CHAPTER I ―

CELLS OF MITOSIS!

Forks High School was nothing like La Push, Cassidy concluded. There were three different schools, you had your Elementary, Middle School and High School in Forks. At the Rez, there was only one school and all the grades were in the school. It wasn't exactly the biggest and there really should be a separate school built for the high schoolers, at least... but that's what Cass had grown up with. It was also the reason why she was booted over to Forks High School.

La Push High School had run out of room and instead of putting a few younger children over to Forks High, where they would adapt easier or maybe even building another school, they sent three students out of each grade to go over to Forks High School. It was ridiculous. She was only in Grade 11, just such a short time away from being a Senior and being able to graduate from High School and she wanted that to be with her brother and all her friends. Not with some random, rich folks from Forks.

Instead, here she was, standing in front of Forks High School steps, staring at the boring, grey building. It honestly looked like a prison with all the fences and how it was built. She pursed her lips. This was going to be her new life for the next two years. She felt someone run into her and almost shove her to the ground, the air forced out of her lungs as she caught herself. Cassidy glared at the girl that just sneered at her and walked away with a scoff. What a wonderful way to start off. See, Dad? Cass thought to herself, I'm already making friends.

...

The corridors were full of other students, Cassidy saw as she walked into the school. She expected more people to stare, but apparently she wasn't that important.

"Cassidy Black, right?" The brunette's head turned to see a boy, who looked about her age, an eager smile on his face. She nodded with a grimace of a smile. His smile seemed to get brighter, Cassidy didn't think that was possible. "I'm Eric, the eyes and ears of this school. Anything you need, tour guide, lunch date, shoulder to cry on?" It was all in one breathe. It definitely amused her.

"Uh, no," she could practically see the enthusiasm leave his eyes, and for a split second, she almost felt bad. "but thanks."

The boy, Eric, nodded. "Well, can I help you find your class?" He tried leaning closer to her, trying to get a look at her schedule in her hands, but Cassidy stepped back, shoving her schedule in her shoulder bag, defensively.

"Building two," she replied, not giving anymore detail. Cassidy really wasn't that open of a person. The light died out in his eyes even more, but she wasn't really here to make any friends.

"I could show you the way there," he had a bright smile on his face as he spoke.

Cassidy gave a grimace, she hoped he didn't notice. "I'll take you up on that another day," she lied, moving by him as her rejection sunk in. She knew it wasn't the best thing to be so mean, but Cassidy really didn't want to be here and she knew her attitude was showing it, but it was unfortunately too late to correct her attitude now.

...

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" Her English teacher asked her, holding her in front of the class. It was the socially appropriate form of public humiliation.

"Cassidy Black," she said quickly, lips pursed together tightly after her short answer, glaring at the man.

"Tell us something about yourself," he prompted. She raised an eyebrow. Was everyone in Forks this nosy? Sure everyone in La Push knew each other and it was once in a blue moon someone new showed up, but no one was this nosy to that new person.

"I'm one of the transfers from La Push."

With that, she didn't give him time to place her in a seat, she took one closest to the back and opened up her notebook, hearing quiet laughs around the room as she did so. Cassidy was sure there would be a personal vendetta against her after this. It seemed her attitude followed through the morning.

...

By the time lunch rolled around, Cassidy found herself sitting at a table near the windows in the middle of the lunchroom. Sure, there were a few stares, but no one was brave enough to walk up to her and say something. She was beginning to feel the stares she had been missing that morning. She pursed her lips as she ate her lunch. Her dad had packed her a nice lunch that morning before he headed out with Charlie to go fishing. God, she'd give anything to go fishing again rather than sit in the lunchroom of Forks High.

Hearing the familiar chime of her phone, Cassidy's face lit up when she saw her brother had texted her: HOWS IT GOING?? DO I NEED TO BEAT SOMEONES ASS???

She smiled to herself. Cassidy really missed her brother. She quickly began to text back: ITS GOING AND NO. MY CHARMING PERSONALITY HAS WON THEM OVER.

She knew he'd get a laugh out of that. As far as Cass knew, she made her older sister Rachel look good on her worst day when she really applied herself. She began to go through the rest of her messages when a throat clearing made her turn her head up from her phone. The person in front of her made her eyebrows raise in surprise.

He was gorgeous and not the Zac Efron gorgeous, but more than that. Beautiful. Breathtaking... and steroid filled? She frowned a little. "Can I help you?"

A goofy grin took over the boy – no, he wasn't a boy, but a man's, face. "Well, my family and I usually sit at this table, so I'm going to assume you're new?" The steroid filled man asked.

Cassidy put her phone back in her bag and nodded. "Yeah, I'm a transfer." That's all she gave. Even if his face was inviting, she didn't care.

His grin got wider. "La Push transfer, right?" He took the eyes narrowed as a confirmation. "I'm Emmett Cullen. You are?"

Sighing, she began packing up her lunch. "Let's skip the introductions. I'm a La Push transfer and I don't plan on making friends or being here long," stuffing her pack-lunch in her bag, she slung the bag over her shoulder. Her eyes caught, what looked to be, the rest of his family coming in the lunchroom. They had to be, they were breathtakingly beautiful. The blond haired girl was stunning, long legged and looked like she belonged in a magazine. The pixie-haired girl with the honey-colored haired boy next to her weren't far behind and the boy trailing behind them... he was, by far, the most attractive. Lanky, yet muscular, his bronze hair styled perfectly. His golden eyes piercing through her.

Cassidy grimaced. That was annoying, she thought. No one could be this beautiful, not humanly. "Have your table back. Nice meeting you, Emmett." With a screech of her seat being shoved in, Cassidy grazed shoulders with the bronze-haired boy and shivered at the cold she felt, she paused. He stiffened the moment she grazed him and without a look back, Cassidy continued her walk out of the lunchroom. That was more than enough for the morning. What she would give to be back in La Push.

...

Biology was a class that Cassidy dreaded. She had never been very good at Science and passed with pure luck and solid C+ most of the time. She wasn't a wonder-kid, where she could probably go to any Ivy League like her sister Rachel did. She wasn't like Jake, where his talents in sports would be more than enough to carry him to a decent college. Instead, Cassidy was average. She was mediocre in most subjects in school, the only thing she might be half decent at was art class, or at least that's what her dad said all the time.

She was one of the last to enter the classroom, cringing under the fact that everyone was staring at her as she entered the room and stopped by the teacher, Mr. Molina to hand him the sheet he was meant to sign.

"Thank you for joining us today, Miss Black!" His enthusiasm amused Cassidy. Were all the teachers like this here at Forks? So far, she was sure they were all on something to make them so happy all the time. "Please take a seat next to Mr. Cullen here." Her gaze followed his gesture towards the guy she had bumped into earlier and she clenched her jaw. It was one of the "breathtakingly beautiful" people.

She swore she saw his jaw clench and his whole body tighten up the moment she began to walk towards the desk where he sat, a clear look of disdain on his face as she sat her bag on the floor and her notebook and textbook on the table as she sat down. The tension was clear and you would be able to easily cut it with a knife if you really wanted to. All anyone talked about in this school were these "Cullen" people, she had yet to learn their names, but Cassidy was sure she really didn't care if she ever did.

Looking over at her desk partner, Cassidy flinched as she saw his eyes were narrowed, a clear look of utter hatred in his black eyes. They clearly were not going to be a good pair, she would have to see if she could switch classes. Fixing a nasty glare back, Cassidy clenched her pen tighter in her right hand and stared ahead at Mr. Molina as he announced the subject they were going to be studying.

"Cells of Mitosis!"

...

The end of the class couldn't have come sooner, and before Cassidy had a chance to get out of her chair when the bell rang, the bell hadn't even rang before Edward was up and out of his chair with a screech and out of the classroom before she could blink. She felt his glare the entire class duration and as they were taking notes for the upcoming "Golden Onion" that everyone could win on Friday, she swore he might've reached across the table and choked her.

She gathered her belongings and put them in her bag, not bothering to make any small talk with her curious peers. She really didn't care to. All she wanted was to go back to La Push and beg her dad to get the school to transfer someone else to Forks. Otherwise, she'd have no choice but to see if she could transfer to a different Biology period.

By the time she fought her way through Forks High School's hallways, where she debated hitting someone with her book bag numerous times, she entered the office in time to see her lovely desk partner arguing with the front desk lady, Karen.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cullen, but there's no way I can transfer you to any other biology's or to another subject, I am sorry." Her tone was suggesting otherwise in Cassidy's opinion... but that answered her own question of transferring to a different subject. She was fucked and would have to deal with him.

It was as if he heard her as he turned around, his eyes dark as they narrowed onto her and Cassidy glared at him. "Dearie, why don't you come over here?" It was another lady, dressed from head to toe in pink. Cassidy tried her best not to cringe at the fact.

"Whatever, I'll just learn to deal apparently." And with that, the Cullen kid was out of the room before she could blink again, the slam of the door shaking her ribs. She swore it might've been off the hinges.

"I'm glad to see you got all the signatures for your classes, was it a good first day, Miss Black?"

Looking back at the lady, Cassidy wore a fake smile. "Great. It was just great."