CHAPTER 3

To be fair, everyone was staring at me. So that wasn't so much a vampire thing, more of a being new in small town Forks kind of thing.

Still, having possible homicidal vampires staring at you when you were meant to go unnoticed to observe was unnerving. I knew it was them, the Cullen's, something innate in me sensed something different about them. 

I could feel my chest heave. Could they sense what I was? Could they smell the werewolf inside of me? Which thankfully was lying dormant . I breathed a small sigh of relief. They didn't trigger an emotional response that had me losing control.

Frankly, I was fascinated. There they were all five of them. I didn't shrink back at their curious gaze, my feet didn't falter beneath me as I got closer.

They didn't seem to notice the students rushing around them or they didn't care. They were focused on me.

Their pale skin didn't stand out as much as I thought it would. I mean, we did live in Forks, Washington where the sun never shined. 

The big, burly one drew my eye, not because of his sheer size, which was alarming but because he was grinning. The students gave the Cullen's a lot of space even going out of their way to walk on the opposite side of the hall from them but especially the big one whose smile got bigger every time they did.

The humans didn't know they were anything different from them and yet they too sensed something off. And the big one found it hilarious.

The blond at his side did not. Gosh she was gorgeous, I almost couldn't look away. How was it possible to look like her, flawless. I swallowed. They were all perfect but she was incredibly so. And she knew it. I could tell by the sneer she was giving me because of her families attention.

Then I saw real, angelic beauty like nothing I had seen before, something bigger than perfection.

Someone that I couldn't believe  was real and this time my feet did falter beneath me. What felt like butterflies took flight in my stomach. My heart raced in time with the flapping of their wings.  I bit my lip embarrassed and confused as the bronzed haired man in question leaned forward almost as if he would catch me if I fell. 

His eyes were electric in color, honey and rich. They were electrifying and dug me deeper. I shuddered inside. The butterfly feeling intensified sending a flush over my skin. Fierce anxiety erupted within me from the foreign feelings and fear as I was trapped in his gaze. Not because of anything he was doing to me but I couldn't look away, I didn't want to and that was the problem.

Some deep emotion was crawling up my throat at our closeness, at the connection, drawing me to him. He seemed just as helpless as I was. And from the narrowing of his brow, just as confused.

With visible effort and strength I didn't know I had thanks to my werewolf gene, I pulled my eyes from his, almost crashing into the lockers in the process and kept my head down as I rushed past.

Not watching where I was going I almost collided with the other two vampires. Instinct brought my head up and it was a mistake. The shorter, black haired vampire seemed to think nothing of my close approach to them, she just smiled winningly at me and gave a little wave.

If I wasn't already overwhelmed I would have laughed but the tensing of her mate beside her dried up any humor I had. He was not smiling, I wouldn't say he was glaring either but his gaze was intense, there was something deep hidden within and it had me retreating to get out of it's path.

Stumbling into the girl's bathroom, I collapsed against the door, as my heart raced and left me cold.

I realized what I was seeing in the blond's eyes as he stared at me, at everyone. It wasn't annoyance or anger. It was hunger.

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The first bell hadn't even rung and I was ready to go home.  But I committed to this and I had to see it through.

The morning had left me off kilter and so had the vampires. I hadn't known what to expect and now that it did, I wasn't even sure what had happened. 

I had a sick feeling in my gut now which was a big difference from the butterflies I had felt earlier around the bronze-haired, angelic one. Just remembering it had me feeling antsy as I tapped my fingers off my desk.

"First day jitters." The girl beside me asked. She wore a friendly smile as she straightened her glasses.

I sighed before smiling back. "Something like that."

She nodded as if she understood. I wish I did. "It gets better." She encouraged. That's what I had told Seth but I wasn't so sure. "I'm Angela by the way."

"I'm Bella."

"I'm Mike." Said the boy sitting in front of me. I hadn't realized people were listening to us but as I looked over at the girl in front of Angela who watched on in annoyance I realized they were.

"You're new here right?" He asked. I wanted to roll my eyes. How did he guess, I thought sarcastically.

"Yeah." I commented.

"I thought so because I would have remembered you." Would it be impolite to gag?

I looked over at Angela who sent me a look that said I had her sympathy.

The girl in front of her sent a look that said she wished I would die. Why was she looking at me so hostile? And how was this only my first class of the morning.

"Do you have anyone to sit with at lunch? You can sit with me and Jessica." He offered gesturing to the girl practically ready to hiss at me.

I got the message loud and clear from her. Mike was hers and I was not welcome.

I cleared my throat turning my attention back to him. "Thanks, but I'm good."

His face fell. "Has someone already asked you? Was it Eric? Tyler?" 

I looked on in confusion not knowing who they were and that seemed to appease Mike that they hadn't in fact asked me.

"What about your next class? What is it? I can show you around." Man, he did not give up. A sentiment I think Angela agreed with from her sigh. 

Feeling flustered I looked to the front of the class only to see the teacher reading a book. He did not care that the whole class was talking instead of working so he wasn't going to be of any help.

Mike still looked hopeful waiting for me to answer. "I have English next."

He beamed. "Me too."

I looked to Angela who was trying to hide her laugh by covering her mouth with her hand.

"Great." I plastered on a fake smile.

"Great." Mike repeated completely serious. He really did think it was great and was totally oblivious to Jessica practically seething beside him.

She looked ready to get up and piss on his leg to mark her territory. Great indeed.

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It was finally time for lunch, thankfully I shared the class before with Angela so we made our way to the cafeteria together. 

The rest of the morning had been uneventful. Mike had walked me to my next class and boy did that catch a lot of attention from the other boys whispering as we passed. Mike looked like the cat who ate the canary.

I was fresh meat and it seemed everyone wanted to claim the new girl in a small town where nothing new ever showed up. Ugh, I hoped Seth was having better luck.

Jessica wasn't in this class and even better Mike wasn't in any of my other ones much to his disappointment. I almost wanted to fist bump.

Angela was quiet as we walked. I liked her. She was nice and comforting.  "I probably should have warned you about Mike but their hadn't been any time." 

I clicked my tongue off my teeth. "It's not your fault." I said.

"He can be intense. Mike is girl crazy."

"Really." I teased. "I hadn't noticed." We both laughed. "I bet Jessica just loves that."

Angela made a face. "She has her days. You should still come sit with us." No would could pay me to sit with Jessica under my own free will. I got enough of her in first period and I did not want another taste. 

"That's okay. I have to find my brother around here somewhere anyways. I'll see you in P.E." We realized in Art class that P.E. was our other class that we shared.

"Okay." She agreed before heading to her table.

I could spot Seth's unruly hair as he looked up. He saw me and started waving me over.

I smiled, I had missed the little brat and felt relief to see that he was okay. Hopefully his day had been better than mine. Not like that would be hard. 

"Hey, bruh." I winked before running my hand through his messy hair trying to tame it. He brushed me off of him with a glare. I grinned.  "How have your classes been?"

He shrugged. "Good for the most part. When I wasn't dodging questions about who I was, or where I was from, or you.." He shook his head. "It was pretty smooth sailing after that. I actually met some cool people." His eyes glanced to the table across the cafeteria to where Angela sat before coming back to meet mine. His cheeks flushed in response.

I frowned. What was that about? Before I could ask, two snickering boys glanced at my brother and I, their eyes lingering longer than what was comfortable and continued walking past us in hushed whispers.

Seth rolled his eyes and got up to get in the lunch line. I stayed seated. I didn't think I could eat anything. That nervous feeling was back as the butterflies in my stomach started taking flight again.

I absently rubbed the back of my neck to release some of the tension. What was causing that?

When I opened my eyes they connected with honey-topaz ones. It was him. The butterflies soared inside me. He was sitting at the back of the cafeteria and his eyes had found mine in the sea of people between us. And mine were connected on his.

My breath stalled and then quickened when I saw him glance behind me and his eyes narrowed.

A chill crawled up my back, before I could turn to see what caused that look, two muscular arms landed on each side of me.

A swarm of jocks in their varsity jackets crowded the table. I gritted my teeth as the one behind me leaned down to whisper in my ear. "What's a pretty girl like you sitting over here all alone for?" 

My jaw clenched. My hands made a fist on the table and I could feel the supports on it starting to strain under the strength of them.

I broke out in a cold sweat trying to calm my raging temper that was rushing to the surface like hot lava. 

I dug my nails into my palm welcoming the bitter bite of pain to give me focus so I wouldn't throw back my elbow into this guy's spleen.

Here I was worried about the vampires setting me off when I should have been worried about the asshole students.

And the Elders were worried about the vampires killing the humans when I was on the verge of doing it myself.

I intentionally scooted my chair back into him to get him to back off. His grunt of pain gave me a sick sense of satisfaction.

My eyes were narrowed into thin slits. "Can I help you with something?" I gritted.

Seth appeared out of nowhere, having left the lunch line when he saw me surrounded. "You okay?" He asked me, his voice strained. The other jocks around the table snickered. 

Whether because they knew  he was no match for them or because they thought I needed my brother for protection. If they only knew.

And if they touched my brother, I'd kill them. I started to really sweat now with the adrenaline fueling my anger. I could feel my skin tighten with the animalistic need to transform . I dug my nails in harder begging for control.

My eyes glanced around me, so many witnesses. This was bad, everyone was watching and I was on the verge of snapping.

All of a sudden my eyes met his again, the vampire, the gorgeous, perfect one. He was standing, his hands were balled up like mine. And his eyes had anger in them but they weren't looking at me. They were glaring into the man still standing behind me that was trying to regain the distance I had separated us with.

But those honey colored eyes were like a lifeline to serenity and just seeing them had my breath rushing out as calm invaded me. Still a little shook with how close I came to catastrophe and shaken that my resolve wouldn't hold, I turned to the douche-bag who was smirking.

He knew he was pissing me off, flustering me. He just didn't know how much. But I could tell this was amusing him from the glint in his eye.

Disgusted and embarrassed by the attention he was causing, I dug my booted foot right on top of his pinky toe nestled in his sneakers. His squeak let me know that I had his full attention and this time the smirk was on my face. "I'm good." I said to Seth while still staring at the douche in front of me who was grunting in pain.

My withering stare did not falter. "He was just leaving." I said digging my heel into his foot harder. His face cringed. "Isn't that right?" I asked him making it very clear as I added more pressure that this would not happen again.

He nodded and limped off with his loser friends behind him, the cafeteria snickered as they went past. I could see Angela's face smile at me before giving me a thumbs up. 

I sighed heavily turning back to my brother who looked both upset and concerned. His lips thinned as he stood beside me now with his hands on his hips. "I don't think I even need to ask how your day has been." He breathed. Good call.

My eyes went back to the vampires table and met his again. My eyes were drawn to him like a magnet seeking him out without permission. And his were centered on mine.

He had sat down now and I began to wonder if he would've intervened had I not handled it myself.

And if he would have, would I had even tried to stop him?

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