SKIN DEEP
five | the cullens

"Yes, I do mind."

Alice whispered out, acting astonished, though Imogen could tell that she had expected this, "Rosalie, be nice."

Imogen, ignoring the girl who was actually trying to help her, directed her speech to Rosalie. "I wasn't exactly speaking to you." Of course, Imogen knew that if she wanted to sit with them that she shouldn't bitch at one of the people sitting at the table. She smiled then, "I was actually asking Edwardo here." Imogen did a little gesture with her hand.

Edward fidgeted when the gaze of his siblings turned to him, one actually cracking up with laughter, smacking his large paw of a hand to his thigh. The sound from the force of the smack resonated throughout the cafeteria, making the eyes of every student turn to them; then went back to their business when they were met with the glare from the blonde, Rosalie.

"I like her," chortled the one who had just calmed down from his fit of laughter due to Imogen calling Edward 'Edwardo'. 

The weird girl - as Jessica had called her - nodded, her already big smile widening into a grin that could put the Cheshire Cat to shame. "Good. Because so do I," Alice nodded while speaking in a quiet but chirpy voice, the tips of her hair bouncing. "Please, sit."

Imogen glanced at each face warily, looking to gauge their reaction to Alice's statement. Edward just stared at Imogen, something which she understood should unsettle her - as it would definitely unsettle others - but didn't bother her in the slightest. Rosalie was staring, no, glaring at Alice with her arms crossed in front of her. Emmett, the boyfriend of Rosalie, was staring at his girlfriend with this look that demanded her to play nice. Alice was smiling at her while her small dainty hand rested on the clenched fist of the boy next to her. 

Jasper, he was the one who looked like her was in pain, his gaze fixed on the table and frowning slightly. Imogen widened her eyes when she caught sight of a few small scars that littered the visible parts of his neck. 

Pulling out the chair in front of her - now the only free chair in the cafeteria - she sat down slowly, waiting for one of them to turn around and tell her to fuck off, that it was all a joke. But, once she was fully seated in the chair, Alice immediately started a conversation, "So, you've already met Edward."

Imogen nodded, raising an eyebrow at the glare Alice was receiving from Edward. Imogen knew that she was imposing, but she wasn't going to just walk away now that she had taken a seat. Knowing that none of the have been formally introduced, Imogen said, "I'm Imogen. I met Edward in Biology."

"We know who you are." The questioning gaze on Imogen's face was clear, something that made Rosalie actually want to elaborate to her earlier statement, so she did. "You're the new girl dragging around what appears to be an oxygen tank: everyone is talking about you."

Slumping in her chair, Imogen muttered, "Fucking great. Anything new, exciting, or out of the ordinary always attracts attention. Why can't they mind their own business."

Rosalie smiled slightly, "Don't worry about it. You already have many people jealous of you."

Chuckling, Imogen looked at the blonde, "Why?"

A smirk crossed her lips, her almost golden eyes shining, "Well, that dark-haired girl is jealous of you because the blonde idiot seems to like you. And everyone else - definitely everyone at the table you were on before - are jealous of you because you're sat here with the radiant Cullens."

Imogen chuckled, but it soon turned to her bursting into a fit of laughter before she managed to calm down. If she hadn't calmed down, she probably would have choked to death either due to the laughter or because she wouldn't have been getting enough air.

When Imogen's previously scrunched up eyes - due to the laughter - cleared of the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes, she noticed something different about Jasper, the one who was directly opposite her. 

He was no longer clenching his fists, nor was he staring at the table like he wanted to murder it. His emotionless, cold golden eyes were focused on her, making her breath hitch slightly. Breaking from his gaze, she smiled lightly and glanced at the table.

***

"So, how was your day?" 

Imogen slammed the door shut and pulled on her seat belt. "You know how it was."

Nodding, Evelyn pulled away and out of the school grounds. "But how was it?" Imogen understood that her mother knew about people talking about her around school, being the new girl with an illness and all, but she didn't actually know how Imogen felt about it.

Sighing, Imogen replied in a monotone voice, "Met a few people."

Evelyn smiled at her daughter replying to her, even if it wasn't an enthusiastic reply, it was better than her shouting or ignoring her. "Friends?"

Imogen shrugged, staring out of the window at the trees flying past. "Maybe."

That was the best Evelyn was going to get out of her daughter, which she knew. But, she still attempted to keep the conversation going, which didn't work out the way she wanted it to. "I have you transferred. You'll be in my class tomorrow."

Glaring out at the woods that passed, Imogen practically snarled, "Just fucking great."

Snapping back, Evelyn practically growled, "Watch your tongue."

Imogen stuck her tongue out, her eyes downcast as she actually attempted to watch her tongue. Shrugging her shoulders, she sighed, "Sorry, Evelyn, that's impossible."

Sighing deeply, Evelyn dropped the longing to start a conversation with her daughter that doesn't end in one of them walking off (normally Imogen) or end in one of them snapping at the other (again, it's generally Imogen).

Pulling up to the house, the house that Imogen was going to continue to refuse to call home until her last breath - and even following that - they both instantly eyed the truck parked in front of the house. 

"It's Billy." Imogen nodded to show that she had acknowledged her mother. "I wonder what he's here for." 

Imogen opened the door and got out of the car, hauling her school bag over her shoulder and clasping her hand around the handle of her roller bag. The ground wasn't exactly ideal for her pulling around the oxygen tank due to it being littered with leaves and quite damp, so she was dragging it behind her and wheels stuck to the small wheels. 

Entering the house, Imogen was greeted with the throaty laughter from her father, along with Billy and someone else's (whom she presumed to be Jacob as he was Billy's son). Jacob's laughter was less throaty than the other males due to him being younger and still a teenager.

Imogen walked into the kitchen where the laughter was coming from because she had no choice as Evelyn was grasping the elbow on her daughter's free arm, and was leading her to that room. Jacob turned his head slightly and when his eyes landed on Imogen, his smile grew, "Hey, cuz."

Imogen frowned, "We're not cousins."

Jacob shrugged his shoulders, "So? We're like family according to Eveyln"

Pursing her lips together, Imogen thought it over and shrugged, "Okay, gal-pal"

Jacob frowned when his father burst out into another fit of laughter. The two fathers had turned their attention to their children when they had started what could be called a conversation, so they both heard Imogen's reply clearly.

Jacob opened his mouth after thinking over something he could reply with, but Thomas cleared his throat and directed his speech to his wife and their miracle child, "Billy and Jacob here have invited you to go with them to meet Charlie Swan and his daughter who will be new to the school that you're attending."

Nodding her head, Imogen agreed straight away, "Sure. Anything to get some fresh air." Evelyn and Thomas had finally worked out only a few years ago, that fresh air meant that she didn't want to be stuck in a situation where she may be forced to spend time with her parents.

Evelyn sighed and turned to face Billy. Pointing a finger at him she ordered in a motherly way, "You have her back before dark."

Putting a hand to his forehead in a salute way, he bellowed, "Sir, yes, sir."

***

Standing outside a white house, Imogen noticed a girl looking out of the window when a man that Imogen presumed to be Charlie greeted Billy. "I heard you guys coming all the way down the road."

Billy replied, after Charlie and he had a sort of bro hug, "Good to see you."

Standing awkwardly, Imogen clasped her hands together. She let her roller bag just stand beside her. Jacob threw his arm around her shoulders, noticing her frozen stance, which directed Charlie's attention to her. But, before he could say anything, he heard footsteps behind him.

Turning to the girl that Imogen had seen looking out of the upstairs window, "Bella, you remember Billy Black..." His voice trailed off towards the end as if he wasn't too sure whether she would or not.

"Yeah." She smiled showing practically perfect white teeth. She shook Billy's hand as she added on, "You're looking good."

He joked, "I'm still dancing." Then his eyes glanced up at Charlie who was towering over Billy due to him being stuck in a wheel chair, "I'm glad you're finally here. Charlie here hasn't shut up about it since you told him you were coming."

"Alright, keep exaggerating..." Charlie walked off slowly, before throwing back at Billy, "I'll roll you into the mud"

Billy wheeled after him, "Until I ram you in the ankles."

Like a child, Charlie shouted, "Yeah, bring it!"

Jacob pulled his arm from around Imogen's shoulders and walked closer to Bella, Imogen taking a few steps so that she was just behind Jacob. Awkwardly, Jacob turned to Bella and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Jacob. We used to make mud pies when we were little."

Imogen chuckled and uttered, "Weren't you such a cutie."

Bella looked over Jacob's shoulder at Imogen and asked, "And you are?" The words seem rude, but she was only curious.

"Imogen King. Is your full name Isabelle?" 

Scrunching her nose up in disgust, "It's Isabella. But, please, call me Bella." She spoke with a pleading tone of voice.

Smirking, "How about Izzy?" She could tell that Bella really detested it, but she bit her tongue and just shook her head in slight disbelief at Imogen. There was silence between the teenagers so Imogen decided to speak, even though she doesn't mind silences, she could cut the awkward air around them with a knife. "I'm joking. I'll call you Bella." But, Imogen decided then and there that she probably would never have to speak her name again.

Charlie asked Bella, "So, what do you think of your homecoming present?" The two men who had just previously had been acting like they were the teenagers had returned to where the three teens were stood. "Just bought it off Billy, here."

Jacob spoke up and Imogen saw something shine in his eyes, and he reached over and lightly patted Isabella's back, "I totally rebuilt the engine for you." 

Bella was amazed, and totally surprised. Imogen would never have the chance to have the same reaction as Bella has towards having her very own vehicle. Imogen wasn't allowed to drive for anything could happen to her at the wheel, something that her parents wouldn't risk and previous doctors had advised against.

Bella swung around and opened the driver's side door which resulted in Jacob getting hit as he walked by to run around to the other side. Imogen chuckled and walked up to the open window of the closed driver's side, which Bella now sat in. 

Jacob mentioned something about the clutch, to which Imogen didn't pay attention to. But, as soon as Bella asked both of them a question, her ears perked up slightly, "Do you both want a ride to school or something?"

Jacob shook his head straight away, "I got to school on the reservation."

Imogen furrowed her eyebrows and muttered, "That's why I haven't seen you around school."

Isabella turned to Imogen, smiling, "Well, I guess it's just us two then. So, what do you say about a ride to school?" 

Imogen thought it over. It would be nice to not have to ride with her mother in a morning, and Bella was actually tolerable so far. Smiling and shrugging her shoulders, Imogen replied, "Why not?" 

What's the worst that could happen?