MTL NOVEL Chapter 4: Chapter 4: First Days and Unreadable Minds
Chapter 4: First Days and Unreadable Minds
The morning air in Forks was crisp and heavy with mist as Caspian Swan and Bella climbed into her rusty orange truck. The engine sputtered to life with a groan that made Caspian wince, but he kept his expression neutral, tossing Bella a teasing grin instead. "You sure this thing's not gonna collapse halfway to school?" he asked, leaning back in the passenger seat as she gripped the wheel.
Bella shot him a look—half-annoyed, half-amused, classic Bella. "It's fine, Cas. It's got character."
"Character's one word for it," he muttered, but there was no real bite in his tone. He liked the truck, in a way—it suited her, clunky and stubborn and oddly endearing. As they rumbled down the quiet streets toward Forks High School, Caspian's mind shifted gears. This was it: day one, the start of the canon timeline. Bella's first day at school, the Cullens' first glimpse of her—and now him. He wasn't thrilled about stepping into this mess, but he'd be damned if he let it catch him off guard.
The school parking lot was a sea of beat-up cars and curious stares when they pulled in. Caspian stepped out first, his tall frame drawing eyes as he stretched casually, his dark jacket catching the faint sunlight. He could feel the weight of his hybrid nature simmering beneath his skin—golden eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses he'd swiped from Charlie's glovebox, a precaution until he figured out how much of his "otherness" he wanted to reveal. Bella shuffled out after him, tugging her hoodie tighter around herself, already shrinking under the attention.
"Relax, Bells," he said under his breath, falling into step beside her as they headed toward the school entrance. "It's just a bunch of small-town kids. They're not gonna bite." *Not yet, anyway,* he added silently, thinking of the Cullens lurking somewhere in this crowd.
Inside, the halls were a blur of lockers and chatter, and Caspian played his part effortlessly. He smiled, nodded, traded small talk with the students who approached—Eric Yorkie with his overeager grin, Jessica Stanley with her rapid-fire gossip. He didn't *like* it, not really—these people were pawns in a story he'd already read, and the fanfic instincts in him screamed to ditch the pleasantries and start digging for intel. But he kept his composure, blending in like a natural. He'd learned patience in his old life, and now, with Bella at his side, he had a reason to use it. She needed him to be the steady one, the big brother who didn't flinch.
Across the cafeteria at lunch, the Cullens watched from their usual table, a cluster of pale perfection that stood out like a beacon. Edward Cullen sat with his siblings, his posture stiff, his bronze hair catching the fluorescent light. He'd been prepared to skim Bella's mind the moment she walked in—her arrival had been a quiet hum in Alice's visions for weeks, a curiosity he couldn't ignore. But as his gaze landed on the Swans, something shifted. He reached out with his gift, probing for their thoughts—and hit a wall.
Nothing. Not a whisper, not a flicker. Bella's mind was a blank void, just as it would be in the story he didn't yet know he'd live. But Caspian? Caspian was something else entirely—a fortress of silence, impenetrable and absolute. Edward's brow furrowed, his fingers tightening around the edge of the table.
Alice noticed first, her head tilting as she caught his tension. "What's wrong?" she murmured, her voice low enough that only their enhanced hearing picked it up.
"I can't read them," Edward said, his tone clipped. "Either of them. Bella's mind—it's like static, same as I've heard from others. But him…" He nodded subtly toward Caspian, who was laughing at something Bella had said, his sunglasses now off, revealing those striking golden eyes. "He's a complete blank. Not even a hint."
Emmett leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand with a grin. "New guy's got a superpower already? Maybe he's a shield or something. That'd be cool."
"It's not funny," Edward snapped, though his irritation wasn't aimed at Emmett. "It's… unsettling. I don't like not knowing."
Rosalie's gaze flicked to Caspian, her lips pressing into a thin line. She'd been stewing since Alice's soulmate revelation, and now this new Swan boy was setting her nerves on edge. "He's not one of us," she said flatly. "Look at him. He doesn't move like a human, but he's not a vampire either. What is he?"
Alice's eyes sparkled with that same thrill she'd felt in her vision. "I told you he was different," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Those eyes… they're like what I saw. Fire and light. He's *him*, Rose. I know it."
Rosalie stiffened, her arms crossing tighter. "Don't start, Alice. I'm not buying into your fairy tale yet."
Jasper, ever the observer, studied Caspian from across the room. "He's calm," he noted, his empathic senses reaching out. "Confident. Protective, too—focused on her." He nodded toward Bella. "But there's an edge. Something… restless. He's hiding more than he's showing."
Carlisle, seated at the end of the table, watched the Swans with a clinician's curiosity. "If he's not human and not vampire, we need to be cautious," he said. "Alice, have your visions cleared up at all?"
She shook her head, frustration creeping into her tone. "No. It's still patchy. I see him with us—me and Rosalie—but the details are blurred. It's like he's… resisting me somehow."
Edward's eyes narrowed as Caspian glanced their way, his golden gaze sweeping over the Cullens without lingering. It wasn't deliberate, just a casual scan, but Edward felt a prickle of unease. "He doesn't know us yet," he said. "But he will. If he's tied to you two, it's only a matter of time."
Back at their table, Caspian felt the weight of their stares but didn't let it show. He leaned toward Bella, keeping his voice light. "See those guys over there?" he said, nodding subtly toward the Cullens. "They're the local royalty. Don't stare too long—they might dazzle you."
Bella snorted, poking at her food. "They're weirdly pretty, I'll give you that. But I'm not here to make friends with the cool kids."
"Good call," he said, his smile masking the calculations running through his head. The Cullens were watching—he could sense it, even without his system chiming in. Edward's mind-reading was a bust, just like he'd expected, thanks to his hybrid nature and whatever cosmic luck had built that mental wall. Alice and Rosalie were another story, though. He didn't like the idea of them sniffing around his fate, but he'd deal with it when the time came.
For now, he focused on Bella, nudging her shoulder. "Stick with me, Bells. This place is a zoo, but I've got your back." She nodded, her shy smile returning, and Caspian settled into his role—big brother, guardian, and wildcard in a story he was already rewriting. The Cullens could stare all they wanted; he wasn't here to play their game. Not yet.