A/N: Hello everyone. Thank you for all the reviews and support.

I had a lovely day Tuesday but it did take its toll on me. I rested on Wednesday and was feeling okay yesterday, so I wrote quite a bit as I had nothing else to do. I just finished it off... so here it is.

This chapter is just to show you how this crash affects Bella and also a bit more of her relationships with family and friends. I did have more that I wanted to add to this chapter, but it got so long that I decided to leave that until next chapter.

I hope you enjoy. Keep the reviews coming, I love reading them.

KS.reader

Chapter 10: Presentation

I sleep for another hour after the incident. I wake up just as the Cullens are leaving - though I think they were waiting for me to wake up. They all say goodbye in their own ways; seeing as I can't get up and properly hug them. Esme and Carlisle kiss me on the forehead, Emmett pats my hand and Alice kisses my cheek. Edward does the same as Alice, as well as stroking my hand gently.

I don't want them to leave; I've enjoyed their company. However, I need them to go. I'm exhausted, even though I slept some of the time they were visiting. I'm in agony. I just want to be at home, in my bed.

Twenty minutes after they leave, a nurse comes in with my discharge papers. Ten minutes later, the same nurse is wheeling me out of the hospital while Charlie carries our bags. I have my mask and photophobia glasses on - the outside ones. Everyone I pass stares at me. Seriously! Has no one encountered a teenager in an allergy mask being wheeled out of a hopsital? Then it occurs to me... No. They've probably not!

The drive home is bittersweet. I'm excited to be going home, but I'm going through torture having to sit up in a moving vehicle. The seat belt digs into my chest, the seat bruises my legs and back. My ribs ache and my neck throbs. This crash is the worst yet! I hope it doesn't last long!

What seems like an eternity later, we pull up in the driveway. Charlie quickly hops out of the car and rushes to my side. Carefully, he lifts me from the seat. He doesn't bother with the wheelchair, it will just be an unnecessary step for me. Instead, he carries me straight up to my room and lays me down in bed. I'm in some lounge wear, so I'm comfy enough to go to sleep as I am. Charlie removes my mask and glasses for me, and soon, I'm asleep.

When I wake up, it's dark, indicating that I've slept for quite some time. I test my pain levels, moving and rotating parts of my body. My neck is okay, my back is kind of achy. My arms feel a little heavy and my ribs feel bruised. My legs are the worst; I don't even have to move them to detect the pain - I can't anyway. They have a constant, relentless throb coursing through them. It goes from my hips to my toes and back, at rapid speed. I can't work out if it's the muscles or the joints. Maybe both?

Even though the pain is horrendous, I'm relieved that it's not this bad in my arms or neck. I need to use them parts whereas my legs stay still constantly, only being used for short moments at a time - when I transfer from seat to wheels or wheels to recliner. And I won't be doing that any time soon.

I shout out to Charlie, letting him know I'm awake. My door opens a couple minutes later but it's not Charlie, it's Sue. She smiles as she enters. "Hello dear. Your dad is downstairs finishing up with dinner. I told him that I wanted to come see you. How are you feeling?" she says. I smile in response, glad to be seeing her.

"I'm okay. The pain is worse in my legs right now. How long have you been here?" I ask, trying to steer the subject of conversation from me.

"Oh, not long. Just a half hour or so. Seth and Leah are staying with their grandparents for tonight so I was going to be all alone anyway. I figured I'd keep your father company while you rest." she tells me. She looks away as she says this, finding my duvet more interesting. I tap my fingers on the bed, in her line of sight. She looks up at me and I smirk at her knowingly.

It's only a matter of time before they end up together. They can't keep fighting the inevitable. I wish they didn't have to look after me; they'd already be dating by now... probably.

"Is Seth feeling better now?" I ask her.

"Yes, much better. He had a stomach bug, just a 24 hour thing. They seem to be going round at the moment, so you make sure you're cautious and use that mask as much as necessary." she warns me.

"Oh please. Who am I gonna catch a stomach bug from? The only people I see are you and Charlie." I ask her, rhetorically. She shakes her head, not taking my blasé attitude.

"Don't you play coy with me, Isabella. Those Cullens seem rather fond of you, or so I've heard. I wouldn't be surprised if they come to visit you during the week." she says. I smile shyly at her. I'm glad it's not just me that notices how much they seem to actually like me.

"Sue? Dinner's ready!" I hear Charlie call from down stairs. Sue pats my hand, stands up and heads for the door. She turns to me when she's in the door way.

"Even though you were a bit silly and didn't take any breaks, I'm glad you got to spend time away from here and with some friends. I think the Cullens will be good for you Bella. And who knows, maybe Charlie will let you do it again sometime... When he's sure that you're ready again." she says. I smile at her words. "I'll bring some food up for you soon." she tells me before turning and leaving the room.

For twenty-five minutes, I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling. It's dark, so the moonlight is beginning to cast shadows over my ceiling and walls... my favourite time of day. I watch them while I wait for my food. I hope I can keep it down this time.

While I'm waiting and watching, I think about the Cullens. I'm so happy that Carlisle is my new doctor. I always go for an appointment a week after my hospital release, for my doctor to checkup on me. So I'll be seeing him in a week.. for the first time as my doctor. Esme is just wonderful. I wish my mother had been as nurturing as her. Even when she was bickering with Emmett and telling him off, you could tell she loves him. And she seemed to treat me the same way that she did her own children, though I may have been imagining things.

Emmett is a giant teddy bear. He may seem tough and scary but he's really a big softy. I want to know what was bothering him at school on Friday. He was really down - not his usual self. Alice is crazy! She has to be the most energetic person I've met. Some may think that's not a good mix - ME sufferer and energy personified - but I wouldn't have her any other way. She's been more of a friend to me then anyone has ever.

And Edward. He... he's just... he's amazing. Every time I'm with him I forget all the bad things about me. I forget I'm ill, I forget I'm different. He makes everything good. And I really like him. I mean really like him. He's not just handsome, he's also got a beautiful personality. He's funny, kind, smart. The list goes on and on. The problem is, I don't know how to tell him how I feel. I don't even know if I want to. I think I'll just keep it hushed for now; no need to embarrass myself.

I start to think about the difference between their friendships and Angela's. Looking back at it now, Angela never defended me. She always kept quiet when the Bitch squad picked on me. She only spent time with me at lunch, and when it was a lesson, she'd rush away... like she was scared to be seen with me. It was probably more embarrassment.

So, if I really think about it, I've not lost a friend. I've lost someone who pretended to be my friend. I've lost someone who never really cared about me. And after it all, I've gained some new, real friends.

The door opens, and Sue walks in holding a tray. Charlie follows her. "Here you go Bella. We've just got you a sandwich, something light. Let's hope you can keep this down." Sue says. Charlie comes to my side and kisses me on the head. Then he starts to raise my bed.

I have a bed similar to the hospital ones, though mines a lot comfier. It has all the same controls. When I'm sat up, they both give me a minute to adjust. The new position pulls at my back and. shoulders. I take deep, steady breaths and manage to stay calm. Charlie turns my bedside lamp on. The glow burns my eyes and I snap them shut. I feel something on my face. Charlie has put my photophobia glasses on for me. I open them up again and thank him.

Sue places the tray over my lap. Before I begin eating, I speak to them both for a couple minutes.

"Hey daddy. How have you been?" I ask him.

"Hey Bells. I've been good. I should be asking you that question though, don't you think?" he says. I chuckle.

"Yeah I guess so. I've been sleeping so I've been okay." I tell him. He nods.

"How's your pain at the moment?" he asks. I think for a few seconds.

"My legs are the worst. My back and shoulders are throbbing. My arms feel heavy but apart from the I'm doing okay." I tell him. No point in sugar-coating it. He wouldn't believe me anyway. He just nods sullenly in response. "What have you two been up to?" I ask them. They both avert their eyes from me and each other. They're both acting they're teenagers that have been caught making out on the sofa by their parents. I feel like the parent.

Eventually, Sue answers. "Us? Nothing. We've been doing nothing dear. Just erm... watching TV?" It comes out as more of question then a statement. I raise an eyebrow and then chuckle. Their faces are just priceless.

"Woah. Guys. Calm down. It was just a question." I say. They both visibly sigh in relief. Their reactions make me think, what were they really doing down there? Actually, on second thought, I don't want to know.

"I'm going to go down stairs and clean up." Sue announces. Me and Charlie both say goodbye and she leaves.

"You can go down as well if you'd like." I tell him.

"No I'm okay. And I'd rather be here while you eat, just in case you bring it all back up." he tells me. I nod and start eating my sandwich. It's really good. About halfway through I speak again.

"Dad?" I say to get his attention. He hums and looks me in the eyes. "You know that I wouldn't mind if you started dating Sue, right?" I ask him. He looks startled, blushes and then chuckles uncomfortably, trying to shrug off my question.

"Bella. Me and Sue are just friends. There is nothing going on between us." he says, trying to convince me.

"Okay. If that's what you think. Just know that I wouldn't mind. I love Sue. I think you two would be really good together." I tell him. He smiles at me shyly, his cheeks tinting red.

"I know sweetheart. I'm glad you like her." he says to me. Then he goes silent. I want him to give me more. I want to know how he truly feels about her. But he stays silent, keeping it all to himself. I huff and carry on eating. Charlie smirks at me, knowing my thoughts.

Once I've finished the sandwich, I drink a glass of water. Half way through it, the nausea kicks in. I feel hot all of a sudden. My stomach churns. Oh no! Charlie appears in front of me with a bucket. I bring the sandwich and the water back up. My throat burns and I feel sick. I don't stop retching, even when there's nothing left. Charlie rubs the back of my neck in comfort.

Once it stops, I lean my head back into the pillow and sigh. "We're going to have to keep an eye on this Bella. You haven't been able to keep anything down since Saturday. What's the last thing you ate and fully digested?" Charlie asks me. I think back.

"The pasta Esme made me at their house." I tell him. Why do I feel ashamed? It's not my fault... wait! It is my fault. Charlie sighs in despair.

"So by lunch today it will have been 48 hours since you properly had any food and water?" he asks me incredulously. I nod slowly. He sighs and walks out of the room to clean out the bucket.

He comes back in a few minutes later and lowers my bed, so I'm lying down. "I'll leave you to rest now Bells. Call me if you need anything. I'm right down stairs. The nurses gave me some morphine tablets, so if you need them just let me know." he tells me. I smile and nod. "Love you." he says. My smile grows.

"I love you too daddy." I reply. He leaves the room, gently closing my door until a soft click is heard. Soon I'm asleep again, unable to stay awake any longer.

I wake up six times during the night. Each time varying from the next. I had the sandwich at 6pm and was asleep by 6:45.

At 8pm, I wake up retching. I have no contents in my stomach, so nothing comes up. I just dry-heave. Charlie hears me and rushes in. There isn't anything he can do though, he has to wait it out.

At 10:15pm, my neck and left arm are paralysed. I go to move my head in my sleep and can't, it wakes me up. I then try to reach up to my neck with my left arm, but it doesn't move either. It lasts for two hours. I can't sleep. I try to ignore it for an hour, but I get too worked up and have to shout for Charlie. He comes in and stays with me until it passes. He leaves my room at 12:30am and I soon go to sleep.

At 1:08am I wake up with back pain. I cry out but Charlie doesn't hear me. I don't blame him; he must be exhausted. I manage to get to sleep twenty minutes later.

At 2.12am, my body temperature wakes me up. I am freezing. My teeth are chattering - which hurts my gums - and I'm violently shaking. I am too cold to talk so I can't call for Charlie. I pull the covers up to my chin and wait for it to pass. I fall to sleep again at 2:37am.

At 3:24am, I'm the complete opposite. I'm burning up. Sweat coats my skin, my mouth is dry and I am struggling to breath. Charlie comes in - I don't know if he heard me panting or is just checking on me - and puts the fan on, that sits in the corner of my room. It helps a bit and I fall asleep close to 4 o'clock.

At 4:41am, a stabbing pain in the right side of my ribs wakes me up. I feel like I'm being pierced and speared continuously in the side. I scream and flinch - which causes pain in my other side, due to the angle I'm bending at. Charlie rushes into the room almost immediately. He repeatedly asks me what's wrong, but I can't answer. The pain mutes me. I assume he guesses the problem from my jerky movements. Again, there is nothing he can really do, except get me some pain medication. He does exactly that. He leaves the room to soon come back with some morphine tablets. I hate taking them. The affects of them knock me out soon after.

My alarm is set for 8am, to have some breakfast. I sleep for the rest of the night, undisturbed.

I'm startled awake by my alarm. My eyes snap open and I jump slightly. Everywhere hurts. Even my face; it hurts to yawn. When I do, I whimper quietly.

My door opens, and Charlie appears. He's holding a glass of water and a plate with two cookies. They're not your average, chocolate chip cookies. That wouldn't be a good idea with the vomiting at the moment. They're soft ginger cookies - bought specially for my nausea.

One time last summer, when Sue brought her children round, Leah went routing through the kitchen cupboard to find a snack. She found my ginger cookies and ate half the pack. Ten minutes later she was sick - ironic, right?

I eat them cautiously and drink the water. Charlie waits with me for fifteen minutes to see if something happens. Nothing does. I keep it all down. Charlie still wants me to be cautious. I feel nauseous an hour later, but it passes after a while.

For the morning, I sleep and listen to music. That's all I do! I'm too tired to do much else. I don't leave my bed.

When I crash, I tend to be bedbound. I don't leave my bed and I don't try to either. I let my body work itself out. There's no point in pushing myself, even the slightest, because it'll just make me worse.

When I wake up at lunch time, Charlie enters my room with another glass of water and some soda crackers. They're a good thing to eat if you've been vomiting... and they're super yummy.

I go to sleep after I eat them, when there is no sign of me puking. Charlie leaves me to sleep.

I wake up again sometime later. The room is silent; there is no longer a fan humming in the corner. This makes it easy for me to hear what's going on downstairs. I can hear voices; my dad's and Edward's? What is he doing here? He's meant to be at school. I glance at the clock on my nightstand, 3pm. Oh! I slept for quite some time.

Suddenly, I can hear the thumping coming up the stairs. The noise gets louder and closer until it stops. Unexpectedly, there's a knock at the door. It creaks open and Charlie pokes his head round. "Edward's here to see you." he tells me. "I figured I'd come and make sure it was okay for him to come in."

I nod eagerly. "Yes of course. Can you pass me my glasses? He'll need the light on." I ask him. My room is pretty dark right now. When I'm crashing, my photophobia gets really bad. I need lights off most of the time and my curtains are always closed.

Charlie nods and passes me the glasses from across the room, where he placed them yesterday. "I'm going to let you off with wearing no mask, but that's only so you can speak to him. Don't think it's going to be a regular thing. He says he has something to tell you." he says to me. I smile, big and wide.

"Thank you dad." I say. He smiles and leaves the room, flicking the light switch on his way out.

A couple minutes later, the same noises can be heard. The thumping of steps, gradually getting louder and closer, until it stops. Silence follows until there are two knocks on my bedroom door.

"Come in." I call. As if it's in slow motion, the door opens. Edward walks in and closes it over, but not completely. I sigh in content. He looks amazing... as always. I just want to jump up and hug him. I know I can't, but I wonder what it feels like. "Hey." I greet. He smiles that beautiful smile of his.

"Hi." he replies. "Your dad said that the door needs to be open a bit." he tells me. I roll my eyes. Seriously Charlie?

He smirks and walks to the other side of the room. He places his hand on the back of my rocking chair, and turns to me with an eyebrow raised, asking silently for permission. I nod and he slowly drags it over to my left side. He pushes it in as close as he can and then sits down.

He leans forward with his elbows on his knees, and reaches out for my hand. Gently, he picks it up and begins slowly stroking his thumb back and forth.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me after a few minutes of silence. His voice is full of so much emotion.

"I'm okay. Just sore and tired." I tell him. There's no point in evading the truth now; he knows it all. "How have you been? How was school?" I ask.

"Good. I'm good, it was good. I came here to speak to you about something" he says to me apprehensively, "...and to see you, of course." he quickly reassures. I smile at him, amused by his nerves. I grip his hand harder, hopefully giving him the strength that he needs. He's acting like he's about to tell me the world is ending.

"Okay... Eerm... I'm... eer... not sure if you're going to like this. Remember that it's just an idea and you don't have to agree. You might not even be feeling up to it so you don't have to worry about anything. And I don't want you to push your limits again because I want you to be back to normal soon. Well, as normal as can be, given the circumstances." he rambles on and on. His nerves are getting the better of him.

"Edward. Calm down. Whatever you need to tell me can't be that bad." I tell him. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Right. It's not bad. I was really excited to tell you and now I'm not so sure you'll like what I have to say." I raise an eyebrow at him. He's beginning to ramble again. "Right, sorry. So I... eer... spoke to Mr. Banner about the assignment and what could be done to allow you to still be involved." he begins. I have no idea where he is going with this. "And if you'd like, we can use Skype to connect you to the presentation tomorrow. We'll put you on the projector so people can see you..." I start shaking my head before he even finishes his last sentence. He trails off. "What? You don't like it?" he asks me.

"Thank you for thinking of me and trying to include me, but I don't think I'll be able to do it. I'm crashing so I won't be able to talk much without getting really tired," I say and then yawn, proving my point, "and I do not want all them people in class to see me like this. Especially Lauren and Angela." I tell him. He looks disappointed.

"Okay. It was just a possibility. I know how much you were looking forward to doing this. And don't worry about what people think of you. You look fine. Perfect even." he says, getting quieter towards the end. I blush as red as a rose and look away.

"Yeah okay, and Alice is Santa Claus." I say with a scoff. He shakes his head and chuckles.

"I mean it Bella. You shouldn't put yourself down so much. You're beautiful." Silence follows. He starts rotating his thumb in small, therapeutic circles on the back of my hand. I smile shyly. "It's a shame you won't be with me to do the presentation. You put all that hard work into it." he says. I hum in response. I was really looking forward to doing it. This is probably my only chance to do something like this. I also wanted to see the skeleton model in action; Edward worked so hard on it. Maybe I can watch and not be seen by anyone.

"What if we use Skype, but you keep the laptop screen facing you? So no one sees me and I can still watch. Because I'd still like to see our hardwork presented. Can you do it on your own?" I ask. Please say yes!

"Yeah of course. Yeah. That's a great idea. I can go to class before it begins so Mr. Banner can log in. He said we can do ours first so I'll go and get it set up before people come in." he says. I nod.

"Okay." I say. We spend another five minutes going over the details. He'll call at 12:20, ten minutes before the lesson starts.

"Right. Well, I'll see you tomorrow Bella." he says, but he doesn't make a move to leave.

"Yeah. Thank you for this Edward." I tell him. He starts leaning in... towards my lips. Butterflies invade my stomach. I close my eyes, anticipating my first kiss. Oh my God! Why am I so nervous?

I feel his breath on my face, on my lips. He changes his mind at the last second, and the air leaves my lips. I feel his lips press against my cheek instead. I slowly open my eyes. As he pulls away, I look at his face. His eyes are closed and a frown graces his lips. What is he thinking? He blinks quickly, as if he's clearing his thoughts.

He clears his throat and stands, wiping his palms on his jeans. "Bye Bella. See you tomorrow." he says as he begins walking out of the room.

"Goodbye Edward." I reply. He turns to smile before he leaves. I smile at his behaviour. What was he so nervous about? And then I frown. He was acting like he couldn't wait to get out. He's so confusing!

I don't have much of a chance to analyze his behaviour because I'm asleep not even two minutes after he leaves.

I slept most of Monday after Edward left. I was awake for an hour from 6pm. I ate some dry toast - which I kept down, thankfully - and did some scrapbooking. It's something I do when I'm crashing. It doesn't take up too much energy and I have a bed tray that I can do it on; that way nothing rests on my legs.

I went to sleep at 7pm. My night was bad again. I woke up four times.

It's now Tuesday morning, 8am. My neck is cramped and my jaw is throbbing. I've tried speaking to Charlie but I can't; the pain is too bad. I've had an ice pack up to my face for two hours.

I had some ginger cookies again - chewing was difficult - but this time they didn't work. I puked them all back up ten minutes later.

I'm currently led in bed, with my headphones in. I'm just trying to relax, despite the pain. I fall asleep at 8:30.

I'm woken up at midday by Sue. She's here to help me dress, ready for my video call with Edward and Mr. Banner. Her and Charlie help me sit up. My neck is a little better, but not completely free of pain. And I no longer need the ice pack. When I'm sat up, I notice how soaked I am. I've been sweating, a lot.

That's when I feel it. My whole body is on fire... well that's what it feels like. It's hot to touch and feels hot inside. I'm sweating a lot. Charlie leaves the room so Sue can help me change. She runs a cold, wet rag over my skin. It doesn't do much in helping me cool down, but it does make me feel cleaner.

After fifteen minutes, I'm dressed in thin, grey drawstring shorts and a thin, red sweatshirt with the word 'CHILL' printed on the front.

Sue calls Charlie in to help me lie back down. Afterwards, he uses the controller to sit me up. Sue places the bed tray over my lap and passes me my laptop. While it's loading up, my vision blurs. "Daddy." I pant, "I'm too hot." He looks at Sue who shrugs.

"Well, Eerm... if you wear your mask, I can open your window. But you have to keep the mask on." he tells me. I think about this for a minute. I won't be able to speak to either of them physically, but I can text Edward any responses. It's an idea.

"Okay." I say. Sue passes me my mask while Charlie walks over to the window. Once it's strapped onto my face, he opens up the window. I have to close my eyes because of the sunlight that gleams through. He quickly steps back and closes the curtains over the open window, still allowing air through. He walks back over to us.

Him and Sue both look at me and I stick my thumb up at them. "Okay, we'll leave you now. Have fun. Call us on your phone if you need anything." Charlie says. I nod and they leave the room, shutting the door behind them.

I log into my Skype account. While I'm waiting for Edward to call, I close my eyes, enjoying the breeze. It's a relief to my heated skin.

At exactly 12:20, the Skype 'incoming call' ringtone sounds from my laptop. I accept it and Edward appears on the screen. "Hey" he says. I wave at him. "You can't speak because of the mask, right?" I nod in response.

Mr. Banner appears next to him at that moment. He must've been wondering what Edward was talking about. He takes one look at me and has to do a double take. "Eerm... hey Bella. How... are eer... you?" I wave and then pick up my phone, quickly texting Edward.

Hey. I'm okay thanks.

I hear the ping through the speakers. Edward checks his phone, raises his head to look at me with a smirk and then shows the message to Mr. Banner. "Okay. Good. May I ask what the mask is for?" he asks, nervously. I know he's worried about sounding rude and nosey but I don't mind; after all, it's only Mr. Banner.

I text him again: Edward, you can tell him.

I hear the ping again. Edward checks his phone and begins telling Mr. Banner. "It's an allergy mask. When she's crashing-" Mr. Banner pulls a face of confusion at that word. "It's what you call a worsening of her illness. She crashes when she's over done something. You know? Like pushed her limits." he clarifies. Mr. Banner nods in understanding. "Anyway, when she's crashing, she's more prone to getting viruses, infections and illnesses because her immune system is weaker. So she wears the mask to filter the bad out of the air she breathes in. But she only wears it when she's outside or around people other then her dad and nurses." he finishes.

Mr. Banner looks shocked. It is a lot of information to take in. Wow! Edward really did take in everything Charlie said on Sunday.

"Why do you have it on at the moment Bella?" Mr. Banner asks. I see why he's confused. It's obvious to them that I'm in my bed - they can see the pillow behind me - and I'm alone.

I message Edward: My window is open so there's unwanted air coming in.

Edward relays the information out loud. Mr. Banner nods again. "Okay, so basically, Edward will go first. We're going to put the laptop on my desk facing him and away from the other students. Edward is going to sit with you, well with the laptop, while I start the class. We'll let them know you're on the screen and watching the presentation." he says. I nod my understanding, glad he's agreed to this.

I message Edward again: Tell Mr. Banner thank you from me.

"She says thank you." Edward says. I smile at him. Mr. Banner looks at me through the screen with a kind smile.

"You're very welcome Bella. I'm glad we've found a way that let's you watch your hard work completed." he says. I agree. I was gutted that I was missing out. This way I can be involved, kind of.

I hear a knock at a door. I know it's come from their side because it's muffled. Edward and Mr. Banner's eyes are both drawn away from me. "Come in." Mr. Banner announces. I hear the door open.

Edward's eyes widen and he quickly moves the laptop, so I'm not visible to the visitors. I'm about to message him and ask who it is, but I don't have to. I know who it is as soon as I hear their voice. "Hey Mr. Banner. Me and Angela wanted to speak to you about the assignment."

It's Lauren.

Edward doesn't talk, so I can hear what's being said - and so they don't know I'm there. He picks up his phone and starts to type. My phone pings moments later.

Bitches are here. Ugh! .I laugh quietly, not loud enough for anyone to hear me.

"Yes Lauren. What is it?" Mr. Banner sighs.

"Well" Lauren begins, "we decided that we didn't want to work with our partners, so we paired up instead. But we're going to need more time because this was only sorted out two days ago." she says.

Edward snickers, then quickly covers his mouth. Are they stupid?

"You want me to extend your entry date because you changed partners without asking me first?" Mr. Banner asks incredulously.

"Well... eer yeah! It's not that big of a deal. Right?" Lauren asks, now not sounding so confident. Angela has remained silent.

Edward rolls his eyes and I laugh out loud... very loud. Edward throws his head back and laughs along with me.

We were unprepared for what happened next...

"Hey Edward. Who are you talking to?" Lauren asks. And because Edward had his head thrown back, he didn't realise that Lauren was walking towards him. No one expected her to grab the laptop and swivel it round to face her and Angela.

I stop laughing immediately. I did not want her to see me like this. "Oh shit!" she exclaims, followed by loud guffaws. She doubles over with laughter. "Bella? You look ridiculous. What a joke!" And she continues to laugh. I sit there, frozen.

I see Angela stood behind her, like a statue, with tears in her eyes. She's looking straight at me. I avert my eyes, not wanting to see her pity.

The screen blurs with movement. I see Mr. Banner's shoulder and nothing else. "Lauren. Angela. You will both present whatever you have already, today. It better be good. You'll be up after Edward." Mr. Banner says. He's barely keeping himself together.

"As for your behaviour just now Lauren. What you have just said to Bella is horrendous. Absolutely despicable. You'll be staying back after lesson and I'll be taking you to the principal's office." he demands. I hear a few noises of disapproval. "Don't even fight me on this. You will do as I say. Now go and sit down. Both of you." I hear a huff and the stomping of feet, followed by a scurry of quieter steps.

"I'm sorry about that Bella." he says to me once he's pulled the laptop away from his chest. I shake my head at him, telling him it's fine; though the tears in my eyes disprove my intentions.

He places the laptop back in front of Edward, remorsefully. Edward looks guilty. It's not his fault. He's not looking at the screen, but at his lap.

I text him: HEY. Look at me. Don't worry about it. PLEASE!

He checks his phone. I see the hint of a smile on his face. He looks in Lauren's direction with a glare before turning to look at me. He smiles kindly. "Sorry" he mouths at me. I smile and shake my head.

I can hear people start to enter the classroom, the noise in the room getting louder and louder. The whole time, me and Edward have a silent conversation over text and facial expressions. I'm sure people are giving him strange looks, but he doesn't care.

The noise begins to settle and Edward moves so the back of the laptop is facing the students, and the back of him is facing the whiteboard.

"Okay class. Today you'll be presenting your assignments for the 'Skeletal System' unit. Edward here will be going first. As most of you know, Bella isn't able to be here, but she is currently on a video call so she can watch her presentation." he tells them as he points to his laptop.

"Okay Edward. Start when you're ready." Mr. Banner says, then moves out of my sight. Edward looks at me and winks, then sucks in a breath of encouragement and stands up.

He turns the laptop slightly - so I can see him and the model better - and begins the presentation. "The skeletal system, a.k.a our body, is a very complex thing..."

Ten minutes later, he's finished. It was amazing, better then I imagined it. Everything flowed perfectly. The skeletal system worked just as we planned. Edward did a wonderful job with it. I clap once he's said the concluding sentence. So does everyone else in the class.

Mr. Banner comes in front of the camera so I can see him and Edward. He awards us an 'A' for our assignment. I think I squeal slightly. He then asks if he can keep the skeletal model for the science department to use. We both nod our consent.

"Can I come by yours after school?" Edward asks me quietly. I see Lauren and Angela walk to the front of the class behind him, quietly bickering with each other.

Yes. But I may be asleep. I text him.

"Okay. I'll come by anyway. I'll bring Alice and Em with me." he says. I nod my agreement. We say our goodbyes and soon the screen is on the Skype home menu.

I sigh with happiness. I'm so glad I got to see the final product. This was as close to getting what I wanted as I could get, and I couldn't have done it without Edward... and Mr. Banner. I'm so thankful. I have no words.

It's not surprising that I'm asleep when Edward, Alice and Emmett stop by, but I don't mind. I'm so happy from earlier, that it doesn't bother me too much.

I just can't get over how amazing the Cullens are and how different my life has become since they moved into town.

A/N: Well that's it. I hope you enjoyed it. I didn't proof read this one as many times as I usually do, so I hope it's okay. I'll begin writing Chapter 11 either later today, or tomorrow. Thank you for reading and please review.

KS.reader

Image links:

Bella's 'CHILL' outfit - https/netflix_chill/set?.embedder=15863957.src=share_app.svc=pinterestid=181172171