Slightly tweaked.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Bella? We could end up separated for the dance." his tone was somber, but this didn't reach his eyes; they were dancing.
"Yeah, I'm sure no one will bid high enough to take me away from you." I hoped this was true. I didn't want to end up with a geek by my side. That is just not how I wanted to spend any Friday night.
"Yeah, I guess your right. No one will bid on you," When the look of shock and hurt crossed my face he rushed with the end of his sentence, "they know I will permanently damage their face for trying to get my girl."
Relief washed over my features as I took in what he was saying. I had a feeling I was going to regret agreeing to be in this auction. I had no choice, though. As a cheerleader I was mandatory in it.
"Bella! Hurry up! We are up in five minutes, and your first!" Jessica, co-captain of the cheerleaders, yelled from the other side of the small hall, interrupting our small conversation. I turned back around to tell Max I would see him later but he was already gone. I wasn't going to stand up there in my uniform. I was in dark denim pants and a black tank with a deep neck line which I regretted later when I caught Max loosing attention from my face to my chest.
I rushed toward the cafeteria. There was a semi-circle around a small table and open space by the door. I walked up to Mrs. Collburn and let her know I was ready.
"Welcome students to our third annual bidding for a chance to dance the night away with a cheerleader. First up is head cheerleader, Bella Swan!" I stepped out of the line of other yellow, black, and white uniforms to make my presence known. The crowd clapped lazily. "We will start our bidding at five dollars." A hand shot up and I smiled as I recognized Max in the crowd.
"Do we have ten dollars?" Suddenly another smaller, pale hand went into the air. I was taken aback and tried to look through the small crowd to find the other bidders face. I couldn't find his face with him being in the back. "Do I hear fifteen dollars?" Max was even more surprised. He was already making his way to the front thinking he had already won me. Looking around utterly confused, he found the other hand and raised his again to rack the price up to twenty dollars.
This battle went on all the way up until about fifty dollars. "Do I hear fifty-five dollars?" the pale hand, I had yet to find the owner of was, high in the air. Max was baffled and looked sheepish at the same time. He had completely doubted the fact anyone would try to go against him. He had told me soon after I had agreed to this he would only need to go to fifty dollars-just a pre-caution. "To the pale hand in back of the crowd, your date to the dance is Bella Swan. Please bring forth your money."
I watched as unfamiliar bronze hair slightly bobbed through the group of people. He carefully picked his way around people and headed towards me from the left side clearly trying to avoid bumping in with Max-on the right. Smart kid. His face broke through to my gaze. My chin almost hit the floor. I had to work to compose myself again. I had not expected this nerd to be fighting for me, but sure enough there he was. He came to Mrs. Collburn's side and handed the crisp bills over.
There is no way this… this… pizza face was taking me to the first dance of the year. He was the palest person I had seen in so long. His green eyes met mine from behind his thin rimmed glasses as he came to take my arm in his. He linked arms and walked off towards the right room trying to escape from the gasps and comments of the gathering. Bad Choice.
"Cullen! What do you think your trying to pull? Taking my girl from me." Max was obviously not happy.
If I didn't want Edward to permanently have an indented face I was going to have to step in. "Max! Max! Please, calm down."
"Get yours hands off my girl!" He had just noticed our linked arms. Max yanked me away from Edward's side and pulled me behind him. "If you ever so much as look at her-" I had to end this.
"Max! You and I both have no choice. He paid for me." Oh how wrong that sounded. "Spend your money on another date! I want you to enjoy the dance too." I looked at him pleading him not to injure Cullen with my eyes.
"Who am I supposed to find that can replace you? No one can do that!" He was looking at the floor trying to find away out of this situation.
"Anyone. Now, go buy someone before everyone is taken!" I pushed him gently back into the crowd. No one had been paying us much attention-except the rest of the football team that was going to help crush Edward's face.
I turned away from Edward and watched as the bidding proceeded. Alice, my best friend, was sold off to Jasper Hale-poor girl. She was almost as bad off as I was. We were both stuck with geeks! She looked at me pleadingly with her eyes when she came to stand next to me when Jasper met up with Edward-they happened to be best friends as well. He had bid nearly as high as Cullen had. I watched as Rosalie got paired off with someone much better- Emmett-a jock. Lauren was up next. Ugh-she was such a skank but she was important to the team.
"We will start the bidding at five dollars." Three hands shot into the air. The bidding went only up to twenty when someone finally won. I hadn't realized the winner until he stepped out of the group that was left dateless. Max! What was he doing bidding on the biggest slut in the school? He obviously wasn't thinking of me when Lauren came bounding down towards him in her mini skirt smiling like an idiot. As she passed me she turned and winked. I gasped and finally caught Max's attention.
"Hey, taking Lauren to the dance isn't going to bother you, right?"
I had to hold my tongue. Reminding myself, she is important to the team, she is important to the team, I replied with a huge fake smile, "Of course not! Why would that effect anything?" I turned my back on the assembly and grabbed my Helio phone from my back pocket. I sent a quick text message to my best friend Angela. She was home sick and I had to keep her up to date. At the moment there was a lot to tell.