Love Knows Nothing

Chapter seven: Trouble



It had been a rough day for Edward.

Mike Newton decided today would be the day to claim the girl who liked Edward better. The plan backfired on him, but still, Edward ended up sitting on the edge of a bed in the ER, as a precaution, holding an ice-pack to his cheek.

Mike Newton looked much worse.

Jessica- the girl who liked Edward better- found herself only deeper in love with the boy she stared aimlessly at, everyday, all day long. Edward did things he didn't know gave her mixed signals- like smiles and random acts of kindness. When he held a door open for her, he was just being nice- he was just being Edward. When he held a door for Jessica, in her mind, he was saying "I want to take you to the movies. You are really, really pretty."

But, Edward didn't like dirty blonde hair. He didn't like hazel eyes and he really, really didn't like cheerleaders. His friend, Jasper, would tease him to no end that the reason he didn't like cheerleaders was because he thought they were mocking the fact that Edward couldn't read.

Jasper had incessant bruising in his left arm. Edward wasn't violent in nature, but he didn't put up with anyone's shit either, even if they were just joking.

That same friend was keeping him company right now, trying hard not to laugh. He knew Edward was in serious trouble. This was his fifth fight in as many months. All of which were with Mike Newton. All of which ended with Mike Newton being in worse condition.

"Keep smiling, Hale. See if I ever stick up for you again."

"This was not about me, today."

"No, but two out of the last three were, which is going to make my punishment extremely worse."

"Ah, it'll be alright. You'll just have to pick some extra chores or something. I'll help, you know that, E."

"Yea, whatever, J." He hated his stupid nicknames. He loved his stupid nicknames. He mocked them either way.

"Yo…" Jasper's eyebrows lifted and looked past Edward. "Look at that shit."

Jasper was panting like a dog in heat by the time Edward turned his attention to…. "Fuck you, Hale." He kicked Jasper hard, right in the knee.

"What?!"

"That's Bella." He didn't need to say anything else- Jasper knew exactly what that meant.

"Sorry, shit. You didn't have to kick me. I didn't know that was your old lady."

"Do you not understand what 'fuck you' means? And she is not old, just….just shut up. She's coming over here, so just…..Hiiiii Bella."

She looked warily between them.

"Yeah, Hi Bella." Jasper was smiling way too wide. Edward felt his foot twitch.

"Um, hi boys." She kept eyeing them, until she saw Edward's cheek. "Oh my gosh, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Newton hits like girl." He really did.

"Yeah, Edward knocked him out, you should have seen it, it was like…" Jasper quickly closed his mouth.

Bella was glaring.

Edward was glaring.

"Yeah so….you're Edward's teacher, right?" Changing the subject- it was a good thing.

"Sort of." She looked back to Edward. "You're lucky my Dad saw you when they brought you in, otherwise you'd be in heaps of trouble right now. Why are you fighting with Newton?"

"I was low on entertainment, today?"

"Edward."

"I told you, he doesn't like me. I was just defending myself. Don't worry- I'll get my head screamed off when I go home tonight and then have to do everyone's laundry for like, two weeks straight, Bella."

"Really? Because that's not what I heard." That got his attention. "Edward, you and Mike could go to Juvy. Do want to go to Juvy? 'Cause there is no reading and tutoring classes in Juvy. There are only roads that lead to Loserville and the last time I checked…"

Jasper's laughing was annoying Bella.

"You need to leave. Go back to school before I report you for skipping, right now."

Bella was scary when she was angry. As soon as Jasper left, she took a seat next to Edward. Her anger faded into sympathy and…something else. Something stronger….something maternal.

She took the ice-pack from his hands and held it back to his bruised cheek, apologizing when he winced and groaned. Edward wasn't as tough without Jasper hanging around. With her free hand, she held his chin and spoke softly.

"My mom left was I was little. All I ever had was Charlie. I know it's not the same, but I understand your anger, Edward. It doesn't make it right, but I understand it."

"Mike wanted to fight me over a girl. That has nothing to do with my parents."

"And the other fights?"

"I was protecting Jasper. He fights like a girl, too. And he's my friend."

"Do you love him?"

"Eww."

"Like a brother, do you love him like a brother?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what love is, Bella." His shoulders shrugged in irritation and she was making no sense to him, at all. Women, geeze.

"Jasper seems like he loves you, like a brother. He skipped school to come sit with you and the fact that you do things for him that are you putting you in serious trouble, well…I'm sure he is very grateful. Does he ever say it you? That he loves you?"

"As a teacher and a very intelligent woman, Bella, I thought you would understand what the word 'eww' meant."

"You're sassing is not cute, right now." Yes it was. "Other than it sounding 'gross' to you, why do you think he never says it?"

"Because he's a dude and dudes don't say that they love each other….even in a brotherly way, Bella"

She stared, eyes narrowed. "And maybe it is just hard for him?"

"I would suppose loving someone is hard. Look at your mother and my parents. Obviously it was a bit much for them, so they bailed."

Edward looked away, unsure of how Bella could get him to say things that he never said.

It must have been her brown eyes.

Her heart was thumping painfully in her chest. She pulled him into her, even though he gave resistance. His head lay on her chest and she didn't care who was there and who could see. This wasn't lust, it wasn't romantic. Bella didn't want to kiss him and sigh into his mouth or throw her legs around his waist.

She just wanted him to listen to her heart beating as she stroked his hair and pressed her face down into it- whispering to him as tears crowded brown eyes he trusted.

"I don't think it is. Not at all- and especially when there are so many things about a person which are lovable. Like… how they concentrate, making their whole face still and so contemplative. Or the small crease that appears in between their brows when they can't quite figure something out… the slenderness of that same person's perfect nose… or the way someone can look at you, as though they can see all the things the other person tries to hide. Like…like they're the only one who can." She took a breath and held him tighter.

"All of your flowers sit on my window sill, in glass jars. You're the first thing I see every morning when I wait for my coffee to brew and the last thing I think of at night. I dream of you and I pray for you to be safe… and mostly… that I will get to go to the library and see you…..because if I didn't have that…..if I didn't get to see you, Edward….my heart would just stop." Her voice fell flat and a lump planted itself in her throat, as her eyes closed.

"It's because it belongs to you…..because…..because I love you. It's not hard at all….in fact…I wish it were."

He was completely silent.