Twilight: But it's a Thriller and I Never Read Twilight

Chapter 2: Edward

((Trigger Warnings Listed at End of Chapter))

The sun didn't rise in Forks the morning of my first day of school. At least, I didn't feel the sun greeting me through the window as my alarm sounded against my ears. The cloud cover from the day before had not left the sky but left an echo of the rain from before. I sat up in my bed as the alarm still blared, trying to wake myself in protest of the dark sky. As I finally turned my alarm off, the sounds of the house came into focus.

Downstairs, there was a crash almost as quickly as I had settled into my half-awake state. I nearly jumped as below, Charlie let out a curse that spread through the small house. I shook myself free of any real worry and pulled myself out of bed at a snail's pace. This was going to be a good day, and I told myself that earnestly, but the world seemed to spin differently in this house than in my old home in Phoenix.

I got dressed quickly, pulling out the jeans I would have expected to have kept packed away until later months. I threw on a purple sweatshirt over it to keep myself warm. Even this house was cold. Maybe I just hadn't gotten used to it yet.

Clambering down the stairs, the smell of burnt toast became quickly apparent as well as the sound of glass pieces being swept aside. When I stepped into the kitchen, Charlie was already there with at least a half a dozen things cooking, and a plate completely smashed to pieces on the floor. Charlie was holding a broom and a dustpan before he glanced up to see me and quickly shifted on his feet.

"Stay back," he snapped, holding out one hand currently occupied with a dustpan to stop me from stepping any further. It might have been too early to laugh, but I did anyway at his blunder. Just as fast as I was laughing, he lightened up too.

"First time cooking?" I asked. I couldn't remember the last time my Dad had cooked. He always took us out to Carver's when I was here or picked up fast food to tie us over.

"I made you breakfast," he offered, motioning to the pile of pancakes on the table. "Just be careful."

I stepped around the swept up pile of ceramic, keeping a wide berth as Charlie swept it into the pan and slid it into the trash. Sitting down at the little table, which was still covered in papers and take out containers, I pulled the plate of pancakes towards myself and poured a large helping of syrup over them. They were good enough if not a little burnt, but I could hardly tell Charlie that. He was still putting together a haphazardly prepared breakfast of any breakfast food he could think of.

I ate as much of it as I could handle before I waved him off and grabbed my backpack to head for my truck. Luckily, there was no rain today, though the sky threatened it. I threw my bag into the passenger side of the truck which closed with a heavy thunk and got into the driver's seat.

She was no street racer, but the engine roared as I turned the ignition and made a loud creak as I backed out of the driveway. The drive to school was rather uneventful, and I caught the wave of students all heading into the parking lot all looking for the best space to park in the cracked and pothole ridden lot. I found a spot near the back, avoiding the crowd of kids sitting on the hoods of their cars trying to kill time before the first bell.

I got out and threw my bag over my shoulder as I locked the truck and started toward the front doors of the school, which didn't look much better put together than the parking lot. Before I could get past the first row of cars, however, I caught sight of someone far beyond.

At first, I wasn't sure what he was looking at, but it became apparent quite quickly that he was staring at me. He stood behind a car not so far from mine, as if he was trying to hide himself from view, but the car was short enough that he could see me plain as day, and I stopped, staring back at him as if it would get him to realize how creepy he was being. It didn't work and he kept looking at me with a blank expression, like he was staring at a ghost instead.