A/N:

I've had so many reviews, alerts and favourites for this story already, even after one chapter. They mean a lot to me, so thank you especially to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it. :)

Right second chapter time. Not as long as the first, I apologise, but I was kinda rushing to get this up tonight because I'm not going to be able to put it up tomorrow.

And I'd just like to mention that even though it seems like I hate Edward, I actually don't, haha. Even though Twilight would have been waaaaaaaay better it had been Bella and Alice.

But, hey, that's why we write fanfiction.

And last thing, before I shut up. I saw New Moon today. And let me just say that's it's pretty damn awesome. Not to mention the amount of hotties in it. You know who I mean, I'm sure.

But yeah, on with the story. Here's chapter two. Enjoy.

:)

We did manage to get there in plenty of time. Somehow. I seriously don't know Rose's escaped without getting a ticket since she passed her test. It must be a miracle, surely.

I saw noticed Edward before I saw anyone else. He'd probably wanted to know who the hot new car belong to. So he was heading in our direction as we stepped out of the confines of the car, and I immediately turned to head in the opposite direction.

Rosalie just smirks at me and for a second I think she's going to block my way and make me talk to him, but then she moves out of my way and I nearly sprint past.

If I can just make it to my English class then I could avoid him easily – he wasn't in any of my classes.

"Bella! Wait up." It's not Edward who calls my name but I still don't stop. Then I feel someone grab my wrist and spin me around and I almost scream in frustration. Ten more metres and I would have been safe.

It's Mike that grabbed me. He reminds of a dog sometimes. Always following me around. And I'm sure I look pissed because as soon as he takes one look at me he releases my arm and takes a step back.

"What Mike?" I sound pissed, too.

"Sorry, I just wanted to walk to class with you."

"Mike, it's like, right over there. I think I can find my way on my own." I start walking again as I talk, and he follows me dutifully. English is probably one of my favourite classes. Well, maybe I'm just saying that because of how much I love to read.

There isn't really anything comparable to losing yourself in a book, in other world, while experiencing things that you never usually would. I've needed to escape enough times over the last few years. Books are the perfect way to do that.

So I end up walking into English and taking my seat. Mike sits next to me. I don't know why. I hardly ever speak to him. He just sits there for an hour. It'd be creepy if I didn't do the exact same thing.

Our teacher seems to be late, as is the usual, so I take out my notebook and start doodling, as is my custom when I'm bored. I hear Mason come into the room, but I don't react. It's only when I hear Mike's intake of breath that I look up.

And I wish with all of my heart that I hadn't.

Because even after five years, I'd recognise her. The short black hair, sticking out in every direction. The sky-blue eyes. The height. I don't think she's grown.

And she's even more beautiful than before. She looks so nervous, standing in front of the class, that it's taking a lot of self-control for me to not go to her. And I can't go to her. I don't want another fiasco.

I don't know why she's back, and I don't want to know. Because the instant I talk to her, I'll be gone. Staying away will be nearly impossible, but I'll have to do it. I'd rather be masochistic and see her everyday than end up having her taken away from me again. I don't think I'd survive it once again.

She's looking at the floor, so she hasn't seen me. I don't even want her to see me. Maybe I can sneak away before she sees me. Hopefully.

That's about the time when I realised that the only empty seat in the class was on my other side.

Well, shit.

Please make another kid move, Mason. Please, please, please. But he's gesturing in my general direction. And she looks up. And blue eyes lock with my own, for the first time in five years.

I see the instant recognition in her eyes. It's still as easy to read her as it was before. Open-books, we used to call each other. I guess that's one thing that hasn't changed.

She hesitates before she starts moving towards me, and I can see conflict on her face. But she keeps going, before eventually taking her seat. God, I hope she makes a new friend and moves next to them. I won't be able to handle a year of this.

Plus this is only the first class of the day. She might be in even more with me. Well this is turning in to the worst day in the history of the world.

"Bella, I trust that you'll update Alice on what we've studied so far? And that you can show her to her next class?"

I just nod. I think I've lost the ability to speak. Mason seems to take that as confirmation. Mike is nudging me, presumably to get me to speak to Alice, but I don't move.

Instead he decides to lean across me. Prick.

"Hey, didn't you used to live here? And then you like, moved away?" God, shut up, Mike! Are you completely oblivious to the fact that I'm glaring at the side of your head right now in an effort to get you to shut up?

Apparently.

"Yeah, we moved to Alaska about five years ago. My parents have some friends up there." Her voice is soft, but still musical. I could listen to her speak all day. It takes so much effort for me to not ask her something, just to keep her talking.

"Wow, Alaska? What was it like?" Mason hasn't even told us to stop talking. So now's the time when he decides to be considerate. Is everyone going to be against me today?

"Cold." She laughed then, and I think that's my new favourite sound. Well, my favourite sound used to be when she was whispering to me or when she was moani-

No. Bad Bella. Do NOT think about that. Ever. We have a rule.

And now I'm talking to myself. Great. Not only am I having a shitty day, but I also need to get myself checked into a mental hospital. Isn't life great?

"I bet. So, what classes do you have?" He's still not giving up. I can tell that she wants him to stop talking. But he won't. I know he won't. He probably won't stop until the bell rings. And he's practically sitting on me now, he's leaning so far over.

"Ummm, after this I have Biology. Then History. Gym. And then calculus last." No. No, no, no! She has not one, but five classes with me. It's official. Someone hates me. It's the only explanation.

"Cool, that means you have bio and gym with me and Bella. Isn't that great, Bells?"

"Sure. Excellent." Even I can hear the sarcasm in my voice, and I see Mike give me a weird look out of the corner of my eye. Who cares about him anyway? Erm, not me.

"What's up your ass today?"

"Just shut it, will you? You're already failing this class. Trying to chat up the new kid isn't helping your grades. And I'm sick of listening to your stupid whiny voice. So shut the fuck up."

Well, there goes my follower for the day. Joy. I hear him mutter something about something, not that I really care, before turning away. Then all three of us sit in silence for the remainder of the lesson.

It's driving me insane already, and we've only been sat here for an hour. I can practically sense her, sat just a few inches away from me. Part of me craved to reach out and touch her, just to double-check that she was real.

But I didn't dare. I didn't know how many things had changed. Besides, that really wasn't going to help with my whole no-Alice policy. This was going to be a good year.

Just when I was about to explode, I heard the bell ring from the hall outside. I nearly collapsed from relief.

"So, Alice, want me to walk you to bio? You can't sit next to me, cause I already have a partner. But I can show you the way."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I can find my own way."

"Are you sure? It's no hassle, honestly."

"I'm sure."

"Well, at least sit with us at lunch. Please?" I can tell that she doesn't want to seem antisocial on her first day, and I can almost see the wheels turning inside her head. It took her a while to answer.

"If you don't think anyone will mind." I see her eyes flicker to me and away again. Mike notices too.

"Don't mind Bella. She doesn't mind really. Do you Bella?"

"No, of course not!" It's said through gritted teeth, but I don't think Mike notices.

"See? Please sit with us? It'll make me happy." He's started walking at her side now, and he's pissing me off. I want nothing more than to hit him. Hard.

"Well . . . ok." She seems to figure out that the best way to get rid of him is to agree. I slow my pace down to let them get ahead of me. I don't want to listen to her anymore. Her voice is doing weird things to me.

When I arrive in biology, the ass himself is sat on the edge of my lab table. Wanna know why? That would be because, once again, my place is the only one with an empty seat.

I guess you could call me antisocial. I don't click with people my age. The psychologist that Charlie made me see for a few weeks seemed to come to the conclusion that I sub-consciously pushed people away from me, to avoid being hurt again.

Maybe there is some truth in that, after all.

So I make my way over to my table, and Alice is sat there, looking more adorable than anyone has a right too. I'm tempted to shove Mike off our table but manage to refrain. Somehow.

But then Banner arrives in the room and I breathe a sigh of relief when Mike goes to sit at his table. Far, far away from my own. Thank God.

Then I actually listen to what Banner's saying. And guess what? Today we start a three-week project with out partners.

Just fucking kill me. Please.

And today we get the chance to spend an hour figuring what we're doing our projects on. That means talking to our partners. For an hour. Wonder if I can swap?

"So. What do you want to do ours on?" I hear her speak, but I don't answer. I don't even move. I'm staring out of the window, watching the raindrops make patterns on the window where they fall. It's pretty.

And a very, very safe thing to think about.

"Bella. You can just ignore me. We have to work together."

"Really? Never would have guessed." My voice is low, not to mention bitter. I turn to face her then, letting her see the anger in my eyes. And in turn I can see the pain and confusion in hers.

But I won't think about that. That is definitely not a safe subject to think about. Because the second I think about her as being hurt by the things I say, is the second that I lose the fight. And I can't fall in love with her again.

No matter how easy it might be to do so.

"Look, what do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? Do you know how hard it is for me to be back here? To remember everything we went through? It's not a picnic. I'm in a place I don't know, with new people. The least you could do is to try and be nice to me." Her voice is a low hiss now, obviously not wanting other people to overhear us.

"Why the hell should I be nice to you? You left me Alice. You just left. How was I supposed to get over that? I haven't got over that. It still hurts, every day. You have no idea how hard it's been. To go to the same places that we always used to go to. Together. And for you not to be there. Like you were never here at all. You had a new place to go to. Distractions."

"I didn't have a choice if I left or not! Charlie decided that for me. And distractions? I couldn't just forget about you. If you thought that it would be that easy for me to get over you then you obviously had no idea of how I felt about you in the first place."

I wanted so much to believe what she was saying, but that would be too dangerous. I couldn't risk it. So I pretended that everything she said was a lie. I couldn't speak about this anymore.

I could already feel tears welling up behind my eyes at just the remembrance of the pain. And I couldn't show any weakness to her. Even though I was pretty sure that she had heard it in my voice.

"We need to think of something before Banner comes over here. You don't want to make a bad impression on your first day." My voice is colder now. I've gotten used to hiding my emotions, and now I barely even have to think about it.

I can see her disbelieving look, but I ignore it. I have to.

Banner's making his rounds of the class, and it won't be long before he gets to us, I'm sure. But my mind seems to have gone completely blank. And then he's in front of us. Still nothing.

"So, Alice, how's your first day going so far?"

"It's not so bad."

"Glad to hear it. Have you and Bella thought of an idea yet?"

"Not yet sir. We still need some more time."

"Alright. Just do the work and we'll get along fine. Try and think of something before tomorrow's lesson." Then he's walking away and Alice is looking at me expectantly.

I just continue to stare out of the window. I hear her disappointed sigh before she starts leafing through the textbook, presumably looking for something to do. Looks like we're going to spend the rest of this lesson in silence, too.

I notice Mike trying to get Alice's attention half-way through the lesson, and feel a slightly vindictive rush of pleasure when she completely ignores him. She'd better not start paying attention to him just to spite me. I hope she has better sense than that.

I almost run out of the class when second bell rings, and end up falling into a familiar pair of arms.

"Hey, missed you this morning. Going somewhere?" Edward's arms don't release me though. I know he wont even of I answer him. I try anyway.

"Hey, yeah sorry about that. Things to do y'know? In fact, I have to go and see-" he cuts me off with a hard kiss before I even finish my sentence, and I know why. The idiots trying to be possessive.

It's pointless trying to push him off, so I don't bother. I just wait until he's finished being an ass and releases me. Doesn't take his arms from around my waist, though.

"Go where? Come on babe, I hardly see you anymore. You're always running somewhere." He flashes that crooked smile that makes most of the female population in the school swoon, but does nothing for me. I know what he's doing. Trying to stop me from getting away by cornering me in front of most of the school.

I gotta admit, it's a new tactic. I didn't know the boy was capable of thinking that hard. I didn't know whether to be disturbed or relieved by that fact.

"Sorry, but I have been busy."

"Ok. You're not busy now though, right? Come for a walk with me." Without waiting for a reply, he's towing me through the hall, and out into the parking lot. I don't even know how I'm going to escape this one.

Turns out I can't, cause I spend the most of my break with his mouth glued to mine. There is not enough mouthwash in the world. Honestly. The rest of my day passes in a blur. Alice doesn't have to join in gym.

I dread to think what I'll do tomorrow. She'll have to get changed. In the same room as me. I'll just try not to think about that. And hope it works out.

And I don't sit with everyone at lunch. Instead I go to the bathrooms.

Sad? Very. Did I care? Hell no. I ended up sat in there for as long as I could. Crying. Hasn't happened for a while. I guess it just overwhelmed me, what with everything happening in such a shirt space of time. I felt like I'd been run over by a freight train.

She doesn't sit by me in calculus. Thank God. And then I'm finished for the day. I go to Rose's car, leaning against the side as I wait for her. While hoping that she beats Edward out of class. Otherwise I'll have to think of another excuse to escape him. It's not easy you know.

Thankfully she arrives after a few minutes. She was talking to a guy across the parking lot. I don't know him.

Wait a minute, yes I do. It's Emmet. Jesus, that guy has gotten huge. He used to be pretty buff, sure, but not like that. He must be about six foot, with dark curly hair.

And I can tell from here that he's totally into Rose. It's the most obvious thing ever. But the second she meets my eyes I can tell that she sees what a crappy day I've had. She sends Emmet a flirty smile, before making her way over to me.

"Get in the car," is all she says after she unlocks it. I don't ask where we're going. Probably to her place. I don't even care where we're going. As long as it's away from everyone.

Wait, scratch that.

As long as it's away from her.