Chapter 2 : The next week

The next week was very good. I accompanied Bella whole time in school, and even walked with her to her every class. She didn't mind my presence. Well who would mind presence of such a gorgeous boy such as me who every girl admires. I even sat with her on her table until the Biology lecture would start. And the best part was that Edward was not coming to school. It seemed that he had left the school due to some problem but his brothers and sisters were all in the school.

A battle, or you can say a cold war, was on between I and Eric. Even he wanted the attention of Bella, my Bella. But she never paid any sincere attention to him so I was on cloud nine because I knew that soon I would be dating this beautiful girl. This thought would take my thoughts on another level that how would I kiss her, how would I hold her, how jealous the whole school be.

But this all would have to wait.

The whole week went pleasant. She often injured herself during volleyball – due to her clumsiness. I even started to come early to school so that I could spend more time with her. Jessica started acting a little awkwardly as if she suddenly hated Bella due to my attention to her. I didn't knew her problem and I didn't wanted to know even.

I started feeling a little smug as the girl who was admired by the all school boys was now paying attention to me.

All of these things were pleasant for me until the next Monday – one week after her arrival – as suddenly Edward returned.

I was standing in the parking plot with Eric, Angela, Ben and Lauren. We were waiting for Jessica and I was waiting for Bella – which was now my daily routine.

"The Cullens are not yet in the school." Angela said abruptly.

I snorted, hating the idea of Edward returning. "Who cares?" I said, offended by the way our conversation was going.

"Oh, don't be so rude! They are not bad guys, just a little reserved." She defended.

"Yeah, a little reserved. You should have seen the look on Edward's face that day. He was acting as if Bella had just tried to murder him."

"It's not that. It's just that he was having a bad day, and next day he had to go to Alaska to meet some cousins. Alice said he would come in a few days."

"Right. His few days are not yet done."

"Don't be so harsh on them, Mike." Ben jumped in, trying to stand with Angela.

"No, I'm not being harsh. I'm just trying to help Bella."

"And how are you doing that?" Eric asked.

"Look, I don't think he is going to come anytime soon, so I would go to Ms. Cope today to change my lab partner from Samantha to Bella. Today one week would be completed of his absence, so Ms. Cope would accept my proposal, and thus I'd help Bella."

Soon Jessica arrived, along with Lauren, so our conversation stopped, and before she could say anything, arrived the Volvo, where there were seated five people. What the! Edward arrived today. But how? Does this means Angela was right?

The Cullens' were in a good mood today, so I knew my whole plan was at the edge of shattering. My bad day turned into a good one when I was walking from my English class with Bella and we saw that it was snowing and that whole ground was covered in snow. I kept that Edward topic away for now, as it was the first snowfall of this year and I was looking for it.

"Wow" I said excitedly "It's snowing."

Her only reply was "Ew!"

I was surprised that she didn't liked snowfall and here I was planning on playing snow fight with her. So I just asked her "Don't you like snow."

I was expecting her to say that she liked snow as she had lived in such a sunny area that maybe she was excited about snow and was only saying this due to some other reason. But, her reply was very bizarre. "No, that mean it's too cold for rain. Besides I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes – you know each one unique and all that. These just looks like end of Q – tips"

I was very intrigued by her reply so I just asked her incredulously "Haven't you ever seen snowfall before?"

"Sure I have..." she paused and then added "...on TV"

I laughed at her answer and then suddenly a snowball hit my back. I turned to look who done this and I got my answer in an instant when I saw Eric walking away from us – his back towards me – in the wrong direction. I was busy glaring at Eric and plotting my revenge when Bella said while walking towards her next class "I'll see you at lunch, okay? Once people start throwing wet stuff, I go inside" I just nodded while still glaring at Eric.

At lunch I was walking with Bella and Jessica towards the food stall – I and Jessica were talking about snow – when I saw Bella glancing at the Cullen table where five people were sitting today. Edward was here today. Bella suddenly looked down with flushed cheeks.

Jessica called Bella but she didn't looked up. So Jessica tugged at her arm and asked what did she want for lunch.

I was worried about Bella so I asked Jessica "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing" Bella replied "I'll just get a soda today."

"Aren't you hungry?" I was about to ask the same question.

"Actually, I'm feeling a little sick today." Bella replied. Well I should have guessed this much as she was looking a little nauseated due to snow.

Bella followed us towards our table – still looking down – I seriously got concerned for her as she was drinking her soda slowly. I asked her twice how she was feeling and she just replied saying that she was fine.

I was discussing my plan to revenge Eric with Ben when suddenly Jessica asked "Bella, what are you looking at?"

I followed her gaze and saw that Edward was looking at her again with some curiosity and again Bella's face was concealed from her hair. Now I was trying to plot some snow fight for Edward too. How dare he stare at my Bella!

Jessica – oblivious to my plotting – informed Bella "Edward Cullen is staring at you" she giggled in her ear. How I wanted to punch Edward for just looking at Bella like this!

Bella asked "He doesn't looks angry, does he?" which confused me and also Jessica because she inquired "No, should he be?" in a confused tone.

"I don't think he likes me" Bella confessed by putting her head on her arms on the table.

Well, the Cullens' don't like anybody.

Jessica replied my thoughts by saying "The Cullen's don't like anybody... well, they don't notice anybody to like them" She then quickly added "But he's still looking at you." At that I now seriously wanted to just get up and punch him.

"Stop looking at him" Bella ordered. Jessica chuckled but obeyed her.

I didn't wanted to hear or say anything about Edward so I quickly interrupted by asking them to join us for the massive snow fight we were all planning. Jessica agreed enthusiastically but Bella hesitated, I guess due to her repulsion towards snowfall.

When we exited cafeteria I was disappointed as it had started raining and all my plans were already melted along with snow. I accompanied Bella to our biology class and saw that Edward was still not there. I quickly sat at my table as Mr. Banner came and then saw that Edward was coming to his usual seat. Why, why did he came today? Why didn't he just stayed where he went? He was now seated in his seat. But Bella was oblivious to him.

Samantha asked me something and I turned to answer him and the next thing I see when I turn to look at Bella is that Edward is talking to Bella. I was tremendously jealous by just watching my future girlfriend talking to the boy I hate the most.

Mr. Banner called class for attention and then the whole class came to an abrupt silence. He explained about today's experiment and then told us to start. I saw Edward and Bella again talking and thus my whole attention was towards them, forgetting about my own. They both finished the experiment first and then Mr. Banner came and then said something to them and then he went away.

Why, God why did he came, why didn't he stayed where he was?

My bad day turned into the worst say as to my dismay, Edward – the usually silent Edward Cullen – was talking – he was actually talking!

I was taken aback from my reverie when Samantha shook my hand to gain my attention. "What do you think it's answer is? I think its interphase." Samantha said.

"Umm, I actually don't know. I think you're right. Its interphase."

"Okay. So lets move to the other one." She looked at the other slide while I was paying attention to Edward and Bella. They had already completed their lab work.

"I don't know about this. Maybe we were wrong about the first one." Samantha said, grabbing my attention.

"I seriously don't know about this experiment, Samantha" I mumbled, and again paid attention to Bella.

Now they were actually talking – as if they both have become new friends, and also leaning towards each other. It was looking as if they had forgot that they were in between the class. I was not able to see Bella's face, but I could see the many expressions coming across Edward's face – curiosity, frustration, anger, smugness, distress, anxious, and many others. I could just stare at him as today I saw a new Edward Cullen. And then suddenly he became rigid just like the other day and left the class as soon as bell rang.

I quickly came to Bella's side to help her with the books. I so very badly wanted to ask her about her conversation with Cullen but it would seem so rude so I quickly started conversation with her on a light topic. "That was awful" I groaned "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."

Well this was the truth that all of them were quite intelligent as if they had done all these over a hundred times rather than one. Even the teachers were fond of them as they were perfect in all the subject – no exception.

"I didn't have any trouble with it." She muttered a little harshly at which I flinched a little. Then she quickly added in a smoother tone "I've done this lab before, though." She confessed so that she could not hurt my feelings.

At this I felt a little relief as I became aware that she also had some feelings for me else why would she try not to hurt me with her hard words. We were wearing our raincoats, when my curiosity at their conversation won and I asked the question I so badly wanted to ask – though in a very polite way.

"Cullen seemed friendly enough today." I commented though my questioning tone was barely hidden.

Bella shrugged indifferently oblivious to my curiosity. "I wonder what was with him last Monday."

The walk towards gym was just like morning. I filled her with my chatter about nothing important and she listened. Once in the gym we started playing volleyball and this time Bella was in my team. I covered her position happily every time the ball was towards her way. She seemed happy whenever I did that and this made my heart sour. How I wanted to hug her, or hold her, or kiss her, or smooth her hair or...

After gym, when Bella left for home, Jessica came towards the spot where I was standing with a big smile plastered on her face. But just like always she didn't gossiped but started complaining to Lauren, not seeing that I was listening to them.

"I don't know what is this with Edward Cullen?" She growled "Ever since moving in Forks he never paid attention towards nobody other than his family, and suddenly he seems interested in Bella. Suddenly he starts talking to her as if she is her long time friend, whereas he never paid attention to me."

"You are right." Lauren agreed with a tone which held venom in it, "I don't like this Bella." She said in an acidic tone, and said her name like a curse. "She comes to Forks and suddenly all the boys over here turns head to heel for her. God know what does she wants? She pretends to be a little shy, but see, she feels a little smug that all the boys – even Edward Cullen – is paying attention to her." then she quickly added "Hope she leaves Forks soon enough so that all the boys again starts paying attention to me."

"Hope you are right!" Jessica sighed.

I didn't paid any further attention towards them, else I would have done something to them that I would have regretted. I just hoped that Lauren's wish does not get granted and Bella would live in Forks.

Mike is an interesting character to be in his head.

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