Disclaimer: Although I would love to take credit of SM's work, I am not her nor do I pretend to be. Let's face it, if I was then things would have ended very differently in the Twilight Series.

Neither Here, Nor There - Affronted
By Emberlyn Ealise

Gym was not what the course description claimed it to be. Not that it mattered; Physical Education was required for all four years as part of the "Fight Against Obesity" campaign. I hated that even after the campaign back fired and saw more ten year old girls becoming anorexic or bulimic, schools and business still stood by the program. Maybe it was just me but I didn't see America getting any thinner.

The sports training I'd been looking forward to didn't happen. Coach thought that with a two day week it would be pointless to start on a sport and instead led with aerobics. To say that turn kicks and alternating side lifts did nothing for mood would be putting it lightly. If anything, I was more aggressive for not being able to release the tension violently.

When class ended and I found myself in the girls locker room with girls I'd known most of my life I felt incredibly alone. They were chatting about things they had done over the summer. Lauren Mallory started dating Tyeler Crowly and seemed to think that things were getting more serious. Jessica Stanley went to stay with her Nona in Italy for two months and claimed that there was nothing like the Italian boys ultimately causing Tanya Denali to whisper to Lauren about her obvious weight gain while Jess was distracted in her search for her regular school clothes.

They were far from good friends but they were better than the no body that I had. Fully dressed Jess looked at me, looked like she was about to say something but never did. My only guess is that she already knew about my summer and was trying to be nice by not mentioning it. It wasn't as though I would have said, 'Oh, I just buried my boyfriend, spent nine weeks in therapy, and lost 30lbs to my unstable nerves' if she had asked.

Annoyed with her pitying looks I stuffed my gym clothes into my bag and left before the bell had rung. The tears that stung my eyes would have been much worse had anyone seen. It was obvious that all anyone saw looking at me was the sad little girl who couldn't cope. No one realized all that we had together.

Classes let out as I was almost to the chemistry lab making me the very first one through the door. I quickly asked Mr. Banner if he had assigned seats and where I might find mine. It was no surprise that I was near the back when he explained that he had gone alphabetically. I'd have rather been further from the door but I didn't argue. It was a quirk of mine that I couldn't explain.

As I took my seat I thought about the teasing I used to get from Edwardwhen I'd sleep over. Mom and dad never thought anything of my being at the Cullen house because I'd been having sleep overs with Alice since we were little kids. They had no idea that I'd been crawling into Edward's bed since he started the sixth grade. Alice was a rough sleeper and at that age was when Edward became like an older brother to me. Before that he'd been a tormentor like his brother, teasing me about my oversized teeth and my ears that stuck out too far. Afterwards he became everything else.

I still wear socks to bed because he complained about my cold feet.

Whenever I'd sneak across the hall to Edward's open door I'd immediately tiptoe around the foot of the bed to the opposite side which was, coincidently, the side he favored. He would sleep with the window open and the cool air would keep him from getting overheated under the mountain of blankets where he nested. When I whined that I couldn't sleep next to his door he gave in allowing me to have his spot but not without reminding me that a killer would probably come through the window anyway. What should have scared me only made me feel safer in his arms. Even then I knew that he would die before anyone got to me.

The class filtered through the door and my partner introduced himself as James Scott, a face I'd seen around the school but didn't know personally. "I'm Bella Swan," I told him, caught off guard by my timid sounding voice.

"I know," he said and then looked at me like he'd just accidently called me a vapid whore. Obviously he didn't mean to point out that the school was buzzing about me but it wasn't anything I didn't already know.

I nodded politely and we said nothing to each other for the rest of class. Mr. Banner kept us less than entertained with his chemistry based puns but the hour eventually passed and I found my way to Statistics. It would seem that the teachers at the school thoroughly enjoyed wasted students' time as no one had a real lesson plan that day. Mr. Black decided to get the kids interested by discussing the statistics involved in gambling as if it would appeal more to our generation. From my standpoint I knew that everyone in that class signed up for it rather than having it forced on them and so it would seem obvious that we would all already be interested. One would think.

Another wasted hour of my life went by yet my hopes remained high for my next subject. There was no way that Mrs. Clearwater would allow a minute of her time to go unused. With her I was sure to be entertained by star-crossed lovers, flappers and floozies, and possibly even the oblivious Nora Helmer in her ignorant little world. This would not be a year to find role models in literature.

I smiled when I came to the door labeled E210, my newfound sanctuary. The door was closed meaning that she probably hadn't had a class the last period. It would have been her one hour of course planning in the day without the interruptions of a class and so it startled me when I began to walk inside and found that I wasn't the first.

Mrs. Clearwater had arranged the desks so that they were three across and four deep, each large enough for two students and in the desk second from the front on the far right sat a boy with hair that I'd spent years running my hands through. His broad shoulders were hunched forward as his eyes scanned the pages of a small hardback book. Edward never liked the flimsiness that came with handling a paperback.

A bump from behind told me that I was blocking the entrance. A simple 'excuse me' would have gotten the same effect but it seemed that manners had died right along the same time as chivalry.

With a deep breath I approached the doppelganger. I didn't know what else to call the random new kid who just happened to be the spitting image of my dead boyfriend. For a fleeting moment I wonder if he might be a Zombie but the thought made me want to slap myself. I didn't live in some ridiculous television series filled with Werewolves and Vampires and Zombie boyfriends. This was Somerset High for heaven's sake.

He never looked up through my whole approach despite being able to see me easily in his peripherals. In turn I didn't ask if the seat was taking because I didn't want to disturb his reading. At least, that was what I initially thought. After I took my seat I toyed with the idea that I might have been afraid he wouldn't want me there. Edward would have wanted me there.

I stared ahead at Mrs. Clearwater as she watched the rest of the class drag themselves into the room. My body was rigid from the force of resisting its natural urge to gravitate toward the doppelganger. I wanted to look at him to prove that he was entirely different. That was the main reason I even took the seat next to him. But I didn't dare look. I'd see Edward's eyes and I'd fall apart.

The tardy bell rang and Mrs. Clearwater addressed us with a 'good morning' of sorts already passing out what looked like handmade flyers on construction paper to each of us. It was a dark purple with white stick figures telling a story that didn't understand at first.

"Twenty points of extra credit will go to the first person who can name the book," she announced and it began to make sense.

There was an obviously female form for starters, holding hands with a man carrying a football. In the next frame the football player can be seen with a different female judging by her larger breast as they were locked in passionate embrace. Mrs. Clearwater was quite the artist. The frame after that showed the first woman with a man in a military hat reminding me of an odd sort of wife swapping scenario.

By then I was completely confused. I didn't know of any story with characters so promiscuous. I looked to my desk mate and found his sheet lying off to the side while his nose remained buried in his book. That wasn't like Edward at all. My Edward always put his school work first and tried his hardest. The imposter couldn't have cared less.

"Is it The Great Gatsby?" asked someone behind me. I looked down the paper searching a few frames more and saw the busty female run over by a car. She was right.

"That is correct, Miss Byrd. For our first book we will be reading, dissecting, and creating dialectical journals on F Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale," Mrs. Clearwater advised the class in her dramatic way. "By a show of hands, who here has read this one?"

I raised my hand along with two others that did not include the imposter. Edward had read the book dozens of times without ever having it assigned to him and had loved it enough to demand that I read it as well so that we could discuss the symbolism he held so dear. Sometimes he came off as effeminate with his passion for nerdy things but it was just one of the many quirks that I loved about him.

Mrs. Clearwater continued excitedly explaining the lesson plan along with how she expected the dialectical journals to be formatted while I slowly picked at the mannerisms of the boy next to me to prove he was anyone but Edward. By the end of class I was convinced that I'd imagined it all and that this boy was no different than the others. So much so that when he stood to leave I threw caution aside and looked him directly in the eye.

The world stopped spinning when his dark blue eyes met mine. Darker than I'd ever seen them but I still knew them as his. His face was paler, his lips lighter, but he froze when I did and I knew it could be no one else. I felt my lips part in subtle surprise and I watched his eyes drop to them then immediately shut. A scowl took over his features allowing me to finally look away. My breath came out in shallow gasps as the faux wood table in front of me began to blur. It was Edward, it had to be, I'd know him and where.

My minds raced to thoughts of his overturned car, to my struggle to get inside and free him, to the official statement being 'dead on impact'. They told me he'd broken his neck, that it had been instantaneous. But this was him. It didn't matter that it was impossible. It was the look in his eyes.

"Miss Twist, are you alright," Mrs. Clearwater asked interrupting stunned form.

I looked up quickly to nod. "I'm fine, sorry. I was just thinking."

She gave me a soft smile as if to say that she understood but I doubted it. "Hmm, it looks like Mr. Mason forgot his cheat sheet," she commented picking up the purple piece of paper next to me.

"Who?" I questioned wanting to catch his name.

"Anthony Mason, dear. Your partner," she answered as though I should already know.

"Oh, I didn't catch his name."

"I see. Well, you'll want to get better acquainted then. He is going to be your partner for your senior paper after all." Again, I nodded. "It's lunchtime Miss Swan. I suggest you get some food and try to concentrate a little better this afternoon. School's only just begun." She tapped the desk by way of ending the discussion and walked back to her own getting a salad box out of the top drawer. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stay there.

Tender on my feet I tottered from the class to the hall to be affronted by ice cold air. It was then that the nausea over took me barely allowing enough time to run to the girls room. I held back as long as I could but as soon as I was in a stall it all came out. There wasn't even time for me to set my bag down and instead books scattered between the floor in my stall and the one next to me. Again I regretted not being able to stomach breakfast.

After a few minutes of dry heaving I assumed I was all done and lay my head on the seat crying what I prayed were silent tears. I missed him so badly and this pitiful excuse for a human being that had been put in his place tortured me in ways I couldn't explain. Was I going to have to relive Edward's death every time I looked at Anthony, heard his voice, smelled him close to me? It would kill me.

"Are you alright?" asked a soft voice outside my stall.

I groaned.

"Should I get the nurse?" she tried again.

"Yes, please let her know that I haven't eaten in two days and I'm having hallucinations that my dead boyfriend is stalking me," I mumbled wiping at some of my vomit coated strands with the cheap toilet paper the school splurged to buy us ladies. I was thankful I'd already had it pulled back but there were a few piece of stray hairs that were not as lucky as the rest.

The girl didn't respond this time so I lifted myself and reached for my things only came up empty handed. Alarmed I quickly left the stall and came face to face with a sweet looking brunette holding my bag that had been refilled with my belongings a zipped closed.

"Hi, Bella," she said offering the comforting smile I'd seen on too many faces already.

"Hi, Angela." Angela had been a friend of Alice's at one time. She was a mousy little bookworm who thought that Alice was made of rainbow's and butterflies. It wasn't hard to believe back then. Alice had been the happiest person I knew. I assumed she no longer idolized her based of the fact that she was being nice to me.

She began to dig into her pocket for something. "I don't have a toothbrush on me but if you want to rinse your mouth out I do have some gum that'll help with the rest."

I nodded feeling like a bobble head and walked to the sink where a case of Dixie cups hung on the wall. I filled one with water which I gargled and spit before taking a strip of Big Red from Angela. The cinnamon helped a lot and I made a mental note to pick some up at the store.

Angela went to one of the towel holders and pulled out three sheets of the brown paper. She wet them and started dragging them over the gross hairs that I missed. It jarred me into wondering just how someone was so well versed in taking care of another person bordering bulimia. I didn't want to ask but I think she understood.

"My sister was like this when they started her chemo," she said quietly. That was right. Angela had had an older sister, Irena, who died of cancer at fourteen. We, Alice and I, had met Angela shortly after. I remembered that the way she used to talk about Irena made me wish we'd have met her sooner. She sounded amazing.

"I'm so sorry," I said not knowing what else would be appropriate.

"Me too," she replied, "for you."

I wanted to ask how long it took before things got better but by the way she was looking at me as she took care of me I could feel that the answer was never.

The bell rang for everyone to make their way to their next class. "We better get going," I told her. She nodded and threw away the towel while I picked up my bag that she'd sat next to me and started to leave.

"It never fully goes away but it does get easier," she said before I had made it out the door.

I wanted to respond, to say anything that would make her feel as though her words were useful but my mind came up blank. I just left her there.

Spanish would be my last class of the day. For seniors who had all of their high school credits and at least two college credits the administrators allowed one hour of free study. Everyone always placed it at the end of the day and went home early. I was no different.

Walking into the room I was bombarded by yellow walls and Spanish style banners and posters. It was, hands down, the most brightly decorated room in the school. I guessed that the fourth year Spanish teacher took things a little more seriously.

The classroom was filling as I began to look for a seat near the front of the class. An empty desk caught my eye and I almost walked toward it until a pair of familiar brown eyes met mine. I couldn't imagine how my day could get any worse.

Averting my gaze I took a seat in the back directly beside the exit and busied myself with getting my notebook and a pen until I felt someone slip into the desk to my left. I made the mistake of looking of to see those familiar hazel eyes dancing at me.

"What's up, Hells Bells," he asked and I laughed a real laugh partially at the stupid name I hadn't heard in so long but mostly I chuckled in relief at the knowledge that he didn't hate me.

"Nothing much, Jazzy Poo," I replied. We smiled at one another and I wondered how I ever thought I could have lost him.

"Some things never change."

"It's because we're old and set in our ways."

"What are you talking about? I'm eighteen years young." Jasper smoothed his hand over his jawline to show off his features.

"Then where did that gray hair come from," I teased pulling at a random piece on the right side of his head.

"Pssh! Almost a decade of you and Princess Alice, that's where," he stated slapping my hand away.

I didn't have time to reply before Ms. Rollo went right into the lesson. From there we didn't have a spare second to talk as she went around the room quizzing us individually on terms and verb conjugation. While I spoke the language well I still had trouble translating out of context and was embarrassed when my turn came.

My bad translation for 'may I purchase a bus ticket' was over shadowed by that fact that Jasper still only knew how to order a beer in Spanish. Ms. Rollo was not impressed by either of us.

The hour passed as all the others had and I soon found myself waiting for the bell.

"Hey, do you want me to walk you to your car?" Jasper asked.

I looked at him confused. "How do you know I don't have a sixth period?"

"Because I remember the fit that Edward threw last year we he found out we both signed up for a free period and he was trying to convince you I was a bad influence." He shrugged but kept smiling.

"That's right," I remembered."In his defense, you were a terrible influence." I smirked at his faux-shocked expression.

"I am deeply offended."

The bell rang and I just shook my head as I walked away.

He caught up in a matter of seconds. "You're cold."

"So I've been told. I didn't say you could walk with me."

"You didn't say I couldn't."

I started to tell him to get lost but someone else caught my eye. Toward the doors leaving the east wing I saw Anthony slamming his locker with a look of pure disgust centered on me. He whipped around towards the double doors and exited with more force than was required but I saw the anger there. Edwrad never looked at me that way.

"So, where's your locker anyway?" Jasper asked interrupting my thoughts.

"Shit!"

"What? Did we pass it?" He looked around perplexed.

"No, I forgot to ask for one." I felt like slapping myself in the forehead. "I'll just deal with it on Monday."

I started walking again and Jasper kept pace not saying a word until we made it to my car. There were a couple other seniors around but no one noticed us. "Umm, thanks," I said awkwardly and we just stood there for a minute. "Where's your car?"

He snapped out of an internal debate with a start. "Oh, over there." He pointed at the red car I'd passed that morning with the people staring at me. It dawned on me that he was probably one of them and I hadn't even noticed. The thought was depressing.

"Ah, well, I guess I'll see you on Monday?" I hadn't meant for it to sound like a question but his invasion of my personal space was getting to me.

Then he surprised me. He wrapped his arms around me and buried my head into the crook of his neck holding me tight. I was hugging him back before I even realized. "I've missed my partner in crime," he whispered and I laughed through sobs I didn't know I had.

"We'll have to rob a Piggly Wiggly soon," I teased.

He pulled back from meplacing a moist kiss on my forehead. "I'll start planning it."

Our foreheads then fell together and for a moment I was just happy that he was still himself, the same Jasper who'd taught me the meaning of a five finger discount. I needed something in my life that was constant and if I could have picked anything it would have been this.

With one last kiss on my forehead we said our 'goodbyes' and got in our cars. I sat behind the wheel and gripped it until my body finished crying itself dry. Then I reversed and made my way home.

AN: I hope you all enjoyed the glimpse into Bella and Edward's past. Though brief, there will be more of these. Again, you can read the original work here: www (dot) wattpad (dot) com (forward slash) 1432080 (dash) neither (dash) here (dash) nor (dash) their
Ember