Chapter Text
A new girl had come to Forks. That’s all anyone was talking about, the daughter of the police chief’s return. Rosalie couldn’t stand it.
Sitting at their table in the cafeteria Rosalie silently groused. Emmett sat on her right loudly talking to Jasper who sat on his other side. Tucked under Jasper’s arm sat Alice looking at clothes on her phone. Next to her was Edward who just sat moving food on his tray.
“Her name is Isabella apparently” he said looking up at Rosalie.
“I don’t care what her name is Edward. What’s one more human added to the lot matter.”
“You talking about the new girl?” Emmett asked, looking at the two. “I have her in my Spanish class, she seems nice.”
“I haven’t seen anything of her.” said Alice with a contemplative look on her face.
“You don’t see every decision made, Alice.”
Alice looked at Rosalie, seeming distracted. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“She moved from Phoenix, and apparently didn’t come alone.” Edward muttered, looking around at the students in the cafeteria.
“Didn’t come alone?” asked Jasper.
Just then the doors opened and in walked the topic of their conversation alongside another girl.
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“Ok” Angela said sitting down “This is Jessica, Lauren, Mike, Eric, Ben, and Tyler. Everyone, this is Marie.”
“Marie? I thought your name was Isabella.” questioned Jessica confusedly.
“Marie is my middle name. I just go by that most of the time.”
“Oh, anyway Angela said she’s known you since you were kids.” Jessica asked, leaning forward.
Angela was right Marie thought, looking at the others at the table, who for the most part looked strangely interested in what she had to say. They really are amazed at a new person, like a shiny new toy.
Clearing her throat she said, “Yeah we were best friends as kids and would see each other every time I visited after moving.” Believing that to be enough context she took her lunch out of the paper bag in front of her.
“Is it true?” she heard as she was eating her sandwich. Looking up she realized it was Lauren who had spoken.
Swallowing, she answered, “I’m sorry but is what true?” She knew what Lauren was talking about, hell the entire table did. She even noticed some of the closer ones discreetly or not so discreetly listening in.
“Rumor has it you have a kid I was just wondering if you do?”
She said it in an obviously fake innocent manner that Marie had trouble not rolling her eyes. These power plays in high school social hierarchies always seemed stupid to her. Marie would just stick to her one tight knit group for the most part, she didn’t play these strange junior politic games. Lauren however seemed like she wanted and expected power and attention, How sad, Marie thought.
“Lauren!” Angela hissed before turning to Marie, “You don’t have to answer that, she’s just being rude.”
“I was just asking a question, it's not that big of a deal. It’s a lie anyway right she can just say no.” Lauren said, a smug smirk on her face. She knew Marie could say no it’s not true but the rumor would follow her for a while yet, hopefully turning away boys (Mike and Tyler). Or she could say yes and then boys and girls alike would separate themselves from her even more keeping Lauren at the top.
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The Cullens, like most of the cafeteria, watched the scene play out. Rosalie glared at Lauren as her questions began. She might not care about humans but pulling a move like that on a girl you just met was low, even she knew that.
“I can’t read her.” Edward said, staring at the new girl.
“What?” asked Emmett, staring at the girl as well, as if that would answer his query.
“Her mind it’s…it’s silent, I can’t hear anything, just a blank.” Edward answered his stare turning into a scowl.
“I don’t think I can feel her emotions. It might just be clouded by the others, it’s hard to tell.” Jasper responded.
“I still can’t see her, she’s immune to our gifts.” Alice said in a near whisper, it was slightly disconcerting, she could always see the future of those in front of her this time she was blind. Jasper wrapped an arm around her comforting her in the confusion.
Rosalie’s glare turned to the girl now. This blindspot could be a problem in the future. Edward could read minds and warn them if people had caught on they weren’t quite normal. Jasper could calm their minds from their thirst if things got to that point. And Alice could warn them of potential accidents of the humans which, accounting for the scars near the girls left temple and hairline, was possibly a common occurrence. If they couldn’t get through to this human with their gifts then that could prove detrimental to their secret.
“We should tell Carlisle, he needs to know about this,” said Alice.
The rest just nodded their heads.
“...she can just say no.” said Lauren, looking at the girl who was oblivious to the vampires judging the potential threat to them she proved.
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For her part Marie was exceptionally calm. The outcome of this interaction with the sad excuse for head bitch in front of her didn't matter in the slightest. So while Angela glared at Lauren, Marie just calmly took a drink of water and looked her in the eye.
“Yes Lauren,” she said, instantly quieting the already near silent room, “I do have “a kid” as you said.”
Everyone just stared at her, some had not believed the rumor to be true, some like Lauren, thought even if she was a teen mom she would not admit to it. But here she was telling everyone currently in the large room that she had a child.
“I didn’t attempt to hide that fact at all, Angela has known about her since she was born.” Marie said, looking at Lauren as if she were an idiot.
“I don’t care who knows about her,” she continued, “was it smart to have her so young? No. Is it hard? Yes, a bit. But I won't hide her because of that. So thank you Lauren,” she said with a smile, looking around at everyone watching her, most looking away when meeting her gaze, “now I don’t have to tell the whole school about her multiple times.”
Soon after the chatter restarted around them and Jessica pulled Mike into a conversation. Looking around Marie saw a girl leaving the cafeteria and stared as she left. The girl was very short with black pixie cut hair, and seemed to dance out the room. She was beautiful and had the strangest eyes and an extreme pallor to herself.
Looking around some more she spotted a group sitting further away from the rest of the students. They all shared the beauty, complexion, and eye orange-gold eye color of the girl who left.
“Ah! You spotted the Cullens.” said Jessica animatedly.
Quite a gossip, Marie thought, “The who?” she asked the excited girl.
“The Cullens they moved here two years ago, they’re Dr. Cullen’s kids.”
Marie cocked an eyebrow at this.“All of them are?” she asked, looking at them once more.
“Yeah. They’re all adopted, Mrs. Cullen can’t have kids or something,” Lauren said.
“That’s sad, at least she can adopt,” Marie said finishing her lunch.
“But they’re weird, they’re all like together.” Jessica said, still unabashedly staring at the group.
“They’re not related Jessica,” Angela admonished, before speaking to Marie, “the one who left was Alice-”
“She’s always moving like she’s on something,” Lauren added.
“She’s nice,” Angela stated, giving Lauren a side eye, “but she keeps to herself mostly, they all do.”
“The blonde girl is Rosalie,” Jessica chirped, “she’s like a major bitch. Always rude to people.”
Look who’s talking, Marie thought.
“Rosalie is polite if you’re polite,” said Angela, eliciting a snort from Lauren. “The blond boy is her twin Jasper, I think he has social anxiety, he doesn’t seem great around people.”
“He’s with Alice, Rosalie is with that big guy Emmett.” Jessica said, once more cutting off Angela. “He’s that big but won’t do football or any sport.”
Marie for her part stayed silent just looking at who Jessica pointed at.
Rosalie was probably the most beautiful of the group with long blond hair and bright golden eyes. She had aristocratic features and seemed to hold herself as such. Emmett was built like a linebacker, bulging muscles and great height offset by a boyish face and wide smile. Jasper, another blonde with wavy locks, sat rigidly with toned forearms seen by rolled up sleeves. The last one had reddish hair that looked unkempt. A pained look adorned his face as he stared at the table.
“That’s Edward,” said Jessica “but apparently he’s too good for anyone so don’t bother with him.”
Sounds like someone got shot down, Marie thought sharing a conspiratorial look with Angela.
“Don’t worry,” she said “I’m not really trying for a relationship right now.”
Looking at the Cullens once more she saw Edward staring at her, more glaring really. Marie just stared back, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at the boy. “He doesn’t look well to be honest.”
“What” Mike asked, the first thing he’s said to her since lunch started.
“That Edward guy” she said, gesturing towards him. “He looks constipated, he’s not even eating his food.”
A loud laugh came from Emmett and everyone turned to look at him. Marie once more just raised an eyebrow at them. Hearing the bell Angela said goodbye to Marie, as Marie and Mike headed for Biology.