the table in the corner. "Who are they?"

Jessica answered before Bella could. "Those are the Cullens. Pretty hot, right? Emmett's the big one, Rosalie's the blonde, Jasper's the blond guy, Alice is the little one, and Edward's the guy on the end." She lowered her voice. "And get this—they're all together."

I nodded with fake enthusiasm.

"They're all adopted, though," she added.

That made more sense.

I didn't like how she described them as "hot," though. It was true that they had appealing features, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

Jessica continued, "We were just talking about them when Edward looked over here—right at Bella. He's the only single one, too."

I raised an eyebrow. "He has an attraction to you," I told Bella.

She blushed, entirely missing my dry tone.

"He probably wasnt" she said, flustered.

Finally, she realized the obvious. I almost told her how ugly she looked but held back, opting for an eye roll instead. Time for some acting.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and made my voice caring. "Hey, you look fine. If he's not into you, he's crazy."

Jessica and the glasses girl gasped in awe. Bella smiled and looked up.

"Thanks, Joey. You want some food?"

I leaned back and smiled. "No thanks. I'm not hungry."

Truth be told, I'd eaten some of the cat.

The rest of lunch was spent lying through my teeth about my hobbies, pretending I cared about anything these people said.

--

Edward's POV*

The Swan twins caught my attention. Bella and her brother were heading to their next class, with Mike Newton right at Bella's heels. Angela Weber and Jessica Stanley remained at the table, gossiping about Joey.

"Kind. Handsome. Cares about his sister," Jessica gushed.

I tuned out their thoughts, returning my focus to the twins. Their minds were completely blank to me, which was disconcerting. It was like a wall I couldn't penetrate.

I turned to Alice and Jasper. "Do your powers work on them?"

Jasper exchanged a glance with Alice before answering. "I can read Bella's emotions, but her brother… he doesn't register. No emotional signature at all."

Alice nodded. "Bella's future is hazy, but Joey's… it's dark. I can't see anything."

I frowned. My powers didn't work on either of them.

Emmett laughed from the far end of the table, his booming voice echoing in the mostly empty cafeteria. A few lingering students turned to look, curious about the commotion. His laughter was at my expense, and I glared at him before standing abruptly.

It was time for science. Slinging my backpack over one shoulder, I walked away, trying to ignore Alice and Jasper's worried thoughts trailing me.

What did it matter if I couldn't read the minds of two humans? It wasn't like it would change anything. They were just people—ordinary, fleeting. The girl, Bella, had a pretty face, but I didn't know her, nor did I care to. Her brother, though... He was another story. Something about him set me on edge. His words were innocuous enough, but the soulless, calculating way he spoke unnerved me.

Still, they were humans, like the rest of them. Temporary. Insignificant.

As I reached Mr. Banner's classroom, I found myself musing over the girl's name. Bella. It was simple, elegant even. A good name.

Of course, they were already there. Bella sat next to me, while her brother took the seat behind me.

--

Joey's POV*

Science was easily one of my least favorite subjects. Even before Bella joined my class, I'd loathed it. Too abstract. Too impractical.

The teacher, Mr. Banner, was a man of obvious mediocrity. He herded us into our seats, assigning me to a table behind Bella. Thankfully, I didn't have to sit next to her.

My lab partner was a girl with a pleasant face, blue eyes, and long brown hair. She seemed content to ignore me, which was fine by me.

Bella, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. She was paired with that copper-haired boy, Edward Cullen. Jessica had taken it upon herself to explain the Cullens' dynamic earlier in the day: foster siblings, not actually related, yet all dating each other. Not incest, technically, but it was close enough to make me uncomfortable.

I pushed the thought aside as class began.

"So, do you like it here?" my lab partner asked, breaking the silence.

Without looking at her, I nodded. The question wasn't original, but I didn't expect much from her. People here were all the same—shallow animals seeking power or pleasure. I was above such things.

"You really like it here?" she asked again, this time with a hint of amusement.

Surprised by her persistence, I turned to face her. "I do," I replied, my tone sharper than I intended.

She didn't flinch. Instead, she smiled—not shyly, but in a way that suggested she wasn't easily intimidated. That intrigued me.

I offered her my hand. "Joey."

"Sarah," she said, shaking it. "Pleasure to meet you."

For the first time that day, I meant it. She wasn't like the others.

Mr. Banner interrupted us, setting a microscope, slides, and a worksheet on our table. Sarah leaned forward, inspecting the equipment.

"So, were you listening to the instructions?" she asked.

I shrugged. "A little. I think I've got it."

"Alright," she said with a grin. "Lead on."

For the rest of class, I focused on the lab, forgetting all about Bella and Edward. Sarah's quiet competence was refreshing. When the bell rang, I wished her and Bella goodbye.

I didn't miss the curious look Bella gave me, nor did I miss how quickly Edward left the room. He practically teleported.

Spanish was my last class of the day, and it was relatively uneventful. Mrs. Geoff called roll, mentioning both Emmett and Edward Cullen, though neither was present. Curious. I'd seen them earlier. They must have left early.

When the day finally ended, I made my way to the truck. Bella was already there, her expression sour. Gym must have been her last period.

As I walked, I reflected on the day. This year, I needed to get better control of my impulses. The electric chair wasn't something I wanted, nor needed.

But deep down, I wasn't sure I wanted to be cured of my bloodlust. Would it be so bad if I wasn't?