#bellapaul

Chapter 5

Paranoia gripped Bella on the way home from school. The looming forest around Forks seemed to mock her with the horrors she knew lay within, and Bella was pretty miserable by the time she pulled into her driveway. She sat inside her truck for a moment, her keys biting into her skin as she deliberated the chances of Edward Cullen coming to extract vengeance for whatever crime he thought Bella had committed against him. The dark woods behind her house gave her the creeps. Anything could be lurking in the undergrowth while she was none the wiser. She was a sitting duck inside her truck, so she threw caution to the wind and ran inside.

Bella hated to admit it, but that boy scared her more than any wolves that might be running around La Push.

It might seem a little excessive, but Bella didn’t feel safe until she’d locked the doors that were accessible from outside the house and made sure to fasten all windows shut from the inside. She even went as far as securing the tiny one above the bathroom sink. Her overactive imagination went wild when she discovered that the latch on her bedroom window was faulty and it provided her with the scene of Edward sliding her window open in the dead of night, his eyes black eyes and pale skin gleaming in the moonlight. Bella knew for a fact that he could crush her windpipe easily, and envisioned how he’d render her mute while he tore her flesh to shreds.

She shuddered.

The vision had no basis in reality, but it disturbed Bella so much that she tied a thread between the handle on the bottom of her window and the little cactus Renée had given her so that if anyone were to open her window, it would knock the potted plant off the windowsill.

Hopefully, the noise would warn Bella of her inevitable doom.

She changed into her warmest clothes and made herself a piping cup of tea before planting herself on the living room couch to keep vigil. Now, that she had sat down and taken some time to gather herself, Bella wondered if she wasn’t over-reacting. Edward was probably just the typical angry teen who hasn’t grown out of his cootie phase yet. Anemia would explain his pasty skin and his black eyes might have been the result of unfortunate genes. If that turned out to be the case, Bella would just have to suck it up and get used to them.

That didn’t mean she was about to try and become bosom pals with him anytime soon.

The tea burned her tongue and sitting idly with only her thoughts to keep her company was making her antsy. Bella attempted to reign in her anxiety. She scraped her raw taste buds against her teeth, biting into the place where she’d burned herself. The pain grounded her, and she put her mug down and stood up in search of a better distraction.

Bella had inherited the habit of baking when she felt stressed from Renée - without the tendency to turn the kitchen into a disaster zone with ill-advised culinary experiments. She found herself in the kitchen gathering ingredients to make some bread. Her dad didn’t keep his kitchen stocked for unplanned baking, but Bella managed to scavenge what was needed to make a simple herb bread. Charlie had an odd collection of spices and a packet of dried yeast that was at least a decade old but Bella made due, and soon she was punching out her frustration at handsome demon boys by punching the dough.

It was an effective anger release.

Bella was sweating by the time she finished, and the poor dough was bound to be tough after being so abused. She put it away so it could rise and was washing her hands when the phone rang. The jarring noise caught her by surprise, and Bella sprayed water down her front.

“Get a grip!” she chided herself harshly and slammed her hands down on the metal rim of the sink. Her pulse raced with adrenaline, but she quickly grabbed the phone with shaky hands, unsurprised to see the number calling. She cleared her throat and tried to calm her nerves before answering. “Hey, mom.”

“How was school, hon?” Renée’s asked without preamble.

“Fine,” Bella sighed. It was the last thing she wanted to talk about right now, but it was nice to hear her mother’s voice. Renée apparently caught her dark tone and tried to lighten the mood.

“Meet any cute boys?” she teased good-naturedly.

She had no idea.

The image of Paul wearing nothing but shorts and wet from the rain elbowed its way into Bella’s mind, and she blushed as she tried to clean her dirty mind. Edward would have been a close second if he hadn’t terrified the living daylights out of her. She knew her mother was just worried that she would a hard time fitting in, but Bella knew from experience that if she kept her expectations low, there wouldn’t be any disappointment. It had worked in her favor today because she’d been pleasantly surprised when she made a friend. It was a rarity for her to connect so quickly with another person, but Angela was one of the kindest people Bella had ever met. It was hard not to like her.

“Well, there was one, but he turned out to be a complete asshole,” she admitted, thinking of Edward. There was no harm in playing along with her mother. Bella wouldn’t mention his freaky behavior for now, but all bets were off if he tried anything. Charlie would be the first to know what kind of guy was to be her lab partner.

Bella was not the type to go boy-crazy, but she enjoyed the evenings where her and Renée would stay up late and do girl things together. Renée called those times her ‘Bella-bonding’ time. Her liveliness and easygoing nature made it feel like Bella was hanging out with her best friend instead of her mother.

‘Bella-bonding’ had salvaged their relationship, which had been rocky ever since Bella shouldered some of Renée’s responsibility after having grown tired of her ditziness. She was ashamed to admit that she’d started to become resentful of their backward mother-daughter dynamic during junior year in high school and had been tempted to move to Forks then. The stress of keeping up with Renée had taken its toll, and the floodgates had opened when Bella tried to bottle it up. Instead of turning into an argument like Bella had feared it would, her mother had shown herself to be surprisingly sensible and capable of serious discussions. In the end, Bella decided to stay in Phoenix with Renée and Phil, and it was one of the best decisions she’d ever made. Phil helped a lot with taking care of things, and both Renée and Bella had come to rely on him to balance them out. Their bond had strengthened now that Renée was free to chase after whatever caught her fancy and Bella could be herself without drowning in obligations that shouldn’t have fallen on her shoulders in the first place.

“Oh?” Renée asked, intrigued.

“I sat next to him in biology, and I swear, no one’s ever glared at me like that. He acted as if I’d stabbed him with my pencil,” Bella muttered.

“Pay him no mind, Bella. Boys like that aren’t worth your time, and he’s hardly the only guy in town,” Renée reassured her.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Bella agreed quietly. She rubbed her forehead with a sigh. It was true. Edward wasn’t the only guy who’d been on Bella’s mind. Paul was still a mystery she was eager to crack.

“I am? Do you have another boy in mind?” Renée asked mischievously.

“What- I,” Bella spluttered, too flustered to think of a better answer. “No. Yes. Maybe?”

“Now this I got to hear. Who has my girl so wound up that she can’t speak?”

“He’s just a guy I met at the beach,” Bella admitted, omitting to say Paul’s name - there was no need to get ahead of herself. “I thought he was an asshole too at first, but then he smiled at me. I don’t know. He’s just confusing.”

“Have you talked to him?” Renée didn’t bother to hide her amusement at Bella’s frustration.

“No,” Bella admitted grudgingly.

“Well, you better tell me all about him. It’s about time you got some romance in your life,” Renée said encouragingly. Her mother had never understood why Bella was so disinterested in dating. It was so different from what Renée had been like in her youth. Bella was a bit of a homebody, but it wasn’t like she was averse to being in a relationship or falling in love. It was rather that no one in Phoenix had ever shown her any interest.

Maybe Forks could be different?

It occurred to her that she was probably getting her hopes up for nothing. A guy like Paul must have a girlfriend - someone as cool as Leah, or as graceful and beautiful as Alice. How could Bella compare to that? Her mood dampened, and she wanted to crawl underneath her blanket and forget about all the boys she’s ever met. Bella tried to find an excuse to hang up on her mother. “Can we talk about it later? I need to get dinner started.”

“Sure thing, hon,” Renée said quietly, but she knew Bella well enough to recognize the tone in her voice. “I can hear you doubting yourself, Bella. You’re a smart and beautiful girl, and I’m not just saying this as your mother. I know you hate it when I say this, but please try to relax and enjoy life, honey. You spend so much time inside your head and sometimes that negative little goblin distracts you from what’s right in front of you. Put an old mother’s heart at ease and try to make some friends.”

“Really, mom - a negative goblin?“ Bella scoffed, and Renée made a pleased sound at her own wit. "And you’re not old.”

“I know, but before you know it I’ll be speeding around on a scooter while Phil tries to keep up,” she joked and succeeded in drawing another laugh from Bella.

“I love you, mom.”

“Love you too, sweetheart!” Renée said as parting words. Bella held onto the receiver for a moment after the call disconnected and listened to the white noise as she mulled over her mother’s advice.

Relaxation was the furthest thing from her mind. There were too many secrets in this small town, and she had every intention of solving some of them. She put the phone down gently and went to get dinner ready while her bread was baking.

Being eaten by wolves sounded much more heroic than dying in the middle of a biology class.

“You ready to go, Bella?”

Bella looked up when Charlie called her name from the foyer. She was laying the table, the bread and the lasagna she’d cooked was ready to be eaten.

“Go where?” she called back, and there was a pause before Charlie poked his head inside.

“To Billy’s,” he said, raising his brow when he saw the food. Bella gasped when she remembered the invite Charlie had told her about yesterday.

“Oh, no! I completely forgot!” she moaned into her hands and Charlie watched her in bemusement.

“Relax, it’s not the end of the world,” he said. Bella looked at him between her fingers and saw that he was trying not to laugh at her.

“But I made dinner!” She pointed emphatically at the meal she’d prepared, trying to get him to understand how rude and inconsiderate she’d been for having forgotten their plans.

“So? Just leave it there, and we’ll put it in the fridge once it’s cooled,” Charlie said, clearly wondering why Bella was getting so worked up about this. “We’ll eat it tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Bella rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m being silly.”

“No, you’re not. You just had other stuff going on.” Charlie clapped her on the back and went to investigate the bread, sniffing the air. “This smells delicious.”

“Thanks, we’re out of rosemary by the way.” Bella stood up and put the jug of water she’d placed on the table back into the fridge. “I’m coming. Let me grab my coat.”

“Put on some shoes while you’re at it,” Charlie called after her.

They took her truck, and Charlie offered to drive. Bella was tempted to argue but thought better of it and tossed him the key.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Charlie said as Bella was putting on her seatbelt and held up the end he’d sliced off the bread. She shook her head but was surprised when he ripped it into two and handed her the other half.

“Thanks.” She took it and bit into it. It was still warm but a bit too salty for her taste. Charlie evidently didn’t think so because he stuffed his half into his mouth and made a sound of appreciation at the taste.

“Jesus, this is good! Where did you learn how to bake?” he asked. The truck growled to life, and they pulled out of the dive.

“Just a habit.” Bella shrugged, hiding a smile.

“Well, feel free to do it again because this is excellent.” Charlie didn’t give compliments freely, mainly because it made him feel awkward, but when he did it was more often than not about food. His words still touched Bella.

“I will,” she promise.

“We’ll need to stop for gas,” he remarked after looking at the dashboard and Bella heaved a sigh. Another thing she’d forgotten to do today. Charlie looked over at her. “School go okay? You look tired.”

“It was fine.” Bella was relieved that she’d already spoken to her mother. The thought of trying to ‘Bella-bond’ with Charlie was hilarious - he would probably arrest himself before speaking to her about feelings and boys. Bella’s answer was half-hearted at best, and Charlie frowned at her, his worry evident in his gaze, so she tried to reassure him. “I made a new friend. Her name is Angela Weber.”

“That’s great, Bella.” His shoulders slumped and the pinch between his brows smoothed out. “Weber - any relation to Pastor Weber?”

“She’s his daughter,” Bella confirmed.

“He’s a good man,” Charlie said as they pulled up to the gas station.

He stepped out, and Bella sat back. She examined her fingers and fiddled with them restlessly as she remembered the conversation she’d had with Jake on the beach. It was sad to think that anyone in La Push was struggling with addiction. Everyone she’d spoken to there had been incredibly kind to her.

A sudden thought nagged at Bella. Was she a bad person for harboring the desire to meet Paul and find out with kind of person he was even though she was completely turned off by the thought of him being into drugs? It seemed so shallow to pursue her interest despite the massive issue - it was like a terrible idea to enter a relationship with the desire to change one’s partner.

Charlie climbed in, and they were back on the road when Bella realized that there wasn’t anything to backup Jacob’s claim. He’d even told her that he was just repeating rumors. If anyone had answers about any lawbreaking in the area, it would be Charlie. Bella deliberated for a moment about how to bring it up. She settled on the direct approach.

“Hey, dad. Are there any, um, drug-related problems in La Push?”

“Not that I’m aware of - what’s brought this on?” Her line of question visibly surprised him.

“Just something Jake said.” Bella shrugged, unable to meet his gaze, and Charlie sighed.

“Ah, he’s told you about Sam and those boys?”

“So it’s true? I thought you said there weren’t any drugs there.” Disappointment churned in her gut.

“I did. Sam’s got a bad rep, Lord knows why, but he’s never been in trouble with the law. Don’t know much about the other two but I’ve met Mr. Lahote - what’s his boy’s name?” Charlie snapped his finger until he found the name. “Paul or something like that - good man; he used to be a deputy in La Push. Retired now, though.”

“Really? Isn’t he a bit young to be retired? Paul appeared to be around my age.” Bella frowned.

“Poor guy got mauled by a bear about a year ago. It’s amazing the guy’s still breathing, let alone walking. Mind you, he uses a cane to get around these days,” Charlie ran a hand over his face, and Bella notices how the headlights of passing cars made her father look decades older than he was.

“That’s awful!”  The attack must have been gruesome if the trauma still hampered Mr. Lahote’s ability to walk. Bella had never seen the aftermath of an animal attack, but it couldn’t be pretty. Paul’s father must have scars - a constant reminder of the beast that had nearly killed him. Her heart went out to him. It couldn’t have been easy.

“Yeah, there seem to be a lot of bear attacks around there,” Charlie said with quiet speculation. His frustration was evident, and he let out an explosive sigh. “Never found the beast though.”

“Do you think it’s the one beast?” Bella didn’t miss the singular.

“That’s what the expert said,” Charlie revealed. “The odd thing was that he couldn’t pin down exactly what type of animal was behind the attacks. The prints we found when we searched the woods were unlike any bear tracks he’d ever seen - said they were canine looking.”

“Could it be wolves?” Bella asked after a moment of silence. Her pulse had sped up at Charlie’s admission. Whatever had attacked those people was likely still roaming free in the wood. How many unsuspecting hikers have wandered inside and come close to meeting it without being aware of its presence? She felt queasy at the thought. “I saw some paw prints outside Billy’s during our last visit.” Bella couldn’t help wondering what would have happened if she hadn’t seen them and kept going. Would she still be here today?

“You be careful around those woods, Bells. You hear me? There are plenty of creatures in there that could make a meal out of you,” Charlie warned.

“But have there been any wolf attacks?” She needed an answer to the question.

“Naw, with claw, marks the size of the ones I saw on Mr. Lahote; it could only be a bear. They were too big to be made by a wolf,” he said grimly. “Besides, wolves don’t use their claws; they bite their prey.”

Bella hunkered down in her seat and wondered if she counted as prey.

Jacob was standing on the porch when they pulled up into their drive. They returned his wave and got out of the truck.

“They’re here!” Jacob called inside and turned back to them with a smile. “Dad needs me to grab some, uh-” he apparently forgot what it was because he turned to shout inside again. “What was it you needed again, dad?”

“Salmonberry vinaigrette! And grab some paper towels while you’re there Jacob!” came Billy’s voice. “Stop blocking the doorway and let them in!”

“Sure thing, pops!” Jacob laughed and jumped down from the porch. He clapped Charlie on the back in greeting. “Wanna join me, Bella?”

“I think it’s safer if I do - you’ll probably come home with strawberry jam and toilet paper if we let you go alone,” Bella said with wry amusement and Jacob pretended to pout.

“Best not to keep your dad waiting, Jacob,” Charlie said before he went inside.

“C’mon, I’ll drive.” Jacob smiled, and they hopped into Billy’s black truck. The car was equipped with manual controls that catered to Billy’s needs and the drive to the store was laughably short. Jacob looked over at her and drawled. “How’s life?”

“Hectic,” Bella answered truthfully. Her mind was still reeling after Charlie’s revelation, but she wasn’t aware of the pinch forming between her brows that gave away her worry. Jacob raised his eyebrows and evidently thought Bella was in need of a dose of humor. He pulled up in front of the store and turned off the engine.

“Ok, we need a plan of action.” He faced her with a grimness that took her by surprise.

“What is this? Mission impossible?” Bella’s face twisted with bewildered amusement. “I thought we were going shopping?”

“I take my grocery shopping very seriously, Bella.” Jacob’s eyes glimmered with mirth, and he flipped his hair theatrically. “I can’t risk you blowing this operation if your mind isn’t in the game.”

“I’m sorry.” Bella caught on and schooled her face. “What’s the plan, boss?”

“That’s the spirit. We’ll split up to cover more ground - I’ll scout the vinaigrette, and you track down the napkins. Capiche?” He pointed his finger at her.

“Got it. I won’t disappoint you.” Bella nodded with such a severe expression that Jacob broke character when he couldn’t suppress his grin.

They jumped out of the car and walked inside. The bell rang when Jacob pushed the door open, and the girl sitting behind the counter looked up from her book.

“Hey, Jake,” she greeted, and Jacob automatically headed towards her.

“Hey, Patricia.” They were most likely in the same grade, but Bella was on a mission. She wasn’t in the mood to hang around while they exchanged pleasantries. School - and Edward - had exhausted her and her human-interaction meter for the day had reached its limit.

“What kind of napkins, boss?” she asked Jacob quickly.

“One of those white paper towels on a roll.” Jacob gave her a thumbs up as she backed away, heading deeper into the store.

It was much smaller than the one in Forks, but they still had a decent variety. Bella walked past a display of a large lawn mower that was sitting on one of the metal shelves. The isles were narrow, and she searched high and low for the frustratingly elusive napkins. She had to circle the paper product section three times before she finally found them.

It seemed like fate wasn’t on Bella’s side today because the paper towels were on the top shelf and this time there was no stepping stool in sight for her to use. Bella tried jumping at first, and her fingers nudged the packet but ultimately pushed it back and out of sight. She landed with a frustrated huff and backed away, going up onto the tips of her toes to see how far back she’d accidentally pushed it. The packet was up against the wall now, and there was no way she could reach it.

Bella could feel it mocking her.

The shelves were sturdy - the lawn mower could attest to that and Bella hardly weighed as much as that monstrosity. To be on the cautious side, she tried to give the structure a little shake and was satisfied when it didn’t budge. Bella felt a thrill when she heaved herself up. She took great care of watching where she put her feet, remembering the last time she tried to reach for something inside a grocery store. It was much easier to climb instead of stretching up after an object since her weight was more evenly distributed. Or at least that’s what she thought. Bella was almost to the top and rested her right arm on the highest shelf. The paper towels were in sight, and she went on her toes to gain another inch, reaching her left hand toward them.

Almost there.

She started to slip.

Almost-

“Need a hand there, short-stuff?”

Someone grabbed hold of her thighs and lifted her up like they were doing a cheerleader routine. Bella lurched forward with a yelp but grabbed hold of the paper towels when her face pressed into the plastic wrap. She pulled back, and the hand on her butt steadied her.

“You better get your hands off my ass, Jacob Black.” Bella bit out and froze when he let out a bark of laughter. That was not Jake. She peered down and saw that it was Paul. Her eyes widened as her brain short-circuited, and he smirked up at her.

“You got a hold of it?” Paul asked her and Bella nodded mutely. To his credit, his hands didn’t linger, and he lowered her effortlessly to the ground. Bella swayed as her feet touched the floor and he steadied her. The heat of his palms melted through the fabric of her shirt and warmed her skin. Bella felt a blush crawl up her cheeks.

He let go of her but didn’t seem inclined to move back.

She blinked and gripped the packet of paper towels to her chest as she tried to register the fact that she was standing face to face with Paul Lahote - the guy who she couldn’t seem to get off her mind. He was just as attractive as Bella had predicted, even in the unflattering lighting that seemed to be universal to grocery stores around the country. She couldn’t help but admire his high cheekbones and the sharp ridge of his nose now that she was up close.

It was his eyes that got her.

They were a rich brown, and it was astonishing to Bella how beautiful they were, having always thought her own brown eyes to be rather dull. His gaze was intense, and she felt a thrill run through her as she bore the entirety of his attention. She noticed that he was wearing a shirt for once, a black t-shirt to be exact. His shoulders were broad, and Bella absently noted how fit he looked.

Paul was unfairly hot for a guy wearing jorts and sandals.

“You’re catching flies,” he said with a self-satisfied smirk, and Bella snapped her slackened mouth closed.

“Thanks for the help,” she said begrudgingly, humiliated at having been caught ogling him.

“You’re welcome,” he said and extended his hand for her to take. “Paul Lahote, at your service.”

“Hi.” Bella fumbled with her bounty and took his hand. His palm engulfed her slim hand, and he shook it with exaggerated slowness. Her brows raised at the furnace-like heat Paul radiated and wondered if her hands, which were chronically chilled, felt like the ones of a cold corpse to him. He didn’t seem to mind and was looking at her expectantly. She realized she hadn’t introduced herself and stumbled over her words. “Bella. I’m Bella Swan.”

His warmth lingered when they let go, and Bella curled her fist to her chest, trying to savor the heat.

“So, does Jake touch your ass a lot, Bella?” he asked out of nowhere, and Bella wanted to sink through the floor. Her face burned red as her blush increased.

“What? No!” she sputtered.

“Hey, I had to ask.” He shrugged, and his raised brow told her he was jesting. “It’s not every day a cute girl gets me mixed up with a pipsqueak like Jake.”

“Cute?” Bella drew up a blank at how to respond and repeated the word, her mind latching onto it. Paul thought she was cute.

“Hell, yeah.” He nodded and eyed her shamelessly. Bella stared at him. She’d never met anyone this brazen.

“Thanks?” It came out as more of a question and Paul evidently found it amusing because his stupid smirk widened.

“You’re welcome.”

Bella was woefully inept at flirtation - Paul was undoubtedly hitting on her, even a dense girl like her could see that - and tried to gain some control over the conversation. “Aren’t you cold?” she blurted the first thing that popped into her mind.

Real smooth, Bella.

“I’m hot,” Paul said, and Bella couldn’t help but laugh at how corny the line was. This turn of events was far beyond anything she’d imagined happening for their first conversation. He appeared entirely at ease while she scrambled to find something to say.

“Bella, c’mon we’re late!” It was Jacob. Her mind screamed at him to go away and let her have this moment. She widened her eyes at Jacob pointedly. Couldn’t he see how important this was? He ignored her look and glared at Paul, looking ready to march over to them.

“Thanks for the help, Paul,” Bella said, hoping to prevent the scene Jacob would undoubtedly make if he joined them. Paul didn’t seem perturbed. Jacob was a pipsqueak in his eyes, as he’d worded it, and Bella couldn’t help but agree. Paul looked like he could take care of himself in any fight, verbal or physical.

“I’ll see you around, Bella,” Paul told her and Bella liked the way her name sounded on his lips.

“Yeah, see you, Paul.” She gave him a little wave before turning around and walked reluctantly over to Jacob in half a daze. Her heart fluttered inside her chest, and she squeezed the paper towels close in an attempt to calm it. Paul Lahote had Isabella Swan cute!

“What the hell was that, Bella? ‘I’ll see you around’?” Jacob asked her in a hushed whisper. “I told you he’s trouble. You shouldn’t even have spoken to him!”

“Paul helped me reach those napkins, Jacob. He was nothing but polite to me.” Bella scoffed, trying to suppress her annoyance.

“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you,” Jacob grumbled, shooting a dark look over her head. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Paul was still standing in the same spot she’d left him in. His face displayed his annoyance at Jacob’s interruption, but he switched gears when he noticed her looking. Paul waved at her with a grin before turning on his heel and walking out of the store. He hadn’t bought anything.

“You’re overreacting,” Bella said firmly, but Jacob looked like he was about to argue. She forced the paper towels into his chest. “I’m going to wait in the car.”

Paul wasn’t anywhere in sight when she made it out onto the parking lot, and Bella climbed up into Billy’s truck and folded her arms across her chest. She was tempted to sulk at Jacob for having cut her time with Paul short, but the excitement of having spoken to him was too high. He’d called her cute!

Jacob joined her before she had time to analyze the exchange any further. He sighed and drove them to his house before speaking. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. You’re my friend, Bella.”

Bella thawed and punched him lightly in the shoulder. “I know, Jake, but I’m a big girl. Try to dictate me again, and you’ll regret it.”

“Ouch, the girl’s got claws,” Jacob said, clutching his shoulders and stumbling out of the car. Goofball. Bella laughed, and they went inside to showcase their bounty.

“Hey, dad. We got everything you wanted,” Jacob said, waving the grocery bag over his head when they entered the kitchen.

“Good,” Billy said. He was sitting at the dining table with Charlie, his trademark hat absent for once. His long hair was tousled, and he bore a slightly frazzled look.

“Mind if I grab a beer, Bella?” Charlie asked. Bella shook her head, and he snagged the six-pack Billy had placed on the counter. “You want one, Billy?

“No, I’m good. I have an early meeting with the Council tomorrow,” Billy said with a shake of his head.

“Oh, yeah?” Charlie sat down again and faced him. Jacob and Bella hovered by the kitchen counter, exchanging a glance when Billy exhaled wearily.

“We’ve been discussing mitigation plans in case of a hazard.” He gave a wan smile.

‘Hazard?’ Bella mouthed at Jacob, but he shook his head and looked away.

“Anything dire?” Charlie asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Congress finally listened to our concerns about the high tides and rising Quileute River. They’ve set aside land for us on higher grounds, but it’ll take us years to scrounge up the money we need to fund the move.” Billy rubbed his forehead and Charlie lowered his beer with a nod of understanding. This didn’t appear to be news to him.

“How bad are things looking?” he asked Bill quietly, shooting a glance at Bella who was listening with open curiosity.

“Our school is well within the inundation zone, and we’re going to start running Tsunami drills. We can’t be unprepared if it happens - it could wipe out an entire generation if it should happen during a school day.”

“I didn’t know things were this serious,” Bella breathed. This was terrible - children were at risk!

“It’s the politics that’s making things so difficult,” Billy agreed.

“I didn’t know the tribe was still active,” Bella admitted and flushed at how ignorant her statement sounded.

“The Quileute Tribe is a sovereign nation.” Billy’s tone had taken on an educational note, and Bella listened with rapt attention. “We make decisions on how best to balance community and tradition. We help protect our sacred and ceremonial areas including the preservation of historical artifacts.”

“Billy here is the Chief,” Charlie said in a small attempt to lighten the mood.

“That’s Head Chairman Black to you, sir!” Billy laughed and slapped him on the back.

“I didn’t know that,” Bella admitted.

“That’s enough politics for the day,” Billy said. “Jacob, can you lay the table while I get this darned fish ready for eating?”

“I got you, pops.”

“Can I help with anything?” Bella asked.

“Can you get me a lemon from the fridge?” Billy asked her as he backed from the table. Bella nodded but felt weird about rummaging through the contents of their fridge. It felt like a violation of their privacy in some way. Billy picked up on her discomfort.

“I trust you more with that fridge than Jacob! Feel free to act like you’re at home, Bella. After all, you’re family!” Billy laughed like he was enjoying a private joke. Jacob rolled his eyes at Bella.

Dinner was delicious; salmon and roasted potatoes accompanied the vinaigrette her and Jacob had bought. Desert was apple pie and whipped cream, courtesy of the Clearwaters.

“This was one heck of a meal,” Charlie said, patting his belly with a sigh. Bella agreed.

The shrewd light in Billy’s eyes hadn’t dimmed throughout the entire evening, and he paid more attention to Bella than she’d expected, asking her all kinds of questions. She did her best to answer them, but she feared that her face was stained a permanent red from all the attention she was receiving today.

“It might be good for you to meet more people your age,” Billy said with a nod of encouragement. “There will be a barbeque here next weekend if you’re interested in coming. There won’t be a lot of people - only a couple of family friends. The Clearwaters will be there.”

“Wait, there is?” Jacob asked through a mouthful of pie. His cheeks bulged comically, and Billy sent him a look of despair.

“Chew your food, Jacob. And yes - Sam’s organizing it.”

“As in Sam Uley?” Bella asked. Her interest was piqued. It was very likely that Paul would be there. Billy nodded.

“Of course, you’re invited as well, Charlie,” Billy said, and Charlie raised his beer can in salute. They turned their attention back to Bella. “What do you say, Bella? Are you interested in joining us?”

Did she want to spend an evening with Sam and Paul? Bella didn’t have to think for long.

“Yes, I would be honored to.”

Chapter 4 - Meet the Cullens

The first discovery Bella made on Friday morning while walking from her front door to her truck was that the coat she’d brought from Arizona was not waterproof. It was pouring buckets, and she shivered as the raindrops pierced through the fabric of her coat and drenched the hoodie she was wearing underneath. Her second discovery was that dressing up for school had been a horrible decision; she’d worn her converse shoes that day and had landed in a puddle the moment she’d stepped out of her truck in the school parking lot. 

With a growl, Bella slammed shut her door and jumped onto dry land. She fumbled with her keys as she tried to shake the water from her shoes and felt like crying when she dropped them into the puddle. People were starting to stare, so Bella pulled up her hood to hide her misery and fished her keys up. She was tempted to pull the ties of her hoodie to cover her face entirely as she approached the front office to get her schedule. The school was a collection of matching square buildings. They were all the made from the same maroon-colored bricks and surrounded by trees and shrubs. Bella’s mood did not lift; the heavy rain clouds made everything seem so dreary and cold. Her foul expression was enough to keep anyone from approaching her, but she made an effort to clear her face before greeting the receptionist. 

The office has a small waiting room, equipped with folding chairs and a bulletin board, which displayed the words: Respect, Integrity, and Commitment. Underneath that was the school motto, ‘WE ARE ALL SPARTANS’, written in bright yellow letters.

“Isabella Swan, welcome,” said the squat woman sitting behind the desk before Bella had time to introduce herself. “Your father informed me you were coming.” Shelly Cope, her nameplate sat on the corner of her desk, had red hair and wore glasses that made her eyes seem small. Her impartial smile informed Bella that there wouldn’t be any small talk. 

Good, Bella thought.

“Yes, I’m here for my schedule,” Bella said. The secretary pushed away from the table and rolled her chair over to the printer and pulled out some paper that she stapled together before showing it to Bella.

“Here you are. I’ve put a map in there as well.” She flipped it from underneath Bella’s schedule to show her the school’s layout. ”Your first class is 12th grade English, and it’s held in Building 3, room six. Mr. Berty, your teacher, will provide you with all the material you need for his class.” The dismissal was evident in her voice, and Bella thanked her before heading out into the rain again. 

She shielded her papers from the worst of it and was grateful that Building 3 was the closest to the secretary office. 

“Bella!” 

Bella looked up at the sound of her name and saw it was Angela. They’d been about to enter the same building, and Bella nearly jogged into her when she paused to open the door. Angela held the door for her and their shoes squeaked against the linoleum floor, leaving wet footprints as they sought refuge from the rain.

“Hi, Angela,” Bella breathed. 

“I didn’t think I would see you so soon,” Angela said pleasantly. She pulled down the hood of her raincoat and unzipped it to shake her hair out. Her glasses were starting to fog up from the rise in temperature. “What class do you have?”

“English,” Bella answered.

“With Mr. Berty? Me too.” Angela was familiar with the hallways, and Bella let her guide them to classroom six. There were a handful of students loitering outside the classroom, sluggish and heavy-lidded as they waited for the bell to ring. Angela waved to them, and the jerked their heads and mumbled an unenthusiastic greeting. Bella would fit in nicely here. She was already exhausted after having spent the entire night tossing and turning in bed from first-day-of-school jitters.

“What kind of teacher is he?” Bella asked her and sent the gathered students a stiff smile. Like Ms. Cope, they didn’t seem surprised to see her and shot her furtive sidelong glances.

The bell rang, signaling the start of class.

“I guess you’ll see for yourself,” Angela said apologetically as a tall man with graying hair opened the door from the inside. He must be Mr. Berty. He waved them inside with little fanfare, and Bella saw that he was wearing a tweed suit jacket with elbow patches and plaid pants. He looked like he could either be the type who believed that his own brilliance was wasted as a high school teacher or was simply eccentric. Bella hoped it was the latter.

They filed into a standard looking classroom. It was smaller than Bella was used to. Posters made by previous students covered the white walls, and the wooden tables were organized into three neat rows. They only allowed two students to sit side by side. Mr. Berty returned to his desk and Bella approached him while the students took their seats.  

“Who might you be?” Mr. Berty asked, peering at her over his reading glasses.

“I’m the new student, Isabella Swan,” Bella said, and he nodded.

“Ah, yes. Here is the lesson plan for this term,” Mr. Berty said, and Bella was relieved that he wasn’t about to make her stand in front of the class and introduce herself like they were still in grade school. Instead, he did something much worse. “You might as well hand them out to the rest of the class. Take a seat once you’ve finished so we can get started.”

Bella took the stack of paper silently and made quick work of handing them out while Mr. Berty did the roll call. She avoided making eye contact with anyone, but her school bag hung off her elbow awkwardly, and it bumped against the tables every other step she took. She approached Angela last. She’d saved her a seat and Bella slid the sheet of paper over to her with a grateful smile.

“Now that we’re all here, there will be no mercy today even though it’s our first day. This is a double period class, and I see no point in wasting it by giving you a few more minutes of recess.” Mr. Berty clapped his hands together, making the half-asleep student jerk in their seats. He appeared to regain vigor from the sound of their groans. They’d all been hoping that he’d let them off easy today. “We’ll be focusing on Shakespeare’s work for the majority of the year but rest assured there will be plenty of opportunity for essay writing and presentations.” Mr. Berty smiled when his students slumped lower into their seats, their misery apparent.

The rest of his lecture continued in that fashion, and Bella wondered why teachers felt the need to tell their students everything that was written in the lesson plan. It must be a rite of passage to waste everyone’s time during the first day back. They were nearing the end of their first period when Mr. Bert finally stopped talking. He split them into pairs to 'work on their communication skills' as he put it.

Bella thanked the universe for already being acquainted with Angela because they shared a furtive grin and tackled the task at hand without needing any awkward introductions. They were supposed to compare their favorite work of fiction and discuss the differences and merits of each book. It turned out they both shared a love for Jane Austen so filling out the worksheet was a breeze. Angela chose Sense and Sensibility while Pride and Prejudice continued to be Bella’s favorite. They were in the midst of discussing the differences between Elinor Dashwood level-headedness and Elizabeth Bennet’s playful impertinence and drawing the similarities of their passionate nature when the bell rang. 

“I’ve never met anyone who’s into Austen as much as I am,” Angela told Bella after they’d handed their worksheet to Mr. Berty.

“Me neither,” Bella said. It was true, Bella had spent hours reading and re-reading the novels in her youth but had been crushed to realize that none of her old classmates shared her interest in the classics. “Now, you have to be honest with me because this question will be a deciding factor for me to keep you as my friend or not.” Bella’s tone was mockingly grim, and Angela caught on quickly and assumed a serious face. “Fuck, marry, kill; Mr. Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Mr. Collin?”

Angela burst out laughing, blushing lightly at Bella’s crude language. “Oh, one is easy; kill Mr. Collins, but I always had a little bit of a crush on the Colonel after having seen the BBC adaptation from 1995,” she mused, making Bella gasp with delight.

“You’ve seen it?” Bella asked with uncontainable delight. She’d watched the series so many times that Renée refused to watch it with her anymore. She forgot her nervousness. “I don’t care who you fuck or marry; you are officially my best friend!”

Angela seemed just as eager as Bella. “I’ve got the special edition with restored colors and commentary,” she admitted in a shy voice, and Bella looped their arms together, letting Angela lead their way to their next class, which was American History.

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Bella joked, and Angela nodded in agreement. 

Their history lesson passed quickly; their teacher was as eager for the break as the students and promptly dismissed them after giving them the rundown of the course. Bella and Angela continued their conversation, and soon they’d made plans to meet up sometime and watch Angela’s entire Jane Austen film and tv-series adaptations together. Making friends wasn't so hard as Bella had initially thought. She was so relieved to have found a kindred spirit in Angela that she forgot to be worried about lunch.

They were sitting at one of the tables located in almost every corner of the hallways around the school and Bella was getting to know Angela a little better. Angela had lived in Forks her entire life; her father was the Lutheran minister, and her mother worked as an accountant for a small local business. She also had twin brothers, Joshua and Isaac, who could be very rambunctious and trying at times but Bella could hear the affection in her voice as she recounted all of their mischiefs. Angela was just getting into the swing of things, telling Bella about the time her brothers had put a lobster in the cradle as Baby Jesus before the start of the annual Christmas play when they were interrupted.

“Yo, Angie!” A blond haired boy called with unnecessary loudness. He strutted down the hallway towards them with two other guys. He perked up at the sight of Bella and 

“Hi, I’m Mike,” he said and held out his hand for her to shake. He was smiling at her with a little too much interest and Bella heaved an internal sigh. 

“Guys this is Bella.” Angela, bless her heart, took it upon herself to make the introductions. “Bella this is Austin-” she gestured to the acne-ridden sandy-haired boy who raised his hand in greeting. “- and this is Ben.” The short, black haired boy shot Bella an awkward smile as he sat down next to Angela and entwined their fingers together. Bella blinked. Angela hadn’t mentioned having a boyfriend. 

“So, Bella-” Mike started to drawl.

“Where’s Jessica?” Angela asked Mike pointedly, cutting him off. He shrunk back and rubbed the back of his neck guiltily.

“She went with Lauren to save us a good table in the Mess,” Mike said. “She told us to go and find you. Your schedule is messed up; we hardly have any classes together. Ben here was starting to pine for you by the third period.”

Angela laughed awkwardly, tightening her grip on Ben and patted the back of his hand with her free hand. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t have met Bella otherwise. Besides, we have photography together next class,” she reassured Ben and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. He blushed.

“C’mon, I’m starving,” Austin groaned, and they got up. Angela disentangled herself from Ben and fell into step with Bella. He didn’t seem to mind and took to discussing the new chapter of some superhero novel with Austin. Bella couldn’t help but notice that Angela was an entire head taller than her boyfriend, who was about as tall as herself. 

The mess hall was starting to fill with hungry students, and they took their place in the forming queue to get their meal. The other students had food stamps, and Angela loaned Bella one of hers when she realized that she hadn’t brought any money.

“I’ll pay you back tomorrow,” Bella promised after thanking her. Angela shook her head and reassured her that it wasn’t necessary. Bella didn’t dare take the time to examine what the school had to offer with a line behind her and picked the same stuff as Angela. They headed for a table that was occupied by two pretty girls and two guys who were both wearing varsity jackets.

“Hey, Lauren, Jessica; this is Bella. She’s new here,” Angela introduced Bella when they took their seats.

“We know,” the girl with white blonde hair, Lauren, said. She seemed to dismiss Bella after giving her a once over with sharp green eyes and leaned into the dark-skinned boy sitting beside her. He tried to tangle his fingers in her hair, but she jerked her head away with a warning glare. He rolled his eyes and introduced himself as Tyler Crowley.

“Hi!” a brunette with voluminous curls waved cheerfully to Bella when she took a seat across from her. Mike had his arm around her shoulders. She must be Jessica. “Don’t mind, Lauren. She’s not good with new people.”

“Shut up, Jess,” Lauren scoffed, but there wasn’t any heat behind her words. Angela, who was sitting next to Bella, raised her eyebrows in a ‘what-can-you-do’ way and Bella stifled her smile.

“Hey, Conner,” Mike shared a fist bump with the other guy.

“Yo, dude. Did you catch the game last night?” Conner asked, licking his spoon free of yogurt. 

“The Seahawks got slaughtered, man,” Tyler laughed, and Mike buried his face in his hands with a groan.

“Don’t remind me.” Mike shook his head, and they launched into a heated argument over which team player was to blame for their defeat. Jessica rolled her eyes and leaned forward to tell Angela about what kind of morning she’d had. Apparently, she’d found a dead squirrel on her front porch.

“- I literally died,” Jessica said dramatically, and Lauren grimaced with disgust.

“What did you do with it?” 

“Dad got a stick and took it into the woods. It was super gross; it didn't have any eyes!” Jessica said with too much relish for a girl who was supposedly traumatized by the event. 

Bella nibbled on the side of her cafeteria bland pizza slice and realized that she was sitting with the popular cheerleaders and jocks. It was an absurd thought because she’d spent years making fun of their type. She couldn’t help but think that Jessica and Lauren were both shallow, but then again; she hadn’t known them for more than twenty minutes. 

It was a weird moment for her.

“So, we’re graduating soon. Have any, like, plans?” Lauren asked the entire table. She was obviously the leader here because the other conversations came to a stop to join hers. Lauren didn’t seem too interested in knowing their goals because she immediately launched into her own plans once she had their attention. “I’m going to Canada.”

“Lauren was scouted by a model agency in Victoria this summer,” Angela explained in a hushed voice when she noticed Bella’s confusion. Lauren seemed genuinely excited by the prospect, and she even let Tyler touch her hair when he pressed a kiss to her lips. Bella looked away at their display of affection.

“You’re going places, babe.”

“I’m going to attend uni in Seattle,” Ben said and the rest of the table seemed to have similar plans.

“I’m thinking about getting a degree in communications and maybe entertainment. I really want to have my own talk show one day,” Jessica piped up with a dreamy smile.

“Then you can interview me once I’m famous,” Lauren laughed, and Jessica joined her with a strained smile. Bella sensed a bit of jealousy coming from Jessica and wondered if it was because Laura was the more popular one.

“Totally!”

“What about you, Bella?” Mike asked her and Bella was suddenly the focal point of the entire table.

“Um, I’m going to university and maybe become a teacher.” She shrugged, flushing a little underneath their attention.

“Me too,” Angela said. “I want to be a kindergarten teacher.”

“What do you think the Cullens are going to do?” Jessica asked, and Bella was left behind at the leap in the conversation. She had no idea who the Cullens were, but it seemed like a favorite subject of Jessica’s because there was a gleam in her eyes while the others rolled their eyes. The atmosphere soured even further when Lauren spoke.

“Who cares? They don’t need jobs because they’re all rich and beautiful,” she sneered.

“Speak of the devil,” Mike muttered, and Bella looked up.

A lanky young man and what appeared to be a child at first glance had just entered the mess hall. A closer look told Bella that the girl wasn’t a child but around her age and was just unfortunately short and thin to the extremes. Despite this they looked like a pair of runway models who’d gotten lost on their way to the catwalk and somehow ended up in Forks, Washington instead. Bella couldn’t believe they were still in high school with features like that. Maybe it was the way they dressed, but they appeared years older than the rest of the student population. They walked with the kind of confidence rarely seen in a teenager, and there wasn’t a blemish in sight. They were both deathly pale, and the girl reminded Bella of a pixie; she appeared to float across the room with the graceful steps of a skilled dancer. 

Bella felt a twinge of envy at her coordination. Some people just had it all.

Her companion was just as fetching. He was devastatingly handsome with windswept hair that was the most unusual shade of copper. Heads turned as they walked past but they didn’t seem to care, getting a tray of food and taking a seat in the corner. They slouched elegantly in their chairs and stared in separate directions in stony silence. 

Were these the Cullens? Bella was almost afraid to ask at this point. 

Sound returned to the room, and slowly the students returned to their conversations, shooting the Cullens glances as they put their heads together to whisper and giggle about something; most likely how hot they were.

Jessica sighed before she caught herself and shot Mike a guilty glance. He'd been checking out the pixie Cullen, and Jessica elbowed him in the gut. Mike winced.

“Are they related?” Bella wondered. They didn’t look remotely similar beyond their pale skin and good looks.

“Oh, no,” Jessica answered, eager to dish out their dirty secrets. “Dr. Cullen adopted them, that’s Alice and Edward Cullen, but they have three other siblings who graduated last year. Emmett Cullen, and the Hale twins; Rosalie and Jasper.” Jessica leaned in like she was about to share something scandalous, sending the Cullens an eager look. “They’re all like, together together.”

“Wait, like romantically?” Bella asked.

“It’s really weird,” Jessica nodded and was put out when she saw that Bella didn’t share her disgust.

“Well, you said that they’re not related,” Bella said slowly. Call her a romantic, but she believed that love could be found in the most unexpected places.

“It’s weird,” Jessica asserted before resuming her gossiping. “Alice and Jasper are together, and so are Emmett and Rosalie but Edward is like the only one who’s single,” she said and looked at Edward with a hungry expression. “He’s never shown anyone interest though because apparently, no one is good enough for him.” She blushed and drew back to fold her arms against her chest. Mike glared at Edward Cullen and pulled Jessica to him, which seemed to cheer her up. “Whatever, it’s not like I care.” Her sour expression gave away that she wasn’t as unaffected as she pretended. Bella didn’t know what to say to this. 

She glanced at the Cullens again and met the golden eyes of Alice. Her large doe eyes were alight with some indiscernible emotion, and she whispered something to her brother, not taking her eyes off of Bella. Bella looked down at her plate quickly, embarrassed at having been caught but a quick glance told her that Edward was watching her as well. He didn’t seem to share his sister’s excitement and glared at Bella. Humiliated, she felt like a sideshow freak when they kept staring at her.

“Bella, what class do you have next?” Angela offered Bella an out from the awkward silence.

“I have Spanish,” she said after consulting her schedule. It had been an obvious choice because Bella had taken it in Phoenix, as it is the second most common language spoken in California and Arizona. “What about you?” Bella asked, and Angela reminded her that she had photography with Ben after lunch.

“I’m taking French,” Lauren piped up. She buffed her nails against her blouse without looking up. Jessica appeared to have gotten over her herself and her good mood was restored.

“So am I!” she said brightly. “Mike, you have trig right?” 

“Don’t remind me,” he moaned and looked over at Connor and Tyler. “Do you guys remember anything from last year?”

“Nope.” They didn’t appear to be bothered by the fact and started to pile their trash onto their trays when the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. 

Bella’s map came in handy when she was forced to split up with Angela, who’d been her guide up to this moment. She arrived at the correct classroom in the nick of time. Mrs. Geoff, the Spanish teacher, greeted her enthusiastically and made her stand in front of the class and introduce herself in Spanish. Bella wanted to sink into the floor, but her grasp on Spanish was good enough, and she was able to rattle off some inane facts about herself.

“¡Te felicito! Tu trabajo está muy bien hecho,” the teacher exclaimed and received blank-eyed stares from her students.

“Gracias, señora,” Bella said and quickly went to the only seat available. She nearly swallowed her tongue when she saw Alice Cullen sitting in the chair next to hers. Bella sat down and gave Alice an awkward smile, which she returned trifold, nearly blinding Bella with the beauty of it. Her teeth were straight and a pearly white. Bella had the urge to go and brush her teeth, feeling self-conscious.

“So your name is Bella?” Alice asked, her voice sounding like wind chimes. Bella got lost in her eyes for a moment. Bella had never seen such an unusual eye color; they were a stunning liquid gold. She shook herself out of her daze when she realized Alice was waiting for an answer.

“Sí,” Bella replied jokingly. 

“How wonderful.” Alice’s smile widened impossibly. She seemed oddly thrilled about learning Bella’s name because she laughed with delight at the simple introduction. Even her laugh was beautiful.

Mrs. Geoff spoke in Spanish throughout the class, but Bella had a hard time focusing. Alice was the most beautiful creature she’d ever met, with her pale skin and red. She reminded Bella of a miniature Snow White.

Alice didn’t pay attention to Mrs. Geoff either because she kept asking Bella questions in a low whisper. Bella was a little flattered by it. The rest of the students seemed stunned to see Alice voluntarily talking to another human being outside her own family. Mrs. Geoff didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. 

“What color were you thinking about?” Alice’s question brought Bella back. They’d somehow gotten onto the topic of interior design. Bella had learned that Alice was a fashion enthusiast with a thing for decorations, and had let slip that she was thinking about painting the wall in her room to add a little warmth to it.

“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” Bella admitted.

“Well, I recommend you go to Benjamin Moore in Port Angeles and look at their swatches. Here, let me give you my number in case you need help picking out the right color,” Alice said as the bell rang. She ripped some paper from her notebook and scribbled her mobile number on it and gave it to Bella.

“I don’t have a phone,” Bella said dumbly.

“Oh, that doesn’t matter,” Alice dismissed. “There are plenty of places that sell them.”

“Thanks.” Bella blinked, feeling like she’d been caught in a whirlwind.

“No, problem,” Alice smiled and waved as she headed in the other direction. “I’ll see you around, Bella!”

“See ya,” Bella said weakly. She got caught in the flow of students and walked with them in a slight daze.

Alice was a little overwhelming. It was apparent that she was the type who knew what she wanted and had no issues with getting it. It was an admirable trait, but Bella was a little shell-shocked after taking the brunt of her attention. Yes, Alice was persistent for someone her size but otherwise harmless. Mostly.

Bella soon learned that the same could not be said about her brother.

Biology class started out fine. Mr. Banner, the teacher, handed Bella her book and bade her take a seat without making her introduce herself using the theme of the subject as Mrs. Geoff had done. It would have made an interesting introduction: “Hi, my name is Isabella Swan, but call me Bella. I started out as a zygote inside my mother’s womb and developed into a human through the wonderful process of mitosis and meiosis. I’m also a Virgo.”

The only seat available was next to one Edward Cullen. 

Everything rolled downhill after that.

Bella couldn’t help but stare at him when she walked between the aisles. Edward’s chiseled features belonged in renaissance paintings or on statues of Greek deities, crafted by master sculptors, not in this backwoods high school. Bella had never seen anyone as handsome as him. It was disquieting, and it provoked something indescribable inside her. 

He looked like an angel. 

When she drew near, his nostrils suddenly flared, and his head jerked up. Edward glared at her with monstrous black eyes, his pupil indiscernible from their darkness, and his face contorted like he’d smelled something foul. He went so far as to lean away from Bella as far as his seat allowed him when she sat down next to him.

Her heart gave a painful squeeze of mortification, and she quickly looked down at the tabletop, her hair falling forward to hide her face. She tried to subtly sniff her shirt to see if she stunk and was a little insulted when she smelled nothing out of the ordinary. Sure, Bella didn’t smell like her usual strawberry shampoo, having forgotten to pick it up at the store, but she wasn’t smelly, and her natural musk was too faint for Edward to smell from this distance. Maybe he was sick; he certainly looked like he was in agony. 

She drew a breath and was about to ask him if he needed the nurse when a tantalizing sweet scent wafted towards her, similar to the one his sister bore. Her mind felt fuzzy, and Bella was drawn towards it like a bee to honey, but the look in Edward’s soulless eyes spelled death. It was a spine-chilling experience. 

Bella looked away quickly. She took it back; Edward wasn’t a beautiful angel, not at that moment. He was an archangel, cast out of heaven and turned demonic. He didn’t look human.

Maybe he just has bad gas, she thought to herself, feeling the beginnings of hysteria creeping on her. Twenty minutes dragged past, and Bella kept one eye on the clock and the beast beside her. She hadn’t heard a word of what Mr. Banner was saying, distracted by the murderous intent emanating from Edward. He hadn’t moved, frozen in his odd hunched position. Bella doubted that he was even breathing; his chest wasn’t moving, and his hand was covering his mouth and nose. He certainly wasn’t blinking.

Fear. That was the feeling Edward provoked inside her; a deep primitive fear that urged Bella to either leap out of the window to get away from him or to pick up her pencil and stab it into those unnatural black eyes of his. Bella was not a violent person by nature so the sudden desire to attack a classmate, no matter how creepy, took her by surprise.

What was happening to her? Bella didn’t know, but she knew it had something to do with Edward. She refused to take this anymore; Edward Cullen had no right to affect her like this. Bella stood up and walked to Mr. Banner’s desk for her escape. He looked up at her, and she didn’t have to fake her nervous smile.

“Excuse me, sir. Can I go to the bathroom?” she asked in a low voice.

“Certainly,” Mr. Banner said and handed her a hall pass.

“Thank you,” Bella said and hurried out of the room. One last look at Edward almost sent her running. He was no longer straining back but leaning forwards like a predator readying itself to leap onto its prey. He looked like he wanted to eat her.

Bella settled for a brisk pace down the corridor instead of hightailing out of the school like she wanted to. She was halfway down the hallway when Alice Cullen, of all people, rounded the corner. She was speaking anxiously into her phone, and Bella caught a bit of her end of the conversation when they walked past each other. “-can’t see him, Carlisle. Hi, Bella!” Alice wiggled her fingers at her but didn’t slow down, which suited Bella just fine. She’d had enough of the Cullens today. “No. I’m getting him now.” 

Him? Did she mean Edward? If so, Bella hoped she was taking him to the hospital for a rabies shot. He was clearly feral.

She made it to the bathroom without any hindrance and locked herself in one of the stalls. It offered her a bare minimum of protection, but at least no one could see her. If you can’t see it, it’s not there - it being a black-eyed monster in this case. The irrational thought was exactly what Bella needed to calm down. She stared blankly at the scribbles on the stall door as she wrangled her thundering heart under control. Someone had written in looping cursive about, oddly enough, the militia movements of the Confederate Army in the Civil War. It was signed J. W. at the bottom, and Bella sent a silent thank-you to them for the distraction. 

Five minutes passed faster than she liked and Bella was forced to return to the Biology classroom. She felt like she was heading towards the gallows.

Edward was nowhere in sight, and Bella was faint with relief. She returned her hall pass with shaking hands and returned to her seat. Feeling brave, she vindictively took the chair Edward had occupied. It was silly, but it gave Bella a small measure of comfort; how evil could he be if his presence hadn't left behind a tainted mark.

Bella’s thought hadn’t even finished when she noticed hairline fractures in the wood extending from the place where Edward had gripped the desk. Had he broken the counter? It seemed a bit excessive, but Edward must really not like her. She ran her fingers on the underside of the wood and found finger size groves embedded there. 

Her breath came fast and shallow, and Bella was on the verge of hyperventilating when she caught a flash of copper in her peripheral vision. Her mind had evidently associated the color with Edward, and rightly so, because her head snapped to the side, afraid that he was coming for her again. Alice was frog marching Edward across the car park. It would have been a comical sight, Edward’s lanky height dwarfed Alice’s tiny form, if Bella wasn’t freaking out. Alice led him towards the woods for some reason. Didn’t they have a car?

Then something astonishing happened; Alice pushed her brother forward with unnatural strength and his shape blurred as he took off at a sprint. With the same supernatural speed, Alice followed suit, and they were both gone before Bella had time to blink.

The only thing keeping Bella grounded was the grip she still had on the table, her fingers fitting into the indentations Edward had left behind. 

It was proof that she hadn’t lost her mind.

A/N: I don’t speak Spanish and neither does anyone else in my family so don’t hesitate to correct me if what Mrs. Goff said was incorrect!