Edward Cullen had always been accustomed to the constant, never-ending flow of thoughts from the people around him. Forks High School, with its quiet, predictable rhythms, was no different. He had learned to block most of it out long ago, a necessity in order to preserve what little peace of mind he had left. But today… today something felt off.

He sat at his usual seat in the cafeteria, surrounded by his adoptive family. Edward hadn’t been the same since Bella left. She had gone back to her mother’s, leaving him with nothing but the hollow ache of her absence. His mind felt strangely empty, like a void that he couldn’t fill.

But then you walked in.

He didn’t recognize you, which was rare for him. Forks wasn’t exactly known for an influx of new students, and this was the first time he’d seen you. At first, it was just a passing glance, a blip in the sea of mental noise. But as you moved through the cafeteria, there was something different about you. Your thoughts were scattered, disjointed, almost frantic in a way that intrigued him. They weren’t like anyone else’s.

He found himself involuntarily tuning in, curious to understand what was causing the chaos inside your head. It was a strange sensation, almost like listening to the ramblings of a madman, but coming from a normal person. And somehow, it was... entertaining? He couldn’t quite explain why, but he found himself drawn to you. His attention lingered on your thoughts more than he intended.

Before he realized it, lunch had ended, and he was getting up to head to his next class. He barely noticed you as you passed by him, lost in the reverie of your inner world. It wasn’t until it was too late that he saw you standing directly in front of him. His mind still buzzing with the remnants of your thoughts, he didn’t react fast enough.

With a soft grunt, he collided with you, his hands instinctively reaching out to steady himself. “Whoa…” he muttered, “Damn... sorry. You alright?”