AN

This chapter was betaed by rain-it-shall, who is now my new best friend. Thanks again for checking through this so quickly and fixing all my silly mistakes.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the rights. Me; I own a copy of the books and the movies on DVD.

Talk to Me

Chapter 2: Purgatory in the Playground

Bella had been in class for approximately an hour and a half.

Being the new girl, she had been left alone for the most part, just listening in on what had been covered in previous lessons so far. That had not stopped the stares though. Bella hadn't felt more uncomfortable in her life.

After being shown where to hang her bag and coat, she was shown where she would be sitting for the rest of the term.

The desks were grouped in fours. She was seated at a table with two boys and one other girl. Every table was grouped like this. Apparently, Mrs. Chamberlain liked to strictly enforce diversity throughout her classroom. Who knows what would have happened if she had been a boy and messed up the room plan?

And the room itself was way too organized to be a normal third grade classroom. Nothing was out of place. All the pictures and posters were mounted on backing paper and hung perfectly straight, with the same amount of space between each one. If it wasn't for the bright colors of the decorations, she would have hidden under the table, expecting Miss Trunchbull to enter any minute. Desks, drawers, boxes and coat pegs were all labelled in perfect order and precision.

Seems like Mrs. Chamberlain was a neat freak, and her students were required to follow in her footsteps; even the gerbil, whose cage was unnaturally clean.

At her table of four, she was seated next to a skinny, black haired boy with round, wire-rimmed glasses. If it wasn't for the absence of a scar on his forehead she could have sworn he was that boy from those wizard books. Instead, his name was Eric Yorkie, who had taken it upon himself to try to lend her every colored pen and pencil known to man since she sat down.

Across from him was the other girl, Lauren Mallory. She looked friendly upon first inspection. She had corn silk hair, tied into pigtails with bright pink ribbons - to match her pink pinafore - and rosy red cheeks that helped accent the cherry red studs in her ears. But when Bella hesitantly looked into the pale green eyes glaring at her, she knew right away that they would not get along. You would have thought she would be glad to be joined by the new girl so that she would not be left with the two boys anymore.

If there was any consolation, the other boy, who took the remaining seat across from Bella, had happy eyes and permanent dimples (he hadn't frowned once since she had joined the group). He was a chubby boy with curly black hair and a double chin, and was wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt. Bella liked him instantly, even if he seemed the boisterous type. Not that she was planning on talking to Emmett McCarty though.

The bell rang.

Emmett gave a loud whoop, frightening Bella half to death.

"Okay everyone. Collect your coats and line up at the door. It's time for recess."

Oh no! This was the time of the day that Bella dreaded the most, along with lunch. The other children were more likely to approach her in the open space of the playground.

Reluctantly, she followed suit, tucking in her chair and putting on her coat, hat and gloves. Everyone had gotten quite chatty with one another so Bella hung back at the end of the line.

Soon, she was being lead outside, being forced to come face-to-face with her demons.

Not that she was ready.

"Mary, where are you going?"

"To ask if the new girl wants to play."

"Why would you do that?"

"She looks like she needs to be rescued from Eric."

"She looks fine. Leave her alone. Now let me finish braiding your hair."

Mary pouted and sat back down on the giant, plastic toadstool next to Rosalie. She picked at the fringe of her scarf as her friend picked at her hair.

"Hey Mary, what's with the long face? Wanna come and play on the slide with me and Jasper?" the newcomer said gesturing to the boy at his side.

"No thanks, Emmett. I wanted to go and make friends with Belle."

"Who's Belle?"

"The new girl," piped in Rosalie with a scowl and a pull of Mary's hair.

"Oww!"

"Sorry."

Emmett looked confused.

"I thought her name was Isabella?" Jasper said quietly.

"In the hall she said it was Belle. Maybe she likes to be called that name instead."

The boys shrugged.

"So," Emmett grinned. "We should ask her to play. Do you think she would like to?"

"No. She seems fine making friends with Eric. And Jessica?" Rosalie growled. "What's she doing talking to her?"

"It looks like they're arguing."

From the moment she had left safety of the classroom, Bella was on the lookout for a tree to hide behind, or at least somewhere she was less likely to be noticed. She skirted around the perimeter as no one was hanging around the edges.

Children were running around, jumping, skipping, shouting and screaming. Activities were not appealing to her.

But someone had noticed her.

"Hi, Isabella," Eric said. "Want me to show you around?"

"Bella."

"What?"

"I like being called Bella best," she said quietly.

"Oh. Okay, then." He smiled, "So, Bella. Would you like me to show you where to find everything?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm okay."

"You sure? I know everything there is to know here."

"I'm-"

"Eric," a female voice shrieked. "Leave her alone."

He glowered in return. "She's fine, Jessica. I was going to show-"

"I don't care." She shoved him out the way to get closer to Bella. "Hi, my name's Jessica Stanley. You're Isabella Swan. I'm in your class."

Was there any point in introducing herself to anyone?

"Ye-"

"She prefers Bella."

"What?" Jessica said glaring at Eric.

"She likes to be called Bella."

"Oh. Well anyway, come and play with me; I'm so much more fun than Eric. All he does is sit and read his backwards books."

"They're called Mangas."

"Whatever, she's coming with me." Jessica linked her arm through Bella's and started to drag her away.

Did she not have any say, even if she was too scared to say anything?

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Eric!" She didn't sound it as she waved over her shoulder at him.

She did not like this. Not liking this at all.

Jessica was just the type of person that she avoided: loud, pushy, demanding and commanding. If Bella had really been given a choice she would have told them both to leave her alone. But if she had to choose, she would have gone with Eric. He was quieter, like her, if not a little overeager to please. Plus he had books, and Bella loved books.

"So," Jessica was saying. "You will be much better off playing with me and Angela - she's my best friend you know - and you don't want to stay with some stinky boy. And believe me, he hates washing. You're lucky though, because it looks like he had a bath today..."

She continued on while Bella turned her ears off.

It looked like the school gossip had taken a shine to her and she had inadvertently gotten swept up into it. She just hoped that this BFF of hers wasn't the same way.

They were walking to the opposite side of the playground, past the sandpit and swings, and a grouping of toadstools that some children had climbed up to sit on. Two of those children Bella was familiar with: Mary, who she exchanged waves with, and Emmett, who gave her a huge grin. They were joined by two other's.

As they passed, Bella wanted to ask Jessica who they were but she was still talking, not caring if she was being listened to or not.

They were approaching a small grassy area when Jessica exclaimed, "Angela! Look who I've got." Like Bella was some kind of possession.

A tall, brown haired girl turned around and smiled. She was the total opposite of Jessica and Lauren. She was rather unassuming in her muted colors and dark clothing, and when she gave a quiet 'hello', Bella immediately liked her. She was the type of person that she would like to have as a friend if she were so inclined to make them.

"Angela, this is Bella. She's going to be our friend."

Angela nodded, "I'd like that."

Bella's answering blush was in pleasure.

She was intimidated somewhat by Jessica , but Angela, she could see herself getting along with her without feeling like she was about to jump down her throat.

"Come." Jessica grabbed both of Bella and Angela's arms and pulled them down onto the grass. They arranged themselves into a circle. "So, Bella, who's your favourite Spice Girl?"

Mary was pouting.

"Well," said Rosalie. "She seems to be getting on."

"It's not fair," Alice cried. "I saw her first. She's supposed to be my best friend."

"She hasn't even been here a day, there's still loads of time to talk to her," said Jasper, always the diplomat.

"But Jessica won't ever share. I'll never get the chance," she moaned, throwing up her hands.

"Don't worry," he said, giving her a hug.

"Hey, you want me to push her over so she will have to go see the nurse?"

"Emmett!" Rosalie hit him. "That's a stupid idea."

"Hey!" he said rubbing his arm. "Alright then, what about you just steal her?"

"She's not a cookie."

"You come up with a better idea then."

"I don't know. Jasper?"

"Fine." He furrowed his brow in thought. "Why don't you ask her to be your partner in P.E?"

"That's boring."

"Shut up, Emmett."

"Oww. Rosalie!"

"No," said Mary. "That's a good idea. Then I can show her how much nicer I am than Jessica Stanley."

"...never going there again. My mom was so mad. So we moved here. Then my Mom got a job working at the hospital. Now my dad can stay home more. What about you, Bella? Why did you move to Forks?"

"Erm, my mo-"

She was cut off by the sound of a boy coughing. She blushed and turned around.

He had messy, copper colored hair that was as shiny like a penny. She wondered if it was natural or if he just had a habit of pulling on it.

"Hi," he said matching Bella's red cheeks.

"Edward!"

He and Bella cringed at Jessica's shout.

"I, um, I, I-"

"Yes..." Angela encouraged.

He gave a quick glance at Bella. "Never mind."

He walked away before any of them could reply.

"He's so weird."

"Jessica, that's not very nice to say."

"Well, he is."

"Why?" piped in Bella, curious about the tongue tied boy - one of the few words she had said since joining the pair. Jessica had been dominating the conversations so far.

"He never talks to anyone."

"That's not true. He's talked to me."

"When? He's never talked to me."

"In math, last week."

"What did he say?"

While the two discussed Edward's limited interactions with other people, Bella looked back to see where he had gone.

He was walking to a large maple tree, shaking his head as he clenched his fists. He looked angry with himself. Bella could understand why. She found it hard to talk to strangers too, always worrying about how whatever she said would be perceived, and when she really wanted to get something out but couldn't, she would chastise herself for hours on end, sometimes worrying herself sick.

When he was under the tree's branches he leaned against the trunk and tugged forcefully at his hair, making it even more unruly than it already was. So it was a habit. After a few minutes of calming himself down he slid down to sit and pulled out a book from his coat.

Bella found herself oddly jealous.

She wanted to be doing what this Edward was doing.

Being alone with a book was Bella's favorite thing to do. What she wouldn't give to be him right now.

Until the newness of her arrival wore off, she'd just have to deal with being wanted.

AN

I should mention this fic is based on the same timeline as the books, so the year is early 1996. I was born the same year as Bella, so it was fun looking back as it helped me relive my own childhood memories by putting in the 90's references.

They're pretty easy to spot.

EDIT: I should appologise to one reviewer. HP wasn't published until '97, but I am a HP girl at heart so I've left it in there. Sorry for the confusion.

Thank you for reading.

Kylie x