Another very quick update and the longest chapter yet. You're very welcome.


Chapter Four

My pounding head woke me the next morning along with the alarm on my phone.

I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation
You're livin' in the past it's a new generation
A girl can do what she wants to do and that's
What I'm gonna do
And I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation
Oh no not me

"Ugh, shut the fuck up Joan Jett." I growled groggily, swiping at my phone, before pulling the pillow over my head.

Then came the knocking on my bedroom door. Fuck. Off.

"Bella, I'm heading to work," Charlie called through my bedroom door. "Give Seth a ride to school, please. I'll see you later."

I sighed heavily and pulled my head out from under the pillow, squinting at the light that shone under my curtains. As I blinked the sleep from my eyes I noticed a glass of water and some Tylenol on my bedside table.

Seth, I love you.

I grabbed the pills and swallowed them down with the water before reluctantly swinging my legs round to the side of the bed and standing, stretching my arms above me.

I frowned.

What was I wearing?

I stood myself in front of the mirror hung on the inside of my closet door and gasped. Edward's shirt, I was wearing fucking Edward Cullen's shirt, tied around my waist due to the loss of buttons.

So Edward's smell hadn't been due to my inebriated state of mind last night, I had been wearing his shirt. I didn't even remember putting the fucking thing on. I mean sure I remembered taking it when I snuck out of his hotel room that morning – why the hell I had let myself do that I had no idea – but I couldn't even remember getting changed last night. I just remembered his scent.

I pulled the shirt over my head without a second thought and grabbed some clothes out of my closet, shorts and a cropped boyfriend sweater, which ironically said "take it easy" on the front. I silently agreed, yes, taking it easy today would be a very good idea indeed.

I pulled my bathrobe around me and shuffled my way to the bathroom, I needed a shower desperately, as much to clear my head as to wash his scent off of me.

I felt agitated, like there was a mental itch that I couldn't seem to fucking scratch and I decided there and then…it was going to be a long fucking day.

*FT*

"So, thanks for covering for me last night." I murmured to Seth.

He shut the passenger door of my truck with a smile, as I threw my keys into my grey handbag and we headed to our first lessons. "Don't worry about it. In a weird way it was kind of…nice."

I laughed softly before wincing at the sunlight and pulled on some sunglasses, my military boots scuffing as I dragged them across the ground. "You mean like some weird bonding shit?"

Seth gave a one-shouldered shrug, bashfully. "I guess."

"Have you ever got along with your sister?"

He shook his head; "Leah can be very difficult when she wants to be."

"Yeah, I got that much." I ruffled his hair teasingly, "I can play the big sister part if you want."

Seth shoved my hand away playfully, "Don't touch the hair, it took me ages."

"Ha, I bet." I looked him over and frowned, I think he really had taken ages to do his hair, it was all styled with gel and looked like he was trying to pull off a certain bed-head look I knew only one person could really pull off spectacularly without even trying. "Seth," I said slowly, "There wouldn't happen to be a girl, would there?"

"No." He said far too quickly.

"Oh my god, there is! Who is it? She's a freshman right?"

"Shush!" He hissed, looking around him nervously. I saw the way his eyes darted towards a group of girls stood outside the cafeteria doors.

I looked around as we passed, "Is it one of them?"

"Stop staring!" Seth pulled on my arm, tugging me round as we headed towards his locker. I attempted to take my sunglasses off before wincing at the fluorescents and pulled them back on again.

"Come on, which one was it?"

"The one with dark hair." He muttered, shoving some books into his locker before pulling out an English one. The irritating mental itch was back again.

"You're gonna have to give me a little more to go on, Seth, they all had dark hair." I smiled at the way he was acting; it was so fucking cute I wanted to puke. I think this big sister thing is gonna work out just fine. Besides, the teasing was kinda fun.

"Ramnnal Blah." He mumbled.

"Didn't quite catch that, Seth."

"Rachel Black." He hissed, his eyes darting around again before slamming his locker door shut.

Fuck.

"Wow…uh…you know who her big brother is, right?" I asked, worried. Jacob Black was a moron but he was real overprotective when it came to his little sisters, twins, Rachel and Rebecca.

"Of course I do," Seth muttered.

I nodded slowly and decided to change the topic, he was clearly uncomfortable with this one.

"So did you gel your hair to impress her?" Never said I was going to completely change the topic.

"No, she doesn't even know I exist."

"Ah, so you did it to get her attention?"

Seth shrugged, "She likes Mr Cullen." So he changed his hair to look like Edward's.

Itch. "I wouldn't worry about that, Seth, Cullen's way too old for her." Though, unfortunately, not that older than me. "You shouldn't change the way you look for anyone anyway, if they're worth your time they'll like you for who you are, not what they want you to be." Wow, that was deep Swan.

"So, why do you wear loads of make-up and short clothes and stuff?"

Fuck me, this conversation was getting way too personal, "Because I'm not looking for a boyfriend."

Seth seemed to ponder this for a while before asking with a frown, "What am I supposed to do to get her attention then?"

Okay, this was way out of my comfort zone. I knew how to get someone into bed, not ask them on a date. "Uh…I don't know. Talk to her."

"About what?"

"Anything. Do you sit with her in any of your classes?"

Seth nodded, "She's my lab partner in biology."

"Right, so…" start a flirty conversation about the reproductive organs? For fuck sake Bella, he's fifteen. Jesus Christ. "…I don't know, just strike up a conversation, you know, "Hi, I'm Seth, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"" I lowered my voice and mocked the million and one idiots out there who thought this pick-up line worked.

Seth laughed, "I'm not saying that."

I grinned, "Just talk about stuff you like, if she likes it too then you know you've got something in common and you can go from there."

He nodded thoughtfully when the bell rang. He was about to head off when I stopped him, grabbing his arm quickly. "You don't want to get on the wrong side of Jacob Black. Be careful, okay?"

Seth nodded, "See you later, Bella."

I avoided Rosalie and Emmett as best I could the whole day. I couldn't remember exactly what was said but I recalled bits and pieces of an overheard conversation from the night before and I was pretty sure I should be pissed.

I was also trying to avoid a certain English teacher. I knew it would be pretty impossible when it came to the last lesson of the day, which was, in fact, English. But for the rest of the day I could steer clear of him.

It was for these reasons that I found myself in the boys' bathroom right after lunch. I was simply minding my own business, making my way to my next lesson when I spotted Emmett and Rose coming my direction, I spun round intending to take the long route to American History only to be trapped by Edward coming from that direction. I rushed through the door closest to me. Hence, the disgusting smell and the compelling need to find the nearest shower asap.

Desperate times called for desperate measures but man if this wasn't getting ri-fucking-doodle-diculous.

I ran my hands through my hair, rubbed the back of my neck, wrung my hands. Nothing. The itch was still there.

It was then, as I stood by the door, waiting for the first chance I got to escape the hell I was in that I encountered the other person who I remembered very clearly from the night before and never wanted to see again.

I should make a shit-list.

"Well, if it isn't Bella Swan. Follow me in here, did you?"

I spun round, my back to the door, this was becoming a way too frequent occurrence. Felix leered at me.

"You can stay away from me." I growled.

"Still going to play it like that, are we?"

"I'm not playing, Felix, stay the fuck away from me or you're gonna get into a shit load of trouble." I wasn't going to make the same mistake.

"Am I now?" He stepped closer.

"Go fuck yourself." I snapped.

"That's not very nice. I'd much rather fuck you. I would have preferred to fuck you last night instead of your pathetic whining step-sister." I shuddered.

I froze. I tried to fucking warn that girl. "What did you do to her?"

"Oh, you wanna hear the dirty details? Wanna hear how she screamed my name and the entire time I pictured it was your voice instead of hers?"

"I swear to god, if you hurt her-"

"What are you gonna do, Swan? Tell the police I raped her? She was fucking gagging for it."

"You make me sick."

He chuckled. "Soon Bella. Soon, you'll be begging for it, too."

I swung the door open and stumbled out, Felix following close behind me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him so I was pressed against him.

"What's going on here?"

Felix quickly pushed me away.

I cringed at the voice knowing exactly who it was before I even saw him. Edward, who looked as if he had been about to enter his classroom right opposite the boys' bathroom, stared at the pair of us, his gaze flickering from me to Felix and back.

"Nothing, sir." Felix answered with a grin, muttering under his breath, "Not yet."

"Get to class, Mr Volturi, you're ten minutes late."

"Yes, sir. See you later, Bella." I shuddered.

Once Felix was round the corner I turned to leave as well before his voice stopped me.

"Bella," I turned to face him with a heavy sigh. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I muttered, and tried to leave again.

"Bella-"

"What!"

"Was he giving you any trouble?"

I gave a hollow laugh, "How do you know I wasn't in there willingly?" My voice was hard and bitter and the look of shock and what I believed to be jealousy on Edward's face was way more gratifying than it should have been due to the fact that I was completely and totally indifferent towards the man.

"I was just trying to-"

"Well don't!" I snapped. "I don't accept help from perfect strangers. As that it what we are, remember, Mr Cullen?"

He opened his mouth to retort but I was already gone. Fuck him. Fuck Felix. Fuck Leah. Fuck Rose and Emmett. Fuck the lot of them.

I'd already missed the beginning of fifth period, there was no way I was going to that lesson. I pushed open the entrance door and it slammed against the wall as I headed to the back of the gym, pulling out my lighter and a cigarette.

*FT*

I really wasn't going to go to English but when I heard the scuffing of Coach Clapp's shoes on the gravel, coming towards that suspicious smoky smell at the back of the gym I had to move.

Besides, I was meant to have an after-school detention today and Mr Greene would probably have Mrs Cope come to my last lesson to "remind me", in other words, check I was where I was supposed to be and that I turned up to detention.

My detention that I completely forgot to tell Seth about. Crap.

I snagged a seat at the back of the classroom and pulled out my iPhone.

Got an after-school, sorry I can't give you a ride, you'll have to ask Leah. B-x

My phone chimed just as Edward started talking.

"Miss Swan, I'll have your phone, please."

"What?"

"Your phone. You can have it back at the end of the lesson."

I sighed as I stood and handed it to him, slumping in my seat and crossing my arms and legs.

"Okay, so what do we know about Of Mice and Men?" Edward asked the class. He was looking good today in his shirt and tie.

I scratched my shoulder.

"It's about mice and men." Mike said cockily, his jock friends laughed. Douchebag.

"Witty as always, Mr Newton." The rest of the class laughed and Mike slid lower in his seat, sulking. "Anyone else?"

"Friendship?" Angela Weber asked.

"Yes, that is a theme in the novel. Any other themes?"

"The American dream."

"Yes, Mr Cheeney. The American Dream." Edward wrote it on the blackboard. "What is the American Dream? Define it for me."

"An ideal lifestyle." Someone called out.

"Good," Edward, again, wrote this on the blackboard.

"Opportunity."

"Yes." It was written down.

"Equality." It was written down.

"Freedom." It was written down.

"Wealth." It was written down.

"Lies." I said. Edward looked up.

"How so?"

"Where was Lennie and George's wealth?" I asked. "Where was Lennie's freedom when he killed Curley's wife by accident and his best friend shot him? Where is opportunity to those living on the streets now? Where is the equality you had with a person before they found out they have a position of authority over you?" Edward's eyes bored into mine. "Where was and is this ideal lifestyle? It was in George and Lennie's heads – and still, after a novel like that, people believe in the American Dream." I shrugged. "It's lies."

The class was quiet. Edward turned slowly to the blackboard.

It was written down.

As the rest of the class headed out towards their lockers and the parking lot when the last bell signalled the end of the day, I slowly made my way towards Edward's desk as though I were a dead-man-walking.

"Your phone." He handed it to me.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"Bella, listen. What I said yesterday…I apologise. I shouldn't have been so harsh on you and I don't blame you for…for anything. I just think we should keep our distance, that's all." I stared at him. "It doesn't mean that you can't come and talk to me if you ever need to."

The bastard. "How dare you?"

"What?" he asked, startled.

"How dare you talk to me like that, so fucking condescending like I'm the poor pining little girl who can't get over the guy that took her virginity. Well, let me tell you something Edward, you weren't my first, far from it in fact. So if that's what you're feeling guilty about then consider your conscience cleared."

"Miss Swan, I was under no illusion that I was the one to…" he lowered his voice, "take your virginity." The redness of his cheeks told me otherwise. "I've heard about your reputation from other members of the teaching staff and believe it or not I did witness you stumbling out of the boys' bathroom like some tart, looking very cosy with Mr Volturi."

I felt like he had just slapped me across the face. To use his words, I was under no illusion of what my teacher's thought of me, of what my peers thought of me and I had never cared. I had been called a slut and a whore and every name under the sun by many. But it felt like he had stabbed me in the gut, especially due to the insinuation that it was Felix I was whoring around with after everything that happened last night.

"Bella…I…I'm sorry." He looked as taken aback as I felt.

"Don't worry about it." I muttered, "It's not the first time and sure as hell won't be the last."

Rosalie was waiting in the empty corridor outside my class. I couldn't catch a fucking break.

"Bella-"

"What do you want Rose?"

"To talk to you, you've been avoiding me all day, I didn't have a clue where you were."

"It feels pretty shitty, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"Needing to talk to someone and not being able to find them."

"What are you talking about?"

"Last night, Rosalie. You ditched me, remember? Left me there."

Rose shook her head and muttered something under her breath she thought I didn't hear.

"Emmett was right, was he? About which part exactly?"

"How do you-"

"I was drunk Rose, not fucking deaf."

"Well he is right! I'm not your fucking keeper."

"No, you're meant to be my friend."

"I am your friend."

"So, you left me stranded at a party with no way home because…?"

"You're my friend, Bella but Emmet is my boyfriend."

"Ah, so this is about bros over fucking hoes?"

"No, its not like that."

"So what is it like Rose? Enlighten me because I'm really struggling to understand here."

"I'm fed up Bella!" She shouted. "I'm fed up of trying to deal with your shit and Emmett's shit and fucking everyone's shit! You really need to tell me why you behave this way because I don't understand why you act like this and pretend that you're okay when you're so clearly broken."

"I don't have to listen to this," I shook my head, turning to walk away.

"See!" Rose yelled, "See, this right here, this is what you do. You fuck around, get into fights and then you run away. You don't deal with anything, you don't talk about anything, which is why you're so fucked up! And this is why I can't deal with it anymore."

I watched her as she watched me expectantly.

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" She asked softly.

I looked at the floor, willing the fucking tears back. I wasn't going to fucking cry. This happened all the time and I wasn't going to cry this time. I was sure of it.

When I didn't answer Rose sighed, her breath slightly shaky, "Fine. Then, I'm done trying to figure it out." As she levelled with me she murmured, "I'll see you around, Bella." And was gone.

I took in a shaky breath before sliding down the wall, burying my face in my hands.

The fucking itching was back.

"Bella?" came his soft voice. I didn't look up. I felt him close to me, I felt him kneeling in front of me. I felt his hands taking mine and gently pulling them from my face. "Are you okay?" He looked so concerned and worried.

I gave him a weak smile, "Fucking amazeballs."

He smiled back, "I'm feeling the very definition of ecstasy, myself."

I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me. "How the fuck did you remember that?" How the fuck had I?

"I've been trying to forget." He murmured with a frown.

I nodded, "Me too."

"Why can't I forget you?"

I shrugged, "Beats me. I've been asking myself the same question for the last two weeks."

He sighed, "I should really stay away from you, Bella. And you should really stay away from me."

I sighed dramatically, "I know, I just can't get over your amazing skills at picking up women. Curse your apparent vulnerability and sweetness."

He grinned. And then he kissed me.

And the itching stopped.

And I felt better than I had in two weeks. I felt calm, and satisfied and fucking blissful and I never wanted him to stop.

My hands were in his hair, oh his hair, I loved his fucking hair. His tongue ran across my lip before it joined my own. I moaned.

"Fuck," he breathed before pressing his mouth back to mine. One arm was around my back while the other trailed down my hand where it was clutching his hair, stroked down my arm and side, kneaded my ass and trailed down to the back of my knee. He stood, bringing me with him. Then we were moving. I didn't know where to, I didn't give a shit. I just never wanted him to stop kissing my neck.

I felt him placing me down and I opened my eyes to find myself sat on his desk while he stood in between my legs.

"Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you looked today?" He growled between kisses being plastered all over my neck. "With this stupid sweater on."

I chuckled, "Liked being able to see my midriff?"

"Liked it? Bella, I fucking loved it."

"And your legs," he ran his hands up and down my thighs, "So smooth, so silky, just like I knew they would be."

He kissed along my collarbone, down my sternum and nipped at my nipple through my bra and sweater.

I gasped.

He kissed down my bare tummy and pressed a kiss to my pussy, which had completely ruined my panties. He inhaled and moaned, "So good." I gripped his hair tightly in my hands; no one had ever done this to me before. Ever. I thought I was going to bite through my lip and he hadn't even got my shorts off yet.

As if reading my thoughts, his hands went straight for the button and zipper and slid them down my legs, kissing my inner thighs as he went making me squirm. I toed my boots off and kicked my shorts from my feet then Edward grabbed them making me burst out with laughter and I snorted.

He froze, his eyes wide as he stared at me, my hands covering my mouth.

"I got really ticklish feet," I whispered.

He couldn't contain his laughter.

"Shut up." I grumbled.

He kissed my mouth soothingly, thrusting his tongue against my own as he pressed hid torso against mine to get me to lie back on the desk. He nibbled my jaw as his hands lifted my sweater and unclasped the front of my bra. His lips and tongue kissed and licked at my breasts as my hips writhed against the hardness between my legs.

His fingertips trailed down my sides until they reached my panties. I opened my eyes and looked at him when he stopped his ministrations on my nipples. His eyes were wide with ecstatic wonder.

"You're wearing a fucking thong," he said by way of explanation as his hands moulded to my ass.

"You like?" I asked.

He nodded frantically. I chuckled.

Then he began to run his smooth lips back and forth along the waistband of my panties leaving me whimpering for more.

Edward peppered sweet kisses to the covered foldS of my pussy then licked.

"Fuck, please!"

"What do you want, baby?" He murmured against my desperate-to-be-freed core.

"Off, off, get them off. Kiss me."

He pulled my panties off and I could feel him exhale over my bare pussy. I whimpered.

Then he leaned up to kiss me. It was nice, just not where I wanted his mouth. I couldn't help grinding against his covered arousal, the perfect friction. My breasts were rubbing deliciously against his shirt. He was wearing way too many fucking clothes. I pulled his tie over his head and this time managed to undo the buttons and pull his shirt off, all the while my hips were writhing against him. His hands went to my hips to hold me still and I whimpered in frustration. "Kiss me!"

"I am kissing you," he teased.

"Edward, please."

"Where, Bella?" He breathed, "Where do you want me to kiss you?"

"Please, my pussy. Please kiss my pussy."

He was suddenly gone. I whimpered then cried out when I felt his lips and tongue on my wet core.

"Fuck! Ohh, my fuck, please," I gasped frantically holding his head right there my eyes squinted shut, my back arching in pleasure, "please don't stop."

"Mmm," he hummed against me, the vibrations making me moan, "you taste so good, baby."

He sucked my clit into his mouth and flicked his tongue rapidly. I tensed and screamed his name as I came. So. Fucking. Hard.

My body felt like jelly as I pushed myself up on shaky arms and pulled Edward's face to mine by his hair. I kissed him like I had never kissed anyone before, while unzipping his pants and pulling them down with his boxers, stroking his hard-on as he panted in desire.

I pushed him backwards to sit in his big, comfy, leather, swivel chair – his pants still around his ankles – and straddled him. We both let out groans of pleasure as I slid him inside me. It felt like home. It felt like this was where I was supposed to be, and I knew then that no one could make me feel the way Edward could make me feel and that terrified.

"Fuck, I missed you," Edward hissed.

I had missed him, too. But I couldn't say it. I wouldn't.

Instead I pressed my mouth to his as I began to rock, using his shoulders as leverage. He was in so deep this way, so fucking deep and it felt so, so good.

He grunted, "Baby, I'm not gonna last very long."

I cried out as he reached that spot that no one else could and whimpered, "Me neither."

He lifted his hips to meet mine on every down thrust and we were both soon careening towards orgasm.

"Fuck, Bella I…uhh, fuck I'm coming baby, shit." He pulled me close and tight as he tensed and groaned releasing into me. His climax sent me to my second and I clutched at his shoulders, biting my lip and burying my face in his neck to smother my scream.

I panted and trembled in his arms, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his chest against my own. He pulled back a little and he rested his forehead to mine before we opened our eyes to stare into each others' basking in the afterglow of ecstasy.

I ran my fingers through the sweaty hair at the nape of his neck as his thumbs smoothed circles into my cheeks.

"What do we do now?" I whispered, feeling strangely vulnerable, not that I would ever admit it.

"Fuck knows," he breathed, kissing my forehead, "but I can't stay away from you, Bella. I broke after two fucking days." He shook his head. "I just don't know how."

"What does this mean?" I murmured. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay away from him either. I felt like I was a different person around him, a better person, like when I was with him this was how I was meant to be. I felt safe, and secure and at home, but I didn't know how to be in a real relationship. I had never been in a real relationship and Rose and Emmett were right, I was so fucked in the head, I didn't know how this was going to work. But maybe it could work. Maybe him being my teacher could be a good thing rather than a fucking nightmare, I'd never had a proper relationship, well this wasn't your typical high school romance.

But despite all of this, I had a feeling – call it gut instinct – that this was only going to end in tears.

Edward seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "It means we're screwed."

Yep, we were on a one way ticket to doomed.

*FT*

The second I grabbed my bag from where it had been abandoned in the corridor right outside Edward's classroom I heard a voice that made my stomach sink.

"Miss Swan?" I cringed and turned slowly to face him on my heel.

"Yes, Mr Greene?"

"I would like to hear your excuse for not showing up for detention this time."

Uh…I was fucking your employee and my English teacher then spent the rest of my detention time having a wonderful, half naked conversation with him?

"She was with me, Mr Greene." Edward appeared at the door of his room like a knight in fucking shining armour. "Miss Swan wasn't sure where she should spend her detention so I thought she should spend the time completing an essay I set for homework. That way I knew she would get it done."

"Ah, very well, Mr Cullen. Miss Swan, I doubt you've learnt your lesson but we'll keep trying," Mr Greene said in a tiresome voice, "Mr Cullen, have a good evening." And he headed back in the direction he came.

"That was-" I started to say before another voice – one that confused me – interrupted.

"Bella! Hey, Bella, guess what? I…oh. Hi, sir." He trailed off when he noticed Edward.

"Seth? What are you still doing here?" I asked.

"I sent you a text," he said slowly, looking between Edward and I curiously. "Leah couldn't give me a ride so I asked how long you were gonna be and if I should walk home but you didn't reply."

"That's my fault, Mr Clearwater. I confiscated Miss Swan's phone." Edward saved my ass again. Although, it was his fault – on both accounts – that it needed saving.

"Oh."

"Uh…we better go, Seth. Your mom's gonna kill me."

"Yeah. Er… see you tomorrow, sir."

"Bye." I said.

Edward sent me a wink when Seth's back was turned and I rolled my eyes, going after Seth.

"He confiscated your phone?" Seth asked as we got into my truck.

"Yeah," I murmured, distracted.

"What a jerk."

I smirked. "Yep. Um, did you text Charlie or your mom?" I asked.

"Nope."

"So they don't know where you are?" I arched an eyebrow.

Seth looked sheepishly at me, "No?" He answered as though it were a question.

"Don't worry about it," I murmured, "They'll be relieved to see you."

"What do you mean, don't worry about it?"

"You won't get in trouble."

"But you shouldn't either, it's not your fault that Mr Cullen confiscated your phone."

I laughed, "Yeah, that's a good one. "Sorry Charlie, sorry Sue, I had my phone out it lesson and got it confiscated so I couldn't reply to Seth's text or tell you that we wouldn't be home until later because I had an afterschool detention. But don't worry, we didn't get kidnapped and murdered.""

Seth looked guilty, god knows why, so I decided to distract him.

"So what had you so excited earlier?"

His eyes brightened. "I talked to Rachel."

"You did?" I smiled.

He nodded, "Yeah, and I asked her to homecoming." He looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

"What did she say?"

"We're going together."

"That's great, Seth!" I grinned.

The smile was wiped from both our faces when we stepped through the front door. It was clear Sue had been pacing back and forth in the kitchen and Leah sat at the table, scowling at me when we walked in.

"Seth!" Sue cried and pulled him into her arms. "Where on earth have you been? I've been so worried."

"Mom," he grumbled, trying to pull out of her grasp.

She straightened abruptly and turned to me. "Where have you been?" Her voice was harsh and cold.

Fucking brilliant.

"We were at school."

"Really?" It was clear she didn't believe me at all.

"Yes." I decided the truth was the better option. Sort of. "I had a detention. I texted Seth to let him know and I didn't get his reply. He was just waiting for me. That's all."

"And that's the truth, is it?"

"Yes." I said defensively, because it was the closest to the truth I'd ever freaking told.

"Your father will be hearing about this. I suggest you go to your room."

Bitch. "You're not my mother." I snapped.

"Because your mother couldn't deal with the crap that comes with being your mother, I don't blame the woman for sending you away." Sue snapped.

"Mom!" Seth gasped, horrified.

"Don't worry about it, Seth." I said giving him a small smile before heading upstairs. Wasn't going to give the bitch the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

*FT*

There was a knock on my bedroom door and I shoved the money back in my shoe and threw it to the bottom of my closet before jumping back onto my bed and shoving my earphones in.

The door cracked open and Charlie popped his head in.

I pulled one earphone out.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then why ask?" I muttered.

He sighed and let himself in, closing the door behind him and sitting on the corner of my bed.

"Sue told me what happened." He began, "You know that was really irresponsible of you."

"I don't see what the problem is. We live in Forks and we were at school. It's not like we were going to be snatched out of our classrooms."

"That isn't the point, Bella. When Sue didn't hear from either of you she assumed the worst."

"And what was that? I'd taken Seth to a crack house and sold him for drugs?"

"You're not far off it."

I glared at him.

"Why didn't you call Sue?"

"Sorry, I don't have her on speed dial." I muttered sarcastically.

"Bella-"

"I don't have her number and I knew she was working. Besides, I texted Seth and told him I couldn't give him a ride and I didn't get his reply so I assumed he'd found one." I wasn't going to drop him in it, he was the only one who didn't hate my guts in this house.

"Why don't you give Sue a chance, Bella?"

I gaped, "How the hell did we get onto this?"

"Bella, she's not your mother."

Yeah, and I bet she didn't tell you just exactly what she said to me about my mother, I thought bitterly. I knew she hadn't. Charlie would have told me if she had and I wasn't about to tell him. The last time I snitched I got in a shit load of trouble. "Exactly. She's not my mother. So why don't you ask her to stop trying to act like my mother and quit telling me what to do?"

"Bella, she just wants to be there for you."

"Oh yeah, I can totally see that."

He sighed heavily, in much the same way Mr Greene did. "I suggest you come down when you're ready to apologise. Until then I don't think you should come downstairs."

"Apologise?! For what? For bringing Seth home safely? For driving him to and from school every day like his sister should probably be doing? For not treating him as though he's shit that I've stepped in, like Leah does?"

"No, Bella, for letting Sue worry, and panic and think the worst had happened to her son because he didn't come home from school." Charlie shouted. I stared as he stepped out and slammed the door shut behind him, trying not to have a fucking self-pity party and ask myself who the fuck would worry about me like that if I didn't come home from school… because I was pretty sure I wouldn't like the answer.


So there's chapter four. And some more Bella and Edward time ;)

Bella's clothes for chapter three and four can be found on my blog the link is on my profile.

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