CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9

I went to my favourite café, a small building down the road from school. Inside, it was decorated with big paintings up on the walls, black and white photos, candles on the tables, the lot.

It was really calm during the week and Rosco, the owner, knew me quite well.

"Isabella!" he crowd as I walked in. he had his arms wide open and I hugged him.

"Hello, Rosco. How are you?" I asked, taking my usually seat at the bar.

"Ah, I have just fired my 'new' bartender. It's the last time I'll take in just any girl who needs a job. Other than that, everything's fine." He handed me my usual, coke and vodka, and sat on a stool behind the bar.

"How about you?" he asked, listening to me as I told him about school. Everything other than what was going in my personally life.

"Where is your lovely boyfriend?" he asked suddenly, looking around as if he hadn't spotted him yet.

"Well, we broke up." I told him. There were no secrets with Rosco. He fingered his pencil moustache thoughtfully and then patted his stomach happily.

"Ah, he always was a good son of a… well, I won't say. After all, you're a lady." He winked and I laughed. Rosco was in his mid forties with greying hair and a pencil moustache he stroked whenever he was debating on something. I had known him since forever and whenever something happened to me, he would find someone else to blame. I drank my Coke and Vodka and we sat in silence for a minute.

The tables in this café were all old driftwood pieces nailed together and sanded down. I liked it because it had nothing another café might have. It was completely different and out of sorts that I felt at home in this place.

"Do you need some money?" Rosco asked his voice low and hurried as if he was telling me a secret.

"I haven't really thought about it…" I started, but was interrupted by Rosco.

"How would you feel working here? Maybe a Saturday night and a few free afternoons? I pay quite well." He gestured with his hands at the till and the place around us.

I hadn't really thought of getting a job, maybe because I was always so busy with making Jasper happy and school work that the thought never crossed my mind. I debated for a minute, thinking about what it would be like working here.

But if I did start working here, then I wouldn't be able to see as much of Edward as I wanted to… not that I could now. With Jasper and me broken up, I had no reason to go up to the apartment. Alice was telling me about maybe moving into the spare room, so she could be closer to Edward and they could do stuff together more easily than her living an hour and half away as she did now…

"OK" I said. Rosco beamed happily and shook m hand in a boss to worker way.

I left the café not much later and walked happily up to the school. I knew Alice would be working there until late tonight, probably with Edward on some project or other. Edward had this habit of drawing his friends while they worked and then turning it all into another dimension. The few pictures I saw were of Alice maybe walking around in thought or just sitting and staring out into space. Some of these pictures he had drawn Alice like a fairy, with the pointed wings and braids in her hair… not that Alice wore braids in her hair.

When I got the school, I walked through the semi empty corridors to the Art & Project rooms.

I was just turning a corner when I heard the low sound of a drum beat. I followed the sound and it took me straight to the dance room where, of course, Edward was dancing.

I saw him talk to someone in there. The music stopped and I heard someone laugh flirtatiously. Not a guy then.

Edward smiled and tipped a bottle of water to his lips, one hand in his trouser pockets. The other person said something and he rolled his eyes, depositing the now empty bottle in the trash can by the changing room doors.

Tanya walked toward him, clapping her hands softly, and smiling coyly up at him. A wave of irritation hit me, and I turned away from Tanya's smiling face and Edward's attentive one.

She had cheated on him! Not once, but twice, and what was he doing? He was flirting with her, wasn't he? Was he really stupid and didn't see beyond the make up and sexy figure?

Another voice in my head whispered, yes but he was flirting with you, too, this morning, wasn't he? He flirted with Alice even though they are best friends, he kissed a lot of girls in what he might think was friendly but the other girls thought might be a chance on them. Maybe he was just playing with Tanya the way he played with you and all those other girls whose hearts he broke…

I shook my head and took a few steps down the corridor when I saw Tanya walk out, an air of satisfaction weaving around her.

Who am I to make comments, though? Was I acting like a jealous girlfriend? God no! Maybe I didn't even like Edward that much and thought of him more like my friend… and I was jealous for him. I didn't want him hurt, again, right? I wanted the best for him, right?

But what I was about to do wasn't probably the best for him.

I peered through the door which was open a crack and I watched Edward as he rubbed his arms, and grimaced into the mirror at the now fading yet painful bruise. His bandaged hand was dangling by his side, and he had seemed to have forgotten about not straining it just now. The stitches might come loose.

I was just about to turn away when Edward locked his gaze through the mirror with mine. A smirk lit up his handsome face.

If a smirk could do something like that.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," he smiled darkly at me, "You can come in, you know. I won't bite." He turned to look at me and raised an eyebrow. Rolling my eyes to hide my discomfort, I walked in, my trainers making a low thump sound on the wooden pavement.

"I didn't think you would." I replied to his flippant remark. His face darkened and he turned away, opening his gym bag and stuffing his CD into one of the leather pockets on the inside.

"How do you know I won't hurt you?" he asked, straightening up and looking down at me, his eyes expressionless.

"Because you're too nice to hurt anyone on purpose." I replied. It was a game, I knew it. It was a game to see if I would fall for him like he predicted or if I would stand my ground like I wanted to. He had no idea I had already fallen for him big time.

Edward chuckled and shook his head, picking up his jacket and bag.

"Well, if what Jasper says is true, it's my fault you guys broke up so I wouldn't explain myself as being too nice to hurt anyone on purpose." He laughed without emotion, and the sound made goose bumps appear on my arms.

"We broke up because he was a) cheating on me and b) disrespectful of me. I… as I said, you were right and maybe I was just in too deep." I wouldn't look at him, or couldn't look at him. I knew he had the crooked smile on, the one that made me fall in love with him before anything else.

"Well, that's nice, isn't it? At least someone is admitting I'm right. Yet, I still think you don't think that you'll fall for me any time soon, as you said this morning." He adjusted his bag on his shoulder, the gym bag swinging from his hand. I looked down at the floor and grimaced. He had no idea.

"Yeah well, I have just broken up with my boyfriend. It'll take a little time before I'll trust anyone else." I muttered, finally looking at me.

His expression was of one torn between amusement and frustration.

On him, of course, that looked adorable.

"How about you learn from me? Trust everyone but no one. That way, your feelings would be hardly ever hurt."

"Maybe. But I am a very… sensitive person, let's say. I believe in trust and real friendship." I kept my gaze locked with his and the crooked smile appeared again,

"Do you believe in love?" he asked, but before I could answer, he was gone.

Just like that. As if he had never been there.

I sighed and started for the Art & Project room. When I arrived at the door, though, I head Alice and Edward talking, so instead of going in and joining them, like I should have, I went home, feeling bad and still unexpressed feelings.

9.30PM:

KissMeGoodBye: Have you talked to Edward yet?

ThexXxDevilxXxIxXxLovexx: Ever time I try, he ruins the moment with one of his stupid remarks

KissMeGoodBye: Maybe he's just panicky. After all, his girlfriend was cheating on him again

ThexXxDevilxXxIxXxLovexx: well, that makes two of us then

KissMeGoodBye: I don't think Jasper wanted to cheat on you. Maybe you two weren't right for each other.

ThexXxDevilxXxIxXxLovexx: huh. Anyway, Edward and Tanya were flirting today in the dance room.

KissMeGoodBye: why were you at the dance room?

ThexXxDevilxXxIxXxLovexx: I was coming to see you in the Art & Project room

KissMeGoodBye: that's what you say but it isn't what you think

She wasn't the first one who said that to me. It really pissed me off that some people know me better than I do myself. Even my father, Charlie who I hadn't seen since I was a little girl, knows me better than I do myself. And I've just been living with him for a couple of years.

Am I that easy to read?

ThexXxDevilxXxIxXxLovexx: you're quoting Edward

KissMeGoodBye: I know. He seems to know a lot of these things, you know?

ThexXxDevilxXxIxXxLovexx: yeah, I do. And every time he says something like that, I seem to fall for him even deeper.

KissMeGoodBye: I can't believe Edward was flirting with Tanya! He really needs to find someone who's perfect for him…

ThexXxDevilxXxIxXxLovexx: I wish he could see me for what I really am, and I also wish that I had met him before I had met Jasper…

KissMeGoodBye: I know… I've gotta go, I have Edward on my voicemail saying he needs to talk to me. I quote, "It's urgent, honey, call me back… actually, pick up your phone and that'll be easier…"

ThexXxDevilxXxIxXxLovexx: OK, I have to write an essay, anyway… I'll see you tomorrow.

Even though, I didn't get to finish my essay, because as soon as I logged off and sat on my bed, I fell asleep.

I was going to get busted in school anyway.