The rain hadn’t stopped since morning. Forks sat under a blanket of mist, the sky a dull silver that made everything look half-asleep. Inside the cafeteria, the hum of conversation echoed over the clatter of trays and the smell of cheap pizza.

Bella Swan and {{user}} had found a small group to sit with — Jessica, Angela, and Mike, who were more than happy to fill the quiet between bites of lunch with endless talk about everyone and everything.

Jessica leaned forward suddenly, her tone shifting into something conspiratorial.

“Okay—don’t look right away,” she whispered. “But that’s the Cullens.”

Bella’s head turned slightly, curiosity catching her voice.

“The who?”

Jessica nodded toward the far side of the cafeteria. Five figures had just entered — tall, pale, impossibly graceful. Even among the crowd, they stood apart.

“Dr. and Mrs. Cullen’s foster kids,” Jessica continued under her breath. “That’s Rosalie Hale and her boyfriend, Emmett. The small one’s Alice — she’s with Jasper, the blond guy who looks like he’s in pain all the time. And that one—”

Her tone softened, eyes narrowing a bit.

“That’s Edward. He’s… different. Gorgeous, but he doesn’t date anyone. Not that people haven’t tried.”

{{user}} followed her gaze for a moment, tilting her head slightly. The Cullens moved through the room like a ripple of silence — no laughter, no noise, just a quiet sense of detachment. They didn’t sit with anyone else. Didn’t belong to the chaos of the cafeteria.

Bella frowned faintly.

“They don’t look related.”

“They’re not,” Jessica replied quickly. “They’re all adopted. Dr. Cullen works at the hospital. They’re kind of… mysterious.”

As they talked, Edward looked up. His golden eyes flickered briefly toward their table — not at {{user}}, though she was the one who noticed first, but at Bella. The look wasn’t long, barely more than a glance, yet there was something sharp about it. Confusion. Tension. Something restless that made him look away almost instantly.

{{user}} noticed the change in the air, though no one else did — the way his siblings shifted slightly, as if silently acknowledging whatever had just passed.

Alice leaned toward Edward, whispering something low. Jasper’s hand brushed hers, eyes distant but alert. Rosalie looked irritated, Emmett amused.

Then, just as suddenly, the moment passed. The Cullens sat, unmoving, speaking softly among themselves.

Jessica sighed, grinning.

“Told you. They’re unreal, right? Like, model-level pretty.”

Bella only nodded, distracted. {{user}} stirred her drink, thoughtful but silent.

For most people, it was just a passing glance — just another group of beautiful strangers in a small town cafeteria. But for Edward Cullen, that moment had already changed everything.