Chapter 46

The room was a little beat up looking, as I made my way to sit in the back next to Esme. I still found myself trying to look at everything as the teacher looked over some papers in the front of the class. "Glad you made it in time." Esme smiled at me and I glanced at the clock.

"I made it with five minutes to spare." I told her and then started to open my bag and hunt down my binder. "At a 'normal' pace. I had to make sure it could be done." Esme just nodded, understanding. She'd been willing to pick me up, but the high school wasn't far away.

The teacher handed out the syllabus and I couldn't help but smile as I took in the subjects we'd touch on. I had Psychology in high school, but we never talked about even half of this stuff. "Class, I'd like you to work with the person next to you. Introduce yourself and then I want you to look over the syllabus and share one thing you are eager to learn about, one thing you believe will be difficult for you in this class, and then I want you to share your email or phone number. You will be each others 'buddy' for the class and I want to make sure if anyone is ever absent that your 'buddy' will contact you with notes or our assignment."

I grinned at Esme. "Hi, I'm Diana." I teased. Esme rolled her eyes and then glanced down at the syllabus we'd already gone over.

"I'm looking forward to the unit on Neuropsychology, but I think the Developmental Psychology is the most interesting." She started on the assignment right away.

I debated about my answer as I stared down at the units. "I think the unit on sexuality looks good." I admitted quietly. It included a mention of sexual orientation, so while I wasn't sure how much of the theories on 'human' psychology might apply to me, I did like the feeling I got when at least a part of me was included in this course.

"I'm sure it will be." Esme's smile was too teasing for a simple class discussion so I rolled my eyes. I felt some light embarrassment, but I just rolled my eyes and looked for some concern about the class to share. My real concern was that I'd find I was even less human than I thought after hearing about how humans thought and behaved, because I felt like even in a house of vampires I was the one least in touch with my humanity at times, but I told Esme I was worried about the first three weeks, when I had my job, and my high school classes, competing for my time, because I knew I was going to have to stay focused and give up a lot of the fun time I used to have, at least for a little while. I did make sure to point out that after those weeks were up it would be great because I could study during the day while the others were in school. It wasn't that I wasn't willing to tell Esme about feeling less human than they were, it concerned me a little, but I could live with it. I just couldn't tell her here, where I was sure we'd be having to share our thoughts with the class.

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"I don't know how the people back then didn't think he was a pervert." I muttered over my breakfast. "I mean really, Oedipus complex? And his whole concept of women is the most misogynistic thing I've ever heard."

Esme sat across from me at the table, the textbook for our class opened in front of her, but she was looking at me. "Some did think he was a pervert, but as for being misogynistic, no one thought much of it then. Women were assumed to be less than men." I blinked as I heard the tone of her voice. Esme wasn't saying something she'd read, no, I had the distinct feeling she knew what she was talking about.

"How old are you?" I asked quietly, suddenly more interested in her than our Psychology class.

Esme gave me a small hint of a smile. "I was born in 1895." I'd always assumed she was a woman from the fifties, she seemed like it, because she was so into cooking and such, but she was much older. I frowned at myself, because thinking about it I should have realized it.

"Are you two done debating the worth of Freud?" A familiar voice called out and I glanced over at the kitchen doorway to see Alice smiling at us. "School starts soon, you ready?"

"Ah, sure." I nodded to Esme. I would prefer to stay and talk with her about class, but I needed to finish up my last week of full time high school.

"I'm glad you and Esme are having so much fun." Alice told me quietly as she made sure I put on enough winter wear to look human in the cold. The scarf and gloves felt like overkill to me, but the frost was so white it almost looked like snow on the grass so I did as she asked.

"So, now that you only go to high school for an hour a day." Alice turned to grin at me. "What will you do with all that free time?"

I grimaced as I thought of it. Today was the first day of my new class, and I wasn't going to see Alice in class anymore. It felt odd. "Well, I told Erika I'd come by after class today and take down some of the shelving units before the store opened." There weren't even half as many books still in the place, maybe even just a fourth, and Erika had started selling the fixtures. "The place echoes a little now, but the humans can't hear it yet."

"Oh, so how much longer is she staying opened?" Alice asked and I sighed. Not much longer at all. We talked a little while about the store and my soon to be free February, before Alice asked what I'd be doing with my time again.

"I don't know. I'll make sure to do all my homework before you get home, and I'll look for a job." I grimaced as we started into town and knew we were going to be splitting up for school soon. "Want to go see Underworld Evolution tonight?" I asked and watched Alice start to grin.

"So you're willing to put up with the movie werewolves if they come with a side of vampires?" She teased and I couldn't help but chuckle. As Alice pulled into the school parking lot and took the spot right next to Edward's Volvo she spoke softer. "Sure, but how about you borrow my car after you get out. I'll catch a ride with Edward." I was about to tell her no. "It's too cold out for a human to walk all over and not look frozen, you need to at least pretend you need the car."

"Okay." I stepped out and felt the slipperiness of the parking lot, catching my balance too quickly to be obvious, but I was a little surprised at how bad it was. "I hate to steal your car and run, but I have to get my old books turned in and stake my claim on a good desk in my new class."

Alice tossed me her keys, but it was Emmett that spoke up while getting out of Edward's car. "Save me a seat." He grinned. "And if there is any partner work, you're mine. You got it puppy? Every female in the family had you, it's my turn."

"You make me sound like an academic slut." I gave him a grin, "Should I tell you your wife was amazing?" I made that suggestive and I could see Alice smile just a little, but Rosalie laughed at Emmett pretending to be turned on by that.

I made my way to class, while the vampires hung around the car. I could have stayed to talk, but I wanted to make sure I did have Emmett as my partner, not that I'd tell him that. I was already planning to save his seat.

As I stood in front of the older man while he looked over my books for any reason to fine me I leaned against the counter and watched him look over the pages of my book. Even when I was living in my shack I'd protected those books, so I wasn't worried.

My ears were much more sensitive than humans, and I normally filtered out a lot of sounds so I wouldn't pay attention to useless things, but the screeching sound drew my eyes to the doorway. It was the yelled word, "Bella!" from some random student that finally stirred something other than curiosity in me. If Bella was to bleed, what would Edward do? I felt desperately for any danger, wondering why I hadn't sensed anything before now, but I sensed nothing. No hint of doom. I wasn't sure what that would mean, but I sighed heavily and finished waiting for the nod that let me leave and go to class.

As I made my way down the hall I noticed how people were rushing outside and I debated about going to see what had happened too. When I got near the doorway I could smell blood and I started to worry about Edward. He liked Bella, that was clear, but as I stepped outside to see the mess I heard some girl crying about how Bella had been standing right between the two vehicles. Looking at the van and truck I didn't want the nightmare of seeing her remains.

I glanced around the parking lot for my vampires and saw them standing frozen near the Volvo where I'd left them. There was a look of horror on all of their faces and that pretty much was all I needed to see. I ran down to them, pushing human limits a bit with how I dodges people in my way. I did notice Edward was missing, but he shouldn't be here with this mess anyhow, so I assumed he'd run into the forest.

"That fucking idiot." Rosalie muttered and I was a bit surprised at her swearing. I didn't even have to ask what happened as I came to a stop near them. "He ran over there at full speed and got between her and the van." Rosalie told me and my eyes widened in shock. "We're going to have to move, it's all over."

"Now, I don't see that." Alice spoke up and I swallowed hard and stared at the accident as people started to try and pull the van back away from the truck. "Maybe this will be okay. No one seems to have noticed Edward run."

We stood still and stared as the humans pulled the van away and revealed Edward and Bella. The cry of relief ran across the parking lot, but none of us near the Volvo said anything. An ambulance came and shortly after that a cop car, but Charlie was clearly a wreck as he called for Bella over the crowd. For that I was happy she was okay, and I didn't really wish her harm, but the tension in the vampires near me made me feel like this was a ticking bomb waiting to go off.

"I'm following that idiot to the hospital." Rosalie spoke after the ambulance left. "And I'm going to rip him to pieces." I eyes Rosalie cautiously. "And he's left us to clean up his mess, I know he won't do it."

"What?" I was lost and the way Jasper and Rosalie turned to look at me, suddenly as if I were someone to be cautious around set me on edge even more.

Before they could tell me what was going on, a teacher's voice called out. "Alright, everyone get to class." I stared at the line of cars leaving the parking lot and then at the few students still standing around. I was surprised there was class at all.

"Don't go." Alice was talking to Rosalie. "We have time to figure this out and a confrontation at the hospital will only make it worse."

"Well, let's get to class." Emmett had lost all his teasing and playfulness as he spoke to me. We made it to our class and took a seat near the back. The class was probably half missing, and the teacher looked a bit shaken, but we got our new books and a rundown of what they'd cover in this class.

I was not thrilled with the topics and assignments, and in my old school I might have said something about it, but I was more concerned with the way Emmett sat and seemed to brood, that wasn't normal at all.

After class I went to work, and found that even Erika had heard about the Swan girl almost getting squashed in the parking lot.

A/N: I am eager to see if I break the 1000 mark for reviews today. I've written longer fics, in other fandoms, but this fic is getting, by far, more reviews. I love each and every comment that lets me know sharing this fic is appreciated.