Ok. So Chapter 26 is Up people. Another split diary entry. This longest I believe so far. Not much mystery, just a whole lot more Edward & Bella.

Yet again, thanks to the rather fabulous XEdwardsLilCullenX. She is such a fantastic & efficient & wonderful & brilliant & sweetest & nicest & perfect (starting to run out of adjectives now) & coolest beta in the world. I don't know how I ever managed without her.

Hope You Enjoy! Pretty Please Review if you can!

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return - Moulin Rouge

Friday 14th January 2005 - 6:00pm

Dear Diary,

School wasn't half that bad today. Though, I wouldn't go as far as enjoyable. But not half bad, seems just about appropriate. It didn't particularly start out as such a good day, actually it was far from it.

Due to the fact that I spent half the night worrying about all the crazy dreams that keep occurring in this god forsaken town and that Charlie decided to snore exceptionally loud last night, as you can imagine, I didn't get much sleep.

And when I did, I slept through my alarm. Which made me so late that I had to get dressed in the space of 5 minutes, merely combing my fingers threw my hair and rubbing a little bit of toothpaste over my teeth. I skipped breakfast and didn't even bother making my bed. But regardless, I was still late for school.

Mr. Mason wasn't too bothered. Which I suppose was something to be thankful for.

Mr. Varner probably would have made me stand up at the front and explain or something. All Mr. Mason did was point me to my desk without even looking up at me.

Lauren took the opportunity to have her say though. Not that I paid that much attention to her. I'm learning now, to ignore this cow, she obviously doesn't feel like stopping any time soon. Most of her insults are the usual, the kind of shit I heard back in Phoenix .

Though, there were some thing's she said that really tugged at my heartstrings. It's like she doesn't just take a kick out of bullying me, but she actually hates me. I can't even figure out why.

I surprised myself at one point, by almost retaliating her. She'd been going on and on and it was really starting to get on my nerves. But I kept my head down, focusing on my work never the less. This made it harder to hear. And less likely for her, or anyone else for that matter, to see my tears. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction.

Though, there was this one time when I'd stood up to take my essay on Mansfield Park to Mr. Mason. She hadn't spoken in a while. This could only mean one thing. She was building something up. And surprise, she was.

"So I hear you and Cullen have become nice little friends." She giggled in that ridiculous nasally voice.

I didn't even think. I should have just ignored it. I had expected myself to. I think even she had expected me to. But the mention of his second name made me swirl around on the spot to face her.

She raised her eyebrows at me, smirking darkly. Evil bitch must have been having some kind of fun out of this. I had showed emotion at something. This was new to her. And she was going to dig into it.

"What you gonna do start a freak show with his family?" Asked one of the Lauren

copycats.

I should have moved then. If anything, this would have been the time to leave, but I still stood there like an idiot, glaring at her. It confused me while I did. And it even confused me now. Why the hell did I do it?

"Huh, maybe Edward like's the freak cases. Maybe he gets a kick out of it." said another one of her copycats.

I thought I was going to throw myself at her. At that very moment it seemed like a very good idea. I was suddenly extremely defensive. And I felt I needed to redeem Edward. It didn't feel right for these people to gossip about him. I was the freak, not him.

"Hey, maybe we should follow suit. Wish the bitches around here would keep quiet, if you know what I mean." An Asian boy, from a couple of rows back shouted. He high-fived his neighbor, it made me want to hurl.

What really annoyed me the most though was Lauren smug look. Like she had intended for all this to happen. How could anyone be so sadistic, to enjoy hearing things about others? I'm starting to think Lauren may have more issues than just being a plastic bully.

I finally let all my defensives go, but not in the way I had hoped. The tears were beginning to poor down my face, like some kind of waterfall. I wanted to run out the classroom in that very second, but for some strange reason I stayed put. Curiosity got the better of me, I suppose.

Lauren and her friends of course noticed straight away. And it was hardly like they would feel any sympathy towards me.

"Aw. How cute." Lauren whispered sarcastically. "She's crying."

I thought that was the end of it, as most were either laughing now or joining in with Lauren. So I turned round to walk out the door. I couldn't bare it any longer.

But Lauren grabbed hold of my wrist and whispered so only the two of us could hear,

"He doesn't date. He never has. And apparently never will. What makes you think you're so special? You're nothing but a freak!"

She let go of my wrist then. Pulling herself back down into her chair. There were a million things I could have done. Slapped her, would have been the obvious. Spit in her face, maybe. But I did the ultimately strange and yet somehow perfect thing.

I smiled. I don't know if any of the Forks kids had ever seen me smile. But the look on Lauren's face was priceless. It made me smile even more. Then I shrugged, waving my fingers at her, like she does with her little gang and walked up to give Mr. Mason my essay.

I probably did the most surprising thing of all, by actually returning to my seat. Lauren didn't speak at all after that. I think she was too dumbfounded. This made me feel quite reassured.

The day was looking up a little at least.

The morning continued quite quickly. Which I quite enjoyed. I couldn't have asked for anything better. I had a few taunts, but they couldn't get me down, not after the fiasco with Lauren. Government, Spanish and Trig, passed in a blur of time. Even Mr. Varner seemed in an okay mood today.

Lunch was inevitably dreadful, but what else could I have asked for exactly. It was always going to dreadful. I did actually manage to face up to try and buy some lunch today though. Which is a start, I suppose.

I couldn't help but watched the Cullen table, as I queued. Watching them was like watching a movie scene. It was quite enjoyable actually. Not that it should have been, but it was.

I was so absorbed into their actions that I didn't even realize the lunch lady calling me. It was embarrassing, but luckily no one but her noticed. She did seem like an awful let down, with her wrinkling aged face and yellowing teeth, after watching the Cullen's.

Perhaps it was a strange thing to notice now. But I had never seen them eat. Never and I'm absolutely serious. It was a little weird to be honest. Didn't stop me from staring though. I stared until I had finally reached the cafeteria door. Part of me wanted me to sit with them. But then I thought of the day with Rosalie and that stare she'd given me. I thought perhaps it would be exceptionally better to avoid.

So I spent the remainder of lunch in the toilets like I usually did. There was a talkative gang of girls, as usual. And the gossip continued at always. I even think my name was swished around a little. But I didn't pay the slightest bit of attention. I was too busy counting down the minutes until biology.

It made me think. Edward had occurred in my dream. He had leaned in to kiss me and yet I hadn't pulled away. It made me both scared and intrigued to meet him again. I wanted to say -for lack of a better word - something witty, funny, and mature. I wanted him to like me, really. More than anything. He is really becoming quite a fascinating person. And yet I barely know him. How odd.

Finally Biology came.

He was already at our table. He looked up at me when I entered and seemed to hold his breath. He looked quite worried, to be honest. But then he smiled slightly. It was a crooked smile. I like the look of it. Is that strange? It was what Suzie would have called "It makes you go weak at the knees."

He waved a fresh new note that looked like it had been perfectly torn from his workbook. I practically fell over about 5 tables I couldn't get there any quicker.

When I did get there, I acted all cool and suave. Well, I tried anyway. Pretending to ignore him. But it was becoming all the more frustrating. There seemed to be an electric buzz that was now forming in the space between us.

Thankfully he was the first to do anything.

"You know…I know you don't speak, but a hello would be nice" He smiled, that "knee weakening" smile again, "Or a wave."

He seemed in a much less serious mood then yesterday, that cheered me up slightly and I gave a slight smile. I collected the note from his side.

And then I noticed it had already been written on.

Hello Bella

I love how he calls me Bella. No one else does here. That makes it just a special thing between us. Yeah, I like the thought of that.

Hello Edward How was your morning? I wrote back. I felt almost flirtatious. I liked the thought of that too.

He smiled at my note. An inside joke, I presume. He opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped and smiled again. He took the note instead.

Purgatory I suppose. The usual. And yourself?

He seemed generally concerned about my welfare. I could see it in his eyes. I liked that too. I felt like being flirtatious again. This really was a first.

Purgatory…seems the right word. I much prefer Biology.

I was confused by the look Edward gave me as he read my response. He seemed to smile at it at first, but then something seemed to have clicked in his head and he seemed very cold towards it, leaning himself further away from me than he already was. His next note left me confused and angry.

You shouldn't

….

To Be Continued…Reviews Would Be Lovely!