(A/n: Here comes Chapter 7.)


"Hello, Bella." The male said to her, "I'm Jasper, and this is my sister Rosalie."

I waved and smiled at them shyly.

"Wow. She can't even grace us with a 'hello.' Polite." The girl, who obviously believed she was a queen bee, was not very sincere in her greeting. I hid my face in Edward's sleeve and she snorted, "Wow. Either she's really shy or there's something wrong with her."

"Rose. Be nice to Bella or fuck off. She has a hard enough time being here without you being a bitch to her." I had never heard Edward quite so mad before. He picked me up out of my chair and sat me on his lap. I hadn't even realized I had been crying until Edward began to wipe my tears. He pressed the side of my face to chest and whispered in my ear, "Shh. It's okay. She is has this disease called permanent bitchiness. She wouldn't know nice if it bit her in the ass. She's your opposite."

I giggled and hiccuped a little bit. I kissed his neck and then nuzzled my nose in the same spot.

Edward turned back to Rose, "It just so happens that Bella has PTSD. You know what that's like Rose, don't you?" His voice was like a viper. I could hear the intake of breath from both Alice and Rose.

"Edward. I'm going to have to ask you to calm down and not say things like that to my sister. You too Rose. Bella didn't do a damn thing to you. We all just need to relax a little bit. We're all friends, right?" Jasper's voice was calming and I felt myself liking him already. He was probably a good balance for Alice and her hyper disposition. I decided that I approved and that as soon as I found the courage to tell her that I would.

"I apologize, Bella." Rose's voice was stark and sincere, "Forgive me, please. It was rude of me to be so mean to you. Especially when I didn't know you or anything about you."

I nodded my head in approval and Edward asked me, "Do you want to go home? Are you tired?"

I made a noise that sounded like "no" and then laid my head on Edward's shoulder, catching a nap before our next class. When I awoke, I was being sat back in my wheelchair and rolled to what I assumed was my next class. I moved my hand to touch Edward's hand.

"Good nap, love?" I could hear the smile in Edward's voice.

I nodded and smiled a little.

"Want to go home? Still tired?"

I shook my head furiously and smiled. I was a little dizzy from it. Edward tipped me back in my wheelchair and I squeaked. He chuckled and kept my wheelchair leaned back so that I could look up at him. I giggled as he rolled us to our next class which was Biology. Our next teacher was Mr. Banner.

Mr. Banner introduced himself to me and asked me to introduce myself to the class. When I shook my head, his smile at me didn't falter. He thought I was just shy. "Come on. Why not?"

"Bella doesn't talk. She has a form of PTSD that causes anxiety when speaking. Did you not get the E-mail?" Edward asked Mr. Banner.

An E-mail. Duh. I guess that's how all of the teachers knew not to approach me or try to make me talk.

Once Mr. Banner apologized, he told Edward to trade places with someone so that we could sit next to each other. Edward and I were now faced with the same problem as we'd had at lunch on Saturday. The desks were made to sit at with stools and not my rather short wheelchair. Edward didn't want me to be left out, so he picked me up and sat me on the stool next to him. I hugged him and then set about putting my things on the desk, throwing the rest of my backpack between Edward and my stools.

Mr. Banner was busy reading something that I assumed was the E-mail about me on his computer until the bell rang. When the class started, he introduced me as Isabella.

Edward and I passed notes the entire class and Mr. Banner didn't say anything if he even noticed. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and there was really not much I could do about it besides getting to sleep as quickly as possible. When Edward sat me in the car and shut the door, I leaned against it and fell fast asleep.

When I woke I was in Edward's arms, one of my favorite places to be. We were on our way into the house and I could hear the voices of Rosalie and Jasper trailing along with us too.

My head was in Edward's chest and I sighed his name in what I thought was too low for him to hear. He chuckled and I blushed and hid my face in his shirt. He kissed the top of my head and made his way to the living room. He plopped onto the couch and I, of course, fell with him. I giggled and kissed his neck.

"Don't get too cozy there man." Emmett's voice boomed at Edward. "And no touching her. At all, anywhere. In fact, whenever she's in the room I want you to keep your hands behind your back."

I groaned and hugged Edward to me tighter.

"Bella. I'm a teenage boy, so I know what's going through his mind right now. By refusing to get off of him you are only helping him to hide that he's got a boner for you." Even Emmett chuckled by the end of his sentence.

I turned, stuck my tongue out at Emmett, and the turned to Edward, giving him a peck on the lips before leaning my head on his shoulder again. I began placing little kisses on his neck and I felt him shift under me, picking me up and placing me on a different part of his lap.

"You're going to have to stop that if you want Emmett's comment to remain untrue." Edward's hurried whisper in my ear made me freeze. There was no way he could be aroused by me.

"Really?" I whispered, "No. You're joking."

"Ha. Keep doing that and find out then." Edward chuckled since Emmett's attention was now on Jasper who was talking about something that had happened at school last Friday.

"No. You're full of crap, Edward." I was whispering in his ear still. I suddenly felt too close to him. If he was going to lie like that, he could at least have the decency to do it far away from me. I pushed away and moved closer to Emmett, sitting close to him on the couch. I yanked on his sleeve before pointing to my wheelchair. He got up and moved me into my wheelchair. I rolled all the way to my door only to see it was closed. I rolled up to it sideways so I could reach it and then I pulled it open. After a few minutes of struggling I gave up in frustration. If the door would just be one that pushed in instead of pulled out, I would be fine. I leaned my head in my arms and began to cry only to be found by Emmett.

"Hey Belly button. What's wrong?" Emmett looked troubled so I turned to him.

"Door." I spoke lightly and almost under my breath. Emmett was shocked and moved to open it, allowing me passage after a brief pause. I made my way into the room and after a small struggle, threw myself onto the bed. Emmett chuckled from the door, but I just curled up and started to cry. Emmett was being mean, Edward was lying and I was tired. All those things added up with the fact that the pain pill for my ribs and eye had worn off while on the car ride home. I just wanted to cry and there was nothing anyone could do about it. I heard Emmett leave and I let a sob out. My own brother didn't want to deal with me.

My door opened once more and I felt Alice's hand on my shoulder, rubbing it in comfort. I was little enough that there was still space for Alice to sit next to me. "Emmett will be here in a second with some pain pills. You've had a big day today. I'm pretty proud that you made it all the way through the day without freaking out. It's all going to be okay. You're just tired and probably hungry. I'll make Edward fix you something and bring it in here after you wake up from your nap. When I go to sleep, I'll plug my phone up in your room so you can text Edward or dad if you need anything."

My sobs had quieted in order to listen to Alice and I nodded when she was done. She'd confided in me that she liked to stay up late to text Jasper instead of go to sleep and she was going to give that up to make sure I was safe. I hugged her and she held me for a second before letting go. Now that the edge of my frustration was gone, I could truly appreciate how much this family actually did for me.

Emmett came in with the Advil and gave me a giant bear hug. He held me until I fell asleep, knowing that I was just frustrated and tired. When I woke up, it was dark. Alice's phone was lying on my nightstand and I smiled. It was really too bad that I was starving. I opened the phone there was a text from Edward. It said:

Bella, Please wake me up if you need anything, and I'm sorry about earlier.

I replied to his message when my hands woke up. I noticed that the clock said 10:30. I wasn't sure if Edward would be asleep yet, but I assumed he wouldn't and texted him back.

Edward, I have to go to the bathroom and I'm kinda hungry. I hate to bother you, but I need help.

I wait for his message back while hoping he was awake. I needed to apologize for being so cranky earlier. I didn't get a text back, but Edward did suddenly walk into my room only to find me watching the phone like a desperate little girl. Oh well, you win some and loose some.

Edward came to me directly and gave me a gigantic hug. As usual he read my mind and suspected what I was thinking, "I wasn't kidding earlier." He spoke as he placed butterfly kisses along my neck and cheeks, "Getting me all hot and bothered and then having the nerve to pretend I was unaffected. Silly beautiful girl."

"I'm all beat up. Not at all pretty." I told him, actually speaking in a gross scratchy voice because I'd lost the bet. The truth was, I really wasn't bothered too much by loosing. I didn't ever know what to say because no one expected me to speak and this gave me a good excuse.

"You think that just because you're in a wheelchair and a little bruised up that you're any less sexy? Not a chance." Edward still kissed along the side of my face.

"Not one part of me is or ever was anywhere near sexy, Edward." I frowned at him. He was being ridiculous.

"I'm going to keep telling you this until you believe it. You are really pretty. Mike Newton didn't approach Jessica at all her first day. He talked to you twice." Edward was still being ridiculous. Jessica Stanley, one of the girls brave enough to approach Edward and I as we walked to class, was very attractive. She was no where near Rose's beauty, but then again, who was?

"Whatever." I didn't say anything else, but his words made me blush. I was secretly thrilled to hear his words. It almost didn't matter that they were true as long as they were from him. He wanted me to feel pretty whether that was because he thought it was true or because he was trying to help me cope with my PTSD, I didn't know.

"Crazy, beautiful, silly Bella." Edward whispered against my lips just before kissing me. We kissed for a while before I got the courage to run my tongue along his bottom lip. He opened his lips slowly and his tongue came to meet mine in the same manner. We kissed like that for a moment, our tongues gliding together, before the worst possible thing I could imagine happened.

My freaking stomach growled.

Edward pulled back with a chuckle and scooped me into his arms. "Have you decided on a number Bella?"

"What?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

"You know. How many times you're going to get me all worked up today. Two times so far."

"You're being ridiculous. I still think you're lying." My voice was ice and he winced.

"I can't prove it to you without being completely inappropriate, but if that's what you want then here it goes." Edward sat me down on the kitchen island and connected our lips again. His hand moved along my right arm and he finally moved it far enough to grasp my hand. Once he had my hand in his, he put the hand on his thigh. "Go ahead. Prove me right."

Our tongues now moved together in a slow sensual manner. My hand was moved by his to brush over his manhood. True to his word, Edward was hard and the second my hand touched him, his manhood twitched. Edward moaned into my mouth and leaned into the kiss more. After a while, he began to move up and down against my hand. Finally, he pulled my hand away and pulled away from our kiss. "Believe me now?"

"Oh yeah. Although, I wouldn't mind being convinced again." I whispered breathlessly against his neck.

Edward pulled my entire body body closer to his after letting out a chuckle.

"That might not be the best idea." Edward hugged me close and gave me comfort after the intimacy we'd shared. "Emmett would kill me for merely kissing you much less taking you on the counter. That seems to be the imminent outcome of the sexy way your hands like to move against me."

I giggled and hugged him close. I ate my dinner (a turkey sandwich) and then Edward carried me to the bathroom. Once I was through, he took me back to my room.

"Thank you." I whispered to Edward.

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "We have school tomorrow, love, so get some sleep."

"Stay here?" I asked.

"Until you fall asleep." Edward laid us down on the bed and held me against his chest. He fell asleep right beside me.

The alarm on Alice's phone woke Edward and I at Five AM. I felt Edward groan underneath me and hit a button to make the alarm shut off. A minute of two later he spoke at a whisper, "Time for me to wake Alice up. She probably forgot her phone had an alarm on it. I'll just tell her that you texted me. She won't believe me, but oh well. Anyway...Good morning, love." He placed a light kiss on my lips and attempted to move me off of him. I whined and held on. I was tired and he was warm and shirtless. You do the math. "I'll be right back, I promise. As soon as I can get away from Alice. I'll be right back. Go back to sleep. You won't even have time to miss me."

He got up and I watched him go out the door, admiring his bare back and sweatpants covered ass. Until he got back, I imagined running my hands up and down his broad back and blushed. I was pushing my hair out of my eyes and stretching out when Edward returned. He paused, looking at my state and then chuckled and continued his approach.

"What's got you all hot and bothered?" Edward kissed my neck, scooting in the bed beside me.

I didn't say anything and put my hands on his back like I imagined doing. My hands explored him and eventually made their way into his hair. It was then that it happened again.

My stomach growled...again.

Edward laughed and kissed his way down my throat only to push my shirt up a little and place a few kisses along my tummy. He was very gentle and he almost made me forget what happened last time I'd been in this position. I had cried and freaked out as Edward had examined my ribs in his room, but now his hands and lips on my body felt like home.

Wednesday went much like Tuesday in that we went to the same classes and ate lunch with same people. Wednesday was movie night for Alice and Jasper. They invited Emmett and I to go out to a movie with them like they always invited Edward and Rosalie. Alice had always invited Edward and Rosalie along and they seemingly went along often. We would have to sit in the handicapped seats when we went, but Alice said she didn't care.

"It doesn't matter where you go or what you do or where you sit as long as your with the people who you want to be with. I can't think of anyone I'd like to be with more than my new brother and sister. And you too Jasper." She tacked on the ending sweetly enough as to make Jasper chuckle.

The six of us went out to eat that night. We were just driving up to a small Italian restaurant when I saw him. He made eye contact with me and smiled politely before disappearing behind the crowd moving down the block.

I froze. My throat closed up and my world spun. I felt my hands curl up into balls against my chest before everything went black.

(A/n: All done.)