After becoming a self proclaimed recluse over the weekend, I was set and ready with a plan Monday morning, stopping on the third floor to grab Angela, I made my way down to breakfast. Both of us grabbing what we wanted from the counter we made our way over to the coffee bar.
"I didn't see much of you this weekend?" Angela asked concerned.
"Yeah, I know, just needed some time to myself, you know, I was feeling a little home sick." I replied reassuringly. It wasn't a total lie.
"That's understandable, I couldn't imagine being so far away from home." Angela comforted. This was one of the things I really liked about Angela, she understood people, she knew when to press for information and when to just leave you to your thoughts.
As we made our way to the seating area, I glanced up to see Alice and Rosalie sitting at our usual table with the guys and.... Edward. Well I suppose no time like the present, time to put my plan into action.
"Hey Ang, you know I just realised I haven't met any of your other friends." I offered hoping she would take the bait.
"Oh, well if you want you could have breakfast with us." Angela replied.
Bingo. Just what I hoped for.
"Sure, that sounds great." I smiled back, hoping I didn't sound too enthusiastic.
Giving Alice and Rosalie a small wave and a smile I followed Angela over to, what I guessed was her normal table.
"Hey guys, this is Bella" Angela introduced as we got to the end of her table. "Bella, this is Jake, Embry, Quil, Mike, Tyler, Eric, Ben, Lauren, Jessica, Leah, Kim, Claire and Rachel." She explained pointing to individuals around the table, before we moved to sit down in the empty chairs at the end of the table.
"You can't sit there." Lauren sneered as I moved to sit down.
I looked at Angela who shrugged in response as did everyone else at the table.
"And that would be because?" I asked attitude ringing in my voice.
"You'll block the view." She replied.
"The view?" I was pretty sure I was missing something here. She was sitting in a dining hall, what the fuck was there to look at?
"Yes the view." She stated in a stuck up manner, as she leant to the side to see around me.
It was then that I followed her gaze. Which just so happened to land on the table I was sitting at last week, doing a quick estimation in my head, I soon realise what or should I say who, what be blocked from her vision if I sat down, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"You're kidding right?" I laughed as I sat down in the vacant seat.
"Did you not here me? I said you can't sit there." Lauren scolded, glaring at me as I began to eat.
"I heard you. You don't want me to sit here, so you can sit an eye fuck Edward freaking Cullen over breakfast." I replied giving her a sarcastic smile. "So Ang" I continued, ignoring Lauren's glare, "you never told me you sat at the jock table." I smiled.
"You never asked." She replied smirking, making me laugh.
"Well, it seems you weren't the only one kept in the dark. Ang you never told us what a babe you new friend was." Mike drooled as bumped my shoulder with his, shamelessly looking down my shirt, before I bumped him back roughly.
The three guys sitting diagonally from me cracked up laughing as Mike spilt orange juice over his shirt as a result of my shove.
"Hey, I'm Jake" A big native looking guy said, holding his hand out to me. "and don't worry not all of us are the pig Newton is." He smiled nodding in Mike's direction.
"Good to know" I laughed, "I'm Bella"
"Yeah, I know, the bad ass from New York." Jake smirked.
"I've been here a week, how did I get the reputation of a bad ass?" I asked disbelievingly.
"How about the fact that you've managed to piss off half of the elites, and you've only been here a week." Embry replied looking impressed.
"Oh that." I laughed.
"Yeah that," Jake laughed, "although I have tot say I totally agree with what James said, I would love to see you ride me and scream my name." He finished trying to be seductive, so much for him not being a pig.
Well Bella it looks like you've got two choices you can sit here and get drooled over on a daily basis whist dealing with degrading remarks, or you could actually sit where you want to with a group of people you really like. Yeah, the avoid Edward plan... defiantly not my best work.
Fortunately I was able to compromise on the situation, that still made the avoid Edward plan effective, unless Edward was around I sat with Rose and everyone else, when he was around I subjected myself to the Neanderthal personalities of the jock table. Ok so maybe it wasn't the best plan, but hey it got me away from Edward..... at least it did. Three weeks into my oh so brilliant plan, my English teacher decided to throw me a curve ball.
I sat in English bored out of my mind as we read Macbeth for what felt like the 100th time. I wasn't really paying attention, I was doodling on the blank page in front of me staring out into space as I did. I hated this class, it wasn't the class so much, more the seating arrangement, this was my only class where I was forced to sit next to Edward. We weren't at the same desk but we were next to each other, and ever since I put my avoidance plan in to action his little piercing gaze had become much more intense, although I did find comfort in the fact that he now also looked at me with frustration because he couldn't figure me out. Good.
"Ok class, it's time for your end of term assignment, they are to be handed in, in the last class before Winter break. You will be looking at three significant couples in classic literature comparing the similarities and differences, whilst commenting on what makes the couple so significant to the story, and I want you to give an explanation as to why you chose the three couples. I want a minimum of four pages of writing." I could help but chuckle at the groan that came from the class, writing four pages on three couples from classic literature.... cake. "And you will be completing this assignment in pairs, so listen carefully for when I call you name." Mrs Platt announced. "you'll be sorted on you're grade point average, that way those of you who tend to slack will actually have to do the work if you want to pass." She finished sternly, eyeing particular members of the class.
I didn't really take the 'listen carefully' instruction to heart, instead I just resumed my doodling barely listening out for my own name, let alone listening to see who everyone else got.
"Swan..." Mrs Platt called "Cullen" Shit, so much for avoiding Edward.
I turned to face Edward, and the look of surprise on his face was quite entertaining, and I had to fight back a laugh, clearly he hadn't expected to be partnered with me. Edward was a brain, it was a well known school fact, one that had been repeated to me many times by the Edward Cullen fan club, and by the look on his face he obviously hadn't thought my grade point average would have been anywhere close to his 3.9 GPA... it wasn't, it was better.