ANGELA

Ahh. The Cullens. Everyone knows about them--and everyone has crushed on one of them. The cheerleaders love Emmett--but don't dare speak of him if Rosalie is even in the room. That doesn't stop them from brushing against his firm arm in the hallway and wishing he would play football so they could scream his name in the stands.

The quiet girls love Jasper. He's quiet, they are, too--perfect match. They secretly wished that Jasper would dump Alice and fall in love with them…play an instrument outside their window…be the best dancing partner at prom. Sadly, Alice and Jasper never fought.

Everyone else--and others, too, loved Edward. Not one girl at Forks High could say they weren't crushing on anyone at the time. If you ever did, people just assumed that you meant besides a Cullen. I'll admit that my heart will flutter whenever a Cullen guy is around. It's reflex.

I remember gym. I had Alice, Jasper, and Emmett. In my class. Three Cullens doing everything impossibly graceful in physical fitness? Nightmare. And getting put on a Cullen's team? First you're blissful, then frightened. Volleyball; Susan Pike and I were against Alice and Jasper. At least there was no looming Emmett.

So Susan and I were like deer in headlights as Alice danced up to serve. Jasper was watching her--not his opponents. They were so achingly perfect.

Alice plinked the ball nicely to me; very innocent., and I try to get over my Cullen gawking to return it. To Jasper? Great. His return is totally normal and unintimidating--bless him--but Susan misses. She wasn't quite as skilled in shaking off our competition's grace as I was. Alice daintily high fives him and switches positions.

Jasper only called the scores; Alice just giggled the whole way. You couldn't help but envy them. Ahh, the bell. The sound of angels.

The Cullens keep to themselves, but I've seen girls try hard just to get a word in. I once watched Lauren drop her binder right at Edward's feet so he'd politely retrieve it--just to turn his heel and be off a second later. Someone would ask Emmett for a pencil. A girl will touch Jasper's pinky while passing him a paper. Someone'll actually work up the courage to tell Rosalie how cool her jacket is. Alice will be asked in nervousness for fashion advice--very casual, however.

Edward got the most love letters and MORP invites, of course. No one would ever come between a Cullen couple--but Edward was free game. Once he was my partner for an English exercise, and I will admit that I became bigheaded when he complemented my adverb usage. Every girl believes she has a chance for a while. But, it passes.

The best you could possibly so is befriend them--and that's just as rare. The jocks would pass Emmett the football in the cafeteria--a clear invitation (it's odd to see the most popular guys seeks acceptance), but he will always pass it back, grinning brightly, and lean in to Rosalie. The coaches would relentlessly go to Emmett with football, lacrosse, basketball…you name it--flyers, hoping he could win a trophy for the dinky little Forks team. He would never get back on the requests.

Jasper and Edward joined band once--but for a short time. Many people just thought they were odd--but many others would try to peek at Edward's pianist fingers and Jasper's strumming skills, despite what they gossiped about at lunch…about how odd they were. Too many girls had to be shooed away for dilly dallying between classes and on bathroom runs that they signed out, to the band teacher's dismay.

Alice was different. She was very open--but somehow got the "weird" label. When spoken to, she'd respond kindly, but didn't really get more interactions. She and Rosalie intimidated everyone.

I had two other 'Cullen classes'. English with Edward, then Rosalie and Emmett in Health. Rose and Emmett often just whispered to each other, were never caught off task, and received A's. The sat behind me, and I could sometimes catch them holding hands, brushing eacother's cheeks, and close intimate whispers. It was almost like their high school relationship was oddly mature.

The Cullens had everything that was great in life. The couples has love, then cars, money, looks…the list is long. It seemed like the Cullens only interacted with others because…they had to. You'd complete a project with one of them, the bell rings, you turn around and they are out the door already. You could be offended--but couldn't expect sympathy. Everyone was treated the same.

In gym one day, the teacher was picking partners for us at random--apparently people were clinging to the same partners repeatedly. It was obvious that the Cullens stayed close--but Emmett was usually the odd man out--could be for the better since he is such an open, funny guy.

Well, today I was paired with Alice Cullen. What other partner had she ever had besides her 'beau' Jasper? Today was fitness day--push ups, sit ups…that stuff. And I had to be holding Alice's feet and counting her flawlessly executed exercises? I was automatically intimidated, but shook it off when she danced over. Jasper stood from afar, his tawny eye glistening with a loss that seemed beyond his eighteen years. I wanted to relieve them both--I'd take Jasper's partner, Ellie Crowley. She must've been unable to think straight--she was staring unmoving at his bicep bulging beneath his clean, white P.E. uniform. Emmett was nearby--with some jock he was at least familiar with.

"Hey, Angela." Alice's eyes were slightly gloomy, like Jasper's And why not? Of course I wasn't offended by her wanting to be with him. I was after all, and average P.E. partner.

"Hey Alice. Ready for fitness day?" I tried to be casual. She seemed to perk up or pull herself together.

"Sure am."

Alice did her sit ups, but it was like she wasn't even trying. Every now and then she's wipe a hand across her forehead and loudly chime, "whew!" but she wasn't glistening with a drop of sweat. By the end of the day, she'd still gotten in five more that me.

MIKE

Ask anyone. The Cullens were freaks. Maybe not so much Alice or Rosalie--they seemed nice enough; I'm talking about the behemoth, "Mr. Sensitive," and the loner. Loner from his own family, even, because he didn't have a girl to constantly mack on. Ok, yeah--Emmett could be the star quarterback and the most perfect prom king, but Jasper and Edward? It's like they're always wallowing in self pity--though they are rich and envied. Pale, quiet, seemed like Goth behavior to me.

The guys are circus freaks, but the girls are somewhat normal. Alice has said hi to me a total of six times--she was a cutie. Rosalie once asked for a spare pencil, and every guy in the room turned to gaze at me in envy. At least the girls interact. Once in P.E., Jasper caught the ball and made a goal--and I gave him the false punch on the arm, you know? He stared at me like I'd just called him a freak to his bone white face--not a joker, that guy. His eye twitched and he stiffly walked away. It wasn't a real punch, why the hostility. I'd gone over to Angela, both of us shrugging at his odd behavior.

So many people wanted to be with the Cullens--and so many were subtly rejected. They took on an arrogant lifestyle, it seemed to us all. Like they were better. We were peasants and they were royalty at Forks High. Not going to happen.

I changed the subject when a Cullen rose in it--but partook in bashing the Cullen guys secretly. How could you have no friends but your siblings, but still be feared and envied? It seemed like I used to despise the Cullens, because they took every girl on campus to fantasy island and daydream land--and people finally gave up. Edward was the only available one anyway, and he spoke next to never.