Mortality

The Girl from La Push

I stare up at my ceiling, mind blank, quiet music playing in the background. I want to relax, get my work done. But after what I just saw it's impossible. I look out the window again, at my truck just sitting in the driveway. The truck Charlie and I left at the school when Edward brought me home. My loud as a bomb truck.

There is absolutely no way Edward could have gotten it here without me hearing it. Not a single way! That engine can be heard nation wide. I take off my glasses and rub my eye. I have to face the impossible, face his admission.

Edward Cullen isn't human.

As soon as I get to school, people from Bio are making fainting comments. Even a handful of Freshman crack a joke in my direction. Jessica and Angela stand by my side during the class changes, glaring daggers at anyone who even snickers in my direction. That gives me a bit of a boost, and helped me get to Trig.

Then Jessica smiles at me, and I remember that I am trapped with her for half an hour.

"So, what did you and Edward talk about yesterday?" She asks, leaning closer during our free time. I tap my pencil against the paper, trying to figure out the formula used to create the way-too complicated graph in the book.

"Just to talk. We joked, we goofed, we talked about Bio class. Then we parted ways."

"You looked kinda annoyed, though."

"Yeah, he's super annoying sometimes," I click my tongue and turn the page. "But so is everyone at some point."

"Good point. God, this is all so weird. He's attached himself to you since the van incident. Before now he never sat with anyone but his family."

His family who he isn't related to...

"Huh, I wonder why. You could always ask him."

"What? Me talk to Edward Cullen? Why the hell would I do that?" I shrug.

"Beats watching him from the other side of the table. At least then you'd know something about him." She seems a little annoyed at that. With a flip of her dark curls, she suddenly decides her own class work was more important that whispering about Edward with me. I feel a pang of guilt for dodging her questions like bullets, but there isn't much I can say without weirding her out.

Jessica chatters all the way to lunch, mentioning how good the weather is going to be this weekend and how she and Angela were thinking about La Push. But then we enter the cafeteria, and she stops in place.

"Jess, you okay?"

"Look at our table ... tables."

I hesitate, but I look. Eric, Angela, a handful of kids who sit too far away for me to remember their names, Edward, and the other Cullens. Wait ... the other Cullens?!

"There she is! Edward, say hi!" Alice's voice cuts through the mundane chatter of the lunchroom. She's leaned over the table, flicking his forehead repeatedly, much to the amusement of Emmett, who is either taking pictures or videoing it on his phone. I look at the space in front of Alice — none of the Cullens have food. Just massive, black water bottles.

Jessica drags me to get our lunches. By the time I get to my place beside Edward, I think Alice has flicked a dent into his forehead. I glance at his face and have to choke down a snort. God, the amount of anger in his furrowed brows is almost tangible. He tilts his head up and grabs her wrist. Alice, to no one's surprise, giggles.

"Alice, I'm trying to focus here." His eyes narrow for a second and then grow wide, a pink tinge kissing his cheeks. " ... I swear to God, Alice..."