"If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself- George Orwell"
Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight related
Chapter 2
As Bella walked into the school, she was instantly overwhelmed with all the students. Even though she has done this before, it always shocks her system. Breathe in, breathe out she repeated to herself as she made her way to the front office.
The school was covered in art, posters, and banners welcoming the students back from summer break. The students were rowdy and full of energy as they clamored around the halls. In public settings, Bella is usually rather quiet and more observant.
At her last school she had a few casual friends but no sharp ties. It makes it easier when the inevitable happens and she has to leave. She was homeschooled by her mom for a long time, until she begged her parents for more human interaction.
Bella was able to attend freshman and sophomore year at her last school, once her family felt she was ready and in control of herself.
Bella walked into the front office and saw a rather old lady with rectangular glasses, her hair was pulled into a high bun with a pencil stuck through it. Her blouse for the most part was tucked into her skirt though it was very wrinkly. She also noticed a button missing on her blouse and a stain on the sleeve.
Given the state of her, Bella thought she might already be ready for another summer vacation.
"Well, hello dear" she said as she glanced up at Bella from her desk
"Hello, my name is Isabella Swan Im ne-"
"Yes, Isabella Swan that's right" she had cut Bella off mid sentence, "your family bought the older Victorian home in the Irvington neighborhood" she said rather quickly
"Umm yes" Bella responded in a subtle voice
"Sorry If I'm being too straight foreward but my sister in law sold your parents that home" She added as she saw the look of confusion on Bella's face.
Bella has always been an open book and could never hid her emotions well
"Oh I see" Bella said not really sure how else to respond and wanting desperately to get her schedule and leave
"I've always loved that house, I'm just an admirer though, I could never afford such an elegant home" She stated rather bitterly. "That home has a Queen Anne-style architecture, absolutely beautiful and rare, they were most popular in the 19th century" she added.
But Bella knew this information already, her parents had specifically set out to find a home with that unique architecture.
"We are very grateful to have it" Bella responded hoping this conversation would soon wrap up
"Hmmm" the old lady hummed under her breath,"Here is your sophomore class schedule and a map to the school, the students here are rather nice so don't be afraid to ask for help if needed" she said as she handed Bella the papers.
"Thank you" Bella responded
She looked down at her schedule and saw her first class was English, her personal favorite. Bella and her parents agreed to have her repeat her sophomore year, since the plan was to stay in Portland for 3 years.
Physically Bella wouldn't be able to pass for a college freshman, so high school it is.
As Bella was walking out the front office door she accidentally bumped into a young girl causing her to drop her books.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry" Bella said as she knelt down to help the girl
"That's okay, it happens" the girl replied, "I'm Angela and you are?" as she held out her hand
"Bella, Isabella Swan" She responded and shook Angela's hand
Angela caught sight of her schedule "oh you're a sophomore too?"
"Yes"
"Should we compare?" Angela asked as she held up her own class schedule
"Sure" Bella couldn't help but to notice how eager she was to make conversation
"Looks like we only have 3rd period together and lunch" she stated a little disappointment in her voice, "but I think Jessica has english first period"
Just as she finished her sentence a girl with light brown hair tied into a low ponytail appeared and tapped Angela on her shoulder.
She turned around, "Oh I was just talking about you, how was your summer"?
"So good, my family and I spent some time in Florida" Jessica said, showing off her tan
"Lucky, I spent time in Georgia with my grandparents, oh but I'm being rude, Jessica this is Bella and Bella meet Jessica"
"Hello, nice to meet you" Bella said flipping her hair off her shoulder
"Hi you're new right, I don't remember seeing your face last year" Jessica said eyeing Bella up and down
"I just moved here with my family from Buffalo" She responded
"Very cool, welcome to Portland" Jessica said
"You have english first period with Mr. Peterson right, Jessica" Angela asked
"Yea"
"Bella does too, do you mind showing her where the classroom is?" Angela asked, as if Jessica would say no
"Of course, well let's get to it, the first bell is gonna ring soon"
"I'll see you third period" Angela said to Bella, "Have a good day"
"You too, thank you" Bella responded, there was something very wholesome about Angela that Bella really liked.
Jessica and Bella walked up the stairs to the second floor, and turned right down a brightly lit hallway. Neither girl said one word to each other as they entered Mr. Petersons class.
"You can sit anywhere" Jessica said as she headed to the back of the classroom, meeting up with some friends.
Bella took a seat in the front of the class right by the door
The bell rang and Mr. Peterson introduced himself, he wasted no time and went straight into the first book that the class will read, copies of "Moby Dick by Herman Melville was passed around
Bella let out a big sigh and stared at the book, she has already read this story twice
When the dismissal bell rang, Bella got up so fast she almost tripped as she exited the door. Repeating sophomore year will definitely make things easier for Bella, her intent was to cruise this school year.
The day went by rather fast, Angela sat next to Bella during their third class which happened to be pre-calculus. Bella could already tell she was going to need to help Angela as much as possible, for her to pass but she was happy to help
The teachers that Bella has met so far, have been exceptionally nice. Her world history teacher, Mr. Simmons was actually quite funny, and it also helped that he was easy on the eyes.
After fourth period was over, Bella made her way back to the first floor for lunch, she ran into Jessica and Angela, but this time they were with a few other people
"Sit with us Bella" Angela said as they walked to get their food
Once seated at a table that could hold all of them, Angela introduced Bella to a tall blonde boy named Mike, who kept staring at her as if she was a shiny new toy.
She was also introduced to a boy named Ben who had his arm over Angela and a girl named Lauren, who didn't say much but would tap her perfectly manicured finger on the table every so often
The last guy to join the table was a boy named Tyler, he sat down next to Lauren and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Lauren shood him away which only made him laugh.
They were all so casual with each other, Bella could tell they had all been friends for quite some time.
Deep down Bella always wanted to have connections like that with people, but she wasn't able to.
Lost in deep thought, Bella was brought back to reality when she thought she heard her name being said from the other end of the lunch room. She slightly turned her head in the direction her name was said and her heart instantly dropped to her stomach.
She noticed five pairs of honey golden eyes looking right at her. It can't be she thought
They were sitting at a table completely secluded from other students. One had honey blonde hair and looked as though he might be struggling with being around so many students
The girl next to him had dark brown spiky hair and was whispering into his ear, it looked as though she was encouraging him. Bella tried to listen as close as she could but her hearing isn't as strong as her parents, and with all the noise from the other students it was hard to narrow in on her voice.
She was sitting next to a striking blonde girl, who glanced at Bella with disgust. She was more occupied with looking at her reflection in the window behind her
Next to her was a big brawny guy with brown hair, his large build was rather intimidating. Though he had a baby face which made him look more human. He was too busy playing with his food and laughing, Bella noticed his dimples.
Then next to him was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen, he had reddish brown hair, and had a lanky frame, Bella was instantly drawn to him. She caught him staring right at her but he didn't break eye contact, he just kept staring
He knows there is something off about me
"Earth to Bella" Jessica said and waved her hand slightly in Bellas face
"Oh, sorry" Bella said snapping her head away from the table with the golden eyes
Jessica glanced over where Bella had previously looked
"That's the Cullens" Jessica said, answering the question in the forefront of Bellas mind.
"I think they moved here last year from like Alaska, they tend to keep to themselves" Jessica said and shrugged as if it was old news
"Yea, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen adopted them and now they are all like together together" Angela said
Please stop talking about them Bella thought, hoping they would change the subject.
The more the girls talked about them the more attention it would be bring to the table
Onto Bella
"Its so weird but they aren't actually related" Lauren chimed in
"I think Edward Cullen is staring at you" Angela said, so that's his name Bella thought, rather old fashioned. For all she knows he could be older than her dad. Bella chose to ignore Angelas comment and changed the subject
"Does anybody have anatomy II next period" Bella asked
"Yea" Mike replied, "I can show you were it is"
"Great" Bella said and then Lauren mentioned her nails and the topic of the Cullens changed as quickly as it started.
The moment lunch was over, Mike, Tyler and Bella walked to their next class. Tyler and Mike were busy talking about the football game they had coming up, and Bella trailed behind. As Bella entered the classroom she instantly wanted to turn back around. She saw a familiar set of eyes piercing her soul
Oh god
Please stop looking at me
Does he realize who, what I am?
The only seat left in class was right next to him, Bella dragged her feet along the floor. She sat down and placed her backpack on the back of the chair. She pulled her notebook out and her hair created a curtain to hide her face.
Bella started contemplating whether or not she should just leave, and call her parents on the way home. This could be dangerous, he could hurt her.
Or should she just stay put, maybe he doesn't realize, maybe he thinks she's human.
She technically isn't fully like them, there are differences
Bella doesn't normally see her kind at school, playing the part of young teenagers. Her family have seen their kind from time to time in passing, during hunts, but she's always with her parents, never alone and Bella always handles it.
She would have to handle it
Then they would have to leave, start over.
This would devastate her dad, they wouldn't be able to come back for a long time.
Bella's heart was racing and I'm sure the boy noticed, she could feel his eyes burning into the side of her head.
Class started and Bella wouldn't have been able to recite one thing her teacher said, her mind was preoccupied. That feeling that Bella had felt this morning, the bubbling in the pit of her stomach was now spewing over. She felt as though she was going to be sick
As time ticked by, she tried to focus on her breathing. He luckily didn't say anything to her, once class is over i'm going straight home she thought
During the last remaining minutes she heard a velvety voice almost above a whisper "Hello, you must be Bella Swan, I'm Edward Cullen."
Bella looked up from her notebook she was doodling on and said a quick hello back to him, without fully meeting his eyes..
"I heard you and your family just moved here from Buffalo, are you enjoying the weather so far?"
Is this his version of making small talk? Bella thought
"Yes we did, I don't mind the rain, I prefer it actually" Bella responded still looking down at her desk now picking at a corner that chipped. Bella actually loved all different climates, but no sun meant her parents could feel as normal as possible. The conversation died and Bella couldn't help but think that time had officially stopped, the air hung stagnant. Bella finally understood the saying, you could cut the tension with a knife.
She tapped her pen on the desk and tried to immerse herself in the teacher's lecture, attempting to distract her mind so she wouldn't panic
The bell for dismissal finally rang through the room
Saved by the Bell Bella thought
She practically jumped out of her seat but as she was gathering her things Edward had other ideas, he appeared right in front of her blocking the aisle.
He didn't say anything, just stared at her, as if he was trying to read her mind, figure her out
He looked like he wanted to say something but was trying to find the right words to phrase it. Just as he was about to speak Bella cut him off
"Um..Excuse me" Bella whispered looking down at her Mary Janes
"My apologies" He said his voice sounded crisp as a bell and smooth as butter, he stepped to the side to let her pass
As she was walking by her arm slightly grazed his and what could only be best described as an electric current ran through her arm and made her fingers tingle
What the hell she inhaled a short breath, and practically flung herself away from him, trying to create as much distance as possible. She refused to turn back and look at him
"It was nice to meet you Ms. Swan," She heard him say as she exited the room.
Bella had decided to cut her day short, she practically ran to her car and headed straight home. During the drive, Bella kept replaying what happened in Anatomy. Bellas heart pumps at a faster rate than humans but her heart at this very moment feels like it is going to explode from her chest, breaking every rib in the process. She reaches over the center console for her backpack, and tries to find her phone buried inside. As she was fumbling, she swerved a bit and the phone slid out and fell between the seat and the passenger door.
Oh for the love of all that's holy Bella thought
As she pulled into her family driveway, she placed her mother's car in park and reached over to grab her phone. Once she had it, she saw her mother open the front door with her hand on her hip and a confused look on her face.
Bella got out of the car and rushed to the front door, she almost slipped on the first step but her mother caught her at full speed.
"Careful sweetheart" her mother said as she looked around the neighborhood making sure nobody saw
"Why are you home so early? She guided Bella into the house and closed the door behind them
"I saw our kind at school" Bella said straight to the point. Her mother didn't say anything at first, she opened her mouth but then closed it. The silence was deafening, though Bella could hear a slight hum of a neighbor mowing their lawn.
"Did you call your father" Her mother finally asked
"I didn't get a chance to" as Bella finished her sentence her mother was already on the phone with her father, Bella could hear her father go silent on the other end and he informed them to stay put. Bella assumed he was already on his way home
"Let me make you some tea sweetheart, your heart rate is faster than normal." Her mother grabbed her hand and led her into the kitchen, "Honey try to calm down, we will manage, we always do" Her mother said trying to alleviate her concerns.
Bella looked up at her mother and she could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Her mother was without a doubt filtering what she truly wanted to say.
Bella and her mother waited in the informal dining room for what felt like eternity. Bella drummed her fingers on the table, trying to find something to say to diffuse the tension, lighten the mood. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything to say, though I don't think her mother would appreciate any jokes at this time.
The grandfather clock broke the silence as the chime hammers clanged together. A sound Bella has adapted to made her jump a foot in the air.
Her mother grabbed her wrist and traced small circles on the top of her hand.
Bella really needed to calm down
Then they heard Bella's father pull in to the driveway
They heard the front door open and close, and heavy footsteps heading in their direction
He came into the room, sat down at the table and demanded to know what happened at school.
"Did he say anything else to you" Her father asked, trying to understand the severity of the situation
"No, I know he wanted to though" she said, "He was trying to find the words"
"Of course, how many of them were there"
"Five from what I saw but there could be more of them" Bella said letting her voice trail off
"What's the next step?" her mother asked, even though they all knew the answer.
"We're going to handle it and then we are going to leave" her father said simply as if it was an easy process.
Just because they know the drill doesn't make it any less complicated.
Was this the right decision? Bella thought as she looked between her mother and father
Doubt
She has never felt this before, this decision has been made before and Bella has never hesitated. Why does this time feel different for her? Is there a small chance her parents might feel the same way?
But before she could ask, she heard a very familiar voice
"Going to leave? But you just got here"
Thank you for continuing to read my story!
I plan on having Chapter 3 finished hopefully by this weekend
Until next time!