"Ash's POV'
Forks High School wasn't as dull as I expected.
That wasn't to say it was exciting, but between the constant stares, the hushed whispers trailing after me, and the unshakable feeling of being watched, I hadn't had a moment to breathe.
It wasn't just the regular students either.
Even they were watching me.
The Cullens.
Or, more specifically—Alice.
I felt her gaze on me in every hallway, every classroom. A silent pull, an unspoken weight that kept dragging my attention toward her despite my best efforts. I told myself it was just the mate bond, just an instinct I could fight.
But I was losing that fight.
Badly.
By the time lunch rolled around, my head was already throbbing from the sheer amount of attention I'd been getting. I just wanted to get through this day without more complications.
That was when Jessica Stanley found me.
---
I had met her in my morning class—history, if I remembered correctly.
She had slid into the seat beside me without hesitation, a confident smile already in place. "So, new guy, huh?" she had said, twirling a strand of her dark hair between her fingers. "Ash Nightsun, right?"
I nodded, already sensing where this was going.
Jessica wasn't subtle.
"So," she continued, leaning in slightly, "where are you from? You definitely don't look like you're from around here."
"Out of state," I answered vaguely.
Jessica's smile widened. "Mysterious. I like that."
I barely held back a sigh.
She spent most of the class attempting to flirt—compliments, casual touches, questions designed to steer the conversation toward her. I answered when necessary, but I didn't encourage it. Still, she wasn't discouraged.
When the bell rang, she looped her arm through mine as we walked out. "You should sit with us at lunch," she said, her tone light, but her grip firm. "You have to meet everyone."
I could have refused.
Should have.
But blending in was important. And Jessica was a gateway to the social structure of Forks High.
So I let her drag me along.
---
Then I walked into the cafeteria.
And everything stopped.
It was immediate.
A sudden, deafening silence.
Every conversation died mid-sentence. Every movement stilled. It was like someone had pressed pause on the entire room. Dozens of wide-eyed stares locked onto me, expressions ranging from awe to outright disbelief.
I had seen this reaction before.
I should have been used to it.
But this—this was worse.
I moved forward, pretending not to notice the way heads turned, the whispers that started rising around me.
"Who is that?"
"I swear I've never seen anyone that—"
"He looks like a freaking model."
I clenched my jaw, keeping my expression neutral. This was exactly the kind of attention I didn't want.
Then, thankfully, a voice called out.
"Ash! Over here!"
Jessica.
I turned toward her, grateful for the excuse to move, and saw her waving me over to a table already filled with students.
I hesitated, but only for a second.
Blending in was important. Avoiding attention was important.
So I made my way to her table.
That was when I made my mistake.
Because the moment I sat down, I realized exactly where her table was positioned—directly across from the Cullens.
Alice hadn't stopped watching me.
And I knew, without a doubt—this was only the beginning.
---
Jessica wasted no time leaning in. "So, I'm guessing you've already noticed them," she said, tilting her head toward the Cullens' table. "They're kind of a big deal here."
I followed her gaze.
The Cullens sat together, perfectly composed, their presence effortlessly commanding attention. There was something surreal about the way they moved—graceful, too still, too perfect. They weren't like the rest of us. That much was obvious.
Jessica's voice lowered. "That's Edythe Cullen—the one with the bronze hair."
My breath caught.
Edythe Cullen.
That wasn't right.
I knew this story. I knew who was supposed to be sitting at that table. There was no Edythe Cullen in the version I remembered.
There was only Edward.
So what the hell was going on?
Had I been wrong from the start? Was this world different from the one I thought I knew?
The Twilight world I had thought I understood wasn't exactly the same. The existence of Edythe Cullen changed everything.
Before I could process it, Jessica kept talking. "She's kinda intense. Super smart. And she's with Jasper Hale—the blond guy sitting next to her."
Jasper.
Our eyes met.
Something passed between us—an unspoken recognition. Not in the sense that we had met before, but something deeper. A connection neither of us could explain. He didn't flinch, didn't look away. Just studied me for a long moment before finally turning his attention back to Edythe.
So they were together.
Jessica, still oblivious to my inner turmoil, kept going. "The big guy? That's Emmett Cullen. And the blonde next to him is Rosalie Hale. They're a couple too."
Jessica turned to the last members of the table. "And that's Edward Cullen."
I stiffened.
There he was.
Edward Cullen sat at the end of the table, his golden eyes flicking toward me just for a second before turning away.
His expression was unreadable, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the slight furrow in his brow. He looked frustrated.
Like something was bothering him.
Then it clicked.
He couldn't read my mind.
That knowledge sent a ripple of satisfaction through me.
Jessica continued, "He doesn't date. Kind of a loner. People have tried, but he's never shown interest in anyone."
Then Jessica turned to the last person. "And then there's Alice."
I froze.
She and Edward are the only two who are single in their family.
"She's kind of weird," Jessica added with a casual laugh. "And she has no friends."
I don't know why but after knowing that she was single a sence of relief washed over me but after hearing the other sentence.
Something inside me snapped.
Weird?
A sharp, burning irritation surged through me, sudden and uncontrollable. My jaw clenched. My fingers curled into fists beneath the table.
I barely controlled myself.
Alice was still watching me.
And I knew—she had heard every word.
---
"Alice's POV"
The moment I first saw him, the world shifted.
I had seen glimpses of him before—flashes of white hair, of piercing blue eyes. But seeing him in person, it was like every vision before had been pale in comparison.
He was mine.
I had waited for this moment.
But then, Jessica happened.
I had to sit through an entire lecture watching that girl throw herself at him. Her constant attempts to touch him, to capture his attention.
It was infuriating.
I clenched my fists under the table, my jaw tight. I had never felt anything like this—this sharp, burning sensation curling in my chest.
Jealousy.
And it was unbearable.
By the time lunch came, I was already in a bad mood.
Edward was also in bad mood From the time Ash entered because he was not able to hear Ash thought and this was frustrating for him.
As we were listening to jessica's introduction of us in a unique way. At Edward introduction. Edward looked at Ash for a brief moment .
Then Edward sighed, his voice low and frustrated. "I still can't hear his thoughts. And it's driving me insane. Alice's mate is a complete mystery.
At that I smiled slightly at least someone had privacy from his habit of mind reading.
I just started to think about a way in which I can approach him.
Then I heard Jessica's words.
The words stung more than they should have.Ash Nightsun sitting in the cafeteria, across from me, his expression carefully composed but his emotions raging beneath the surface. The way his hand tightened on his fork when Jessica spoke. The barely controlled anger in his eyes.
I wasn't sure what I had expected when Jessica talked about me. Maybe indifference. Maybe just a passing comment in Ash's mind before he dismissed it.
But instead, I felt something sink inside me.
"Weird and friendless ."
I had always known how humans saw me—strange, unpredictable, different. It never really mattered before. But hearing it now, in front of Ash, something about it hurt.
I dropped my gaze to my untouched tray, forcing my expression to stay neutral.
But then, Jasper leaned in. "Ash was furious," he murmured. "He barely stopped himself from snapping."
I blinked.
Furious?
Warmth bloomed in my chest.
I smiled.
Ash Nightsun cared.
He was fighting the bond.
But I knew how this would end.
He was mine.
And I was his and this fact was unchangeable.
----
END of chapter 5