A/N: READ!!For some reason, fan fiction won't let me edit my documents on the web so bear with me – I'll edit everything once it stops being mean. I hope you like this chapter. I couldn't believe how many of you actually thought Edward would do that! Well, I hate flashbacks but in this chap, it's necessary. Did anyone catch the hint that Edward didn't do it in the last chapter? I know I didn't tell you guys this but I hope that you gathered from the Twilight saga that Edward's handwriting is NEAT. Now I bet a ton of you are going to go back and be like "OH! I SEE IT!" because it says that the handwriting of Edward's name is MESSY! How many of you truly caught that but were afraid to review? I don't bite, just so you know. And I've gotta say, you guys rock! This story has 87 REVIEWS! And I don't even have a completed story on fan fiction. WOW! Thanks! Enjoy the chapter!
……………………………………
M A S Q U E R A D E
Chapter 14
BPOV
Song: 'Whatever It Takes' by Lifehouse (it's very fitting for this chapter)
……………………………………
I ripped the paper off the wall and balled it up in my hand. I then ran out of the locker room and out to the parking lot.
Don't cry, he's not worth crying over. Don't cry, he's not worth it, I repeated over and over in my head. My mantra didn't help much for I felt tears brimming to the surface.
"Oh my god! Bella, what happened?" Alice rushed over to my side and embraced me. "Please don't cry Bella," she whispered.
Another stab. Those were the exact words he said the night of the storm.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Rose asked as she took her turn to hug me. I offered them the crumpled up piece of paper.
"That-that-that stupid filthy no good jerk!" Rose yelled. "He should stop being the ass he is for once and just become a decent person! The next time I see him I will so give him a piece of my mind and maybe a slap, too!"
"But-but-but," Alice stuttered. "I don't get it," she whispered.
Emmett climbed out of his car. "Bella? What's wrong?"
Rose shoved the paper in his face and went back to hugging me and stroking my hair. "It'll be okay, Bella," she said softly. "He won't ever be able to have children when I'm done with him. And then he'll need a wheel chair when Alice is through with tormenting him. Then, when Emmett's done, he'll be lucky if he can get out of bed," she cooed.
I nodded my head absentmindedly.
Emmett gritted his teeth. "I should kill him right now! Where is he?" he growled.
"You guys, don't get in trouble over me because of some stupid piece of paper. You're better than that," I said, wiping the tears away that had fallen without permission.
"Bella, don't you dare stand there and act like nothing happened." Alice glared at me.
"I just mean that you shouldn't go through the trouble – he's not worth it." I sniffed.
Rose sighed. "You're right but I really, and I mean really, want him dead right now."
I laughed lightly through my tears.
"C'mon, let's get you home." Alice draped her arm over my shoulder and sat in the backseat of Emmett's car with me.
The whole ride home they tried to cheer me up with silly stories. I almost forgot about what had happened because if my mind forgot about it, my heart never would.
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EPOV (Edward's Point of View)
I stepped out of the showers with a towel securely around my waist. I walked to my locker but something didn't look right. I looked back to the bulletin board. It was missing something but I couldn't tell what.
Then it hit me – The Hottest Unattainable Girls List. I wonder why they took it down. It was stupid in the first place but they practically worshipped that stupid piece of paper. I remember when they put it up several days ago.
Flashback
"Dude? Did you see the new girl?" Jack asked.
"Dude, she's hot!" Tyler interjected.
I rolled my eyes. They didn't really know her – heck, I didn't even know her, and I still liked her.
"I know man!" Jack went on. "That's why I made this." He pulled out a bright piece of yellow paper.
"Hey! What's that?" Mark joined.
"I updated," Jack paused for dramatic effect, "The List."
"What list?" I asked.
"You know, the one that lists the five hottest girls in school," Mark prompted.
"I never knew there was a list," I said sarcastically with mock excitement. "Why are you guys always so immature?"
"Is that a new list?" Newton asked from out of nowhere.
Mark nodded excitedly.
"Hey everybody! Listen up!" Mike yelled. "Jack made a new list!"
There were excited whoops throughout the locker room.
I sighed but gathered my stuff up, getting ready to leave. There was a reason why none of them were captain – they were just down right messed up, well, except for Jasper.
"Who's on the list?" Tyler shouted.
Jack cleared his throat. "In fifth, we have Olivia Perkins, but she's taken. In fourth, we have a taken Sidney Matthews. For third place – and Jasper'll like this – the newly taken Alice Cullen."
"You take my sister off that list right now," I growled, marching over to the group of boys.
"Or what?" Mark asked.
I rolled up my shirtsleeve. "Or you'll wish you were never born," I threatened.
"You and what army?" Mike smirked.
"I won't hesitate to help him beat you up," Jasper inserted.
They rolled their eyes.
"In fourth, we have-"
"I said to take. My sister. Off that list. Right. Now," I growled menacingly.
"Shut up Cullen," Newton sneered.
I wound my arm back but was unable to swing it forward. I looked back to see Jasper – always so calm Jasper – holding my arm back with a hostile expression on his face.
"As much as I'd like to punch him too, this is not the time or place," he said between gritted teeth.
I glared at Newton but slowly lowered my arm. "You disgust me," I hissed.
Mike snorted but took the list from Jack. "Rosalie Hale – who happens to be taken – has fourth place. And drum roll please…the single Bella Swan has first place." Some of the guys whooped.
My anger flared at Bella's name. Not only was my sister on that wretched list but so was her friend, Rosalie, and her best friend and my…infatuation, obsession, or 'crush' – for lack of a better word – Bella.
"Can I punch him now?" I asked Jasper through gritted teeth.
He shook his head and put a firm hand on my shoulder so I balled up my hands. Don't let your temper get the best of you, I scolded myself.
"Hey Mark? I bet I can get a date with her and you can't," Make taunted.
Just ignore them Edward…
"Oh yeah?" Mark asked.
Newton smirked and nodded.
"Well I bet that I can before you," Mark said.
"Guys, guys, guys. This can be settled in a more mature manner," Jack said.
Finally, someone gets some sense.
"We can all write our names on The List. Then we chip in our money and whoever gets to date her first gets the cash," he continued
Right when I think that they have finally gotten some morals and common sense it goes right out the window.
"That is the stupidest idea I've ever heard of," Derek called from his locker.
"No it's not," Mark sneered.
My patience was wearing thin as he wrote on the paper.
He then passed the paper to the others in the group. Will wrote his name before I could read what Mark wrote. Once I read it, my patience snapped.
"You aren't going to make a bet for a date to get money," I hissed.
"Oh yeah? And what're ya gonna do about it?" Newton taunted.
I wound my fist back and before Jasper could stop me I had punched Newton square in the jaw. "I'll do that," I growled.
Mike clutched his jaw and whimpered.
Mark waved the paper around. "What's got your panties in a knot?" he asked.
"This is wrong," I snapped.
"Ooh… Is it a touchy subject Edward? You get all of the girls but the one girl that you want the most you can't have."
I grimaced. I didn't need reminders.
"Eh! Why don't we add Edward to the bet?" Jack shouted.
Some of the guys cheered and pumped their fists in the air.
"Well Mr. Cullen, on the bet list you go." Jack scribbled down my name.
"Get rid of that list right now," I said calmly, menacingly.
Jasper grabbed my arm firmly – he could tell this wouldn't be good.
"No thank you," Jack sang as he taped the list onto the wall.
Before he could finish taping it, I had lunged out of Jasper's grasp and pounced onto Jack, taking Newton down in the process. I pulled my arm back and shot it straight into Jack's face. I wound my arm back again but was stopped by Jasper, once again.
"Mr. Cullen! What is the meaning of this?!" Coach Lee boomed.
I opened my mouth but was cut off.
"My office, now!"
End Flashback
I grimaced at the memory. I was forced to keep the stupid paper on the wall by the coach because "they can put up what they want" according to Coach Lee or else I would be banned from the team and suspended. I was just glad it was gone.
I pulled my clothes on and tried to dry my hair with my towel. I collected my belongings and tossed the dirty towel in the hamper. On my way out of the locker room, I spotted something.
On the ground was a delicate chain. It had bigger than normal chain links – a charm bracelet. I examined it carefully. The only charm it had was a little jewel-encrusted flower.
I knew I'd seen it before – it was Bella's. But…what was Bella doing in the guys' locker room?
I shook my head and slid the bracelet into my pocket.
I smiled at the thought of Bella. She was beautiful, brilliant, funny, sweet, caring, and…perfect – In every single way.
I loved how she bit her lip, how warm her brown eyes were, how she smiled, how her forehead wrinkled just the tiniest bit when she was deep in thought, how she could be slightly clumsy but graceful at the same time, how she smelled, how she felt against me, how she blushed, how innocent and oblivious she was sometimes…I loved every single thing about her. I couldn't find one imperfection in her.
I exited the locker room and headed to my car.
"Edward!"
I glanced behind me to see Derek and Jasper jogging over to me.
"What's up?" I asked warily.
"Well, we're having a party at my house and I was wondering if you wanted to come," Derek said.
I shook my head. "I think I'm going to go home."
"It wouldn't be the same without our captain there." Derek pouted.
"I should get home…"
Jasper rolled his eyes. "Edward, you know and I know that you can come to the-"
His cell phone interrupted his sentence. He looked at the phone and then back up at me and then back down to his phone. "Um, Edward? Alice text messaged me and it says to tell you that you have to go to your house immediately. She says it's urgent."
I scrunched up my eyebrows. What would've happened within the last twenty or so minutes? "Tell her I'm on my way." I hurried over to my Volvo and sped home faster that usual.
I parked my car in the garage and climbed up the porch. I slid my house key into the lock and pulled open the door only to be slapped.
I rubbed my jaw. That hurt. What an understatement.
"Edward…how-how could you?" Alice whispered. She had tears streaming down her face.
I blinked. What the hell? "Alice…what are you talking about?" I asked softly.
"Don't act like you don't know!" She threw her hand up in the air as her voice rose in pitch. "You never gave a fuck for Bella!"
I stared at her, astonished. My heart clenched – this wasn't going to be good. "Alice, what's wrong? Is Bella hurt?" I asked frantically.
"Yes! Because of you, you-you-you ass! You arrogant, egotistical, self–centered womanizer!"
A strangled smile fell
from your face
What kills me that I hurt you this way
The worst
part is that I didn't even know
Now there's a million reasons for
you to go
But if you can find a reason to stay
Bella…was crying…because of me? "Alice? What exactly did I do?"
She rolled her eyes. "As if I need to spell it out for you." She threw a balled up bright yellow piece of paper at my head.
I cached it in my hand and slowly unwrinkled it. "Alice…? Did…did Bella see this?" I whispered through the growing lump in my throat.
I'll do whatever it
takes
To turn this around
I know what's at stake
I know that
I've let you down
And if you give me a chance
Believe that I
can change
I'll keep us together whatever it takes
"Oh, so now you get it. Of course she saw it!" Alice started to go into hysterics.
I felt my heart pause and then break out into a sprint. My skin pickled. This could not be happening.
I roughly grabbed Alice's shoulders and shook her until she stopped her grumbling. "Alice? Where is she?"
She said "If we're
gonna make this work
You gotta let me inside even though it
hurts
Don't hide the broken parts that I need to see"
She
said "Like it or not it's the way it's gotta be
You gotta
love yourself if you can ever love me"
"What are you doing?!" Alice screamed.
"I'm fixing this mess! I didn't even write that stupid thing!"
I'll do whatever it
takes
To turn this around
I know what's at stake
I know that
I've let you down
And if you give me a chance
And give me a
break
I'll keep us together
I know you deserve much better
"Why should you care anyway?" she grumbled.
"Because Alice…I…I love her. I truly and completely love her."
Remember the time I
told you the way that I felt
That I'd be lost without you and
never find myself
Let's hold onto each other above everything
else
Start over, start over
She blinked. "What?" she whispered.
"I love her," I mumbled.
"Then hurry up and fix this!" She smiled.
"Where is she?" I repeated.
"Her house – no shit Sherlock."
"Thank you!" I ran out of the house and into my car. I was going to fix this. I was going to do whatever it takes. One way or another no matter what the price, I was going to fix this.
I'll
do whatever it takes
To turn this around
I know what's at
stake
I know I've let you down
And if you give me a chance
And
believe that I can change
I'll keep us together whatever it takes