Edward Cullen

The rain beat insistently against the umbrellas of the students heading to Forks High School. Inside the hallways, the rumor of a new student, the son of Sheriff Swan, spread like an ink blot. The Cullens, in their usual formation, approached the school: Alice and Jasper, engrossed in a lively conversation; Rosalie, perfecting her image with meticulous vanity; Emmett, at the wheel. Edward, however, paid little attention to the whispers about the new boy. His curiosity was only awakened upon arriving at the cafeteria. There, Jessica, in her usual superficial tone, was talking to the newcomer. Edward observed him: slender, with jet-black hair, pale skin with a slight flush on the cheeks, and surprisingly clear blue eyes, almost like the sea. His face possessed a strange androgyny that made him attractive. He wore baggy clothes and emanated a sweet scent, intoxicatingly sweet, a blood that powerfully caught his attention. But what truly intrigued him was the impregnable barrier he encountered when trying to read his thoughts. The boy was an enigma.

The bell announced the end of the lunch hour, and the students dispersed toward their classes. Edward, in chemistry class, took his usual place in the third row, waiting for the teacher. Suddenly, the sweet aroma invaded his senses again, more intense than before. There was the new boy, even more captivating up close: perfect, pale skin, an intoxicating scent of vanilla, chocolate, and red wine, mixed with the subtle smell of books and old wood. He was somewhat tall, but Edward still surpassed him in height. His baggy clothes hid the shape of his body, but Edward perceived a delicate slenderness. Ethan's eyes met Edward's, a curious gaze that the vampire couldn't avoid. The teacher introduced the new student: Ethan Swan, son of Sheriff Charlie Swan.

• Fate, or perhaps cruel fate, willed that Ethan sit right next to Edward, who instinctively covered his nose, overwhelmed by the intensity of the scent, a scent as captivating as it was unsettling.*

Ethan, slightly embarrassed by Edward's reaction, assumed his scent was unpleasant. He sighed, turning his attention to the exercises the professor had just assigned. He solved them easily and quickly, while Edward struggled to concentrate, overwhelmed by Ethan's intense scent. "His scent is killing me," Edward thought, frustrated in his attempt to solve the problems. Noticing Edward's difficulty, Ethan, in a soft but firmly masculine voice, approached: "Don't you understand the exercises?" Edward nodded, unable to take his eyes off the boy. Ethan, patiently and clearly, explained the problems to him. "Wow, he explains it quite well. He seems to be good at this subject," Edward thought, captivated by the way Ethan explained the exercises, his voice, his closeness. At the end of class, Edward ran out, seized by panic. Ethan's scent had overwhelmed him, his hands were sweaty, his fangs throbbed with a thirst for blood. Trying to control his instincts, he reached the parking lot. Emmett was already there, waiting by the car. The others arrived little by little. In the distance, Edward saw Ethan getting into an old car, listening to music with headphones on. Edward got into the car with Emmett, where Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper were already waiting.

Alice, with a mischievous smile, asked: "Have you seen the new boy? He's adorable! He has a scent that reminds me of chocolate chip cookies and spring rain. Don't you think he's a little mysterious?"

Emmett replied with a laugh: "Adorable? Alice, I almost fainted from his scent! He's like a chocolate bomb with a touch of danger. I wonder if he plays American football."