We managed to successfully sneak through the gate and back door.

I even managed to get into my first class unnoticed.

We were changing the rotations this time I would be going from ceramic to glass.

We were introduced to Andrew Morris.

Andrew was in charge of the glass department and had decided to throw us straight into the hot processes.

I started celebrating instantly at the thought of spending the next three hours in the hot shop.

I loved the hot shop for several reasons but mostly because glass was my element. The main reasons were.

Firstly: Working with glass felt natural to me whether it was a hot or cold process.

My artistic ability thrived when I was working with glass.

Secondly: the glass departments generally had a hot room temperature and it was a heat that reminded me of home.

I had lived in England for years but I considered South Africa as my home.

There was a huge difference in the general temperature but it was home to me.

It was a warm, fun and an environment I adored being in.

Three hours later the class was dismissed.

Everyone looked tiered and hot but I was peaceful and relaxed.

Okay I had managed to make a snow man and a little glass swan which were in the Lehr cooling down.

That is the only problem with the hot glass processes; you can't just take it home you had to let it cool down slowly.

I was met by Alice and Jasper at my classroom doors.

"Can we join you for lunch today?" She chirped with a grin her jingling voice raised several octaves.

We walked to the cafeteria in virtual silence.

My mind was filled with thoughts and ideas of things I could make.

I just nodded lost in thought on my latest design ideas.

As we approached the doors I noticed how much busier than usual the cafeteria was.

I hesitated in the doorway as looked at the crowded space.

Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me forward to join the line.

We got to the tills and paid I hesitated slightly as I watch a student walked towards us.

"You're Isabella swan." He crowed joyfully. "Do you think you could put in a good word with Alexander Gomez for me? My names Mike Newton."

Those two little lines where all it took to start my own personal version of hell.

Two things happened at the same time.

I dropped my tray which splashed all over me and everyone surrounding us.

At the same time the whole cafeteria erupted into chaos as people realised who I was and tried to get to me.

They all wanted something from me and most of them I never knew.

They would tap or grab or even shout at me to gain my attention.

I grabbed Alice's hand and only then did I notice I was shaking.

Some people even had the nerve to act as if I was a long time friend of theirs.

They all knew my personal details and it scared me.

Jasper grabbed Alice's empty hand and started backing us slowly out of the cafeteria.

Alice and Jasper were pushing people aside so we could get through.

We head towards the Elevator and Jasper throws several people out

We got to the lift and Jasper pressed the 4th floor button.

I dropped to the floor and put my head between my knees, trying to calm myself down.

Alice pulled out her mobile and started talking to someone quickly.

I didn't even notice her touching any of the buttons.

I started sliding my bracelet across my wrist, so that it started making a jingle sound.

It's actually just a bracelet with a heavy silver heart pendant on.

The heart is actually a Chinese ball so jingles.

I stopped wearing it as a pendant after I smashed it into my teeth resulting in a visit to the dentist.

I loved it too much to banish it to one of my jewellery boxes.

I decided to place it on a bracelet instead.

I loved the chiming noise it made when it jingled.

The jingle comforted me and reminded me of Tinkerbell and happier times.

"We got ambushed in the cafeteria. Bella is with us we managed to get into the lift. . . . . . . We're heading to the school office. . . . Yes it might be best. . . . ."

I took a deep breath and looked up.

My eyes meet Alice's concerned ones.

I try to smile but fail to hold it on for too long.

"I don't think Bella will disagree. . . . See you in a few minutes."

As Alice hung up the lift doors opened again.

I whimpered when I saw this crowd, they all started shouting my name and trying to get in.

Alice and Jasper were shoving them back from the entrance to the elevator.

I took a deep breath in and started to pull myself off the floor.

Once I was standing I raise my eyes from the floor to the crowd.

I freeze with shock and then watch as two more of my unexpected heroes appear.

They stood there in front of everyone looking into the lift.

When they joined us in the lift Emmett stood straight and crossed his arms across his chest.

Jasper stood next to him and they both seemed determined to keep everyone out of the lift.

Edward had looked so fierce and wild as he stood at the doors now looked at me with concern.

I sank back to the floor and watched as Jasper hit the basement button.

Edward sank to the floor next to me.

I slid onto his lap and wrapped my arms around Edward, pulling him in for a tight hug.

For the first time in a long time I needed some reassurance from someone.

"Rose has the car waiting at the back entrance. Kate called security to block the back staircase."

Everyone then turned to me.

No not me, they turned to Edward who had said nothing.

All he did was nod his head slightly and bury his nose into my hair.

"We have no other option. It's just getting more and more crowded.

Kate says security have had to camp outside Bella's room.

Some students have been trying to break in."

Break into my room?

My room they were trying to get into my room.

Why?

Before I could ask anything or even think anything the lift doors opened again to more screaming people.

Edward, Jasper and Emmett start pushing people aside as Alice holds my hand guiding me forward.

We managed to get through the security doors thanks to Sam (the head of security) and his guys.

Alice shoves me into the back of the car and Edward jumps into the driver's side as Rose jumps out.

She hisses something at Edward but I don't know what.

I'm sure it was something along the lines of 'stupid human.' and 'Why should I have to wait on her?'

Edward starts the car and drives away at a speed I'm sure is above the speed limit but at this moment in time I don't care.

I wanted away from everything, all the problems and the mess someone has caused.

"Where do you want to go this afternoon?"

"Don't you need to go back to class?" I asked confused by his question.

"No. I always have Thursday afternoons off.

I just tend to hang around till everyone else finishes so we can all go home."

I nod at his comment and one less thing to feel guilty about.

"I think I'll text Natalie and see if I can get her to pick me up. Have dinner together tonight or something."

"I'll drive you if you want."

I smile at the thought of Edward driving me to the middle of nowhere just so I can sit with my sister and talk to her about my problems.

It did mean half an hour in the car with him.

A minimum of half an hour in the car with him, I grin at myself and the thought of the time I could spend with him.

"Let me give her a call and talk to her first, and then I can work out what we do next."

He looked in the mirror and nodded his head slightly.

I had already started to dial Natalie number.

"Hi Bella. Now's not a good time can I call you back?"

She sounded stressed as she ran through her words.

I wasn't sure if I could leave this till later.

Maybe I could, it wouldn't matter too much a few hours here or there.

Her next line broke all the debate as she interrupted.

"Bella, what's happened?"

She had clued in before I knew I had lost all knowledge of time in my thoughts.

I took a deep breath in and then exhaled. There was nothing for it but to tell her.

"My file was leaked to everyone in the school of art and design and the school of English. I don't know what to do." I blurted out.

"Bella, where are you? Are you hurt?" She sounded panicked now.

I could hear voices in the background but not what they said.

"I'm fine. I'm not on my own if that's worrying you."

I looked up at the back of Edwards head.

I couldn't help but smiling with gratitude before I continued.

"I'm with Edward. He and his siblings got me out of the building.

Everyone keeps swamping me with requests for favours off Alex.

We're currently in his car trying to work out what to do so I thought I would see about visiting you.

Edward doesn't mind driving me up to you."

I noticed Edward nod his head and smile through the front mirror.

"That would be brilliant Bella. I should be finished by then. Can you bring the parts of your leaked file with you?"

I was confused over this request.

"Why?"

"I want to see what exactly was leaked."

Now that made sense Natalie was very protective of me, so of course she would want all of the details.

"I can nip back to Edwards and grab it for you. I think."

"Edwards?" oh yeah I missed this bit.

"My file leaked yesterday. I had to spend the night with Edward and his family.

My room is being swamped by students that. . . . Oh. My. God. No flipping way."

What the hell was going on?

"Bella. . . Bella what's wrong? Bella"

She screamed down the phone at me as I stared out the window in silence.

I snapped out of the shock and went back to the Natalie.

"Sorry about that Natalie. Edward just drove us past my accommodation block and there are hundreds of students camped out outside my block."

Jessica must be so angry or annoyed actually she might be happy over this as it would mean she would be getting some attention.

"You better come over and tell me everything.

Do you need me to give you directions?"

"Um I think it might be better if you gave Edward the directions directly. You know me I can't navigate around a postage stamp."

Edward chuckled and then pulled the car over into a little country lane.

He took my phone and then he and Natalie spent the next ten minutes discussing the route to get me to hers.

I dived out the car and jumped into the front passenger seat.

I never knew a conversation could be so enchanting; all I heard was Edward saying.

"Yes". . . "Yes" . . . . "I got it" . . . "see you then" ... "I will" and then some more yes's.

The only off putting bit was that Edward suddenly got tense by something that was said.

He started the engine again while handing me my phone back.

"So, what's the plan?" I smiled looking at him.

"My house is on the way. We are popping into mine and both of us are grabbing an overnight bag and your file."

Overnight bag?

Why would Natalie want me to bring an overnight bag?

"Natalie wants to try and sort you out with new accommodation.

She is very worried about your safety.

I'm going to stay over because it might take all night to sort.

Natalie also has a party happening tonight that she has invited us to attend."

A party. That is such a bad idea. I don't do parties. Parties involve people.

People involve touching.

Touching involves freak outs.

"Bella, Are you okay?"

I looked towards Edward and only then did I notice I had started wringing my hands.

"Um."

"Bella, if you have a problem bottling it doesn't help, I'm here if you want to talk to someone."

Did I want to talk about this?

My irrational fear of people.

I was happiest on my own. Well that had changed recently.

If I didn't tell him I would just wind myself up with guilt.

But if I did tell him what would he do?

"It's nothing really just me being stupid."

I muttered quietly to him.

"Nothing is ever stupid."

"This is." I sighed at those two little words and hoped that he would drop the subject now.

"Why don't you let me decide if I think I'm right or wrong on how significant it is?"

I took a deep breath in and blew out slowly while counting to ten. Now or never Bella time to sink or swim. I told myself

"I have a phobia of people touching me."

I blurted it out so quickly I wasn't sure he heard me.

I waited for his reaction but nothing came.

I started stressing and I could feel Elliot starting to prepare for his own party.

I closed my eyes pressed myself into the back of the car seat and counted from one to ten again.

I needed to calm down.

After several minutes if silence Edward spoke again.

"Why are you afraid of people touching you?"

"The first thing that happens every time I fit is someone touches me in a way that physically hurts me or frightens me."

I blushed and looked down at my hands.

"Sounds like your mind just automatically jumps to the first thing it can think of." I pondered on that one.

"It doesn't help when people start hurting you with needles and you have no idea what they are doing."

"What do you mean?"

"When I'm out" yes I used air quotations with the word out. "I may not be able to move my body but sometimes I can hear and feel what's going on around me."

I knew this conversation was going to go badly downhill and rather quickly.

I had passed the point of my common sense stopping me.

"Really you can actually hear and pick up on people touching you."

I blushed and nodded at him. If that was going to be his reaction I wasn't going to stop.

Talking with Edward made me feel better so I carried on.

"The last time I was in the hospital I can remember sensing a flashing and floating sensation. Then there was nothing; absolutely nothing."

I started shaking slightly I didn't really want to relive this bit.

"Bella whatever it is you can talk to me about it."

I closed my eyes again and counted to ten while focusing on sorting out my thoughts and working out how to word what I was going to say.

"Bella?" He sounded a bit worried.

I held up my finger to ask for him to give me a minute.

"I can remember hearing a voice screaming that I needed to be pinned down and then a heavy weight on me and pain in my arm."

Edward stared out of the window and found another lay by and parked the car up.

He sat there and twisted his hands around the wheel, with a type of death grip on the wheel.

"Can you do me a favour before we carry this on?"

He looked at me appealing with his eyes.

Something I had said clearly disturbed him.

"Okay. What do you want?"

I tried to keep the hostile uncertainty out of my voice.

"Can you call Natalie again? Do you mind if I have a word with her outside the car?"

I looked a bit confused and tried to grasp my thoughts on it.

"Please I promise I will explain afterwards."

I decided to take a plunge and pulled my phone out.

I handed it to Edward as I hit dial.

"Hi Natalie. It's Edward. . . . . . . No Bella's fine but could I talk to you for a few minutes."

He opened the door and got out of the car.

I watched as he paced about for ten minutes and he talked with her.

He nodded once or twice then walked back towards the driver's seat of the car.

"So where were we?" He smiled at me as he handed me the phone.

"I was explaining about my last hospital visit and you then asked to talk to Natalie."

"Could you please continue then?"

I wanted to know what he spoke to Natalie about.

"I'll tell you about the conversation I had with Natalie when I get home and talk to my dad promise."

"There's not much more to tell apart from hearing the conversation about you leaving me. I also remember your reason of not wanting to cause you were worried I might be scared and then feeling my hair being played with."

I smiled at remembering that and the feelings it had resonated in me.

"Will you share with me why you are smiling?"

I couldn't help but grin at him when he asked.

"I found it soothing and reassuring the feeling of my hair being played with." Edward turned to me and smiled.

"I wanted to comfort you and let you know you weren't alone that's, why I started playing with your hair.

I actually found it calming myself. It made me feel better to think you weren't alone."

I couldn't help but smile back at him for that.

"Apart from the pinning down bit, I've never felt less frightened after a seizure in my life."

I smiled at him as I looked into his face and then couldn't help but grin at him.

"Sorry about the pinning down by the way."

He stared out of the window now looking ashamed of himself.

"That's not your fault Edward. There's nothing to be sorry about."

"I was the weight pinning you down."

"Huh?"

"A doctor came and needed to take some blood for tests.

She just got the needle into your arm when you started shaking.

She panicked and screamed to pin you down.

I got frightened and concerned for your safety and jumped on top of the bed to pin you down."

I just looked at him. Now the pinning down bit made sense.

"By the way you're stronger than you look, a lot stronger.

I had to use all my weight to keep you still."

He chuckled but still looked out the window.

He ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes.

I looked at him as I realised he was calming down.

He looked like a weight had been taken off his shoulders.

It then clicked, all the piece of the puzzle that was Edward Cullen had finally clicked together.

I had frightened him when we were at the hospital.

I also realised that I had fallen in love with this man.

I irrevocably head over heels in love with Edward.

"I'm glad you did it and I'm glad you stayed with me."

He looked at me shocked.

"Bella. How can me frightening you and hurting you make you glad?"

"Because I wasn't alone and there's something about you."

"Something about me?"

"For the first time in years I've had someone I can talk to.

You and Alice don't frighten me . . . to be honest I can't keep quiet around you."

"Bella, that's not a good thing.

There are better people out there in the world to be friends with.

We are not good for you. I'm not a good friend for you."

Now Edward had annoyed me. This was the man that occasionally appeared distant and frightened.

"Edward please don't talk like that." I begged him.

"Why? It's the truth."

He looked at me concerned and frustrated at me for something.

"Because for once in my life outside of my family.

I feel like I have a friend.

A friend that I can trust with my life.

I've never had that before. Ever."

"Really?" Edward had suddenly radiated the excitement of a little boy.

A little boy at Christmas.

"Yes." I grinned at his boyish charm and then remembered what had been bugging me.

As if he knew what I was going to ask he spoke quickly.

"Oh that." His grin grew as he started the car again.

"That was me and Natalie making some arrangements."

"What type of arrangements?"

"Body guard arrangements."

His cryptic answers were starting to annoy me.

"What arrangements?" He smiled and pressed his hand to his chin.

It was like he was enjoying this; he was enjoying this.

He was enjoying winding me up too much.

"I was making arrangements so you weren't at the party alone tonight."

This confused me even more. I wasn't going to be alone anyway; Natalie had invited Edward to attend.

"I already know. I have you attending with me unless you don't want to go any more."

"Oh I'm going so is the rest of my family." He took a quick look at me.

"It means we will have to arrive later than planned. My sister Alice will have fun anyway."

"Why arrive later? And why will Alice have fun?" I was dreading the answer.

"It's a black tie do and it means Alice is going to buy you a posh dress and we are all dressing up before going over with you."

"Why would they all do this for me?"

"Because you are a friend to two of the Cullen kids and you're scared of people but seem a little bit more at ease with us around you.

So we are all going to help a friend out."

He looked straight at me now.

"It is what we do. We try to help people."