Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight

AN: Hi! I’m back, this time going for something in between angst and humor. This story has been inspired by the books, of course, and also employs a concept from the movie Normal Adolescent Behavior. I am aware of another ff also employing the same concept, that being said, that is where the similarities end between my story, any other ff and the movie.

I hope you all enjoy this one as you have my others…

This is for kris, liz, rosana, caitlin, the other Kristen, ha, and Erica…Thank you for encouraging me when this one almost didn’t happen ;)

The Teenage Angst Brigade

Chapter One

“But, but…I’m not supposed to be in band,” I said, for the fourth time.

Why?

Why did I agree to change schools my senior of high school?

I shouldn’t have been such a martyr for my mother.

I should’ve told her not to travel with Phil.

I should’ve told her I was more important than minor league baseball.

But I didn’t.

And now I’m here, in new school schedule hell.

“Well, hon, it says here that—“

“Mrs. Cope?”

Mrs. Cope and I both looked up, rather, I looked down, to see a small black haired girl smiling bright and radiant.

I was struck by how delicate she was, how each tiny feature was exquisitely perfect on her face…and how her personality seemed huge, despite her tiny frame.

“Lauren Mallory dropped out of fourth hour history. I know, because she was in my class. There’s a spot open there,” the bubbly girl offered.

I wanted to kiss her.

Soon, my schedule was fixed, sans band, and I was on my way to navigate the jungle that is an unfamiliar high school.

I paused on the way out to thank the black haired girl. She was just sitting on the bench, waiting for something.

“Thanks for that,” I said. “She was insisting I play the flute. I don’t.”

“Ahhh. Thank Lauren Mallory. She’s the one who got knocked up and dropped out,” she giggled. “I’m Alice, by the way.”

“Bella,” I smiled back.

“Where are you from?” she asked.

“Arizona…my dad lives here, I came to live with him.”

“Wow. You’re in for a cnkhange.”

“I know.”

Nothing could be more opposite from arid Arizona than rain soaked Forks.

The first bell rang.

“Well, I’ll see you,” I said.

“Yeah, it was nice to meet you Bella…I’ll see you in history. Good luck today.”

“Thanks,” I said, then I was off.

I was typical new kid fodder…not exactly my cup of tea, but the people were nice, curious.

In second period a talkative, screechy girl named Jessica decided we were friends, which was fine as she was friendly enough and talked a lot, so I didn’t have to. She seemed to know everyone and had no problem showing me off like a new puppy.

We shared a third hour, and then we had lunch together. Jessica was delighted we had the same lunch period, probably because I was bound to be the center of attention in the cafeteria. Still, I was relieved. My fear had been sitting alone at lunch.

I sat with Jessica and her gaggle of inquisitive friends. They asked about Arizona, why I came here, if I had a boyfriend—and I answered quickly but friendly, biding my time until the bell would ring.

Half way through lunch, I heard a high, trilling voice above the lunch gossip buzz call my name.

I looked up, as did everyone at the table, and I saw the girl from this morning, Alice, smiling and waving at me. I don’t know why, but I was glad to see her.

I waved and noticed she was standing next to a stunning, tall blonde girl.

Sheeesh.

These two didn’t belong in high school, they belonged in Playboy.

I was about to get up to go to Alice when I noticed my lunch table had gone completely silent.

The blonde girl was staring at me and started to whisper something to Alice.

“Bella,” Jessica whispered in my ear.

Just when I was about to respond, something else caught my attention.

Three guys came barreling in to the cafeteria, larger than life, swooping in on Alice and her friend.

The first was a huge, jock looking guy with dark hair, falling in loose waves over his eyes. His neck was thicker than my head, but he had dimples that reminded me of a two year old…and he was hot. I watched him playfully lean down and kiss the back of Alice’s neck and I smiled.

It was endearing—this huge, muscle bound guy and tiny Alice—a couple. I found it somehow fitting, her personality was as big as his huge frame.

A good looking blonde guy with classic surfer hair was there, laughing and digging through the back pocket of his loose, faded jeans. He wore an original Smiths concert T-shirt, black, thin and faded.

I was intrigued.

He was the first person I saw in this school to actually exude some sort of originality. I’m not sure why—something about the way he carried himself, something in the way he laughed.

But, I lost interest quick in Smiths T-shirt when I saw the third guy.

Beautiful.

His hair stood in a hundred different directions, thick and bronze, unlike any color I’ve ever seen before. This guy had stubble that no kid in high school should ever have shadowing a strong, square jaw.

Despite the lazy smile on his face, his green eyes were dark and intense.

He wore a white button down shirt, untucked and I could see a blue, raggedy looking undershirt peaking out. I noticed one side of his collar was up, he was disheveled looking, but somehow perfect at the same time.

The bronze haired guy snaked an arm around the blonde girl and said something in her ear.

I wasn’t surprised they were a couple.

They were the only two people who’s looks could compare to the other.

“Bella,” Jessica hissed again.

“Huh?”

“You do not want any part of them.”

“Oh, I, I just met Alice this morning,” I mumbled, embarrassed I was caught staring.

“Alice Brandon spoke to you this morning?” Jessica asked, incredulous.

“Um, yes?”

I was confused—was Alice Brandon normally a mute or something?

“Look, they’re all very pretty to look at, but, they’re freaks.”

“Freaks?” I asked.

They didn’t seem like freaks; the way the cafeteria’s mood shifted when they walked in, the way people looked at them in awe—they seemed more like gods than freaks.

“Yeah. Freaks,” Jessica said.

I watched the blonde Smiths guy produce an apple from his loose back pocket. He took a bite, then held it up in front of the blonde girl. She took a bite and laughed, then tugged playfully on the hem of his shirt. They were flirting…but the bronze haired boyfriend didn’t seem a bit affected. It was odd.

I turned to Jessica, then the bell rang and everyone scattered.

Jessica told me to meet her near her locker after school and I absently agreed.

I found my way to history class, excited to get there. I hoped Alice would sit next to me, despite the Jessica warnings, I already liked Alice…and I was beyond intrigued by her little clique.

Luck was on my side, by the time I reached the classroom, it was near full, but there were open seats on either side of Alice.

She smiled at me from her desk and I took it as an invite and sat in the seat next to hers.

I recognized two guys from Jessica’s lunch table sitting directly behind us, Mike and Tyler.

“How’s the first day going so far?” Alice asked.

“Oh, okay, I guess most people are—“

“Coughslutcough,” a rumble came from behind us.

My first reaction was to ignore it.

“People are nice enough. Classes are okay,” I continued.

‘Yeah…is the school much different from—“

“Whore,” a low whisper came from behind us.

This time I froze, but Alice continued as if nothing happened.

“Is it different from your school in Arizona?”

“A lot smaller. There were like, six hundred people in my class alone there, so—“

“Skank.”

I turned sharply in my desk.

“What is your problem?” I spat to Mike and Tyler.

I noticed Alice beaming at me, but, surely this girl didn’t need my protection.

“Don’t worry about it, Bella. They’re talking to me. And showing off for you,” she shrugged, not bothered at all.

Then she turned in her desk and smiled sweetly at her verbal assaulters.

“Keep it up, boys. McCarty will be thrilled to have something to do after school,” she said, in a strangely menacing way.

She turned back around and smiled at me.

“Thanks anyway,” she said.

I thought now was as good a time as any to find out something more about her and her friends.

“McCarty? Is that your boyfriend? The big guy in the cafeteria?”

Alice looked taken aback for a second, then smiled.

“Emmett? Nah. He’s more like…a best friend…well, closer than a best friend, but, well, we’re all super close.”

“Close, ha,” came a snicker from behind us.

“Okay, people, listen up!” a burly teacher boomed in front, and I never got the chance to ask more.

When the bell rang Alice asked me what class I had next.

“Biology. With…Banner? I think.”

“Oh, Edward and Rose are in that class,” she said, standing up. “He’s in the class right next door right now, I’ll introduce you, so you don’t have to brave bio alone.”

“Um, okay,” I said, deducing that Rose must be the intimidating blonde—and I both hoped and feared that Edward was the bronze haired guy.

Sure enough, when I followed Alice out the door, this Edward was there waiting for her. Up close, he was much taller than I originally thought and he smelled amazing and warm, like laundry soap and showers.

He didn’t notice me, but a crooked smile lit his face up when he saw Alice. He held a hand out for her and she took it, then dragged me behind her.

They were holding hands. Okay, so the blonde wasn’t his girlfriend?

“Any drama today?” Edward asked Alice, and he started to swing their clasped hands back and forth, like you do when playing and walking with a small child.

“Nope,” Alice lied and shot me a don’t-say-anything-look.

Odd.

“Edward, this is Bella, she’s new.”

He looked over Alice’s head at me, and I could feel his eyes pan up and down my body while he was silent.

“Hi,” he finally said, and goosebumps spread over my flesh.

“Hey,” I said, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other as heat rose to my face.

Mike and Tyler came out of the classroom and I noticed they kept their eyes purposely away from Edward and Alice…they were suddenly not so vocal.

Edward glared at them and Alice rolled her eyes.

“Edward, Bella is in your biology class,” Alice said, and my heart started to go in to overdrive. There is no way I could walk there with this guy.

“I hate when you lie to me,” Edward told Alice.

“They didn’t say anything to me!” Alice lied.

“I gotta go…” Edward said, his eyes on Mike and Tyler’s retreating forms.

He walked off, then paused for a second.

He turned slightly and looked at me over his shoulder.

“Save me a seat in biology,” he smirked, then he was gone.

“Huh…”Alice mused, looking a bit perplexed.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing. Ok, I gotta go. See you tomorrow!”

“Bye,” I said, but she was already gone.

EPOV

I walked in to biology late.

Well, I usually walked in to biology late, but today was not a good day to be tardy.

Rose would kill me.

We were partnering up for our term projects and Banner wouldn’t let anyone pick an absent partner.

In my defense, I had a good reason for being late this time…Rose would understand. Someone had to straighten out Newton and Crowley and Emmett couldn’t afford to be suspended again. I always found it sick, how the girls took such shit from the morons at this school…whereas Jasper, Emmett and I…it just wasn’t right.

I opened the door and the already seated class looked up at me.

Rosalie was fuming at her lab table and the new girl was…the new girl.

“Mr. Cullen! Glad you could join us. Hope we’re not cramping your plans,” Banner drawled out.

“Not at all,” I shrugged. “I penciled you in earlier.”

“Take a seat, Cullen, next to your project partner, Isabella Swan.”

“I told you he was here—“ Rose blurted out.

“Enough, Hale. You’re partnered with Yorkie. Case closed.”

I would’ve laughed if I didn’t know how pissed she was, being stuck with the perpetually partnerless Eric Yorkie.

“Look, Mr. Banner, Rosalie and I always work well together. I’m sorry I was late, but—“

“You were and that means I assign your partner. It’s a privilege to be able to—heck, Cullen, you know the rules. Sit down.”

“Mr. Banner, please…”Rosalie went off on a tangent, stating her case, but something else caught my attention.

The new girl was bright red and twisting uncomfortably in her seat.

I shouldn’t have, but I felt bad for her. Clearly, she was embarrassed being the reason for all of this dissension. She didn’t know it, but it wasn’t that I was opposed to being her partner…and the more I looked at her, the more I wanted to work with her. She was…beautiful.

I could have argued my way in to being Rosalie’s partner, Banner was intimidated by anyone who could grow a beard thicker than him…but I didn’t.

“It’s fine,” I said, cutting Rose off. “I’ll partner with Isabella. I don’t mind.”

Rose’s eyes widened, then narrowed at me.

Shit.

Isabella Swan looked horrified and confused.

Ahhh…the rumor truck must’ve already hit her.

Probably better that way, anyway.

“Good. Now take your seat, Cullen…and the rest of the class can thank you for wasting our time. I expect you all to meet on your own time and turn in your project proposals tomorrow. We don’t have time in class for that anymore.”

Not surprisingly, no one thanked me, but there were no simultaneous groans, either. People never knew what to say to me.

I sat next to this Bella and smiled.

She gave me a beautiful, cautious smile back.

Rosalie turned in her seat, directly in front of mine and glared.

“What. The. Fuck?” she mouthed.

“Sorry,” I mouthed back.

I’d make it up to her later.

Banner started droning and I leaned back in the too small chair and let my legs sprawl out from under the child size desk.

Bella kept looking at me like I had three dicks.

Fuck, gossip spread fast in this school…I wondered if she even had the story right.

Probably not…no one really did….except the five of us, of course.

Banner was boring me.

Beautiful new girl, however, had my full attention.

I decided to play with her, what was the harm in that?

I wasn’t breaking our rules by harmless flirting…besides, I was bored.

I stared unabashedly at her and I found myself trying not to smile.

Finally, she took another glance at me and our eyes locked.

I felt a sudden shock of…something in my stomach. Whatever it was, it was completely unexpected and unwarranted—I’d never had such a reaction from toying with a girl.

I should’ve looked away.

I couldn’t look away.

Shit.

I needed to be partnered with Rosalie.

This was not good.

Then, Bella dropped her eyes from mine, and I wanted her to look up again, I wanted more.

I shook my head slightly and leaned forward to tug lightly at the ends of Rose’s wavy hair.

She half turned and I scooted my desk up.

“I want to see you after school,” I whispered.

A slow smile spread across her face.

“It’s not Wednesday…or Saturday…” she whispered back, coyly.

“I’m feeling rebellious,” I said. “And those rules are always open to negotiation.”

“True. Okay,” she whispered, then turned back around.

I leaned back and didn’t give Bella another glance—it was reasons like her our pact existed at all.

The bell rang and I leaped out of my chair and grabbed Rosalie’s messenger bag from beside her desk. She stood and I slid the strap over her head.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Wait—the project,” Bella said, still sitting at her desk. “We need a proposal.”

Jesus.

I leaned over her desk and snatched the pen from her hand.

“Do you have a car?” I asked, impatient and not looking at her.

“What?”

“Can you meet me?” I asked, raising my eyebrows in annoyance.

“Uh, sure?” she said, and I felt bad for hurting her feelings.

I scrawled Emmett’s address on her notebook and dropped the pen on her desk.

“Right after school,” I said, then grabbed Rose’s hand and left.