Thank you to all of you who reads and reviews! It means a lot.
Fran, thank you for beta'ing and Mr G and Me and Monica03, thank you for pre-reading. You're the best! (Any mistakes you see are my own.)
*Just a warning: there is a brief allusion to suicide in this chapter. Please read with the bathroom scene with caution.*
SM owns everything Twilight.
I'm incredibly bored.
I finished reading the newest horror novel I bought, and none of my old ones are calling to me. Television is a bust; none of the good movies or television shows are on, which pisses me off. Usually, there's a re-run of Supernatural on somewhere, but not tonight.
My parents left for a date night, leaving us kids to fend for ourselves for dinner. Not that it was a bad thing. It gave Rose and me free reign in the kitchen to make our own pizzas. Rose balked at my ham, pineapple, mushroom, and green pepper pizza while I criticized hers; how she can eat anchovies on a pizza is beyond me.
So disgusting.
Instead of joining us, Jasper quickly made himself a sandwich and high-tailed it back to his room, where he's been holed up for the last day and a half. He's avoided everyone in the house, only opening the door a sliver to assure Mom and Dad he's okay.
Rose and I ate in silence. I watched as she chewed slowly, lost in thought. I tried to engage her in conversation multiple times, but when she agreed it was a good idea to offer myself up as a sacrifice to a cult, I stopped talking and escaped to do my own thing.
Which lead me here.
Bored, with nothing to do.
Deciding music always soothes every mood, I head upstairs to grab my iPod. Behind the door, there's a muted thump that has me throwing it open as I gaze from corner to corner.
There's nothing, so I figure it must be the house settling, or I'm imagining things.
Which, according to Edward, is actually what happened when I saw him.
Honestly, I'm torn over the entire situation. On one hand, I feel deep in my gut that I'm not wrong; I know what I saw. On the other, doubt circles those thoughts like a shark ready to attack.
According to Dad, the back room of the doctor's office is connected by one long hallway. Supposedly, it makes moving about easier for the doctors, nurses, and patients who have to have multiple tests done, effectively killing my theories.
I guess I am bat-shit crazy then.
Shrugging off those thoughts for another time, I snatch my player from the nightstand and press the button to turn it on, but all see is a black screen.
Plugging it into my computer, I see the battery icon light up and flash, signaling the device is being charged.
"What the hell," I mumble to myself. I had charged this last night. Did I leave it on and didn't realize?
Outside, a loud, ferocious bark fills the air, intermixed with snarling growls. Running for the window, I peer outside to see what's going on.
The Stephens' dog, Daisy, stands stiff and as close to the fence as she can; her ears lay flat against her head, and her body is rigid as she barks and growls at something straight ahead.
Unable to see whatever she's looking at from this vantage point, I go downstairs and out the back door, being sure not to make a lot of noise.
As I near the fence, Daisy releases one last bark and growl combination before trotting over to me with a slight whine, sticking her nose through the small opening in the chain-link fence. "Hey, Daisy. How are you, girl? " I say rubbing her nose lightly. Her small tail wags as her mouth opens, her tongue lolling out the side.
With the way she tries to jump over the fence, I have a feeling she's been left alone for too long, starving for attention.
I glare at the Stephens' house, silently cursing them to hell.
I swear if they don't take this animal inside, I'm going to steal it and keep it for myself. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind.
"Hey, sweets. Is there something in there pissing you off, huh?" Daisy's entire body shakes as her tail wags. "Bite 'em in the ass; right in the rear. Make them think twice about coming onto this property. Yeah." I maneuver my finger so I can reach her chin, laughing lightly as her back leg rises to scratch at her stomach.
After giving her some attention for a few minutes, I straighten and send one more glare to the house next door.
"Keep Daisy inside, or I'll call my father!" I shout at the house before heading inside, almost running into Jasper as he exits his room. He stares at me for a moment, his face pinched and his eyes pained before turning around to head back in his room, slamming the door.
Having enough of this behavior, I march up to the door and pound on the surface. "Jasper, open up. You can't avoid for me forever!"
There's a beat of silence before I hear his muffled reply. "I don't want to talk right now."
Heavily, I sigh and scowl as I pound my fist against the surface once more. "It's behavior like this that's going to get you titled as a weird recluse. No one will want to talk to you, and then you'll end with fifty weird and obscure pets in a rundown, grungy house that none of your family will visit. Your house will become the one everyone avoids and kids will make up stories about how haunted it is and how many people you killed; do you want that reputation? Because this is how it starts."
I don't get a response, not that I expected to. When Jasper doesn't want to talk, he won't. It's admirable and very frustrating.
Rose comes downs the stairs, meeting me halfway. Her hair is slightly curly and frizzy like she's been sleeping, but her face looks too bright to have just woken up.
"What was the yelling and slamming doors about?"
"Uh, I was telling the neighbors to take their dog inside." She frowns at this but doesn't comment. Her thoughts on that poor dog are the same as mine. "And I was trying to get Jasper to talk to me."
Her eyes look over my shoulder in the direction of Jasper's door; her lips pulled into a frown as she thinks. After a moment, she shakes her head, her attention back to me. "Something's bothering him, but he won't talk to me. It'll be fine, though. He needs to sort out his thoughts before he tells us. You know how he is."
This is true; Jasper has never been one to blurt out things. He takes his time, assesses whatever is bothering him, and then he talks about it. It's never gone on for this long, however. Normally, if something bothers him for more than a day, he comes to Rose and me.
Outside, Daisy barks again. It doesn't last as long as before, but that's beside the point. I feel bad for the poor thing, always outside with no one to spend time with. Vaguely, I wonder if I can get away with stealing her, but Rose seems to catch on to my thought process.
"Uncle Charlie is the Chief of Police. It won't be good for him or us if you steal Daisy."
"Pfft." I wave a dismissive hand. "Please. They wouldn't miss her, and besides who's going to suspect us?"
She looks at me like I'm daft. "You don't think they'd recognize their own dog?"
"I doubt it; hide her in plain sight. It's part of my plan."
Rose waves her hands in the air as she walks away. "I know nothing."
"That's right! You know nothing!"
Her laughter drifts down the stairs as she heads to her room. If she thinks I'm joking, she has another thing coming. But first, I have other things to focus on.
Like dealing with Edward on Monday.
Oh, joy.
8*8*8*8*8*8
On Monday, Edward isn't in any of our morning classes.
It's a relief because I'm sure he would love to gloat about how wrong I was in my accusations against him. I'm still a little suspicious of the explanation he gave me, but I'm trying to let it go.
I just hope he shows up tomorrow.
In the cafeteria, I find Alice sitting at our table, her bright gold eyes easy to spot anywhere amongst the drab and neutral colors of the room. She waves at me, a little too enthusiastically, and I head over, chuckling under my breath.
I couldn't miss her, even if I tried.
At the table, I notice two lunch trays; one in front of Alice and one next to her. I level her with a hard look, pointedly looking at the tray and back to her.
Playfully, she rolls her eyes, waving a dismissive hand. "Just eat it."
"Is it poisoned?" I sarcastically question.
"Damn it! Who told you?" she asks in mock outrage.
We both laugh, but hers ends in a huff as I shove money into her hand. She says nothing, but she does stick her tongue in my direction, as she shoves the bills into her pocket.
"You look better," I remark after a few moments.
"What do you mean?" Her eyebrows furrow as she stabs at what is supposed to be meatloaf, moving the pieces around on her tray.
"I mean," I clarify, swallowing the bite I'd just taken. "Your eyes look brighter."
Alice says nothing; she merely smiles, her glance darting to something over my shoulder.
Whirling around, I see Edward standing there, his face void of any emotion.
I'm in awe and a little freaked out on how he can accomplish that.
"He shows," I say sarcastically, a little more than surprised at his sudden reappearance.
He clears his throat again. "Yeah."
Like his sister, his eyes are a light butterscotch, and the skin underneath is almost as pale as the rest of his face. In fact, they look lighter than they did in Port Angeles.
"What?" he questions, his tone sharp. I ignore it.
"Nothing," I reply, staring at his eyes.
Edward swallows, his jaw clenching as he shifts to the left, concentrating on the plastic table. In his hands is a laptop and textbook with loose-leaf notebook paper sticking out of it. "Are you ready to complete this?"
I nod, taking a few more bites before giving Alice an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I have to go."
"No," Edward interjects abruptly, startling me.
Jerking my head around to him, I look at him with wide eyes.
"I mean, there's no need. You need to eat lunch; we can work here; the table is plenty big enough. Alice, do you mind?"
"Not at all."
"Okay," I reply slowly. I watch him as I lower myself back down, wondering what is going on. His behavior just goes from one extreme to the other. It can't be normal.
As Edward goes about setting up the laptop and organizing his papers, I ready my work for him to look at, spotting Alice observing us with a small smile and a glint in her eye.
When I raise an eyebrow in her direction, her grin grows, and she shrugs a shoulder, looking down at her tray, still amused. I look from her to Edward, who is studiously ignoring us, though I do see him periodically look over at his sister in annoyance.
Edward catches me staring and clears his throat, gently taking the papers from my hands. After a moment, he nods, handing me his outline. I look it over quickly, thoroughly impressed over the detail and the depth of ideas he has for the project.
Shifting in his chair, he focuses on the computer screen, opening the program to make the mock presentation we're giving load.
The time passes quickly, as we discuss the presentation throughout, merging our ideas and calling out new ones when inspiration strikes. By the time the bell rings signaling the end of lunch, I jump in surprise.
"Wow. That went by fast," I remark, astonished.
"You're really unobservant at times."
I narrow my eyes at him. "I just get … involved when I'm working on something. I don't half-ass it."
"Work on that," he says, typing something into the computer before closing it with a firm click as he stands. "Being unaware will just get you into trouble."
"Why do you think I'll get into trouble?"
"Isn't that your middle name?"
"It's Marie, actually."
He smirks with a light chuckle, shaking his head. "I sent you a copy of the presentation. Look it over and make any changes you think are necessary with the editing tool; I sent the paper again, as well. I made some changes."
Nodding to his sister, and without another to me, he strolls away.
I stick my tongue out at his back, and Alice erupts in loud laughter, covering her mouth with both of her hands. She peers over at me, eyes twinkling.
I'm glad to know she's okay with the way her brother and I talk to one another.
"Does he have manners?" I ask Alice once she's somewhat calmed.
She snickers, tossing an apple between her hands before dropping it in her bag. "He does. Actually, most of the time he's very prim and proper," she says, arching her back and sticking her nose in the air. "I think you've really gotten under his skin for more than one reason. He's never met anyone who stands up to him the way you do. He doesn't know how to act."
"For starters, he can start speaking to me like a human being," I grumble rising from my seat.
Suddenly, Alice gasps, and I look over, concerned. She has a vacant, distant look on her face, her eyes far away and containing that strange milky appearance. It's the exact look she had when she had her last bad headache.
She sits unnaturally still, appearing not even to breathe. Her body stiff, her lips parted in a silent gasp that makes her look like a terrified statue. I swallow thickly, wondering what could cause her to look like this.
"Alice?" I get no response, so I wave my hand in front of her eyes, hoping to snap her out of the trance she's suddenly fallen into. "Alice?" Again, no response. Snapping my fingers has little effect either. Honestly, I'm starting to get a little freaked out and that only increases when she starts to shake her head, the speed of it increasing with each second.
Looking around the emptying room, I hope to spot Edward or Emmett, but they're nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Alice's arm shoots out and knocks over the small container of juice, dousing my pants. Alice gasps and looks up at me, seemingly back to the world of the living, but the look in her eyes is pure fright and sadness.
"Go clean that up in the bathroom," she tells me, her voice dripping with urgency.
"I'll be fine. Are you okay? Did you get another headache? Do you need me to get Edward or Emmett?"
"You need to go. Now." Without waiting for a reply, she grips my arm and pushes me.
I stumble, but catch myself just before I fall. I look at her, astonished she would do such a thing, but she meets my gaze with wide eyes, slight panic swimming below the surface.
"What the hell, Alice?"
"Go, before that stains. Please."
I stare at her, puzzled. Why does she care so much whether or not my pants stain? The pleading look in her eyes tells me this is about a lot more than a ruined garment, but what else can it be? Nothing I can think of, that's for damn sure.
"Fine. I'll see you later. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Go!"
Shaking my head, I go to the nearest bathroom, hearing shouting and crying come from within.
Rushing inside, I see Lauren with a taunting smile, standing over a crying Jess, who is huddled in the corner, her hands covering her head in a protective gesture.
Heat fills my face and chest; my hands form into fists at my sides, ready to punch that grin right off her face. With Jess so close, however, I know it's not a good decision. I don't want her to get hurt.
"I'm surprised you'd be in here, Lauren. Won't you melt if water touches you?" I mean for the words to be taunting, but they come out hard, through tight lips.
She spins around; shock etched on her face. "What are you doing here, freak?"
"Going to the bathroom," I reply, waving around.
She scowls. "Whatever. I hope you drown."
I force out a chuckle. "Really? And have me turn into a ghost? Then I'd have nothing to do but torment you."
"Ugh. You should shut your mouth."
"And you should do the world a favor and replace your lipstick with a glue stick."
Lauren's face scrunches up in confusion, and I almost choke on my repressed laughter. She releases a scream under her breath, reminding me of a tea kettle, and steps in my face.
"Get out of my face," I say lowly. "It'd be a shame if something bad happened to you after everything else that's happened."
"What are you talking about? Nothing bad has happened recently."
I plaster an innocent expression on my face. "Really? Huh. That's weird."
She stares for a moment before she pales and backs away slowly, scurries away. Once she's gone, I rush toward Jess, who is crying into her knees.
"Jess, look at me."
She shakes her head, gasping heavily.
"Jess, come on." Gently, I coax her head up and gasp, seeing blood gushing from her nose, down her chin, and onto her shirt. "She hit you?"
"I-it wa-was an ac-accident," she rushes to say when I start to get up and go after Lauren.
I shake my head, pissed off beyond belief. I barely manage to take a step before Jess grabs my wrist tightly, shaking her head with tear-filled eyes. "Pl-please, Bel-bella. Do-don't."
"This wasn't an accident, Jess."
"It wa-was. Sh-she di-didn't s-see I-I wa-was be-behind th-the do-door."
How could she possibly think it was an accident? After every push, every shove and every bruise she's given her, how on earth could she think anything Lauren does is an accident? Looking into her teary eyes, I see for a fact, she does actually believe it.
I sigh heavily, shaking my head. "Jess, you and I both know nothing she does is an accident."
"It-it's eas-easier th-this wa-way. T-to ig-ignore."
As the last word leaves her lips, the door opens, and Angela Webber comes in, gasping at the sight of Jess's face.
"What happened?"
"Lauren," I answer flatly.
Surprisingly, Angela mutters a curse through clenched teeth and immediately blushes scarlet, but shrugs her shoulders, unashamed, grinning along with me.
I wish I could spend more time with Angela; she's a pretty cool girl. She's kind and wickedly smart, which only makes sense, considering she's in advanced classes and is graduating in January with Rose. With her extra class load, helping her parents take care of her infant twin brothers, volunteering at her father's church and hanging out with her boyfriend, her time is spread pretty thin.
With Angela whispering reassurances, I rise and wet a paper towel, gently cleaning away the blood. Jess's eyes focus on a random spot on Angela's shoulder, wincing as I hit a particularly delicate area.
Once a majority of the blood is cleared, I see why; there's a nasty black and blue bruise already forming on her skin, blooming upward toward her eyes.
"You'll need to see a doctor," I murmur to her. "This bruise is bad."
She nods, and I continue wiping away the blood as much as I can without hurting her.
Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about the blood on her shirt, but at least I was able to do something.
"You can't ignore her forever. She's only going to get worse as time goes on," I tell Jess when she gives no sign she's going to move or talk.
Angela nods in agreement next to me. "She's right, Jessica. Lauren … she's just going to keep at this because she knows you won't say anything. You have to stand up to her."
"It-it's n-not wo-worth it. I-I'm n-not wo-worth i-it."
"Of course you are! You are ten times better than she'll ever be," Angela argues vehemently.
"I-I'm n-not! Lo-look a-at m-me! I ca-can't sp-speak wi-without stut-stuttering."
"That doesn't make you any less of a person or any less than Angela or me," I counter. "It also doesn't give Lauren the right to pick on you."
"I ju-just do-don't s-see th-the po-point."
Angela reaches forward, grasping her hand tightly. "The point is showing her that you won't back down, that you won't let her stand over you anymore. You have to be strong. You have to show her you're not going to put up with this type of treatment from her anymore."
"She's right," I cut in. "Stutters can go away. Bitches don't. You have to do something."
"N-no!" Jess cries, fresh tears pouring down her cheeks. "I-I'm ti-tired o-of i-it a-all! S-so ti-tired. I do-don't wa-want to fi-fight. I ju-just wa-want to g-go a-away. I do-don't wa-want t-to d-do th-this an-anym-more."
Angela and I exchange worried looks before returning our attention back to Jess, who continues to cry softly.
"What are you talking about, Jess?" I ask. Jess doesn't look at me. Instead, she shrugs her shoulders, staring at her cuticles.
I place my hand over hers, making her look up at me.
"What are you talking about? Talk to me. I'm here. I'm listening. We're listening," I say, pointing between Angela and me.
Jess's eyes water and the tears spill over as she lets everything out.
"I-I do-don't wa-want t-to d-do thi-this an-anym-more! I-I'm t-t-tired of st-stut-stuttering a-and b-being pi-picked o-on."
Jess sobs again, her heartbreaking cries echoing off the tiles. Each whimper that leaves her stabs me right through my heart. My own eyes burn with the threat of tears, but I blink them back, needing to be strong for her.
Angela has pulled her into her arms, hugging her and rocking them both from side to side. I grab ahold of Jess's hand, squeezing tightly, offering as much support as I can give right now.
"Jessica, doing anything besides standing up to Lauren, telling someone about what she's done to you, won't solve that. It will only cause problems and hurt the people who love you," Angela says softly.
"She's right," I add. "Trust me. I know it's hard being different."
"B-but i-it do-doesn't se-seem t-to b-bother y-you."
"Not all the time. Sometimes, it does though. Every now and then I feel lonely and like an outcast," I admit. "When I first decided to change my hair and dress the way I wanted to, I had a hard time. I was hurt, upset and sad from the way people treated me. They called me names, tripped me and even hit me. I got tired of it, though. I got tired of being their punching bag and allowing them to make me feel bad. I was happy, and just because I was different didn't give them the right to bully me … just like it doesn't give anyone the right to bully you. Fight Jess. Fight Lauren and her evil words. Fight the feelings she's made you feel all these years, because, despite everything she's done, she's the one who's not worth anything, not if she has to hurt people to feel better about herself. She's not as special as she thinks she is. You are. You are the one who's special. You are the one who Angela and I call a friend."
Jessica sighs harshly, looking down, hiccupping every now and then. "S-so wha-what d-do I d-do?"
"You tell someone about what she's been doing. You talk to your parents about how you're feeling and let them help you. You let the people who really care and love you, help you," I answer, squeezing her hands.
"La-Lauren wo-won't ge-get i-in tr-trouble. Sh-she ne-never do-does."
"If she doesn't, then at least you did something. At least you said something. Besides, I know a lot of complaints have been filed against her, so people will believe you," Angela says. If anyone would know, it's her. She works in the main office as an office aide for Mrs. Cope, so she probably knows all the dirty secrets of most students here.
"B-but wha-what i-if sh-she co-comes af-after m-me?"
"Then I'll protect you," I reply easily. "She's scared of me; you know this. Besides, she's going to be a little extra cautious around me. I'm screwing with her head. It's fabulous."
Angela and Jess laugh lightly before they fall into silence, allowing time to think. The only sound in the room is our breathing and the occasional groaning from the old pipes. I sincerely hope Jessica will stand up for herself and report Lauren's behavior. It's gone on for too long and needs to end. Now.
After a few minutes of silence, Jessica nods, telling us she'll go to the principal. Angela and I both smile at her and help her to her feet.
"You're going to talk to your parents too, right? And of course, you can always talk to Bella and me."
Jessica looks between Angela and me, smiling when we both nod firmly.
"Y-yes. To-tonight, I-I'll ta-talk t-to m-my pa-parents."
"Good," I reply. "Now, let's go to the principal, hmm?"
Jessica nods, drawing in a shaky breath and stepping forward, walking out into the hall. Angela and I follow behind her as she walks, slow but determined, toward the main office. Ben comes after us, shooting a concerned look toward Jess, quietly asking Angela why she wasn't in last period.
In a hushed voice, Angela rushes through what occurred, and when he responds, his gruff voice says that he, too, is upset by Lauren's behavior.
We enter the office and Mrs. Cope smiles, but it quickly falls when she sees Jessica's red-rimmed eyes, bruised face and the residue of blood on her clothes. She rushes around to our side of the desk, pulling her into a protective hug.
"Oh my. What on earth happened, dear?"
"I-I wo-would li-like t-to sp-speak t-to th-the prin-principal, pl-please."
Mrs. Cope smiles softly, and there's something in her expression that shows pride. "Right away." She picks up the phone and talks quietly into the receiver before hanging up and telling Jessica she can go on back.
Before she does, however, Jessica turns to us. "Th-thank y-you."
"Thanking us is not necessary. It's what friends do."
I nod in agreement. Jessica smiles and heads into the principal's office.
"I take it you all skipped last period?" Mrs. Cope questions.
"Just Bella and me," Angela answers.
"No problem. I'll talk to your teachers, but now you need to head to your next class. Don't worry about Jessica. I'll take care of her."
Leaving Jessica in Mrs. Cope's capable hands, we say goodbye and head toward our respective classes. Before I turn the corner, Mike's voice slows my steps. Since he and Lauren are attached to the hip—while they're at school, anyway—I have to wonder if knows about Lauren's stunt with Jessica today? If he did, there will be hell to pay.
He doesn't mention Jessica at all. In fact, his topic of choice is me.
"Hey, Edward. It's good to see you, man!" he greets like the pair are best friends. I roll my eyes and start to turn the corner, but his next sentence causes me to pause. "Has that freak, Bella … you know … tried anything? I hear she's into some pretty wicked shit. Sacrifices and such. Plus, she talks to herself. It's kind of weird."
I roll my eyes once more. Jeez, these people will believe anything and run with it. Do they not know a joke when they see one?
Obviously not.
"Everything is fine; I assure you."
Why is he so formal? I thought I was the strange one in this school … I'm not sure I like the competition.
"Really? If I were you, I would back away now. You can work with me on the project. Just leave her to do the work. She deserves it."
"I won't do that."
"You should. She's dangerous and might kill you."
I scoff lightly. Between Edward and me, if anyone is going to kill someone, it'll be him. Although, if he continues to treat me like I'm a bug in his food, there could be a problem.
"I think I'll take my chances." Edward's voice is hard, angry. A tone I'm very familiar with. "If you'll excuse me."
"Although," Mike continues thoughtfully like Edward hadn't dismissed him, "I hear crazy chicks like her are awesome in bed. The things they can do, I bet …" He slows off into a mumble, his face taking on a dream-like quality.
There's no question as to what he's thinking, and it disgusts me. I shiver and have to hold back the vomit bubbling up into my throat.
I guess what they say about guys is true; no matter if someone hates them to the core or scares the crap out of them, guys will sleep with any willing female.
Edward slams his palm against the wall, the sound echoing throughout the empty hall. I duck around the corner once more before slowly peeking back out at the scene unfolding a few feet ahead of me.
Standing silent with a glower on his face, Edward stands in front of Mike, who stares back at him frightfully. One of Mike's legs crosses in front of the other, and I have a feeling he's a second away from peeing his pants.
Cursing inwardly, I wish I had my phone with me to take pictures because this shit is epic!
"Don't ever say anything like that about her again, do you understand me? Never speak that way about her." He pauses, taking in a deep breath while my eyes grow as big as saucers.
Did he ... did he really just defend me?
"Hey," Mike says, hands raised. When Edward backs away, Mike takes five giant steps backward. "It's all good. I wasn't serious anyway. Geez, lighten up."
Mike walks away and tries to give off a confident air, but his hurried steps tell another story. I remain where I am for a beat longer, observing Edward.
He's still standing in the same spot, his fists clenched at his sides. His head starts to turn in my direction, and I jump back behind the wall, hoping he didn't see me. I listen carefully, poised to run if I need to, but a second later, I hear his footsteps retreat before fading in the opposite direction.
With a sigh of relief, I head to my next class, Lauren's voice filtering out into the hall. I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to march in there and throat punch her for what she did to Jess, but I need to stay out of it.
I remind myself that Jess is taking care of the situation and I need to leave it at that.
The next words out of her mouth throw my reasoning out of the window.
"... maybe she'll listen to me and actually do the world a favor and disappear," she cackles.
Spinning around, I slam one hand on her desk and the other on her chair, making her jump. She swallows thickly when she finds me standing over her; my eyes narrowed into slits.
"You're pathetic; you know that, right? Bullying people to make yourself look better? Well, keep laughing, chuckles. One day, you'll get what's coming to you."
She shrugs a single shoulder, trying to appear nonchalant, but her refusal to look me in the eye tells me everything. She's scared.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I think you do."
"I'm not scared of you."
"If you have just a thimble of intelligence … you should be. You think you're untouchable? Let me tell you something; you're not. You think you can get away with what you've done? You can't. You think someone will protect you? Mmm … they won't. All of these friends you have are only hanging around because of what you can do for them. They don't give two shits about you."
She scoffs, brushing her hair over her shoulder, casting a look at some of the "friends" in question. "Yeah, right. They love me. I'm the best friend they'll ever have. They'll do anything for me."
Lauren doesn't see it, but her friends look away as she says this, silently negating her words.
A short, bitter laugh escapes me. "Really? I can guarantee they will be the first to throw you under the bus when a better opportunity comes along. Then where you will be, huh? The lonely woman in the diner, watching everyone else live a full, happy life while you're there, alone. Then you'll grow into a bitter person, trying to relive the glory days of high school, talking trash about anyone and everyone so that you can have fake-ass friends who will turn on you when it suits them."
I pause, watching as Lauren looks around, her friends not meeting her eyes. She swallows thickly and shrugs, looking toward me, but not at me.
"You won't get away with what you did to Jess, and if you ever come near her or anyone else, you'll think hell is an amusement park. Do not fucking test me."
She swallows audibly, her face pale underneath her makeup. A strangled laugh leaves her as she looks around, noting that the majority of people around us are either ignoring the situation or laughing at her.
"Is there a problem here?" The teacher asks from behind me.
"No," I answer, my voice sounding before Lauren can say anything. "Just having a quick word with Lauren."
"Mm-hm. Well, take your seat, Miss Swan; class is starting."
I give her one last withering glare before pushing myself away from her desk and heading to my own. I catch Edward's thoughtful gaze, but once he sees me looking, he looks away.
When class is over, Alice steps up to me, her eyes wide and anxious. Edward passes by us, looking at me briefly before turning his attention to his sister. They share a look and nod before he departs.
Something is familiar about the way they exchange looks; it almost reminds me of Rose and Jasper. At times, they can seemingly speak without words and know what the other is thinking with just a glance.
I had mentioned it to Mom once, and she just laughed it off, saying it was a twin thing. Later, after a few documentaries about twins, I realized she was right — a lot of what the programs presented I had seen myself with Rose and Jasper.
However, Edward and Alice aren't twins, so why they have those same attributes?
"What? Is everything okay?" Alice questions, seeing my puzzled expression.
"Yeah. It's just … you and Edward … sometimes it looks like you're speaking without saying anything."
Alice stares, unblinkingly, and shrugs a shoulder. "Edward and I have always been close. We're not that far apart in age. We've just always had a connection."
I nod in understanding and shift, remembering how odd it is to see her outside of my classroom. Before I can ask, she asks a question of her own.
"How's Jessica?"
"She's okay for now. She has a nasty bruise, and she's not … feeling like herself," I hedge, not wanting to spill Jess's secrets. "She's going to talk to the principal and her parents about how she's been feeling and what's been going on. Hopefully, she'll be okay."
She nods firmly. "She will be now."
Alice sounds so confident, and it takes a moment for my brain to catch up with the conversation. How did she know about Jess? And how is she so confident Jess will be okay? Right now, things are on shaky ground, and it's impossible to tell how they will turn out. Of course, I want my friend to be okay, but things are very iffy at the moment. I just hope she'll actually talk to her parents instead of brushing it off; however, I have a feeling she will. Her parents attend Angela's church, and if Jess doesn't say something, I know Angela will.
Not to mention, I won't keep quiet about this either. I won't let Jess suffer this way.
"How did you know about Jessica?"
There's a slight pause as her mouth drops slightly and her eyes widen. A second later and the worry clears with a small smile. "I saw you with Jessica in the office when I passed by. She looked rough. Plus, she wasn't in my class, so I figured it was something serious."
She stares at me head on, almost like she's daring to me refute her claims. I keep my gaze on her, looking for any wavering, but there's none—just determination and something else I can't place.
After a moment, I nod, accepting her words and turning to head to my locker, but I stop short, my heart jumping into my throat.
"You need a bell," I mumble through gritted teeth.
My eyes are narrowed on Edward's form, but he's not paying attention to me; his scowl and his focuses on his sister, who matches his fierce look with one of her own.
The tension in the air is thick as the pair stares at each other. Not wanting to be a part of this, I step backward.
"Okay, I'm gonna go now."
Alice nods once but doesn't further acknowledge my words. Just before I walk away, I spare a glance at Edward, who meets my gaze for a split moment before looking back to his sister.
Once I turn the corner, Edward hisses something unintelligible.
"Oh lighten up," Alice chides. "I didn't do anything."
"You're doing something, Alice. You need to be careful!"
"I had to do it! You have no idea—"
"I know," he interrupts with a heavy sigh. "I know. But it's still too dangerous. You're too close. You need to—"
This time, it's Alice who interrupts. "Please," she scoffs. "Just because you're in denial doesn't mean I shouldn't have friends."
"I'm not in denial."
"Yeah, you are. I may not know everything in regards to this situation, but I have two eyes, and I know you. I know you—"
"Alice, stop." He breaks off with a heavy sigh, and there's a short silence before he speaks again. "I don't want to hear any more of this conversation. I don't like her, and that's never going to change."
Sensing the conversation is coming to an end, I scurry away, a small feeling of guilt settling in my gut. I shouldn't have eavesdropped; I know this, but I have a feeling it was about me. Why else would Edward tell her she's too close? Who else would he feel so strongly about?
He only seems to have a strong dislike toward me, and apparently, they've had this discussion before. Obviously, Edward isn't going to be nice to me out of the goodness of his heart or because his sister asked him to.
That's fine. At least he won't be fake like so many other people in the world. I admire that about him.
In the locker room, I stash my books and quickly change. As I do so, I overhear some girls talking and pause.
"Did you see Lauren and Royce? He seemed pissed."
"Who cares about that?! Did you see Lauren's face when Coach Clapp told her Principal Greene called her into his office?" Some girl guffaws. "I wish I had a camera. She looked batshit scared."
"I heard she's already had numerous warnings from the principal," another girl chimes in, their voices fading as they leave. "I bet she's going to get expelled."
We can only hope.
8*8*8*8*8*8
The rest of the week passes by smoothly with no problems.
Like everyone had hoped, Lauren was expelled from school, thanks to the complaints filed by Jess and many other students. Mr. Greene had reportedly had enough and would not be reasoned with when Mr. Mallory tried to persuade him to change his mind.
Royce, having lost one of his most eager followers has been absent most of the week, as well, most likely licking his wounds now that his defender is no longer with him.
I was hoping he would stay gone but showed up today in all of his smarmy glory. Luckily, he's been preoccupied and managed to stay away from me.
Rose has even been more relaxed than she has been in a quite a while, though I still notice her looking over her shoulder every now and then.
Jasper still hasn't spoken to me about what's been bothering him, but at least now, he's not avoiding me and Rose like he was. I'm extremely curious as to what had him on edge so badly, but I'll wait until he's willing to tell me himself.
Edward has mostly kept away from me, only asking me questions about the continuous changes I've made to our project. If he's been annoyed, he surprisingly doesn't show it; he simply calls or emails me, asking why I made the change. He listens with rapt attention, interjecting a new idea here and there before murmuring a goodbye.
At school, our interactions are limited, though he has spoken to me in the hall and shown me new ideas he's come up with during the night.
Speaking of, I have the newest idea for an addition to our presentation sitting in my bookbag. I had time to kill in my last class, so I looked it over and wrote down my own ideas for the changes.
Just thinking about it sends a thrill through me for some unknown reason. It must be everything coming together. I know the grade for the project will be excellent; if it's not, the system is definitely rigged.
I close my locker with a loud metallic clang and flinch back upon seeing Alice's grinning face.
I have to buy these Cullen's bells or something. Jeez.
"Hey, Bella! For tomorrow, are you bringing the hair dye or doing it at your house?"
"Uh, my house. It's easier there."
Alice pouts but nods.
I would do it at her house, but I shudder as I remember the pristine condition of the house, knowing Alice's bathroom is probably just as clean and sparkly. I can't imagine getting dye on anything there; at least my own bathroom has dark floors, and dye stains are already on the walls. I would be eternally guilty if I messed up their house.
Besides, I'm not used to someone watching me. Normally, I do have another person with me, but they're usually helping me or doing it for me. With Alice, I have the feeling she'll stare like a hawk, studying my movements.
"Do you still want me to come over afterward?"
"Of course! Come by around ten or eleven?"
"That's too early." I groan in distaste.
"Sorry." She laughs, sounding anything but apologetic.
"Sure you are. No, ten or eleven is fine. I can take a nap later."
"Of course, you can! So—"
At that moment, Royce walks by, giving me a slimy smirk. I flip him off and roll my eyes, breathing a sigh of relief when he's out of the door.
"He's creepy," Alice remarks.
"Yeah, but luckily I know how to handle creepy."
"I know. Just be careful, though, okay? You never know what someone will do."
I hold my right hand in the air and stand tall. "I promise with all of my black heart."
Alice smirks, but it falls slightly when her eyes dart to something behind me.
Turning, I see Emmett walking beside Rose; his head tilted down slightly as he talks to her. Surprisingly, she doesn't seem bothered or angry, though she does seem a little annoyed as her eyes meet mine.
When she's close enough, she holds her hands out expectantly and then I notice he's holding her bookbag.
"May I have my things back?"
"Are you sure? I can carry it out to your car," he offers with a grin.
"I'm sure."
He shrugs, handing it back with a smile. "I'm just trying to be a gentleman! I read up on this shit. You're supposed to carry a girl's books and open doors and pull out chairs."
She snorts, her eyes sparkling. "What website was this? Tips from the 1950s?"
"A true gentleman never goes out of style. Women such as yourself can take of themselves, that's true, but you should always be treated with respect and care; like a beautiful piece of artwork."
By the end of his speech, Rose is starry-eyed and has a glazed over look on her face.
"I gotta run. See ya, Bella." He holds his hand up for a high five and gives a dimpled grin when I stare at him. "Come on. Don't leave me hanging."
Rolling my eyes, I indulge him, shaking my head as he releases a loud, "whoop!"
"I'll meet you at the car, Alice. Goodbye, Rosalie."
He walks away and Rose, still dazed, doesn't even notice he walks off until he's gone.
"Where …?"
"He left," I reply, a little amused. I never thought I'd see this. Rose is totally smitten.
"Oh." She clears her throat and straightens her shirt. "Well, thank goodness."
"Mm-hmm. Thank the heavens."
I receive an unamused glance in response, and she mutters something about going to the car to wait for me. I shove some things in my bag and walk out with Alice, making small talk before going our separate ways when we hit the parking lot. I slide into the passenger seat of Rose's car, turning my body so I can stare at her fully.
She looks between me and the steering wheel before she groans and lets her head fall back on the seat.
"I don't know what to think about Emmett …"
My earlier thoughts of teasing and confrontation are doused. To my knowledge, Rose hasn't been like this since Royce, and after that mess, she promised herself she'd never fall quickly for anyone else. If she's acting all starry-eyed and she's unsure about him, I know she must be having some seriously mixed feelings.
"I'm here if you want to talk about it."
I get a smile in return. "Thanks. I just … I'm so confused."
"You'll figure it out."
Turning her head lazily, she smiles. "I hope so."
8*8*8*8
"How was your day?" Mom asks Jasper and me after we've finished our homework. Rose opted to do hers upstairs and then call Vera to see if she could hang out this weekend. No one objected. I think we all sense she needs some time alone.
"Everyone's debating whether or not Lauren has been shipped out of state. Apparently, some are saying they saw her father drop her off at the bus station without looking back," Jasper answers.
I snort a laugh. He sounds like every other gossiper in this town. "Is that what you've been doing in your free time? Catching up on gossip?"
He rolls his eyes. "You hear it whether you want to or not."
"I don't hear it."
"You don't pay attention. You're in your own little bubble."
"I like it that way."
Mom laughs lightly, trailing off into a sigh. "Unfortunately, she's still in the area. I saw her in Port Angeles doing community service, picking up trash along the road."
"That's both disappointing and hysterical. But, there's always hope she'll still get shipped off," I say brightly.
"I don't think we'll be that lucky," Jasper murmurs. I nod in agreement.
"We can hope, especially after I heard that her father is one breath away from sending her to some relative's farm."
Jasper and I exchange a humorous glance. "Where did you hear this, Mom?"
"Around. Gossip flows like water around here."
I snicker and nod. It's the truth … especially with the older folks in town.
"Now, I hope you're all hungry," Mom says, popping up from her seat. "I found this new recipe, and it sounded so good. I don't have all of the ingredients for it, but I can substitute ..." Her voice trails off as she wanders into the pantry, rifling through the contents. My eyes dart to Jasper, who is staring at his phone with a small grin, not at all paying attention to the disaster about to unfold.
I kick his leg and nod over to my mother, who continues pulling out ingredients. Jasper and I meet each other's gazes with wide eyes. Ordinarily, my mother is a decent cook … when she sticks to a recipe. It's when she wants to create something new that we all tend to worry.
I jerk my head toward the stairs, silently telling him to get Rose, and he takes off without hesitation. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I could swear he has Edward's super speed.
Mom begins piling ingredients on the counter, and I balk at the bottles of hot sauce, garlic, lemon, and vanilla.
"Hey, Mom? Why don't you let Rose and I cook tonight?"
"That's a great idea, Aunt Ren," Rose says smoothly, coming into the room in a hurry, Jasper trailing behind. Her face twists in disgust as she eyes the bottles on the counter. "Bella and I can cook; you know, take the burden off you for a change."
Mom comes out of the pantry, her lips pulled in a small pout, but there's a glint in her eye that's gone before I can tell what it means. "Really? I was looking forward to cooking this evening. I was right, we don't have all of the ingredients, but I'm sure it'll still taste the same with what I have."
We all work hard to keep the grimaces off our faces. Rose and Jasper are more successful. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to relax my face enough. My mind keeps pondering over what the hell she could possibly make with garlic, hot sauce, lemon, and vanilla extract.
Nothing good, I imagine.
"Perhaps for another day?" Rose asks, looking slightly desperate.
"Yeah, Mom. You can cook it for Dad this weekend ... tomorrow, even! We kids will get out of your hair, and you two can have the house to yourselves."
My cousins both snicker at me throwing my dad under the bus and essentially giving us an evening out. My dad won't be very pleased with this turn of events, but he married her. He should know what she's like by now. Plus, I haven't forgotten how he did this exact thing four months ago when she tried something new. He and his buddies at the station had a sudden meeting that lasted well into the night. Needless to say, he had dinner out while we all suffered for my mother's love of creating outlandish new recipes.
"Yes, that's a great idea," Rose agrees. "Vera is coming over tomorrow, and the three of us can take her back to Port Angeles tomorrow evening; we can have a bonding night or something."
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Jasper fidget and start to say something, but my mom interrupts, a huge beaming grin on her lips.
"That is a wonderful idea!" my mother squeals, putting everything back in its proper place. "It's been so long since your father and I had a date night."
Rose, Jasper and I all sigh in relief at the crisis that has been averted … at least for now.
8*8*8*8*8*8*8
"You're cutting those vegetables too thin," Jasper drawls from his position at the table.
He's been giving Rose and me cooking directions for the past twenty minutes, giving us helpful tips on what will make our meal a better one, while he sits back, relaxing like a king.
"You should have seasoned the meat before it went in the skillet, and then once more after it's simmering. That allows the flavor to last longer."
Turning, I point the knife in my hand straight at him. He's screwing with us because he's trying very hard to keep in his laughter. "If you don't like the way we're doing things, then you get up here and cook yourself. Otherwise, it'll be your ass in this skillet."
"Bella, don't point sharp objects at people. With your anger, it'll accidentally fly out of your hand and into Jasper, and he's the only brother we have."
I set the knife down on the counter to settle Rose's worry and look back at Jasper, challenging him to say something else. Wisely, he keeps his mouth shut, pretending to lock his mouth closed and throw away the key, choosing to focus on his homework because he knows I will haul him out of that chair and make him work.
Ten—peaceful and quiet—minutes later, my dad comes in the door, kicking off his boots and hanging up his gun belt. He comes into the kitchen, slapping Jasper on the shoulder and giving Rose and me a kiss on the head.
"Hey, kids. You're cooking?" He asks, surprised. He inhales deeply and smiles with satisfaction. "Smells good."
"Thanks. Fortunately, we talked Mom out of cooking one of her new recipes," I inform him, watching as he breathes a sigh relief. "Unfortunately for you, she's going to cook it for your date night tomorrow."
Dad gives me a panicked and questioning look, silently asking why I would do such a thing to him, and I smirk in response. "Paybacks are a bitch, Dad."
Understanding dawns on him, and he smiles, chuckling softly. "You little brat. You're lucky I love you," he tells me, giving me a quick hug and a kiss on the head. "Where's your mother?"
"I'm here," she says, rushing into my dad's arms and planting a big kiss on his lips. I let out a playful noise of distaste, and she pulls away, laughing. "Shush, you."
Mom beams at Dad, excitement in her eyes. "Did the kids tell you? They're giving us the house tomorrow for a date night. I have a new recipe to cook for you."
"Yeah, hey!" he says, his face brightening. "Why don't I cook, huh? It's been a while since I spoiled you."
Uh-oh.
This is the only flaw in my plan for revenge. If Mom agrees to let him cook, then Dad will push off her cooking for another evening, and he'll 'unfortunately' have to work late that night.
Behind my back, I cross my fingers, hoping Mom will disagree and I'm not disappointed.
"No, honey. You've been working so hard lately," she says, quickly kissing him. "I'll take a raincheck though."
"Great." He plasters on a fake smile, glaring at me as I snicker.
"You're going to love it!" Mom tells him excitingly before rambling off all of the ingredients she'll be using.
"I'm looking forward to it," Dad says, trying not to show how much he's dreading her new recipe.
"Dinner's ready," Rose announces, effectively distracting from my father's dread.
8*8*8*8*8*8*8
"I received the most interesting phone call today," Mom says, drying a dish my dad just handed to her.
Rose and I clean off the table while Jasper disappears into his room. It's our turn to do the dishes, but my mother insisted—and forced my father to help—for some strange reason. I think this conversation may have something to do with it.
"Oh yeah?" Dad answers. "Who was it?"
"Your mother."
The dish in Dad's hand drops back into the water, splashing soapy water everywhere. Mom continues drying the plate in her hand, ignoring his gaping expression. When the plate is put away, she turns toward him, a hand on her hip.
"Yes, I was rather shocked as well. She said she's been trying to get in touch with you for quite some time. Why have you been avoiding her calls?"
"I haven't." He turns back to the sink, focusing too much on the plate he's holding. He's trying to be cool, but failing miserably. Rose and I both shake our heads.
"Really? Then why did she say she's been calling the station for weeks and you haven't returned her calls?"
Dad stutters an incoherent explanation, trying to string an understandable sentence together, but the hopeless look on his face says he's not having any luck.
"All right," he finally says, defeated. "I've been avoiding her. She wants us to come for Thanksgiving."
Mom nods. "She mentioned that. I thought you told her I was cooking this year and we weren't making the trip down there."
"I was going to," he argues feebly but stops when Mom holds up a single hand.
"I did it for you. Of course, she wasn't very happy, but she's been told."
Dad breathes a sigh of relief and kisses her cheek. "Thank you."
"With that being said, she's coming up here for Thanksgiving."
"What? She can't come up here! You know what it'll be like!" He gapes. "I had plans to send her on a cruise!"
"How was I supposed to know that, Charles Alexander? If you would have spoken to her earlier, then this wouldn't be an issue!"
Dad sulks, looking rather put out. "I know. Maybe there's still a way to stop her from coming," he says, his tone thoughtful.
"You better think of something fast. She's booking her ticket this weekend." Mom is silent for a moment, letting the news sink in before she chuckles. "You know, it's funny to see you're still scared of her."
"You've met her."
Mom hums. "Next time though, you're telling her, and I'm going to stand right beside you and watch you do it, too. On speakerphone."
"Yes, dear."
I laugh at his scolded face, and he turns, sticking his tongue out at me.
"Really mature, Dad."
He shrugs, not caring, and Mom laughs. "All right, you're done with kitchen duty. By the way, I peeked in your room today, and I couldn't help but notice you still haven't put some of your clothes away, Bella. It's been nearly two weeks. Why don't you go do that?"
It's not a request, so I do as I'm told. As I start to shove my clothes in my dresser, I notice my favorite black and blue tie-dye shirt from the other week is missing. I look through my other drawers to make sure it's not there, but I come up empty. I look everywhere; under my bed, in my closet, and behind every bookcase. By the time I'm done looking, my room looks like a tornado touched down.
Downstairs, I head into the laundry room, thinking it must have been left behind, but it's not there either.
"Hey, Mom. Remember my black and blue tie-dye shirt?" I ask, standing in the doorway of the living room.
"Of course."
"Have you seen it?"
She pauses, thinking. "Your tie-dye one, not for a while. Did you not give it to me when I did the laundry?"
"I thought it was in the hamper; didn't you put my tie-dye in there when you picked up my clothes?"
"I didn't pick up your clothes."
Frowning, I turn and go upstairs. If Mom didn't pick up my clothes, then it must have been Rosalie. Neither Jasper nor my father would have done it.
"Rose?" I knock on her door and step inside, watching as she picks out her clothes for tomorrow.
"Yeah?"
"Did you pick up my clothes the other week and put them in the hamper?"
I hold my breath as I wait for her answer. Somewhere deep inside of me, I'm hoping she'll affirm my thoughts that she did in fact, pick up my room. But that's blown away when she turns, looking at me curiously.
"No."
I hope you enjoyed the chapter!