All my worries were gone in school the next day. With Jacob all up in my head, nothing could dampen my mood. Today, I think it was me, rather than Irina, in English, who alienated our peers – my euphoric mood that was hard to keep contained must have frightened them off.
At lunch, I wrapped myself up in Jacob. But something popped my exclusive bubble. I looked up, over Jacob's shoulder to see his eyes staring back at me, penetrating me.
Unmet expectation. I knew that concentration well. I wanted to tell him he wouldn't hear anything, so stop trying. But I couldn't let go of his gaze.
"Babe?" Jacob asked, lifting his hand up to stoke my face. I leaned in to his hand's embrace, closing my eyes. But not before I saw his eyes tighten, twist. Like he were tortured.
Before Biology, you could find me leaning against the building's wall, Jacob holding my hands at our waists and staring deeply in to my eyes; the world around us lay forgotten.
People filed in through the door past us, ignoring us. Except one. A sound of contempt was made in a passer-by's throat, and I glanced up to see the last sliver of his back before the door swung closed behind him.
Jacob growled lightly, so I stroked his face, trying to communicate with my eyes that it was okay, that he didn't have to worry.
When I entered the classroom Edward sat haughtily at our desk, holding his head high.
Contrarily, I sat perfectly at ease, pretending everything was right with the world. I couldn't ignore his snicker, however.
"How's it up on your high horse?" he muttered under his breath at a tone no human would be able to hear.
I played with my tongue in my mouth, trying to bite back a retort. I decided that I might as well defend myself, since he knew I heard him.
"Better than in the ditch you've dug yourself," I responded, keeping my eyes on the blackboard.
He turned his whole face to me, a ludicrous expression on it. He didn't think I'd be the first to break the act.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I think you do." I finally turned to look at him, and he half-turned away. "Why do you hate me?" I demanded putting a fierce edge in my voice.
He seemed slightly dumb-founded. "Hate you? I don't hate you." His voice was almost pleading. It worried me.
"Sure act like it. You don't like me or my boyfriend."
He snorted. "Boyfriend." He mulled the word over, like he'd never heard it before. "How long have you been dating?" he asked.
"Since September," I answered easily. It was true. "He and some of his friends are from La Push, doing a –"
"A cultural exchange program, I've heard," he finished. He seemed like he was sulking at my effortless answers. "Do you visit him often?" he asked suddenly. The treaty clearly entered his mind then and his face said he knew I was caught in my lie.
Despite the personal nature of the question, I answered with a big smile. "All the time." His face fell in to disbelief. "I'd invite you to hang out with us, if we were friends."
He turned stoic. "I think it would be better if we weren't … weren't-"
"Weren't friends." I finished the sentence this time. Our game of cat and mouse just ended. "I've heard that before." But our eyes met and there was silent communication between us. He was trying to figure out if I was more than what he thought. He knew I was a vampire, a peer in more ways than any of the fragile bodies among us. But was I more, was I a long lost acquaintance?
Just then Mr. Douglas yelled out to catch the class' attention, making nearly everyone jump.
I laid my head down in my folded arms on my desk as he began speaking. I can't believe I'd come that close to truly revealing myself. I'd have to make amends.
The rest of the week we didn't talk. We sat side by side silently, every day. I told Jake and the pack about my slip-up. We all worked extra hard to dissuade their theory that I was the Bella Swan they knew long ago.
On the second Thursday that they were at school, Mr. Douglas introduced a new project for the class. Rather than doing a school-wide science fair, he was letting his classes off by assigning a take-home lab collection to be completed with a partner. I breathed easier when he gave us the option of picking our partners.
As his presentation came to an end, Austin was twisting in his chair up front, trying to catch my eye. Of course he'd want to work with me. But he was my best bet for a partner in this class, anyway.
As Mr. Douglas began to release us to choose partners, babble already erupting among the class, a swift voice cut my relief of working with Austin.
"Would you like to be my partner?" Edward asked.
I looked up at him, my eyes slightly widened. "Me?" I asked, incredulous. He nodded.
Before I responded, Mr. Douglas came up to us with a clipboard, in the middle of recording pairs for the project.
"Mr. Cullen, did you find a partner?"
Edward turned towards the teacher, putting his back to me, and nodded. "Miss Swan agreed to work with me."
Mr. Douglas walked away without looking up, writing on his clipboard, and therefore didn't see my floored expression. Edward turned to face forward again but didn't look back at me. I was frozen.
"You could come over my house tomorrow, to work on the project," he said quietly.
"Thanks, but I think I can do this on my own," I sneered, standing before the bell actually rung. I was out the door before anyone else left their seats.
Jacob was across campus. It would be hard to find my personal sun and not be late to class. I weighed my options, when I heard my name being called. Luckily, it was only Cornelia.
"Hey, Bella, I was texting Paul, and –" she stopped talking and just showed me the screen of her phone. He had talked to Emmett and Jasper in Spanish, again, and something they said made him think they might know that him and the other guys were werewolves; he was going to try and follow them, listening to their conversation in the car home.
I nodded. "Okay." She opened her mouth to say something else but stopped, looking surprised. Brow furrowed, I turned to follow her line of sight, wondering what she saw.
I jumped back a foot; Edward was standing right behind me.
"Don't do that, I didn't hear you coming." He made a face like he didn't believe me, but said nothing. Like a human, I cleared my throat. "Edward," I grumbled his name. "This is my sister, Cornelia. Cornelia, this is Edward Cullen, one of the new students."
She smiled politely, but didn't say anything. She'd never actually met another vampire besides myself.
"I'll see you after school," I said to her, then walked away from the both of them. I heard Edward groan to himself and then jogged to my side, automatically matching my fast stride.
"I think it would be better to work on this project together," he insisted.
"And I thought we shouldn't be friends," I retorted.
He ignored that. "I can't do this project alone, and –"
I turned to face him so that he had to stop short to prevent walking into me. "I think we both know you can handle this project perfectly fine, Edward." It amazed me how it no longer hurt to say his name, especially with a negative connotation. "So please, leave me be."
"You don't seem to get along with your peers well," he noted, still pretending to be human.
I shrugged. "I'm old for my age," I said sarcastically.
"How old?" he breathed, suddenly serious.
I narrowed my eyes. "Old enough." And walked away.
I wouldn't let him get answers out of me. I wouldn't be the first to spill all my secrets, I promised myself.
In gym last period I wasn't paying attention, allowing myself to get hit with a volleyball several times. I was anxious to get home and hear Paul's report on what the Cullens said on their way home.
I was finding myself obsessed, wrapped up in their existence. It was like it was 100 years ago all over again. Like the first time I'd joined Forks High.