Dclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. TWILIGHT. M'KAY?
A/N-Woah, I'm on a roll! Chapter 10, here it is!
P.S. WHOOOO! OVER 100 REVIEWS!!!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!
I checked my watch for the fourth time, and groaned when I saw that only two minutes had passed. For some reason, I was anxious about seeing Bella again.
That could just be the guilt eating away at you, a snide voice whispered at the back of my mind.
I snorted at that. Ms. Murphy looked at me curiously as she sat grading papers at her desk.
I had no reason to feel guilty. Bella was just a nerd, a good-for-nothing loser.
Ah, but if she is just that, then why is she suddenly Bella? The voice asked smugly, Why do you consider her a person, as your equal?
I had no answer to that. The voice gave a cackle and was silent.
Great, I thought, now I'm hearing voices. This bet is messing me up.
I checked my watch again. Less than a minute had passed. I huffed in frustration and marched to the door, intent on finding Bella.
Apparently, I was so intent on finding her that I didn't notice when the door hit her in the face. However, I did hear Bella squeak. I looked down and saw her holding her nose, staring up at me with disbelief.
I smirked, trying to hide my embarrassment, and said confidently, "Are you going to come inside any time soon?"
Bella scrambled up from the ground, her face bright red. She walked past me into the classroom, her head down. She looked so cute that I chuckled, in spite of myself.
Wait…cute? I thought, horrified. No, stupid, that's more like it.
I couldn't even convince myself.
I followed Bella up to Ms. Murphy's desk, where the teacher was pulling out her script. Ms. Murphy's eyes were twinkling eagerly as she flipped through the pages enthusiastically.
Ms. Murphy clapped her hands together and said happily, ""Now, naturally, we'll be starting on Act 1, Scene 5. That's when Romeo and Juliet first meet, of course!"
Whooptie-freaking-doo, I thought sarcastically, pulling out my script and turning to the appropriate page. I snuck a sidelong glance at Bella and was surprised to see her glaring at Ms. Murphy, her jaw clenched and her hands balled up into fists.
This picture was so funny I had to hold myself back to keep from howling with laughter. Bella noticed my stifled laughter and muttered, "Well, as long as you're enjoying yourself."
I let out a chuckle at her words, though the expression on her face made me think that I wasn't mean to hear her. Bella threw her backpack in a chair irritably, and took out her script as Ms. Murphy had instructed.
Ms. Murphy, oblivious to the entire exchange, said to me, "Alright, Edward, start where it says, 'If I profane with my unworthiest hand; This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this'."
Bella and I faced each other and I noticed the blush on Bella's face. Why was she blushing?
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss," I read, scrutinizing Bella's expression.
"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss," Bella said softly. I was shocked by the effect her gentle words had on me.
"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" I replied, smiling wryly at Shakespeare's dry wit.
"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer," Bella whispered. A tiny smile was on her face, too.
"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair." I said, and Bella lifted her eyes to meet mine. The loveliness of her eyes caught me off guard. They were wide and innocent, and a warm, chocolatey color.
"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," Bella whispered. Her wide eyes were still focused on mine.
"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged," I recited, trying to keep my composure.
"Then have my lips the sin that they have took." Bella replied. A wide smile spread across her face.
"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again," I said quietly, dazzled by her smile.
"You kiss by the book," she murmured. She sighed gently.
Ms. Murphy snapped me out of my daze by applauding wildly and squealing, "That was lovely! Wonderful! Oh, I knew I made a good choice picking you two for the parts!"
I was irrationally angry with Ms. Murphy, but I was furious with myself. Why the hell was I falling for Bella? Why now? My future rested on this bet, and I was ruining it by getting too attached. And this early in the game!
I caught sight of Bella, who was packing up, and I decided that it was time to make the first move. I sidled over to her, and grinned my most alluring grin. I felt like an idiot.
Bella looked allured, though, so I began wooing her.
"So, Bella," I said, "I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime?"
Bella gaped at me, giving me false hope. Therefore, I didn't expect her to reply with, "Wait a minute- aren't you dating Lauren?"
Dammit! How could I forget that? "Well, yes" I admitted reluctantly, "But she doesn't have to know about it, does she?"
Bella continued to gape at me, but I was discouraged by the angry red spreading across her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Edward," I winced when she spat my name, ""But I can't go out with someone who can't manage to get their priorities straight."
Ouch. I watched as she grabbed her backpack and marched out the door. The shock of her rejection was melting away, and I realized I was in deep shit.
As I packed up my things and walked out of the classroom, one thought repeated itself as a mantra in my head: "What have I done?"