Disclaimer: Twilight and all of its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plot is mine.

A/N: Gold stars galore for punkfaire. She is insanely awesome for putting up with all my crap.

Chapter 9: Just A Flicker

Song: "Hallelujah" –Paramore

I can't force these eyes to see the end.

***

Walking the halls of Forks High School, it was painfully obvious I was in uncharted territory.

We aren't in Kansas anymore.

In my head, I began to call this place the Anti Forks.

Everything was different, yet so much was the same. Some things were only minorly altered, while others were drastically dissimilar from the world I had known.

It was almost freeing, being in a new yet familiar place. The downside of course was my reputation. I hadn't learned all that much about the Isabella Swan in this universe, but apparently she was most known for being very easy. The people in these halls had already passed their judgments upon her, whether they were positive or not, I would have to discover for myself.

Every time someone approached, I curled my body into the walls as they walked passed. Some people slowed there steps to look at me, while others just snickered. I'm sure I looked insane, but I just couldn't halt the reflex.

I felt like a wild animal in a cage—everyone was pressing their faces closer to the bars, trying to catch a glimpse of the ever elusive Swan. Maybe if I had been stealthier and less clumsy, I would have been able to avoid him.

"Hey Isabella," he purred, placing his hand on the wall in front of me, thereby blocking my escape. I thought about turning around and walking away, but the look in his eyes made me fearful of what he might do to my backside. I had seen that look before—in the eyes of those men in Port Angeles.

When did I become so paranoid? Maybe he just wanted to ask to borrow something. Like a book or a pencil.

"Um hi," I replied uncertainly. Not knowing the nature of Isabella's friendship with Tyler, left feelings of unease. Hopefully, it was an innocent acquaintance and not something more.

"I haven't heard from you lately," he said, leaning closer.

"S-sorry. I've been…busy?" I grimaced as his eyes raked over my chest. Ok. Not a book or a pencil.

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me," he pouted. He lifted the hand that was resting at his side and placed it on my hip. I visibly flinched as he rubbed a circle around my hip bone. Taking a quick couple of steps back from his hands, I made a sound similar to "oof" as I backed into something hard.

Sucking in a huge breath, I turned around to apologize to whoever I had run into.

My eyes met a tight black shirt and I froze when my head tilted up to meet a harsh gaze of vibrant green.

My lungs were constricting, my fingers twitching, my breath hitching, and my nails scratching at the sides of my jeans. My toes tapped, my body was even less slack, and my heart was pounding as loud and as fast as my eyes were wide. My teeth were digging into my bottom lip, threatening to draw blood.

But he just stood there. Silent and still as a carving created with perfect precision and doused in an aroma that could have been considered sinful for any being to possess.

Two days had been far too long.

The soft lips of the sculpture parted and I waited with baited breath for his musical voice to reach my ears. It didn't matter if he didn't know me, he was still Edward.

"Watch where you're going," he glared before shutting his locker and walking in the opposite direction. I followed his movements, watching the fluid way he drifted through the halls. I was completely mesmerized until I felt that same pressure on my hip. Breaking the trance his form had created, I turned abruptly to see Tyler, licking his lips.

Backing away from his hands again, I looked at his innocent smile suspiciously. His eyes retained a glint of mischief and determination as he started moving closer and I continued to back away. Much to my dismay, my back made contact with a wall and I knew I was trapped.

There wasn't a teacher in sight and the hall was almost entirely empty. The only students around just kept their gazes trained on the floor in front of them, ignoring what they could hear happening just feet away.

Tyler placed his hand back on that same spot, even going so far as to poke his thumb underneath the line of my jeans to graze the lacey fabric of my underwear, but I quickly removed it.

"Don't be like that baby," he purred, trying to sound seductive. In actuality, I was trying my hardest not to vomit at his advances.

This time he put his hand on my other hip, throwing me off and allowing him to trail his hand up my side.

"Don't touch me," I spat, feeling the familiar fear creeping under my skin, causing all of the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.

I'm sure he could somehow sense my fear, perhaps feel it in the air and see it in my eyes because he grinned.

"Come on baby. You know how much you liked it last time."

I shuddered, trying not to imagine whatever Isabella had done with Tyler—to Tyler. Taking the involuntary reaction as a sign of arousal, he pushed me forcefully against the wall, applying more pressure. I was trapped.

"Don't," I whimpered, feeling utterly defeated under his touch. No one had touched me this way in so long, that I was far too shocked to do anything. I didn't like the feeling of his hands on my body, but I couldn't get the command from my brain to reach my limbs. I couldn't move.

"She said no," a furious voice interjected from my left. Shifting slightly, I looked at the owner of the voice I would know anywhere.

His jaw was clenched and his whole body was tensed as he glared at Tyler. Feeling my stare, he directed his gaze at me. He must have seen the alarm in my expression when our gazes locked because his suddenly softened. He still held all of the anger in his eyes and in the tense of his jaw, but his features almost seemed…sympathetic?

"It's none of your business Cullen. Isabella wants this," he said, frustrated with the interruption.

Tyler was still pushing me into the wall, his hands groping the skin at my sides through my shirt. The books and notebooks in my backpack were pressing into my back uncomfortably, likely leaving indentations in my skin.

Edward hadn't stopped looking at me. "Do you want him?" he asked. This Edward was very blunt.

"N-no," I stuttered, afraid that if my denial wasn't strong enough, he would leave me in Tyler's clutches.

"She's just playing hard to get," Tyler groaned, narrowing his eyes at me in annoyance.

"Contrary to what you may have been raised to believe, when a woman says no, she means no. Remove your hands or—"

"Or what?" Tyler sneered, cutting him off.

"Or I will remove them for you. Trust me, you'd rather remove them yourself to prevent a few of your fingers from breaking in the process."

I stared at Edward with wide eyes. He was speaking in one of the calmest voices I had ever heard him use, but at the same time, the sincerity of it was more frightening than Tyler could ever be. Tyler must have just taken it as an empty threat because he snorted. If only he knew what Edward was capable of…

Tyler leaned forward, puckering his lips in a way that made it look like he might swallow my face whole. Before Tyler's mouth came anywhere close to mine, Edward yanked him backward. Unfortunately, Tyler grabbed my shoulders to try to keep his balance and ended up dragging me down with him.

Knees stinging upon impact with the linoleum, I watched Edward open one of the longer lockers and shove Tyler's body inside, shutting and locking the door behind him. Gaping at one of the most cliché high school experiences, I strained to hear the sound of Tyler banging around in his metal prison.

There was no sound.

He knelt down in front of me, eyeing my disheveled clothes which had become so from Tyler's groping. "Are you alright?"

I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Yeah. I think so." Hugging my knees up to my chest, I tried to stare at anything but his face. It was hard enough being in front of him and all I longed to do was gaze at him for hours on end, but I needed to settle down my already terrified heart.

My eyes shot to him, forgetting their previous decision to avoid his features when he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. That simple touch negated all of the work I was doing moments ago to calm down. Every cell in my body was fluttering with life, worse from the adrenaline that was still very much present.

"Are you well enough to attend class?" he asked, staring at my opened mouth expression with worry.

No I wasn't ready. I would much rather stay in this hall with you than hide in the library.

"Yeah," I gulped, staring at my shoes as I pried myself off the floor. "I'm fine."

I noticed him retract his hand back to stuff it into his pocket, and I felt a little pang of regret. Had I known he was offering to help me up, I would have gladly taken it.

God, I'm like an insane stalker or something.

I frowned as I thought of how badly I wanted his touch. Enough to even consider purposely tripping in the hopes that he would stop me from falling.

I shook my head. No, you're not insane. You're just desperately in love with a mythical being that thinks you're someone else.

"Thank you," I sighed, darting my eyes to the locker. Whoever the owner was would be getting quite the surprise…

"No woman deserves that type of treatment," he said simply.

Offering a small smile, I reluctantly continued on my path to the library. I knew he was following me. I could feel it. I didn't look back though. He cleared his throat as I was passing the doorway to the cafeteria. Taking a deep breath, I stopped to look back at him.

"Aren't you going to get something to eat?" he asked.

Raising an eyebrow at his question, I replied, "No I wasn't planning to." It should have been obvious that I didn't want anything by the way I dismissed the wafting odors. The only scent that interested me was something I couldn't begin to describe. It was the natural cologne of the vampire standing feet away in confusion.

"Very well," he murmured, striding into the awaiting chatter of the room without a backwards glance.

---

Lunch was over and the scent of dusty old books didn't have the calming effect I had hoped it would. There were only two things that drew away the bitter thoughts of life. One of which I was about to be granted, the other would have to come later.

Edward was sitting in his seat, staring at his hands. The closer I got, the easier it was to make out his expression. His face was almost entirely emotionless, but the curve of his brow belayed his frustration and confusion. He stiffened at the sound of my chair scratching at the floor. I mentally chastised myself for lacking grace and interrupting his reverie.

Not knowing where to look, I examined my hands and wondered what could be so complex about his. More than likely, his thoughts had nothing to do with his hands at all. Perhaps he was thinking about what happened earlier. The same thing had been on my mind all lunch.

"Take out your books and read chapter fourteen," Mr. Banner waved his hand and wheeled over to his computer.

I groaned in irritation when I noticed my Chemistry book was missing. With all of that had happened at lunch with Tyler, I had forgotten to retrieve my book. It wasn't that I really needed it, for I had already read most of the book. Nevertheless, I always brought it as a distraction.

I jumped when a pale finger tapped the space in front of me on the black table top. Following up the arm of the hand, I noted his biceps bulging beneath the confines of his black shirt. His broad shoulder blades increased my flushed face, until I saw the smirk on his face. His amusement had surely stained my cheeks in a permanent state of crimson.

"You forgot your book."

"I was a little distracted earlier."

"Tyler?" he asked with furrowed brows.

"Yes," I answered, embarrassed he had to step in at all. Of course I was grateful, but I just didn't like him having to see me in a compromising position.

You aren't together. It doesn't matter how he sees you.

"Would you like to borrow my book?"

I glanced at it in uncertainty. "How will you read the chapter?" I asked dumbly. After going through high school so many times and with his memory, he definitely didn't need it. He could probably quote the whole book if I asked him to. That is, if he knew the truth and could bear to speak with me.

"I have already read it," he smirked, sliding the book in front of me. Our hands grazed each other for a moment, causing a small gasp to leave my mouth. Withdrawing his hand quickly, he stared down at the now vacant area in front of him.

Despite everything…this new world, this new Edward, this new Bella…a jolt of that same electricity shot up my arm and tingled in my toes. My skin hadn't buzzed like this in quite some time, but I recognized it instantly.

To my surprise, it was different.

The hum wasn't the same, but it wasn't any less enjoyable. There seemed to be a twinge of something that I couldn't quite explain. Sort of like the chill you get when you can somehow sense danger, but different than that too. There wasn't fear, just that soft, yet intense hum.

He was quiet after that, only making noise when he shifted in his chair every so often. I knew the sounds he made were solely for my benefit. The gracefulness he possessed showed even in those artificial sounds.

I resorted to pretending to read the chapter. He had after all been very kind in letting me borrow it and I felt it was my duty to not let that act go to waste. His behavior today had been almost a complete one eighty from his usual abrasiveness. Tyler was probably the cause. I bet that little interaction had increased his pity for me ten fold. Edward now pitied me enough to withhold his hateful words.

I grimaced at my hand. If I been more careful and kept my hands to myself, he may have continued to talk to me like he was before. I didn't regret his touch; in fact I was trying to suppress the emotion akin to happiness and relief from bubbling to the surface. It wasn't the real thing—never the real thing. But it was the closest I had ever gotten since my last birthday.

"You can stop pretending."

I snapped my gaze up to Edward, finding his eyes trained on my hand. I moved it to my lap.

"Pretending?" I gulped. Did he know the truth? Had Rosalie or Jasper revealed my secret? Had he somehow discovered it in my touch? Had he figured it out through one of Alice's visions?

"You have been pretending to read the chapter ever since I loaned you my book. Why?"

I sighed in relief, glad that all of my worrying had been misplaced. "I've already read the chapter," I admitted, my face heating up. Before either of us could say anymore, Mr. Banner chose that moment to call the class to attention.

"Tomorrow we are going to be dealing with acids and bases," Mr. Banner announced, earning a collective cheer of excitement from some of the students and a groan from me. With my track record, I would probably wind up looking like Harvey Dent at the end of Dark Knight.

"While the chemicals are not as corrosive as what you may have seen in movies, it is still dangerous for them to come in contact with your skin and would result in minor burning. That being said, everyone needs to come to class in appropriate attire," he stared pointedly at some of the girls, warranting a few giggles from them and groans from the males of the class.

"That means legs and feet must be completely covered, but arms cannot and long hair must be tied back. No acrylic nails and no flammable hair products like hairspray," this brought about the angry mumbling of just about every female in the class. I didn't see the big deal. Fake nails were impossible to navigate with and they could go one day without.

"If you do not comply with these rules, you will not participate," he finished as the bell rang.

When I turned back to Edward, he was already gone. The Chemistry book was still curiously lying open on my desk.

Why did he leave it? It couldn't be because he thought I would need it. He knew that I didn't need it and that I had my copy in my locker. So why leave it?

Maybe he just wanted to leave without having to talk to you.

I sighed heavily, picking up my stuff and grabbing his book before exiting the room. At least now I had a reason to speak to him tomorrow. If it had been anyone else, I would have hunted them down in fear of preventing them from getting their homework done. I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't need it though.

---

I stood there with the other girls wearing the official uniform for Gym. I was lucky to find Rosalie in the locker room, turned out she had Gym right before me, and asked her to help me find my locker. I remembered how she laughed at my shocked face when I removed the thin fabric from my locker. Despite the consistently low temperature of Forks year round, the uniform included a thin tank top and a pair of tiny shorts. Both were far too clingy to my body and made me feel naked like every single one of my flaws was put on display.

"SWAN!" a short plump woman yelled as she waddled toward me. I honestly had no idea who she was.

"Oh no. It looks like Mrs. Hall has a bone to pick with you," Jessica whispered from my left, offering me a sympathetic smile.

The woman was dressed in bright blue stretch pants, a lime green shirt, and a bright pink jacket. She resembles a cross between Barney and a penguin with a chain dangling from her neck, the whistle on the bottom moving back and forth with her steps.

"Bout time you showed up. Explain yourself."

"I haven't been…um," I stuttered under her beady eyes. She may have looked like Violet from Willy Wonka after she blew up like a blueberry, but she was a little scary. "…feeling well."

She looked me up and down for a moment, before darting her eyes to the chart in her hands. "As it stands, you've missed nine days. That's ninety points you can't make up," she lifted an eyebrow, challenging me to contradict her.

I was a little more than surprised. I knew that I had skipped five days, but it was still shocking when she pointed it out like that. Plus, four of those days weren't mine. I wonder how much Isabella used to ditch…

"You're going to have to make that up. I want a four page paper on sports." I stared at her doubtfully. Was that all it took to raise my grade?

She tapped her foot expectantly with her hand on her hip. Realizing I was meant to answer, I hurriedly agreed.

"Good. Now go run the track. THAT INCLUDES ALL OF YOU," she bellowed, turning her piercing stare to the group of girls comparing their behinds. I almost laughed at how stupid they looked.

The amusement disappeared when they all glared at me like I was the reason they had to abandon their meaningful conversation to run. Jessica was still at my side.

"Running in Gym class? That's so last year," she said sarcastically. I smiled a little at her joke. It wasn't a real smile, but I appreciated how nice she was to me. This Jessica wasn't annoying and I already liked her more than the other one.

We ran around the track so many times I thought my legs were going to fall off, partially because of the amount of times I had fallen. Four times so far.

Every time I would slow my pace to prevent my clumsy tendencies from making them known, Mrs. Hall would blow her whistle and shriek "SWAN". Eventually I gave up on trying to complete the laps without tripping and just let the pain come. Bruises would adorn my knees, but at least Mrs. Hall would have her blood, I thought bitterly.

The sound of her whistle hit my ears and I couldn't have been happier to hear it once I glanced at the clock. Halting my steps, I tenderly pressed my hands to my knees and leaned forward as I struggled to breathe. My throat and lungs burned, my legs ached, and my stomach churned. Rigorous exercise mixed with my eating habits, or lack thereof, created a terrible combination. I would have to eat something tonight.

---

The experience of pulling into the empty driveway was bittersweet. Part of me recognized the usual initial reaction—relief. Recalling this feeling increased my guilt as I pondered the reason for it.

I was relieved Charlie wasn't here.

As I climbed out of my truck, I passed my reflection in one of the mirrors. Such a daunting thing it was—to look at my own face. To see every single one of my flaws, physical and not, and notice the lifeless torment in my gaze. I didn't usually stare for so long, but I couldn't tear my eyes away now because there was something else there.

Something I hadn't seen in so long that it seemed strange and out of place.

A tiny flicker of hope.

A/N: Lighter than all of the chapters so far. I wasn't laying on the depression as thick as usual, but we are getting somewhere. I barely read through this. If you noticed an army of mistakes, please let me know. So we broke 200 reviews and you guys reviewed Chapter 7 like nobody's business (41). When we hit 300 reviews, I'll post another EPOV. Because I'm greedy like that.

Preview to all who review. PS: How did you guys like that little bit of EPOV last chapter?