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*Hey everyone! Thanks for all the feedback; it makes this so much more enjoyable. The favorites, alerts and reviews are overwhelming - in a good way! Thanks!
*I had two different people tell me that my chapters are too long. I don't know how people usually do it on here, but I didn't think it was a problem. I cut this chapter in half, then in half again… Let's see how this works out. It feels better posting long chapters, but just let me know how you feel about it. Not the best chapter, I know. But it's because not much is going on in it...
3. Lab
Every step closer to that table where he sat was like a step closer to death. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest, my breaths came in shallow pants, and I was sweating so badly my clothes were sticking to my skin.
So much for new clothes confidence, I thought bitterly when I was just a hair away from the table. I hoped that my deodorant wouldn't fail me. That would just give Edward more of a reason to look at me as if I was something repulsive.
It didn't escape my notice that those grassy green eyes of his, somehow both warm and cold simultaneously, were watching my every move with rapt fascination. He still looked angry - pissed, even - but there was something off about the way he studied me. I couldn't even begin to name it. So I just didn't try.
I couldn't help but to keep glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. His hair was wet from the snow and sticking out wildly in a way that would look stupid on anyone else, but he somehow managed to pull it off magnificently. It added to his just rolled out of bed head, sex appeal look he had going for him.
I stood next to our table and unloaded the few things that I needed for this class: my homework, textbook, notebook, pen and pencil. I even grabbed out a bright yellow highlighter, just so I could have a reason to be taking so much time. Anything to stay a little further away from him for a little while longer. He terrified me. He thrilled my veins and froze my blood with just a backward glance. Having the weight of his full-on stare was almost too much for my feeble nerves to take. My hands shook violently and I had to concentrate hard on my sticky eyes just to keep them open.
A throat clearing startled me away from my backpack. I looked over at Edward, thinking it came from him - apparently, no one else exists when the object of your greatest fear is sitting a few feet away - but he wasn't looking at me anymore. He was scowling at something over my shoulder.
I turned around slowly and was met with an annoyed Mr. Banner. He stood with his arms crossed over his torso and his left leather clad foot tapping in a broken pattern on the puce colored floor.
"Are you planning on taking your seat, Bella?" he asked, gesturing to my seat quickly before bringing his arm back to his chest, raising his eyebrow at me condescendingly. I blushed and nodded my head, averting my eyes to the table; I didn't dare raise them to see if anyone was staring.
I quickly took my seat and bit my lip to stop myself from whimpering pathetically at the close proximity with The Freak. I could feel his eyes on me. I Could hear his breath so close to my ear.
Too damn close.
I glanced at Edward and gasped softly as we locked eyes. I was unable to look away from his penetrating gaze. I could barely even hear Mr. Banner droning on about this and that. My attention was purely on him. He refused to let me go as he held me in my place with his dark forest eyes and upturned lip, baring his blindingly white teeth at me ever so slightly.
I could almost hear the low hum coming from his throat, no one else seemed to be aware, but I could hear it. It was deafening in my ears. His chest vibrated with it. My chest vibrated with it. There was an angry charge in the air, enveloping me in its volatile energy, warning me to stay away, but coaxing me to leap into it with abandon.
"Mr. Cullen? Care to explain what a cell plasma membrane is?" Mr. Banner asked agitatedly, officially popping our bubble and pulling Edwards eyes away from mine. I didn't pay attention to what he replied back as I used the distraction to quickly look down at my desk and shield my face from his with my long hair. If it weren't for the constant humming coming from him and the uncomfortable charge in the air surrounding us, I would have completely forgotten he was there at all.
Mr. Banner came around to each table, handing out microscopes and small boxes full of slides. From what I could understand over Eddies damn humming - seriously, what is with that? - The slides in the box were out of order. It was our job as partners to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly.
Blah blah blah. Been there, done that.
"And do not even think about using your books for this," Mr. Banner warned, giving each student in the room a stern look. "I'll be around in twenty minutes to check on your progress. Now get to work." He clapped his hands three times and I rolled my eyes.
Are we dogs?
"Well, you heard him," said a quiet, rough voice. I looked up, stunned and stupefied that he had spoken to me, minus a threat. He was sitting as close to me as our protruding seats would allow, and he had his chair angled toward me. He had obviously never heard of personal space before. I wanted to yell at him to scoot the hell over, but the look in his eyes stopped me. His eyes were intense, his stubbly face hard, and just slightly amused. "Get to work," he smiled as he sat back in his chair, facing the back of the room.
"Ex-excuse me?" I asked dumbfounded. Is he for serious?
"You don't expect me to do it, do you?" he asked cockily, smiling crookedly at me. I seethed and gripped my pencil in my fist.
Don't let your anger get the best of you…
…don't…
Don't let it…
"I mean, get real," he guffawed and I snapped.
"You know what? Fine! Sit there and let me do all the work. I want a passing grade anyway!"
Edward raised his bushy caveman eyebrow at me and smiled. "Okay then. Get to it, Bo Peep." I huffed and turned to the lab, getting to work on it, all the while thinking of something clever to say to him. No matter what he said to me next, I wanted to get in a good jab. Anything to make me feel like less of a wimp around this ass.
"That's wrong," he said suddenly, leaning over to examine my current slide.
"You… shut up!" Oh, good one…
"You said you wanted to pass, right?" Again, he raised that damn eyebrow at me and I wanted to offer him some damn tweezers, but I refrained. Because, frankly… he scares the living daylights out of me. "It's prophase, genius. Not anaphase," he snorted, taking my notebook and erasing what I had written to write down his answer.
I glared at him before looking back into the slide and groaning. He was right. If he wasn't being such an ass and distracting me with his mere presence, I would not have made that error.
I know this stuff like I know the back of a Backstreet Boys CD case, for crying out loud!
He set my notebook back in front of me and smirked as I glared at him. "Just doin' my part, partner."
I huffed and looked away from him and went back to work with no further annoyances from The Freak. They should start calling him The Asshole Jerk-face.
Damn asshole jerk-face…
It amazed me that one day he can be a total weirdo, threatening me, then the next he isn't there, only to come back and be such a… a… douche!
A few minutes after I finished my lab, Mr. Banner came over, ignoring Edwards existence completely and smiling at me. "Miss Swan, how are things going over here?" he asked, seemingly in better spirits. I ripped my lab out of my notebook and slid it over to him. He examined it for a minute and smiled wide.
"Perfect score!" he said in a congratulatory manner, to which I just shrugged and blushed. "You get a jolly rancher sucker," he told me seriously and I looked back at him in surprise.
Is he for serious?
He pulled a few suckers out of his lab coat and told me to pick one.
Guess he wasn't joking.
I smiled a tight-lipped smile, feeling like a kid and took the proffered candy. "Thanks…"
He nodded his head and peeked at Edward. "I don't suppose you want one?" he asked with a slight tremor to his voice.
"Ha!" was the only answer he received. Mr. Banner stiffened his shoulders and walked over to another table up front. I watched him go, contemplating asking to switch seats with someone.
"Aren't you gonna suck your lolli?" Edward whispered huskily close to my ear, his breath smelling strongly of hard liquor. I whirled around to face him and he had that damn crooked smirk in place as he looked me up and down suggestively.
I could feel my nose twitch and my cheek pull into a scowl. If he didn't knock it off, I would tip over that edge I teeter on all day and have one of my outbursts all over his smug ass. They ain't pretty, so he better freaking watch it!
"Shut your mouth," I said to him boldly, slamming my sucker down onto the table, feeling it crack under the force, but he looked unfazed as he leaned casually against the desk with his arms folded across his broad torso.
Cocky bastard.
I turned away from him, panting with my frustration, scooting my chair more into the aisle, still feeling Edward watching me. He looked to be less pissed now. I didn't want something setting him off again. The last thing I want or need is his terrifying anger directed at me again.
To distract myself from that boy, I opened my sea foam green notebook to a blank page and slipped off the cap of my fuzzy green pen - a gift from Phil - and doodled randomly along the page. I paid little attention to my art, my focus was on getting my breathing to regulate, and not end up having an anxiety attack in front of the entire class - least of all him.
I let my mind wander as I doodled aimlessly, and was startled out of my mind by Edwards roughened voice breaking into my trance.
"Now that's just inappropriate," he chuckled. I looked up and over at him to see his smirking thick lips and troubled eyes staring intently into mine. I felt exposed, naked under his intense gaze. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, trying to get some space between us, but there was none.
He watched me squirm for a minute with a satisfied smile before he chuckled under his breath, but I couldn't find it in me to be insecure.
His eyes. His eyes. They were shining at me.
Were we talking about something? I wondered as Edward looked at me strangely, that damn brow rose once again. One of these days, it's going to get stuck like that. I know it.
"I… uh, what?" My mind was spinning. I didn't like the strong affect he seemed to have on me. No one should be able to affect another like that. It just isn't fair. His damn eyes shouldn't make me lose focus like that… yet, they did.
He laughed a raspy, bone-melting laugh that sent shivers down my spine and back up again, chilling me and making my arms and neck break out in goose bumps. He took his eyes off me briefly to glance over at my notebook. I followed his eyes and had to grab onto the edge of the table to keep from falling out of my chair in surprise and terror at what I saw.
The subconscious does some funny things when you're not paying enough attention. Or in this case, a damn stupid thing!
A large picture of a stick figure with a messy head of hair and the words "The Freak" written above its oversized head had a long stick going through its heart and green splattered blood was all over the lined paper. The face of the figure was pulled down, its mouth open in a scream as it hunched over in pain.
I gasped and quickly slammed the notebook closed. I bit my lip - a nervous tick of mine - and shoved the notebook into my backpack noisily, gaining the attention of a few of the people around us. But one look from Edward and they all turned back around, the cowardice bastards. I deeply, wholly hated Mr. Banner now for making me sit next to this boy at the way back of the room. There was no one who would see if he attempted to murder me. They'd all be too late to help me.
I took a deep breath to clam myself down.
He isn't going to kill you over a stupid drawing Bella. Chill.
"Very detailed stick figure," he said quietly. I looked over at him, my eyes wide with fear. He had his lips in a thin line now, and I couldn't tell if he was angry or amused with the situation.
Maybe a little bit of both?
"Would I be off if I guessed that The Freak is me?" he asked playfully, nudging my shoulder with his own. My whole body locked at the contact and I breathed in a ragged breath, to which he just chuckled lowly through his nose, obviously enjoying the fear he instilled within me.
"Uh… uh, n-no, it's not you" I lied pathetically.
Edward smiled and pulled my chair next to his. I hadn't even realized he had sat back down. "Don't worry," he said calmly, his hand trailing the rim of my chair, between my thighs. I was surprised that that didn't bother me… much. "I'm not mad," he whispered.
"It isn't you," I tried again in a squeaky voice. He shook his head at me and heaved an annoyed sigh.
"Don't lie to me, girl," he said sternly, pulling his hand away from me and scooting my chair back with his foot. I looked at him, shocked at his brashness. "I know it's me, now stop being a filthy liar!" He turned away from me and stared at the front of the room.
My eyes widened in further shock, I was bathing in it at this point. I tried to tell him to shove his attitude where the sun don't shine, but I choked on the words. My tongue and throat were as dry as the Sahara. The rest of the class was spent in silence between Edward and me; stunned silence on my part and annoyed silence on his.
This time, it was me that stared at him without shame. I was wondering what the hell was up with his crazy mood swings, and should we be worried?
When the bell finally rang, I jumped up from my seat and gathered my things very slowly. I didn't want to leave before Edward did, I didn't want to seem like I was running - and I didn't want him behind me either.
"Hey, Bella!" I looked up to see Mike approaching me quickly. I forced a polite smile at him and went back to work on packing my stuff at a snails pace. I could still feel Edward right there, right next to me. Mike slowed in his movements and his eyes darted to Edward before finding me again.
"Uh, so that lab was a bitch, huh?" he asked nervously scratching the back of his neck.
"It was alright."
"Yeah, so… are you ready?" he asked hurriedly, pursing his thin lips.
"Mike, you can go on. I don't need you to walk me to my car," I said patiently, noticing that his distress was from being so near to The Freak. I couldn't blame him. At all.
"No, I'll walk you." He jutted out his chin and puffed out his chest, giving Edward a weird look. Was he trying to intimidate him? I almost laughed at the absurdity of that thought, but held it at bay.
Mike? Intimidate Edward? Right…
"Really, Mike. It's no big deal." I tired to get him to understand with my eyes that I didn't want to leave before Edward. Also, Edward would probably kill Mike if he gave him any lip. Therefore, he needed to shut his mouth and vamoose.
"No. I'm walking you," he said like a petulant child and I rolled my eyes. I opened my mouth to tell him to just back the heck off, but I was cut off by an angry voice.
"She said beat it, Newton. Don't you have a fucking clue?" Edward said roughly from my side. I whipped around to face him with my mouth hung open. He didn't pay me any mind as he glared daggers and Mike. He had his arms crossed tightly over his torso and a look of pure disgust on his face.
What is his damn deal?
"I… I… Bella?" Mike struggled under his intense glare, looking at me for support. I sighed and grabbed Mikes sleeve, then entwined our hands together, dragging him behind me quickly. I felt it necessary to get those two away from each other as fast as possible before I became a prime witness to a murder.
I peeked over my shoulder to find Edward watching me go. I expected to see his anger, but I didn't expect to see the pained and longing look on his face as I walked out of the room hand in hand with Mike.
*longer chapters or shorter chapters? It'll help me to know what everyone wants.