01 | FORKS |

edited: 7/9/2020

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GREEN.

That was all Rory Aden could see for miles and miles on end as she leaned her head against the car window. From the grass to the trees that were even covered in green moss, it was like entering a secret world. She had never seen the brilliant color saturating the terrain so much before in her life, the endless hue of life and nature offered her comfort from the landscape of death and tragedy she had escaped from.

The 17-year-old girl had exhausted all possible hollow attempts to occupy her mind, blasting music in her ears, reading, and sketching; which resorted her to blankly stare at the sea of trees as her mother drove them to their new home. The breathtaking views offered her a stable comfort throughout the hour and a half drive from the small Port Angeles airport, which was the nearest city to their destination of Forks, Washington.

The small town called Forks was home to a population of exactly 3,120 people and now Rory and Stella Aden. As far as the eye could tell, Forks was surrounded by miles of forests and a cover of impenetrable clouds that only perpetuated the apparent sleepiness of the town.

The further they drove into town, the more convinced the family of two were that they had made the right decision. As far as the eye could tell, like most of the state of Washington region, Forks was like an oasis in a sea of endless green; if an oasis consisted of three total intersections, two local grocery stores, and no shopping mall in a twenty mile radius. There were no towering skyscrapers or franchise stores with bright fluorescent signs. Life was profoundly ordinary and quiet.

It was perfect.

At one of the two stoplights in town, Rory watched as a group of teenagers helped an elderly woman who had dropped a paper bag of groceries. Once the people noticed the unfamiliar car, they waved to Rory and her mother welcomely before parting with smiles as the light turned green.

Everyone knew everyone, had grown up with the same people and cared for one another as a community in a way Rory had only imagined happened in books and movies and tv shows. It was a drastic change from the bright lights and fast-paced lifestyle of the busy streets of San Antonio, Texas, but it was a welcomed one too.

As far as Rory was concerned, Forks was her home for the unforeseeable future.

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"Well, this is it." Stella Aden unbuckled her seatbelt as she parked the new Range Rover—one of the few luxuries she allowed herself in the last six months—in the driveway of a modest two story home. The movers with the truck carrying the rest of their belongings and furniture would be arriving soon. The 40-year old woman whose wavy black hair had been recently streaked with grey turned her head to meet her daughter's anxious gaze. "What do you think?"

"It's great," she said optimistically.

Rory scanned the entirety of their new home, which was a lot smaller and older than their old one. The house was a soft red color that popped out especially with the million shades of green from the forest that peaked out from behind the house. A path from the front yard led to the overgrown garden in the backyard, which Rory had seen in the pictures from the realtor.

The tire swing that hung from a large oak tree brought a sudden dryness to Rory's throat when she thought of her sister who would've loved such a small detail. The teenager swallowed away the pain as she noticed a peculiar detail–the oak tree seemed to lie on both their land and their neighbor's land, which brought her attention to their neighbor. The house next to theirs was similar in design, except the wood paneling was painted white with a police chief cruiser and a rusty red pickup truck parked in the driveway.

Stella eyed the street of houses hopefully. "We should go introduce ourselves around, especially since the chief of police lives next door." As they had moved into predominantly white town, she needed to make sure there were no "accidental" misunderstandings pertaining to her or her daughter's presence in the neighborhood.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about being robbed at least," Rory snorted sarcastically, wrinkling her button nose distastefully. She was never too fond of neighbors; back in their old home, their neighbors were all too nosy and judgmental. Especially after the unforgettable winter break.

She prayed the police officer wasn't racist or anything, but it was a small town so she wouldn't be too surprised. She followed her mother to the front porch, both wanting to see the house for themselves. With bated breaths, the two stepped inside the empty house instead.

While her mother continued deeper into the house for an initial sweep, the girl stood in the middle of the main hallway; more so absorbing the fact that they had really uprooted their entire life and had planted themselves in the middle of nowhere.

In most stories, the teenager is the one who is opposed to moving to a strange small town across the country they had absolutely no connection to; but in their case, Rory's mother was the one who hesitated leaving the shambles of their life behind. Rory had stopped living weeks ago–she had no one else beside her mother, not anymore.

It had been only a handful of weeks since their world went to utter hell. Since the accident that destroyed everything–Rory's innocence, her family, and worst of all, her dear sister. Luna had copied everything Rory did, from hairstyles to favorite boy bands. They had been so close they were more like twins, only separated by 13 months of age. And now death.

Luna Aden's death had pushed the last two remaining but utterly broken members of the Aden family to seek a home elsewhere to begin again.

She was lost in her thoughts for longer than she intended as her mother appeared on the bottom stair, apparently finished with her once-over. "Your room's the second on the right side of the hallway." Stella flashed her daughter a comforting smile, patting Rory's shoulder as she passed her to make a call outside.

Rory ascended the creaky staircase to a hallway with four doors. The first room to the left was her mom's and the other was the hallway closet. On the right was a guest bathroom and finally she entered the decent-sized room meant for her. Like the rest of the house, it was a blank canvas–ivory colored walls, dark hardwood flooring, two screened windows, and a walk-in closet. There was a door connecting to the bathroom beside her room.

Wandering over to the window, she opened the blinds, unveiling the wondrous scenic view of the forest of her backyard. Something about the forest was almost otherworldly. Mysterious, even. And Rory loved mystery.

There was a marked trail route between their house and the police officer next door. She had never been much of an outdoorsy-nature girl, but maybe she would change that. Rory made a mental note to explore later as she went to help her mother bring down their things from the car and the moving van that eventually showed up half an hour after them.

The rest of their first day in Forks was spent busying themselves with organizing the house and boxes of Chinese take-out.

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The next morning was beyond rough for Rory. She had stayed up late, having a mental breakdown after midnight before her first day at a new school was just what she needed. Rory managed to ignore her alarm four times before she finally cracked her eyes open to the light-filled room. It was so bright. For a second, she was incredibly tempted to just stay home and avoid the new school in the warmth of her bed, drowning under a nest of blankets. Then the fear of being left alone with her thoughts hit her.

"Aurora! ¡Despierta, cariño!" Her mother shouted from her own room across the hall. Stella Reyes Aden was a brain surgeon who had gone through medical school, residency, and becoming an attending while raising two girls. Though her new job in the small town hospital would be definitively less hectic than before, and there was no real rush to get there, Stella was equally as anxious as her daughter to adjust to their new life.

With a groan, the teenager begrudgingly began getting ready. Digging into her duffle bag as she had yet to organize her closet, Rory rummaged through the various tank tops, blouses, and skirts apt for a Texan spring until she pulled out an outfit sensible for the dreary weather of Forks. It was a lot colder than she was used to and it would probably rain at some point in the day. She buttoned her long-sleeved cream sweater to the second to last button just above her cleavage and pulled on the high waisted denim jeans, cuffing the ends, and then sliding on new leather ankle boots and a sleek black leather jacket. She took almost fifteen minutes to slap on her face with her usual concealer, mascara, eyeliner, and blush combination. Her thick, wavy hair just needed a brush through to look nice.

Rory had always held the strong belief that first impressions were important, no matter the circumstances. Her routine also helped invigorate her with the will she needed to get through the undoubtedly overwhelming first day as "the new girl".

She slung her canvas bag over her shoulder, only filled with a lone notebook, a pencil pouch, and her omnipresent sketchbook. After a quick breakfast with her mother, struggling to eat much with her unyielding nerves, she was finally ready for her first day at Forks High.

"Excited yet?" Stella asked as she pulled into the school's lot to drop Rory off.

She planned to use her lunch break to pick her up when school ended to drop her home before returning to work. Stella had offered the car for Rory's use, but she declined. Rory wasn't much for driving these days.

Rory saw a couple of heads turn to stare at their car; evidently new people were hard to be ignored in the small town. No doubt word was out, spreading like wildfire, that the new girl had arrived. It didn't help that the sleek charcoal grey Range Rover stuck out like a thumb amongst the lot full of well-used vehicles. Well, except for the ostentatious silver Volvo parked a few cars away, probably belonging to the principal.

The brunette bit her lip and shrugged. "I'll probably end up sitting in the bathroom at lunch."

She knew that coming in as a junior in a small town high school this far in the school year was probably the most inconvenient time to try to intrude in the already formed cliques.

The students all continued to stare; she blatantly ignored them, in an attempt to ease her worsening anxiety.

Stella reassured her daughter with an encouraging smile. "You'll be fine, mi ángel—I think you will find that not to be a problem for you," she teased her, hazel eyes she shared with her daughter darting to the crowd in the parking lot; specifically, the awestruck expressions that had fallen over the male students who had captured a glimpse at Rory Aden.

Once upon a time ago, Rory had basked in that attention. With her beauty and intelligence, she had been the girl everyone wanted to be or be with. but once shit got serious, no one wanted anything to do with her.

"Yeah, I'll pass on that, mama. We both know just how well teenage boys and I get along," Rory muttered, finally opening the door and stepping out into the humid spring air. She bent down to grab her backpack from the floor, catching her mother's suddenly solemn expression at Rory's reference to their past.

"Have a good day, mi amor!" Stella smiled simply before Rory shut the door.

For a moment, she stood still in place as her mother drove off. Feeling the eyes of the whole school on her, the carefully constructed facade Rory had developed a long time ago reemerged under all the attention from the people watching her. Their attention brought out an instinctive flicker of the girl she used to be. Resting her face into cool neutrality, Aurora Aden strutted to the front doors, Fork high school's untouchable new girl.

Once inside, the attention dispersing in the fluorescent-lit halls, the persona she once welded as a former Queen-Bee weighed too heavy and she dropped it. It was exhausting to keep up such a pointless front. She had learned in the worst possible way the consequences of being the center of attention.

It wasn't long before one of her curious classmates approached her. Literally, she took one step outside the office from which she was handed her textbooks, locker combination, and other paperwork, when a teenage boy with dark, shaggy, skater boy-esque hair, and pale skin popped up in front of her unexpectedly. He smiled brightly at her like she was a brand new iPhone and he was in need of an upgrade.

"Hi! You must be Aurora Aden?" Someone clearly had way too many cups of caffeine this morning. She had never met any teenager so hyperactive at 7 in the morning. He grinned boyishly and held out a hand, "I'm Eric Yorkie."

She looked from her full arms to his extended one awkwardly. "I would shake your hand, but clearly..." She hadn't meant to sound so disdainful, but the boy, Eric, didn't seem to be too downturned by her tone. She was relieved to see he was Asian, as she had feared she would be the only person of color in the school. She cleared her throat, "And call me Rory. Not Aurora," she corrected him, grimacing at the use of her full name.

Aurora Aden had been left for dead 2500 miles away.

She wrinkled her nose as she noticed that they were blocking the hall traffic and began walking in attempt to ease the attention off of her by some margin. The destination was unknown (she had no idea where her AP Spanish class was), but it was better than being ogled in the middle of the hall.

He was amused by her correction. "Wow, it's like deja vu!" Eric laughed.

She raised her brow. "What?"

"Oh, it's just you reminded me of Fork's other new student, Bella. She came here a few weeks ago and doesn't prefer her full name either. I'll have to introduce you two," Eric explained with a gushing tone, "Oh, by the way, welcome to Forks! I meant to mention that. It's not often we get to say that around here. Not until recently anyways."

"You're kidding me. Small towns like Forks don't get a lot of new folks? I can't believe it," she remarked sarcastically.

Eric let out an obnoxious laugh, only catching more attention than before. "Front headlines, baby. Maybe the school newspaper will finally get some heat with you on the cover."

Rory rolled her eyes. "I don't do any favors for free, honey," she drawled, despite thinking she wouldn't mind helping the guy out, especially when he was going out of his way to make her feel welcome.

Eric had made it his job to be her personal tour guide, pointing out the ins and outs of the school as he helped her find her locker a few hallways down. Her hands felt uncomfortably empty without the books in her arms.

"Eric!"

Rory looked behind her to see a tall blonde boy and a shorter brunette reach them, both with wide smiles and interest-filled eyes as they latched onto her presence.

"Seems we have an influx of new girls these days." The male grinned, taking her in with outright interest in his eyes, waggling his eyebrows. "Hopefully more are to come."

"Well," Rory said, lips curled in amusement, "I heard Forks is simply the place to be these days." She had to meet this Bella girl—as a fellow outsider, maybe there was a chance for a beautiful friendship to blossom.

"Hey, guys. May I introduce you to the newest new girl. Rory Aden," Eric took special pride in emphasizing her preferred name. "Rory—Mike and Jessica."

"I know who she is, Eric," the girl, Jessica, rolled her eyes before directing a friendly smile Rory's way. "I'm the Junior class president. And the student council president. I'd say I'm a better fit to introduce her around." She tilted her head at the boy challengingly.

Rory was very much familiar with the head bitch dynamic Jessica played into considering she had done the same up until recently. She decided she was going to be great friends with the girl.

"Huh. So it's Rory? Not Aurora? Like the disney princess?" The blonde boy asked with squinted blue eyes. Rory wasn't exactly a name heard often around the most northwestern parts.

Thoughtfully, Rory really wondered how her name got passed around so quickly (some student aid in the front office was probably to blame), but she shrugged it off anyways. "Sadly, I'm nothing close to disney princess material. More of the spiteful villainess if anything."

"Ooh. Mysterious. I like it," he flirted while both Rory and Jessica cringed.

Just then, the bell rang, signifying it was time to head to class.

Reflexively, Rory followed the three down the hall mindlessly as they began complaining about their mutually hated physics teacher. Which reminded her...

"Hey, uh, do any of you know where the AP Spanish class is?" She glanced down at the schedule on top of the stack in her arms.

Jessica frowned, slightly pouting she couldn't hog the new girl anymore. "That's all the way across the school." It wasn't that big of a campus really, but it was in the opposite direction.

"Damn. I would take you but I can't be tardy to Jenkins again." Mike seemed devastated at his inability to help her. "If I get detention one more time, Coach will bench me."

"Doubtful, since your dad's store equips the athletic department, but okay," Jessica shaded him without hesitation.

Eric's hand clamped down on Rory's shoulder to her chagrin—she didn't do well with casual physical contact these days, so she nonchalantly shrugged him off. "I can do—"

"I'll take her." A bell-like voice chimed in.

The four looked up to see the owner of the new voice in surprise. They hadn't seen her arrival even though she was right in front of them.

The voice aptly belonged to a girl who seemed more pixie-like than human. She has incredibly short hair that not many could pull off and the palest skin Rory's ever seen. The girl was undeniably pretty, but Rory didn't envy her. Maybe her flawless skin though.

The group was stunned to silence as they faced the newcomer. To Rory's utmost confusion, her new friends' eyes all widened to the size of tennis balls, all while the dark haired newcomer acted as though their adverse reaction was normal, or unsurprisingly at the least.

She merely smiled kindly as if she's known Rory all her life.

"Hello, Rory. I'm Alice. Alice Cullen."