CHAPTER 7

BELLA'S POV.

After class, I walked as quickly as possible from Edwards penetrating look. The last thing I wanted was him to catch me looking at him. AGAIN.

What happened this morning was weird. He disappears into the forest and comes out with blood tinged lips.

And when I ask him he says, "I wish I knew myself."

"Edward and Emmett Cullen are staring at you." Jessica said at lunch time, her voice dripping with annoyance. I look up and Edward smiles at me, while Emmett talks to him quickly.

Jessica is in my Spanish class, and she has this really annoying this where people have to NOTICE her like she is a little no-one in a world full of some-ones. It's really brain exhausting.

I looked at them again and saw that Edward was sitting at a table alone, while Rosalie glared at him. She caught me looking at her and the phrase 'if looks could kill' passed fleetingly across my mind. She glared right through me, and I saw Emmett whispering in her ear. She seemed to sigh and look back down at the plate of untouched food.

Edward beckoned to me with his long, pale fingers.

"What does he want? Tell him that you're busy." Mike snapped. Jessica looked hurt that he didn't want to spend lunch time with her alone. Irritation made my anger reach boiling point .

"No, I will not tell Edward that I am busy because I bet what he has to say is more interesting than your annoying 'so, what are we going to do after school?' and your 'my team scored 6:4 in the finals this year'. like I could care less!" Jessica indignantly squawked in her annoying I-am-the-most-beautiful-thing-you-have-ever-seen-and-don't-diss voice, "Watch it, Bella!"
"Or what? Sic your best mate Lauren on me? Do it! See if I care!" with that I stalked off in the direction of Edwards table where he sat, a silent snicker playing on his lips.

I pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down, arms crossed over my chest expectantly.

"Bella . . ."

"Wait. Don't say anything. I want an explanation for what happened to day. . . I mean this morning." I cut him off abruptly. Edward's expression was impossible to read. His eyes were closed off from me, so all I could see was the golden colour.

"I can't tell you now, OK? It's too dangerous."

"Oh Edward! Stop being such a big baby, I know what dangerous IS as I have lived it all my life. So you can tell me calmly, because danger for me is fact of life. And you know what? I want to know NOW." I noticed the younger girls head shoot up and look towards us questioningly like Edward had just called her.

"Look Bella, if I tell you it'll be a type of danger you have never encountered, OK? It'll be more dangerous than joy riding with Jesse or-"
"Wait. What?" I whispered. Edward looked pained and then remorseful.

"N-nothing."
"How do you know about the joy riding thing?" I whispered. Edward looked at the girl whose name I now remembered, Alice. Something in his eyes told her to come over, which she obliged to do. They spoke in low voices which I didn't bother to strain my ears for. I buried my head in my hands and started to wish my life away. OK, not really, but I did wish that the floor would open up and swallow me whole. Edward pried my wrist from my face and looked at me.

"Look, this is really hard for me, but you have to do me this favor. Please." he looked so needy and worried that all I could do was stare at him.

"Please, Bella. Don't let your friends from Phoenix come down next Saturday. Please. They're just going to be in danger. Phone them now and make a excuse, say anything. Please do it for me." his face was unreadable. His eyes careless, but his voice told a different story. His voice made me take my phone out and dial Jesses number.

"Bella? Hey!"
"Jesse? Are you alone?"

"Well no, but I can be if you want me to."

"OK. Be alone, please."

"Please? Bella, what's wrong? You never say please." his voice was laughing at me but I was sure I heard a twinge of worry in it.

"Tell everyone not to come down next week."

"What? Girl, we haven't seen you for ages and you tell us not to come down?" he was pissed off at me. I recognized the closed off voice.

Suddenly, the phone was taken out of my hand and Edward was speaking quickly in the phone. I could hear Jesses angry, "Oi! Who the hell are you? Put me back onto Bella, NOW."

"Please. Just d as we say."
"WE? Whose we? I want to talk to Bella!" Edward hung up and handed the phone back to me. He suddenly looked ten years older. Alice touched his shoulder, and he got up, saying a quick, "see you in biology."

Mike stalked to where I sat, staring after Edward in a dazed state. What was he on about? Danger? And how did he know about my joy riding? Was he spying on me? Mike looked at me, then at Edwards retreating back.

"Hey Bells, you OK?"

"Don't call me that." I got up and walked out of the cafeteria. I didn't like the feeling I had. The sensation of being so small and not knowing anything compared to Edward, who looked and sounded intelligent. I didn't like the urgency he used in his voice when he told me to call Jess. I didn't like the feeling.

I felt so . . .

Helpless.