A/N I know this one's a bit weird, but I actually loved writing this chapter. I've got a little Charlie in here – don't judge him too harshly. I've let Bella kind of explode in this one, because I really wanted to get some more of her personality out there; she also seems a little obsessive about Edward, but she's kind of just starting to see him as more than someone pretty that annoys her. I've let Emmett explain some stuff; get some of the background info out of the way. And we have a little Tanya 'interaction' – she's always the bad guy, I just can't help myself!
Hope you like it, review and let me know!
Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, I wouldn't be in my room fanaticising about owning Twilight.
Chapter 6
She's a Freak after all
He gives me a small smile which I return before shutting my blinds and shutting out his face completely. The car ride back had been strange enough, and now as soon as I go into my room there he is, his face right there. We were both reaching to shut the shutters on our respective windows and we had caught each other's eye – it was quite ridiculous actually and I was a little freaked out that he was right there, no more than four metres away, and here I was in a long football shirt and no bottoms.
I hadn't dared looked at what he was wearing, just in case he was shirtless and I would have fallen straight through my window and tumbled down into the bushes below.
Great, now I'm thinking about him shirtless.
I don't know what to make of Edward; there's the rude guy – Old English – the angry guy – furious red – and then there's the sweet guy that's trying to look out for me, and strokes my hair until my body stops shaking like a mental patient, who I can only assume must be just Edward. The more I encounter Edward, the more I seem to be drawn to him – but then he pisses me off with his moods and I can't help but hate him again.
I tuck myself into bed, set my alarm and switch my lamp off.
I'd like to get to know real Edward, I'm just afraid that Old English or Furious Red will push me away.
A strange beeping pulls my thoughts away from Edward, and I'm kind of glad because as unearthly gorgeous as the boy is, he is undeniably confusing and is seriously starting to make my head hurt.
It takes me a minute to realise that it's my phone beeping, and suddenly there's a huge lump in my throat, and I'm nervous.
I sit up and reach for my phone.
1 new Text Message
Holy fuck, finally. I thought he'd forgotten, or for some reason avoided contacting me. But it was him.
Wht do u want to knw?
I save his number under Emmett and then type quickly and furiously, asking my first question.
About time! So, Whts with th nicknames?
I only have to wait a few second before my phone beeps again.
Srry its late, hd a thing I hd to do. Only Freaks have nicknames, to symbolise individuality nd at th same time friendliness nd a familial bond btween each othr
I consider this; I suppose it seems reasonable.
Wht bout th Greeks?
This time I have to wait longer, I pass the time by throwing my phone up into the air and catching it.
We're cld th Greeks caus we're suppsd to b prfct, it strtd out as a popularity thng, being a Greek showd u wer smrt nd well likd. We wear gold alpha pins to shw how we're a unity nd all equal. Whn we startd to tke over th school, th Freaks decided they wntd theyr own respct bcause they wer sick of th preferential treatment th Greeks get.
Why do th groups hurt each othr?
Ther was alwys rivalry, but we mstly left each othr alone. Until a few years ago a Greek got hurt, they blamed it on a Freak nd thn retaliated. It kind of blossmd frm ther.
Why doesn't th school do anythn bout it?
Th school startd th Greeks, its kind of ther fault in th first place. Bsides, cn u imagine tryin to separate th loyalty each persn has to theyr respective group? Ther would be a riot. I thnk th teachers thnk we mght band tgther nd turn on them, so they jst turn a blind eye. Sme teachers evn hav a side – look at Mr Aro, th only reason Edward, Jazz nd me pass is bcause Im a Greek.
But why r u a Greek? Didnt u usd to b Teddy? Wht chngd?
For a couple of minutes I wait, thinking maybe I asked too much, and that perhaps what I was asking wasn't any of my business. But sure enough my phone buzzed.
I cnt b a Freak if Im with Tanya, I wouldn't get as mch respct on th football field so I wouldn't b captain, nd I gt xtra points fr my grades bcause the Greeks ar prt of a school progrm
So u jst quit th Freaks?
I'm suddenly kind of disappointed in Emmett; he's basically saying that he left his friends – not to mention his family – for a girl, a sport and a few extra points. It doesn't seem like him.
I got wht I needed.
U needed a girl nd a role as captain?
What I got is worth being a Greek. Goodnight, Chimes.
I don't text back, because quite frankly I'm pissed at him and if I was Alice or Edward, I probably wouldn't talk to him. He abandoned his friends for fuck all, and I had lost all respect for the boy.
...
Jake was right, as soon as I knocked on the door it was bubbly Alice again.
"Bella! Aloha! Come in, come in. Would you like some coffee? I've already had three cups, but it doesn't really matter, right? To be honest, I don't even think it has that much affect, I hardly feel more awake than I usually do. Maybe it's like a placebo; you just think it's going to make a difference, so it does. But I'm a little sceptical. So...Coffee?" She raises the mug to her mouth but I swipe it out of her hands, and she uses her tongue to chase it as far as she can until I've got it out of her reach.
"I think you've had enough." She just shrugs and pulls me inside the house, shutting the door with her heel as she pushes me towards the kitchen.
"You're early today, a little antsy to toddle over here were you?-"
"Excuse me, toddle? I'm not a penguin."
"-Because Edward was weird last night – not the normal weird, even weirder than the normal weird - and I think it has something to with you," she elongates 'you' and uses her finger to wag about my face, "So, what did you do?"
"I haven't done anything!" I sit down on the stool next to the breakfast bar which Alice is perched on.
"Oh ho ho, I beg to differ. I can see it in your eyes. Now," she snaps her fingers a few times like this will encourage me, "Tell me."
"Tell you what?" It's not me that answers her, its Edward; he walks into the kitchen with a towel around his neck, rubbing his wet hair with one side of it.
Oh dear God, he's beautiful. When it's wet his hair looks so much darker and makes his skin look even more luminescent. I'm surprised he doesn't have a girlfriend.
Actually, how the hell would I know if he had a girlfriend? He might have kids as far as I know.
Jesus.
"Nothing, dear brother," she says with a far too mischievous grin, "no concern of yours. Bella and I were simply conversing about her first days at Forks High. Nothing major. No sir-ee, nothing of interest at all." His eyes narrow suspiciously at her.
"...did you find the coffee again?" her smile is sheepish but I'm far more interested in the small bead of water starting at his temple and sliding all the way around his jaw and down his neck.
"Well you didn't hide it very well."
"It was on the top shelf, three rows back in the pantry," pantry? Holy fuck. "What did you do, smell it out?"
"I'm not a bloodhound, Old English, sometimes I just need a pick-me-up in the form of a yummy highly caffeinated beverage. That's all. Calm your wow. Chill your monkey. Slow your boat."
"I'm telling mom."
"I hate you."
He leans his hip up against the counter where Alice is looking away with her arms folded and a petulant pout on her face.
"Hey." He says with a smile that shows he's Edward today.
"Hi."
"Yes, hey, hi, hello, nice to see you, how you doing, flirt, flirt, angry glare, passionate stare, oh my God I hate you, oh my God you're so dreamy, blah blah blah. Can we go now? I need to see Jazz." We both stare at her in horror; for one, I didn't realise someone could portray so many different emotions in one sentence, or not stop for breath for that long, but somehow Alice Cullen managed it. Not to mention, she basically just mortified me, which is an easy thing to hate about her.
...
Something weird happens this morning. Instead of sulking off to do whatever it is he does, Edward decides to come and stand by us.
"Well well, if it isn't Old English coming to grace us with his presence. It's been too long, your honour." She gives a mock curtsy and I smirk and lean against the bike rack next to Rose, she's extra snappy today, which I can only assume means she didn't get a lot of sleep last night.
"Well, I knew you couldn't go without seeing my face for long periods of time. It makes you yappy – you're so needy."
"Fuck you."
"I'm not really into beastiality." Ooh, Burn.
"Didn't you do Jessica Stanley?"
"Why, are you jealous?" Yes.
"Only in your dreams, baby."
"Those are nightmares, sweetness."
I'm watching them like a tennis match, waiting for the next blow. But apparently they're finished.
"Hey, Chimes, will you take a look at this manuscript for me?" She says after she's done smirking at Edward. I assume the banter was a way of greeting each other – okay, so I'm hoping it has nothing to do with sexual tension.
"Pencil?" She hands it to me and I mark it through, drawing little arrows to move phrases, crossing out just a little punctuation – she appears to be a fan of exclamation - and ticking where she'd be appraised. "An easy A," I say handing it back to her. "If this is going to be a general occurrence, I'm going to have to start charging." I say with a small smirk. She just tugs on my hair and thanks me. For some reason, this makes Edward gasp a little.
"What the fuck just happened?" I look up at him as he leans against the wall in front of me, my knees quite close to him. "Did the Nordic Ice queen just omit a thank you?" There's something in his eyes as he looks at me, something that I like.
"It's happened twice." Alice chirps in from the side as Jasper nuzzles her neck.
"My God, is she dying?" He pretends to look shocked and says this with an exaggerated whisper. She slaps him in the chest, and not in a joking way, in a I-want-to-physcially-scar-you kind of way. But apparently he's not fazed.
He must have a strong chest.
Moving on.
"What did you just do anyway?" He snatches the paper from Rose, who doesn't seem to be paying attention to us any more anyway; instead she's staring away over the steps towards the other side of the parking lot. "Wow, how did you do that?" I'm kind of happy that he's impressed, but then I'm also kind of mad at myself for being so pathetic. But before I can even open my mouth to speak, Alice has beaten me to the punch.
"She was home schooled," she starts and Jasper unlatches himself from her to chime in.
"Her tutor used to mark her work and show her how to correct it," He says with a smirk and a dreamy voice, like it's a game.
"She kind of just picked it up," Alice finishes, looking quite pleased with herself, "wow, you really don't know much about Bella, do you Edward?" He seems to glare at her for a second, before he turns back to me.
"I guess not." Except there's a glint in his eye that tells me that he thinks he knows a lot more than he's letting on; considering the first time he saw me and of course his comforting me during my meltdown, I'm worried that he's probably right.
I look away from him just as someone across the steps catches my eye. Emmett.
His girlfriend Tanya is chatting away, but he's looking over here; I snap my eyes away and glare at my shoes. I don't want to look at him, he's a selfish bastard.
...
I'm a little nervous for Biology, it seems that things have gotten weirder between Edward and I, and I can't help but feel strange every time he looks at me. Sure, I find the boy very attractive, and when his hair is wet I have a strange urge to lick water off of him, but now that he knows things – personal and embarrassing things – I feel like I don't want to look at him, for fear of being subject to a permanent rosy blush across my cheeks.
"Hey." I say when I sit down next to him, trying not to look directly in his direction.
"Hi."
"Haven't we done this already today?" The nervous laughter makes it all the more awkward.
"Yeah, look Isabella, about yesterday-"
"I'd really rather not talk about it."
"No, I need to. I'm sorry that I've been a bit of an asshole," I scoff at his 'a bit' and when he scowls I give him a hand gesture that tells him to continue. "I just...I don't know what it is...you just annoy me so much...but at the same time...I don't know. It's like, I'm only trying to look out for you, but when I do I make myself look like a complete and utter Jackass."
"Well, you annoy me."
"Isabella." I can't help but grin a little at his scolding, exasperated tone.
"Look, I'm just beginning to realise how mental this place actually is, so why don't we just start over?"
"Can we do that?" I look at his confused, slightly pained, yet still somehow beautiful face and bite my lip.
"Hi, I'm Bella Swan; I'm your new neighbour, biology partner and fellow Prodigy fan." The smile I get from this is stunning. I swear he could be a model if he wanted to. But one of those more manly ones; he doesn't have the effeminate thing going on. Thank God.
"Edward Cullen, it's a pleasure." We shake hands in a mocking kind of way, but we're both sort of trying not to laugh, so it's more like our hands are just vibrating against each other.
...
"Chimes," he says following me, but I quicken my pace to try to get out of the way. "Hey, wait, please." So I snap around, except he keeps going so I end up foreheading his huge, stupid chest. "Don't run away from me, please, I need you to be friends with me."
"And why should I, Emmett? Hmm? Because I'm pretty sure you'd just turn around and stab me in the back if I did, why wouldn't you? You'd do it to your own family, so why not me."
"Chimes, stop." But I've left and I don't want to speak to him any longer. I get it, he's probably had a lot of this from the other Freaks, and his brother and sister not talking to him probably sucks. But the treatment he's getting is warranted – he doesn't deserve them.
"Hey, you okay?" It's Edward, he's in the line for lunch so I join him.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Why?"
"You just look a little pissed is all." He smirks and I roll my eyes at him. I put my hand to my forehead and try to straighten out my shoulders.
"I'm just a little tense." From running away from your ignorant, self-loving older brother. He looks a little worried, which is unnecessary, but sweet all the same and when we walk to the table together, he slides into the bench right next to mine.
"So how come you guys are all buddy buddy now?" Mike spits out, and I look at him slightly surprised.
"What do you mean?" I look at Edward, but he seems particularly interested in his noodles to care.
"I thought you guys, like, didn't get on." I look at Edward out of the corner of my eye, who – whilst chewing his food - seems to be somewhat amused. He decides to put his arm around me and lean it against the back of the bench; it's kind of friendly and possessive at the same time, and I can tell that for some reason it pisses Mike right off.
"I don't know where you got that impression." He says, with barely disguised amusement. I roll my eyes again, and find myself looking at the perfect, raised eyebrow of Rosalie Hale. I just shrug in response to her silent questioning, because I don't know what's going on either. "Bella and I are neighbours." I'm still looking at Rose, who mouths 'Bella?' in curiosity.
"Right." Mike responds, seemingly unafraid of mocking, sarcastic Edward, when I'm pretty sure he scampered away the other day as soon as angry Old English reared his head. "But the other day-"
"I don't know where you're going with this, Tadpole, but I hardly think it's relevant." I'm thanking Rose with my eyes, but she's smirking at me. I can tell she wants to know what's going on just as Mike does. "Now slither away, it's hard to eat with you slurping away right in my ear." To my surprise, he does just that. His cool, brave bravado is gone, and Edward seems to be enjoying it immensely.
"You know, that is exactly how those killer rampage things start out; one day you single out just one guy and mock him for being a spineless cretin, the next he's gone super crazy killing loads of people."
"Oh, I don't single him out; I'm a major bitch to everyone."
"It's the truth; the sad, scary truth." Edward says with a shake of his head.
"I believe in consistency." She replies flippantly, sucking a straw from her Capri sun into her mouth. "Uh, Chimes?"
"Yeah?" I look up from picking at my sandwich, wondering why she suddenly sounds weird.
"Why is Tanya Denali staring at you?"
"What?" I turn my head, just as Edward does and we both see that indeed she's glaring straight at me. What have I done now? She doesn't even look away, instead she lowers her head so that she's glaring out from under her eyebrows. It's actually kind of funny, you know in a menacing sort of way.
"What did you do?" Rose asks and I notice that Edwards arm has slid off of the back of the bench and around my hip a little.
"I have no idea." When I turn back around, Edward and Rose are having some kind of silent discussion with their eyes. "What's going on?"
"I don't know, Darlin'," Suddenly Jasper's slipping in beside Rose, Alice at his other side and he seems to know exactly what we're talking about. "But it can't be good."
...
"Edward, you've been following me around all afternoon, I get it, but really I can manage by myself."
"I'm sure you can," His tone is placating though and it just makes me angry, "but it would really make me feel better if we stayed together for a little while. Just until we find out what's up with Tanya." I roll my eyes in his direction and see he's using a disturbingly distracting smile to try and make me agree with him.
"Fine, whatever," I say, and he slumps his shoulders in relief. "Why do you care so much anyway?" He doesn't look so cocky anymore; instead his eyes go down to his shoes.
"I don't know. I like you Bella; I don't want to see you get hurt." For some reason this makes my heart beat a little faster.
"Well, I guess I can put up with you following me around for a little while. But seriously Edward, you've tagged me for hours now, don't you need a break?"
"Uh, actually, we have this class together, remember?" He's cocky again, "God, you're always thinking about yourself, aren't you Swan." I huff and follow after him as he smirks triumphantly into wood shop.
I do my best not to look at Mr Aro, although I can feel his gaze burning into the side of my head, I kind of hide behind Edward as we make our way over to our bench and only breathe fully once we sit down.
"I probably shouldn't have threatened the guy, huh?"
"You think?" And here comes condescending Edward.
"Oh, shut up, he was being a pompous, sexist asshole."
"He was also being a teacher, one that you have to count on for your grade and comfort within his class for the remainder of your school experience."
"Stop being logical – he was a plain and utter douche nozzle. I should report him." He just looks down at the papers in his hands and tries not to let me see the slow upturn of one side of his mouth, he tries to hide it but I can tell I've cracked him.
When Emmett sits down I turn myself completely away and begin using the protractor to measure out the angles on the design. He doesn't try to talk to me, which is wise, because I would probably launch a hammer at his head.
I can feel the tension begin to rise, as Edward looks up and looks between us, realising that we're not facing each other.
Luckily, Jazz saunters in just in time, his fedora low over his eyes and perches himself right next to me.
"What is up ch-ch-ch-ch-chimes?"
"Dude, what are you on, seriously?" Fortunately he doesn't take offence to this; he just gives me lopsided smile whilst Edward laughs quietly and even Emmett shakes a little.
"I'm on pure unadulterated love, babycakes. You should try it sometime." He gives me a wag of his eyebrows, giving a pointed glance over at Edward who seems to be very interested in sanding all of a sudden.
"So do you snort this love or..."
"Sugar, this love is so beautiful and passionate that it warms me up inside and keeps me up all night."
"Oh dear God, please tell me you're not talking about sex with my sister." Edward groans and I see Emmett shudder in disgust next to him, equally as petrified at the thought. I can't help but snigger a little; their reaction toward their baby sister is cute. I wish I had siblings.
"Guys, there's nothing disgusting about raw, sexual, animalistic-" Both of them look a little green, and Jasper winks at me and I know that he's messing with them.
"For the love of all that is holy, do not finish your sentence." And suddenly Jasper and I are cracking up and Emmett is miming gagging. I momentarily forget that I don't like him anymore and so I keep laughing until there are tears running down my face.
...
"Oh come on! I'll just meet you at the car!"
"Just stand there; I'll literally be about ten seconds."
"I don't need you to give me a timetable, Edward, this is weird! Nothing is going to happen in the minute walk to your car." He huffs at me and plants me right next to the boys bathroom door.
"Ten seconds." I guess he's won this argument then.
"You'd better wash your hands!" I yell after him.
It's ironic that the reason I'm standing here is to stop confrontation with Tanya, because just as Edward leaves she suddenly appears, like some whacked up genie.
"It's Bella, right?" She snaps into my face, slapping a palm onto the wall behind me. It would be threatening if I wasn't so tall. However, the posse of cheerleaders behind her puts me a little off of my nerve.
"Tanya, lovely to see you again. Tell me, do you wash that uniform? It's just, you seem to wear it every day. It's a little gross."
"Listen, bitch, I know what you were doing last night, and you've got a huge shock coming your way if you think you can get away with it." I just stare at her, realising that she really is a vapid, whore sucking psychopath.
"I didn't realise watching old reruns of Fresh Prince of Bel Air was a crime."
"Don't fuck with me, Swan. I saw your number on his phone, and he was out all last night. Emmett's a good boy, so I don't know what Freak scum like you thinks you've got that I don't, but let me reassure you, whatever game you're playing ends now." I hear her pack around her snigger and I feel the emotion rushing up in me again, I really can't help myself. I try to think of the rain pelting down on my skin, or even the smell of Edward's neck, but it doesn't help, I'm seeing red.
I stretch my neck, roll my shoulders back and step forward so that my forehead just about smacks her in the eye, she moves back though and it's like I'm pushing her back with the power of my mind. It would be funny if I wasn't trying so God damn hard not to rip her red hair right out of her head.
Her eyes are less piercing and more wary now; what, did she think I was going to curl up in a ball and blub my eyes out until she had forgiven me?
Fat chance, bitch.
"That's funny, because I don't know what nerve a fucking vermin whore has that makes her think she can come up to a perfect stranger and accuse her of something implausible – because I sure as fuck wouldn't go near anything that has touched you." I think more people are crowding round and I can hear sounds, but my vision is impaired as I struggle to keep the tinge of red in my eyes from snapping my judgement.
Careful, Bella, think of the rain. Don't lose it.
"You're on very thin ice, slut." She says, and looks like she's lifting her hand to smack me. I'm almost begging her to do it. I know she probably shouldn't, her being a Greek, there's probably a rule about attacking twice before the other side retaliates. But I'm smiling now and I can tell it's the sick, slightly unstable smile that I get when I'm just about to lose it. I lean forwards.
"Do it." I hiss, egging her on. "Hit me." She looks at both of my eyes, back and forth, back and forth. "Hit me, Hit me, hit me, hit me." I can see her breaking. "Hit. Me."
I recognise the anger as it bubbles up in her and forces her arm to snap out at me, but considering I saw it coming – well, I did tell her to do it - I grabbed her offending arm, twisted and folded it under causing her to yelp out. The sound is immediately satisfying.
I see some of her friends rush forwards, but then I guess I look too psycho for them to help, because they just stand awkwardly a few feet away.
I'd lasted three days in this place. Three fucking days before I'd lost it. It's a good job they already branded me as a Freak, because I'm pretty sure this little show down just cost me all of my sanity votes.
Suddenly I'm falling forwards and floating in the air. With a flip I'm over his shoulder and in the process I've knocked Tanya back, letting go of her arm.
"What the fuck, Edward!" I scream, except trying not to be too loud. Like a caveman he carries me all the way back to the car and dumps me in the front seat, pushing my head a little forcefully between my knees.
"Stay." He bites out and I almost lunge at him, except in this position the blood seems to be running to my head and calming me down a little.
I hear the backdoor open as Alice slides in, then Edward gets into the driver's seat next to me.
"That. Was. So. Awe-"
"Shut up, Alice." I can tell from his tone that he means business, so I keep my head between my legs all the way back home, not caring that my head starts to thump.
When we get back to his house I throw open the door and dart away from him, except two seconds later he's caught up to me and he's spun me around and pinned me up against the side of my house.
"Get off!" I shriek, shaking and scrambling to get out of his grasp. But he's really very strong and he holds me flat until I stop struggling.
"You're messed up." He says finally, but he doesn't say it like it's a bad thing.
"I tried." I say, and for some reason tears are springing to my eyes, and I never cry. Not even at The Notebook. "I tried so hard not to-" and now he's not holding me back anymore, he's pulling me into him again and I'm wrapping my arms around his neck and his are tight around my waist. I breathe in at his neck again, memorising how he smells; like spice, soap and boy.
I'm thinking maybe he has magic hugs, because finally my blood has stopped boiling and my heart has slowed. When I let him go, I don't look at him; I just press my lips to the hot skin on his neck and then leave walking slowly into my house. I can only assume he left and isn't still pressed up against the side of my house. That would be awkward.
When I get in I shut the door behind me, the house seems silent and I consider screaming to get out some of my pent up energy, but then I notice that a soft glow is peering out from under the living room door. Curiously I push it open and step inside.
"Isabella, where have you been?"
"Dad? What are you talking about? I was at school." It's then that a smell it, the strong, bitter whisky smell. What has he done?
"I've been waiting all day." He sounds angry.
"Oh, not today, Charlie. Please, God, I'm begging you, not today."
"Not to-fucking-day, Bella?" Uh oh, Charlie never swears in front of me, I was lead to believe he thought it was rude to swear in front of a lady. "Do you even know what today is?" I try to think, but I'm coming up blank. What happens on September sixteenth?
"No, Charlie, I do-"
"To-fucking-day, is the day that I came home to my own bed being defiled by your whore of a mother. To-fucking-day is the day that my marriage ended. To-fucking-day is the day that your mother told me she'd been shagging one of my friend's sons. And do you know, what else today is, Isabella," Oh no, oh fuck no. "To-fucking-day is my birthday." His card was up in my room, along with a small boxed cake and pair of tickets to the next hockey game I knew he'd been dying to see. I had been so obsessed with moving here and the Freaks and the fucking Greeks that I'd forgotten all about my own dad's birthday.
And then it hits me. My own mother was hooking up with someone's son? On my dad's birthday? For the love of all things holy, Renee!
"Dad. I'm sor-"
"You're sorry? You're fucking sorry? You know what, Isabella, you are just like her. Just like your mother. A stupid, senseless whore!" And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my source of anger. It's passed straight through the genes, right into my slightly innocent looking body. I've got a problem, and I bloody well know where I get it from.
"Fine." I say, and then taking his lead on the whole anger thing, pick up his half full crystal whisky glass and throw it straight flat out into the wall.
The glass explodes like a firework, and tiny pieces of perfect crystal spurt out all over the floor. The stain of alcohol on the wall marks my shot and we both watch – his head bobbing as it struggles to stay upright - as streams of the liquid form paths down the wallpaper. My chest heaves frantically, as I drag in the air, adrenaline gushing through me.
I turn, rather nonchalantly considering the situation, slam the door shut and storm up the stairs. I pick up his birthday card, cake and tickets – considering for a moment to rip them to shreds, but then deciding that would be a waste of money - and go through to his bedroom, placing them in the middle of his bed, before going back to my room and locking the door behind me.
It's here that I scream, and I worry that my head will implode if I don't calm down.
I climb up onto my desk and scramble out of the window. I take a running start to leap straight over onto the roof opposite. I fumble a little and realise that this was probably an incredibly stupid idea during my mental state, but I right myself and then chap as softly as I can manage on the window.
Even when I just see his face, looking innocently up from his laptop, his hair scruffy, his headphones in, I calm down a little and when he opens the window with a questioning glance I jump straight into his arms and burst out crying.
Yeah, I don't like helpless Bella, I prefer her with a little more backbone, which is why she's got a short fuse and she kicks arse in my fic! But I do like it when she needs Edward, and I think it's pretty obvious that she really needs him right now, whether she would admit it or not.
Be a doll and press that review button.