Disclaimer:

SM owns Twilight

Thanks to Lady Tazz for pre-reading and crazierthanu for beta'ing this crazy thing. Kind of a short chapter let's get on with it shall we…

Chapter 4

Keeping Up

The following day at school was an eventful one. Alice and Edward both met me at my car when I arrived at school. Alice congratulated me on the new job and Edward just smiled down at me. Alice said we should go out to celebrate. I told her it was not that big of a deal and that it was not all my doing, as I took a quick glance at Edward.

"Whatever Bella, it is a big deal to me. Anyway, they are having a pep rally at lunch time. Let's eat in the quad so you will get to see Rose in action," she said bouncing up and down with excitement.

"I'm sure that is what Bella wants… to watch Rose and spend her lunch eating outside in the cold," Edward said, rolling his eyes.

"Stop, Edward. Rose is the new head cheerleader this year and she is having a rough time. She needs all the support she can get," Alice chided.

Alice told me that the school had never won any cheer competitions. Rose had been working really hard to get them ready but it had not been easy for her. The cheer squad was out of practice and had never had a strong leader like Rose. I agreed to stay and support Rose.

My curiosity was also getting the best of me as I wondered how good of a leader Rose actually was.

Emmett, Edward and Jasper joined us in the quad. Alice was bouncing off the walls because Jasper was there. Jasper was one of Edward's best friends and she had a major crush on him.

When he came and sat next to her, she blushed and smiled. I just rolled my eyes. Alice should just ask him out already.

Edward came and sat right next to me, I looked at him questioningly.

"You don't mind me sitting here do you?" he asked, flashing me his smile. I shook my head.

The cheer team came out and Rose waved to where we were sitting. They started their first routine. The form was good but the cheers were out-dated and the 3 girls that were tumbling were off.

The music needed to be changed also. I wondered if I would be able to suggest things to Rose without her questioning me as to how I knew the information.

I knew how tough it was to try to be a good leader and to have to figure out everything on your own.

As I saw Rose lead them I could tell she was a strong leader. She always held her head up high and never once looked down on the squad when they missed a step or went out of sync.

I had seen it happen when the leader would become pissed because the squad messed up and the leader didn't care if she embarrassed the squad in front of everyone. I hated the competitions so much. Everyone was so fake and bitchy.

Alice brought me back to the present.

"You're really enjoying this aren't you?" she asked.

"Well, you said Rose needed support, so I want to be able to give her quality feedback if she should ask. You should be paying attention too, instead of ogling over Mr. Wonderful over there," I said, motioning towards Jasper.

"Bella!" she giggled and started watching the cheerleading.

When the rally was over Rose came over to us and sat down next to Emmett and started asking Alice what she thought.

"I think you were great Rose. You guys looked good out there. Is that your routine for the cheer competition next month?" Alice asked Rose, who nodded yes.

I thought, 'wow next month', I hope she could get them in better shape by then.

"I think you should change your music to 'Cyclone' by Baby bash. It has a nice rhythm and it's not too fast. You will all be able to stay in better sync with each other," I blurted out without thinking.

How am I going to get out of this one?

Everyone was staring at me like I had something on my head. I looked at Alice and back to Edward and up to Emmett and then I smiled looking at Rose.

"Just a suggestion. I told you Alice, I was observing I noticed that some of the girls were out of sync. Maybe the music you picked was too fast for some of them. A slower paced song would work better and the beat is similar so you wouldn't have to change the choreography."

"What? I watch a lot of cheer competitions and 'Bring it On' is one of my favorite movies," I informed them. I hoped that I had gotten out of that one.

"Sorry Rose, I didn't mean to offend you in any way I was just suggesting…," I left it at that.

"No. I like it. I think you are right. Maybe I should watch more cheer competitions myself," she chuckled. I joined in her laughter and I thanked God she bought my story.

Rose started talking to me nonstop about cheerleading and asking if I wanted to try out. I declined. No way was I getting involved in that again.

The rest of the day flew by. I was called to the office during 5th period and informed that they were moving my biology class. Instead of my current 5th period biology, I was now going into the 5th period AP biology class.

They told me where the class was and I was to start today. I walked over to my new class, stopped dead in my tracks when I got to the door when I spotted Edward.

This could not be happening. I tried to avoid him at all cost and now we were going to be in the same class together.

He looked up at the door as I entered, almost like he felt my presence. I walked up to the teacher and handed him the note letting him know I was now in his class.

"Welcome Isabella, I have a seat right over here for you," the teacher said, pointing to none other than the seat right next to Edward.

Edward looked up, smiled when I approached and moved all his things out of the way.

Kill me now, this could not be happening.

I smiled at him as I sat down, turning my chair slightly away from him and hid behind my hair.

Once class started I took out my notebook to take notes, felt a tap on my hand and saw a note being passed to me. Great, what are we in, second grade?

I opened the note:

Are you avoiding me Ms. Swan? -E

Was he serious? I turned to look at him and he smirked at me. I shook my head no. He continued writing.

Why won't you look at me?

I took out a piece of paper and wrote on it. He tried to look over my shoulder but I hid what I was writing from him as he was actually pissing me off.

Not avoiding you, some of us actually come to school to learn - not pass notes or make friends Mr. Cullen - B

I handed it to him and turned my chair more, hopefully he had gotten the hint. Obviously he hadn't because a few minutes later he pushed another note to me.

Testy are we? Sorry if I seem pushy, I'll back off, I can take the hint.

Now I felt bad. He was only ever nice to me and by the note I take it that I had hurt his feelings, which was not something I meant to do. Why did I feel like I had to fix it? I really did not want to be friends with him, but no matter how hard I tried I felt something pulling me to him.

I wrote him a note:

Sorry bad day - forgive me?

…and left it at that.

I did not look at him again. When the bell rang I quickly got up and left. Maybe I was just a little stressed.

My Mom was going to meet me after school at the library to sign the papers with Esme, Edward's Mom. It was agreed that I was going to start work the following Monday.

After school I hurried to my car avoiding all my friends, just so I could go to the library alone. I knew all of them they would want to meet me there and cheer me on while I signed all the paper work.

What was up with these popular kids actually being nice?

I met my Mom in the parking lot and went in to ask for Esme. She came out and met my Mom. We talked for a few minutes before she led us back to her small office.

"I know it is not like a real office, being just a storage area they cleared for me as an office," she chuckled.

We sat down with her and completed all the necessary paper work.

My Mom and Esme got along well and Esme invited my family over for dinner one night. Seriously?

No way was I going to go to Edward's house with my family and have dinner with him…them.

My Mom and I got take out on the way home from the library. We pulled up to the house and went inside.

My Dad was watching a baseball game as usual so we all ate in the living room.

After dinner I went to my room to work on my homework.

A lot had happened this day.

Edward was obviously flirting with me. If I was at my old school, I would have flirted back. We might have even dated.

"Isabella, stop flirting with Felix, you two never stop!" Claire teased.

"What? The captain of the football team should be going out with the Head cheerleader, Claire, and if flirting a little is what it is going to take then that is what I intend to do," I said smugly.

Yes, the old me would have jump at the chance to date someone like Edward Cullen. The new me- not so much.

I had to put distance between the two of us. I was not the kind of person he would want to be with. He might think he knew me but he knew nothing. I could never let him know the truth.

N/A: No hating on Bella she seems a little bitchy but she has been through some tough times and she is confused. Soon some will be revealed, please be patient. Thanks for taking the time to read and don't forget to review.