Chapter 3

(Edwards POV!)

Bella Swan? What's Your Damage?

"Thank you, Mrs. Cope!" I said eager to get out of the office.

"You're welcome, Mr. Cullen," she said in a sweet voice, a little too sweet for my taste. "You have a good day now, ok?"

I nodded, ran out, down the corridors, and into the music auditorium. It was dark and the students were all looking at a beautiful piano. Everyone was paired up; six groups of boy-girl, then there was just a girl. Her eyes closed, mahogany hair falling around her heart shaped face and shoulder. Clearly, she was wearing too make-up, like trying to cover-up something.

I walked up to the piano, to my music teacher, Mrs. Christy. She smiled at me and nodded towards the girl, who was still singing. I smiled a 'thank you' and stood beside her.

I had to lock me knees as I heard voice; soft, caring, and beautiful enough to make me weak in the knees, it was full of her emotions.

As the song came to a closing she opened her eyes; not acknowledging me. I cleared my throat, she turned and I was looking into beautiful, big almond eyes. She was beautiful as hell though it looked like she tried to hide it form everyone. In her eyes she showed her life's story; pain, fear, torment, confusion, shock, disappointment, and loss.

"Bella," Mrs. Christy said, breaking our contact.

'Whoa! This is Bella?' I thought not really paying attention to their conversation, 'This is the girl from the parking lot? With the bruise on her back?' once again the picture popped into my mind, I held my shiver and gasp.

"…ok?" Mrs. Christy asked looking at me.

I nodded smiling as she went back to the piano. Bella took a deep breath and sang on key the piano was on, as did I.

I loved singing; it always cleared my mind and the problems I had. When my parents died, whenever Alice and I got adopted by Carlisle and Esme, when I was in a new family, whenever the traumatic nightmares came, singing and playing the piano helped every time.

Soon the warm-up ended and everyone dispersed into his or her groups. Bella took her shoes and windbreaker off, getting comfortable. She turned to me, "What?"

I smiled my crooked smile. "I just wanted to know…well…I wanted to know, what happened in the parking lot?" I asked sincerely.

She smiled then sighed sadly "Nothing," she was lying, I could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. She chose to change the subject, "So you got your schedule, right?"

I frowned but let it go, "Yeah, thanks." Wait! Why did she have it in the first place? "By the way," we walked towards a dark corner away from everyone else; Bella carried her IPod, its speakers and a couple pieces of a paper, "why did you have it?"

She giggled, I grabbed onto a nearby chair to steady myself. "Oh," she blushed; I dug my nails into the cushion to keep my hands from her face, "Alice wanted to know if I had any classes with her, then she also wanted to know if I had any with you." She explained setting up the IPod and its speakers.

"Do I?" I wonder trying not to sound so excited.

"Yea, um, you have… music-obviously-trig, lunch, and bio with me." She grinned as if thinking of something.

"Why are you grinning?"

"Oh," she blushed again, 'Damn!' I thought biting my lip, 'She's going to be the death of me! Wait? What the hell am I thinking? I barely know her! God Edward wake up and smell the pheromones!' "Just you're going to be my partner on trig and bio; it gets pretty lonely."

I remembered a part of the discussion she had with Mrs. Christy:

'You were at the hospital the day we picked…'

My eyebrows' pushed together, "Let me guess, you were in the hospital or the ER the day they picked, right?" I didn't mean to sound harsh or smug it just came to be that way.

She glared at me, "Actually," I blinked 'She can get mad?! Damn!' "No one wanted to be my partner; I'm a freak!" she took a deep breath.

I don't know why, but I rested my hand on hers. Immediately I felt an electric surge run through me, lighting up my body! I wasn't sure if she felt the shock or not but she tensed as if I was going to hurt her. I kept my hand in place, to in ensure her I wasn't going to do anything. I wanted Bella to see that she wasn't a freak. "You're not a freak," I said rubbing small circles onto her hand. "So, you like being away from everyone else. You're shy, quiet, non-sociable, doesn't mean you're a freak, Bella."

She opened her mouth like she was she wanted to say something, but her phone rang, Face down by the Red Jumpsuit Apprentice

Face down in the dirt

She said

This doesn't hurt

She said

I've finally had enough

One day she will tell

You that she has

Had enough

He's coming around

Again!

I only heard part of the conversation, though as she answered her voice and facial expressions changed. "Hello?" she answered. "Yes, Daddy?" she replied in a voice like a little girl, her face scared. Her eyes soon turned wide and tears filled her bottom eyelids. "Yes, D-daddy." She waited for about 3 seconds before snapping the phone shut. The tears suddenly fell over as did she, lucky her, I caught her around the waist and pulled her against my chest, pulling her closer.

"Bella, Bella…" I sighed into her ear, I sat us down on the floor; her in my lap, my arms around her waist. "What happened?" I asked time and time again.

But every time I did, she would shake her head and mumble, "Not again! Please! Not again!"

'What? What not again?' I thought as we sat there, for about 20 more minutes; her on my lap, her head on my shoulders, me holding her close to my chest, rubbing small circles into her back-careful not to graze her bruise-and smoothing out her soft, brown, wavy hair.

Thinking about the bruise; how bad it was, how it happened, was it accidental, on purpose? Was it infected, was it warm, cold, bumpy, smooth, did it have its own heartbeat? Thinking all that then the possibilities, I got the urge and strength to lift her shirt and lightly place my hand on it.

She didn't move as I rubbed it softly. It was warm on the inside and chilly around the outside. In the inside, it was bumpy and the outside it was smooth. In the middle, I did have its own heartbeat, strong; as I moved towards the outside it grew faint.

I sighed 'so basically, it's healing from the outside in; it's not fresh but from earlier from this week, may be Sunday or Monday.' I thought as she pulled away, looking at my face, she grimaced. 'I must look like shit or really worried.' "What happened?" I whispered softly. As odd as it sounds, I just met her this morning, but I was hurt because she was. She was in pain and no one even knew why, but me. So I mean I'm hurting too.

She shook her head once more "Nothing you need to worry about, Edward," I shivered as my name rolled off her tongue and through her lips. She smiled sadly. "Thanks, by the way," I threw her a confused glance, "for helping me with my little…breakdown there." I nodded understandingly "no one's ever taken the time, so, um, yeah, thanks."

I smiled completely understanding "Anytime, Bella," I said loving the way it felt to have her name said around me or by me.

Bella stood up, slowly and gently, grabbing my hand to 'help' me up at the same time. When her hand made contact with mine that same electric surge ran through me, stronger this time, though. "Ok," her angelic voice rang through my ears, "let's get down with the easy stuff first," she sat down in a cushion chair as I picked one up and placed it right in front of her, so I could see her face. "Do you play an instrument?"

I nodded holding back the smile "I've been playing the piano since I was about nine or ten, I believe," I shrugged. "Sometime after Carlisle and Esme adopted me."

She stopped jotting down the notes and glanced at me through her lashes, I nearly had a heart attack! "A…Adopted?" she looked confused and concerned.

I nodded "Yea," then I thought of something. "Didn't you wonder why Jasper and Alice's last name are the same? They've been together for like five years. Same with Rosalie and Emmet, they've been together for nearly a decade now." I chuckled 'We are so weird!'

She nodded "I'm sorry."

'What?' I thought confused, 'why the hell is she sorry and why does she look like she's about to get smacked?' I asked, "Why?"

She shrugged "It was none of my business and I butted in, so, I'm sorry."

I continued to look at her, 'she looks like someone's about to beat her,' I thought, 'I wonder, if I raised my hand? What would she do?' I brought my hand up, immediately she tensed up every muscle and bone in her body, closed her eyes, bit her lip and just sat there…waiting. 'Ok…' I thought putting my hand down, 'obviously she's use to this…but why?' I go up from my chair and sat in front of her, "Bella," I whispered, "Bella…you got to talk to me," I was pleading now. I started caressing her cheek, in result she flinched. 'Ok…flinching can either mean a sore or just scared of what's about to happen.' I debated on which, 'she has tons of make-up on, which equals covering up something, which equals a sore…or worse.' I carefully brushed the remaining cover up off her cheek, and then gasped. On her cheek, a centimeter from her gorgeous lips was a black, purple and blue bruise.

She didn't open her eyes; instead she leaned into my hand, tears falling once more. "Tell me, Bella," I whispered brushing he tears away.

She just shook her head, still not opening her eyes. "No…" she mumbled through the tears, "…no! He'll hurt all of you, if I do! I haven't had anyone make me laugh or smile in along time, by just talking. I'm not going to let him take away the only piece of my joy. Please, Edward, please! Just leave it alone!" she pleaded out grabbing the hand that held her cheek; thus bringing on another electric attack. "Please…" she whispered once more.

I nodded solemnly "Ok, Bella, ok, "I promised pushing back her hair, "I'll leave it alone…for now."

She opened her eyes and smiled a watery, sad smile, "for now."