Chapter 7 - He's crazy, bitch!

I was in the cafeteria again. It was fairly full since it was lasagna-day. Everybody loved lasagna, didn't they? But I was feeling uneasy, and my left eyelid kept twitching. The weird things always happened in the cafeteria. I only had to think of chewing gums, and I wanted to faint.

Jessica was saving a seat for me next to her and she was waving me over. I looked around again. The Cullens weren't there today, which was just logical. The sun was out, for once in this dull town. I wondered if they really sparkle or if it is more like a faint glittering. I had to imagine myself pointing a flashlight at them, but I suppose artificial light wouldn't work.

Thanks to the sprained ankle, I limbed over to where Jessica was sitting. Some more girls and the guys, meaning Mike, Tyler - I shuddered and had to suppress flashbacks - and Erik were already occupying most of the seats. I would sit relatively in the middle. The chair scraped horribly on the floor, and everybody paused their conversation for a moment to look up at me. The girls winced when they saw me - I think Lauren has built herself a frightening reputation - then they looked away quickly.

The guys just glanced at me, and I could feel Tyler's eyes lingering a little longer on me and he actually smiled. He had balls to just smile at me like that after what had happened in the closet. Did he really have a crush on me? Or rather Lauren? Did Lauren fuck him so well that he forgot her nasty personality?

"Anyways, I watched Titanic yesterday for the first time and-, " said this blond girl whose name I had already forgotten, oops.

"What, you haven't watched it until now? Blasphemy!" Another girl interrupted.

Bella was sitting with us for once, I guess because her pets weren't at school today. She looked pretty interested in the conversation. Now we are good enough for her, I came to understand Lauren's hatred towards her a little better.

"How did you like the door scene? Wasn't it so tragic and romantic?" She said and smiled a little. Wow, why am I not surprised that Bella thought it was tragic and thus romantic? That was basically her whole life. A sad, tragic, perhaps a little romantic soap opera.

"Yeah, I mean, two people could have fitted on that door so easily, poor Rose," sighed Bella. I looked up, taken aback.

"Why poor Rose? Rose was so selfish, if she just scooted over a few inches, there would have been enough room for Jack but no. She lets Jack drown", I said in a matter-of-fact tone. Everybody pauses for a second.

"Eh, Lauren, you have watched Titanic, right? We watched it together," said Jessica bewilderedly, and gave me a side-look.

"Of course I have!" What a dumb question. How hadn't I watched it? Except for that blond heathen girl two seats down from me, of course.

"Well, then you would know that Rose drowned and let Jack have the door," she explained.

"What? No, that is not what happened, I would have definitely remembered that" I said and leaned back in my chair. Who does Jessica think she is? Correcting me like that, I may be dumb but not senile, duh.

"Lauren, Rose died before one of the lifeboats could save her. Is your head injury still bothering you?" Another girl asked, leaning forward in her chair, her eyes studying me.

What, now everything is blamed on my head injury again. Didn't that happen an eternity ago? Now that I think about it, it happened last Friday, today was Wednesday. I stared at her, how dare she - oh no, am I turning into Lauren? Since when have I become so spiteful? Since when have I become so hateful and defensive?

"Oh my god," I exclaimed out loud. I am really turning into Lauren; her body was changing me. I will become a spiteful, arrogant, attention-seeking bitch. Noooo. This part I didn't say out loud, but nonetheless, everybody was looking at me a little disturbed.

"What is it?" Jessica asked me full of anticipation. I looked her dead in the eyes.

"You are right, my head is still messing with my memory. But you Jessica, I cannot remember you from before at all. You must not have been that memorable after all, I guess." Why am I saying this? Why was I so mean?

"Haha, you are so funny, Lauren," she answered and slapped my arm jokingly. I saw the pain in her eyes and instantly regretted my words. She died a little inside. How had Lauren been treating her? I let it go but I did feel bad.

And by the way, the ending of Titanic was a different one here? I was so sure that Jack died, not Rose. Maybe it is a side effect of being in a different reality? But that begs the question, what else was different? The next time, would it be something trivial like the ending of some movie or would it be the number of the emergency call? I had to stop thinking about it because I could feel a headache building up in the back of my head.

After we ate lunch and I fried my brain a little more, I saw Bella walking to the restrooms. This was my chance. Yesterday laying awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, I had expected to die any second either by getting eaten by Emmett or by getting killed by Edward. When it had been almost dawn, I came up with a plan.

It was a rather simple plan, honestly. I just hoped it would prove to be effective.

I walked through the open door into the restroom before it could fall shut again. Bella was already in one of the stalls. Casually, I leaned against the sinks, getting my butt wet. In the last second, I suppressed a curse and stepped away from them. Great, now I had a wet butt. Just great. So much for the mean girl image.

The toilet flushed and I heard the fastening of a belt. Bella was done. Okay, Viv, you can do this. There were no Cullens around, it was just Bella and me. I could do this. It was either this or get killed. And technically, you won't be lying and perhaps you'd even save her life! Who knows?

The door opened and Bella stepped through, her eyes focused on the tiles.

"Bella, could I talk to you for a sec?" I asked, startling her. She looked up with her doe eyes, looking pale as ever.

"What do you want Lauren?" She answered passively and I could hear a hint of coldness. I guessed I must have been rather mean in the past.

"So, I talked to Edward yesterday," I started, realizing it wasn't perhaps the best way to start this conversation. They weren't supposed to talk to anyone but Bella, I think? Bella's head snapped around again; her eyebrows drawn up.

"I mean, I just talked to him because I was at the Cullens." I didn't think this was right either, because Bella looked at me with a healthy portion of doubt. Girl, I would doubt myself too.

"Anyways, Edward was claiming that he could read minds and," I stopped when Bella exhaled loudly, her fingers grabbing the sink, " I mean he didn't say it outright but he was implying it," Bella raised an eyebrow and looked even more sceptical. "Yeah, I know, totally made up. I was just wondering, you know, did Edward say something to you? Does he claim to be a telepath?" I looked at her expectantly.

"Well, I mean," Bella started stuttering, her knuckles already white and biting her lip. "He said he couldn't read my mind," she finally said.

She was technically not wrong and that was the best kind of right. I was actually impressed with her, so I nodded along, as if I agreed.

"That is what I thought. Is he," I looked around as if to check if someone was listening, and then whispered, "mentally impaired?"

Bella started choking, with horror or laughter, I didn't know. I tried to keep a straight face. This was my only chance.

"Lauren, Edward is mentally sound and not impaired. Is this another ploy of yours to get us separated so that you can steal him from me? Can you please just leave me alone? Edward and I won't break up so forget it" Bella looked like she was in pain. Hopefully she was so shocked that she will tell Edward what I had said.

Also, I think that Lauren must have given her a hard time before. Why was everybody traumatized talking to Lauren?

"Wow no need to be bitchy, geeez, I just wanted to warn you. Edward is crazy, crazy I tell you!" I said and then marched out of the bathroom. For good measure, I flicked my hair back.

This went great, mission accomplished. Hopefully this will enable me to continue my life a little longer.

In Spanish class, as the teacher was talking and talking in front of the class - I did not understand a single word of what was being said - I began to doubt myself. Has this really been enough? What if Bella didn't tell Edward what bitchy Lauren had said? What if she just chalked it up as Lauren being nasty and moved on with her life? Then, this was all for nothing, and I could end up in a ditch. Sucked dry and just, dead.

The teacher was saying something that sounded like an order, but I couldn't really tell what it was. Everybody around me was taking out their textbooks, I took this as a clue and did the same. Jessica next to me looked up and smiled when our eyes met.

An idea formed in my head.

"Pts, Jessica," I said quietly to not draw the teacher's attention.

"I know this face, this means you have some tea to spill," Jessica answered just as quietly and grinned. Her eyes were twinkling, this was her natural habitat.

"So I was talking to Edward and-"

"You were talking to Edward?" Jessica exclaimed a little too loud and earned herself a disapproving glance from the teacher. But now, more people were listening in. Good.

"So, you started operation S.H.E.T.?" she asked, her eyes filled with an exciting gleam that made me back away a little in fear.

"Operation shit?" I parroted back at her, a little confused.

"Well yes, Steal Hottie, Eliminate Twat," she clarified and rolled her eyes.

What had Lauren planned? Just what? I was lost for words and obviously confused. I guess Edward was the hottie and Bella was the twat.

"Yes, no, I mean, no! I was just talking to Edward," I smirked as if it was worth something, "and he said that he could read minds. Read minds, can you believe it? Is he actually insane?"

I was exaggerating as Edward did not really say it out loud, but I got the desired effect out of Jessica. She gasped and she stared at me wide-eyed.

"He did what? Seriously? You mean, he is crazy? Are you serious?" She answered and shook her head as if she couldn't comprehend what I just told her. Operation shit was obviously forgotten.

"Maybe he is a schizo," I added for good measure and earned another gasp from Jessica.

"Why are all the hot guys crazy," she whined and stared into her Spanish book, sad and obviously disappointed.

I guess my work here was done. When the Cullens return to school, there will be a nice surprise for Edward. I hope he will like it. I had the urge to laugh out loud like any super villain worth their money would do, but I suppressed it.

"Lauren!" The teacher called from the front; I jumped a little in my seat. More Spanish words followed but I could tell that he definitely was not ordering a beer.

"Si si, eh- el senior!" I improvised and ducked my head. That was close.

"Oh, and Emmett invited me out for dinner," I whispered to Jessica who looked like she was going to faint. It was technically true, the best kind of true. I grinned. Why was I suddenly enjoying this so much?

For once, it was not raining, and it seemed rather pleasant outside.

"Don't forget the juice," Jessica said and winked as we walked out onto the parking lot.

I looked at her a little confused. Then, I looked over my shoulder to see if she even meant me. There was nobody behind me. Shit. Jessica had her hands in her hips, her brown locks falling on her shoulders untamed. She looked oddly motivated, and her eyes were gleaming. I was a little afraid.

"Juice? Orange, or perhaps mango?" I asked her, knitting my brows together trying to play along.

"Lauren, what do you even mean?" Jessica whined.

"Jessica, cut me some slack. I forgot my whole life," I whined back and tried myself on the puppy eyes. It seemed to work. Jessica rolled her eyes, clicked her tongue, and spontaneously seemed to find some kindness within her.

"The Mexican and the Russian?" She asked again, this time giving me meaningful glances.

"Salsa and Pierogi, oh you mean I bring the dip and you the chips? But Pierogi are dumplings-," I started and smiled apologetically. Jessica interrupted me.

"Lauren, look at me," she ordered and grabbed my hands, yanking me closer to her. Her eyes bored into mine. "Are you stupid?"

I just kept smiling. Just kept smiling and hoping I would sink into the ground. Oh look, a nice little hole I can hide myself in.

"You normally raid your mom's bar and supply our parties with alcohol," Jessica explained matter-of-factly as she apparently took some pity on me.

"Did I really provide under-aged teenagers with alcohol?" It just slipped out of my mouth; I couldn't hold it back. It was true though, Lauren, Jessica and all the others were at least 3 or 4 years younger than my-, my- usual me.

"In case you have forgotten, you are underage yourself." Jessica rolled her eyes again. I wondered if they would one day just, you know, be stuck in that position. That would be funny. For me, not for her.

"Geez Jessica, you drive a hard bargain. Okay, what kind do you want?" I just gave in, and secretly, I was in need of a good drink. This whole being stuck in another world shebang was getting exhausting. I just wanted to forget it, and vampires, when we are at it, for one evening.

"Tequila and vodka, love you babe," she grinned and skipped to her car.

That was how Jessica had invited me for a bonfire party on La Push beach for the coming Saturday.