Rosalie POV:
Great, the bitch was back. We didn't chase her away, after all. And this time, she had a stupid pile of books in her hands.
"Whaddup, Teach?" Alice asked, dropping an apple on her desk. I snorted with laughter and sat down in the back next to Jasper.
"Thanks, Alice," Mrs. C said gratefully. Wait, she was grateful? That apple was probably rotten and had a worm crawling out of it. I mean, I hated her, but did she need to die? Maybe just get out of here, though. Regardless, I smiled and gave Alice a high five. I noticed she had red slits on her wrists, just like I did. A girl friend, just what I'd always wanted.
"It's poisonous. Teachers never actually eat the apples, Mrs. C," Alice said, shrugging.
Emmett slammed his fist on the table, shaking with laughter. Everyone else joined in and I snorted between my giggles.
"I'm glad I provide entertainment for you all. Are you ready to learn English now?"
That was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard. Of course we wanted her to keep making herself look idiotic. We all threw spitballs at her and booed.
"That's it," Mrs. C said, banging her palms on the desk, staring at us with cold eyes. "You guys are going to read Romeo and Juliet and learn vocabulary and poetry! This is school, not a saloon!"
Wrong choice of words. Because the boys started wolf-whistling and saying how they wanted to see her on a pole with skimpy clothing, making her blush. She was weak, and we could take her down. They chortled until Mrs. C cleared her throat.
"Don't be disrespectful. You may call me Esme if you want. Now, you guys will like Romeo and Juliet, I think, because it's about forbidden love, sex, violence…" she trailed off, grinning and nodding like some stupid clown.
"Yeah!" Angela cried out, clapping her hands.
Course she would love it. But even I liked the idea of Romeo and Juliet. It sounded like something we'd think was cool.
"It's by William Shakespeare, and it's hard to understand, but I bought the Shakespeare Made Easy version for all of you. Take one book and pass it down the row,"
It didn't take long for the door to open. Miss Goody-Two Shoes herself, Bella Swan, Renee's daughter, walked in the room, beamed at Mrs. C, and they hugged. Gag me. Some people snickered around me.
"Class, this is Bella Swan. She's in eleventh grade and she'll be student-teaching this class. She'll be my aide for the semester,"
"Yo, Bells!" some people shouted at her. She blushed and sat at the far corner of the room.
She was such a teacher's pet. I should've known I'd see her again today.
I saw Jacob staring at her like he'd never seen the sun before. Gross. What did he see in her anyway? He was one of the leaders of the La Push gang, and they were forbidden to date "white girls" like me and Bella. Oh, god. Not me and Bella. I did not just put her in the same sentence as "me". Ok, I was white, but Bella was like, albino! Really albino, like she didn't get sun. She joked that her mother was part albino. Leah replied that she was part retard. Esme told her to shut up and pay attention to the lesson.
Someone nudged me and I turned around. It was Vera, the girl from New York.
"Hey. I'm from New York, too, ya know," I told her.
"Awesome. Who's the dad?" she asked, pointing to my stomach.
"It doesn't matter,"
"Wanna be friends?"
"Sure,"
"Then tell me. I won't tell anyone,"
"My dad,"
"Fuck, that's sick,"
"I know,"
"Hey, that sucks, girl!" Alice cried.
"Tell me about it," I said, leaning back in my chair and slumping a little.
Alice yawned really loudly and put her head on her desk. Esme crashed her hand on her desk and Alice woke up with a start. She rubbed her eyes. "Leave me alone…" she mumbled under her breath, followed by some yawns.
"Sleep at home. Not in class. Now, open your book to page three!" Mrs. C instructed.
I wanted to punch this bitch in the face. I didn't get much sleep at home either, and it was a wonder that I was staying awake.
"Fine, whatever,"
Jasper POV:
"So, if you wanna pass, all you have to do is try," Esme stressed. "Because at this point, everyone has an "A.""
"What?" Emmett asked.
"ls she serious?" I asked.
"But it's up to you to keep it,"
"Bullshit," Sam grunted.
"Yo, why don't you shut up, man. What if it ain't bullshit? Ain't never had no fuckin' "A" before," Jacob exclaimed.
"Emmett, why don't you start reading. Right here," She pointed to the page, accidentally touching his finger.
"Don't you fuckin' touch me, bitch!" he seethed.
"Sorry, it was an accident, I'm so sorry," Esme said, backing away. "Now, read,"
Was she kidding us? No one in here could read. This was college shit.
Emmett POV:
No one ever taught me to read. "Are you insane? I can't read, Mrs. C!" I boomed.
"Try. Don't you want that A?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Then start. Act One, prologue,"
"Act One," I read. "Pro…log…ooo,"
"Prologue," Esme corrected me. "The 'ue" is silent,"
"That's fuckin retarded!" But I went on, to shut her up. "Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend…what does this even mean?"
"Very good, Emmett! Now, why do you think people fight instead of use their words? Anyone?"
The blonde girl with blue eyes raised her hand.
"Yes, Rosalie?"
"Actions speak louder than words,"
Everyone was stunned. That sounded…smart. Even Mrs. C was surprised. She raised her eyebrows. "Where did you learn that?"
"My parents and my brother told me and Jasper that. It's better to hit with your fists than use your mouth. See, if you just tell someone not to do something, well, they won't listen, unless they're Goody Two Shoes Bella here, but if you use your hands, when you get slapped or punched or hit…you try not to do it, cuz you don't wanna get hit. You don't wanna feel the pain. When you see that bruise on your face from the last time he or she hit you, when you touch it, it hurts and you cringe…it reminds you to listen when you're being told to do something,"
I loved this girl.
"And have any of you heard 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?'" Mrs. C asked.
"Nope," some people replied.
"Well, do you think that is true? Can words hurt people or not?"
"I dunno," Kate responded.
"Well, let me try something here. Uh…Jasper, get up here,"
Jasper walked to the front of the room.
"You stupid, worthless, good-for nothing asshole! You'll never survive in this world on your own! You're freakin' pathetic!" Mrs. C yelled at him. Jasper shrank back, and she smiled winningly. She calmed her voice. "Now, tell me how that made you feel,"
"Like normal, I'm used to it," he said, shrugging. "We all hear that. It's how we get along in this world. Our parents call it 'tough love',"
"But you shrank away from me. Didn't my words hurt you?"
Her words certainly stung me, cut me like a knife, and she wasn't even talking to me. I noticed some of the girls around me wiping their eyes. Rosalie sniffled and Vera got out a tissue. Alice bit her lip hard and a tear rolled down her cheek. They stopped when Mrs. C looked back up at us.
"Er, not really," Jasper said, bored.
"Tell her the truth, stupid!" Jacob shouted, throwing a paper airplane at him.
"It hurt you, didn't it? Didn't it, you nasty piece of-" Mrs. C started at him viciously again.
"Fine, whatever, I just don't like pouring out my emotions and stuff,"
"Okay. Now, I'll use different words," Her voice turned very gentle. "You can do anything you set your mind to. You are the most brilliant child I have ever laid my eyes on. I'd kill any bastard who tried to hurt you. Isn't that better? Everyone wants to hear that, am I correct?"
"No, cuz it's not true. I'm not brilliant, I'm dumber than a box of rocks. And you don't care about me. Stop lying!" Jasper hollered in her face and stormed back to his seat.
"Yes, it is true. She's trying to prove a point, guys. You are all smart, you're just not trying hard enough. You gotta try!" Bella tried to urge us.
"Shut up," Emily muttered and rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows we're just a bunch of worthless rejects,"
"She was just giving us an example," Sam added.
Mrs. C closed her eyes and put a hand to her temple. "I was speaking from my heart. You all need to believe in yourselves. You are much better than you're trying to act. I know that. I don't know you personally, but I know that you can do better. Now, who can tell me what the prologue means?"
When no one answered, she sighed. "It means that two families both of the same social status, like both rich, are rivals. They're from Verona, and their children are secret lovers. It's kind of foreshadowing, telling you a little about what's gonna happen. I want you all to read act one, scene one and two, due tomorrow. At the end of this book, you are all going to write a mini story about star-crossed lovers," she instructed as the bell was ringing. "Tomorrow we are conjugating verbs and discussing your homework, so make sure you do it!" she added as we started packing up.
We groaned and then gathered our supplies. How was I gonna get this done with my parents bothering me? Jeez.
Alice POV:
I don't know why I started crying in the middle of class like that. Cynthia forebidded crying. It was a sin to cry. It made me look like a wimp. And I was not a wimp.
"Hey," the blonde boy that Esme was yelling at earlier called to me.
"What?" I asked.
"Why don't you like being called Mary?"
"None of your business,"
I hated the name Mary because the men Cynthia brought home, the men that raped me every night, they called me 'Little Miss Mary'. That was exactly why, but I didn't want to spill my guts to this guy I barely knew.
"My name's Jasper Hale, ma'am. I'll call you Alice, if that's what you prefer,"
"Fine, sure. My sister never listens to me. She calls me whatever she wants," Fuck! Why did I say that? It just came out without warning.
"Tell her to call you 'Alice'!"
"Yeah, I know, whatever…" I trailed off. "So, this Romeo and Juliet shit really blows, huh? Can't understand a word of it,"
"Well, maybe we can read the modern version or something. Maybe your parents…?"
"I don't have parents. My sister takes care of me,"
"That's terrible! What, they just abandoned you?"
"The police took my father and my mother was shot by a drive by bullet,"
Why was I telling him all this? All my hidden secrets…God, I was an idiot. Maybe because his voice made me want to swoon? Oh, God no, I was not falling in love with him.
"My parents and my brother whip me. That's why I have scars,"
"I'm so sorry,"
"Hey, both our lives suck. In fact, all of our lives suck. We just gotta stick together, right?"
"Yeah," I agreed, covering up the cuts on my wrists. I started walking to the bus stop as he followed me.
"Sit next to me?" he invited.
"What about your sister?"
"She's taking another bus to pick up her daughter…er, I mean, our little sister, from preschool,"
"What's her name?"
"Ashley. She's got cerebal palsy,"
"Why'd you say her daughter?"
"Mistake, honest mistake,"
"Yeah, that makes more sense. No one gets pregnant before they're eleven," I said, shaking my head free of the ridiculous idea. What sick fuck would rape a little kid?
No way in hell did I want to go home. But it was nice sitting with Jasper on the bus.
Read and review and you get two chapters more!