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Bella was never more thankful that she had almost super speed then days when she was late for school. Well, she wasn’t actually late but she would be if she didn’t hurry. Of course Edward always drove like a maniac anyway but that was irrelevant. She wouldn’t be having this problem if she could just find her locket. “It’s on the dresser,” said an amused voice behind her.
Bella nearly jumped out of her skin. “Don’t do that,” she chastised Edward. “I’m still not used to it.” She moved around him to grab her locket which was stamped with Cullen family crest, her family now. That was what Carlisle and Esme had told her when they presented it to her on the one year anniversary of her joining the clan. She never left home without it; it had become very special to her.
“We’re not going to be late,” Edward told her, still smiling.
“I thought you couldn’t read my mind,” she snapped grabbing her book bag. She swept out of the room to hurry downstairs.
“Sometimes it’s easy to guess,” he told her.
Bella shook her head as she pounded downstairs, pausing as always by the mirror. The changes that had taken place when she became a vampire never failed to amaze her. Edward smiled at her in the mirror and kissed her forehead. “Could you please stop blocking traffic?” demanded a voice behind them.
Bella looked up to see Rosalie standing impatiently above them. “Sorry,” she said and hurried down the rest of the way.
“Oh don’t be mean Rose,” Alice said from the bottom of the steps, “You’re just as bad some days.”
“She’s right,” Esme called from the kitchen. “Besides it’s not like you’re in any danger of being late.”
“Doesn’t mean she has to stand there all day,” Rosalie said going over to Emmett.
“You listen to your mother young lady,” Carlisle said, but gently and with a smile. He and Esme came out of the kitchen. Carlisle was ready to head off to work. He kissed Esme’s cheek and looked at his children. “Tomorrow,” he told them, “We will be going hunting and that means homework must be done tonight, understood?”
“Yes, sir,” they chorused.
“Alright then. Edward, Alice, I want you two to look after your little sister as always, understand?”
“I’ll be fine,” Bella protested, even as Edward slipped a protective arm around her shoulders.
Carlisle smiled at her. “Forgive me if I worry about my daughter,” he said touching her chin. “I have to go now. Have a good day everyone.”
They all murmured their goodbyes as he headed out. Esme looked at her children. “School check,” she said standing next to the door, “Everyone has gym clothes, notebooks, books and various writing implements?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they chorused.
“Then it’s off to school,” she said with smile. Every one of them paused to give their mother a hug and kiss before going to their respective cars. Bella and Edward took their usual silver Volvo, Alice and Jasper in Alice’s yellow Porsche, and Emmett and Rosalie in the Hummer. Everyday was a race to see who could get to school first. Bella was laughing in the front seat when she and Edward pulled in next to Alice and Jasper.
“We win again,” Alice said doing a little victory dance.
“Second isn’t a bad place to be,” Edward opined. He kissed the top of Bella’s head again.
“I can not believe we lost,” Rosalie said in an almost sulky tone.
Emmett put his arms around her waist. “I promise to drive faster tomorrow, babe,” he told her.
Rosalie twisted around to kiss him. “You’d better,” she stated brightening. She entwined her hand with his and began to lead the parade in side. Alice and Jasper fell in step behind them at a slightly slower pace.
“Come on, spider monkey,” Edward sighed, “It’s time for a new day at school.”
“Oh joy,” Bella muttered sarcastically. Edward laughed as he led her into the building.
The day proceed as normally as possible. Bella sat through boring, mundane classes and dreamed about getting to hunt tomorrow. She and Alice passed notes all throughout their biology class instead of listening to their teacher. It didn’t matter; they knew all these things anyway. Plus, Alice said she had a vision of a baseball game coming up. Bella couldn’t wait to play.
They met up with Edward in the hallway as they headed to lunch. “It is tomorrow yet?” she groaned into his shoulder.
“Sorry spider monkey,” he told her, “It’s still a school day.”
“Don’t worry, tomorrow and the game will be here soon enough,” Alice said in her dreamy way.
“What game?” asked a pleased Southern voice. Jasper came up behind Alice and pulled her close.
“The baseball game that Alice saw,” Bella told him, “Apparently we girls were in the lead.”
“Oh, not a chance,” Emmett told them as he and Rosalie joined up.
“You’ll see how good we girls are soon enough,” Rosalie told him. Laughing, the six of them entered the cafeteria. Bella and Jasper both stopped right inside. Everyone could smell the new blood in the room. Apparently their school had a new student. Edward and Alice stopped to look at their respective partners.
“It’s okay,” Alice told the both of them. “You two won’t hurt anyone.”
“We’re going to look after you,” Edward added. Rosalie touched Bella’s shoulder in a show of support.
“Is it always this bad?” she asked to no one in particular. It had been awful her first day of school but now she was used to the scents of her regular classmates. This new girl shot straight to her stomach.
“It’s gets a lot easier,” Emmett told her.
Both Bella and Jasper stiffened their resolve and held tight to their partners. “Let’s get inside,” Jasper said with confidence.
Rosalie and Emmett led the procession much as they had on the way into school. Alice and Jasper were next with Alice whispering her usual assortment of comforting things in Jasper’s ear. Edward smiled at Bella as they walked. “Do you want a distraction?” he asked her.
“Anything,” she pleaded holding his waist in a death grip.
“The new girl is right over there,” he said with a nod of his head. Bella looked over and then looked away.
“Okay making me focus on the object of thirst is not a good idea,” she hissed.
“You didn’t let me finish,” Edward said in a soothing tone. “I want you to focus on the girl next to her and what she’s saying.”
“And this is going to help?” Bella asked.
“It can’t hurt,” he joked. At Bella’s grimace, he added, “Just trust me.”
Bella kissed his cheek and honed her hearing onto what the other girl, Angela, if she remembered right, was saying. “Those are the Cullens and the Hales,” she was telling the new girl. “See Dr. Cullen and his wife are like these matchmakers I guess because all their adopted kids are together. That pretty blonde girl? That’s Rosalie Hale and she’s with the big guy Emmett Cullen. The little dark one is Alice Cullen, she’s kinda weird. She’s with Jasper Hale, the one who looks like he’s in pain. And last but not least is Edward Cullen, the totally gorgeous one. He’s joined at the hip with that girl Isabella Hale; she’s pretty nice but way quiet.”
They went on to talk of other things but Bella smiled at the introduction. She liked hearing her name tagged along with her brothers and sisters. And they had called her nice which was even better.
“Still having hunger pains?” Edward asked.
“I feel somewhat better,” she admitted as they got to the table. Edward pulled out her chair and she sat down next to Emmett.
“Don’t worry,” Emmett said, “Tomorrow is nature day.”
Bella smiled at him. “Sounds great,” she said.
“You looked better as you were walking over,” Alice said, “What happened?”
“Bella just got her first family introduction,” Edward told them nodding over to the group where the new girl was.
“Oh, that’s always sweet,” her sister said in a bright voice. “Isn’t it fun to hear your new name whispered about?”
If Bella could have blushed, she would have. “It was kind of cool,” she admitted, “Also a little weird being called Isabella Hale.”
“You don’t like being related to me?” Rosalie asked with a pout.
“Rose, no one likes being related to you,” Edward teased. The table erupted in laughter, even Rosalie’s.
“I don’t mind being your sister,” Bella said, “I already am anyway. I’ve never really heard it before, you know?”
“We all feel the same way our first time,” Jasper assured her.
“Welcome to the family,” Edward said. He kissed her before turning the topic to other, less important things.
Bella snuggled against Edward and smiled at her family. Her entire life had led up to this and she wouldn’t change a thing. This was her world now, hunting and baseball and she and Edward playing in the woods. It was beyond wonderful. Tonight she would get to talk all about her wonderful day to her new father and mother and tomorrow would be hunting. She could laugh at Emmett and Edward trying to best each other, learn new skills from Carlisle and get to play around with Rosalie and Alice. No doubt about it, life was Perfect.