3 CH 3

"What a coincidence, me too!" Bella suddenly exclaimed with relief apparent in her voice "Oh, sorry to pry, but is that paint on your finger there?"

I looked to where she was gesturing in confusion, but the next moment a flicker of shock went past my eyes. My fingertip and nail were somehow the same color as the desk underneath.

Reigning in my panic I made an excuse to her, "Oh, that is nothing much. Actually, I am a car customizer as a hobby, must have been some paint left I didn't notice."

"Oh that is cool," Bella said with a smile as she went back to her books and I examined my finger secretly. After some examination, I realized that it was not just colored the same, it had the same textures, toughness, and hardness of the wood of the desk.

However, I could still feel every sensation through it, just like any other finger. Not knowing what to do, I tried wishing it would go back to normal and thought hard about it becoming normal.

Slowly, to my relief, the finger went back to normal. Clenching my fist a few times, I was glad to see it functioning normally. But why was it like that previously, I would have to check it out later?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The rest of the classes were pretty normal, fortunately, Bella had literally the same schedule as me for some reason. So I was able to partner with her for most, both of us surviving with each other's company.

She was exceptionally grateful to me in Trigonometry, she apparently hated the subject with a passion. I was able to help out for most of it and even helped distract the teacher's attention from 'hazing the new girl'.

A few of the 'confident and gutsy' boys did try to approach Bella and ignore me. But she replied to them favorably in a few words and said she will join them in the cafeteria during lunch but currently was going to stick with me.

Two boys in the group of suitors, Eric and Mike, glared at me as if I had murdered their mothers. I didn't give a damn however, I never looked at Bella in that way and I didn't care what the world thought.

At lunch, however, Bella was pulled towards Mike, Eric, and their group by one of the chatty girls that had sat beside us in Spanish and Trig.

When she gave me a pleading glance, I simply shrugged and apologized silently. Meddling in school groups was annoying, hence I bought myself a can of soda and a large pack of fries.

Searching for a good place to sit, I found a nice table and chair in the corner of the cafeteria that seemed deserted for some reason.

As I ate my fries, sensed a wave of hush moving towards me. I looked up to find that a group of six inhumanly beautiful boys and girls walking towards me.

Most of them didn't look alike, one was a dark-haired muscular guy, another a lean honey-blond loner guy, a bronze haired emo dude, a blond ice queen, a tiny over-energetic pixie, and finally a golden-haired doll with a perfect body that was looking at me with interest and intrigue in her bright golden eyes.

And that was when I noticed, the similarity between all of them. They were all pale and beautiful, skin so perfect that one could not see the slightest blemish.

Grace in their stride like a well-trained model or dancer, even with the muscular bear of a man. Their actions a bit too perfect, as if their every step was a part of a script and not a natural movement.

Their voices barely a whisper, yet still having a soft bell-like tone that was immensely pleasing to hear. And most unique of all, those golden eyes that nearly glowed.

When they had almost reached me, I noticed that they were going to sit on a set of chairs that was just barely behind me, one of the chairs even touching the back of mine.

After looking at the golden doll-like girl with some interest, I decided to mind my own business. I had enough of such high-class groups in my previous school.

They usually didn't mingle with normal people and even if they did, they usually had a weird sense of superiority.

However, a shock was waiting for me because after they took their seat, I found my chair being tapped softly.

I turned to look at what it was and saw that the golden doll was staring at me intently with one hand on my chair, which was apparently what I felt tapping it.

"Can I help you?" I asked politely

"Hi, I am Edythe Cullen," she said with a soft smile and put out her hand for a shake while the rest of her group either looked at this event in shock, annoyance, or interest. The annoyance being only from the bronze haired emo.

"Oh, I am Krishna Kalmyk," I said while shaking her hand gently. I couldn't help but notice how cool it was to touch, despite feeling extremely good to hold.

She really had an extremely beautiful face and body figure. Her golden blond hair framing her face softly, few strands sneakily lying on her brow, begging to be tucked gently.

She had big doe-like eyes with gentle brows and lashes. Her nose was small yet smooth and ended just above her pale pink lips that anyone would give their whole fortune to kiss even once.

They were followed by a cute chin and graceful full neck that connected her head and face to the rest of her gorgeous body.

"You are new around here are you not?" Edythe asked, seemingly oblivious to his gaze which was silently appreciating her.

"Yup just moved here a few days ago. Earlier I studied in a private boarding school so I am not much familiar with a public school environment." I replied

"Oh that is okay," Edythe said "Even I usually just stay with my brothers and sisters. We are somewhat of a freak show of this high school."

"Well in my opinion social interaction is overrated" I replied "Trying to fit in is the most insulting thing one can do to oneself."

"Why should someone suppress their own uniqueness and talents just because others might feel threatened by it? I say be a freak with your head held high, after all, this world is changed by freaks rather than those that just fit in."

Edythe gave a soft bell-like laugh before patting my hand softy "Thanks for that, I will remember it. Anyway, if you like I can show you around after school ?"

I glanced at her so-called brothers and sisters and found them pointedly ignoring us, though I had no doubt they were doing their best to listen to our every word. Mentally shrugging at the inevitability of privacy breach among siblings, I nodded to her proposal "Sure, that sounds great."

"Oh, would you like to inform parents beforehand that you would be hanging out with me?" she said with a teasing smile.

"No need, I am an orphan and I live alone." I replied and saw her smile disappear "It's fine though, it's been a long time since then. I have got over it."

"Oh, um... I am sorry anyway" Edythe said, "So if your parents died a long time back then who has been taking care of you?"

"Well, I had an adopted elder brother. He was a genius millionaire and took care of my studies and needs. He too passed away recently, finally leaving me as an orphan."

"I am sorry to hear that," Edythe said, "Umm… so in brighter topics, where do we meet after classes?"

"Well, I will wait for you at the gate," I told her "With my height and face it will be had to miss me."

"Yeah that is true," Edythe said with another of her laughs " I will see you later then."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Sometime later, amongst a group of six.

"What the hell was all that Edythe?" the blond ice queen was raging like a fire breathing dragon "Interacting with a human-like that, making flirty gestures, asking about their life and even offering to be a guide? Is that really the calculative quiet girl I know that used to keep Edward in line and stop him from being reckless?"

"Keep me out of this Rosalie" the bronze haired emo growled quietly "But I too will like to know just compelled you to act like that. I was in your mind but I saw no plan or thought. Your gift might dull my mind reading a bit, but not to this extent."

"Well my gift is definitely more versatile and stronger than your dear brother," Edythe said with a smirk and wiggled her fingers "After all I can do more than just read surface thoughts."

"Oh please," Edward snorted "My range for mind-reading is better than yours. And for you to read an entire history of a person you have to touch them, and most of those like us won't allow you to do that."

"Plus your dampening mind effect only works internally for you and that too just barely muting it. I can still read a lot of what goes in your mind if I concentrate." he finished with a quiet snort.

"That is all fine Edward" Muscular guy said "but don't stray from the topic. If she was not purposefully doing it then why was she doing it?"

"Because she is attracted to him like a moth to a flame, Emmett" a quiet voice emerged from the mouth of the honey-blond loner "her emotions were so strong that I barely resisted hugging or kissing Alice."

"Shh, that is bedroom talk Jas" the dark-haired pixie, Alice, swatted him playfully with a grin.

"You know that I am right here," Edythe said while rolling her eyes "Right in front of you. So you can directly ask me instead of going to Jasper or Edward."

"Alright then," Rosalie said "I will ask you then. Are you attracted to that human? If yes, then are you prepared for the inevitability that you will have to tell him what we are?"

"Yes, I understand that Rosalie," Edythe said "but you know better than most how we can't ignore our feelings. We are fixed like that, once a change has occurred. Nearly impossible to go back to before all this now."