The morning started earlier than usual. I slipped into one of Rob's carefully curated outfits a cream blouse tucked into tailored high-waist trousers, paired with a chic coat and boots that looked way too fashionable for Forks High. My hair fell glossy around my shoulders, and I added just enough jewelry to say, effortless without looking like I was auditioning for a fashion magazine. Rob might have been over-the-top with his perks, but I wasn't complaining.
Downstairs, the smell of toast and eggs filled the kitchen, cozy and golden in the morning light. I had the frying pan in one hand and the spatula in the other, moving like some kind of half-decent domestic goddess when the sound of soft footsteps made me pause.
To my shock, Bella shuffled in early. Not zombie-Bella-early, where she's technically awake but moving like she's been resurrected from the grave. No. This was actually awake early.
She stood in the doorway blinking, hair sticking out in about six different directions like she'd wrestled with a pillow and lost. But her expression carried something I'd never seen in her at this hour: determination.
"Need help?" she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes.
I almost dropped the pan. "Who are you and what have you done with Bella?"
She gave me a flat look that screamed don't test me before coffee, but instead of retreating to the safety of her bed like usual, she walked over, snatched a plate from the cabinet, and started setting the table.
"This is weird," I said, handing her a fork like I was handing her evidence. "You know that, right?"
"Shut up," she muttered, yawning so wide I thought her jaw might pop.
By the time Charlie came downstairs, the kitchen looked like something straight out of a family sitcom me at the stove flipping toast onto plates, Bella pretending she wasn't seconds away from face-planting in her orange juice, and the table already set neatly.
Charlie froze in the doorway, mug in hand, blinking like he'd walked into an alternate reality. "...Who are you people?"
"Goddesses ," I said proudly, sliding a plate in front of him. "We're evolving."
Bella rolled her eyes, stabbing her eggs like they'd personally wronged her. "Don't encourage her."
Charlie, however, looked like he was one good morning away from getting misty-eyed. He sat down slowly, eyes scanning the table like he was committing it to memory.
For a second, it almost looked… normal. Like we were a perfect, balanced little family. Almost. Because then Bella yawned so loudly the salt shaker rattled, and I managed to drop the spatula onto the floor with a clatter.
Perfect? No. But sitcom-level? Absolutely
Now, parked at school, Bella's old truck chugged to a stop beside my Audi A4, coughing and wheezing like it had smoked a pack of cigarettes on the way over. Honestly, the poor thing sounded like it had given up on life somewhere back at the last stop sign and was only moving out of sheer spite.
I slid out of my car with a crisp click as the locks engaged, smooth and effortless, like something from a luxury commercial. Beside me, Bella had to wrestle her truck door open and then slam it shut so hard the entire parking lot probably felt the tremor.
I winced. "Careful, Bella. That poor door's holding on with duct tape and prayer."
She shot me a look, hugging her jacket around her. "It's fine."
"Fine?" I whispered dramatically, patting my Audi's roof. "That thing's one emotional breakdown away from becoming a museum exhibit."
Bella ignored me, trudging toward the school entrance, but I swore half the student body turned their heads when my car gave its delicate beep-beep lock confirmation. Meanwhile, Bella's truck gave off the vibe of an old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn.
We walked side by side, my heels clicking, her sneakers squeaking faintly. A contrast so sharp it could've been a before-and-after ad
We walked side by side toward the building, Bella's eyes inevitably drifting toward the Cullens, who were gathered near their shiny Volvo like they were auditioning for the cover of Brooding Teen Vampire Monthly. Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice all perfect, all impossibly poised. Except Edward, who was… conspicuously absent.
I couldn't help but think they looked a little… creepy. Standing there like statues, all eerily still. And the clothes seriously, four people practically in the same color palette. I know matching outfits for couples are apparently a "thing" in distant future, but here? And was it ever group thing? Here It just screamed coordinated creepiness.
"He didn't come," Bella murmured, frowning as if the world had personally wronged her.
I slung my bag over my shoulder, pretending to consider the situation seriously. "Maybe he had diarrhea yesterday," I said lightly. "Or, I don't know… fainted from the trauma of existing. Honestly, probably weak from the sheer tragedy of being Edward Cullen."
Bella froze mid-step. "Amara!"
Too late. The universe had decided to punctuate my joke with Emmett's signature booming laugh, rolling across the parking lot like a cannonball. Half the school turned, craning their necks to see what the commotion was. Jasper, ever the picture of restrained misery, bit down on a smile he clearly didn't want to admit to. And ofcourse the ever excited Alice was waving at me like she'd just spotted a unicorn in gym shorts.
I sighed, raising a hand in a casual wave. Yeah, they totally heard me. And yes, I had probably embarrassed Bella to a level not even high school drama could recover from. But honestly who cares?
Bella groaned and buried her face in her scarf, muttering something about me being "unbelievable."
"Thank you," I said sweetly, completely ignoring the murder glare she shot me.
The warmth of the school enveloped us like a slightly-too-dry blanket, and right on cue, Mike Newton appeared from seemingly nowhere, practically vibrating with eagerness.
"Hey, Bella! Hey, Amara!" His grin stretched like he was auditioning for Most Likely to Be Easily Flustered. "So, uh, how's your second day going? Need help with classes? Maybe a tour? Lunch plans? Free tutoring must be hard new school right? Math? Biology? Geometry? Frisbee?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, suppressing a groan that would've been audible for miles. "Already know where they are," I said, patting his arm with exaggerated politeness before he could dig a hole too deep to escape. "But points for enthusiasm. A+ for effort."
Mike's smile faltered, like I had just solved a Rubik's cube blindfolded in front of him, but he tried again. "Well, if you, you know, ever want someone to go out with somewhere...."
"Flirt less, talk more?" I cut him off, walking past him with Bella in tow, my heels clicking like a warning bell for disaster.
Bella's look was priceless equal parts horrified, amused, and embarrassed and I could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. I stifled a laugh all the way to our classroom, imagining the stories Mike would tell his friends later about the snarky girl who just demolished his confidence like a pro wrestler with a vendetta.
And yes… I would probably tease Bella about this later. Maybe all week.
After dodging Mike's flustered attempts at conversation, Bella and I slipped into our classroom. Unlike her, I actually had classes separate from hers thank goodness. I sank into a seat near the window, letting the morning light hit my face while still keeping an eye on the usual chaos of teenagers pretending to learn.
Angela plopped down beside me with a cheerful grin, waving her hand like she'd just discovered a new best friend. "Hey! Finally sitting next to you. How's it going?"
I smiled. "Pretty good. Survived the parking lot and am still mostly sane. You?"
She laughed, twirling her pen like it was a magic wand. "Oh, same. And don't worry, everyone's watching you like some kind of… glamorous endangered species. I get it."
Jessica leaned over from the other side, eyes wide but friendly. "Yeah… you really know how to make an entrance. Totally unfair."
I smirked, leaning back in my chair. "Well, thanks for the support. I'd say high school is way too dramatic, but I guess that's the point."
As the conversation continued, I casually checked my phone a habit I hadn't quite lost from my previous life. My contact list was slowly expanding. It wasn't just Charlie's number anymore. Now it included Bella, Angela, Jessica… even Jacob. Huh. That was a little unexpected. But hey, growth happens.
The bell rang, and I tucked my phone away, ready to focus on the lesson ahead. Not that high school classes posed much of a challenge anymore I'd already finished high school and even some college coursework. So yes, this was easy, but the gossip, the drama, and the vampire-tinged awkwardness? That was going to keep things interesting.
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