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暮色-第4部分

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and a sense of humor didn't mix。 A few months of this and I'd forget how 
to use sarcasm。 

We walked back around the cafeteria; to the south buildings by the gym。 
Eric walked me right to the door; though it was clearly marked。 

〃Well; good luck;〃 he said as I touched the handle。 〃Maybe we'll have 

some other classes together。〃 He sounded hopeful。 

I smiled at him vaguely and went inside。 

The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion。 My Trigonometry 
teacher; Mr。 Varner; who I would have hated anyway just because of the 
subject he taught; was the only one who made me stand in front of the 
class and introduce myself。 I stammered; blushed; and tripped over my own 
boots on the way to my seat。 

After two classes; I started to recognize several of the faces in each 
class。 There was always someone braver than the others who would 
introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks。 I 
tried to be diplomatic; but mostly I just lied a lot。 At least I never 
needed the map。 

One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish; and she walked with me 
to the cafeteria for lunch。 She was tiny; several inches shorter than my 
five feet four inches; but her wildly curly dark hair made up a lot of 
the difference between our heights。 I couldn't remember her name; so I 
smiled and nodded as she prattled about teachers and classes。 I didn't 
try to keep up。 

We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends; who she 
introduced to me。 I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them。 
They seemed impressed by her bravery in speaking to me。 The boy from 
English; Eric; waved at me from across the room。 

It was there; sitting in the lunchroom; trying to make conversation with 
seven curious strangers; that I first saw them。 

They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria; as far away from where 
I sat as possible in the long room。 There were five of them。 They weren't 
talking; and they weren't eating; though they each had a tray of 
untouched food in front of them。 They weren't gawking at me; unlike most 
of the other students; so it was safe to stare at them without fear of 
meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes。 But it was none of these 
things that caught; and held; my attention。 

They didn't look anything alike。 Of the three boys; one was big — muscled 
like a serious weight lifter; with dark; curly hair。 Another was taller; 
leaner; but still muscular; and honey blond。 The last was lanky; less 
bulky; with untidy; bronzecolored hair。 He was more boyish than the 
others; who looked like they could be in college; or even teachers here 
rather than students。 

The girls were opposites。 The tall one was statuesque。 She had a 
beautiful figure; the kind you saw on the cover of the Sports Illustrated 
swimsuit issue; the kind that made every girl around her take a hit on 
her selfesteem just by being in the same room。 Her hair was golden; 
gently waving to the middle of her back。 The short girl was pixielike; 
thin in the extreme; with small features。 Her hair was a deep black; 
cropped short and pointing in every direction。 

And yet; they were all exactly alike。 Every one of them was chalky pale; 
the palest of all the students living in this sunless town。 Paler than 
me; the albino。 They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair 
tones。 They also had dark shadows under those eyes — purplish; bruiselike 
shadows。 As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night; or almost 
done recovering from a broken nose。 Though their noses; all their 
features; were straight; perfect; angular。 

But all this is not why I couldn't look away。 

I stared because their faces; so different; so similar; were all 
devastatingly; inhumanly beautiful。 They were faces you never expected to 
see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine。 Or 
painted by an old master as the face of an angel。 It was hard to decide 
who was the most beautiful — maybe the perfect blond girl; or the 
bronzehaired boy。 

They were all looking away — away from each other; away from the other 

students; away from anything in particular as far as I could tell。 As I 
watched; the small girl rose with her tray — unopened soda; unbitten 
apple — and walked away with a quick; graceful lope that belonged on a 
runway。 I watched; amazed at her lithe dancer's step; till she dumped her 
tray and glided through the back door; faster than I would have thought 
possible。 My eyes darted back to the others; who sat unchanging。 

〃Who are they?〃 I asked the girl from my Spanish class; whose name I'd 
forgotten。 

As she looked up to see who I meant — though already knowing; probably; 
from my tone — suddenly he looked at her; the thinner one; the boyish 
one; the youngest; perhaps。 He looked at my neighbor for just a fraction 
of a second; and then his dark eyes flickered to mine。 

He looked away quickly; more quickly than I could; though in a flush of 
embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once。 In that brief flash of a glance; 
his face held nothing of interest — it was as if she had called his name; 
and he'd looked up in involuntary response; already having decided not to 
answer。 

My neighbor giggled in embarrassment; looking at the table like I did。 

〃That's Edward and Emmett Cullen; and Rosalie and Jasper Hale。 The one 
who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr。 Cullen and his 
wife。〃 She said this under her breath。 

I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy; who was looking at his tray now; 
picking a bagel to pieces with long; pale fingers。 His mouth was moving 
very quickly; his perfect lips barely opening。 The other three still 
looked away; and yet I felt he was speaking quietly to them。 

Strange; unpopular names; I thought。 The kinds of names grandparents had。 
But maybe that was in vogue here — small town names? I finally remembered 
that my neighbor was called Jessica; a perfectly mon name。 There were 
two girls named Jessica in my History class back home。 

〃They are… very nicelooking。〃 I struggled with the conspicuous 
understatement。 

〃Yes!〃 Jessica agreed with another giggle。 〃They're all together though — 
Emmett and Rosalie; and Jasper and Alice; I mean。 And they live 
together。〃 Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small 
town; I thought critically。 But; if I was being honest; I had to admit 
that even in Phoenix; it would cause gossip。 

〃Which ones are the Cullens?〃 I asked。 〃They don't look related…〃 

〃Oh; they're not。 Dr。 Cullen is really young; in his twenties or early 
thirties。 They're all adopted。 The Hales are brother and sister; twins — 
the blondes — and they're foster children。〃 

〃They look a little old for foster children。〃 

〃They are now; Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen; but they've been 
with Mrs。 Cullen since they were eight。 She's their aunt or something 
like that。〃 

〃That's really kind of nice — for them to take care of all those kids 
like that; when they're so young and everything。〃 

〃I guess so;〃 Jessica admitted reluctantly; and I got the impression that 
she didn't like the doctor and his wife for some reason。 With the glances 
she was throwing at their adopted children; I would presume the reason 
was jealousy。 〃I think that Mrs。 Cullen can't have any kids; though;〃 she 
added; as if that lessened their kindness。 

Throughout all this conversation; my eyes flickered again and again to 
the table where the strange family sat。 They continued to look at the 
walls and not eat。 

〃Have they always lived in Forks?〃 I asked。 Surely I would have noticed 

them on one of my summers here。 

〃No;〃 she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious; even to a 
new arrival like me。 〃They just moved down two years ago from somewhere 
in Alaska。〃 

I felt a surge of pity; and relief。 Pity because; as beautiful as they 
were; they were outsiders; clearly not accepted。 Relief that I wasn't the 
only newer here; and certainly not the most interesting by any 
standard。 

As I examined them; the youngest; one of the Cullens; looked up and met 
my gaze; this ti

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