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Sunnydale AU: first day
Feb. 26th, 2011 12:26 pmBella Swan's first day at Sunnydale High has been fairly unremarkable so far. She's gotten some attention as a new kid, but not much - Sunnydale isn't as big as Phoenix, but it isn't tiny, either. People move here often enough. It's also the first day of the school year, and students are clearly more interested in catching up on things that happened over the summer and figuring out their schedules. Bella, having never been a new student before, had been uncertain of how much attention she should expect, and this outcome suits her just fine.
(There also haven't been many people making the connection between her last name and their chief of police. Bella is proud of Charlie and the job he does, but to hear him tell it, she's the only one in Sunnydale who is. And she has to admit to herself, in the interest of truth, that she had been apprehensive about the negative social attention that could net her if Charlie isn't exaggerating.
to-hack: prioritize pride in Charlie over social self-interest.
She knows, even if other people don't, that Charlie has done everything he can to address the massive flaws in the Sunnydale police department ever since his promotion. That's an important thing to be proud of.)
She hasn't been wandering the halls alone and awkward, either. She has been to Sunnydale before on previous visits to Charlie, after all, and he'd made a habit of scheduling things for her to do during the day while he was at work. She'd been less interested in scheduled activities the past couple of summers, but she still sees a few familiar faces in the hallways, and their owners recognize her too. In English class, just before lunch, she runs into Jessica Stanley. She and Jessica hadn't exactly been friends last year, but they'd met through a mutual friend (who has moved away since; Bella reminds herself to reply to Angela's last email soon) and liked each other well enough; Bella had noted that Jessica had an excellent ear for gossip and an equally good knack for acquiring and remembering same.
Jessica invites Bella to join her and her friends for lunch. Bella is glad to accept, pleased both for the chance to turn acquaintance into a new friendship and to avoid the classic high school movie image of gripping her lunch tray and looking awkwardly for a place to sit.
Jessica's friends are friendly and welcoming, and Jessica's ability to gossip is exactly as Bella remembers it to be. Bella has never judged this negatively, and doesn't do it now; gossip is information, and sitting with Jessica ensures that Bella will be the best-informed new student in Sunnydale High by the end of lunch.
(There also haven't been many people making the connection between her last name and their chief of police. Bella is proud of Charlie and the job he does, but to hear him tell it, she's the only one in Sunnydale who is. And she has to admit to herself, in the interest of truth, that she had been apprehensive about the negative social attention that could net her if Charlie isn't exaggerating.
to-hack: prioritize pride in Charlie over social self-interest.
She knows, even if other people don't, that Charlie has done everything he can to address the massive flaws in the Sunnydale police department ever since his promotion. That's an important thing to be proud of.)
She hasn't been wandering the halls alone and awkward, either. She has been to Sunnydale before on previous visits to Charlie, after all, and he'd made a habit of scheduling things for her to do during the day while he was at work. She'd been less interested in scheduled activities the past couple of summers, but she still sees a few familiar faces in the hallways, and their owners recognize her too. In English class, just before lunch, she runs into Jessica Stanley. She and Jessica hadn't exactly been friends last year, but they'd met through a mutual friend (who has moved away since; Bella reminds herself to reply to Angela's last email soon) and liked each other well enough; Bella had noted that Jessica had an excellent ear for gossip and an equally good knack for acquiring and remembering same.
Jessica invites Bella to join her and her friends for lunch. Bella is glad to accept, pleased both for the chance to turn acquaintance into a new friendship and to avoid the classic high school movie image of gripping her lunch tray and looking awkwardly for a place to sit.
Jessica's friends are friendly and welcoming, and Jessica's ability to gossip is exactly as Bella remembers it to be. Bella has never judged this negatively, and doesn't do it now; gossip is information, and sitting with Jessica ensures that Bella will be the best-informed new student in Sunnydale High by the end of lunch.
