Chapter Text
My sisters and I had all been getting antsy with staying in one location, and instead of just going on trips to other places, this time we decided a move to another location, for a few years at most, was the right way to handle it.
After a call to Carlisle, we’d begun packing and planning for a move to Forks, Washington. Carmen and Eleazar would be staying here, at least for the time being, but they’d come visit us every few months. Our ‘cousins’ would be letting us use their home in Forks, so we didn’t have to worry about finding one there, though I did plan to find a condo or something in Seattle or near it.
My sisters were both on board with that idea, as it would allow us the chance to find bed warmers without risking running into them in the small town we’d be living in. It would be helpful for hunting further out, as well as shopping, too. We own a few properties in other countries that are either rented out or kept up, but so far, the house in Alaska was our only property on this side of the country, and all three of us wanted to change that.
It took us a month to pack, move, and settle in. I’d flipped back and forth between opening a mechanic shop and teaching for a few weeks before settling on teaching. If it didn’t work out for me, I could switch it up after the school year was up.
It was something I’d done in the past, and though things had changed, teaching was simple, for me at least. It wasn’t something my sisters thought I could handle, but I’d show them otherwise. Who cares if I make History sound more interesting for the teenagers I’d be teaching? It might just get them to pick a career that involved History.
Irina had considered teaching as well, but she didn’t want to do the same thing as me, and especially not in such a small town. Instead, she decided to open a clothing boutique. She’d be making the majority of her own things, with Tanya and I helping when she needed it.
Tanya had originally planned on being a teacher, but when I decided on doing that, she decided to build a wood carving business. It’s something she’d done before and was good at, but never on this scale before. Being able to ship her finished work all over the world was part of the draw, she’d explained, but I didn’t care what she did as long as she was happy doing it.
Any degrees or certificates we might need, we could get forged. A quick phone call to Alice directed us to the Cullen’s local fabricator, and in no time at all, we had all the necessary documents for our lives in Washington. Business licenses were a little trickier, but still something that Jenks could handle, luckily.
By the end of the first year in Forks, we were all settled into our new careers, and had a condo near downtown Seattle, in a neighborhood called Pine Hill. It wasn’t extravagant, at least, not by our standards, but all three of us had our own bedrooms there, and there was a bedroom for Carmen and Eleazar to share, when they came to visit.
The condo was a penthouse, with a private elevator, allowing us to come and go more easily. Windows covered every outside wall, giving us 360 degree views of the surrounding area, and because we were so high up, we didn’t have to worry about neighbors as much. We could still smell and hear them, of course, but it was easier to ignore when the sounds of the city were close enough to listen to, when we wanted.
Just before Christmas time in my second year of teaching, rumors started flowing through town about the Chief of Police’s daughter moving back to town after the New Year. Normally, the gossip travelling around the small town was something I ignored, but in this case, I couldn’t help but pay attention to all of it. I had no idea why I felt the need to do that, but I did it anyway, and didn’t tell my sisters about it; I don’t share everything with them right away, and this felt like one of those things, for whatever reason. Some were obviously nonsense, but I mentally filed all of them away to compare them to the teen when she got here.
The chances of my being one of her teachers was fairly decent, as I teach all levels of History, though there is another teacher for the subject, as well. Forks High doesn’t have a very large student body, but it’s big enough to need at least two teachers per subject.
With the winter break over, the first day back on campus is a mixed bag of emotions for most teens. They’re happy they got a break from school, and some are happy to see their friends again, but I can tell not many of them want to be here. I take it easy that Monday, collecting assignments from everyone then doing a verbal exam that is more fun than work. It won’t count towards their grade, beyond participation, but I know I need to keep them engaged while they’re in my classroom.
During the lunch break, I spend my time in my classroom, grading assignments I’d collected during my morning classes. The less I have to handle later, the better, and I can leave them here to give back tomorrow. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to grade the afternoon assignments after school, and spend my evening doing far more enjoyable things.
My second class after lunch brings Bella Swan to my classroom. I can smell her before she even comes into my classroom, and I find myself gripping my knees under the table. The furniture around me can’t withstand the pressure I use when I force myself to stay seated, and I can hear it cracking under me, but I don’t react to it. Instead, my eyes dart to the doorway, though my face is aimed at my desk so I’m less likely to get caught staring by a student. Some of them are far too observant for my liking.
From under my eyelashes, I watch as Bella Swan stumbles into my classroom, due to a student in the hall accidentally bumping into her just before she’d stepped through the doorway. I know my attendance sheet says Isabella, but all day I’ve heard students referring to her as Bella, and I fully intend to follow suit. All of my students are called by their first name, unless I need to clarify who I’m speaking to, or one of them does or says something that school rules say needs punishment.
Down the hall, a student is listening to music as they head to their class, and though I don’t hear much of the song, I recognize it with ease. It starts playing on repeat in my head, and will continue doing so for several hours to come.
My eyes are locked on Bella as she moves to my desk, and I struggle to move one of my hands to take the slip of paper she’s holding out for me. It lands on my desk as my other hand searches for a pen to sign the slip. Quickly, I sign it, then hand it back, my eyes never leaving Bella’s face. She doesn’t appear to notice my staring, and turns to go find a seat.
When the bell rings, it draws me out of my head and my eyes flick around the room. “Alright class, please pass your assignments forward and write down your homework, I’ll begin the lesson in five minutes.” I tell them, something I’ve been saying at the beginning of each class. It’s the easiest way to handle it, and while they get out and pass their assignments forward, I take attendance.
Five minutes later, I have the stack of assignments on my desk, and I stand to begin my lesson. This period is covering the World Wars currently, and I give them the perspective of a soldier. I didn’t fight in either war, though my sisters and I did donate food, clothing and other supplies to the war efforts.
Tanya had banned me from joining wars and battles once cannons were common. They might not hurt us long term, but it would be a lot harder to hide that I wasn’t human if a cannon ball hit me. Either way, it wasn’t worth the risk, so I’d stopped being involved in human battles long ago. That didn’t stop me from observing though, and I knew things that weren’t in government approved History books.
Only a few students ask questions, and by the end of the lesson, I feel much more relaxed than I did at the beginning of it. The bell ringing interrupts me from asking another question, and I remind them of when their homework is due as they all file out. I’m not sure whether I’m surprised or not when Bella Swan lingers near my desk.
My eyes lock on her face again, but I force myself to blink a few times a minute and seem more human, this time. “I hope you’re liking Forks High so far, Bella.” I murmur. “If you have any questions about the homework, I’m usually in my classroom for thirty minutes to an hour after the last bell, and I can help with other subjects as well, if need be.”
I’m well aware that some teachers would prefer me sending their students to them if they’re having issues with assignments from their class, but I also know that some students prefer talking to someone they can connect with, and if I can be that for them, why would I turn them away? I got into this to teach, not just History, but anything a student needs help with.
A thoughtful look crosses her face as she nods, and she lingers for another few seconds, then hurries out when students for my last class of the day start wandering in. Biting back a sigh, I do my best to relax in my chair, but my mind is going a million miles a second, while that song continues playing in the back of my mind.
By the time the final bell rings, it’s all I can do to not go searching for the brunette that is luring me in with her scent and presence, intentional or not. On autopilot, I begin grading the assignments I’ve collected over the course of my afternoon classes. My classroom door is unlocked in case any of my students have questions, but there’s only one I want to see, even if I know it’s probably not a good idea.
Humans all smell good, most of the time, but Bella? She smells exquisite in a way few others I’ve come across have. Even still, there’s something… different… about her, and I can’t wait to unravel the mystery before me. My sisters will likely be upset with me for it, but I can’t bring myself to care, not right now. I’m drawn to her, and if my instincts are right, there’s a very specific reason for it.
Bella may be a minor according to human laws, but she won’t be for much longer, and I could use the next year and a half to get to know her, then once she’s graduated, start to get closer to her. We’ll be on more even footing then, so to speak, and it won’t be that strange for a former student to be getting coffee with one of their high school teachers, surely? As long as I keep firm boundaries until she’s no longer a student here, I can be in her life and not cross boundaries.
I’m sure if Tanya knew of my thoughts, she would either admonish me, or suggest we leave until the girl is of legal age. Neither is something I want to happen, so for now, I’ll just keep my thoughts to myself. Luckily for me, neither of my sisters has the gift for mind-reading, like Edward Cullen, or heaven forbid, Aro.
I’ve finished the first two classes worth of assignments when my classroom door opens, and instinctively, I inhale to figure out who it is. Bella Swan. I freeze for a moment, then my eyes dart to her and I give what I hope is a relaxed smile in her direction.
“Did you have a question about your homework, Bella?” I ask, my hands still on top of the desk. I’ve been using Vampire speed to get through marking assignments, and I can’t do that with a human in the classroom.
My eyes watch her closely as she approaches my desk, a binder and books pressed to her chest with one arm, while her other hand holds one strap of her backpack. I can hear the stitching on it protesting, and it’s all I can do not to tell her she needs a sturdier one if she’s going to fill it with so many heavy books.
Her head shakes as she comes to a stop just in front of my desk, and she shifts on her feet, then the binder and books get switched to her other arm. “Actually, I was hoping to get a copy of the syllabus for your class? I’m not sure if you have one, but if you do, I’d like a copy so I can make sure to have the right reading material on time.” She requests, and I find myself nodding before I can stop it.
If you ask any other student, they’ll tell you that I don’t have a syllabus, but for Bella, I’ll make one, and do my best to stick to it. The Principle is rather lax on such things, and as long as the text is being used and we cover certain topics, we’re mostly free to work as we see fit. I don’t say any of that, though.
“I’ll have one ready for you by lunch tomorrow. You could come by my classroom and we can go over it together then, if you’d like? I’m sure it’s not easy switching schools in the middle of the school year like this, much less being in a completely different state with different graduation requirements.” I tell her, and the smile she gives me in response lights up the room so well I could have sworn the sun had come out from behind the clouds.
A bit dazed, I add “I’ll even have a list of recommended reading for you, to supplement what the text says. I cover the topics I need to from it, but I rarely assign work based solely on what it says. Most students find it dry and boring, which History isn’t. I want students to walk out of my class thinking, not falling asleep from boredom at their desks.”
I’m not even fully aware of what I’m saying in the moment, though my words are what I truly think about things. Bella is nodding along, anyway, a thoughtful look on her sweet face.
Whenever I imagined finding my Mate, I never thought it would be in this kind of situation, or that they would still be human when I found them. To find my Mate while they’re still a teenager, and one of my students? Yeah, not something I would have ever imagined. Bella Swan is my future, and I’ll wait for her to be old enough for me to pursue, no matter how difficult it is.
I’ve already heard a few boys ask her out, and I’m sure eventually she may give one or two a chance, and I’ll just have to stand back and watch it all unfold. Unless she identifies as a lesbian? I ask myself, and the idea definitely holds some merit. I consider myself to be bisexual, because I knew it would be more about who my Mate was, and not what gender they were.
“That works great, Ms. Denali.” Bella replies happily, and I smile gently at her.
“Bring your lunch with you, so you can eat while we go over it, alright? I don’t want you to skip lunch when you can just eat in here while we work.” I tell her, and get another nod, then we say our goodbyes.
The rule for having a student in your classroom outside of official class periods is to leave the door open, but I have no problem with that. Nothing untoward will be happening tomorrow. Or at all, until Bella Swan has graduated. I can’t risk the scandal. Pictures would show up in newspapers, even if I tried to avoid it, and the Volturi would become involved.
No, I can’t allow that. I don’t want to lose her before I’ve even truly had her.