Bella

I skipped lunch. I also skipped the period after that, Biology. And the period after that. And the period after that.

It had been the first time I had ditched so unfeelingly. I didn't feel one ounce of regret as I drove out of the school compound, ignoring the multiple eyes on my back. The school was too busy with the upcoming dance to bother themselves with one student's attendance record. And even if they did call Charlie, I didn't bother.

Before this I would have been wracked in so much guilt I could barely function. Now I didn't care. I was starting to like the new me.

I had no idea where I was driving to. Probably in circles, but then again when I escaped from school I hadn't been thinking about my destination. I was worrying more on what was going to happen if the school administration caught me. Now that I was out of school I felt a strange sense of relief and freedom, like a bird released from its cage.

For the next hour I drove around in circles before finally parking next to a trail. I hesitated and got out, turning my head to look at the sky. As if on cue, thunder rumbled. I smiled. I didn't like rain, not particularly, but when it rained nobody could see you cry.

I shut the door and rolled up the windows so that the rain wouldn't get into the truck. I preferred to drive in a warm, dry truck as opposed to a soaking cold one. Plus, Edward wouldn't approve.

Huh. Edward wouldn't approve.

How strange was it that now, every little second, Edward's voice was imprinted onto my mind, making little naggling noises on what I should do or what I shouldn't do? It had gotten to the point where even my dressing was influenced by that little nagging voice at the back of my head, telling me to put on that dark blue shirt because it was Edward's favourite colour on me.

I still loved Edward, so much that it hurt. Maybe that was the problem. I loved him too much. I needed some space to think about who I was. I had lost him once and never gotten over it. Edward had been in my heart my whole life. Maybe I needed some time to grow as me, as Bella.

Dear Lord, I thought as rain thrummed, growing louder and louder as it came closer. Am I actually breaking up with Edward in my mind?

The voice in me answered.

No. We had been over a long time ago.

Crap.

A tinkling broke my trance, and I jerked slightly. I looked around wildly, my confused mind thinking to horror movies where drowned girls with names that meant death would appear and scare the bejeezus out of me. It took me a moment to realize it was my phone ringing in the truck.

I grunted and stomped around to the passenger's side and getting in from there since the wind was blowing against me. I crawled over, muttering incoherently under my breath as I plonked myself down in the seat and rolled up the window hastily. I wasn't sure where to go to now.

I was abruptly reminded of the phone ringing when my seat vibrated violently, and I scrabbled around for a few seconds before retrieving the bulky, simple thing. I answered quickly. Whoever was on the other line had had a long wait.

"Bella?"

"Hi, Dad." I grimaced. Here came the explosion. He didn't bother with pleasantries.

"Where were you today?"

"School?"

I winced. I needed to improve on my lying.

"Now, don't lie to me Bella. Alice called me."

I mumbled various profanities at Alice before answering him. "Alice doesn't know what she's talking about."

"I'm sure she doesn't. I want you home in ten minutes."

"Yes, Dad."

I hung up, cursing silently. I wasn't really sure who I was angry at; myself or Alice. I was pretty sure it was a fair mixture of both.

I dawdled home, wanting to delay my inevitable confrontation with Charlie. I arrived home ten minutes earlier than I would have liked, and sighed as I walked in.

"Dad?"

Shoot, he was polishing his gun. This did not bode well.

"Bella," he began. "You know how I feel about skipping school."

No, I thought privately. Because you never bothered sharing them with me, maybe?

Instead of saying these thoughts like I wanted to, I looked down and meekly said, "Yes."

Crap, I was a horrible rebel.

Charlie sighed and rubbed his face wearily. "Come on, Bells. What's going on? I'm at work talking with the guys and suddenly I get a phone call from Alice Cullen, of all people, in hysterics and telling me you'd left school after fighting with her."

Alice was dead.

I struggled to breathe properly. "Dad. Alice doesn't know what she's talking about. You know Alice," I said, forcing a laugh and flippant hand wave. "She exaggerates all the time. It was nothing, really."

Charlie looked at me for one long minute before breaking out into an amused smile. "You're sure it was nothing?"

I sighed in relief. "Yes."

"Good," he said, grinning at me. "Then you're grounded. For two weeks."

I stared at him. Grounded? That wasn't so bad. Actually, it seemed quite pleasant, really. It wasn't like I had an army of socialites at my beck and call to parade around town.

"Also, you have to go to at least one sporting class of your choice until you master the sport."

"What?"

A/N: Please don't kill me! It was going to be longer, I swear, but then I got massive writer's block and...gah! *sniffs*

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