nightfall ⋆｡ ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ a twilight story

Departure

We sat in silence for a moment, Edward's eyes never shifting from Isabella. His brow furrowed deeper with confusion.

Emmett broke the silence with a shrug, "maybe she doesn't have any thoughts."

Jasper chuckled, his tension easing, "she'd fit right in with you then, himbo."

Emmett puffed out his chest and struck a pose. "I don't need brainpower when I look this good." He flexed his biceps, winking at Rosalie.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smirk. "Just don't start charging for that show of yours."

The table erupted in laughter, and Emmett gave a dramatic bow, soaking up the attention. Jasper continued to chuckle, nudging Emmett playfully. "Nice to see you're not letting the lack of thoughts bring you down, Emmett."

Their lighthearted banter continued, clearly not concerned by Edward's gift failing to work on the new girl. I smiled as they laughed, but I was too distracted by Edward to really join in. He hadn't moved, his eyes still fixed intently on Isabella and Jessica, and in his mind I could see the slight frustration and confusion that weighed on him. He shifted from one student to another, testing his power. It worked as it always did, and I caught glimpses of the buzzing lives around us. But when his focus returned to Isabella it was just...silence.

Edward, I thought, and he, slightly reluctantly, turned his head to face me. Are you alright? I continued, my eyebrows lifting slightly in concern.

I'm alright. I'm just...a little shocked. This has never happened before, he thought back.

I was about to silently respond, but Rosalie's voice interrupted.

"Shall we?" She said. The bell would ring soon. I nodded and gently squeezed Edward's hand in reassurance before pushing out my chair. Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett were seniors, and so after a brief goodbye, they parted ways to head to the opposite side of the school. Alice, Edward and I, despite us all being frozen at 19, began preparing to head to our Junior classes. I slipped on my coat from the back of my chair, not bothering to do up the buttons, and quickly walked over to one of the over-flowing bins to chuck my uneaten food away.

The rest of my afternoon passed by quickly. The rain outside grew heavier as the sky darkened, its steady rhythm almost lulling me to sleep at one point. I forced myself to focus harder when it was time for English with Mr. Mason, delving into Lady Macbeth's true purpose as a character. I enjoyed it far more than I should have, considering this was my 16th time studying the play. Last time, I'd read Romeo and Juliet. This one was far more interesting—and definitely less depressing.

By the time the final bell rang, I was in a surprisingly good mood. I pulled my thick hood up and stepped out from the dry cover of the mossy brick roof. A light smile lingered on my lips as I waved at a couple of students I knew fairly well. After the initial novelty had worn off—an entire year later—the people around me treated me almost as one of them. Almost. There was still that faint glimmer of apprehension in their eyes, something subtle and subconscious, as if their instincts warned them I was different. Even so, they returned my smiles and spoke to me from time to time. I wondered if Angela had something to do with that.

Reaching the silver Volvo, I grinned when I saw Emmett gesturing animatedly inside. I quickly opened the sopping door and slid into the toasty warmth, brushing off the drops of rain that had settled on my coat. My black pleated pants were mostly dry despite my jacket ending just below my hip, though my Mary Janes hadn't fared as well in the damp. They were now stuck completely to my socks, damp and uncomfortable, even for me. It was a challenge to dress nice in a town like this.