Chapter's a bit overdue I know. I have been writing a ton (I've got a chapter and a half written after this one) and absolutely unmotivated to get it edited. This chapter is dedicated to Steph who beta'd this super quick so I could get it posted! It's also dedicated to the unfortunate people who were stuck growing up with authority figures for parents, like Bella and her Cop Dad or that girl Kelsy I went to school with who's mom was the Vice Principle. That's a tough life.

This is a disclaimer. I do not own anything but a car and a sweet TV so none of the recognizable characters or settings or plots or blah blah blah belong to me. I'm not making money off this, I'm just taking a break from mathematical sentences and phrases.


Chapter 4 - Need to Make a Sound

Alice hadn't said much when she pulled in to the driveway in my truck with the window rolled down. She was just biting her lip looking mildly uncomfortable. The shouting from inside the house behind me was the two ton elephant we wouldn't acknowledge. She still needed a ride back to school so she could drive her car home, though, so I just walked to the driver side door and she silently slid over.

"So…" she ventured and I waited dejectedly to hear what she'd ask me. "Edward Cullen is talking to you?"

I just gave a half nod. I definitely didn't want to go down this path of conversation. I knew she'd understand.

"Well, now's not the time for it," she was making an effort to sound a bit more light hearted, like her usual self. "but you will be picking me up in the morning and you will be telling me the details of this development. Understood?"

Another half nod and I forced a weak smile. She was trying to help me move past the day, but forcing me to talk about my incredibly aggravating encounters with Edward wasn't doing anything to lighten my mood. I could tell tomorrow would be yet another trying day from the get go.

When I got home, I went straight upstairs. Normally I would have gone into the kitchen and started prepping dinner and doing homework, but Charlie and Renee were still screaming at each other. I figured that were I to cook a meal, Charlie wouldn't have an appetite, Renee would throw a plate of food at his head and I'd have to clean up that mess before tossing out a bunch of food no one would eat.

Once in my room, I decided to get the last of my homework done but realized that I wouldn't be able to do that either because I had given Edward my textbook. I groaned and dropped onto my bed, adding "No math homework to turn in" and "Having to talk to Edward again to get my books back" to the growing list of reasons as to why Tuesday would suck almost as bad as Monday.

"You don't care, you never cared." Renee's melodramatic shriek drifted up the stairs. I kicked my shoes off and scooted up the bed to shut my light off. It wasn't even six yet, but I had very few options available with the screaming, and, being confined to my room to avoid it. Besides that, the day was emotionally exhausting and I was eager to end it.

I always end up regretting sleep as an avoidance tactic and definitely regretted waking up at three am the next day. I managed to drag myself out of bed once hunger woke me. I went downstairs and made a quick omelet for myself, only feeling slightly guilty that I wasn't making any for my parents. After all, they were adults; they should cook their own meals.

After cooking, I camped out in front of the TV for a bit with breakfast and watched the early hours TBS line up before heading up to shower and get ready at about five. After getting ready I texted Alice -- who was usually awake by six -- to let her know when I was going to pick her up.

Eventually, I caved and made my parents a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs, telling myself that it wasn't because I was taking care of them, it was out of boredom. I didn't bother to wait until they woke up before I left.

Alice was waiting outside by the time I pulled up. Not really much of a shock given that I'd told her what time to expect me. That and, she could probably hear my truck two blocks away.

She was grinning ear to ear and it made me more nervous than I had been up to this point. The door opened and Alice slid in the passenger seat. I really didn't want to deal with the Alice Inquisition. So I didn't. I just launched into the story of the two times I'd interacted with Edward that she had not been present for as I pulled out of her driveway. No pleasantries were exchanged, no pretenses were kept, I just spilled my guts for her to see and she listened.

"I really don't like this, Bella." She frowned slightly, concern lining her face. "We've known Edward our whole lives and this is just…not good."

"No, we actually haven't." I countered. The things he'd said to me in this very truck just a few short days ago were now shifting around in my head. "Known him our whole lives I mean. We know of him but we don't actually know anything about him."

"I know he puts the fun in dysfunctional." She raised her eyebrows in distaste and I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Alice to say something so…tacky. "In all seriousness, Bella, we may not know him as a person but we know his track record and that kind of thing – it just says a lot about a person."

"Maybe." I didn't exactly disagree with her. Her words verbalized the thought I'd kicked around since he himself had told me that I only knew his rap sheet, not who he was. I was having a hard time trying to balance the two concepts. I suppose in a way they both impacted each other. His record was a reflection of who he was as a person. Maybe Edward's record was a distorted reflection? I had no idea and frankly the circular thought made my head hurt.

"Just use caution and judgment, that's all I ask." I shot her a sidelong glance; she was looking at me, her eyes sympathetic. "He's tricky. Plus he was way too interested in your family drama yesterday. He could be trying to get the dirty details on the police chief's life."

I felt a few ounces of resentment boil up my throat hearing Alice talk about my family's problems like that. That was irrational I know, but not as irrational as the urge I had to tell her she was wrong about Edward's motives. I may have had no clue about them myself, but I was certain that finding out the details about my lush of a mom was the last thing he was after. I could see it on his face yesterday, even if Alice couldn't – Edward was genuinely sympathetic. The kind of sympathy that you got from first hand experience.

I forced back a slew of comments for the sake of our friendship and kept silent as we approached the school. Alice didn't seem to notice anything off and just skipped off to class as soon as the truck stopped. I wasn't skipping. I dragged myself into the loitering population of the school, wondering where I should go to look for Edward. The thought vanished a moment later when someone tapped my shoulder. My steps faltered as I came to a sudden halt. I turned around coming face to face with the very person I'd been seeking out.

"Missing something?" He gave a half smile as he held up my textbook, waving it side to side. I reached up to take the book relief flooding through me. This would spare me the hassle of having to find him and probably give me a few minutes to tear through the rest of my math homework before the day started.

"Thanks, I was-" When my hand stretched out for the book he pulled it out of my reach. I narrowed my eyes. "Cut the shit, I need that."

"Relax, kid." The half smile widened. "I'm going to walk you to class."

"Oh, for fuck's sake." I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. If I was being honest, I was shocked to shit that of all the things I was expecting him to say, that was definitely not it. "I really don't have the time for this. I need to finish my homework."

"Humor me." Was his reply. I kind of wanted to just tear my book out of his hand and walk away, maybe smashing him on the head first. My stomach twisted uneasily; was he going to dig for dirt as Alice had suggested? Instead of acting how I wanted, I did exactly as he requested. I humored him.

"So tell me, how are your classes going?" I shot him an incredulous look and he shot me a look that reiterated his previous statement: humor me.

"Fine." I offered with a shrug of my shoulders.

"And what classes would you be taking?" I dropped my head down in frustration. This was getting ridiculous.

"Why does that matter? Look, can you get to the point? This is my class and I'd like to get inside, preferably with my book." That was a lie, my class was three buildings down the path, not that he knew any better. Instead of saying anything Edward looked down at my textbook in his hand.

"I just wanted to let you know that if you need to talk about shit or…whatever, I'm around." He shrugged and held my book out to me which I accepted unconsciously. He sounded awkward. Hell I felt awkward. The town fuck up just offered to listen to me whine about my familial situation. Definitely an awkward kind of moment.

"'Kay." Was my highly intelligent response. I had to practically scrape my jaw up off the pathway. "Bye, Edward."

I turned away completely confused. I had no idea how to process that exchange either. I couldn't categorize him at all. Should I feel grateful that he was offering me someone to talk to, astonished that he sounded so unsure of himself, or suspicious for the very reasons Alice stated?

"Hey!" I turned back and he was standing there, his eyebrows knit together and I wondered what ridiculously confusing thing he'd say next. "I thought this was your class." I could feel my lips pull up a fraction into an impossible smile as I shrugged. This one was easy enough.

"I lied."

School passed quickly enough and was free of unpleasant encounters. Although the whispers and stares followed me around, they were easily ignored. Everyone in town went through a point where they were subject to whisperings and gossip; this was hardly a first for me. I just kept my head down and endured it. I didn't commit a violent act on one person the whole day, a personal Gossip Day record. I even managed to get my math assignment finished and turned in on time.

I gave Alice a ride home and the earlier conversation was forgotten. We chatted about our day, she brooded a bit over the fact that Jasper had yet to call her while I just rolled my eyes. All in all the day had proved to be better than I thought it would be.

Then I pulled into my driveway and the reality of the situation in the house pressed down on my shoulders. Charlie's cruiser was there. I had no idea what kind of situation I'd be walking into. Would Renee be crying at the kitchen table? Would Charlie be in the garage fighting back tears? Would they be screaming at each other? Would they be sitting together on the couch talking?

Fat chance in hell. They never talked. They either yelled or glared in silence. Either way, I was, obviously, beyond eager to walk into the house and deal with the drama again.

As I pushed through the door I was greeted by a silent house. I stepped cautiously out of the entry into the kitchen to see a brooding Charlie sitting at the table. He didn't look up when I entered the room.

"Where's Renee?" I asked. He heaved an exasperated sigh and nodded toward the staircase. Probably meant she was passed out upstairs. "How…how are things?"

These kinds of talks were always awkward. Depending on his mood, Charlie said nothing or Charlie said too much. I was kind of hoping he'd just say "They're fine" then walk out into the living room and turn on sports center. Instead he leveled me with a dark gaze. It was a definite Cop-Dad look, the kind that made you freeze in place and run through the list of every indiscretion you'd committed in the last few weeks and wonder what you'd been busted for. So far as I could recall, my indiscretions list was relatively trivial at the moment.

"Bella, I don't like the things I'm hearing around town." My stomach knotted up. The words didn't match up with the look on his face. Why would he be looking at me like that if he was just upset over town gossip? It wasn't like I controlled the things they said.

"I know, Dad, but…they're going to talk, what with that whole incident being so public. I'm sure they'll forget all about her showing up in a few weeks time." I was more confused by the time I finished speaking because he just shook his head.

"I don't mean regarding your mother. I know what they say." His eyes flickered down to the table then returned to my own. "I mean, I've heard what people have been saying about you."

"Me?" Why did everyone have to be so goddamn cryptic and confusing today? I needed plain English in simple sentences. "I haven't done anything."

"That's not what I've heard. Word is you've been hanging around that fucked up Cullen kid." I, of course, was slack jawed again. Why did people have to keep doing things that threw me off so badly? I was starting to feel like an idiot.

"You've got to be kidding me? Tell me you don't actually believe that?" I demanded. My eyes were wide and pleading. "You of all people know better than to believe anything the gossipmongers say!"

"Not necessarily," He shrugged. "They can be head on about some things." The true words were unspoken but they hung in the air like smoke from an open blaze. They were head on about your mom and I. "Just cut the diversion tactics and tell me you aren't dating him."

"Hell no!" I barked out laughter. Charlie looked enraged for a moment and I jumped in understanding the mix up. "No, no, no. Charlie I mean hell no, I wouldn't date him if the only other option was a toothpick being jabbed in my eye for hours on end."

That seemed to smooth his temper out a bit. He relaxed back into his chair, eyeing me with his eyes narrowed in assessment. I hated when he did that. I felt like he was picking apart my every gesture to determine a lie. It made me tell the truth. Stupid effective parent-policing combination techniques.

"So why am I hearing the things I'm hearing? Rumors don't start around here without reason. That means there has to be an ounce of truth to what they're saying. The last thing I need is to worry about you hanging around with losers when I've got all of this to deal with at home."

"I've talked to him twice within the last two days." I shrugged turning my attention to the sink where dishes were starting to pile up. I'll show him the meaning of diversion tactics. I started washing the cups slowly, with my back to him, hoping he couldn't hear the lie. "Not a big deal really. He was there when the whole Renee thing went down and I handed him my book. I forgot to take it back and talked to him again this morning to get it so I could finish my homework."

"Why was he there yesterday in the first place? Way I hear it, he was threatened Tyler Crowley." Crowley, the rat! I'll bet he's been spreading rumors like crazy since Edward busted up his "game" or whatever he called it.

"Actually, he interfered on your behalf." Charlie snorted in disbelief, but I continued before he could put in his two cents. "Tyler was harassing me, and Edward merely stated that it was stupid of him to harass the police chiefs' daughter with so many witnesses."

"Well that's the truth at least." I could hear him standing from his chair. His voice was considerably lighter than when I'd walked through the front door, but I could feel a fatherly lecture coming on. "Just be careful. Some of the things I've hauled that kid in for would make your toes curl, Bells. I don't want him taking advantage of your good nature." I fought the urge to snort at the last part as he had when I was speaking. Like father, like daughter.

He stood beside me and gave me a half hug before turning from the kitchen. His words were just more of the same as those Alice had beaten into my brain that morning. Stay away from Edward. Edward has done bad things.

I couldn't shake the thought that out of all the people I had encountered, and all the things I'd endured, Edward was the only one who even offered a bit of sympathy or comfort. He had pretty much offered me a shoulder to cry on, and though I would never lower myself to such a degrading act, I was kind of glad on some level. Of the few people who knew my family situation, no one ever asked how I was doing. They just assumed I was handling it well because I wasn't a hollow shell of a human being after every tiny tragedy. They just edged around the topic in my presence.

Don't ask Mega Bitch Bella about her problems at home, she's likely to tear your face off. Besides, she looks like she's doing just fine. I bet she doesn't even feel it.

The thoughts were building up into a franticly bitter state and I was feeling particularly defiant. Maybe I wanted to talk about things that they were too uncomfortable for those around me. Maybe I wanted to give Edward Cullen a chance, a real one. Maybe a chance was all he needed.