Chapter Four

I walked into the class with purpose to my step. My eyes narrowed in on Bella who quickly looked down at her book sheepishly. I tried to ignore the gaze of the whole class as they all looked up from their books to gawp at me. I didn't know what they attributed my disappearance to but the only person who looked pleased to see me was Angela, who smiled at me broadly. Jessica seemed to notice me mid way through an animated conversation with Mike and her smile seemed to freeze and then fall off her face. She quickly turned back to Mike and I saw her very clearly mouth, "Oh my God."

"Miss Summers, how nice of you to join us again." I tried my best to smile at Mr. Mason as he took my late slip but I was on a mission. As soon as he let me pass I stormed determinedly towards where Bella sat. Luckily, the other class members seemed to think she had some sort of contagious disease and all the seats beside her were spare.

Bella didn't look up as I sat down.

"When were you planning on telling me?" I hissed at her furiously as some of the class members hadn't yet turned around to face the front of the room.

Bella shrugged. "Would you have believed me?"

I thought for a moment. I was sure that I probably would have laughed in her face. The idea of Jacob with Lauren was laughable. She would drive him crazy. He hated giggling.

"You still could have said something," I whispered as Mr. Mason glared at me from the front of the room. I pulled my books from my bag but continued to whisper to Bella. Now that I was finally able to feel again I had a lot to say.

"I told you that you had to see it for yourself," she hissed back while furiously taking notes.

"Yeah," was all I could manage as the image of Lauren hungrily kissing Jacob burned its way to somewhere in my chest.

I some how managed to make it through gym and all the way to lunch without really talking to anyone. It wasn't hard considering that most of my old friends seemed to think that my sudden disappearance made me some sort of traitor and while I was away they had formed themselves into a strong anti-Bella/Leighton brigade. Bella liked to refer to it as us and them.

I found that by lunch time I had managed to convince myself that what I had saw in the parking lot couldn't have been right. I must have misunderstood something; maybe they were practicing for a school play or something. I realised the moment I left Forks that Jacob would see this as a blunt end to the relationship. Maybe I even saw it as that; it was my intention after all. But I didn't expect him to begin dating someone else. And not just anyone, but someone I loathed. I just couldn't get my mind around it.

"Leighton! You're back!" Mike jumped in front of my as I walked in a daze towards the cafeteria. My teachers had loaded me with catch up work and I had no idea how I was going to catch up, or if I had any real desire to. I stared sceptically at Mike's over enthusiastic tone as his smile faltered some what.

"No. I'm actually not. You're having an optical illusion." I said dryly as Mike laughed and fell into pace beside me.

"So where have you been? Did you do everything you needed to do?"

"Everything I needed to do?" I asked, confused. I wasn't aware I needed to do anything.

"Yeah," said Mike, his voice unsure. "I mean you went away because of what happened to your mum right?"

I sighed as I let the tide of sadness wash over me at the mention of my mum, who died just weeks earlier. It felt like years ago. "I just needed some time to clear my head." I didn't particularly want to go into any details with Mike.

"Everyone seemed to think you weren't coming back," he said casually and I shrugged. Mike looked like he was about to probe for more information so I changed the subject.

"So what did I miss when I was away?" It turned out that this was the very last thing that I wanted to ask as Mike dived into an animated conversation about the goings on of Forks high.

"Well the Cullens left the same weekend you did. Strange, right? That caused a few rumours I have to admit. But Bella...." he seemed to struggle for words to describe her. "...Well she...She hasn't been herself since Cullen left. Jessica and Lauren have suddenly gotten too cool for Forks and started spending all there time at La Push."

I felt a knot in my stomach but Mike didn't seem to notice. "But they don't get that those guys must work out all day to get guns like that. They'd never have any time for them...and as far as I could tell they didn't have much time for them at the start. And then your ex came back into town and suddenly he's all they can talk about."

Finally, Mike seemed to notice that I had stopped "Ah-ha ing" in the right spots and he looked at me for a second. "I spoke to that Jacob kid one day when he was waiting for Lauren. I asked where you had gone and he said that it didn't matter because you weren't coming back. I thought it was a bit strange that he was dating so soon but he said it was over a long time ago."

I felt like my heart had stopped beating. Mike began to turn red, like he decided that telling me this was maybe not such a good idea. "Its fine, Mike. What ever Jacob and I had is clearly over." For him maybe.

"Ok. Well, you can still sit with us again at lunch. Don't listen to anything the girls might say."

I shrugged. I didn't really care where I sat. I suddenly didn't feel hungry anyway.

Whispers and eyes followed me as I lined up to get a soda. I could see Bella already sitting at the table where every eye was on me.

"She's so skinny," I heard Jessica say not so quietly. "It's gross,"

Ignored this and was tempted to sit away from their glares at the table the Cullen's used to sit at. The students still avoided it as if the Cullen's were still in their seats. But Bella gave me a small, pleading yet reassuring smile. Us and them.

I brought my tray over to the table but as I was about to take the spare seat in between Bella and Angela, Jessica piped up. "Sorry Leighton, that seat is taken."

I looked up at her and she was smiling sweetly at me. "Ok," I nodded and moved to the seat on the other side of Bella. Jessica made a little coughing noise and I heard some of the other girls snigger. The boys all seemed to be looking at something interesting on the floor.

"That one's taken too Leighton," she laughed and Bella's mouth fell open in outrage. I felt a little confused as to what I was supposed to have done to her. The people who I thought had a right to be mad at me were Bella, Jacob and the pack; and Bella had forgiven me. I don't even think she was ever mad at me. I didn't know what was going on at all.

"Ok," I said taking a deep breath. "What's the problem Jessica?"

"Problem?" she asked, pretending to not know what I was talking about.

"Do you have a problem with me sitting here?" I asked as I took a seat next to Bella. Jessica looked outraged.

"Things are different now Leighton. You can't just walk in here expecting everything to change back for you."

"I don't," I said quietly as Angela rolled her eyes and Mike began an awkward conversation with Tyler. Jessica didn't break eye contact with me but I turned away to talk to Bella, who looked amused. I could still feel her glare on me.

"Did I miss Forks High School and accidently go to Forks Pre-school?" I asked her quite seriously and Angela laughed.

"I know! I can't believe you two left me with them!" Angela was brandishing her carrot stick like a sword as Ben nodded enthusiastically next to her.

"I didn't go anywhere," Bella said slowly and Angela suddenly looked embarrassed and concentrated on her tray. Clearly, she thought Bella was just as gone as me.

"Who would have thought the whole world could turn upside down in three weeks?" I mused as Bella nodded, her eyes glazing over slightly. Who would have thought?

Charlie seemed to be overly happy at dinner. Bella and I had made a joint effort at cooking him a roast and Charlie was humming happily as we served it up.

"Is everything alright?" Bella asked suspiciously as she put some potatoes on him plate.

"Sure. Why?" he shrugged.

"You're humming," I told him and he shrugged again.

"Can't a guy hum in his own house?"

"You never hum," Bella pointed out and Charlie stared at us both.

"Can't I just be happy to have you all home?" he asked, embarrassed and I felt my heart swell for Charlie. He was so sweet. Bella looked like she was about to point out to Charlie that she hadn't gone anywhere but she didn't say anything.

There was a knock at the front door. I was feeling happy. I was happy that maybe I was wrong about Forks after all. This was something since I was rarely happy about being wrong. I was happy that Bella and I were soon to go jet setting around the country to bring the Cullen's home. I was happy that I could set something straight. Jacob and Lauren were a bad taste in my mouth.

"I'll get it," I told Charlie and Bella as I nearly bounded out of the chair to the doorway.

"Embry!" I exclaimed as opened the door to reveal a tall, dark skinned boy. His face was serious but his eyes were sparkling. "You're taller," I told him as I gazed up at his face. His head was at the top of the door.

"You're happy," he noted suspiciously, "You haven't seen them?"

I didn't have to ask who them was, though I felt my heart fall at the idea that Jacob had joined the them side. "Yeah. I saw them."

Embry looked incredulous; as if I was supposed to be doing something right now.

"What?"

"Why aren't you over there doing something?"

"Doing what?" I shrugged. I think that I could do anything about this; I had made my bed and now I had to lie in it.

"Anything!" Embry exclaimed. I had never seen him this animated. His large, paw like hands were waving around his face.

"Lauren isn't holding Jacob hostage," I told him seriously and he looked at me shocked.

"You haven't seen them together... She is the most annoying person on the planet! Jacob's my brother. I know he couldn't want this."

"You haven't met everyone on the planet," I told Embry seriously. He wasn't telling me anything I hadn't already debated. I was done meddling in Jacob's life. If Lauren was who he wanted then I wasn't going to create more problems for them.

"Be serious Leighton,"

"I am," I told him firmly.

"So you're not even going to fight for him?"

I sighed. "Embry, what would you have me do? Tell him I want him back? Anything I say will only push him closer to her. I love Jacob. I really do...."

Embry opened his mouth and it looked like he was about to argue but I raised my hand to quiet him. "...I really do, Embry. And I don't blame him for not wanting to be with me after how many times we've messed it up. Maybe this is just the end. I love Jacob but that doesn't mean we're supposed to be together."

There is was. I had found the but. The one thing I always knew would drive us apart. We aren't supposed to be together. Not if I stretched my mind to the ends of my imagination. Jacob was supposed to love someone else. It was in his blood.

"So you're just going to leave it alone?" Embry asked and I nodded.

I noted a mischievous look in Embry's dark eyes. "And you will too!" I told him sternly. "This is Lauren we are talking about. Who could possibly stay with her for long?"

Embry laughed in agreement. "True, I feel nauseous every time she speaks."

I laughed. So did I. "So besides the bad choice in company is he OK?"

Embry shrugged, "It's hard to tell. He only phases when he has too. He barely spends any time with the pack anymore. I think he's afraid that he'll let it slip that he doesn't really like Lauren."

"Why is he even doing this then?"

"You know Jake. He doesn't want anyone to think he's suffering."

"You can tell him from me that it is a stupid thing to do."

"I'll pass on the message but it's you that he's doing this for," Embry said quietly, he was now looking at his feet.

"What do you mean?"

"Well he's trying to protect you in his own stupid way. He doesn't want you to hurt over him hurting. He wants you to think that he's moved on so you won't feel bad about doing the same thing,"

I paused for a second, feeling guilty. That was something that Jacob would do. Taking on a burden himself, even if I suspected that he had bitten off more than he could chew with Lauren.

"That is stupid as well," I whispered quietly. "Could you tell him I said that too?"