A/N Thank you readers and reviewers!

Chapter 4

BPOV

A few days later, I showed up to school early as I had a honking big piñata as a visual aid for a report I was giving in Spanish. I stowed in the back of the classroom and headed to my locker, passing the teacher's lounge. On my way by, I picked up Mr. Banner talking about how he'd changed his lesson plan for the day. Blood typing. Crap! Not good for Edward or me. Edward for the obvious reasons, and I couldn't stomach the smell of blood after that horrible night in the woods.

I debated what to do. Would Alice see the future and warn him? I wasn't sure of the extent of Alice's gift, so I decided to play it safe and waited by his locker.

He arrived about 15 minutes later, looking coolly remote. Rosalie followed close behind him. My eyes narrowed slightly at her presence. I knew her vindictive ways.

She didn't disappoint. "Stupid dog lover," she hissed loudly.

Edward said quietly, "Rose."

I looked at him briefly. Did he share her views? Everything I knew about him indicated that he was above that but even the mere possibility sent a spasm of pain shooting through me. My emotions were running raw these days.

I wasn't about to show Rosalie any weakness. I looked at her as arrogantly as possible. Seeing Edward's past had been a good reference for this. I quietly taunted, "You should try it some time, Rosalie. Or are you afraid that once you've gone pack, you'll never go back?"

She glared at me and stormed off. Score one, Team La Push.

I resumed a more relaxed posture against the locker I was leaning against, as Edward opened his. His jaw clenched, and he didn't even bother to look at me. My confidence was quickly diminishing, but I was determined to complete my mission.

"Look, there's no need to get all angsty on me. I'm merely here to warn you that I heard that Mr. Banner's gotten creative and changed our lab today. You might like to ditch as its blood typing."

He finally looked at me. Surprise and gratitude flickered across his face before the mask returned. Gotcha, I smiled to myself.

I pushed off the locker and whispered on my way past him, "See you later, Bat Boy." I'd meant to sound superior, but it came out breathless. Darn, he's messing with my badass vibe.

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EPOV

I was mounting a large dry erase board on my wall, when Alice bopped in.

"You cheated." She accused.

I knew this was coming but didn't want to argue with her about it. "Bite me."

She chuckled. "I'm not opposed to your cheating as long as I get to cheat too."

"Alice," I started, but she was already gone.

On the way to school, Alice started speaking Cantonese in her head. Then she started speaking it backwards.

"Alice, whatever you're blocking had better be good because you're giving me a headache." I growled.

She paused briefly enough to say "Bella's waiting for you by your locker," and started rattling off the digits of pi.

Bella's at my locker?

Rosalie snarled, "Gross, now your area is going to reek from that dog lover."

"Rose, knock it off." I was angry at her viciousness. Bella didn't deserve her malice.

Thoughts began to form in Rosalie's head that made me better understand her anger. She was jealous. Originally, Carlisle had considered her as a possible mate for me. I'd never thought her more than a sister, and she had Emmett. However, deep down my lack of interest still rankled.

Say anything and you die. She thought to me.

I tipped my head to signal I'd heard her.

She wasn't done yet though. She shadowed me to my locker. "Stupid dog lover," repeating in her head.

Seeing Bella leaning casually against the locker next to mine was too much for her.

"Stupid dog lover," she snarled loud enough to attract attention.

"Rose," I warned and opened my mind to the few students in the hallway. No one noticed her unusual complaint except Eric Yorkie, who quickly removed a picture of his beloved Shih Tzu, Pookie, from his locker door and stuffed it in his binder. Pookie? Seriously?

Bella looked at me, and a shadow of pain passed across her face. It was quickly replaced with a haughty expression as she tipped her chin up in defiance and focused on Rose.

She said in a confident tone, "You should try it some time, Rosalie. Or are you afraid that once you've gone pack, you'll never go back?"

Rosalie wasn't expecting a retort, and a comeback was too much for her brain to handle, so she glared and stormed off.

I pretended to ignore Bella as I opened my locker. In truth, I was extremely curious what she had to say to me.

She said bluntly, "Look, there's no need to get all angsty on me. I'm merely here to warn you that I heard that Mr. Banner's gotten creative and changed our lab today. You might like to ditch as its blood typing."

Surprise made me momentarily drop the act as I looked at her.

She pushed off the locker, and her voice floated back to me softly as she left.

"See you later, Bat Boy." Normally, that would have made me bristle, but the way Bella had said it… It sounded like an endearment.

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BPOV

I decided that I didn't want to hide out during Biology. What to do? A gleam entered my eyes, as I landed on a very good idea. I would go for a run.

I entered the woods and quickly undressed. I left my clothes on my backpack and shifted. I shot off like a dart, ecstatic with freedom and from the rebellion required in achieving that freedom.

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EPOV

I sat in the Volvo listening to music during Biology. I thought about Bella. It took everything in me not to talk to her. Not being able to read her mind was driving me crazy. How did she know Esme's song? I watched her gruff interactions with others, knowing there was so much to her than that. She was brave, intellect, and funny. I wanted to know everything about her. I'd caught a glimpse of a drawing of me as she'd flipped to a clean sheet in her sketch book yesterday. Oh, how I wanted to peruse that book.

I saw Bella emerge from the woods towards the end of the hour. What was she doing the woods? She had a big smile on her face. Her clothes and hair were disorderly. I'd thought her remark earlier had only been to irritate Rose, but now I wondered had Bella been speaking from experience? Did she love a member of the tribe? I scowled darkly, seething with…I struggled to name the unfamiliar emotion. Was it anger? No, it was jealousy.