My Bear

Chapter 1: The new kids.

Evelyn Pov

As with any typical day, I rose from bed and dressed for yet another mundane routine, excited that this would be the first time I had lived this reality.

As I stepped out of my house and donned layers of rain gear, a peculiar sensation churned in the pit of my stomach. It was my typical routine, bracing for the relentless rain on my daily journey to school. Having diligently worked through the summer to bypass my freshman year, I now find myself a 15-year-old sophomore. The extra effort invested promises an early graduation at 17, a choice I believe to be well worthwhile.

-On to school. -

As lunchtime approached, the weight in my stomach seemed to intensify. Taking my usual seat alongside my friends Jessica, Angela, Mike, and Eric, I couldn't shake the growing unease. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, carrying with it the rumors that had circulated all day. My eyes widened as I watched two couples enter the cafeteria: a tall blonde girl with an even taller, slender light brown-haired boy, and another girl, perhaps even shorter than me, accompanied by a sandy blonde-haired boy. Following them were two more boys, one tall and lean with auburn hair, and another who exuded a captivating presence—muscular, with dark brown, almost black hair. They all settled at the only available table, and the reality of the gossip hit me like a brick.

"Those are the Cullens," Jessica, the self-proclaimed queen of gossip, declared. "I heard they're all together. The blondes with the tall guy is Rosalie Hale and Maxwell Cullen. Then there's Alice Cullen with Jasper Hale, the blonde boy. Edward is the one with auburn hair, and finally, there's Emmett, both Cullens. Rumor has it, Emmett's already been asked out by ten girls, but he's turned down every single one," she concluded with a knowing tone. The mention of the Cullens piqued my interest, especially Emmett.

"I wonder if they're gay," I mused, my thoughts drifting away into space.

Angela's sudden snap brought me back to reality. "Huh? What?" I asked, startled.

"We were thinking of going to the city tomorrow to celebrate your birthday. You're only 16 for one more day," Eric chimed in.

"I'd love to. I'll ask my dad," I replied, before excusing myself for my next class, AP US History.

"Mr. Cullen, you'll sit next to Miss Swan in the back. Miss Swan, please raise your hand," Mr. Burke's voice interrupted my thoughts. I raised my hand as Emmett made his way over and took the seat beside me.

"Hi Emmett, I'm Evelyn Swan, a sophomore," I greeted, extending my hand in a somewhat childish manner.

"Nice to meet you, Evelyn Swan. I'm Emmett Cullen, also a sophomore. Can you explain what we're doing?" he asked.

"Basically..." I began, launching into the explanation. Emmett proved to be a genuinely nice person, a giant teddy bear in human form—tough, strong, yet incredibly soft and hilariously funny. I felt a quick, growing crush on the raven-haired boy, unafraid to admit it.

As the day progressed, I discovered that we shared all our classes together. It amused me slightly that he had been held back a year due to insufficient education from wherever he had come from, making him a year older than me. Despite this, we found plenty in common, from our love of sports to our family values. Emmett was undeniably brilliant, even if he had been held back.