Chapter 11

Edward's POW

"So she didn't throw herself at you, big deal!", Emmett declared, very matter-of-factly, "Not everyone is going to fall at your feet you know."

"Not everyone is going to be like Jessica Stanley", Rosalie added, in a voice that was almost inaudible.

But we'd all heard it and while Emmett laughed I shuddered at the thought that I'd ever considered Jessica Stanley a remotely interesting human being. Jessica had been all over my case when we'd been new in town and at first I had actually appreciated meeting a friendly face for once, not always being the odd one out in a new town. But her admiration for me had soon turned a bit too Glenn Close for my taste and I had bolted for the door after a couple of weeks. She was the kind of girl you'd give a finger and you'd be lucky to be off the hook only losing your arm. Never having been romantically interested in her for me it wasn't a very big loss taking a couple of steps back, her ego probably took the biggest hit, but I suspected she still hadn't quite recovered from it by the looks she shot me in the cafeteria. Jessica Stanley resented me these days and she wasn't shy to let people know what she thought of me and my weird family.

"Can I please be allowed to forget about that episode?", I pleaded, having already lived through too much awkwardness for one evening.

"But you have to admit it was kind of funny, having Jessica Stanley panting after you like a lovesick puppy?", Emmett said and burst out laughing.

"A puppy that sure knew how to use a phone. It was so sad when she just wouldn't stop calling", Rosalie said, her voice beyond condescending, "Sure, it would be nice if we had some friends here in Forks but I'd rather be alone for all eternity than hang out with Jessica and her clones. It's to Bella's advantage that she steered clear of that crowd almost instantly."

" I just kinda figured we had something going on. Maybe I've just been confused by my own astonishment over the fact that I can't hear her mind. I've never stumbled upon anything like it in all the years I've "lived"", I continued. I just couldn't get my head around it. She'd seemed so eager to get to know me and even though I hadn't really considered tonight being a date, seeing as I hadn't asked her out formally and that did seem like the polite thing to do when dating, I still had had hope that that was the direction we were heading. Bella's sudden rejection had taken me quite off guard.

"Well, maybe she just needs new friends, being new in town and all", Emmett said reassuringly, "Maybe when she starts feeling a bit more at home she'll start thinking of you differently."

"Or maybe she has other things on her mind. Or rather SOMEONE else", Rosalie broke Emmett off, "I don't know about you guys but I definitely heard her heart race when I started asking questions about her life in Phoenix. Maybe she has some old boyfriend stuck on her mind?"

"Hey Rose! Don't be such a buzzkill!", Emmett exclaimed, obviously irritated with Rosalies frankness concerning the subject, "Anyone could get nervous being interrogated by a complete stranger!"

"Or maybe she senses that this family is messed up big time and realized it's better to head for the hills when there's still time", I said, drawing a deep and long sigh. I never quite could escape from the fear of how our family was being perceived by the rest of the world. Even if we were good at hiding it we'd still always be freaks deep down.

"I'm just saying", Rosalie continued sternly, "I think that might just be the case, that she still has some unfinished business back in Phoenix that she needs to sort out. What you should remember about that though, Edward…" She suddenly paused, as if to assure herself of that she had her audience's full attention. "If he's not here to claim her, I don't see why you shouldn't give this your best go."