The hallway smelled faintly of pencil shavings, wet shoes, and disinfectant charming, really. Bella and I had barely taken ten steps inside when a wiry guy with spiky hair and a notebook tucked under his arm appeared in front of us like he'd been lying in wait.
Eric York or something. I blinked. Oh, right. I forgot about this scene.
"You're Isabella and Amara Swan, the new girls," he announced dramatically, puffing his chest out like someone had queued a fanfare. He gave Bella a quick grin, then his eyes landed on me. His jaw actually slackened for a beat before he scrambled to recover.
"Uh ....and you must be… wow. Just… wow. You're literally the most beautiful person I've ever seen in this school. Probably in this whole state. Maybe ever."
I arched an eyebrow, amused. Smooth wasn't exactly his brand, but at least he was earnest.
Bella shifted awkwardly. "Uh… I'm Bella. Hi."
Eric snapped his attention back to her, tripping over his own words. "Right! Right, Bella uh, Eric the eyes and ears of this place. Anything you need? Tour guide? Lunch date? Shoulder to cry on?"
Bella blinked at him, mumbling, "I'm really kind of the more 'suffer in silence' type."
"Good headline for your feature," Eric shot back instantly, then flashed a grin. "I'm on the paper, and you guys are news, baby front page."
Bella's eyes widened. "No, I'm not. You… please don't have any sort of "
"Whoa, chillax. No feature."
Bella sighed, muttering, "Okay, thanks."
Eric waggled his eyebrows. "Cool?"
"Cool," Bella said, half-resigned.
I had been leaning against the lockers, watching the whole exchange like a sitcom rerun. When his gaze drifted back toward me, hopeful, I decided to throw him a bone.
"You've got confidence, Eric. Points for that. But don't sprain anything trying to impress us we just got here."
He laughed nervously, pushing his glasses up. "Noted. But, seriously… if you ever want a feature, I'd headline it with, like… goddess enters Forks High."
I just smiled, slipping my arm through Bella's to pull her along. "Save the ink for someone else, headline boy."
We moved down the hall together, students' gazes still following us. Bella looked like she wanted to disappear into the floor, while I'd already perfected the art of brushing it off.
The bell rang overhead, sharp and urgent, scattering people into classrooms like startled birds. Bella and I compared schedules almost the same classes, except for a few differences.
Her shoulders slumped a little, nerves plain on her face. Me? I wasn't fazed. The lessons were a joke. High school chemistry? Easy. English lit? Please. I'd already walked across a college graduation stage in another life; this was child's play.
Still, I followed Bella into our first class, sliding into the seat beside her. If Forks High wanted a show, I could give them one.
By the time lunch rolled around, Bella and I had split for different classes. She slipped into English while I took an Hard elective Algebra, which felt more like torture hour than an actual lesson.
When I finally walked toward the cafeteria, balancing my tray, I heard it before I saw it:
"Amara!" Bella's voice cut across the room like a bell. "Here..I saved you a seat!"
Every single head turned toward me. Forks High froze. Forks High stared.
I muttered under my breath, "Thanks a lot, Bella."
Still, I didn't rush. If I was already on display, I might as well take my sweet time. I grabbed a sandwich, an apple, and a drink before weaving through the tables.
Eric perked up immediately when I got closer. "Come on, sit with us! We saved you a seat."
Mike, sitting beside him, puffed out his chest. "Yeah, right here next to me." His grin was so wide it looked like it might split his face in two.
Angela smiled warmly, a little shy but genuine. "Hi, Amara. It's nice to finally meet you properly."
Jessica's smile was sharp-edged, all teeth. "Wow… you made quite an entrance this morning." She was trying not to sound jealous, but her eyes gave her away.
Sliding into the seat Bella had practically screamed across the room for, I smirked. "Subtle, Bella. Real subtle."
She ducked her head, mumbling, "Sorry… I shouldn't have shouted."
I waved it off, stealing a fry from her tray. "No big deal. If I die of embarrassment, it's on you, though."
Bella giggled, looking relieved.
Angela, studying me with open curiosity, suddenly blurted out, "You're actually… more beautiful than Rosalie Hale."
I sat in silence. My fork paused midair.
Of course I am, I thought dryly. Rob just has to crank the drama dial all the way up. Out loud, I only gave a soft laugh. "Well, thanks, I guess. That's… something. By the way who is Rosalie hale ?"
Mike started to leaned forward, eager. "So, Amara, you play any sports? Volleyball? We could use someone with your, uh, height. And… balance. Not that I was watching you walk or anything "
Eric snorted. "Dude, you sound creepy."
Angela shook her head fondly. Jessica's smile tightened another notch.
And then like the cafeteria had its own cue the doors opened.
In walked the Cullens.
Heads turned again, but this time not for me. The air itself seemed to shift, like they carried their own gravity.
Jessica leaned across the table, ready for her performance. "That's Emmett Cullen And Rosalie Hale, obviously. The blonde guy is Jasper, and the tiny one is Alice." She gave me a look like she was narrating a TV show.
"And that is Edward Cullen".
Jessica leaned forward, lowering her voice like this was classified intel. "That's Dr. Cullen's family. Him and his wife, they foster all five of them Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper. They all live together."
Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "Dr. Cullen also has a brother, but he doesn't live here or something people don't know him." She shrugged like that was the least interesting part.
I raised a brow. "A brother?"
Jessica nodded eagerly, clearly enjoying the attention. "Yeah. No one really knows much about him people say he doesn't work at the hospital like Dr. Cullen, but he's still part of the family. Guess he's into stocks or some business-y thing." She waved her hand like that explained everything.
My brows shot up. Stocks? Sure. Wall Street vampire edition, apparently.
I leaned back, raising a brow. Of course. One more mysterious, perfectly sculpted immortal thrown into the Forks collection. Rob really had to up the drama seven wasn't enough, so let's just add a bonus Cullen.
Angela gave a small smile. "I think it's nice, though. They all stick together. It's… kind of sweet."
"Sweet," I muttered under my breath, smirking. "Yeah. That's one word for it."
Bella's eyes, meanwhile, were glued to Edward. She couldn't look away, and it was painfully obvious.
Jessica smirked. "Edward's… pretty much the most unattainable guy here. Trust me, people have tried."
Bella flushed, quickly ducking her gaze as Edward glanced our way.
I watched the whole thing unfold, trying not to laugh. Great. Cue the epic, brooding love story. Should've brought popcorn.
Bella's tray clattered softly as she lean forward to eat, but her eyes weren't on the food. No her gaze had drifted across the cafeteria, straight to the table in the corner.
I know her line of sight and who she is staring at, yep, there he was. Edward Cullen, all broody and sharp like a walking cologne commercial. His amber eyes were fixed so hard on Bella that I half expected her to combust under the intensity.
I leaned closer and whispered, "You're drooling."
Bella blinked, face going scarlet. "I am not!" she hissed, immediately biting her lip like that would hide her embarrassment.
"Oh, come on," I teased, grinning wickedly. "He's not even that good-looking. Too much brooding, not enough smiling. I'd rate him a solid… six and a half on a good hair day."
Bella nearly choked on her juice, mumbling, "I wasn't staring."
"Mm-hm." I arched an eyebrow, leaning back in my chair with mock innocence. "Sure you weren't."
Curiosity tugged at me, so I let my gaze wander over to the so-called perfect family. And wow, were they all looking back.
Rosalie's glare could've cracked glass...pure fury, like she was seconds from launching a fork at me. Emmett, on the other hand, had this massive grin on his face, like he was already entertained by the new show in town. Jasper… poor Jasper looked like someone had forced him into a tax seminar, all stiff and constipated.
And then there was Alice. Sweet, excitable Alice. The moment our eyes met, she lit up like she'd spotted a long-lost best friend, giving me an enthusiastic little wave.
I blinked, then gave the smallest, most awkward wave back, muttering under my breath, "Great. She's energetic. Just what I needed."
Turning to Bella, I jabbed her side lightly. "You should try being that energetic sometime. Might help with the whole brooding, lip-biting aesthetic you've got going on."
Bella groaned, making a face, and ducked her head down. "You're impossible."
"True," I said cheerfully, grabbing another fry into my mouth as if this was the most normal lunch ever when in reality, half the cafeteria was buzzing and the other half was still sneaking looks at us.
From the corner table, Rosalie's glare sharpened, Emmett chuckled under his breath, Jasper clenched his jaw like he was in pain, and Alice… Alice just kept smiling in excitement and looking at me like we were already best friends.
And Edward? Edward didn't budge. He kept his eyes locked on Bella, unblinking, like she was the only person in the room.
I leaned back in my seat, smirk tugging at my lips. This all so awkward and interesting at same time.
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