I was used to a uniform and so finding the best outfit for my first day was proving difficult. It was raining again but I had suspected this. I had ran to my window, however, in horror at six that morning voicing my complaints that the rain would ruin any chances of having to not hide behind a horrible rubber rain jacket.
Now I stood before the mirror fixing my hair and flashing myself a smile. Good enough. I stole a glance at the dresser drawer in which I hid my wand and sighed. I had to face the music, no more magic. Not for a while anyways.
I went downstairs to find Amelia with baby Emma on her hip as she danced around the room to sooth the crying child. I smiled and sat down at the kitchen table just as John lowered his newspaper.
“Morning.”
“Morning,” I replied as I nodded in thanks to Amelia who had placed a box of cereal on the table. “So anything interesting happening in Forks today?” I then ventured to ask.
John raised the paper again and then lowered in a matter of moments. He shrugged his shoulders and resumed reading. I figured as much. I chewed on my cereal slowly in hopes of buying myself some time but I knew that was a wasted effort. Amelia set Emma in the baby swing and then placed her hand on her husbands shoulder proudly.
“John as an interview at the police station today,” she said.
“Congratulations!”
John smiled sheepishly and was clearly trying to hide behind his paper when he spoke.
“Charlie got me the interview for me so it's really all his doing.”
“Well all the same I hope you do well,” I told him as I then took the final bite of my cereal.
I stared at the milk that swirled around in the bowl with my spoon still raised. I had thought I had poured more then that. I sighed and set my spoon in the bowl as I then shoved my chair back to put the bowl in the sink after rinsing it out.
“Are you nervous at all?” Amelia asked me as she cocked her head to the side in question.
“Sort of.”
“I'm sure you'll be fine,” Amelia then assured me and glanced at John who was getting his jacket on at the door. “He'll drive you since he has to get to the station.”
I nodded and hugged her goodbye before quickly slipping on my shoes and jacket along side John. I expected the drive there to be longer then it was. It seemed only a matter of minutes before I saw the sign that singled the start of a new life and I wished I had bought more time at the house. My goodbye from John consisted of a simple good luck and goodbye along with an exchange of good luck and congratulations for his interview. I then stepped back and watched him drive away.
Sucking in a breath I turned and faced the building with bravery in my eyes. Well this wouldn't be so bad..
“Hermione!”
I spun around so fast my hair tangled itself around my face. I was so filled with the numb pain of not seeing my friends from home that I half expected to turn and see Ron running toward me with that cheesy smile on his face. It wasn't.
“Oh...morning Jacob,” I greeted dejectedly.
He frowned then.
“Something wrong?”
“No. Just nervous,” I fibbed, well partially fibbed.
Jacob patted me on the back and chuckled lightly.
“Hey it's a piece of cake, alright? It's my first year so I wouldn't know but I'm trying to be supportive.”
I laughed.
“Well that's sweet of you.”
Jacob cracked a smile and I followed him inside. He helped me find the office despite that seeming to be my easiest task. Once I picked up my schedule, Jacob was eager to swap and check for the same classes. Not a single one it seemed. I sighed and took mine back.
“Well that sucks.”
I shrugged.
“Maybe I'll see you at lunch,” I pointed out.
I was a Junior here. Having grown up as a muggle I sort of understood these things but it didn't mean I was all too fond of them. I found my first class with the help of a overly bubbly girl by the name of Jessica. She kept rambling on about how I reminded her of some girl named Bella Swan. It was then she would clasp her hand over her mouth and apologize before backing off. I couldn't really understand why but I had more pressing matters to worry about.
I somehow managed to get through my first few classes in one piece. People tended to stare and gawk at me when I talked. I figured it was my accent pointing out the fact I was the outsider. When I entered the lunchroom I officially felt like that. Everyone already sat with friends and were content that way. Now I had come along and what then?
I hadn't seen Jacob since earlier that day and now was giving myself a mental kick for shooing him off. I felt stupid standing there with a tray in my hands and staring off into the lunchroom but what else could I do? My eyes settled on one table where only one person sat. Suddenly he caught my gaze and I gasped before looking down. When I finally got brave enough, I walked over to his table. Suddenly I felt all eyes on me. What was wrong with these people? Had I somehow stumbled upon the school bully's table? He didn't look like a bully to me.
“Er...excuse me?”
“What?”
I was surprised by the tone of his voice.
“May I sit here?”
“Go ahead.”
I smiled.
“Thanks.”
I sat down but then my expression went to one of surprise and nearly hurt as the stranger suddenly stood up and left. I bit my lip and looked at the table as a group of girls giggled. Suddenly I wasn't so hungry anymore and shoved my tray aside.
“Hey I saw what happened and thought you might want an explanation.”
I looked up to meet the soft brown eyes of a girl. One of them gigglers I realized. She gestured to the seat across from me and I sighed and nodded. She sat down then with her hands clasped on the table top.
“That was Edward Cullen,” she explained. “He doesn't talk to anyone anymore. Not that he did in the first place.”
“He didn't need to be so rude,” I said.
“He was never nice to anyone except his family. They graduated from here though. He's a Senior. Only girl he ever talked to, or was nice to, was Bella.”
“Bella?”
“Isabella Swan,” the girl said quietly.
I got the sudden sense that something wasn't as it seemed. She sighed and then her words seemed forced, as if she didn't want to explain.
“Bella was killed. Some sort of freak car accident, or so Cullen says.”
“Oh...I'm sorry.”
“Forget it.”
I chewed on my lip in thought before the girl spoke again.
“Even Charlie was upset. You know, Bella's dad.”
“I just met him yesterday,” I confessed. “He seemed strange around me.”
“You do look like her sort of.”
I sighed. Well that was the reason why Edward had left in a hurry then. That's why even Charlie refused to look at me. Lovely.
“I'm Angela by the way,” she said in a more happier tone.
I managed up a smile.
“Hermione Granger.”
We had no time for chatting after that. The bell rang and I was forced to my next class. I froze, however, when I saw Edward Cullen sitting at the back of the room.
“Miss Granger?”
I looked at the teacher and nodded.
“Ah good then. I'll partner you up with--” He paused to look at the seating chart.
Oh please no....please no...
“Edward.”
I shut my eyes and cringed. What a day. When I walked to my seat, I watched him seat on the far edge of his chair and tilt it away from me. Okay so that was a little much.
“So much for polite people in this town,” I muttered irritably as I sat down on the stool which wobbled a bit too much.
The teacher began class then with a movie of sorts. I made sure to keep myself away from Edward as it seemed he hated me anyways. I ruined that chance when I propped my elbow on the table and rested my chin on the palm of my hand. Remember me saying the chair was wobbly? Well the chair tilted in poor Edward Cullen's direction. As if angry he rose from his seat faster then I could register it. I on the other hand blushed like mad.
“Sorry..”
He glared at me and I looked down at the table. I couldn't blame him if he hated me. I mean Angela did say I looked like Bella. If he did love her as much as it seemed to me he had then this was only reasonable.
“Mr. Cullen?”
Edward and I both looked at the teacher. Edward, however, grabbed his books and hurried out of the classroom. I cringed nearly at that and kept my gaze on the table top as I felt all eyes on me.
“He must not be feeling well,” the teacher had murmmered.
The rest of that class and classes to follow went by in a slow painful fashion. I faced gym class with reluctance and made it though with a bump on the head thanks to a tennis ball flung at me by a guy named Mike Newton. I had dismissed it and was thankful to finally be walking out into the outside world and away from the walls of Forks high.
Thankfully I saw John's car already parked and waiting. It took me no time to get there and get in as he then pulled out and I felt free from the place.
“How was your first day?”
“Like all first days I suppose.”
“Meet anybody?”
“Um well Jessica but just talked with her to find a class. Angela talked to me at lunch when—we just talked at lunch,” I rattled off but left out the Edward incident and then continued. “Does Mike Newton count?”
“Why wouldn't he?” John asked as his brows knitted together in confusion.
“Because he only said 'sorry' after whacking me in the head with at tennis ball.”
“Oh well in that case he counts because he said sorry,” John chuckled.
I laughed with him and relaxed as I leaned back in my seat and looked out the window.
“So this place isn't that bad?” he then inquired.
“Not at all.”
“Well that's good.”
“Oh!” I sat up straight and looked at him with interest. “How did your interview go?”
“I got the job,” he answered proudly as he looked at me but kept a good eye on the road as well. “The boss was pretty impressed I think and Charlie put in a good word for me so--”
“John!”
It all happened rather quickly then. I screamed in panic and fear, John looked at the road and his eyes grew wide as he slammed on the brakes, and the silver Volvo's tires squealed against the pavement. I shut my eyes tight and brought my arms up but all I heard then was the horrible sound of metal twisting and bending. I flew forward before
I could realize I had and felt my forehead collide with something hard. All I knew then was the unbreakable darkness that pushed against my mind.
A/N---Hmm who drives a Volvo? Anyone remember? XD I think I edited this chapter....huh well I'll go over it another time to check. Thanks to everyone for their support so far!