The parking lot of Forks High was damp, as usual.
Low clouds hung over the trees like they were thinking about raining but hadn't quite committed yet. I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel as I pulled into my usual spot.
My last year here.
That thought hit a little harder than I expected.
I stepped out of the car, and immediately got hit by the sound of lockers slamming, voices overlapping, and the unmistakable scent of teenage despair mixed with cafeteria food.
Yep. School.
…
The morning passed in a blur.
English first, Mrs. Cope launching straight into syllabus talk like she hadn't seen us all age a year overnight. I sat back, pretending to listen while I kept looking out the window from time to time, wishing to be out there in the woods instead of cooped inside a classroom.
History was next. I already knew most of it, which made it painfully slow. Still, I took notes. Responsibility. Adult. Store owner. Millionaire.
…Okay, that last one still felt fake.
By the time the lunch bell rang, I was starving.
The cafeteria noise hit me like a wall the second I stepped in, plastic trays clattering, chairs scraping, voices bouncing off every surface like they were competing for dominance.
I spotted our usual table immediately.
Tyler was there first, leaning back in his chair with his usual smug posture. Ben sat beside him, methodically eating like a normal, well-adjusted human being. Eric was mid-rant, waving a fork around dangerously close to Tyler's face.
And on the other side of the table…
Lauren was leaning in, whispering something with a smirk. Jessica was nodding far too enthusiastically, eyes flicking around the room like she was afraid the gossip might escape if she didn't keep an eye on it. Angela sat with them, quieter, but clearly listening, hands folded around her drink.
I dropped my tray down with a soft thud.
"Miss me?" I asked.
Jessica jumped slightly. "Oh! Mike, hi."
Lauren smirked. "Look who finally decided to show up."
Eric pointed at me accusingly. "Dude. You vanished."
"I did not vanish," I said, sitting down. "I was around."
Tyler snorted. "Around where? We barely saw you all summer."
"Hey," I protested. "We went to the beach together."
Tyler held up two fingers. "Only twice."
"…Still counts."
Jessica tilted her head. "You really were busy, though. Leah kept saying you were working nonstop."
"That's because I was," I said. "You know, store. Responsibilities. Crushing capitalism."
Lauren rolled her eyes. "You make it sound so tragic."
I stabbed my fork into a fry. "Maybe you'd have seen me more if you agreed to help me at the store."
Eric looked away immediately.
Tyler suddenly found his tray fascinating.
I glanced at Ben. "Only Ben showed up. Thanks for that, by the way. I would've been completely lost alone."
Ben shrugged, smiling modestly. "It wasn't a big deal, and you paid me for it."
"Still," I said sincerely. "Saved my life."
Angela smiled warmly. "That was really nice of you, Ben."
Lauren scoffed lightly. "I would've helped if I wasn't, you know, busy."
"With what?" Tyler asked.
She opened her mouth, paused, then shrugged. "Stuff."
Jessica leaned in again, lowering her voice like she was about to drop state secrets. "Speaking of being busy… have you seen the Cullens?"
I resisted the urge to sigh.
"They're right there," I said, nodding slightly.
Across the cafeteria, Bella sat beside Edward, her tray mostly untouched. Edward sat perfectly still, eyes scanning the room with that uncanny awareness.
"Bella looks different," Jessica whispered.
"Happier," Angela added softly.
Lauren frowned. "Weird."
"That's one word for it," Eric muttered.
Right on cue, a massive shadow fell over our table.
"Mind if I borrow a chair?"
Emmett Cullen dropped into the empty seat beside me, tray stacked high with food he absolutely would not eat.
Tyler blinked. "Uh…"
"Relax," Emmett said easily. "I know him."
"That's debatable," I muttered.
He grinned. "Still sore?"
"Still undefeated."
Emmett laughed, loud and booming, drawing more than a few looks. "Man, you should've seen him this summer."
I kicked his shin under the table.
"Ow," he said, completely unfazed. "Anyway, just stopping by. Family table calls."
He stood, gave me a quick nod, and wandered back toward the Cullens.
That's when Edward looked over.
Our eyes met.
He gave a polite nod.
I returned it, then, purely because I could, started singing in my head.
Nanananananana… Batman~.
Edward's expression twitched.
Just barely.
His eyes snapped back to me, brows knitting together in confusion and mild offense.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
He looked away stiffly, jaw tight.
Alice caught my eye and waved enthusiastically.
I waved back with a small smile and returned to my food.
Lauren frowned. "What was that about?"
"Nothing," I said innocently, taking a bite of my food. "Just saying hi."
Jessica narrowed her eyes. "You're weird, Mike."
I swallowed and grinned. "You're just noticing?"
The bell rang soon after, chairs scraping as everyone stood.
As we gathered our trays, I caught Bella glancing over once more, curious, thoughtful.
I looked away first.
…
By the time PE rolled around, I was more than ready.
Basketball as always.
Coach put us into teams quickly.
Tyler cracked his knuckles. "Alright, gentlemen. Let's do this."
Eric bounced the ball once, lost control of it immediately, and chased it across the court.
"Off to a strong start," I said with a chuckle.
Ben took position calmly, stretching a bit. "Just pass the ball."
The game started, and immediately I had to remind myself to keep it at a normal human level.
No super jumps. No blurs of motion. No impossible rebounds.
Still…
The ball came toward me, and my body reacted before my brain could slow it down. I adjusted at the last second, catching it cleanly, pivoting, and passing it to Ben with perfect timing.
"Nice!" Ben said.
Tyler drove forward, skilled and aggressive, drawing defenders. I watched the court, reading movements, anticipating reactions.
Eric tripped over his own feet.
Again.
Some things never changed.
When the ball came back to me, I took the shot.
Swish.
A few plays later, another steal. Another pass. Another basket.
I wasn't moving fast or abusing my strength.
But I was always where I needed to be.
Tyler laughed as we jogged back. "Man, where'd you learn to play like that?"
I shrugged. "Good instincts."
By the end, our team won by a comfortable margin, Eric sprawled on the floor like he'd just survived a war, Tyler grinning, Ben nodding in satisfaction.
I didn't even break a sweat.
As the bell rang and we headed for the lockers, I felt it settle in.
Same school.
Same people.
Everything felt so painfully normal, but I was wondering how long that would last.
…
(Merry Christmas!)