Chapter One
The next day…..
I was still shaken up that Jasper came back. Especially just to apologize. He didn't need to do that. Why did he? I doubt that Edward or Alice put him up to it. I parked into the closest empty space at school. Things were going to be different today…..
My first class was gym. I wasn't sure why we had gym in the morning, but I couldn't change it. Mike was busy "training" me on how to play badminton. I saw that he definitely enjoying himself.
"Bella, you have to swing it like this," he said as he swung his arm up. He easily hit the whatever that ball was called and it went over the net, the other team totally missing it, "here, it's your turn to serve." He handed me the ball and stepped back. I was pretty sure he and everybody else on my team didn't want to get hit by the ball going the wrong way or my racket somehow finding it's way into the air.
Here goes nothing.
Fortunately, the ball hit the racket. Unfortunately, it didn't make it over the net. I sighed. The rest of my team groaned, "Bella!"
I turned my back and switched positions with Jessica. She glared at me as I walked past, "thanks a lot Bella," she sneered.
I tried to just stay out of the way the rest of the game. I was very clumsy at everything. Being clumsy obviously is not very good for me in gym class.
"Hey, Bella?" It was Mike.
"Oh, um, hey, thanks for helping me today again."
"Oh, no problem at all," he said and grinned, "but, um, I have a question."
"What is it?"
He hesitated a bit. "Are the Cullens back?"
I froze. Did everyone know that the Cullens were back expect for me? Did Jasper come yesterday not on his own, but because the rest of them came back? A million questions were running through my head. I looked around wildly to see if they were back.
"A-are they?"I managed to whisper out.
"Well……I was thinking that well……..you would know. I mean," he paused for a moment. I think he wanted to word it…so he wouldn't hurt me.
Everybody knew since the Cullens left, ok, let me restate that, since Edward left, I broke. I wasn't myself. Charlie described me as a robot, just living everyday the same way with no changes. I was miserable. He also said Edward wasn't worth crying over since he left me in the woods all by myself.
"I mean, you were the closest to the Cullens. And are they back Bella?"
I stayed quiet. Why would Mike think the Cullens were back? "W-why do you think they're back Mike?"
"Well…..I saw the doctor and his wife yesterday. Didn't see the others though."
As soon as he said that, I wanted to leave school. I practically screamed at him, "where'd you see them?!"
"Whoa, Bella. This has probably been the most animated you've been in months," he smiled, then frowned. I wasn't Edward, but it was really obvious what he was thinking. He knew I only got excited because there was a slight chance that Edward was back, "they were a bit out of town. I saw them at a gas station a bit out."
I smiled, just for him, "thank you so much!" I didn't know I had it in me to be this happy.
The rest of the day, I was very jittery. Everybody stared at me like I had a disease. I could not wait. I was going to drive to the Cullens' after school. Maybe they still had their old house. Hopefully they were back. Mike said he saw Carlisle and Esme….and Jasper came yesterday……was it only those three? If Jasper was here, that means Alice was definitely here. I was so busy thinking about them, I barely noticed that it was last period already-biology.
For some reason, I was hoping to see Edward there. When I stepped into the classroom, the class was louder than usual. When they saw me, they all shut up and sat down. They all stared at me as I made my way to the seat. I saw Mike looking at me and gesturing with his eyes towards the front of the room. What could possibly be so important? I looked to the front and my jaw practically dropped.
It was Edward.
