Are You Doing Okay?
By I'veGotBackbone
Summary: Edward Cullen's life was uncomplicated until one night during the summer at a wild party he witnessed something he could never forgot. He thought the victim would come forward but when she didn't he said nothing. Now he's back at school and the girl has become something else and has blocked anyone from coming into her life. She can't trust anyone anymore and Edward's determined to get her to tell but he didn't know he would fall in love in the process.
Chapter One
Bella.
I heard my name and instinctively turned my head slightly toward the voice. But I made no other movemeant.
Bella.
I heard it again but this time I just closed my eyes and clenched my fists.
Then I felt something on my shoulder. I gasped.
"Bella, wake up."
My eyes fluttered open to see a worried Alice. Wrinkles took up her forehead and her mouth was wide open. She was saying something but I couldn't understand it.
"Bella," I finally heard, "are you alright? You were screaming again." Her voice was worried. There was no annoyance.
My eyebrows scrunched together as I nodded. I hadn't been screaming in my dream so why had I been screaming in real life? It had been happening a lot. It was like I wasn't just scared in the dream but the dream itself was scary to me. Like I wasn't supposed to be dreaming.
She sighed in relief. "This is the third night in a row. I've barely gotten any sleep and neither have you and neither has Rosalie and you know how she can be a bitch when she doesn't get any sleep. " I laughed quietly, not really thinking it was funny. "But, seriously, Bella, is there anything wrong?"
Yes.
"No." I assured her. She nodded in disbelief but finally left me alone.
I closed my eyes, which was a bad idea. His eyes flickered beneath my lids. I shuddered and then put my head in my hands and I could feel the blood rush into my face.
"Bella, get ready." Someone yelled from downstairs. I sighed and nodded. I forced myself out of bed.
I mumbled to myself as I searched for something clean to wear. I picked up a pear of black skinny jeans that looked clean and then I made a mistake. I looked down. I saw it, the shiny gold necklace that I had longed to forget.
I gasped and fell on the floor. I couldn't find air. I sucked in but it was like there was a wall in my throat. My hands clutched my legs, leaving scratches from my nails. I leaned against the wall but ended up hitting it too hard with my head. I gasped once more and finally the air came through.
I had been sitting for at least twenty minutes, there on the floor, when I finally got enough strength to stand. I pulled off my sweats and struggled to put on the jeans but after a couple times I finally managed. I didn't bother to change my Avenged Sevenfold concert tee.
I ran a brush through my wavy hair, pulled on my Roxy slip on shoes and stumbled down the stairs to where Alice was waiting.
She grinned at me, but I could see it was fake. She didn't say anything about my outfit and if she had I would have probably started to ball, just for the hell of it.
There was a long pause.
"Rosalie is out in the car." She said slowly and I realized I had not been looking at her. I finally looked up to see her worried eyes on me. I forced my lips outward into a smile, though it hurt my checks. It reassured her, well, at least a little bit.
I coughed. "Okay, um, then lets go." Alice threw me my backpack, which I barely caught, and almost slipped on the wooden floor. I laughed, trying to make it all a joke. Alice still said nothing. I didn't look at her face, afraid of what I might see.
I went out first while Alice shut the door behind me. I jumped in the backseat of Rosalie's BMW her dad had gotten her the past summer.
She turned to smile at me. When I made no response the grin faded. "I heard you screaming again." She whispered to herself. I wasn't sure if I was meant to hear it. So I just nodded as I looked out the window. Alice slid into the car and heard the engine start.
My throat closed in fear. School. I realized that was where we were going. It was the first day, the yearly ritual that every kid from the age of five through adult hood had to do. I gasped.
What if he was there?
A million thoughts raced through my head and I felt like I was watching myself panic. I could see Alice and Rosalie talking about something and the wind blowing the leaves outside my window but I couldn't hear a thing; only my own breath. My hands clenched until my knuckles were white. I closed my eyes.
I stayed that way until I heard my name.
"Bella, we're here." It was Rosalie.
I whipped my head toward her. Her eyebrows were scrunched together and her eyes were distressed. She bit her lip.
I swallowed. "Okay." I said slowly and climbed out of the convertible.
The air was cold against my face and hurt my eyes. My eyelids fluttered from the wind.
"Alice, what do you have first period?" I heard Rosalie ask. I was ahead of them both as we walked toward the front entrance of the school, close to where our lockers would be.
"Spanish." Alice responded quickly.
I heard Alice whisper something into Rosalie's ear but I was too worried to turn around and ask what it was. They were trying to act normal, when they—and I—knew that everything was far from okay.
Finally we got to our lockers, which at the end of the year we convinced the Locker Assigner to give us lockers right next to each other's. That was before…
Now I wanted to be alone. Just my thoughts, and me, though I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear them either.
"Bella, oh my gosh, we have three classes together." Alice squealed. She wrapped me in a tight hug and didn't let go until I started to squirm. She pulled back and looked hurt. She looked down, and then to Rosalie, which had watched the whole thing.
I just didn't want to be touched, not anymore. The last time I had let someone touch me…
Rosalie and Alice gave each other looks that I was sure I wasn't supposed to see.
"Er, I've got to get to class. I'll see you both at lunch." I said, but I stumbled over my words.
"Bye." I waved awkwardly and then turned, leaving them worried, hurt, and alone.