"I hate biology more then I hate getting punched in the face." Raymond muttered these words to Bella as he stopped at the entrance to her next class.

Bella lifted her lips into a half smile, slightly distracted as she looked into the class. "I guess it's a good thing you already have the credit then. See you after school?"

Raymond nodded his head, noticing how Mike was waiting for the file just inside the classroom. The blonde boy had been latched to Bella's side since they'd left the cafeteria and was ecstatic to find out they had Biology together. Raymond motioned with his eyebrows towards him and then looked down to Bella. "Yeah, let me know if you need me to handle something though."

Bella narrowed her eyes, using her small hands to turn him in the other direction where the library was. "I'm doing just fine, I'll see you later Ray."

He got the message, the hallways were thinning with students meaning he was gonna be late if he kept messing with Bella.

Thankfully the library wasn't far off from Bella's classroom, hence why it he'd walked her down the hall to biology. He strolled into the small building just as the bell rang, he whistled lowly finding that there wasn't many people present. Study Hall in New York usually meant the place was crowded with kids getting in their last minute studying down or typing up that paper due next period. Usually Ray would end up sitting outside with his friends while they talked or sometimes even went to get some food, looks like the same applies here.

The librarian, a older women looked up, her curly black hair was cropped short and growing silver but somehow it looked nice. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and gave the boy an impassive look as she pushed a stack of books away. He took this as a signal to move forward so the sound of his timberland bolts was loud against the carpeted floors.

"Raymond Thompson?" The women spoke, stating his name rather then phrasing as her impatient hand signaled for him to give up his schedule. Each teacher needed to sign to indicate they had added him to their roster. She signed quickly, pushing it back and tapping the pen against a clipboard already sitting on the table. "Sign here, every time you come into study hall you must sign here. It isn't necessary hence why no ones here but they want something to show people actually show up. Don't make too much noise, and if you bring food pick up after yourself there's trash cans for a reason."

Ray nodded, folding the paper full of signatures back into his pocket and looking down to the roster.

Rosalie Hale
Jasper Hale

His eyebrows furrowed, finding the blonde adopted siblings in his class intriguing. He could still feel her burning honey eyes when they'd met for the briefest of seconds and even though she seemed slightly daunted the temptation to speak to her was overpowering. She was a year older then him though which complicated the situation but not it seemed like things were working in his favor, even if her sibling was in the same vicinity.

Ray nonetheless signed his name and rounded the bookcase to find that the Hale siblings were both sitting at one of the tables near the aisles of books. They were silent, both keeping their eyes trained on the papers encompassing the table. Jasper barely moved as he read a passage from a textbook and then quickly jotted notes down. Rosalie on the other hand seemed to sense his entrance into the small place as she moved to shuffle her hair, using the opportunity to look his way.

Raymond could only manage a small grin her way, not his usual smirk he'd give a pretty girl but one he genuinely felt. Bella called it his puppy smile, like the one a child gave. Something he felt stupid for doing immediately after considering Rosalie snapped her eyes away in a blink. He cleared his throat, shaking his head and taking a small table by the windows, across the room from the Hale's.

He dropped his black backpack, pulling out a folder full of assignments. It was barely his first day and already his workload was going to be overbearing.

The easiest would most likely be a summary of what he thought Macbeth would consist of, and considering he'd already read the book all he needed was a short reminder. He dropped his backpack, there wasn't many people around and it was likely nobody would try to steal his things so he went off in search of the book.

After asking the librarian where he would find the material he strolled over, humming some old song his mom used too sing to him. There was so many books over Macbeth and so many translations it was hard to decide which one he would give into, especially since he didn't know the one he'd read back in New York.

He plucked one at random, hoping for the best and praying it would pan out, brown eyes looking over the model as he hummed to himself. Suddenly Ray could feel a pair of eyes on him and when his head flashed up he found the culprit, they were a pair or honey eyes— Rosalie Hales to be exact.

He swallowed thickly, finding the hue of her eyes so extraordinary he wanted to gaze into them for eons and in some strange ways he did feel like he'd gazed into them for eons. They felt familiar, like they'd wrestled up a sense of home.

After a brief moment of continuous blinking on his part he managed to wrestle up one single word. "Hi."

She blinked finally, something he couldn't help but notice. Her long eyelashes touched the purple skin bellow her eyes and he couldn't help but admire the abundance of lashes she had. Her hair swayed as she stepped back, almost like his voice had rocked her senses and after another moment she finally answered him back, "you're new."

Ray felt himself nodding after another second, "new to the school not the area. Raymond Thompson."

Rosalie's pupils widened when he smiled her way, dimples deepening for the briefest of moments but long enough for her to fully appreciate them. Her pink lips parted in a way that made Raymond swallow thickly, pulse quickening as an endless array of questions filled his mind with her stare.

"Rosalie, Rosalie Hale." She answered, bell like voice chiming with her answer. Out of all the years she's lived, and men she'd seen in her time it was Raymond Thompson that seemed to strike her interest. Rosalie had always been the center of attention, now it seemed like the tables had turned.

"I know," he was quick to respond. "You're more popular around here then the new kids."

"All good things I hope," a southern drawn accent suddenly interrupted them both, and the human males vision went immediately towards the owner. Jasper Hale was smiling his way, through the open book shelf the blonde male was smiling at him. "Jasper Hale, twin brother."

Raymond looked down, finding that their combined honey state was unforgiving. In the moment he took that downward look both adoptive siblings turned to one another with a flicker of their stare, and although neither could read minds like their copper haired brother they immediately had the same thought.

He didn't smell.

His blood wasn't enticing, his pulse didn't ring in their eardrums like a sirens voice luring them in, no, he was practically dead like them. Had it not been for the clear breath of life head to his movements they would have believe he was one of them. Instead, his smell was like burning embers, like thick cut wood being freshly lit to a flame and the smell of pure warmth striking their nostrils. Jasper was about as relieved as he was cautious, the newest vegetarian vampire finding that whatever this was could only end in two ways for him and his family, and by the looks of his blonde sister it would be a greater impact for her. Despite the immediate reaction to the teenagers lack of smell he could sense their emotions, how instantly attracted and connected Rosalie seemed to be, something he'd only witnessed when falling for Alice.

A part of him was glad, Rosalie had found her other half, someone she could spend her life with, but of course there were complications with falling for a human and he was certain Rosalie was going through them all in his head. He wanted to relax her, to calm the nerves of Raymond as well and help the process along (mostly because Alice would have begged him too if she was present) but he also owed Rose the decency to fall in love the old fashioned way.

Raymond's eyes finally came back up, pupils blown out when his gaze first fell onto the blonde sister. He could see the similarities, curled golden ringlets, pale skin, and honey colored eyes, they were like the perfect Ken and Barbie. Although these were the only one he could immediately tell. Raymond guessed Jasper was being an overprotective brother, watching over for his any suitors that tempted his sister.

"The best," he finally to answer Jasper, turning his gaze back to the male.

Jasper nodded, finding Macbeth in his hands, "World Literature with Mercury?"

Raymond looked down to the book in his hands, completely forgetting the original reason he'd even been standing up. The thick textbook was covered in his sweaty palms and for the briefest of moments he realized Rosalie Hale had made him quite nervous, which was unusual for him. He wasn't one to get scared of talking to women, he was naturally a talker but with one look of those golden shaped eyes trapped within a thick band of eyelashes and he'd begun to question every word he spoke, Rosalie had done that to him.

"Yeah," he chuckled after a clueless second. "She's not very fun is she?"

Jasper chuckled, reflecting on the old women who had scowled at them the entirety of last school year. "No, she's all work and no play. I tried to reason with her on a paper she'd given me a B on, almost got my ear yelled off with all the allegations she threw at me."

Raymond winced, "well considering I'm an absolute idiot when it comes to writing I suppose it's gonna be hell for me. Thanks for the heads up."

"Anytime," Jasper chuckled, nudging his sister that it was probably time they went back to their seats. "Well—"

"I could help you," she cut her adoptive brother off, "I took her too, got a better score then Jasper ever did. I could even let you look at some of my old essays, just as long as your promise not to copy."

Raymond mouth went dry at the tempting offer, imagining spending actual time with the blonde. He'd never wanted anything more, she was like a shiny diamond and he was the jewel their hoping for the right opportunity but he had a feeling this diamond was much more then he could imagine. Girls like Rosalie weren't to steal, they were to treasure and cautiously admire.

Still he found himself smiling, "I'd like that very much."

Rosalie finally smiled at him, a grin so full of life Raymond felt a whole marching band start to stomp in his stomach. He wasn't known for his lucky guesses but he had a premonition that this very smile could make him damn his soul for eternity if she asked.

And in a sense she did.

|•|•|•|•|

Raymond was buzzing with energy after study hall, partly because school was over and he was gonna get to eat dinner with Bella and his dad's but also because Rosalie had agreed to tutor him. She felt different to the other girls he'd dated or even liked back in New York, she made him feel real emotions. It was like she struck a nerve with one look, something only Bella had managed to hit after his mothers death.

He walked in the direction of her biology class, having nodded goodbye to the Hale siblings as he anticipated the following days study session with the sister. Raymond was almost knocked down by Edward Cullen who had sped out of the room in a furious state, the former dodging the pale boys body in the nick of time.

With a raised brow he watched as his retreating figure practically sped out of the hall before most of the kids had gotten out. With a raised brow he turned back, finding that the rest of the biology class was just beginning to exit and Bella had seemed to straggle behind, a checked look in her eyes.

Raymond whistled lowly at her, "Bells, you good?"

She blinked a few times, finally looking up at him. "I—uhh... yeah."

She was lying to him, he could hear and see it. With a scoff and eye roll he spun on his heel to follow after her. "What happened?"

"I... don't know," she truthfully stated. "Edward—"

"Cullen?" He questioned, seeming to have already guess the answer to his own question.

Bella nodded her head, tightening her hold on the biology book over her chest. "He was really weird the entire time in class, Mr. Molina said us next to each other and the entire time it was like I smelled bad or something to him. He wouldn't look at me, was practically falling out of his chair to get away from push, pushed the lab sample like I was contagious or something, and I swear he wasn't breathing Ray. I mean, do I smell bad or something?"

Ray's brows furrowed, thinking back to his own experience with the Cullen children and finding it drastically different. Although he wanted to defend the guy for a smalls second he stopped himself when Bella's hurt expression only seemed to grow the longer she spoke. He'd never seen her this beat up, Bella hadn't ever been like this before.

Ray wrapped an arm around her shoulder, nudging her gently to him. Her petite stature allowed for him to place his nose to the top of her head, brown ringlets of hair pushing in as he sucked in her scent. Her strawberry shampoo that filled their joint bathroom faintly infiltrated his sinuses but other then that he found no wrong stench, with a shake of his head he pulled back. "No, ill kick his ass if you want though Bells, nobody hurts my girl and gets away with it."

That seemed to snap her out of it, scoffing and pushing his embrace away. Her cheeks tinted and although the humor didn't erase the tint of sadness in her eyes still managed to conjure up a witty response, "you better quit calling me your girl, people are really gonna think we're dating."

They started walking through the halls of Forks, choosing to walk towards the office building instead of driving their car around like they'd done in the morning. The rain had stilled for a moment and the air smelled like wet dirt, something Raymond loved to breathe in much to Bella's dismay, although she put up to it her entire life.

When they reached the double doors both were greeted with a rather I tense conversation happening between the receptionist and none other then Edward Cullen.

"There must be something open sixth period. Physics? Biochem?" His shoulders were practically hunched over the table separating him from the middle aged women staring worryingly at him. He'd been in the building a handful of times with his siblings and they'd all had perfect manners, smiles so enchanting she would never forget how perfect they all were. From the moment Edward, the bronze haired silent one, had come back into her office this afternoon she could feel the irritation in his stance. Every word that left his lips in quick spits, and even the exhales of breath that escaped him caused fear to run through her bones, she never knew anyone so beautiful could be so monstrous.

"No, every class is full afraid you'll have to stay in biology. I'm so sorry." Her response was quick, sensing that needed answers rapidly. The receptionist almost didn't hear the two new children come in, but her eyes strayed away from the smoldering look the 17 year old boy was giving her to find two sets of eyes staring. She pressed her lips together, signaling with a nod that she would be with them in a few moments and then returned back to the Cullen boy.

Bella and Raymond had heard the last few words, both putting together the short sentences and stitching them to the previous situation. For Ray, it was like a punch to his gut, Bella was more then his stepsister, she was his sister. They were polar opposites which meant he knew she would stay calm just like she knew he was blowing up inside, and almost instantaneously he wanted to strike back at any cost, especially when he blinked her way. Bella was shaking next to Raymond, tears threatening to escape her eyes, she'd never felt such despise from anyone in her life, much less a person she had never spoken too.

Edward noticed after the receptionist, sensing the tantalizing smell of Bella's scent invade his nostril and send a burning flare through his throat. His teeth itched to bite into her like an apple, and every sense in his being wanted to be corrupted by this female.

In a snap he had turned from the table, speed walking as fast as possible out of the office and into the cold air. "I'll just... endure it."

Bella cowered into the wall, pulling her textbooks to her chest as if to duck behind them. Raymond felt her body take an inch back, and he snapped, all the blood pumping in his veins boiled until finally his fists tightened and he turned on his heel.

"Raymond don't—" Bella attempted to stop him, fingers clutching at air as he was already outside.

She stumbled a bit, dropping her textbook and following at a slower pace.

Raymond was out of the door before he could even clearly think out his next few actions. Edward was tall, about his same stature and he could see the male possibly worked out by the clear definition in his torso but that did not stop his pursuit.

His anger was so high that even finding the rest of the Cullen siblings impatiently waiting for their brother did not deter him from snatching the bronze haired males bicep and turning him around. "What the hell is your problem!"

"Raymond, don't do this." Bella finally caught up, ignoring the rest of Edwards families stare at her and her step sibling. She was embarrassed yes, but mostly she did not want Raymond to relapse. He had been known to street fight and even fight on school property way back when, but he'd grown out of it and learned to handle his temper, now it seemed like that had all gone to hell.

"Let me go," Edward's eyes fell upon the female brunette as he spoke, teeth gritting as he restrained himself. He didn't want to hurt either of them, but now it seemed he would have no other option. Emmett and Jasper seemed to be ready to intervene at a moments notice however.

"No, answer my question." Raymond shot back, voice deep as he squeezed his fist being clutched by Bella. He just wanted to talk to the asshole, at least that's what he continued to tell himself although it was getting harder to repeat that mantra, so instead he concentrated on the idea that Bella would get injured if he tried pulling his hand away from her. Still, none of this stopped him from wanting answer. "What the hell is your problem with Bella, asshole."

Edward decided that enough was enough, he was going to end this and when he went to pull his arm out of its hold he found the exercise useless, he couldn't move. His gaze remained the same, although his thoughts raced forward and instantly went to rummage through Raymond's head only to come up empty much like Bella's.

When Edward seemed not willing to answer and Ray felt like he would punch him repeatedly if he continue to even look in his direction he decided to go the old fashion route. He tightened his hold, ignoring the cold touch and said through gritted teeth, "do her one better and stay the hell away from her. If you come near my sister again I promise I won't be this nice."

With that he let go, allowing Bella to pull him back inside where the receptionist had been watching through the windows.

Edward's arm dropped, a slight burning of his skin melding back together because of Raymond parting gift. He was in total shock, complete disarray at the last few moments, finding himself at a loss for words.

"Edward, why didn't you pull away," Emmett questioned, knitting his brows together as he verbally stated what all the Cullen siblings were thinking.

Edward was so baffled he only managed to say two words, "I couldn't."

|•|•|•|•|

Raymond and Rosalie's story will loosely be based on Hades and Persephone (as you may have guessed by much of the beginning). At times it may seem like the roles are reversed or Raymond embodies both gods and that is exactly how I planned it. I've always been fascinated by this story and it's my favorite tale plus Persephone being a total badass "destroyer of worlds" despite her angelic, loving appearance is right up both Raymond and Rosalie's alley.