Bella

"I'M SORRY," I BLINKED, PAUSING WHAT I WAS DOING at the stove, the wooden spoon in my hand hovering over the boiling pot of macaroni noodles. "What did you say?"

My father chuckled from his place at the small kitchen table; his coat and gun belt off and hanging up from the long day. He scratched at his clean-shaven chin, not meeting my eyes for a moment; and then he adjusted himself forward, leaning his elbows on the table.

"Bella's coming to live with us."

Bella's...coming to Forks?

Forks, the one place she vowed to never set foot in again? That Forks? The town she was forced to visit each summer until she was fourteen, that Forks? The town under a near constant cover of clouds and rain, that Forks?

"Are - are you sure?" I ask, bewildered.

"I'm plenty sure, Faye," Dad looked at me. "Seems Renee and Phil are going to be traveling for his baseball career. Bella is coming to live with us for a while."

"Oh." In the midst of my mystification, I returned to the boiling pot of noodles. My fingers grasped the stove knobs, and the pot's handle, moving it to the back burner. Voltage-like tingles rippled through my limbs as I moved toward the table and plopped in the chair across from Dad.

My sister's face flashed through my mind, given that it was her fourteen-year-old face. It seemed too surreal, too good to be true. She hated the cold. She hated every wet and slippery thing about Forks. She'd rather be in the safe heat of Phoenix. Our parents Charlie and Renee would have us bounce between Forks and Phoenix for the longest time, visiting each other as the court order said to. By the time I was eleven, I had already decided I wanted to live with my dad; Bella wanted to be with our mother. The whole ordeal ended with Bella and I putting our foot down.

"Wow," I felt breathless. "This is a lot to take in."

"Not really," Dad chuckled lightly and reached over the table to grab my hand and squeeze it. "It'll be okay, Faye."

"Don't make promises," I warned, but squeeze his larger hand back. "When does she get here?"

"Tomorrow. I'll pick her up while you're in school. You'll be home by the time we get back."

"Great." I grumbled.

That was too soon, I thought. Why hadn't he told me sooner? Was he afraid I'd set traps around the house or change the locks?

"And I already made arrangements for her at the school."

"But it's almost March," I argued. "Like, we're in the middle of the semester!"

He nodded awkwardly. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

I wanted to argue with him, tell him it was unreasonable, but fighting about it wouldn't change anything, nor would I get anywhere with my debate. He's as stubborn as I am, possibly more stubborn. So instead of being the stubborn goblin, I silently agreed with him and returned to the macaroni cooling pot.

I stepped out of the shower; steam poured out as the curtain is pulled aside. I grabbed my towel from the rack, wrapped it around me, and made my way to the sink. Condensation fogged the small square mirror; I wiped part of the fog away, tears rolling down the reflective glass, and I saw her.

Me.

A pale gal with large brown eyes. I narrowed my eyes, and she copied me. Her lips, nose, widow-peaked hairline, her heart-shaped face. The cherry on top is her dark mahogany hair, dripped with water, tangled, and tendril-like. Her pale skin flushed pink after that exceptionally hot shower. I frowned at how she barely met the mirror, only just enough to see half her face, if I stood on my toes.

My body grew to its fullest by its fifteenth year, at five-foot and two inches tall. Not very intimidating to my peers, unfortunately. My height and skinny frame tended to leave people at ease, as they saw me as no threat. Until I let the metaphorical Kraken loose, which would be my attitude and sharp tongue.

There was nothing or no one to compare me to. Except for my twin. I wondered if she still looked like me. I was smart enough to know, identical twins shared everything. Of course, she'd still look like me. But, how much had she grown? Changed? Trying to picture her now, it seemed near difficult to try. She'd been living in Arizona for the past couple of years. Surely, she'd gotten a gorgeous sun-kissed tan with sun-bleached hair that looked more like champagne than brown. Four and a half years would have changed her, right?

The girl in the mirror cringed.

Sigh. Why hadn't Dad told me about Bella before today? Why was he so withdrawn about her? I wanted my answers served to me on a cheap, silver platter. I hurt to know he didn't tell me sooner.

I made eye contact with my reflection, let out a huff, and decided to dry off so I could get dressed and go to bed.

Anais Fletched, the most important person to me, besides my father, picked me up on the way to school. My very own designated driver. It was drizzling, but I predicted it'd storm up an ocean by the time school let out. Radiohead hummed from the speakers and jammed to the band as we passed the traffic lights of town.

My friend shifted in her seat and let out a bear-like yawn.

Her short choppy magenta-dyed hair was pulled back, pinned back by bobby pins. She left her bangs to frame her oval-shaped face. She was nearly as pale as I was, perhaps with a bit more color to her cheeks. Her wiry arms took turns steering the wheel of the car. Today she adorned a bold checkered black and purple button-up that was too big for her body with ripped skinny jeans, and unlaced waterproof hiking boots.

"What's wrong?" Her voice nearly startled me out of my skin.

"Nothing." I was quick to avert my gaze, finding the greenery flying by interesting.

"Faye, I've been your best friend for about five years now," she said, her tone tired, yet playful. "And I know how terrible a liar you are. So spill."

I sighed and furrowed my eyebrows. My teeth pinched my tongue. Keeping this from her would be futile. She knew me too well, and most likely would corner me later and force me to spill my can of metaphorical worms.

"My sister is coming to Forks." I quietly admit.

The eighty-nine Accord suddenly jerked forward, the seat belt locked against my sternum harshly. I threw my friend a glare.

"Sister?" She exasperated, glancing between me and the road.

I could see the school come into view. "Yeah. Bella, remember?"

"Oh..." she mumbled. "Her."

We'd been friends for half a decade, but I never really spoke of Bella. I had this furious burn within me any time she'd come into mind. I don't think I'd ever be able to resolve my unkempt cluster of hostility for her. Did she feel the same? Think of me poorly too?

"Okay - what? The hell?" Okay, now that was the reaction I was expecting.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Our mom is leaving with her new husband; he's a baseball player and they're traveling for his career. Bella doesn't want to go with them."

"I thought she hated Forks?" Anais inquired, confused.

"Oh, she does. I just don't understand why now, and all of a sudden." I adjusted my seat belt to my body after getting it to unlock. "She never liked coming here, but now she wants to live here?"

The shock that clouded my mind last night hadn't seemed to wear off yet. It was there, still swirling my more intellectual thoughts in a mental hurricane of anxiety and dread. I never thought she'd be willing to come close to Washington, conscious or not. It was like me and Phoenix.

The sun-beaten city was too bright and humid for me. I didn't like how boisterous the heat was, or how the sun seemed to scorch my skin. The earth was dry there. My toes would never forget the uncomfortable feeling of sand grains wedged between them when I played outside. Rain was a rare occurrence, and the air was dry. The cyan skies were too bold for me, and the sun bravely sat in the center of all that blue like a king on a throne.

I enjoyed the cold and wet atmosphere of the Olympic Peninsula Forks happened to be found; my father resided in this cold and wet place, and he was where I wanted to be. He made me feel loved and wanted.

With our mother Renee...I never felt like I could be the child I mentally and physically was. She was too childlike, for lack of a better word. My time with her was the most ideal for a mother with her young daughters. I remembered her to be forgetful and erratic. She depended too much on her children for responsibility and stability. Bella and I were the parents, and she was the child that needed twenty-four-hour tending and aid.

Now that I think about it, I'm not angry at Bella. I'm angry with our mother. I knew somewhere deep down in my soul, that I loved my mom. She was the person who me life. I loved her, yes, but she was too unreliable. I love my sister, and I want nothing but the best for her, but she chose someone who wouldn't give her the best. Do I have doubts that she grew up loved? Not at all, but have I worried about her mentality? Yes.

"Dunno." Anais grappled me from my thoughts, pulling into the school's parking lot, easily swerving into an empty spot next to Tyler Crowley's blocky Astro. She put the car in park and killed the engine.

"What should I do?" I asked no one in particular.

"Dunno," she repeated. "But maybe don't jump the gun whenever she gets here. Also, she's your sister. That ought to count for something."

"Eh..." I groaned and dropped my face into my palms. "This is not happening."

"What - school or Bella?"

"Both." I murmured almost bitterly.

A hand touched my shoulder. I looked at Anais, meeting her strikingly blue eyes. Her only dimple poked her left cheek as she gave me a consoling smile. Her lip ring wiggled as her thick bottom ling thinned.

"If you get too overwhelmed by her, my house is literally a drive away."

I gave her a lopsided smile. "Thanks."

"Sure thing." She unbuckled herself and got out of the car. I followed after her.

"Hey, Ladies!" Tyler Crowley greeted flirtatiously like always, leaning against the grill of the van with Lauren and a few of his friends. I didn't care to learn their names.

"Tyler." Anais saluted lazily.

I shut my door and grabbed my bag from the backseat. Lauren watched us like a territorial hawk the whole while. She liked Tyler - that was no secret. For some forsaken reason, she was jealous of Anais and me.

She pushed her cornsilk curls over her shoulder and narrowed her icy blue eyes at us, not-so-subtle hostilely glaring. I rolled my eyes. It was ridiculous, really. I held no interest in Tyler, and yet she retaliated with hateful whispers and cruel gossip. The blonde was friends with Jessica Stanley. The both of them were almost crazy, immensely jealous, and toxic. They seemed to hide it well, though Jessica was more subtle with her jealousy than Lauren.

If Mike Newton paid too much attention to another girl, Jessica would become red with fury and green with envy. I remembered in freshman year; she had started a rumor about a girl who innocently crushed on Mike. Her name was Hailey Ramirez. She moved away six months later.

I wasn't a big fan of Jessica. Or Lauren for that matter. They were like harpies in mating season, hostile and spitting acid at their competitors. They emitted some sort of aura that sent most people for the hills. Other than Angela Webber, the female population of the student body wouldn't dare stay in their company.

Anais moved around the car, sliding her hand across the trunk. "Stay alert, Lorelei!"

Naming her car after the mythology of sirens was so her. What a dork. I couldn't conceal the smile growing on my lips. I didn't want to imagine not having Anais as my best friend. She brought stained-glass-colored light into my gray world.

"Come along, my bestest minion!" She announced loudly, turning a few heads while she marched toward the front building.

My eyes rolled and I slung my bag over my shoulder, adjusting the strap comfortably to my back. Dramatic as always. I trailed after her a familiar silver Volvo maneuvered around us claiming an empty parking space next to Rosalie Hale's shiny red Corvette.

The Cullens.

They were the most beautiful family I'd ever seen. If they were interested, they could ditch school and go straight into the entertainment business. Movies, modeling, fashion. With their beauty, they could be whatever they wanted. Though, I haven't seen them mingle outside of their family. Many of my fellow students thought them weird, as the family kept conservative.

Four gloriously pale beings exited the Volvo with a grace that couldn't be human. If they allow me, I'd stare at them all day. That was a creepy thought, to be honest.

My breath ran away when they were near. Each of them was extraordinary in their own way, possibly more beautiful than the next; all, in their individual right, was inexplicably beautiful beyond comprehension. So perfect, so flawlessly perfect, it seemed too surreal. I don't recall a moment where any of the siblings had an accident. They were so different, yet so alike. Their inhuman beauty, for one. The extreme paleness, secondly. And the oddities of them never seeming to get acne, thirdly. And last, but not least, the horrendously dark exhaustion bags under their eyes which stood out immensely on their ashen faces. My mind was boggled by how void of color they were.

Well, aside from Zain.

He hadn't started coming to Forks until the beginning of my sophomore year. According to the student body, and the rest of the town, Dr. Cullen fostered, and then later on adopted Zain when he was a child. Rumors spread like a Californian wildfire, mostly about him having violent issues, namely PTSD and depression. And because of his "issues", he was made to be homeschooled for a while. It appalled me to know the citizens in Forks couldn't mind their own beeswax.

My heart took a giant leap for the ozone, seeing Zain gracefully slide out of the Volvo. He especially stood out amongst his waxen siblings with a near-gold complexion and these gorgeous curls that were blacker than black. His posture was straight and lean, and he towered over the girls, upping Edward a couple of inches, and equaling Emmett and Jasper in height. They were like human skyscrapers. Even from all the way over between the Corvette and Volvo, I could see how straight his nose was, and how sharp and defined his jawline was. His thick, inky brows creased together at something Alice seemed to have said while he closed the car door. His strong jaw flexed while he spoke to her.

"Shit!" My heart leaped into my throat as my body toppled forward. I crashed into and against the concrete stairs, the edges stabbing into my kneecaps harshly. The railing I instinctively grabbed was slick with rainwater.

Anais heard my fall and twisted around from her perch on the top step. She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled slyly, "Admiring your Adonis again, thirsty thot?"

I glared up at her and got to my feet. "Yeah, keep laughing. See what happens."

"Ooh," she taunted me, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm so scared."

I stomped up the steps, rolling my eyes. It wasn't like I had a crush on the guy. He was just a very beautiful boy. I don't think I've ever seen someone with skin so closely resembling gold. It seemed too irresistible to not gawk at. I tried to be as respectful as I possibly could about it.

Anais could tease me all she wanted; I stand by the fact.

"Hey...um, go-good morning, Faye." The nervous voice of Eric Yorkie greeted me in first-period Trig just as I slid into my seat.

I smiled politely up at him. He, far from his own desk, shuffled awkwardly in the aisle of lined desks to my right. We studied together sometimes. Not often, but he was exceptional at this class, and other AP classes. I befriended him last year; he was so timid when I began talking to him. He was the only person I care to get to know then, he was nicer than most students anyway. I didn't mind him, despite him being overly friendly.

His almond-shaped eyes narrowed, and his dark irises flitted around. Many things swirled in them, hiding a conversation he clearly wanted to have.

"Hi, Eric! How was your weekend?"

"It was good," his olive cheeks tinted pink. "I, uh, I got a new chess set, and, um...it's glass!"

"Glass? That's fancy."

"Ye-yeah...I was wondering, maybe I, um, can bring it to school...uh, maybe we can have a match?"

My brows furrowed at the offer. "Oh. Uh, well I'm not very good at chess."

"That's okay! It's easy to learn, and uh, if you want, I can teach you how to play!" He shifted his weight between his legs.

I opened my mouth to respond to him, and the first bell shrilled out. At first, my mind buzzed empty, briefly forgetting the words I was about to say. My gaze flickered between the students flooding through the door and Eric.

"Well, Eric, I might have to take you up on that offer." And then Mr. Varner strutted into the classroom with the stampede of students.

Seemingly satisfied, Eric's grin broadened. "Great!" With that, he made his way back to his own seat.

At lunch, Anais ambushed me. She threw her tiny arms around my shoulders as I entered the cafeteria and led me to the lunch line.

Today's menu: Sloppy Joe's with soggy crinkle fries, or the salad bar. The unhealthier option seemed more appetizing.

"Hey, watch out for Mr. Banner. He's got a surprise pop quiz," my friend informed me while handing me a tray. "I know you have him in seventh period."

"What's the quiz about?"

"Uh, mostly mitochondria. Osmosis. Cellular stuff. Very sixth grade."

Mr. Varner sure loved his surprise quizzes. I'm so lucky to have such a loyal friend like Anais to give me a heads-up about his sadistic teacher self.

We got our food and paid for it. Anais skipped ahead of me, to our regular table. She plopped her tray down and claimed her seat not-so-quietly.

"I didn't ask earlier, but when's Bella supposed to get here?" She questioned right away when I sat next to her.

"Tonight, but she'll be here tomorrow." I sighed wearily. "Dad's already got her enrolled here."

"Really?" Her face scrunched up. "Wait, so I don't think I know what she looks like."

"Like me, Ana," I deadpanned. "We're identical twins."

Her lips formed an 'O' and she took her sandwich in her hands. "So, does that mean you have a body double?"

"We're twins, not clones."

"Well, I mean -" I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, guys!" Jessica Stanley appeared seemingly out of nowhere with a tray that had a bowl of salad topped with baby tomatoes drizzled with saucy ranch. Her choice of drink was Golden Peak tea.

"Hi." Anais waved.

"Can me and my friends sit here?" She asked, but she had already taken her seat across from us.

Why'd you ask if you were just going to sit here anyway? Irked, I felt a vein throb in my forehead while resisting the urge to cop an attitude with her. She unknowingly aroused my irritation with her self-invitation.

Jessica flipped her dark curls over her shoulder and opened her drink.

I've always tried to be a nice person, or as nice as I could muster to be. Jessica wasn't a bad person; she was pretty smart and exceedingly sporty and lived in a whole world of her own. Her bubbly personality switched within the blink of an eye to become a distrustful and vindictive one. It's not that I hated her, she hadn't done anything to me to make me hate her, sometimes her actions and words were questionable; it's what made me biased. That and the fact that could be a not-so-nice word sometimes.

With her presence, our table was soon flooded with her friends. Lauren, Mike, Tyler, Angela, and even Eric. And a few girls I didn't know all that well. I knew for a fact that Tyler did not belong to this lunch hour.

"So, Faye," Angela's curious voice caught my attention from the roaring chattering of the cafeteria. "It's going around town that your sister is coming to Forks?"

Caught off guard by that, I swallowed the fry I munched on wrong. The piece of potato lodged itself in the back of my throat, brawling with my uvula which caused me to cough near-violently to get it out.

"Oh, shiitake mushrooms!" Anais hurried to smack my back.

"Bleh..." my throat burned once I finally managed to down the fry with the help of my Pepsi flushing it down. "Where...uh, where'd you hear that?"

Angela eyed me with concern. "Uh, well my mom heard one of the deputies talking about it at the supermarket and then told me. I just wanted to ask you if it was true - are you okay?"

I sipped my soda again and nodded. The fizzles of the carbonated liquid slide down my aching throat. Eventually, I regain my composure. So, Dad blabbed to everyone about Bella but me. I didn't know whether to be hurt or betrayed. Maybe I should feel both.

"You've got a sister?" Mike looked at me. His blue eyes widened with wonder.

"Yes, Mike," I say a moment later. "I have a sister. Our parents divorced a while back and she chose to live with our mom - I'm a tad bit surprised you don't know."

"Oh," he was quiet, but then rebounded curiously. "What's her name? What's she look like? Is she going to be a Junior?"

I rubbed my temple. Here we go..."Her name is Isabella," If I have to talk about her, I might as well give her some crap. "She looks like me, we're identical twins. And yes. She'll be in our year."

The table exploded with about a million questions.

"For real?" Tyler leaned forward on the table.

"I've never met another set of twins before." Angela hummed absentmindedly.

"So, if she's going to be in our year, doesn't that mean she'll be starting mid-semester?"

My fingers caressed my temple again; Anais had already returned to devour her sandwich, already having sauce paint the corners of her mouth. She definitely got the sloppy part down. This was so embarrassing! I wanted to cringe away, shrivel into something small and invisible; hide away from everyone, run to the bathroom, and lock myself in a stall until school ended. Leave it to Dad to gush about Bella's arrival.

"I guess so." I finally answered and drank more of my Pepsi.

My feet dragged when I entered my sixth-period English class. The room smelled of old cologne and textbooks, courtesy of Mr. Mason. There were two other people already inside, and I only recognized one of them:

Zain Cullen.

He sat in the back of the classroom, far from where he usually sat. It was odd to see him comfortably chilling next to the desk I sit at, just relaxed in the chair and as still as a statue, in deep thought. Just perfect. I quietly shuffled down the aisle of desks to my seat, doing my utmost best to not gawk at him. I placed my folders and notebooks on the desk, only for my pen to take a quick leap for freedom.

"Oh, fudge!" I cursed under my breath after failing to catch it and it rolled under Zain's chair.

My day just keeps getting better and better. I felt the need to just throw my desk across the room, though I didn't have the strength for that, and resisted the urge to further embarrass myself. A sigh of defeat left me and I was ready to ask Zain to retrieve my pen for me when a tanned arm reached for me, loosely grasping my pen between lanky fingers.

My eyes traveled up the graceful-looking hand, up the lean-built arm, and up to the chiseled jawline, and perfect lips, and then locking eyes with the brightest golden amber color I'd ever seen before. Not amber, amber would be too tame of a color. Sunlight honey? Melted gold?

Ba-dump. I swallowed dryly. My heart took off like a track star, sprinting down the track like some sort of speed demon. The moths in my stomach fluttered about and did loopty loops.

"Here." He didn't seem to mind the fact that I just stared, in fact, he seemed amused.

"Oh," I shake myself out of the trance I was in and take my pen back with a blush growing on my face. "Thank you."

"You are quite the clumsy girl, aren't you?" His accented voice lightly joked.

"Clumsy?" I blinked, and the heat in my face increased. "No - I'm not clumsy! Today's just been...uh, a - it's just been an unfortunate day, that's all."

His perfect lips dipped into an amused smile and an inky brow piqued up. "And that fall this morning?"

"Oh, God..." I sunk into my seat, more embarrassed. "You saw that?"

"I think the whole lot saw it."

"That's more embarrassing!"

"Why is falling embarrassing? It was an accident, was it not?" Zain peered at me curiously with a hint of worry laced in his velvety accent.

"No - well, I mean it was, but, uh..." I sealed my lips then and there. My grave was already three feet deep. "Yep! Just an accident."

"It must have hurt. Did you go to Mrs. Hammond?" His golden orbs flickered to my legs.

"There was no need. It's just a couple of bruises, that's all."

He nodded and went silent for a moment. Though for a second, it felt like an eternity of silence with the sound of students bustling in the hall to get to their next class.

"I'm Zain Cullen."

I looked at him, surprised. Surprised would be an understatement of my life. Had he really introduced himself to me? Willingly? As subtle as I could be, I peered about the room, trying to find any hidden cameras or someone to pop out of the window or wall with a confetti bomb and yell that it was just one big prank.

"What's wrong?" His handsome voice seeped into my ears again. I returned to see his confused expression as he looked around as well, trying to see what I was looking for.

"No offense to you," I began. "I'm just confused."

His brows squished together. "Why?"

I laugh at myself for being so idiotic. For all I knew, he was being genuinely polite. "It's nothing. I'm Faye."

"I think just about everyone knows who you are," he had this charming smile to replace that confusion. "Daughter of Chief Swan."

Oh. Disappoint flooded me hearing that. "Oh, yeah. I guess being the Chief's daughter is my popularity ticket. What? Did you get a speeding ticket and want me to ask my dad to not take your license?"

He seemed to realize his mistake. "No, no. I meant nothing of the sort. I did not mean to offend you."

I eyed him suspiciously. It used to be like this. Before, I was somewhat popular because others wanted to be in the good graces of my father as he was, and is, the Chief of Police. That was when I first began my permanent stay in Forks, only I believe others' parents wanted to be in good graces.

Of course, a Cullen would want to be out of my father's radar for speeding tickets or the like. I hear they drive like a couple of professional drag racers. I was used to people asking me for favors to ease their sentences and the wrath of the Chief of Police. My father took his job seriously, and more so with drivers being reckless.

"Forgive me, I truly did not mean to offend you." Zain's golden eyes pleaded with my brown ones.

I waved him down. "I should be the one apologizing. Usually, when people use my unofficial title, it means they want something."

"It seems like quite the headache."

"Tell me about it." I relaxed into my seat, though I kept my guard up.

"I understand it must be strange for a Cullen to suddenly begin conversing with you," Zain began lightly and ran a hand through his thick curly locks while averting his gaze. "I am...not used to being the one to make the first move."

The first move? Was he trying to flirt with me, or ask me out? Or did he mean talk? Boys confuse me. Do they have to be so confusing?

"It is difficult to be a Cullen with a reputation like ours," he spoke again, lowering his voice. "But I do not wish to be distant from my peers."

What was he getting at, exactly? I stayed quiet, in hopes he'd reveal a bit more. I was curious to know him, but at the same time, the suspicion I originally had continued to flare. If he were trying to earn points by being polite and kind, I wish I knew.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I cleared my throat and tucked my hair behind my ears. "But why do you have to be distant in the first place? You're your own person. Do what you want."

He chuckled, leaning back in his seat. His arms lay on the desk's surface and his fingers played with his pencil, swishing it around like a tiny lead sword. "I wish it were that simple."

What the heck did that mean? As I open my mouth to ask what he meant, the bell once again shrilled out. More students rushed into the classroom, and Mr. Mason did too. He didn't wait for the rest to settle in their seats and strode toward the whiteboard to write today's lesson in black-erase marker.

Absentmindedly, I manage to make it the rest of my hours. Sixth hour stuck with me and left me confused. Zain's words floated about my mind like moths to light. They were strange for someone to say, especially for someone so collected as him.

At my locker, I switched out my unimportant textbooks with my more important ones, stuffing them into my backpack. I now have seven homework assignments to do tonight. A great distraction from today's aneurysm.

I knock my elbow on my locker door, accidentally causing it to slam shut. I also made the mistake of holding my open bag with one arm and flailing my other to close my locker, all while a stampede of students barged through the halls. Some darker soul of a person decided they were going to smack my things from my awkward one-armed embrace. My books and papers were free-fallen, scattering across the hall. I'm laughed at and ignored.

Ugh! A growl rumbled inaudibly in my throat. That was extremely uncalled for, random student. A migraine began to throb its way at my frontal lobe. I made choking gestures at the passing crowd while I'm forced to wait for the bodies to thin.

I huffed and impatiently waited for the last mass of students to pass to retrieve my things. Luckily for me, my papers weren't scattered too badly. Or stamped with thread marks. I seized my fallen textbooks.

"Here, let me help." A light, melodic hum soothed the painful throbs in my temple and my homework is given to me in a neat pile as if it'd never been dropped.

"Oh - " I blinked, taking them and grabbing my last book. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The words escaped me. I was taken aback seeing her there. The fluorescent lights haloed her choppy-cut hair, I almost wasn't able to see her gleaming smile. My immediate reaction was to gawk at her, jaw hanging on its hinges while I processed her presence and assistance. A cute giggle came from her while she clasped her pale hands together in front of her. She patiently waited for me as she stared at me with her pretty amber eyes and kind smile.

"I'm Alice!" She introduced herself excitedly, though she sounded a bit restrained.

"Faye." I nodded and stood up.

"My, you are so gorgeous!" Her smile blinded me.

I blushed at the compliment; a warm sensation prickled in my chest. Her kindness left me stupefied for a moment. Someone as beautiful as Alice just complimented me, my feeble, insecure mind felt a bit overwhelmed.

"Alice." Jasper Hale with his pained expression strode from somewhere down the hall. His long legs brought him to us rather quickly.

The pixie-like girl smiled adoringly at him while they entangled their arms together. She was considerably shorter than him, having barely reached his shoulders. It was odd I hadn't noticed before how tiny she is. I recalled this morning, she was the shortest of her family, even with the heels she wore.

"This is Jasper," she spoke easily, almost too quickly for me to hear her, and patted his forearm. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

And then they walked away.

"Uh...sure?"

"Are you okay?" Anais asked me the second she saw me trudging toward Lorelei. She had just put her bag in the backseat. "You're all red."

"I think so?" My mind reeled from my interaction with Alice Cullen. She was nicer than I expected, but the whole scene threw me. Two Cullens in one day? Or was it three, if I included Jasper?

"What - you know you're okay or that you're red?"

I approached the pale Accord, abruptly stopping. "I just had the weirdest thing happen to me, Ana."

My friend watched me while I tossed my bag in the back, shutting the door a bit too roughly. Her eyes followed my every move.

"And...?" She gestured for me to continue. "Are you going to tell me or leave me hanging?"

"Zain Cullen talked to me in English. Not to mention Alice. Yeah! While I was getting my stuff from my locker, she just came up to me! And Jasper, though he didn't really say much."

"I have Tylenol in my console?"

I laughed under my breath. "I'll just...take something when I get home." I reject her offer and go to get into the passenger seat when I felt something odd. A lingering feeling of someone staring at me. Curiosity killed the cat in me as I glanced over my shoulder, gazing across the lot, right at the Cullen family. They mingled amongst one another without a care in the world.

But just then...I locked eyes with Zain Cullen. Standing beside Emmett, his neck craned toward me; his pretty golden eyes met my brown ones. For a moment, and only a moment, I was frozen. He smiled this smile that sent my heart into a marathon. My face heated up yet again today.

I swallowed and turned away.

"What was that?" Anais gestured between Zain and me.

"Nothing." I shake my head.

"You're not going to faint on me, are you? Because you know I'm not certified in CPR."

"No, Anais, I am not going to faint." I climbed into the safety of the Accord. The windshield was pattered with tiny rain droplets. I rested my head against the cool window while Anais lowered herself into the driver's seat.

She buckled herself up and gave me a look to do the same. I obliged and she ignited the engine.