CHAPTER 10 – EENEY, MEENEY, MINEY, MO.

IF I thought my stomach was in knots before, I never knew true discomfort before. It was like the knots had triple knotted themselves, like they had been tugged at and pulled this way and that. Like my stomach did a total 360.

His face fell slightly in the ten seconds it took me to gather my thoughts.

"I'm Bella," I stuttered. His mouth pulled down in one corner and his eyes flickered as he broke the intense stare between us. Something was wrong, already.

I turned forward again and focused everything on keeping up my façade. I didn't want him to see my disappointment. It was silly, really.

One second, I wanted Jasper, with all my heart (no matter how frozen it is). And all of a sudden, the only person I can even think about is Edward. He filled my mind like blood fills a newborn's. I watched him out of my peripherals while Mr. Varner gave his lecture.

He sad rigid, his back straight and his head held tall. His left hand, however, was fisted on his knee and the vein in his neck was exposed. His beautiful face was marred by a strained, almost angry expression.

If I was a mere mortal like he probably thought I was, I wouldn't have caught the glances he'd throw my way every minute or so. I put all my faith in my shield, taking it for granted as it hid from him what I really was.

The entire sixty minute period I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. His constant staring aside, there was something more, something I couldn't pinpoint, that made me feel uneasy about it. It didn't help that my stomach was practicing gymnastics as it flipped and turned, making the overall experience very confusing.

The first note of the bell that ended the period hardly sounded before he leaped up from his seat and made for the door. He was out before any one else got the chance to stand up. I grabbed my books solemnly, wondering how I could have made him act that way.

He was clearly upset with me, that was obvious, but why?

As I left Bio and made my way to gym, I listened carefully for his voice, but never heard it. I heard Jasper's simple chatter with Emmett as they walked together, but it was unimportant, about hunting techniques.

Throughout gym, my head was full of Edward Cullen. I couldn't get him out. Even as I left school, I listened very closely, trying to hear his voice. I finally found it, drifting along the front sidewalk of the school.

He was either talking to himself or I was going crazy.

"It was fine," he said. I could hear a shrug in his voice.

Then, silence. "I can't quite explain it." More silence. "No, I'm not too sure yet."

I round the corner of building two and saw Jasper and Edward walking two building down, their backs to me as they headed towards their car.

There was silence between them, then Jasper turned his head to look at Edward in the eye. He had a stern stare.

"You don't have to remind me of the consequences," Edward muttered to him defensively.

I didn't understand, Jasper didn't say a thing. It's not like Edward could read his mind or anything. Or could he?

I once heard of such a gift. The ability to read one's thoughts. However, I was impervious. Any time they tried to read my thoughts, I felt uncomfortable, like someone was trying to make me divulge an embarrassing secret.

I stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. There was no way. Could he? It was so unlikely, but so possible. Every time Edward Cullen looked at me a certain way, I felt uncomfortable. Just like the other attempts at reading my mind.

But this was different, very different. Shock momentarily overtook me and Mike walked over, waving his hand in front of my face.

"Earth to Bella," he said in a singsong voice.

I shook my head. Without even looking at him, I said, "I forgot I have something important to do," and I walked out of the parking lot and down the street. The second I was out of his sight, I ran.

I got home and contemplated my possibilities. I could go there. He told me not to, that his family didn't even know about me, but if I went there I'd see him sooner, and I could ask him sooner. Or I could wait for him to come over.

I couldn't bear the wait, but I also couldn't betray his trust. For a split second I thought I could call him, I'd seen him pull out a small silve cell phone before. But I didn't know his number.

I was anxious and pacing back and forth when I heard a soft approach and a light knock on the door.

If he hadn't opened it first I'd probably have ripped the door off its hinges.

"Jasper," I sighed, smiling at his appearance. He smiled back and sauntered over, raising his arms to hug me.

He held me tight and breathed in my scent. I hesitated in hugging him back. The reason for my impatience wasn't to be in the embrace that I longed for throughout every torturous school day. But for information. And not even information about him.

"Why did you come so early?" I asked in what I hoped sounded like a casual voice.

"I couldn't wait," he said, smirking, as he stared into my eyes. Before, I'd have given anything to unleash the fire that now smoldered in his eyes.

But that was before, and this was now. I took his one hand and led him over to the couch and sat down, at least a foot apart (while normally we're entangled,) and stroked his face gently.

He was still attractive, don't get me wrong, but I felt like all the spark had suddenly gone. Like every time my laundry was done, I would take it out and the static would shock me. But now some dryer sheets were thrown into my wash, and he no longer make my heart skip a beat or my breath catch.

"Why'd you really come so early?" I asked.

"In truth I couldn't wait. Every second I'm away from you hurts." I tried not to bite my lip or let my expression falter after he said that, and just stared pleasantly back at him, waiting for him to continue. Then, he sighed, and his smile faded. "I also couldn't stand being home. The emotional atmosphere – it was too much."

The second he said emotional atmosphere I remembered his gift, and tried the hardest to feel happy. I remembered how fortunate my day had gone so far, and I smiled a bit more with that though.

"What are you thinking?" he mused, staring into my eyes. I diverted them to trace my finger across my thigh.

"I'm just curious," I murmured.

"Bi-curious?" he asked excitedly. I furrowed my brow and slapped him hard on the shoulder.

"No," I stressed. "About your family."

He leaned back and the change in his expression was more than noticeable. It went from a happy, joking smirk to a stone cold set of his mouth, his eyes wide and staring off into the distance; he was clearly unhappy.

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