CHAPTER II ―

RICH PRICKS!

"𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐀 𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐒, 𝐃𝐀𝐃!" Cassidy whined to her father, a stomp of her foot followed and her father looked at her with both amusement and annoyance. "Why couldn't you send Jacob?!"

Billy sighed, "You know your brother, him and change don't really get along. Would you want to listen to that?" Cassidy's dad made a valid point, but the fact that she still had to go to school in Forks in the morning made her dread the next day even more. "Your mother would have loved you going to Forks..."

It really wasn't a fair argument when her dad brought her mom into this, Cassidy would do anything to be just a tad closer to her mom in any physical way. She grimaced. "That's not fair."

Billy had a longing look in his eyes as his smile didn't meet them. Cassidy was a splitting image of her mother with just a dash of himself. "It worked, didn't it?" His snarky response made her grimace break as Cassidy chuckled, shaking her head.

"I expect my allowance to at least double for this."

Billy laughed. "Then I expect you not manipulate your brother into doing your chores."

"It's not my fault Jake is easy to get."

...

"How was your first day at the rich kids school?" Jake had a cocky smile on his face as he looked at his sister, who sneered at him and flipped him a middle finger.

"You're lucky you're my brother," Cassidy snarked, finishing up her assignment for biology. "I got homework my first day, I sat next to a kid who acted like he had a stick up his ass, and I'm honestly debating if I could jump off the roof of the school, but I don't know how I'd get up there just yet."

The two siblings roared with laughter as they both began to joke about the differences between the Rez and Forks High. As much as Cassidy appreciated her father wanting her to get just a small piece of her mother's life... she really wished she could be back with Jake and all of their friends.

...

This fucking locker is ridiculous, Cassidy thought to herself as she struggled to get the latch to open. She was going to be late for her first period at this rate and her decent mood had been declining rapidly the longer she was in Forks High School.

"Hit it twice and push the lock to the left and open it, that usually does the trick." Whipping her head to the left, Cassidy's green eyes narrowed at the blonde haired girl. The blonde smiled, not seeming to be bothered by the small brunettes attitude. "I had that locker last year. I'm Natalia, but you can call me Nat."

Cassidy sighed, stepping back and gesturing to the locker in front of her. "By all means, go ahead and work your magic."

With a smirk, Natalia pounded on it twice and messed with the latch and it opened. "See? Magic." Cassidy took a step forward and took out the notebooks in her bag to switch them out. She looked back at the blonde with a slightly less intimidating look, a small smile coming across her face.

"I'm Cassidy."

...

"Listen, I'm just saying that when it's that many kids, it stops being called a family and starts being called a cult," Erika Newton said, taking a bite of her cucumber and gesturing towards the table Cassidy had sat at yesterday, that had all the inhumanely beautiful people sitting at. Cassidy grimaced. She didn't exactly know how Nat got her to agree to eat lunch with her and her friends, but here she was, listening to the town's gossip about the Cullen's and the high-pitched voice of Erika Newton.

"I doubt that's why Doctor Cullen took them in, Erika." This time it was Angela Weber. Cassidy didn't mind her. She had neutral vibes and didn't seem bitchy, which Cassidy had enough attitude for everyone to go around the table. It was Erika that made Cassidy want to shove the fork she had in her hand in her eye. "They all moved down here from Alaska, like two years ago now? They're not actually related."

To her left sat Natalia, who introduced her to Angela Weber, who sat on the right side of Cassidy at the circular lunch table. Across from her sat Erika Newton and her boyfriend, Colin Fisher.

"Whatever." Erika huffed, dipping her cucumber into ranch and taking another bite. "My theory is more then plausible."

Cassidy bit her tongue, which normally wasn't like her, but she didn't think Erika was worth her time. Plus, having a few friends probably wouldn't hurt. Her eyes scanned the Cullen's table. She was told that the tall, model-like was Rosalie and she was with the steroid-filled guy she had met yesterday, Emmett. Next to them, sat the tiny, short-haired brunette, Alice and the honey-haired boy next to her, that looked like he was in pain, was Jasper. Last, but not least, was Edward. Her eyes fell onto his form and he looked over at her, Cassidy turned her head away, refusing to make eye contact.

"What's your opinion, new girl?" This time it was Colin. Cassidy met his eyes and held them for a split second before looking down at her half eaten leftover spaghetti from dinner last night, Jake could really be a decent cook when he wanted to be. Was it too late to stab a fork into her own eye yet?

"I honestly don't care. Cult, family..." Cassidy shrugged, "it's none of my business, nor should my opinion be yours." Cassidy met Erika's eyes. If there could be steam coming out of Erika's ears, there would have been. Erika's silent rage shifted to Natalia, who sat there unbothered by it. 

"Why did you bring her to our table again, Nat?" There was clear venom in Erika's voice as she spoke and Cassidy laughed under her breath. 

Natalia smiled. "Because I knew she wouldn't give a shit about the Cullen's rumors."

The table roared with laughter as Erika sat there steaming, sneering at her boyfriend as he chuckled. Cassidy just smiled and shook her head. She would get along with Nat just fine.

...

By the time Biology rolled back around, Cass braced herself as she walked into the class, ready to deal with Mr. StickUpMyAss. She made sure to put on extra perfume just to annoy him after her gym class. Looking around the classroom, for a half a second she thought he didn't come in today. Maybe he ditched, she thought, but her hopeful thoughts were interrupted when someone cleared their throat behind her.

"Excuse me."

The voice was melodic and sent shivers down her spine and not in a good way, the hairs raised on her arm and she felt as if her whole body was telling her to flee. An instinct in her told her she was in danger and she just couldn't pin-point the feeling. Swallowing her sudden new feelings, she turned around and pursed her lips when she came face-to-chest with Mr. StickUpHisAss. He had an amused look on his face and it burned her to her very core. He was mocking her.

She had to admit, he was good looking, but she wouldn't ever say that to his face. That would be too much satisfaction. With a roll of her eyes, she turned around and began to walk to her seat with him behind her. "You're excused."

Cassidy sighed as she sat down, refusing to make eye contact with him, clenching her pen tighter and opening her notebook and textbook, feeling him watch her every movement. "Can I help you?" She didn't have to look at him to know he was staring.

"I didn't get to introduce myself yesterday, I'm Edward." Cassidy's green eyes matched his golden ones. There was a look of surprise on her face, but she hid it as fast as it came across her face. "and I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression."

Cassidy raised her chin a bit. He was stupid if he thought a charming smile was going to make her forget his rudeness. "Well, Edward," she sounded out his name in a snarky way. "You're funny if you think I honestly care."

As if it was perfect timing, the bell rang and Mr. Molina began his lesson. "Onion root tip cells! That's what's on your slides. Separate and label them into phases of mitosis." He held up the spray-painted golden onion with pride, "The first partners to get it right, win... the golden onion!" On cue, the whole class groaned as Cassidy grimaced. She really didn't want to have to converse with Edward. "C'mon people! Tick tock!"

...

"Ladies first?" Edward gestured to the microscope and the side sitting on the middle of the table, Cassidy sighed. "I insist." He gently pushed it towards her.

Glancing at him, Cassidy takes the microscope and adjusts it. "Don't let this fool you into thinking I like you in anyway. You and your whole family seem to have this whole school in turmoil everyday." This really wasn't her strong suit. Looking into it, she guesses. "Uh, prophase?" She lifts her head to look at him, arching an eyebrow.

"I'd like to think we're not a cult," Edward smirked. Cassidy's eyebrows furrowed, how did he know? "May I?" He gestured to the microscope, which she pushed into his direction. 

"Uh, sure."

She doesn't even think he looked at with how fast he glances. 

"Prophase."

Cassidy smirked. "Like I said." They both take a moment to write it down on their worksheets.

"How are you enjoying it here?" He sounded genuinely curious and Cassidy couldn't tell if he was doing this to actually get to know her. His words seemed practiced. Her eyebrows raised.

"Are you seriously asking me if I enjoyed moving in the middle of the school year to go to a school, where a bunch of rich kids think they're better than everybody, and listen to everyone be obsessed about your family?" 

Edward seemed confused and it confused Cassidy further. "Uh, I guess I am?"

She sighed, taking the next slide and changing them out to look. "Then no. I miss the Rez, this is not going to be long term if I can help it." Glancing into the microscope, she looked back up to him and saw a look of interest on his face, like was trying to figure her out. "Don't try to figure me out, you're not going to and I don't want you to. Anaphase."

She watched as his eyebrows furrowed deeper and she couldn't tell if she offended him or not, but she didn't care. She wasn't here to be best friends with him and she definitely wasn't there to date him, Cassidy was just trying to make it to graduation and leave Forks as fast as possible. She wanted to travel, not be stuck there on the Rez for the rest of her life even. 

"May I?" His voice pulled her out of her thoughts. 

She nodded, pushing the microscope towards him. 

"Yeah."

...

When the bell rang, Cassidy was the first out of her seat. They didn't win the golden onion, but she didn't care, she just didn't want to be in the suffocating presence of Edward Cullen anymore. She felt on edge around him, like she couldn't trust what he could do to her.

"Hey, Cassidy!" It was him. Didn't he take a hint? She wished the busy halls of the school could just swallow her whole. She spun around, a glare fixed on her pretty face. Edward didn't let it faze him as he handed her the pink notebook that was hers. "You forgot this."

Cassidy sighed, grabbing it from his hand and stuffing it into her satchel bag. "Thanks." Before she could spin around, he grabbed her attention again. The bell was about to ring, what the hell more did he want? She thought.

"If you ever need tutoring in Biology, let me know." Both of them starred at each other. Edward was just as surprised at his offer as she was. "I, uh, well, I noticed you struggled a little and I have top marks in the class, so it's just an offer?" It was painful to see how awkward he was.

Cassidy adjusted her shoulder bag, sighing. She held her bag a little tighter on her shoulder. He was right, she needed help, but she was too prideful to admit that to the likes of Edward Cullen. He was still in the dog house. "Uh, I'll think about it." It definitely wasn't a promise that she would, but they both knew that was the best he would get from her.

Edward had a small smile on his face, like he was in awe. It was giving her whiplash, his mood swings from killer death stare, to polly pocket, let me be your best friend. "Good."

With that, they both turned in opposite directions of each other, both wondering what in the hell just happened as they went to their last class of the day.