AN: Hey guys, I know it's been two months but here's my next chapter. Thanks to my new beta reader KatastrophicKat.

I think Coach doesn't realise that I've noticed him keeping an eye on me. Or maybe he did realise and just didn't care. Either way, I wish he'd stop. I could tell he was waiting for an emotional breakdown or for my grades to drop or something like that but I'm fine. I've told him a million times and he won't listen to me. It's kind of creepy how much like a stalker he is. If I didn't know better, I'd be worried for my safety. For the most part, he keeps his concern as covered up as possible but it's this one day at practice when he speaks up and confronts me about how I'm coping. He just needed a reason to bring it up, like losing my temper.

By Thursday I've noticed that I've been very irritable the whole week and I can't be sure if it has anything to do with the incident. It's probably just a hormonal thing or whatever. It doesn't stop me from going to practice every day, even if it means I have to deal with Lauren. I suck it up and make my way to the change rooms and get into my suit. It goes well if you ignore the fact that Lauren doesn't seem to know when to shut her mouth. She especially talkative today but I do my best to ignore her. By the end of the first hour I'm proud of myself because I've managed to convince myself that she doesn't really exist. I'm able to do what I have to do without getting irritated by her. But of course, it last long. It's near the end of the session when she decides she wants to talk to me directly and probably intentionally piss me off. She starts going on about how she's surprised that I haven't drowned yet being as clumsy as I am. By now I should have hit my head in a dive or slipped off the diving stand when the gun goes. "I suppose with your luck it won't last because, let's face it, you're a walking disaster. I mean, trouble follows wherever you go apparently. We should probably have a paramedic on standby." At first I don't entertain her and go on about my business but of course, she keeps at it, moving on to how I'm my own life hazard and shit. Eventually she says something she really shouldn't have said. "Careful you don't end up like those missing girls on CSI or something."

It's not something I planned so even I didn't see myself turn and give her a back hand with more force than I thought I was capable of. It's only when she stumbles back and lands on her ass that I realise that I'd just struck her across the cheek. I'm just as stunned by action as everyone else in the room is. They're all looking at me with wide yes, Lauren included from her spot on the concrete floor. I probably have the same expression on my face as they do. I'm not really shocked because I finally hit her but because she's much bigger than I am: taller and definitely sturdier. I never thought I would have been able to knock her off her feet. Somewhere not so deep down inside me, I'm pleased with myself for doing it.

I should've known that Coach would jump at the opportunity to make a fuss over me.

Rushing over, he obviously has to make sure that Lauren is okay first. I roll my eyes as she put a hurt look on her face like I was her puppy and I bit her out of the blue for no apparent reason. Coach takes a second to glare at me which makes me want to roll my eyes even more. "We're done for today. You can all get changed and leave." I know that excludes me but it doesn't stop me from picking up my bags and making for the change rooms. I use a bathroom stall because I'm not in the mood to have everyone staring at me. I probably should have thought of that before I hit another girl. Something at the back of my mind reminds me that Lauren probably doesn't even qualify as human but anyway . . .

I wait till everyone is gone before I leave the changing room. Of course, Coach and Lauren are waiting there for me to show up. Lauren is glowering at me but I can see the satisfaction in her face. She likes that I'll probably end up being sent to the principal or something serious like that. All I can say is that it was so worth it and I wouldn't take back. Coach has his arms crossed over his wide chest. E movies.. He gestures for me to sit down next to Lauren on the bleachers with what I think is an over dramatic sigh. I make an effort to sit as far from Lauren as I could without falling off my seat.

"Explain yourself," I all he says as looks at me sternly like he plans on sending me to room or something corny from the movies. He has one of his fingers tapping on his arm as he waits for an explanation and all I can think is how much he looks like a teacher and how great he'd look in a well-fitting, V-necked sweater vest, the checkered kind that male teachers wear in cartoons. "Well?"

"She was being rude." I say to him blankly, getting my mind out of the gutter. "She was trying to piss me off, it worked and I hit her."

Lauren swivels her entire body to look at me in obviously false outrage. "Rude? Coach, I was just trying to have a conversation with her." It only makes me want to hit her again and I feel like I'm about to when Coach tells Lauren that she'll get her turn to speak.

He looks expectantly, waiting for me to continue. "She was being rude," I say, not looking at either of them because I'm pissed with them both. Not equally but I feel like I've been put in a corner. "She crossed a line and I reacted."

When I look up again, Coach is rubbing the back of his neck and Lauren is giving me the evil eye. "Bella, you can't just go around hitting people when you get mad. It doesn't work that way."

"Well, when Lauren learns to keep her mouth shut and keep rude thoughts to herself," I spit, trying to melt her away from the corner of my eye, "I might learn not to hit her."

Lauren puts a lot of effort into looking shocked and offended as if I were attacking her suddenly without cause. "Listen, it's not my fault if you have issues, Bella. Leave me out of them."

I keep my eyes to myself and try to ignore her. I really wanted to hit her again. It felt so good the first time I would probably have to snap my hands off if I had to resist a second time. Coach shakes his head at me like a disappointed parent. "Bella, this isn't like you. I didn't think you'd be the kind to start fights."

I don't look him in the yes. Instead I look at the massive school badge painted on the wall behind him. It looks like it was painted by a withdrawing meth addict. The line were all wobbled as if the painter couldn't keep his hand steady. Part of me wondered why they hadn't painted over it yet. "I didn't start a fight. She was rude and I taught her a lesson."

"That's a poor attitude to have," he says in his teacher voice that is starting to get on my nerves. I hate how he's totally ignoring the fact that I wouldn't hit Lauren for no reason. "You can go around hitting other students like this."

What she said told me that she deserved it. "Yeah? Then ask her what she said to me. Ask her." And he'd better understand because he was the only other person there. He saw what almost happened and he'd been the one to get me out of that situation. He looks at Lauren, waiting for to tell her side of the story and before she opens her mouth, just by the smug look on her face, I know she's going to lie through her teeth.

She looks at me like she has me trapped then says, "I just wanted to invite her on a weekend trip to —" I'm so pissed off that I don't think about it, I just lunge and at her, ready to tear her hair out from the roots. And I almost have her too but an arm around my waist and a hand grabbing my arm rob of the two and a half inches I need to make it happen. For a second, I struggle against him, even though I know there's no possible way I could escape his hold, and when I've let it all out I let him carry me off to the corner. "Stay here," he says firmly, "And don't move until I tell you."

I just cross my arms resentfully and lean back against the wall as he walks back to where Lauren is sitting, pretending to be traumatized. I couldn't hear what they were saying but their words sort of bounced off all the concrete and tile surfaces in the huge room. After a while he sends he off and walks over to me, shaking his head again. I have no interest in what he has to say. I'll just say nothing until he's done and lets me go.

He stands right in front of me, almost mirroring me with his arms crossed over his chest. I look down at his feet because his face is so disapproving. And because he looks sort of handsome with his face that serious. I listen to him lecture me about fighting and how it's not like me to get into such things and all the stuff a guidance counsellor would say. And then he gets to the point I know he's just been dying to bring up. "Are you sure you don't need to talk to someone?"

I know what he means and I don't have to think about the answer. "I told you. That's staying between the two of us. I don't need therapy I'm fine."

"You're obviously fine. You just go around hitting people because it's fun," he says with sarcasm and I'm tempted to mention that slapping Lauren was the most fun I've had in a while.

I shrug, "Yeah, well she did me I'd probably end up dead someday soon so, whatever. Are we done now?" He obviously wasn't expecting that and he has no idea what to say to me so I just walk past him to get my things and leave. "See you tomorrow, Coach," I say as I move past him again on my way to the door. I don't walk slowly either. I don't want him to decide to call me back and have a deep emotional chat.

I get to my room as quickly as possible and decide to call Charlie. Angela immediately assumes that I'm calling the mysterious guy I was with on Saturday until I loudly and enthusiastically greet, "Hi, dad!" We talk for a while and for once, I don't bring up the tension between him and Renee. I promise to send him pictures of my costume after tomorrow's party and make good use of the slowly healing scar on my temple. At the end of it I find I'm still pissed off by Lauren.

The rest of the night I spend waiting for Angela to fall asleep before I sneak out. She wouldn't stop me but I've gotten into the habit of waiting. I don't immediately relax as I slip through the open panels like I usually do. I feel like I need to get into the water as soon as possible so I don't waste any time moving out of the room and crossing the room and heading for the light switch that turns on the lights inside the pool. At this rate, I don't see it coming when I walk smack! into a wall of abs and flat on my ass as usual. Well shit.