All I Wanted Was the Truth

I picked up a tray absentmindedly, shuffling into the line. All I wanted was an apple, and maybe some chocolate milk, but there was a group of freshman students staring at the food trying to decide what to get. I sighed. I would probably be standing here awhile.

I set my tray down on the metal bars behind me and leaned on the wall. My gaze wandered idly through the crowds of students; some were laughing, some were shouting, some were staring into space, like I was. I didn't bother looking for my friends - I had none. I was fairly new here at Forks High, and I hadn't made any attempt to make friends. A few had come up to me, though, but the farthest those friendships had gone was telling each other our first names and smiling awkwardly whenever we saw each other in the hall.

I happened to see one of those people - Mike Newton, I think his name was - and he spotted me, too. He was so friendly, Mike, and I'm not even entirely sure why I didn't just go over and sit with him when he offered me a seat on my first day here. But I hadn't, and we left the past in the past. He still smiled at me once in a while, waved at me, asked me for erasers in Biology, but that was about it.

He waved at me now, shrugging at the line I was in. I shrugged back, also smiling. Sometimes I think us teenagers communicate in odd ways...

The line had inched forward slightly, and I shifted to the right so nobody budged in front of me. I blew a strand of dark brown hair out of my eyes irritatedly, feeling it tickle my nose. How much longer would I have to stand in line for my apple?

Just then, a low murmur of excitement rippled through the cafeteria. All heads turned to the doors, where a girl who I thought was named Jessica - I wasn't sure - walked in with a girl I'd never seen before. I glanced over and laughed quietly - Mike's jaw was hanging almost to the table.

I frowned, trying to remember who she was. Her face didn't ring any bells, and there were a few people looking at her just like I was - confused. Most people, though, were looking at her with faint admiration.

And then it clicked - this must be the new girl, Isabella Swan. I blushed slightly, turning away. I moved forward in the line, cutting almost to the front since nobody was paying attention to the line anymore.

Isabella Swan, I remembered, was the daughter of Police Chief Charlie Swan - who had ticketed me for speeding on more than one occasion. I didn't want his daughter to be reporting back to him everything I did at school.

I grabbed an apple, neglecting any drinks, and threw some change down on the counter. The chef took it vaguely, not even bothering to count it, as she too was staring at Isabella Swan.

Despite the fact that I had gotten to the cafeteria barely 30 seconds after the bell for lunch had gone, I was one of the last ones here. This resulted in my being last in line for food, and also having absolutely nowhere to sit. I stood near the edge of the room awkwardly, trying in vain to find a table.

Just as I had put my tray down and had decided I'd get to rest my legs after PE, I spotted an empty table. I hadn't been able to see it from where I had been standing earlier, because a group of more Swan-struck girls had been standing in the way of it. I moved towards the table, sitting down before anybody could claim this spot as their own.

The hubbub had died down for the most part, and Isabella was sitting with Jessica, Mike Newton, and their friends. Their table was directly opposite mine, though on completely different sides of the room - theirs was near the entrance door, mine was near the exit.

I looked down at my apple, chewing halfheartedly. I wasn't as concerned with the new girl as everybody else was, so I must've been the only one in the cafeteria who was utterly bored.

No, I realized, looking up. There were always the Cullens, who never looked the least bit interested in anything that happened around school. I looked over to their table, only one away from mine, and was surprised to find Edward Cullen looking curiously at Isabella.

I looked back down quickly, as the Cullens (and Hale's - Rosalie and Jasper) had an odd talent for knowing exactly when they were being talked about, or even looked at. During my first week here, I had been caught staring mercilessly at Emmett Cullen and his girlfriend, Rose, by Alice. Alice, I thought, seemed the most social out of all of them - she was the only one out of their family who had ever said hello to me.

I wondered vaguely why Edward had been looking at the new girl. Surely he, one of the best-looking and most mysterious boys in school, wasn't at all interested in some obscure new student?

I braved another glance up at the Cullen table, and my face flushed. Edward was talking quietly, I could just barely see his lips moving - and then he jerked his thumb in my direction. Emmett looked curiously at me for a split second, then turned back to Rosalie.

I finished off my apple, wondering why the Cullens were suddenly so interested in us new kids. Okay, I wasn't technically new anymore, but I was newer than everybody but Isabella. I stood, making my way through the crowd. Maybe I'd find out soon.