Chapter: Sleepy Swan, Forks High Edition
Bella slammed the truck into park and the sudden stop jolted him awake.
His forehead slid off the window with a soft thunk.
"Up," Bella said, grabbing his wrist before he could drift back into unconsciousness. "C'mon. First day. Don't make me drag you."
But she already was dragging him—sleepy, hoodie up, bag hanging off one shoulder as he stumbled behind her like an exhausted baby penguin.
Forks High School was small. Too small. Small enough that two new students at once might as well have been a Hollywood premiere event.
People stared.
People whispered.
Bella tried to duck her head. It didn't help. At all.
Behind her, he moved so silently and sleepily that half the student body didn't notice him—hood up, eyes half-closed, blending into the background like a shy woodland creature.
They made it to the office. Mrs. Cope smiled too brightly.
"Bella Swan! And… oh! Austin, right? We've been expecting you two."
Schedules printed.
Maps handed out.
Warnings about rain boots delivered.
Bella's schedule was for a senior. His for a junior. Same lunch. Not the same classes.
She gave him a small nudge. "Try not to fall asleep in class."
"No promises," he mumbled.
She hurried off to her first class. He wandered to his, slipping into the back row seat next to Angela Weber.
She smiled politely. "Hi. I'm Angela."
"Hi," he replied softly, then pulled his hood a little lower.
Angela didn't push conversation. She returned to her notes. He appreciated that deeply.
Class passed in a blur—lectures, introductions, a teacher who mispronounced his last name three times. He stayed quiet. Half awake. Observant. The school smelled like wet grass and fluorescent lights.
Lunch
He drifted into the cafeteria late, tray in hand, eyes drooping. Bella waved him over. He sat, placed his head down on the table, and immediately—
knocked out.
Bella rolled her eyes but let him sleep. Forks High students shot glances at him, unsure if he was dead, exhausted, or just weird.
A few minutes later—
Jessica Stanley's high-pitched commentary pierced the cafeteria like a seagull shriek.
"And that's the Cullens. The blonde girl? That's Rosalie. She's—like—supermodel level gorgeous. The big guy is Emmett. Jasper's the blond one who looks like he's in pain. Alice is the tiny pixie-looking one. And Edward… yeah, the one staring at Bella? That's him."
Bella groaned. "He's not staring—"
She turned to poke her brother.
"Austin—wake up."
She yanked back his hood.
His messy black curls fluffed out. His big watery eyes blinked open slowly, dazed and confused like a startled kitten. His delicate features were suddenly very visible.
Students who hadn't noticed him earlier suddenly did.
But the most intense gaze?
Was from Rosalie Hale.
Her head subtly snapped in his direction the moment his hood came off. Her golden eyes narrowed, studying him intensely—too intensely. Not the usual disgust or annoyance she had for humans. Something sharper. Confused. Cautious.
Something about him, about the strange chakra lingering beneath his skin, about the way his presence felt wrong to a vampire's instincts—
It made her stare.
Hard.
He turned just enough to see her looking.
His sleepy eyes widened a fraction.
That's a lot of focus for 1 p.m., he thought with a tiny internal panic.
Creeped out, still barely conscious, he slowly rotated back to face the table and rested his cheek on the cool surface again.
"Bella," he whispered without opening his eyes, "someone's staring."
Bella glanced around, confused. "Who?"
He didn't answer.
Because he was already slipping back into a half-doze, hood half-off, hair a fluffy mess.
And across the cafeteria, Rosalie didn't look away.