Roots - A Rosalie Hale Story

First Day of School Jitters

"Sometimes the worst place you can be, is in your own head"
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After her morning practice, Tatia showers in the girl's locker room. Her curly hair cascades down her shoulders in tight coils as she dresses. Tatia wouldn't normally wash her hair after a morning practice, but today was her wash day and she had extra time to kill before classes started.

After getting ready for her school day Tatia makes her way back to her car, throwing her field hockey equipment in the back. Normally she'd get a coffee or breakfast before school started but she just wasn't feeling it today and she took up most of her time by washing her hair. That shit takes time.

She makes her way into the school and down the halls when she feels a hard tug on her hood. She sported an oversized hoodie and jean shorts today. It was rainy, as it usually was in Forks, and she really hadn't been in the mood to get her hair wetter than it already was. Her eyes squint as she gets ready to glare at the assailant who decided to interrupt her morning when she realizes it was one of her teammates.

Scarlett Sawyer stood in front of the girl, her dark red lips grinning ear to ear as she pulled the girl into her side, continuing down the halls. Scarlett was one of Tatia's only real friends. While they weren't close, they both considered each-other good friends.

"What's with the downward smile Tat?"

"It's 8 am Scar."

"Yes yes but perk up, it's the first day of school. New beginnings." Scarlett's pin-straight hair bounced gently as she kissed the girl's cheek before separating and moving in the opposite direction. "See ya later, Tatia"

Tatia let out a laugh, wiping off the dark red stain that rested just under her cheek bone. The bell let out a high pitched shrill just before she made it to her first period, signifying her late status.

Her brown eyes scanned the room, looking for an open seat. Edward Cullen sat in the back corner, alone, as he usually did. Tatia quite liked the Cullen boy and the feeling being mutual, she made her way to the open seat beside him.

The two first met last year after being lab partners in all of physics and she was ecstatic about them getting to once again do the same.

"Nice to see you again, Eddie" she smiled, taking the seat beside the broody-looking boy. He perked up realizing she was talking to him. "You too Tatia." The two didn't exchange any more words as the class progressed and introductions were made.

Tatia's mind wandered, glancing out the window to her left. She was dreading going home to her mother after just last night she was berating the girl about her not so 'reputation friendly' eating habits and it was still weighing down her mood.

She knew she was leading herself into a dark corner but she didn't care, well she did, but not enough to be able to stop herself. It was too late for that. She noticed the differences. Fatigued all the time, dizzy, and nauseous. You name it, she felt it. It wasn't bad though. She was perfectly fine just the way she was going.

The bell rang and the girl hurried to her next class. Late again. Coincidentally, the only open seat was next to Rosalie Cullen and Tatia definitely didn't feel the same for the girl as she did Edward.

Rosalie Cullen had proven to greatly dislike Tatia, avoiding her at all costs. The two had talked at most three times in all the years they'd lived in the same town and Rosalie wanted to keep it that way. It upset her that the girl was even friends with her brother, drawing her further into the supernatural world, whether she knew it or not. Of course, the girl intrigued Rosalie, but that was from a distance. She never got close enough to maintain any type of relationship.

Tatia rolled her eyes as she made her way over to the ice queen' of the Cullen clan. Rosalie gently moved her bag from the seat when she noticed the curly-headed girl moving closer to her but didn't spare her so much as a glance. She had gained a reputation around Forks High School. Rosalie was the ice queen, quite a dumb nickname in the grand scheme of things, but deep down Rosalie loved it. She thrives on being an arm's length a way from everyone, sometimes including her own family.

"Hi, how was your Summer?" Rosalie grew curious as to why the girl was speaking to her and she couldn't stop herself from responding.

"It was okay." Tatia stilled, waiting for Rosalie to ask her how her Summer had been. 'I mean, it's only polite, right?' She thought. When it finally dawned on the girl that Rosalie would in fact not respond, Rosalie surprised her. "How was yours?"

The two girls talked for a few more minutes, having surface-level conversations while they waited for their teacher to begin. It was an odd sight to anyone around them. Rosalie Hale talking to anyone, let alone Tatia Chase. By lunchtime the next day, everyone would be talking.