Chapter 9: Hanging Out
Monday morning I arrived at school pulling my bike into the wet student parking lot a few minutes late.
Everyone was rushing to their first period classes and I didn't hesitate to jump off my bike and sprint to first period.
My weekend had been nothing but constant thoughts of Bella Swan.
I couldn't wait to see her today and ask if she had gotten into trouble for not going home the night of the party.
I ran into Bella while leaving my first period history class.
She looked cute as hell, in a little rain coat and some little rain boots.
"Hey Bella," I said running to catch up to her and walk beside her.
"Oh, Jacob. Morning... how are you?" She smiled and tilted her head to the side to face me as we walked.
"Same old same old so far," I said shrugging.
"Gotta love Mondays." She said sarcastically.
I nodded.
"So what happened with your dad?"
"My dad?"
"Yeah... about the party... did you get grounded?"
"Oh yeah! Just for the week though, but he's pretty lenient I probably will be fine by Wednesday." She said laughing.
"That's good, I'm glad he didn't blow up on you about it."
"Me too... so?"
"So..." I said as we walked into the hallway where the calculus classroom was.
"Well you walked me to class." Bella said then chuckled.
"Yeah well, my pleasure."
She smiled and began to walk into the classroom.
"Hey wait Bella!"
"Yeah?" She spun around to face me in the doorway.
"Do you want to do something this weekend? Go get a milkshake or something?"
"Oh, um... I would love to Jacob, but uh have you checked with Leah about this?"
"It doesn't really concern her." I responded quickly.
Bella raised an eyebrow at me questioningly.
"Are you sure about that Jacob?"
"Positive."
She still looked doubtful.
"And if not I'll be taking the heat for it not you, so don't worry."
She gave a sort of pained weak smile.
"But I don't want you to take the heat for it Jacob... I don't wan to cause any kind problems between you two."
"It's really ok Bella... seriously."
Just then the bell rang and I was definitely late for class.
"Yeah well I don't think it's a great idea Jacob. I'm sorry."
She walked into her classroom then and closed the door behind her.
I stood rooted to the spot dumbfounded.
Had I just been rejected?
But I have a girlfriend and I shouldn't be trying anything with Bella anyway... right?
And why am I once again acting like an arrogant ass and being shocked to being blown off like it's a major big deal?
Of course I look like a douche asking Bella to go out alone with me somewhere when she definitely can sense that my girlfriend doesn't like her very much.
Shit.
I am a total ass fuck.
Later that day at lunch I caught myself staring at Bella and realized a few minutes into it that she was staring directly back at me with a raised eyebrow.
I deferred my gaze immediately.
Leah was practically sitting in my lap and rubbing my thigh every chance she got.
We hadn't really said much to each other since the party Friday and I was beginning to wonder if Leah had severe mental problems.
Had she just decided to ignore our issues?
It defnitely felt that way.
Everybody was talking about the party over the weekend throughout lunch when I suddenly realized something totally brilliant.
Leah had a cheerleading competition this saturday and would be gone all friday and come back saturday night.
I could ask Bella to hang out then!
I felt a little more alive after I figured this out in my head, but as I thought more I realized that Bella still woudln't go for it.
It wasn't entirely as genius as I had first thought.
But my next thought was.
"Hey does everybody wanna go see a movie friday night in Port Angeles?" I asked the lunch table.
She would go out with me with a group of people for sure if not alone.
Everyone began making sounds of approval when:
"But Jake! I have a cheerleading competition this weekend!"
I internally rolled my eyes.
"Oh, shit I... forgot. Well I gotta do something while you're away right? Besides you're gonna have a blast up in Seattle I gotta do something fun of my own."
"Yeah well Rose will be there too." Leah supplied.
"Oh joy.." I heard Rosalie groan from across the table.
I stifled a grin.
"Well I'm down." Emmett said.
"Yeah me too!" Said Alice.
"Bella, do you want to go with me?"
Edward.
He was sitting next to me and had just asked Bella who was sitting across from him.
She smiled and looked at him.
"Absolutely."
My jaw dropped.
Rosalie kicked me from under the table.
"Ouch!" I growled.
She narrowed her eyes at me then cocked one perfect eyebrow.
In the next period, science, I wanted to ask Bella why she was going to ride with Edward to the movies.
I had been planning to offer her a ride myself.
The question was on the tip of my tongue and burning my lips to come out.
But I didn't ask.
I sort of knew why she said yes, but I didn't want to actually hear it from her.
She was intrested in Edward... and he definitely was intrested in her.
I didn't like it at all, and yet without even asking her if she was into him I already completely knew that she was.
The rest of the week passed by in a blur.
Leah was at practice for competition every day after school for at least an extra hour and after football practice everyday I worked on homework or in my garage.
Friday was a breath of fresh air all its own though.
Leah wasn't at school at all along with the rest of the cheerleaders and I was able to talk as much as I wanted to to Bella during lunch.
I had chosen to sit next to her so that I wouldn't have to talk to her from across the table and let everyone hear what I was saying.
"You looking forward to tonight?" I asked her grinning.
"Yeah, it should be fun." She said blowing her hot spoonful of soup.
I stared at her lips and then quickly looked away because I felt a sudden stirring in my loins.
Fuck.
"So uh.. how you getting there?"
"Edward's driving me."
"Oh... right I had forgotten about that."
Damn him! Damn him! Oh well it was worth a shot.
"I was going to offer, but... I guess not."
She looked sideways at me.
"Maybe we can go get shakes after the movie like you suggested earlier this week?"
I was surprised by that.
"Oh yeah definitely. That's cool. I can drive you back."
She laughed.
"No I mean all of us."
"Oh... right."
Damnit what the fuck man?
"You're quite the chilvarous one aren't you Jacob?" She said smiling at me.
"How so?"
"You keep offering me rides, a girl can drive herself and get somewhere perfectly fine on her own these days."
"Oh yeah? Then how come you're riding with Edward if you're so able bodied?"
"Because he offered. He quite chivalrous too I think."
"Cool." I spat.
She looked at me startled.
I remained silent.
"Are you ok Jacob?" She asked, her voice had changed to nearly a whisper.
I looked back at her then nodded.
"Fine."
Why couldn't I control my emotions and my speech around this girl!
It was like with Leah, only milder and Bella wasn't responding back to me the way that Leah did.
Obviously because Bella is a lot more mature and sane than Leah.
Fuck I really need to break up with her.
But that is much easier said than done.
Leah is such a damn handful and a pyschotic loose cannon.
"Well, I hope that tonight goes ok." Was her next statement.
I wanted to say:
"I don't know what you mean by that." But I knew exactly what she meant.
My erratic mood swings were kicking in again and she could see them.
I might end up apologizing all over again to Bella this weekend for my actions.
Two weeks in a row now that I have made myself appear to be a somewhat unstable, insufferable, self absorbed, deranged, lunatic, asshole in front of Bella.
I ended up riding with Jasper and Alice to the theater.
When we arrived Bella was already there.
With him.
They were waiting on a bench smiling and waving to all of us.
I have always like Edward and gotten along with him, but at that moment I wanted to beat his ass into the bench on which it sat.
The only thing holding me back was Emmett's presence and knowing that I would end of in the middle of a fight with him if I started attacking his brother.
I made damn sure to sit next to Bella in the movie.
Because the majority of the people there were guys our votes had won the movie choice and it was a horror flick.
Perfect.
I got M&Ms, popcorn and a large soda and offered them to Bella periodically throughout the movie.
Of course the movie was incredibly stupid, but some of the people in the theater seemed to be actually scared of it.
Not Bella.
She didn't scream, jump or so much as flinch throughout the entire movie.
I was pissed I wanted to hold her hand or... something.
After the movie I definitely didn't feel in the mood for a milkshake.
I had eated all the damn popcorn, M&Ms and soda because Bella had only take one handful and one sip the entire movie.
When she suggested milkshakes everyone was game though.
We drove down the road a few miles to a Steak & Shake and all piled out and pulled together several tables.
Bella ordered a strawberry milkshake and when it came I couldn't draw my eyes away from her mouth on the straw.
I was sitting in between Jasper and Emmett and diagonally from Bella.
The placement of our seating was agonizing.
I desperately wanted her to be sitting next to me so I could casually put my arm behind her or maybe even rub my hand againsh her thigh a few times on 'accident.'
Around 11 we all left and got back into our cars.
Our ride back was silent.
I was fuming, tonight hadn't gone at all how I had hoped that it would.
So much for my genius plan.
"Edward and Bella seem to be getting along quite well don't you think?" Jasper said from the drivers seat.
I flung my head back onto the headrest.
FAIL.
