Author's Note: OMG!! I'm updating! This is amazing :) I really am sorry for not updating in FOREVER. It's because of school hint hint (it's evil) but yeahh.

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, hold no rights to this wonderful story, but I do however own the hopeful thoughts in my head. Yup, they're all mine :)

Chapter Four: Flirting With Disaster

The excruciatingly long French class was finally over. I'd have to say that that is by far the worst part of block scheduling. The classes are twice as long as normal classes in an eight-class-a-day school. I looked over at Ryan who looked like a zombie. This was his first time retaking school. He had graduated the year before, and I could tell that he was not excited to be back. Well, he was almost not excited.

As the bell rang, he gathered his things a little too quickly and waited next to Amber's desk.

"So, Amber…Hi," he sputtered.

She just giggled. "So, Ryan…Hello." Her wide brown eyes were mocking me. I knew it wasn't her fault, but I just couldn't take it anymore. She just reminded me too much of Bella. I had to wait outside for Ryan. I couldn't watch him flirt with her anymore.

I stood outside the classroom door, immediately blocking the thoughts of the people around me. They were more or less the same. All of the guys were thinking about "beating me up" for being a "pretty boy". That made me laugh bitterly. As if they could really cause any damage to me. All of the girls around me weren't forming many coherent thoughts at all. All I would catch were statements such as, "He…me…SO HOT!"

I couldn't bear to listen to anymore of the ridiculous banter of these high-schoolers. I was concentrating so hard on blocking them out that I didn't even realize the fast approach of one of said high-school girls.

"Why, hello there. I'm Shay," she winked at me. I did nothing more than glare up at her. She had made me loose concentration, so hoards of thoughts rushed in to attack me, including hers.

Oh, we are gunna make the perfect couple! He is so into me. Well, it's not his fault really. I can't help it that I'm perfect…

Her babbling continued in this way the entire time I glared at her. She didn't even process the fact that she was to me as an annoying bug was to my windshield. I couldn't take it anymore. I rushed off in the direction of the staircase.

"Edward! Hey, Edward!" Ryan shouted. I slowed down a bit to let him catch up.

"Dude, what the hell?" He began, "One minute I'm standing there, talking to the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in the entire world, getting us all invited to her party this Saturday, and the next you bolt out of there like you're about to get sick! What happened?" I noticed immediately when his face softened. "Oh…I know that look…What was it that reminded you of her this time?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I began walking down the stairs, towards my next class.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Ryan followed, "and when you want to talk about it, about her, I'm here. I know you don't want to. I know it hurts, but talking about it will help."

"You don't know anything," I spat.

I sped off to World Lit cursing Ryan all the way. Who was he to tell me what will help? He doesn't know me, and he doesn't—didn't—know my Bella, I thought angrily. I could feel the hole inside burst open. I couldn't go into class like that, so I did something I never thought I would stoop to—I hid out in the bathroom.

I sat there, wallowing in my own grief and self-pity, when I suddenly felt as though I could somewhat breathe again. I still had about two minutes to get to class, and I knew that I could easily make it half way across the school in less time than that. I was at the door to the class room not ten seconds later. Thankfully the hallway was empty. Well, at least I thought it was empty…

"Hey, Cullen. Didn't see you there," came a voice I semi-recognized. I turned a little too quickly to find a confused Amber just behind me. I reached into her thoughts to find if she thought anything strange was up.

Wow, I really need to pay more attention to my surroundings. At least I saved my self from falling on the poor guy again…, she thought mildly. I didn't think she knew anything, so I quickly shut out her thoughts.

"So, um, can I get by you…I really need to get to class before the bell rings," she asked awkwardly, for I had been staring blankly as I was listening to her thoughts.

"Oh, yes, of course! I apologize. I didn't mean to keep you," I recovered. I turned to the door and walked in. The message on the board up front said to sit wherever for now. I chose a seat in the far back corner. Instead of Amber going to sit by anyone else, she followed me and set her stuff in the desk next to mine. I started to ask, but then saw her looking around like there was no one she knew. I honestly wasn't in the mood to talk.

Fortunately she wasn't either. She just sat there staring up front, occasionally looking around the room at the other students. I realized that I had been watching her and decided to take a look around myself. I grimaced when I found most of the girls in the room either glancing in my direction frequently or blatantly staring. I just turned around in my seat. Finally the bell sounded and the teacher made her way to the front of the room.

"Good morning class. I'm Ms. Caldwell, and I'll be teaching this period."

The rest of the class droned on, and I zoned out. I had been through this and just about every other class at least fifty times. There really was no need to take any part in this, but we had to keep up appearances. I decided to bide my time by looking into the thoughts of those around me.

I wonder what's for lunch, thought a chubby boy sitting in the middle of the room.

Should I go out with Danny or Garret this weekend…hmmm, Danny is REALLY cute, BUT Garret has a great car…Garret it is!, debated a Barbie-clone sitting by the door.

What's the point of this?, thought Amber. At first I just thought she was referring to this ridiculous class, but then I heard something I wish I didn't. I have no real friends, my family hates me, and there's nothing special about me. I can't do this anymore. Ugh, and lunch is going to suck. I have no one to sit with. Here's to the start of a great year!

I looked over to see her diligently taking notes on what the teacher was saying. She hid what she was feeling well…and that scared me.

When class was over I got up to leave slower than I would have normally. I waited for Amber to pick up her things and then followed her out.

"Hey, Amber?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to sit with my family at lunch today?"

"I have A lunch…," she said uncertainly.

"Yes, well so do my family and I."

"Your whole family has the same lunch? And to think not one of my friends has the same lunch as me. Ridiculous!" She shook her head, but laughed a bit. I couldn't help feeling a little better for putting her in a somewhat happier mood.

We walked towards the commons in a comfortable silence. I caught sight of Rosalie and Alice in line for the Garden Spot. Jasper was in line for pizza. Emmett and Ryan were in line for Traditional.

"Amber! Over here!" Ryan shouted half-way across the room. And let me tell you, this was a BIG room. Half of the commons population turned in his direction. I could tell Amber's mood brightened fifty times more than when I invited her to lunch.

She made her way over to him and I followed quietly behind. After we got our food we walked outside to the only small tables in the entire place. Alice and Emmett seemed to take to Amber right away. Rosalie was her usual indifference, and Jasper's opinion mirrored Alice's; anything that made her happy made him happy.

"So, Amber, I hear you're having a party! You just have to let me take you shopping. I have the perfect outfit for you in my head!" Alice practically squealed.

"Um, okay…"

"Uh oh, you really shouldn't have done that," Ryan shook his head in mock horror.

"It's just shopping. I mean a couple of hours buying clothes should be rather painless," she began. As the sentence escaped her mouth, the look on Ryan's face made her doubt herself. "…right?"

"You guys! Stop! You're scaring her!" Alice demanded.

"Well, if you're going to torture her with one of you shopping trips, she might as well know what she's getting into," Ryan teased Alice.

"And what, exactly, am I getting into?" Amber asked nervously.

Emmett and Ryan just looked at her solemnly.

"Remember what you were saying about a couple hours of harmless shopping?" Emmett asked.

"Yes," she said guardedly.

"Well," Ryan picked up, "Let's just multiply that number by at least five."

"What?" Her face was blank of all emotion. It was almost comical.

Ryan put his arm around her shoulders in a comforting motion. She jumped a little and looked confused. Ryan looked confused, too, but then remembered that his skin was cold as ice. He removed his arm and his face gathered a look of sadness. The table grew silent for a moment, all but Amber holding their breath. She finally looked at him and tilted her head to the side. She reached her hand and placed it on his arm.

"You're cold," she stated, wrinkling her brow.

"Uh, yeah, it's pretty chilly in here." Ryan said trying to back-pedal.

"Yeah, I guess."

It was I that broke the quiet that fell after.

"The bell rang." I know, not exactly life-changing, but it would do. Amber seemed to break from her reverie and look around to see the mostly-empty lunchroom.

"What class do you have next," Ryan asked eagerly.

"One Act. It's this competition theatre class—,"

"Oh, I know. I have that next, too. The only theatre at my old school was after school. When we started here I was surprised to find so many theatre classes. I didn't know which to choose, so I just kind of randomly chose this one," he smiled goofily.

"Well, I'm glad you did," she said and quickly looked away. I looked into her thoughts to see if she was any better from this morning.

Wow, he has the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen. Every time I look at him I just get lost in them…

I quickly disentangled myself from her thoughts. She wasn't thinking the way she was thinking earlier anymore, and that was all that I needed to know. I left them and headed to AP Physics with Alice.

"Edward," Alice brought me out of my thoughts, "They love each other."

"What do you know, Alice?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She was grinning, and I did not like the look of it.

Alice blocked her thoughts from me as we sat through class. I was starting to get nervous. I mean sure, Alice has been blocking her thoughts from me a lot lately, but never this blatantly.

Class ended and she skipped off in the direction of her next class. I just shook my head. I had a feeling that whatever she was hiding was not something good. Well, at least not very convenient. I made my way down into the basement level of the school for P.E. and was soon joined by Ryan.

"How is this going to work, Edward?" Ryan asked nervously. "How can we do any kind of contact sports without hurting somebody?"

"Don't worry, Ryan. This is why we've been practicing all of that strength control. But if you don't feel like you're ready, then don't take any chances. We can't afford any mistakes." Especially if you want to stay anywhere near your little girlfriend, I thought bitterly.

I couldn't begin to express my jealousy that he was getting his chance at love when I wasn't even allowed to keep my Bella. Hmm, maybe if I just shove someone just a little too hard…, I thought. But no, I couldn't do that to Ryan. Just because my chances of happiness were ripped away from me didn't mean I should ruin someone else's chance of happiness. The bigger part of me was thinking this, thinking that I couldn't make anyone go through what I've been going through because I know how it feels to want to die. But then there was the other part of me that wanted everyone else to suffer, too. It should only be fair. Hurting someone so that we had to leave wouldn't be fair for Ryan.

The day ended and we all met back up at the Jeep and Volvo. I was just getting into the driver's seat when I caught that unmistakable scent: my Bella. And then I caught another scent that I couldn't believe. There was a werewolf somewhere around here.