04/26/08

Ha, as promised 20 reviews earned you a new chapter real fast. I have to admit, this is not one of my best ones and I don't really like it. It kind of bothers me.

BPOV

I looked around the racks of clothing, but nothing caught my attention. Jessica was by my side, saying something about how Lauren stole her shirt, but she couldn't say anything about it because Lauren would totally hate her and kill her. My mind drifted away to daydream. Sigh, I wonder what it would be like if I was still in Phoenix. I could picture it now; my old life would be back. Sure, I didn't have thousands of friends back home, but I had enough. In Phoenix, high school was all about how you looked and whom you knew. With the right connections, dominating the entire school was entirely possible. It happens every once in a while, but then she either gets dethroned or she graduates and then, it's just a massive power struggle to stay on top.

I didn't bother trying to climb the social latter. It's not like I haven't thought about it before, but it'd never happen to me. I'm not capable of something like that. See, to even have a chance of becoming Queen Bee, you'd have be friends with the right people before even entering high school. Once you're in high school, you have think about every decision you make. You have to make sure to continue to befriend the proper people and not piss anybody you need off. You conform yourself to what they want you to be. When you have enough influence on people, you start to challenge the social authority figure in the school, who you should be friends with at that point.

At the end, it's a matter of backstabbing friends, cunning plans, and lies with no end. I wasn't made out for a life like that. Always having to watch my back, not knowing whom to trust. But here, I'm just naturally in the clique and even though it's probably the most exciting one in the whole school, the people are just so boring. Wow, no wonder I got stuck with them, I'm probably just as lame as they are. I don't mind though, lame is my thing.

"Bella? Bella! Did you hear what I just said?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I totally agree with you."

"Good, because you will not believe what happened after…"

I groaned silently. Why did I agree to a shopping trip, with Jessica?

Flashback

The phone ran.

"Hello?"

Hey, Bella. It's, like, Jessica!"

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Well, see, the school dance is coming up and I was wondering if…"

I blanked. She's not asking me to spring fling is she? I was certain she was interested in boys by the way she flirts 24/7.

"…I could ask Mike to go with me." I furrowed my brows. Why did she feel the need to ask me?

I found out later that she was making sure that I wasn't planning on asking him. Apparently, she thought I was crushing on him. I reassured her bluntly that I was in no way interested in Mike and that I think she should definitely ask him.

"Well, do you want to come dress shopping with me?"

I explained to her that I wasn't going to the dance, but she managed to convince me to come along anyways.

"It'll be fun. A girl's night out." She said.

I realized how big of a person she was being at that point. She had thought I liked Mike, and instead of just asking him, she called to make sure it was okay with me. Jessica might gossip a lot, and sometimes, I just can't stand her because of it, but she actually is a really nice person. And I have to admit I kind of liked having her around.

"Sure," I replied. "Why not?"

"Bella? Bella!"

I snapped back to reality.

"Sorry, I got a bit dizzy." I lied.

"Oh, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"So as I was saying, I confronted Lauren the other day and…"

I zoned out again.

"...She loves Jasper, so she freaked when she saw you two hanging out at the library since the Cullens never do anything with- "

"Wait, what? Can you repeat that last part again?"

"Oh sure, Lauren hates your guts right now because she saw you and Jasper at the library. Together. She said it was a pretty intense."

Jess looked up expectantly at me. I laughed nervously and shifted away from her to look at a pair of jeans, making sure to keep my gaze focused at the piece of clothing.

"We were just meeting up at library for a project we were partnered up for. That's weird for her to think that a school related meeting at the library would be intense."

She didn't seem to believe me. "Are you sure because Lauren is never - ." I decided to divert her attention to something else.

"Hey Jess, wouldn't this dress be just perfect for you?" I said, grabbing a purple dress with a cinched waist.

"Oh my gosh, you're totally right!" A huge smile appeared on Jessica's face.

"Why don't you try it on? I'll wait for you here." I suggested, relieved.

In the end, that was the dress that Jessica bought for the dance. She'd also managed to find a pair of black heels to go with it. We had just stepped out of the department store when I remembered that I had wanted to look for a bookstore while we were here. I told her that while she put her dress in the car, I could go book hunting and we'd meet up at the restaurant. She offered to go with me, but I politely declined. She doesn't know what I'm like around books; I prefer to go into my literature craze while I'm alone. She pointed out the nearest bookstore and I headed out in that direction.

The buildings I passed were always an exact image of the others. The same gray bricks, windows covered with blinds and a huge metal door for the entrance. They looked more like storage buildings than actual stores. I thought that maybe I'd gone in the wrong direction, I hadn't seen a single person or car since leaving Jessica. The further I walked, the less likely it seemed to me that a bookstore would be located anywhere near here. After a while, I could no longer see any doors on the buildings I passed, and soon after, the windows disappeared too. I glanced around uneasily. Not a single person in sight. I doubt I was suppose to have gone this far. I started to head back.

"Excuse me, miss?" I looked over to see a panicked man. He was blonde, looked around my age. Was hw lost too? He wasn't dressed in anything that was suitable for work, yet his clothing was too grimy to be that of a tourist. And tourists usually stick to the main, commercialized parts of Port Angeles in large groups.

"Yes?"

"My friend fell while he was running and now he's knocked out. Could you help me carry him home? He doesn't live far, just two blocks down."

I wasn't quite sure what to do. I didn't actually know the guy, but I couldn't just leave his friend, now could I?

"Sure."

He smiled, relieved. "Thanks."

I followed him into a narrow alley around the corner. As we continued to walk, it grew wider and wider. I could see the opening ahead at a distance. Why would they be traveling through a place like this? The gray bricks seemed to glow slightly causing me to realize how late it was. The streetlamps had been turned on already. The guy in front of me showed no signs of stopping and I needed to go to the restaurant to meet Jessica.

"How much farther is he?" I asked.

He grinned slightly. "Don't worry, we're already there."

I looked around, but it was only the two of us. "Where's your friend?"

His grin got bigger. "That doesn't matter." He whipped around and it was like he was a totally different person. His smile turned menacing, and his eyes, panicked before, was now filled with a want. I could see it so clearly. The raw, animal desire that burned in his eyes as he walked closer and closer to me. I backed away from him only to feel my back hit a wall, a solid, brick wall. My eyes were wide with fear, there was no escape. I didn't believe enough in my athletic abilities to even hope to make it past him and run out the way we came and that was the only out that I could see. He closed in on me and pushed me up against the wall. I could feel his hot breath on my throat. A siren inside my head was blaring. It screamed for me to do something. Anything. Kick him. Bite him. Scream for help, but I was too frightened to do anything. It was as if I was paralysed, my body didn't seem to be under my control. I fell to the ground and slammed my head into the dirt. He managed to sit on top of me and rip my jacket off.

Something white blurred in my vision and the guy's weight suddenly seemed to be lifted off of me. Scrambling to my feet, I saw someone in front of me with, I'm guessing, my almost rapist at his feet probably unconcious. I tried to stand keep my balance, but my head was pounding from the pain. I was starting to black out a bit, stars formed in front of my eyes. I inhaled deeply and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Bella." Someone murmurs quietly to me. I gasped slightly. I knew this voice. I've heard it before.

"Are you all right?" He whispered softly, his voice dripping with honey. I could slowly start to make out his features as I stared intently at the man in front of me.

I manage to nod before my knees buckle under me. Jasper picked me up gently and I leaned on him for support while we walked out of the alley. The silence was deafening. I was being smothered by it and I struggled to breathe. The air here feels dirty, I need fresh air. I need to clear my head. The realization of what happened to me, what could have happened to me, hit me full force. I clung to Jasper and buried my face in his shirt.

A black Audi is parked on the road. I'm guessing its Jasper's. He leads me to it and helps me in the passenger seat. I'm too tired to object.

"I need to meet Jessica at La Bella Italia." I tell him breathlessly.

He gives out no response. The entire drive there, not a single word is spoken by him, he just looks straight ahead. But I can feel it, something is brewing underneath. Or maybe I'm just hallucinating, because his demeanour gives nothing away. He looks totally calm and serene, yet something tells me otherwise. I'm not sure what. Leaning back into my seat, I close my eyes and just breathe.

Jessica is leaving the restauraut just as we arrive.

"Jess!" I call out.

She looks back. "Bella, where have you been? Do you know how…"

She trails off once she sees who's behind me.

"Look, sorry I'm late. I got lost so I had to get someone to help me find my way back." I lie, but really it's not a lie. I did get lost.

She eyes me suspiciously.

"I'm sorry."

"Well, I kind of already ate while I was waiting so I guess it evens out."

"It doesn't matter, I don't feel that hungry anyways." My stomach rumbles, contradicting me.

"Are you sure? I can wait for you if you want."

I really didn't feel like making her wait for me. I can imagine what would happen, she'd get irritable that I'm eating so slowly which would make me try to eat faster only to get a stomach ache that'll slow us down even more. No thanks, I'll pass. That, plus I hate people watching me eat.

"Go home, I'll drive her back once she's done eating." He says softly and it startles me. I wasn't expecting him to talk, but Jessica seems more startled that I am. These are probably the first words that Jasper has ever said to her by her awed expression. Her eyes are glazed over and she starts to breath faster.

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow then, Bella. Bye, J-Jasper" And with on last look, she goes, leaving me alone with Jasper.

He opens the door for me. And I walk into the restaurant.

Tell me what you think. I personally hate this and will probably come back to edit it. I'm so annoyed with myself because I can't seem to think of enough descriptions, grrr. Anyways, review plz!