Chapter 25: HE – Listen Here

He feels like breaking into an Irish dance the minute he and Bella step off the bus on his university campus. It's the first day of the new semester. As his last semester of his university years, he wants to make as many lasting memories as possible. This one will go down as one of them.

"I'll never get over how big this place is," she comments as they leisurely walk through the campus, holding hands.

"Wasn't your college big too?"

"Not as big as this."

They take their time heading to the library, where he usually spends his break periods when he's not eating lunch. They share casual conversation about school and friends. She calls Rose on her phone and they shared had a three-way conversation for a few minutes before Rose had to hang up and head to her first class of the day.

They sit in an empty bench in front of the library. Their first classes are in a half hour, so he wants to spend as much time with her without stress of school as possible. They are discussing a new show they're catching up with on the CW when he spots the students he has been dreading to see during the entirety of winter break.

"Edward?"

He's frozen. He's tight-lipped, hoping that they don't notice him.

One of them looks up. "Hey, it's Cullen!"

Crap.

"Nutty E?" She looks at the direction where his eyes are trying to avert. "Who are they?"

"James," he grits. "James and his posse."

The small group of four walk over to them. Fantastic. Does he have to deal with them now?

Raoul speaks first. "So you're still here Cullen."

"Did you hit a growth spurt during the break?" Caius sneers. "Oh wait, the cold probably froze it."

Doug snickers. "I'm surprised, Cullen. You survived this long. But I wouldn't get your hopes up. You still got medical school and I bet you'll be the shortiest shorty there too."

Bella grips his hand tighter. He isn't surprised she'd be angry to hear this. But it was what he had to deal with for the past two years.

"So who's the pretty girl?" James asks, eying Bella like a piece of meat.

"I'm his girlfriend," she tells him, a sickly sweet tone in her voice. The way she says it could be pulled off as a conversational tone, but he heard her in this voice before. He heard her use it when he hung out with her, Rose, and Emmett once and she was defending Rose from a clique of girls that were flirting with Emmett and making fun of Rose for being the girlfriend that Emmett has.

"What's your name, beautiful?" Caius says in a flirtatious voice.

"Funny. Name's Bella."

James laughs. "Well you are beautiful."

"Thanks." She stands up and pulls on his hand. "Edward and I gotta get to our classes."

Doug pouts. "Can't you stay? We won't bite."

She rolls her eyes. "Really? Because I'm already seeing some biting." She looks at him and mouths 'let's go.'

"You know, I don't get why you're with Cullen," James brings up. "He'll be a disappointment to you in a few years. Even if he makes it as a doctor, he'll be the shortest one anyone will ever come across. If you're with him, you'll get the nasty end of it too. It would be better if you look for someone else now before you get hurt later."

"Sure, because he's already getting the nasty end from you jerks." She lets go of his hand and glares at the four boys. "Height doesn't matter in the medical field. What matters is having skill and having a heart. Edward tells me about all the bullshit you've been telling him and it's starting to piss me off. I don't give a fuck if he isn't the tallest guy around. The way you've been treating him makes you guys the ones that don't deserve to be doctors. You walk around being show-off's, but I bet you're just jealous. Ya'll have the money, so you guys got the education. But Edward's smart too and he got here on scholarship. He's here because he's got the brain and a personality fit to be a doctor. It's why I fell in love with him and why a flaw like height doesn't bother me. What bothers me is standing here with four losers who I'm ready to punch in the face, but won't do because it's not professional and violence is never the solution."

The four stare at her in disbelief. Him too. For Bella to be able to stand up to them is an accomplishment. He's always amazed by how she can tell people off with her words.

"C'mon Nutty E. I don't have time to talk with these four fuckers." She grabs his hand and she drags him away, not giving him a chance to look back.

He'll be forever in debt for this.

Yup. The first real appearance of the tormentors.

And hey, words speak louder than fists.