high school is kind of boring really

[self_composed]

School plods along. Bella is native-quality fluent in Spanish, professor-level at math, well and thoroughly versed in the workings of the United States government, capable of doing actual independent research projects in biology, and she's been speaking English since she was one. Alas, these skills only make classes easier for a short time. After the novelty wears off they're just tedious. Bella winds up squaring her homework done more often than not so she can work out the kinks in her design for telekinesis, or play music, or attend soccer practice, or write little computer games, or read, or just fly around. This works out fine. Magic is pretty good at homework.

She winds up not attending most of the dances, but she does want to go to the end of year one, as she will be leaving Forks High School forever and it has some good points. Alice promised her a dress...

Comments

[self_composed]

"I sent you a picture of me in mine," Bella says. "He made it for me."

"Goodness! I would never have guessed it was homemade - so carefully done, you must be so proud of yourself," says Renée.

[edgeofyourseat]

"I really, really am," he says happily. "I just love making pretty things, you know?"

[self_composed]

"Well, maybe you'll grow up and you'll be a famous designer," declares Renée, as the food arrives.

Bella swipes one of Alice's shrimps.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Go right ahead," he tells Bella fondly.

To Renee, "Maybe I will! That would be kinda awesome."

[self_composed]

"Wonderland Designs," says Bella, gesturing and starting on her own food.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice giggles and starts devouring shrimp.

[self_composed]

Dinner concludes pleasantly, and Renée asks Alice if he has somewhere else to be or if he'd like to come see the house.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Nah, I'd love to!"

[self_composed]

So they all go to Renée's house. "Are you from Forks originally, Alice?" Renée wants to know.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Nope," he says. "I grew up in New York."

[self_composed]

"Ooh, New York. I've been there just a couple of times, but isn't it a lovely city?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"It's pretty great," he acknowledges, although the highlights he thinks of are probably not things he should tell Renée.

[self_composed]

"I saw Cats there, and I tried authentic New York cheesecake from a precious little shop, and went up the Empire State Building and saw the Statue of Liberty... Why did you move? To Forks of all places?"

[Mom doesn't like Forks much,] Bella says.

[edgeofyourseat]

"You know, I don't think I've ever had authentic New York cheesecake," Alice muses.

[How much should I lie about why I moved?]

[self_composed]

[Lying's unnecessary - just omit. "My parents were looking for someplace quiet and out of the way", like that. She won't pry, she'll move on.]

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice slightly makes a face. [Yeah, that's lying.]

Which for some reason he doesn't feel like doing right now, but he also doesn't feel like dumping the whole actual truth on her.

[self_composed]

[Well, why did they pick Forks and not Kalamazoo?] Bella asks. [That reason, whatever it is, will be satisfactory, even if I didn't guess it right.]

[edgeofyourseat]

He doesn't know that reason. And even just saying 'my parents' sounds like a fundamental misrepresentation of his life, to a degree that makes him uncomfortable.

[self_composed]

[Then say you don't know; that's fine too,] soothes Bella.

[edgeofyourseat]

He shrugs, which is probably close enough.

[self_composed]

Renée, as promised, doesn't pry. "It's a dreary little town," she remarks. "Safe for children, it has that virtue - but I'm glad Bella's going off to school somewhere more interesting, even if going to Forks was up to her to begin with."

[edgeofyourseat]

Safe for children.

He can't help it; he grins.

(He doesn't believe in safety, but he believes in Bella.)

[self_composed]

[She's mostly just referring to the low crime rate,] Bella says.

They pull up to the house and Renée bustles into it to show Alice all the rooms, as she showed Bella hours before.

[edgeofyourseat]

"It's so little and cute!" he says, laughing.

[self_composed]

"It's just perfect for me and Phil," says Renée. "Even if he's out of it most of every year."