Exploring [PUBLIC]

Jacob grinned.

This place was awesome. And huge.
He snatched an apple from the tree he was sitting in, and bit in it, the juice trickling down his hand.
He did like this school a lot - no, a TON more than his old school.
Jacob frowned at the memory.
That stench ... uh.

He jumped as he heard voices from his right, the side of the bridge that he had just crossed.
The surprise of their voices made him lose balance.

- Wo - GAH!!" he exclaimed as he fell down, head first on the grass and the apple rolling away. " Ow."

The voices were suddenly a lot closer than he remembered.

Develia was talking with Castella, Opal, Zoey and Pearl as they walked through the Gardens, when she heard the vague sound of someone falling.

- Hey ... did you guys hear that?" she asked, frowning.

She turned around the next corner, and looked at the bridge.
It seemed to be coming from there. She walked across it swiftly with a few large strides, and stared as an apple rolled to her feet.
A boy of maybe seventeen or eighteen was on the floor in the most uncomfortable looking position, with his head on the ground, and one leg still hanging on the large branch of a tree.
She shuddered as she smelt the air.
Werewolf
She didn't have anything against them, she just hated the smell. It annoyed her.

- Do you mind me asking what you're doing? Unless you don't need any help."

Opal frowned as she turned back and saw a boy hanging from a tree.She disliked werewolves,shape shifters and similar creatures.
-If you asked me,I'd say we was eating,then heard us and lost his balance...,right?" she asked
She didn't have to read his mind to assume that,but she actually did

Castella stood behind Develia, a smile on her face as she saw his awkward position. No, she shouldn't be laughing. But how couldn't she?
The boy rolled his eyes and held out his hand for help.

Develia took a step forward and helped him up, smirking. He frowned as he saw her.

- If you don't like vampires, this is definitely not the place for you, you know."

Castella laughed at her comment.
So this guy isn't a vampire? Is he human? she thought.

Jacob glared at the two vampires in front of him.
What were they doing here?

He held out his hand, and the girl with long black hair helped him up.
Uh. She smelt awful.

- Well if this place is infested with vampires ... and thank you for your help." he frowned as he straightened his t-shirt.

Looking at the group, he raised his eyebrows as he saw the tanned girl in the middle, who had been hiding behind the one who helped him up.
Frowning again, he pushed past her and stood in front the girl.

- Hang on ... you're human?

Zoey raised her eyebrows, and marched up beside Castella, her hands on her hips.

- I'm human. I don't see you questioning me."

She stared at this guy, who looked like a human as well. If that was the case, why did he look so surprised?
Castella looked a little confused, and shy.

What's up with this guy? she thought.

Castella stuttered violently as the boy straightened his shirt and walked right up to her.
Zoey joined her, and she sensed an over-protective feeling emanating from her friend.

- ... Um ... uh ... yes? Shouldn't I be?"

She hadn't felt this nervous for a long time.
Not since her older brother Jared had nearly forced her to bungee jump of the top of the house, telling her that their mum would hate her if she didn't do it.
Luckily, one of the neighbours walked by, and stopped it before things went to far.

Develia looked at Opal, who didn't seem to be enjoying this. She didn't seem to like this guy.
She turned to him as he glared at Castella, and went to stand by her side with Zoey.

- What's up with your reaction? You're acting like you didn't know this was an all creature co-ed school." she stared.

Looking around, she could see Pearl standing blankly behind them. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

Jacob glared at the three girls standing in front of him, concentrating on the two human girls.

Are they insane?

- Are you insane? Crazy? Bonkers? You're surrounded by bloodsuckers and you act like you don't care!"

He turned to Opal. Hang on ... had she just read his thoughts.

Mind your own business, leech! he thought vividly.

-Do you think I enjoy listening to your stupid dog-ish thoughts?It happens unintentionally"
She gave him an angry look
-Plus,I'm a vegeterian...I'd never harm a human.And if the other girls couldn't control themselves,they wouldn't be in this school.They don't accept anyone here,you know "

Castella stared at Jacob, the fright in her eyes very visible.

- Look I don't see what the big deal is, like Opal said they don't let just anyone into this school." she gulped.
She smiled at Opal briefly, when she suddenly remembered the glaring boy in front of her.

Thank you!!

Suddenly, she turned back to Opal.

- Hang on ... did you just say dog-ish? Isn't he ..." she paused and looked into his eyes. " Aren't you human?"

Apparently she had a lot to learn.

-No,of course he's not!He's a...werewolf!You know,the creatures who look like humans during daytime and shape-shift into wolves at night.Creepy,huh?" she said
She couldn't even say the word.Werewolves were a bad,bad memory.A memory she had to erase from her mind
-And calm down,we won't bite!"

- Were - werewolf? You're a werewolf?" she exclaimed, nearly shouting.

This was going to be awkward. She had a severe dog allergy.
She pinched the skin of her brow, and closed her eyes.

- Werewolves and vampires ... any other creatures I should know about?"

This place was getting weirder by the minute.

Jacob frowned.
Why did she look so worried? Geez, human girls were so difficult to understand.

- You don't know about werewolves? Then what about the Warlocks, the Shape Shifters ... you seriously don't know?"

That's shocking
He took a step back from her as the girls beside her glared at him.
What was she, a defenseless rabbit? Oh, so that would make him the wolf. How appropriate.

-She doesn't.But now you're scaring her!One step at a time,okay...listen,Cass,there are many strange creatures in this school,but they won't hurt you"

She grinned

-At least as long as we're around!"

Zoey smiled.

- Opal's right - whilst we're here, you don't have anything to worry about!" she patted her friend's shoulder, then suddenly looked at him.

- Hang on ... come to think of it, what's your name?"

He suddenly took a step back, and grimaced.
What on earth is he thinking about? she thought, frowning slightly.

He jumped, suddenly remembering he had only guessed by the small hints of their names between words what they might be called.

- Jacob Moore. That settled, would the five of you have names?" he asked, his arms crossed.

He turned to the tanned girl in the middle.
Cassandra, maybe? Who cares, I'll find out soon enough! he thought.
Grinning, he decided he might like the taller of the two human girls - the pale one with curled hair. She had a snappy attitude he quite liked.

She smiled at Zoey.She liked the fact that a human could trust them so easily.Because vampires didn't have the best reputation.
She hated being a vampire.She didn't ask for it.He had to leave everything she loved behind.But now she'd make a brand new start.
"Try to leave a normal life" she told herself before leaving her home in Forks to come to this school
She let herself believe that everything was going to be fine.
But now,a werewolf was standing next to her.
Her first day couldn't get any worse.
She didn't hate them because they were werewolves.She hated them because of what they had done to her

"Opal Cullen,that's me" she replied

Looking around at her friends, she made a small wave.

- I'm Castella Merianne." she quickly added after Opal.

Castella couldn't explain the look on Opal's face as she returned Zoey her smile. Did it make any sense that she looked ... pained?
Develia grunted her name, making it sound more like she was going to attack Jacob than anything else.


- Develia."

She giggled at her attitude. Develia had to be the strangest vampire she had met, with mood swings that seemed to change every few minutes.

The thing that disturbed Develia the most, was without a doubt, how Jacob had described her.
Sure, she had never wanted to be a vampire, but still? To criticize them and assume they're all the same?
She might have liked this guy if he hadn't crossed the line like that.

- Develia." she grunted, and Castella giggled.

She seemed to find this funny?
Well, she couldn't really read her mind, so it couldn't be her fault.

Jacob nodded, looking around them.

- Opal, Develia and Castella." he looked at Zoey." What about you?"

Man these girls had weird names. Opal? Wasn't that some kind of stone?
And then ... Castella - her name kinda sounded like caster sugar.

He smiled briefly.
What's her name gonna be? Starlet? He he.

"Actually it is a stone.And remember,I'm a vampire,so my name's suppposed to be old-fashioned" she said suddenly frustrated with him

What was wrong with him?Why was it so difficult for him to accept the fact they were the 'good' ones.
We're not going to kill anybody any time soon...
So,why did he dislike them so much?Couldn't he understand it wasn't their choice to become the cursed creatures they are now?

Zoey smirked.
This guy is so full of himself ...
She stretched her arm out, her hand wavering in front of his chest.

- Zoey. Nice to meet you, Jake."

She glanced at her watch, and looked at Opal.

- Hey guys? It's already past four and we haven't been everywhere, so we'd better get going. Where should we go?"

- What about the Library?"

Develia looked at the group, then Jacob, Well, as much as she didn't appreciate his attitude, would it be polite not to invite him?

- Hey Jacob. Wanna come? Maybe you have some ideas of where we might go?"

She crossed her arms, and looked down at Castella. She frowned, suddenly noticing how small she was in comparison to the rest of them.
... she was pretty short. Nearly two heads shorter than herself, Zoey and Jacob, in fact.

Opal smiled at Develia's thought.Hasn't she noticed her?The only vampire she knew shorter than her was Alice Cullen.
-Library!Great idea..." she stopped for a minute pretending that she forgot that Jake was there
-Oh...unless you want to go somewhere else" she said