Author's Note: Oh my gosh! It's Bella in Business! I know, I didn't think I'd ever finish the CiC sequence either. Guess I surprised us both :D

I'm fairly certain this is a different style than the rest of the series so far. It's more...insane then the rest. Guess that's what happens when you have insomnia and read too many X-Men crackfics. –sighs-

Enjoy!

Bella in Business

Bella was bored out of her skull...literally.

Well, maybe not literally, but very close to it.

She was sitting as close to the back of the classroom as she could get – curse the various couples making out in the back row – and was unfortunately planted next to Eric Yorkie, who made his presence known.

"If you need help in understanding something, Bella, just let me know and I'll help you out." He said for the tenth time in the half hour class had been in session. It was very nice of him to offer help, she figured, but if he didn't stop, he might not survive to hear the dismissal bell ring. I mean, she took the class for a reason. She understood what the professor was saying, that's why she was bored. Looking after her family's finances since she got to Forks had greatly helped her understanding of tax deductions and the such.

"Thanks, Eric, but I think I'll be okay." She whispered back to him, trying to get the subtle hint across that he would be that last person she asked for help. His smile was miles wide, making her feel like he didn't quite grasp the snub.

Sighing, she settled into her plastic seat and hoped the class would fly by and she'd be in Edward's arms once more...

Class didn't fly by. Five minutes after the teacher stopped talking, he surprised the class with a pop quiz. Whatever, she though, sure it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Glimpsing down at the off-white paper, she made her way, slowly but surely, through the test.

She had paused before answering number six, debating whether option was just a red herring, or the right answer, when she heard a 'pssst!'

With a puzzled glance, she looked at Eric, whose eyes had gone wide.

"Do you need help?" He asked in a not-quite whisper.

"No," she hissed at him, bending her face closer to the paper and letting her hair create a curtain between them.

Two questions later, she heard the 'pssstt!' again.

"What?" She whisper-snapped at Eric, who merely jabbed at his answered number eight, trying to give her the answer. "I don't need your help!" She whisper-hissed again, and continued to answer the questions by herself, without Eric help.

On question twelve, she felt a poking sensation on her right shoulder. Turning, Eric was jabbing the eraser end of his pencil into her arm, looking earnest as ever.

"For the last time, Eric, I don't want your answers!" Bella had thought she had whispered, but as soon as the last syllable rang through the classroom, she realized that she had yelled. Eric looked dumbstruck, like every other person in the room.

"Miss Swan, please come to my desk." The teacher asked in a half asking, half telling voice with a hint of bargaining, he type of voice police use to talk people down from jumping off buildings.

Lovely.

She dropped her pencil on top of her almost finished quiz and started to make her way to the front of the room when her teacher said: "Bring your test, please."

Head hanging in defeat, Bella went back and snatched her test up, knowing full well that he'd rip it up as soon as his hands got it.

And sure enough, he did, right after he marked her score down as being 'zero' and giving her a lecture, in front of the entire class, that cheating is wrong and just because she sat next to Eric –who, the teacher said, was getting the highest mark in the class – didn't mean she had a free ride in the class.

Sitting back down, Eric gave her that earnest look and whispered, "Sorry, Bella, I didn't think he'd catch us."

And for once, Eric got that her death glare meant that he would lose his head if he didn't stop talking.

Class ended fifteen minutes later. Eric left her alone, she felt a little more badass, and she had gotten a rather colourful fail on her quiz.

"Fun day in class?" Edward asked her when she emerged from the room to find him loitering in the hall.

"The very best."

Author's Note: I'm on a role.. expect Emmett in a few days. Damn, I don't know what to do with the boy... English class with Mike... Romeo and Juliet role-play?

-wanders off pondering-

-Maggie