The next morning, I was ready to confront Edward. I kept my best mugging look ready just for him. When lunch rolled around, he wasn't there. His siblings sat at their usual table, but Edward wasn't in sight. I was angrier than the last day. I knew he wasn't purposely avoiding me, but when a week passed, I was furious. I wasn't egotistical, but what where the odds?

Every day I specifically looked out for him, ready to confront him. The days passed and my anger died down. Now I was just curious. Was it really because of me that he was gone?

By the end of the week, I was done with it. I was glad he was gone. I didn't want to deal with drama anyways. If it was up to me, I would hide in the shadows until graduation. Jessica and Eric though made that impossible. They made it their mission to involve me in every discussion they had and invited me to every outing. I knew that I should be grateful, but I could only take comfort in solidarity. I was still slightly overwhelmed with the idea of 'friends'.

The latest invitation was to the first beach in La Push next weekend.

"Hey, you've been quiet for a while." Jacob said bringing me back from my thoughts.

Billy and Jacob had come over to watch the game. In the end, it was just Charlie and Billy watching the game while Jacob and I caught up. Conversation flowed easily between us, even though I vaguely remembered our childhood together. When they first arrived, an hour ago, it took me a while to remember him. In the first thirty minutes though, I found out the truck had been Billy's and Jacob had fixed it.

"So, how have you adjusted?" Jacob asked once I didn't say anything to his comment.

"Fine, everyone is friendly." I answered.

"That's cool. I bet the res school would be better." He said smirking.

"Yeah right, I bet kindergarten through 12th grade go there." I teased him.

I found it really easy to bicker with him. Maybe it was our age difference, but I found myself falling into an older role.

"Hey, give us some credit." He laughed.

"Alright, so how have you been?" I asked.

"Good, just dealing with some drama. You know small towns." He sighed.

"Not really. City boy remember?" I said grabbing my plate and his.

"I can do that." He said rushing to the sink.

"You're our guest Jake. It wouldn't be host-like of me if I made you do dishes."

"Fine, but I'll put away the left overs." He insisted.

"Deal."

Jacob was younger than me by a year. Yet, he was taller than me; he was almost 6ft tall and still growing. He was only sixteen. I wondered where he got it from, his dad wasn't exactly tall. He was a major contrast compared to me. He was tan with long black hair and I could already see forming muscles through his shirt. In comparison, I was almost a kid and I was seventeen. I had brown hair that matched my chocolate brown eyes. I looked too much like my mother and in return that made me look extremely feminine. Even though girls complimented my soft features, I couldn't help, but look at Jacob and wish that I had more masculine ones.

His broad shoulders made me seem puny and I had to look away.

"Well, how did you get Jacob to do that?" Billy asked as he appeared at the door way.

"Very funny." Jacob said wrapping a plate of leftovers with tin foil before placing it in the fridge.

"I blackmailed him." I said patting Jacob on the back as Billy laughed.

"Well, we should start going." Billy said.

"Okay, I'll meet you outside." He said and Billy waved at me before moving back into the living room where I heard Charlie help him out the house.

"Well, it was good talking to you. Once again thank you for fixing the truck." I said.

"No problem." He said waving off my gratitude.

"You're a mechanic genius. Maybe sometime you can teach me a thing or two." I said as I walked him out.

"I'll be looking forward to that."

Charlie and I quickly said good-bye and they were on their way.

"I'm surprised you and Jacob got along." Charlie commented as I closed the door.

"Why do you say that?"

"When you were younger, oh man, me and Billy would struggle from keeping you guys from fighting." He said laughing.

"Really, what would we fight about?"

"It was usually Jacob who wanted to boss you around and you wouldn't let him. Other than that, it was usual kid stuff." He said.

I laughed and shook my head as I walked back into the kitchen. I still needed to do dishes and the weekend was officially over. Tomorrow would be another school day. I would do the same routine.

By the time I reached my bed, I didn't even bother changing out of my clothes.

Where am I? I thought as I circled around to see only trees.

Okay, I was alone in the woods, maybe, but I wasn't scared. It was too quiet though. I couldn't even hear the wind or leaves moving. This wasn't normal. This had to be a dream.

"Cio." Someone said and I struggled to pin point where the voice had come from, "Over here." It said again and this time Edward stepped into the clearing.

"Edward?" I said in disbelief.

He didn't say anything as we just stared at each other as if entranced by each other's gaze. He stepped closer and I was suddenly jolted with the need to run. But I didn't want to run. I stood my ground as he got closer.

"Why did you leave?" I asked and he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"There are some things you shouldn't know." He said and he began to fade.

He was going to disappear again, and I began to feel an ache. I wanted more time with him. I wanted answers but everything was blurring around me. I screamed his name, but he disappeared completely.

"Shit!" I said waking up in a haze as I sat up.

For a moment, I thought that Edward stood at the end of my bed. Startled, I turned on the light and he was gone.

"I must be going crazy." I mumbled going back to sleep.

The next morning I woke up tired. I felt like I hadn't slept at all. I had to take a morning shower to wake me up, but it didn't seem to work. All morning, I was in a bad mood. Classes were taking forever, or at least they felt like it. In first period, Jessica wouldn't shut up about Mike asking her out on a date. Angela listened politely even thought, she would sneak me bored glances when Jessica wasn't looking. Then in second period, Mike couldn't stop bragging to me about his upcoming date with Jessica.

Did he really think I was into her? How did I manage to pull that off?

Lunch couldn't come soon enough. I was already looking forward to the end of the day. That was until, I saw him. He was back.

"Hello?" Eric said making me pull away from staring at their table.

"Huh?"

"I said, how was your weekend?" He asked.

"Oh, it was fine. I got to catch up with an old friend." I sad as I forced myself to finish my lunch.

"Really? I didn't know you knew anybody from here."

"He's not from here. He lives down at La Push."

"Oh, he's a res kid." He said.

"Hey, so who's down for this weekend? I need a count." Tyler asked suddenly.

"I think we're all down." Mike said answering for all of us.

I had nothing against it and besides I might run into Jacob. It wouldn't kill me to be a little social.

"So, it looks like Edward's back." Lauren commented.

"Yeah, I saw him this morning." Jessica added.

"Hopefully he's in a better mood today." Mike added looking at me.

"Yeah..." I said ignoring them and trying to avoid looking over at his table.

Now, I wish that I had my mugging face ready for him. I wanted to have that same drive to confront him, but it seemed pointless now. A week had passed; he probably didn't even remember me. That day I had probably caught him in a bad mood. But even that didn't explain everything. Why had he tried to get out of Biology? Or why he had been so repulsed by me?

It was safe to say that I wasn't looking forward to Biology, but the bell rang too soon.

"Are you just going to sit there?" Eric asked as I remained seated when everyone else had left.

"No…" I said only making him laugh.

"Come on." He said pulling me to my feet as he literally dragged me to Biology.

I took in a deep breath before taking a step inside the classroom. There he was, calm as he could be. He was still the same as I last had seen him. I didn't know why I thought he would look different, but he felt different. I straightened my posture, so not to look threatened. I wouldn't show him how easily he unnerved me. I took my seat and expected an awkward long class, but I was surprised when he talked to me. I was so surprised that I just sat there staring at him as he waited for me to answer.

"Sorry?" I asked after a minute.

"My name is Edward. I didn't get to introduce myself last class." He repeated himself with a smile, but I glared at him.

'Why was he being so nice? Didn't he despise me?' I thought as I tried to figure him out.

"And you're Cio, right?" He added.

"Yeah... Wait, how do you know my name?" I asked.

"Well, you are the biggest news in town." He said smirking.

"Oh geez, I don't want to hear that." I said groaning.

"You don't like attention?"

"Who does? I mean, I bet you're used to it, but me? No way. I would rather be hidden in the shadows." I said.

"Then, why did you move to a small town?" He asked as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"To be with my father of course." I said as I looked away from him.

'Why the hell was I being so chummy with him?' I thought as I glared at my notebook.

He couldn't be horrid to me one day and the next be all best friend-like. He was not going to toy with me. He could be solitary with his family. There was no need for us to communicate.

"It's too bad about the weather isn't it?" He asked suddenly and I looked at him oddly.

I hadn't noticed the weather at all. Looking outside the window, I noticed the snow. It was barely there, most of it melting away already. What was too bad about that? I preferred rainy days over really freezing cold ones and I didn't particularly like snow. Last week, Mike had nailed me with a couple of snowballs on my back. It had soaked through and I was uncomfortable all morning as my soaked sweater clung to me.

"You're talking to me about the weather?" I asked chuckling as I shook my head.

"Is that bad?" He asked/

I ignored his question as class began. I wasn't prepared to deal with Edward. I wasn't expecting a nice Edward today for that fact. I thought he was gone for good. Either way, I expected a mutual ignorance from one another. He was the one who had practically stared me down with a glare and ran off at the first ring of the bell. He was the one who tried to get out of class and I didn't even know what I had done; if I was even the reason. I wasn't sure I even wanted to know what had cause his disappearance.

We did a lab together, but speech was kept at a minimum. A couple of time he tried to strike up a conversation other than 'lab talk', but I wasn't biting. Eventually he took the hint; he didn't even say anything when he left.

"Everything's good between you guys, I see." Eric commented as we walked to gym class.

"It's whatever."

"It didn't look like whatever." Mike said.

I decided to ignore him, like always. Half the time I could barely stand him, but the other half of the time we didn't even speak a word to each other. At times like these, I could barely stand him. The way he would put in his two cents to just to simply annoy me. I wasn't sure what his exact vendetta was, but it couldn't just be Jessica. He practically had her at the palm of his hand. Despite that, I took into consideration his comment.

I hadn't really thought of how I had reacted to Edward. He did leave me practically mute when he had first spoken to me.

'Other than that I acted pretty normal, right?' I thought.

I did though, notice the difference in his eye color. The first time his eyes had been a terrifying shade of black. Today they were a golden color, almost yellow. He probably wore contacts. I could see that from a guy like him. Everything about him was probably fake.

"Heads up!" Someone yelled and it was too late, the ball collided with my face.

"Fuck." I spat as I clutched my cheek and fell hard on the floor.

Okay, never daze off during gym class. That's for sure.

"Sorry." Mike said as the pounding in my head died down.

"Yeah right..." I mumbled as I was helped up by Eric.

"Are you okay?" He asked as I blinked a couple of times.

"Yeah, I think. Fuck, my eye hurts." I said placing my hand over it protecting it from the light.

"Let me see." The teacher said breaking through the crowd of kids that had gathered around me.

"Okay, it's not red. It's just sore." She said touching it and making me wince, "It might bruise" She added.

Just my luck, I'll probably end up getting a black eye. I simply groaned in response.

At least it got me out of school early. Today wasn't my day. I was glad when I got home to an empty house. At times like these, all I want is to be alone. Edward's presence had driven me to a bubbling mess and discomfort. Mike had added the cherry on top. I purposely blanked out my mind as I went about my day. I did mindless stuff around the house while keeping a bag of ice to my face in a lame attempt from keeping my face from bruising. I knew it would be no use, I bruised easily. Someone could pinch me and I would have a purple bruise within hours.

When my dad got home I explained what happened in gym and he simply told me to pay better attention in class. I went upstairs after that.

Sleep came too soon as I tried to prolong the night and once again, I dreamed of Edward.

Shit! I'm in the woods again? What's up with the woods?

"Hey!" He screamed.

"Not you again." I groaned as Edward stood at the other end of the clearing,"Will you leave me alone?" I said throwing a rock at him.

It bounced off his chest easily. The sound had perplexed me, it was as if I had thrown a rock against another rock.

He remained silent. He stared at me as if willing me to see or understand something without words, but I didn't know what he wanted from me.

"Ugh." I said as my alarm woke me up announcing another day of school.

Charlie was gone like always by the time I came down stairs. The snow was gone now, but only because it was now frozen. I shivered at the thought of stepping outside. I could already feel the cold draft through the creaks in the house. But the cold was helping my bruised cheek. As expected, I had bruised. I had purplish splotches around my eye in the shape of a crescent. It looked sort of cool.

I took an apple like I did every day and headed outside. I nearly fell on the iced steps, but managed to get a hold on the rail.

"Okay, tip for the day, take cautious steps." I said to myself.

The parking lot was already crowded with kids when I arrived. Jessica waved kindly at me as I drove by her and the rest of our friends. I parked down a couple cars away from them. I got out and I slid on a frozen patch by the door, but once again I managed to grab onto to something. There goes my tip of the day. Then, I spotted it; something shinny on my tire. I closed the door and walked around to the back of my truck. I crouched down to notice the chains around the wheels. My dad must have done it when I was sleeping.

That's when I heard the screeching. It was so loud that it snapped me back from my thoughts abruptly. I whirled around to see a van swerving out of control. For a moment I wanted to think who doesn't drive safe under these conditions? That is until I noticed the van rushing toward my direction. I was expecting my life to flash right before my eyes, but instead I found myself scanning my surroundings. My eyes locked with Edward's for some reason. Then everything happened too fast.

I thought the van had slammed against me, but when I laid against the concrete floor I could still hear the van. I was lying on my back when I opened my eyes to see the van come to a halt just inches away from my legs. A white hand had stopped the van... then I saw a blur as my feet where moved out of the way as the van crashed down.

"Edward?" I said as sound came rushing back to my ear. I heard the screaming and shouting as I tried to get up, but Edward pressed me back down.

"You shouldn't get up. You hit your head pretty hard."

"Ow." I said feeling the back of my head, "And whose fault is it? You're the one who slammed me against the concrete ground." I complained.

"I'm sorry." He said as he stood up giving me a little bit of space to at least let me prop myself up on my elbows.

"How did you get here so fast?" I asked as I looked over his shoulder. I saw students trying to peek over the cars.

"What are you talking about? I was standing right next to you." He said almost angry.

"No you weren't. You were by your car..." I said trying to shake off my headache.

"No, I wasn't. Cio, please..." He said almost begging.

"Why?" I asked, but I got no response as we became surrounded.

Edward laid me back down. The ambulance was soon there, but that wasn't what I feared. I heard my dad's voice over everyone else.

"Cio! Are you okay?" He asked just as the paramedics had me on the stretcher.

"Dad, please tell them that they don't have to do this." I begged him as they tried to put a neck brace on me.

"Cio, it's just for precaution." He said as he followed the paramedics wheeling me into the ambulance.

"Why doesn't Edward have to do this, too?" I asked, but it went unanswered.

I was in the hospital and thankfully I wasn't on the stretcher or a neck brace anymore. Tyler was in the bed next to mine and was profusely apologizing and it was getting extremely annoying.

"Look Tyler." I finally said,"Edward pushed me out of the way. I'm fine." I said just as Charlie came in, pulling the curtain over a still apologizing Tyler.

"Dr. Cullen is coming soon." He said just as a young man with a white coat stepped into the room.

He was gorgeous; of course he had to be a Cullen. He didn't look a day passed his twenties.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he looked over my chart.

"I'm fine. I don't even have a scratch on me." I said as I swung my legs over the bed ready to get up.

"Well, you're very lucky then." He said.

"Lucky that your son was there to push me out of the way." I said watching him carefully.

"Yes, lucky in deed". He said just as Edward walked in.

"Hey, Edward I'm sorry…" Tyler began the minute he saw him.

"Don't worry. No blood no foul." Edward said cutting him off.

"Edward, thanks for saving my boy." My dad said.

"That's not needed. Anyone else in my position would have done the same."

"I bet Mike wouldn't..." I mumbled as Carlisle gave the okay for me to go.

"You might want to call your mom." My dad said.

"Oh man, she must be freaking out."

"And the whole student body seems to be waiting in the lobby."

"Okay. Well you go ahead, I need to go thank Edward." I said as I spotted Edward with his Dad turning the corner in the opposite direction.

"Okay." He said as I started to walk the opposite way.

I reached the corner, but I remained still as Edward and Rosalie argued. I was afraid to move and instead I waited for them to finish.

"How could you!" Rosalie growled.

"I had no choice. What was I supposed to do?" Edward said with a glare.

"I suggest we finish this later." Carlisle said as he motioned towards me.

I stepped fully from around the corner into the hallway. I waved awkwardly as Rosalie rolled her eyes and stormed off. Carlisle quickly followed behind her, leaving Edward and I alone.

"What is it?" He asked rudely.

"I believe you owe me an explanation."

"I don't owe you anything."

"Really, then how did you get to me so fast?" I asked.

"I was standing right next to you. You must have hit your head hard."

"Don't play me for a fool!" I screamed.

How dare he call me stupid? I was near death not near insanity.

"Look.."

"You stopped the van with your hand." I stated.

"I've looked this up. I'm pretty sure you've heard of it too. Its called adrenaline rush." He said all smug like he had everything figured out.

I could only stare at him. If it wasn't for the fact that he had gotten to me in a matter of seconds I would believe his stupid lie. Instead, I knew it wasn't true. He wasn't telling me something.

"Can't you just thank me?" He demanded.

"Thank you." I said glaring at him.

"You're not going to drop it are you?" He asked.

"Not until I get an answer."

"I hope you enjoy disappointment." He stated and with that our conversation was over.

He walked away, not waiting for me to respond.

Once again I was going to put him in the back of my mind. I didn't want to deal with him or his family for that case. They were probably all the same, Rosalie sure did seem to be. She was very pissed at him. I couldn't quite understand that part... unless she was mad that he had saved me. Did she hate me too?

'That would just be great!' I shouted in my head, feeling like everyone was against me.

The lobby was filled with students just like my dad had warned me. I was able to avoid them thanks to him in the end. Everyone seemed to be spilling out a million questions per second and my dad quickly got me out of there. When I arrived home my dad let me be.

It hadn't really hit me until later when I laid on my bed that I could have died. Today could have easily been my last, but here I was. I was truly thankful to Edward yet everything had happened under weird circumstances. He was no where near me when the van had come rushing towards me. Plus, he had stopped it with his bare hands. The van should have pinned me against my own truck and instead I laid here on my bed ready to tell my mom I was okay. I owed Edward my life and that pissed me off.

I owed him big time now.

I sighed forgetting my thoughts as I got on my computer. I had to let my mom know I was still alive.