Chapter Seven.

(Bella?)

i dont own a thing. that would be mrs.meyer.

I was sitting at my biology table like any other tedious day. I was staring at the board, reading Mr. Banners mind, seeing what he had planned for us today. Bella's scent piled on top of me, taking away all of the fresh air. I clenched my fists and crossed my arms. She walked up to the desk and sat down. She didn't notice me anymore than I pretended to notice her. Mike Newton followed her to our desk and leaned up against the desk.

"Come on, be cool. You have nothing to worry about. Your only competition was Cullen over there but she hates him." I stiffened. "Okay, now or never."

"So." He started. "Jessica asked me to the spring dance."

"That's great." Bella said sounding enthusiastic.

Newton frowned "What? She's happy? She should have told me not to, told me I should go with her." "Well… I told her I had to think about it."

"Why would do that?" She said sounding disappointed.

"Wait now she's disappointed that I said no? This isn't at all happening the way I thought. Oh great." His face turned bright red and he looked down. "I was wondering if … well, if you might be planning to ask me." "Oh wait maybe she doesn't hate Cullen after all. Did she ask Edward?"

I turned my head a little towards them reflexively. I clenched my fists together harder. I didn't like the idea of Bella and Newton together. He didn't deserve her at all.

"Mike, I think you should tell her yes." Bella suggested.

"Did you already ask someone?" Mike said as his flitted over to my face then back to Bella's.

"No. I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?" He pressed

"Im going to Seattle that Saturday." I could hear her heart beat speed up a little. She was lying. Why? Did she not want to go to the dance at all? Or did she just not want to go with him? Again, I was irritated that her mind, the only mind I truly wanted to hear, was blocked off from me. What a cruel world this is.

"Can't you go some other weekend?" He persisted.

"Sorry, no." she said politely. "So you shouldn't make jess wait any longer – it's rude."

"Yeah, you're right." He mumbled. "Great I'm stuck with Jessica. I might as well not go…"

I looked over to Bella, trying with all might to read her mind. Or at least read her face. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples, like she had a migraine. I was fascinated by her words and her facial expressions. I wanted to know so much more about her. But how could I? I promised I would stay away…

Bella sighed and opened her eyes. She stared back at me, with a shocked expression. Her eyes grew wider with every second and after a few seconds I noticed her hands starting to shake.

"Mr. Cullen?" "Well, well. The perfect Cullen isn't paying attention. Finally he won't know the answer. And this is an easy question. The answer is so obvious, the Krebs cycle."

"The Krebs Cycle." I answered slowly turning my head to Mr. Banner.

"Damn. Well, maybe he was paying attention." Mr. Banner thought as he went on to ask another student for a different answer.

Bella's scent stirred in the air, I looked over to see that she threw her hair over her shoulder as a screen. It wasn't enough for her to have her mind blocked, but now she had to hide her face?

When the bell rang, she turned away from me to gather her things. I didn't care what my family said; I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to know if she turned Newton down because she didn't want to go with him or not go at all. Most girls at this school would be elated at the chance to go with him. I had to talk to her. I had no idea what to say but I still wanted to at least hear her speak. Something. Anything.

"Bella?"

She turned around slowly towards me, with a wary expression. When I didn't say anything she spoke. "What? Are you speaking to me again?"

I had to fight a smile about to form on my lips. "No, not really."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Then what do you want, Edward?" She kept her eyes closed. Something inside me fluttered when she said my name. The feeling was odd.

The way her body language was, her closed eyes and her slow breathing all let me know she obviously hated me. And what had Newton said? She hated me? Did she tell him that? I must have offended her by ignoring her.

"I'm sorry." I admitted. Sorry for everything I did to you, everything I almost did, and what might happen. I banished that last thought from my head, no nothing was going to happen her. I wouldn't allow it. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."

She opened her eye. "I don't know what you mean."

"It's better if we're not friends. Trust me." I wanted to be her friend, and I wasn't exactly sure, but maybe even more. But if I wasn't the right friend for her. I wasn't worthy of her friendship. She deserved so much more than me.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier." She hissed at me. "You could have saved yourself all this regret."

"Regret? Regret for what?" what would I regret? What was she talking about?

"For not letting that stupid van squish me." She snapped.

She had to be kidding. She thought I regretted saving her life? "You think I regret saving your life?"

"I know you do."

"You don't know anything." How could she say such things? Even after I risked my family's secret and everything we've worked for I didn't regret it. She turned abruptly and gathered her books. On her haste to make it to make it to the door, her toe caught on the door and all her books flew from her arms. She sighed and she bent to pick them up, I had already walked over there, picked them up, and stacked them in a pile for her. I handed them to her.

"Thank you." She said icily.

I narrowed my eyes, "You're welcome." I retorted.

She straightened her back and walked away. I exhaled and stalked off to my last class of the day.

After school I started for my Volvo as every other day. When I heard Eric Yorkie's mind I smirked. "Okay, I heard she turned Newton down. Maybe she'll say yes to me? I've got nothing to lose. I can do it."

I slowed my pace, letting Eric get ahead of me. I had to see this. He walked up to her car, and waited since Bella wasn't there yet. I would wait too, this was definitely worth watching. Would she say yes? This would answer my previous question, if she even wanted to go to the dance at all.

Finally Bella came into view and walked to her car. She noticed Eric, "Hey, Eric."

"Hi, Bella." He choked.

"What's up?" she said while unlocking her door.

"Uh, I was just wondering …" "come on Yorkie just spit it out!" "if you would go to the spring dance with me." his voice broke on the last word.

I laughed, Bella would never want him. He wasn't a real man; he could barely even ask her out.

"I thought it was girls' choice." She said looking up startled by his offer.

He hung his head, "Well, yeah."

She straightened her back and smiled warmly. "Thank you for asking me, but I'm going to be in Seattle that day."

"Oh. Well, maybe next time." He asked.

"Sure" she agreed, and then bit her lip for her slip.

As Yorkie walked away I made my way to my car. I tried hard not to laugh when I walked by Bella's car. She looked at me, then yanked the door open, got in and slammed it shut.

I got into my car and noticed Tyler Crowley's thoughts and had to laugh. "So she turned down mike? Well maybe she's more interested in someone like me. Maybe I should ask her tomorrow…"

Oh, no you can ask her right now, I thought. I pulled out swiftly, blocking Bella's way out.

Bella pulled out, and got in line behind me, Tyler was behind her. "Here's my chance! Maybe it was fate."

Tyler got out of his car and walked over to Bella's driver's side window. Bella rolled down the window. "I'm sorry, Tyler, I'm stuck behind Cullen." She sounded irritated.

"Oh, I know – I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here." He smiled.

Her face was priceless, she obviously hated this. I was so glad I did this; I wouldn't have wanted to miss that face.

"Will you ask me to the spring dance?" he continued.

"I'm not going to be in town, Tyler." Her voice sounded annoyed and sharp.

"Yeah, Mike said that."

"Then why –"

"I was hoping you were just letting him down easy." He shrugged.

"Sorry, Tyler. I really am going out of town."

"That's cool. We still have prom." He grinned, walking away. Bella just sat there with her mouth hanging wide open, stunned.

I was laughing at her expression when my family got in the car.

"What's so funny?" Jasper asked.

"Uh, Edward are you okay?" Emmett asked.

I nodded and stopped laughing, only smiling and drove away.