Here is chapter three to the story, sorry it has taken longer than I planned. I was going to update Tuesday, when that didn't happen I was definitely going to do it Wednesday…damn American Idol, bad guilty pleasure. The chapter is kind of short, sorry. I will update 'Double Take' very soon, I'll probably start writing after I post this. promise to have it up fast. :).
Thank you for all of the reviews, I really appreciate them. Keep them coming, I want to hear your thoughts and opinions.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, it is all Stephanie Meyers doing.
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I walked into my first class of the day, which was also my favorite, I've always really enjoyed English. I could still picture the surprised look on Jessica's face when she looked at me walking in this morning. I smiled to myself. She probably thought yesterday that I was defeated, that she had won, but she didn't. I was not going to feel like that anymore, it isn't who I want to be.
I wanted to be rid of what happened on the first night of summer, the weight of that night was hard to carry. I have always been a confident person, somebody who knew what they wanted from life and never took shit from other people. It's like I played hide and seek with my soul that one night, and never found it.
Yesterday when I talked to Edward and Alice Cullen, and they did not judge me or call me a slut, it gave me hope. I might be able to get back some of the person I was before everything changed.
Today was turning out okay, so far. Mike Newton said that I looked like a pretty whore today, not just my usual plain old whore. The sad part is that it was probably the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long while. After he said that I looked over at Alice who gave me a kindhearted smile, I would definitely love to have Alice as a friend, she seems like a genuinely nice person who didn't believe all the bull.
I was relieved but also slightly nervous when the lunch bell rang. It meant an hour of doing nothing, plus I was sort of hungry. I was worried though that things with Edward would be awkward. When I looked at him he was sitting in his usual seat, with his slouched posture over his ipod, nothing was different.
I sat in the seat farthest from him, just like any other day, and started going through my lunch. I packed a turkey sandwich, pretzels, and peanut butter cookies. I grabbed a pretzel and popped it into my mouth, keeping my eyes on the table.
"I thought you would be eating in the broom closet with all your friends today?" Edward said in a joking tone.
I looked up in surprise, he was smirking at me. I thought he wouldn't speak to me again, maybe during a lab in Biology, but not at lunch. He rarely spoke, not even to his own brother and sister, why was I different.
"I was, but my buddy Joe the janitor had important business duty to take care of, but we are totally going to reschedule." I said, adding a nod.
"Probably heard some rumors and didn't want you bringing down his rep." This made me laugh, even if it was a joke at my expense.
"God forbid the Lysol wipes think any differently of him." I said, rolling my eyes for dramatic effect.
He laughed, it was a nice laugh, very soothing just like his speaking voice. "I can already picture the brooms ditching him for Betty the lunch lady."
"The sad part is she most likely has more friends than me." I wrinkled my nose at the thought.
"That's not true." He said shaking his head.
"Well let me count out my friends…" I made a big effort in pretending to think, "Um, well, there's no one."
"I don't believe you." He said shaking his head.
"You don't have to believe it, but it's true." I let out a sigh, "I lost all my friends over the summer."
"Because of the stories?" He said quietly, and I just nodded. I wish that Edward didn't know the rumors, who knows what kind of details he was given, but he did hear—along with everyone else. "The way I look at it is…if they were real friends they wouldn't let gossip get in the way."
"Then I guess that means I have never had a real friend before, since they all left me."
"Its high school." He said, like that was the great explanation to all of my life problems. Why do people even bother with therapy? It all adds up to the point that 'it's high school'.
I rolled my eyes, "Thank you very much Edward Cullen, all this time that I was depressed and alone, that was the whole reason…high school."
He shook his head, smiling. "No, I'm saying that these people in this room and this town will mean nothing to you in about five years from now. They aren't worth it, at all."
"Now I see why you have no friends." I blurted out, but then felt bad once it slipped. "Sorry, that was so rude of me, I didn't mean it."
"It's alright." He let out a small laugh, "I do have friends though."
I looked around the table at the empty seats. "They seem nice, a little on the quiet side, but then again so were you up until yesterday."
He smiled, trying to hold back a laugh. "Imaginary friends, you think my social life has come to that?"
"What social life?" I smirked.
"Wow." He said grabbing his chest, "You know how to hurt a guy."
"I try." I smiled, "Don't feel bad though, imaginary friends are probably the only kind I could get."
"You are too negative Bella." He said, I was kind of wrapped up in the way that he said my name, it sounded good coming from him.
"Its high school, who isn't negative?" I said with a shrug.
"True." He nodded, "But you shouldn't wallow over the past."
"I am not wallowing!" I said, glaring at him when he gave me a look that said he didn't believe me. "This…" I said gesturing at me, "is not wallowing. Wallowing includes ice cream, and crying, and Van Morrison songs."
"You like Van Morrison?" He asked, it wasn't what I thought would come out of his mouth next. He seemed surprised, probably expected me to listen to Justin Timberlake or some other pop garbage singer. I remember when Jessica looked through my ipod the first time, she had a look of complete disgust on her face then asked where the Backstreet Boys were.
"Yeah, he's incredible…most definitely one of my favorites." I said, nodding.
He was about to say something but the bell rang, startling us both. I guess lunch goes by faster when you actually talk to another human being. I started cleaning up my things, realizing that I didn't eat any of my lunh. When I looked up he was walking away with his earphones in like he did every other day, it was like we never even spoke to one another.
I threw my trash away and ran into the bathroom to check my hair quick, with my luck I probably had a piece sticking out the entire time that I was talking to Edward. I looked in the mirror, running my hand through my hair, it actually looked pretty decent.
I took one last look as the door opened, in came Lauren. Lauren was a girl who absolutely despised me, even more than Jessica, and she scared me more too. My theory of why she never liked me is because she was jealous of the friendship that me and Jess had, she was treated like the third wheel. The night of the party was most likely the best thing to ever happen to her, I was out and she was in.
"Hey Bella." She said with a smile, I'm pretty sure I could see her fangs peaking out over her lip.
"Um, hey." I attempted to smile back.
"You look good today, still not at all attractive, but there are some dogs out there that would be mighty jealous." She smiled again, standing in the mirror next to mine. "Your little boyfriend Eddie seems to like your appearance, god knows why." She let out a laugh.
"He isn't my boyfriend." I said, picking up my purse.
"Not even that loser would want to touch your ugly, dirty body. Such a slut, I always told Jess you were pathetic, she had to find out the hard way."
I thought that I would start crying, I held it in. I began to walk out but she put her leg out in front of me and I hit the ground, hard. There was a sharp pain in my left arm, but I didn't want to give her the satisfaction so I hid all emotion.
"Oops, sorry Bella." She said walking out, before she left she turned and smiled. "Have a nice life loser."
I laid there for a second, and then looked at my watch, I would definitely be late. I got up, which was hard with one arm, I was pretty sure my left wrist was sprained. I grabbed my stuff and jogged to Biology, getting there a minute after the bell rang.
Luckily there was some kind of teacher meeting, which meant Mr. Banner wasn't there. All the sub did was give me a disappointed look and then went back to reading the newspaper. I walked over to the desk feeling my classmates' eyes on me, I hated attention, even if I had been getting a lot of it this year.
I wanted to start crying right there, a part of it was from the throbbing pain in my arm and another part was from Lauren's words. I knew she was just trying to mess with me, but it struck a nerve.
I held my arm close to my body, rubbing my wrist with my good hand. It was beginning to bruise and swell up, which meant another trip to the doctors after school. It was about time, it's been a whole three months since my last time there, when I hit my head—I won't go into detail, I will say an ice cube was involved.
"You alright?" Edward said, startling me a bit. I glanced at him, he was looking from my face to my arm, and then back to my face with concern.
"Um, yeah." I said, covering my arm a little more. "Just tripped."
He stuck out his hand, holding it out to me. What is he doing? He then motioned for my hurt arm, "Let me see."
"I said I'm fine, really, it's okay." I said, trying to reassure him.
"If its fine then there should be no problem in me looking at it." He said, gesturing his fingers for me to give in.
"Not going to happen." I said, shaking my head.
"I get that you're stubborn, but so am I and I will follow you around until you put your arm into my hand." I went to open my mouth again but he stopped me, "please Bella."
I let out a small sigh and showed him my wrist, he lightly took it, rubbing his thumb along the bruised area. For a few seconds I forgot that there was ever pain, I didn't feel it anymore. His touch made me feel warm all over, I am also pretty sure that there was a spark.
"What is your definition of 'fine'?" He asked with a small laugh.
"I know that it's sprained, it wouldn't be the first time, but it's better than broken." I smiled, "Don't worry the hospital is calling my name after school."
"You are very hard to read." I was well aware that he was still holding on to my arm, it reminded me of yesterday when I fell out of my truck and he kept me steady. He released my hand when he noticed me watching him. Maybe if I injured myself on a daily basis he would keep touching me...
"Yeah okay, I am a Dr. Seuss book compared to the Latin dictionary that is your mind."
He let out a laugh, "Latin? I'm barely getting by in Spanish."
"That wasn't the point." I rolled my eyes, smiling.
"I got that..." He nodded, "I just like to keep to myself, I don't know."
"Which begs the point, why all of a sudden are you all nice and talkative to just me?" I questioned.
"I actually have no clue." He said, shaking his head.
"It's because I looked so cool and approachable that you just had to speak to me right?" I joked.
He raised his hands up. "You caught me."
"Well if it helps, I have no clue why I am talking to you either."
We smiled at each other just as the bell rang, I did not want this to end, but I of course had class. I started grabbing my book, a sharp pain went through my arm. I had completely forgotten about the fall from earlier.
"I'll get those for you." He said picking up my books for me.
"You don't have-"
"I want to." He nodded. "Lets skip last period."
"Together?" I asked.
"No…separately." He laughed, "Yes together, I can take you to get your arm checked, plus it's hard to play basketball in gym with one good arm."
"It's actually harder to play basketball with no hand eye coordination and two left feet, but the arm doesn't help the situation either." I laughed.
"So is that a yes to leaving?" He raised an eyebrow.
I have never skipped class before, I was always the good girl. I've only faked sick once in seventh grade to get out of going to school and I felt completely guilty afterwards. My parents would kill me when they found out, although I can use the whole hurt arm thing in my defense. I can't do this….
"Yes."