CHAPTER 2

Both Angela and I try to slide past Jess to get into Peter's house, but before I can get too far, Jess has a vice grip on my arm, pulling me back outside.

"Ow, what the f–" I yank my arm away. Her fake nails are definitely going to leave a mark.

"That's Victoria," Jess hisses.

I glance to my right, then back at her, confused. Angela isn't next to me, so I'm doubly on my own out here, because I don't know what the hell Jess is talking about.

"Who the fuck is Victoria?" I ask.

"The girl on Edward's lap. I went to Forks Mid with her."

"Ah…" I nod.

While there are only two high schools in our town, we easily had like ten middle schools. And somehow, because of how small cliques were, you could know someone's entire life story through the gossip mill without ever actually meeting them.

I still had no clue who Victoria was, though.

"How would I know her?" I ask. "Or better yet, what would I know about her?"

"That's Victoria? Vicky Howard! The one Mike cheated on me with, even though we were best friends."

I blink slowly, waiting for more of the story.

When it doesn't come, I sigh and place my hands on either side of Jessie's face. What I really want to do is shake her, but I settle for speaking to her calmly and very slowly.

"Sweetie, you and Mike dated in 8th grade. That was three years ago—almost four now, actually. You cannot possibly still be mad about that."

"I'm not mad," she says defiantly, pulling her face from my grasp.

I raise an eyebrow to say, okay then, what the hell are we doing outside?

"I swear I'm over that. But that doesn't mean I want to see her all over Edward, though. What a bitch. She's always after my sloppy seconds."

Well, I was with her until the last part - seeing as how she hasn't actually hooked up with Edward yet. Therefore, he technically would not be a sloppy second.

But I keep that to myself.

"So, what do you want to do, go home?" I ask, kinda pretending. I mean, we're already here. I have no plans to leave.

"No, forget that. I'm going to go inside and get my man. I just needed a minute."

Right. 'Her man.'

A minute feels a lot like an hour before she nods, says she's ready, and then pulls me so that we can head back inside together.

Except, this time I'm the one who almost stops dead in my tracks because Angela is being all chummy and laughing with this Victoria chick.

Side by side—the sight of them could almost take someone's breath away.

Angela with her slimming curves and long black hair.

This Victoria girl, equally tall with red curls that seem to go on for miles.

I chance a glance at Jess and she doesn't seem to be as bothered about those two being cool as she was when Edward was entertaining her, so I decided that I really don't want to know any more about this girl than I have to.

My plan of the night quickly becomes hiding out and keeping my distance.

Not just from Victoria, but Jess, Edward, and what I can see becoming a whole messy situation.

Because between my parents, school, and oh you know—my ex now being a criminal—I have enough of my own drama going on.

I don't need theirs too.

Hiding from everyone lasts all of five minutes, before Jessica's obsession of the hour strolls into the kitchen.

He has a beer in his right hand, a random chick under his left arm, and a signature cocky smile on his face.

"Hey, Bella," he says. Or at least that's what it sounds like he says over the music.

I nod, barely sparing him a glance. "Edward."

He lets out a short chuckle before whispering something in the girl's ear.

Whatever he says makes her roll her eyes, then glares in my direction before she stomps away.

She'll live.

With Edward and me both in the same space, I focus on what parts of the dance floor I can see. Doing everything in my power to avoid eye contact with him, even though I can feel him staring holes into me.

The same way that I can't figure out where Jessie's crush on him came from, is the same way I wouldn't be able to explain where my hatred for Edward came from either.

I'm not sure if it's new, or has been simmering under the surface for years. But it's there, at a ten, and almost impossible for me to contain or hide.

It would be an exaggeration, bordering on straight up lying, to say that we were ever friends, but up until recently, we were cool and cordial. The by-product, I'm sure, of his friendship with my ex.

To be fair, Edward's personality isn't the thing that's changed all that much. More so, it's been my patience to deal with it. Not just from him, but his merry band of dimwits, too.

"I'm surprised you're here slumming it." His breath fans over the side of my face.

I jump back, my heart suddenly racing. Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't realized he'd gotten so close. "Jesus, Edward, have you heard of personal space?"

"Of course." Cocky smile back in place, he nods but adds nothing more. He also doesn't step away.

So, I do; having to practically become one with the kitchen island to put distance between us.

Then his words hit me. Slumming it. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, just that I thought you were over high school parties. That they were lame and shit."

"I never said that."

A tiny lump of rage forms in my throat. Because I did, in fact, say that. Several times, actually. Only thing is I'd only ever said those words to Jessie and Angela.

"You didn't have to." Edward looks over my shoulder then back at me, the smirk lowering slowly but ever still present when he asks, "You talk to Jared lately?"

The lump of anger at Jess and Angela running their mouths turns into a stab of pain. I narrow my eyes at Edward. What an asshole for him to bring my ex up like that.

"As if you don't know."

"What I know and what I've heard are two different things."

"Well, what have you heard?" I ask before I could stop myself from taking the bait. "Never mind, don't answer that. It doesn't matter."

Clearing my throat, I stand up taller and look back at the dance floor where Jessie is now grinding all over… I squint.

Peter?

Oh shit.

"Have you seen Angela?" I ask Edward in a slight panic.

"I've seen her." Laughing, he takes a small sip of his beer that I realize he must be holding just for show at this point. Otherwise, he wouldn't be nursing it.

"What's funny?"

"Last I saw her, she was making out with Vicky in the backyard."

It takes a second for my ears to catch what he said.

"I'm sorry, what?" I can feel my eyes bugging out of my head. Then I narrow them. "Are you fucking with me?"

"Not at all. Why would I make that up?"

Good question. But the bigger question is, what the fuck?

"I doubt they remember it in the morning." He shrugs, barely bringing the beer bottle to his lips again. "They were both feeling it. Whatever they did."

"Oh."

He doesn't have to elaborate on that. I'm not sure what she took, didn't even realize she was on that kind of vibe tonight, either, but that clearly means Angela is high on… something.

I sigh to myself. Great.

"Anyway, I'm guessing that's what that show is all about." Edwards nods behind me and we both take a few steps closer to the open dance floor.

Now, Jessie and Peter are full-on making out, his hand sliding up her shirt. Shit, is she high too? No, knowing Jess, she's probably drunk. Or at least that's what she's going to claim in the morning.

This is bad.

Real bad.

"I should probably–"

"Stay out of it?" Edward pulls me back, squeezing my shoulder. "Yeah, I agree."

I shrug his hand away from me. "If you'll excuse me."

There are a few couples dancing in between the space that separates me from Jessie and Peter's would be soft porn show, so by the time I make it to them, Angela has sprung up out of nowhere and made it to Jessie's other side.

"Are you kidding me?" Angela pulls them apart, stands in between the duo, and gets in Jessie's face. "I'll fucking kill you."

Immediately, I get in between my two friends, too.

At this point, I don't know who's high, who's drunk, or who's just doing this for attention. But what I know is that they'll both regret it tomorrow if they get into an actual fight.

And whether I get in the middle of it now or later, I'll be brought into it one way or another.

"Move Bella," Angela fake pumps like she's trying to get around me, but I catch on and grab her, pulling her away.

"No. If you want to fight, it's not going to be over some dumb boy!" I shout, glaring at Peter, who is conveniently off to the side, acting like all of this has nothing to do with him.

Next to him, Edward's observing it all with a practiced calm, taking another small, or perhaps fake, sip of his beer.

I give them both the finger, standing as firm as I can between Angela and Jessie. We probably look like idiots. Angela's tall frame towered over both of us.

By now, the music has quieted down and everyone is tapped into the show, looking to see what's going to happen next.

This sucks, I think, struggling with Angela again when she tries to make a move past me.

But for a second, I really think about letting them go.

Maybe if they claw each other's eyes out, all the gossip will be focused on their catfight.

Anything would be better than everyone whispering, wondering if I know where Jared Black is.

Hello! Thanks for reading.

I'm always curious about reader preference. Do you like shorter chapters with frequent updates, or longer chapters say once every 1-2 weeks?

Depending on the story, I like a mixture of both.

~WG