True.

My heart began to pound the moment Clayton Merchant walked through the door. Outside, the perpetual Forks rain was falling as a light, misty drizzle, casting watery gray sunlight through the windows. The pale glow lingered around his beautiful face. Clayton Merchant was breathtaking.

The sun caught his tousled golden hair, illuminating a slender yet muscular build that moved with effortless grace. Every feature was striking: his sharp, perfect cheekbones, full, sensitive lips, and thin, aristocratic nose. He wore a simple gray t-shirt under a beautiful black leather jacket, paired with black pants and classic black Converse sneakers.

For a fleeting second, his pale white skin seemed to shimmer briefly in the direct, watery sunlight. Then, he moved out of the sun and toward his desk in the back of Mr. Daniels' biology class.

"Abigail," Mr. Daniels called out, checking his attendance sheet. "Abigail Stuart?"

"Here," I mumbled.

I quickly lowered my head, pretending to look for something inside my bookbag, but I was really watching Clayton Merchant settle in behind his desk. Everyone else called me Abby, but in this moment, under the weight of my quiet crush, I felt completely invisible.

I pulled the collar of my classic denim jacket up a little higher. Tucked beneath it was a soft pastel shirt--pink is my absolute favorite color, so I was always wearing something pink to brighten up the dreary Forks weather. Sitting at my desk, my 5-foot-4, slender frame felt even smaller under the weight of my secret crush.

I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the dark screen of my phone as I nervously adjusted my seat.

My straight black hair framed a face with high cheekbones and wide, shy , amber--brown eyes, a visual map of my Native American heritage. I looked down, tapping the toe of my everyday tennis shoes against the floor, trying to anchor myself in my usual denim jacket and matching jeans.

Clayton took his seat all the way across the room, miles away from my own desk. He carried a strange, ethereal aura that always drew me in, just like his close friends, the Cullen family. I didn't know why they all seemed so differrent from the rest of us --- so impossibly perfect and aloof---but I couldn't look away.

Just as I thought I was safe behind the cover of my bag, Clayton's eyes shifted. Intense, vibrant eyes that looked like liquid topaz locked directly onto mine. He caught me red-handed, and a flash of annoyance crossed his handsome features.

I completely froze. I had never in my life seen anyone with eyes of that liquid topaz color, except for the Cullens. It was an uncanny, striking shade that set them competely apart from the rest of the world. But looking at Clayton, the depth of that golden amber hue was so staggeringly beautiful---so warm and clear compared to anything else that it made my breath catch in a completely different way.

The sheer beauty of his eyes against his flawless, pale skin felt entirely overwhelming, a beautiful contrast that made it impossible to look away even when his expression hardened.

Embarrassment flooded through me, turning my cheeks a fiery red. I quickly snapped my gaze back down to my bag, wishing the classroom floor would open up and swallow me.

I wasn't the only one who noticed Clayton's irritation. A few rows over, Edward Cullen was watching the entire interaction. He leaned back in his chair, a knowing smirk playing on his lips, clearly amused by his friend's tension.

Clayton shot Edward a dark, warning glare, his jaw tightening as he acknowledged the silent mocking.

"Alright, class, gather your things", Mr. Daniels announced, clapping his hands together to capture everyone's attention. "Leave your heavy textbooks here, grab your notebooks, and head straight out to the buses. Today we are skipping the lab for our field trip to the museum."

The classroom instantly erupted into excited chatter. My heart did another nervous flip. A feild trip meant leaving the structured rows of the classroom behind, giving me a chance to see Clayton up close--if I could handle being near him.

I do not own the copyrights to the Twilight saga. That honor belongs to Mrs/Ms/ Stephenie Meyer.

However, I did use my own characters in her Twilight Saga-- Universe. Hope that you enjoy my story.

7/17/26.