Roots - A Rosalie Hale Story

Lunch Festivities

"If it's out of your own hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too" - Ivan Nuru
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"So..." Scarlett began, taking a seat at Tatia's empty table. "I've been hearing ur name a lot today, anything you'd like to indulge me on?"

Tatia knew where this was going and she didn't like it one bit. "Hmm no not that I can think of?"

"I heard something about you and Rosalie Hale mingling!" Scarlett exclaimed, excited for her younger friend. Scarlett secretly thought the two would be a perfect couple but she'd never tell her friend that to her face. Plus, as far as she knew, Rosalie was straight and her friend's old crush on the Cullen wasn't going to resurface anytime soon. Tatia stared at her friend before letting out a giggle at the dumb look on her face. "Yes and that was all, Scarlett, it's not like it's some big secret."

"Hmmm okay... whatever you say." And with that Scarlett was gone, probably off to harass some other one of her friends.

Tatia's eyes moved around the lunch room as she found her old group of friends. She missed them and it hurt her that they had been so shitty, but there was nothing she could do but get over it. The problem was, she found that hard to do. Cora sat at the far end of the circular table, laughing as she twisted her curly red hair delicately around her finger. Isaac sat next to her, laughing along. Evie stared down at her book, engrossed in whatever new plot she had discovered and Anthony was between Cora and Evie, digging into the gross school lunch. Tatia watched as Isaac grabbed Cora's hand, whispering in her ear before they continued to pass the message on. All 8 eyes turned to her, catching her staring. She quickly turned away, embarrassed.

To further her embarrassment more, Tatia allowed her eyes to roam once more as they found the Cullet's table. The odd thing was, a girl was missing. The pixie-haired girl, Alice she believed, was not sitting, but instead making her way over to Tatia's table. All of the Cullens watched in shock as Alice walked right up to Tatia, smiling as she sat down.

"Hello, I'm Alice!" Alice beamed at Tatia, wanting to make a good first impression, of course.

"Uh hey? I'm Tatia." "Well, that's a pretty name!" Tatia's cheeks turned red, she didn't understand why the girl was talking to her. "Uh, Thanks?"

Alice's eyes ran over the girl, seemingly judging her, but the pixie-like girl knew something Tatia didn't know just yet, and she couldn't wait for it to unveil. "I just wanted to see if you'd like to join my family and me for lunch"

Tatia genuinely thought about it for a moment before she took one more look over at the Cullens. They all wore smiles on their faces as they made eye contact with her and turned back to their conversations. All except for Rosalie, whose face showed horror before she pushed herself from the table, rushing from the lunch room.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea..." Tatia let her lips fall into a slight frown as those words left her mouth. "I don't think Rosalie would like that very much."

Alice cursed her sister for trying to ruin something before it even began. "Oh, she'll get over it. Come on, just for one day?" Tatia nodded, picking up her backpack and following Alice to the table filled with her siblings, minus Rosalie.

Tatia planted herself down beside Edward, widening her eyes at him, trying to show the discomfort she felt so deeply. He mirrored her look, moving to interlock their pinkies, making a silent promise that I'd be fine, before he tapped their thumbs together, locking it in and releasing her pinky. That had become their thing once they started getting closer, whenever the mind reader noticed her discomfort or caught her locked in a bad thought he'd do it, trying to give her the comfort she clearly needed. Tatia obviously didn't know that Edward could read what she was thinking but it comforted her nonetheless. Edward truly was someone trusted, he was her only guy friend at the moment and she was proud to say it.

The rest of lunch went by without a hitch as Tatia grew more comfortable and began joining in on mini conversations with each Cullen. She had wished she hadn't made Rosalie run off as she did, she truly wouldn't have come if Alice hadn't made her. She just didn't want Rosalie to hate her as she already seem to. It reminded her of her old friends and the way they treated her toward the end. It hurt.