บท 10: Clucking Cullens
--- Rosalie Cullen POV ---
Another school, another year. Same stale faces staring back, their chatter a dull drone in the background. How many times had I been through this charade? A hundred lifetimes? Two hundred? It felt endless, each human interaction a pale copy of the last.
A bitter pang stabbed at me, hidden beneath the cool mask I wore. The truth was, I envied them. Their fleeting lives, their capacity for change, for love… all things I'd traded away for this stagnant existence.
Of course, I wasn't alone. My family, a crew thrown together from different times and places, was my anchor in this endless life. Each brought something special: warmth, understanding, compassion, love.
They were my everything.
We weren't a family in the traditional sense, but the bond we shared was stronger than blood. Yet, seeing them with their soulmates ignited a raw ache in me. The happiness I craved, the love I yearned for, seemed out of reach.
The boring lecture got ripped apart in an instant by a new face at the door. His voice sliced through the teacher's drone,and when he turned, our eyes met. It was like a spark jumped between us, a tiny flame of hope I hadn't felt in ages. Like my heart, frozen solid for who knows how long, suddenly remembered how to beat.
This guy was tall, at least 6'4" I guessed. His clothes fit him like a second skin, and his dark hair was the complete opposite of his eyes. Eyes that were a crazy mix of gold and amber, like melted honey. They seemed to see right through me, like I was an open book he was reading cover to cover.
I tore my gaze away fast, trying not to freak out. But when he sat down next to me, that feeling hit me again. Like I'd found a missing piece of myself, two puzzle parts clicking together for the first time.
He introduced himself with a deep voice, a little rough around the edges, which somehow made it even nicer. I mumbled my name back, trying to act normal and focus on the class. Not that it worked.
Throughout the lecture, I kept stealing glances and trying to chat with him. I wanted to know everything; who he was,what his story was. As we talked, I learned a bunch of stuff. Where he was from, the life he'd lived, even his sense of humor. But there was something else there too, something hidden deep down, a sadness I couldn't quite understand.
By the end of class, I'd built up the nerve to ask him to lunch, and to my surprise, he said yes.
I bolted out of class, and I made a bee-line for Emmett's locker. Spotting him, I snagged his arm. "Gabriel Hudson," I blurted, watching his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"Seriously?! No way! That's awesome, sis!" Emmett wrapped me in a giant hug, so tight I could feel the floor leave my feet for a second.
"He seems like a cool dude. We have gym together. You definitely scored." A mischievous grin spread across his face.
We quickly filled in the rest of our siblings, Emmett practically bouncing with the news.
"That's strange," Alice muttered, biting her lip. "I didn't get any visions about him. It's like something's blocking my power... "
"Maybe I can check him out?" Edward chimed in, adding to the craziness. Apparently, he had some news too, a new student named Isabella Swan who seemed to be his 'mate' somehow.
We were all speechless at the double whammy.
"Don't even dare," I said, holding up a hand. "You know how creepy that is, right? Especially with someone new." I wasn't a fan of Edward's mind-reading habit, especially when it came to us.
We held off on any mind-reading and just see how Gabriel interacted with the family. After all, we were all looking out for each other.
Lunch came and Gabriel pulled up a chair at our table. We were all surprised at how easily he fit in, almost like he already knew us. He and Emmett were already cracking jokes like brothers, while Alice and Jasmine were lost in some conversation.
The bell jolted me back to reality. The entire lunch period was a blur. I couldn't take my eyes off Gabriel. How he sat, the way he smiled, even the way he adjusted his posture. Everything held my attention captive.
"Rose, I couldn't see anything," Edward whispered, his voice held a hint of fear.
"He's like Bella. My power bounces right off him. But with Bella, it felt like a wall. With him... it's like I'd be ripped apart if I tried. There's something seriously weird going on with this guy."
His words sent shivers down my spine. Edward's powers were not working; that was impossible, right?
The rest of the day crawled by. My mind was a whirlwind, buzzing with possibilities. But a seed of doubt had been planted. This whole soul mate thing felt...off. Too forced. I had to pull myself together, learn more about Gabriel before I let fate take the wheel.
I wouldn't be a pawn.
---
(Chapter has been re-edited due to some comments.)
(A/N - Last chapter for today, it's 11PM for me. Thought I'd drop a different POV for you lovely readers. Shorter chapters are over, starting tomorrow we'll have each one at 1.5k words minimum. I hope you all have a lovely day <3)
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