Chapter 5

How many of you are sitting there with Stephanie Meyer's book of lies waiting for the night scene where I see (but think I imagine) Edward in my room? Are you giggling right now: "Isn't it so sweet?" desperately waiting for my confirmation that good old Ginger spent the night staring at me?

When are you going to learn?

My windows were locked tight against the snow and there were no midnight visitors to make me feel crazy. I slept right through the night, so deeply in fact that Charlie had to physically enter my room and call out my name to get me to wake up. An action to which I answered, "Grrrahhhhhmmm!" Sleep for "what is your problem?"

Eyes half closed, my latest dream of me slogging through thick mud still playing out louder than reality around me, I shuffled into the kitchen. Coffee, the morning equivalent of funnel cakes at an amusement park. Just the smell was enough for my eyes to perk up.

I careened into the school parking lot with five minutes until the bell. My hair pulled back into a ponytail less stylishly ruffled and more crack addict mom. My sweatpants were from the men's department, (hello? Why don't women's sweatpants have pockets?) And my t-shirt was for a local band in Phoenix that had long since broken up. In short, I looked like a hot mess.

I grabbed my bag and half skated, half ran into the school and made it to first period just as the bell shrilled. Eric's eyes stuck to me the way mine usually stick to a car crash. A little bit disgust and pity mixed with a whole lot of curiosity.

"Do you-"

"Don't," I warned, sighing. "I know so just…don't."

Things didn't get better. Jessica thought that my imaginary boyfriend had broken up with me even though I told her a million times that I was just tired and had gotten a late start.

"Don't worry," she tried to sooth, but it came out in more of an enthused mother hen voice, "you'll get to wear that prom dress, it's not about to go to waste."

Finally I just started nodding, hoping that lunch would end soon.

When it did and I finally got into biology, I thought my day was finally turning around. No Edward. Every day before he had beaten me to class so seeing his empty seat only could mean one thing: he wasn't here.

I smiled involuntarily as I settled onto my stool, setting my backpack on his. Yep, things were going to be just fine.

"Alright class, it's second semester and the day you've all been waiting for has arrived."

I glanced at the people on my right, wondering if they knew what the heck he was talking about.

"Can I have one person from each table come forward to collect your cat? Name them well, guys, they'll be with you for the next week."

With a sudden icy blast of fear down my spine I finally caught sight of the plastic bags filled with death sitting on the cart in the corner of the room. My hand immediately shot into the air.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Can I be excused?" I begged, trying not to lose my shit as the first blast of formaldehyde reached my nose. "I can't dissect things."

He opened his mouth as the guy sitting at the table next to me opened his bag up.

"Cool," he lifted something up with a pair of tweezers. "Look man, it's looking at you." He shoved the eye towards his friend.

I coughed, gagging, gathering my bag and books with my eyes closed. I wasn't going to make it. I swept by my teacher before he could even begin and left the room.

My stomach was jumping with each step as ice traveled down my back and my forehead broke out in sweat.

I just had to make it to the nurse's office or the bathroom, whichever came first.

My vision tunneling, I realized I wouldn't make it farther than one set of lockers. I gulped down on the dryness of my mouth, pulling at the tightly stretched muscles of my throat. With a calmness I didn't know I possessed, I turned and placed my bag and books behind me. Then I pressed my forehead to a locker and waited for the inevitable.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Came an all too familiar voice from my left. "I mean, first the grades and now this."

I scrunched up my nose and turned, meeting Edwards flashing eyes with my weary ones. "This has nothing to do with my grades. And why are you here, shouldn't you be in class?"

He waved a dismissing hand, flashing a yellow hall pass in the process. "It's the stepping stone to real failure at life. Now it's skipping class, who knows where you'll be next year. I could be at the store one day and see you shoving a six-pack under your shirt."

I rolled my eyes, turning away from him but not before his smirk turned full force. "I'm not skipping class." I muttered, trying to open my mouth as little as possible in case something came out.

"Pretty soon you're living in a trailer park with seven children, an uncontrollable alcohol and drug addiction. Selling-"

"Edward," I cut him off with a glare.

He shook his head, staring at the floor with the grin still glued to his face. "My poor, dear friend." He put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "I'm telling you this because I care: you need to get help."

I shrugged his hands off and pressed my forehead to the lockers again. Visions of Edward getting run over by my truck danced through my head. How was it that when I was feeling terrible he just had to show up?

He groaned, rubbing a hand on his forehead. "Bella, I was kidding. Come on…"

I shook my head, fighting to burning in the pit of my stomach. He groaned again.

"Bella, come on, lighten up." He nudged me with his shoulder and the slight movement almost sent me over the edge.

I suddenly wanted so bad to be back home in Phoenix. I could practically feel the sunlight on my skin, the kind that soaks deep and radiates out of you for days afterwards. I could see my old school, my old schedule, with no science classes to be found. Mrs. Duprey, the art teacher, telling one of her crazy stories while a paintbrush in her hand silently illustrated, the sunlight turning her dark blue hair electric. Then came Jack's face, the way he looked last summer when I told him I was thinking of art school and he hadn't laughed, his eyes serious and his face slightly darker with stubble. So rough but looking just natural enough that I suddenly wanted to lean in-

"Bella!" Edward's hands gripped my shoulders, fingers digging into skin. His eyebrows were drawn low over his eyes and his mouth formed a grimace deep enough to split wood. I blinked. "Just. Stop." He said, giving me a little shake.

That did it.

I threw out a hand, trying to shove him away from me as I bent at the waist. With one cough it all spilled out of me, burning enough to make me tear up.

It only took a second.

"Oh, God, Bella," I saw Edward's feet turn away from me and walk a few paces to the other side of the hall. His voice was muffled and slightly choked. "That's…that's disgusting."

"Fuck…off…" I murmured between breaths. The words scalded my burning throat.

"Couldn't you have saved me this image and found a bathroom or something? Jesus." He words echoed off the metal of the lockers.

"So this is…my fault?" My voice broke. I kept my eyes closed so I wouldn't have to look down into the mess.

"I mean at least warn a guy before you start spewing like that."

I shuddered as the burning reached a new high.

"What? Are you just gonna stand there?"

I jerked up, pissed, but he wasn't looking at me. The teacher who stood at the end of the hall, face pinched in disgust, straightened her stance in the heat of his glare.

"Obviously there's a girl here hurling her guts out," he gestured to me and my cheeks burned. "The least you could do is call someone to clean it up."

With raised brows and an equally red face, the teacher turned without a word and entered a classroom. Edward grunted in disgust.

"Can you get your books and stuff?" He asked me, back turned as he stared down the lockers in front of him.

"Yeah," I rasped. Turning, I gathered the items up, thankful I had had the thought to place them away from my front.

Edward let out a rush of air. "Good, cause I'm not about to go anywhere near there."

I rolled my eyes. He started walking away, his back to me. Without turning, he called, "Follow me, I'll take you to the nurse."

I swallowed with a sour mouth and slowly kept pace a few steps behind him. Now that my stomach was empty, I was feeling a little better, able to see straight and walk like a normal person.

I couldn't believe I had just thrown up in the middle of school. It was one of those things I had promised myself would never happen, ever. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to hold back stress tears.

The whole walk to the nurse I just kept thinking to myself that no one had to know it was me. No one but Edward, that teacher, and the school nurse would know that I threw up and most likely it would all be cleaned up by the time classes let out. No one would have to know.

Edward made it to the desk before me.

"Excuse me, I hate to bother you, but I just found this girl tossing her lunch in the hallway." He pointed to me and even though one shaky hand was pressed to my stomach and I was a little hunched over I still managed to roll my eyes at him.

He winked back at me.

"Oh, my…go straight back there, sweetie. The nurse is in that room." The secretary waved me past her and on my way through the doorway I heard her ask Edward, "Now where did you say this happened?"

I didn't even have to say much to the nurse. As soon as the word "dissecting" left my mouth she just started nodding and then told me to lay down on the little paper covered cot that is practically mandatory for all nurses offices.

"Now is there anyone I can call to come pick you up?" She asked. I almost said Charlie but this wasn't big enough for me to bug him at work.

"Actually," I said, my voice still a little scratchy, "I drove here so I can just drive myself home."

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, students dismissed for medical reasons are not allowed to drive themselves home, just as a safety precaution."

"Listen the classroom's number is 107. Its right next to there, you can't miss it…I'm sorry but I just DO NOT want to be anywhere near there right now, not even to point it out to you." We could hear Edward telling the secretary.

I didn't say anything, thinking of how Charlie might feel if I pulled him out of work for something this stupid.

"Well I'm sure you janitorial staff is more than equipped to find it on their own."

"Excuse me a second," the nurse said, leaving the room.

A wobbly grin spread across my face. She was going to kick Edward out, twenty bucks says she was going to kick Edward out.

A knock came on the doorframe to my room. The paper crinkled under my head as I turned.

Edward was leaning against the doorjamb, lips pursed in annoyance. He was staring at me. "Well come on, get up! I still have classes to get to."

I glared at him. "Umm, excuse me, I'm going home because I'm sick. Go to class on your own."

He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and jingled them. "Yes, and I'm your ride, so could you hurry it up? I have a test next period."

I sat up slowly, eyes squinty and eyebrows raised. "You're driving me?"

"Not by choice," he turned and started leaving, "now let's go."

I stood up slowly and grabbed my backpack, now filled with my books, and shuffled out. He was holding the door to the office open with a look of disgust. As I passed through, I turned left, intending to go to my locker, but he grabbed my arm and started pulling me the other way.

"My car's this way."

I tried to shake my arm out of his grasp. "Yeah, and it's like twenty degrees outside. I need my jacket."

"It's a short walk."

He continued to pull me along and eventually I stopped pulling against him; my arm was sore. We turned a corner and up ahead I saw a girl standing by the doors leading to the parking lot. She didn't move as we approached and soon I recognized her as one of Edward's adoptive sisters, the one with the dark hair and dreamy expression.

"Thanks, Alice." Edward said as we got closer.

She nodded and then as we stopped in front of her she whispered a sharp "oh" and took a step back. Her purple eyes met mine and I was the one who took a step back. I didn't know if I should point out the coincidence that the two had the same extremely uncommon eye color. If I did-

I said nothing.

Then a couple seconds later my brain seemed to reboot. "So are we going?" I asked.

Edward was glaring at Alice. She flashed me a little smile and then met her brother's stare. "Yes, Edward," her voice was soft and high pitched like a child's, "I know you must be dying to get back to class, so let's leave."

He didn't answer, just pulled me by the arm through the doors, his sister trailing after.

"It's so nice to meet you, Bella," she started. "Edward tells me he's going to start tutoring you in biology."

Despite the winter chill poking at me through my thin t-shirt, I flushed all the way to my ears. I stumbled a little after Edward's brisk pace. "Yes, well, I'm…"

"Oh, it's no big deal," Alice brushed it off, "Edward's had a lucky advantage when it comes to learning biology."

I glanced back at her.

"Yes, our father being a doctor has helped us all." Edward said and if I hadn't turned forward at that exact moment I would have missed the glare he sent Alice.

"Well, then," I started, "at least I know he knows what he's talking about."

"Oh, he's-"

"Ok, Bella, here's your truck. Can I have your keys?" Edward swung on me. I handed them to him without a word. "Alice, I'll meet you at Bella's, okay?"

She smiled and started walking farther into the parking lot. A few paces away she turned back to us. "It was nice talking to you, Bella!"

Edward unlocked my door and held it open. I waved to Alice and then climbed inside. Seconds later he hopped into the driver's seat and then we were off.

"She was nice-"

"Man, Bella, this truck is a piece of shit."

I looked at him but he was focused on the road.

"I know," was all I said. I waited a few moments, looking forward as well. "I said your sister was nice."

I could see him grit his teeth out of the corner of my eye. "Yep, she's wonderful all right."

I turned again. "Did she do something?"

His mouth worked as he turned onto my street. Seconds passed and then we pulled into my driveway, Alice right behind us in their shiny BMW. I waited a couple seconds but then it was clear he wasn't about to answer so I opened my door and slid out. Then I pointedly stared at him until he turned.

I held out my hand. "Can I have my keys?"

He dropped them into my palm and then slid out as well. I busied myself with locking the doors as I silently grumbled about Edward's attitude issue. I heard a car door shut and then looked up as Alice pulled out of my driveway, tooting her horn twice as she drove back to school, her brother speaking fast in the seat next to her.

I shuffled inside and immediately bolted for the thermostat, greedily cranking the heat to 74 degrees. From there I managed to make some canned soup on the stove before curling up under a blanket on our couch, Sleeping Beauty playing on the TV.

I woke with a start, glancing around as moonlight added a glow to everything around me. The clock read 4:39 as I waited for my heartbeat to slow down enough to fall back asleep.

No, Edward was not there you silly readers. Regular, non-vampire dealing people get nightmares too.

Charlie woke me two hours later for school. My neck was stiff, my back tense, but I felt good. Able to handle the day at least. I put on a pair of leggings and my bulkiest sweater and then, remembering my coat was still at school, added a pair of fuzzy socks and a thick scarf. I was almost out the door when I remembered I still hadn't finished my homework, having fallen asleep yesterday. I groaned and then glanced around desperately, trying to figure out the best method to getting it done.

With a sigh, I ended up calling Charlie on his way to work and faking sickness enough that he said he'd call me out of school for the day. Yes, I know, I'm one of THOSE people. The worst part was, I didn't even feel too guilty about it.

I just continued my Disney princess marathon while I sat on the couch and did the day before's homework. I didn't even have to start the homework that I was missing because it was a weekend. It was actually, I'm kind of ashamed to say, one of my favorite days in Forks.

Which definitely did not last.

I got a text message the next day, as I sat listening to music and aimlessly trolling YouTube, from Jessica asking me if I wanted to come with everyone going to the beach. I stared at the message for longer than necessary, silently waging an internal war against the internal me who didn't ever want to leave the couch again.

But it was warmer than usual outside, a steaming 52°, and it was the beach and I loved photography so…

Two hours later, in jeans and a heavy sweatshirt (everyone else was in shorts), I found myself slightly shivering while sitting on a log next to some of the strangest people I had ever met. Oh, sure, the people I knew from school were there but so were a bunch of people who went to school on the reservation. And they were weird.

I probably wouldn't have noticed it on my own, but Edward texted me after an hour of sitting there and asked if I was able to study. I texted him back that I was at one of La Push's beaches and then lied my ass off that I had just gotten there and was not about to leave.

Yeah, I know, real smooth. But honestly, after how he treated me on Thursday I wasn't about to go sit in a room alone with him. Things might've ended up kind of bloody. And that blood would not have been mine.

I waited a minute or two and when he didn't text back I got a little nervous. Was I being rude? I sighed and texted him back with a simple: Do you want to come?

I was sure he wouldn't, Edward didn't exactly strike me as the "life of the party" kinda guy.

His text was short: No. Tomorrow?

I had no excuses. Fine.

"What is it?" Mike asked. I looked up, meeting his furrowed eyes.

"Huh?"

"You're frowning. What happened?"

I bit the inside of my lip, trying to decide if I should lie or not. "Edward is tutoring me in Biology. He wants to meet tomorrow."

"Edward Cullen?" Asked one of the new people. It was a guy, way too muscular for a high schooler and with a voice deep enough to rival the Allstate commercial guy. I nodded slowly.

He shook his head, smirking. "Well, I can see why you'd want him as a biology tutor."

I suddenly realized that this was the first movement I had seen him make since we sat down. In fact, most of the people from the reservation were sitting straight-backed and still as well. There were only a few, those who were clearly younger, who were talking and slumping like the rest of us. It was eerie.

"Because his father is a doctor?" I asked, repeating Alice's words.

"Among other things." He said, voice low.

I opened my mouth when suddenly a caramel skinned boy skidded down the beach toward us, breathing heavily.

"Sorry…guys…my dad…" he gestured back the way he had come wildly.

"No big, Jacob. Take a seat." Called one of the younger reservation guys, pointing to an open log.

"Awesome," Jacob sighed, starting over in that direction, but stepping on my foot in the process.

I yanked it towards me as soon as he stepped back, eyes wide. "Oh, I am so sorry. Seriously, I didn't even-"

He stopped, studying my face. My face which immediately started turning red with all the staring.

"Bells?"

Now I looked at him. But, no, I had never met him before. I was sure of it. "Yes?"

He grinned, revealing a dimple in one of his cheeks. "You don't remember, do you? I'm Jacob Black…my dad sold you your truck?"

My eyes widened. Jacob Black. I used to play with him and his sisters when I would visit in the summer. We were friends.

I punched him in the arm. "So you're responsible for that piece of shit?"

He kept on grinning, rubbing his arm in mock surrender. "Hey, if not you then I would've had to drive it. And that was not going to happen."

I shook my head and grinned back. "Wow, so noble of you, Jacob."

He shrugged. "I try."

I scooted over, giving him room to sit next to me. He was skinnier than a bean pole so this was not hard.

"So you're in Forks again, huh? What'd you do to deserve this punishment?"

I smiled, glancing away. Now I remembered why we used to be friends. "Oh, you know, the usual."

Jacob nodded seriously. "Killed another taxi driver after robbing an old lady, huh?"

I bit down on a smile, trying to stay serious. "You know they say once you've robbed your first old lady you just can't stop because you need to feel the thrill again."

"Well, you've picked the perfect place for rehab," he gestured around us, "no old ladies here." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Although, Lauren's bag might set you off."

I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw Lauren's Vera Bradley bag sitting at her feet. I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped.

"Don't worry," Jacob grabbed my hand and pulled me up. Standing, he was an inch shorter than me. "I'll take you somewhere else so you can resist temptation."

I hesitated, glancing back. Couples had been going for "walks" all day and I liked Jacob but…he wasn't Jack. I didn't know what to do to get out of it. "Um, Jessica?" I called. "I'm going for a walk with Jacob…is that okay?"

She glanced up from her intense flirting with Mike and waved a dismissive hand at me. So much for help. As Jacob gave my hand another tug, I had no choice but to follow.

I was completely silent the entire walk down towards the water. Jacob seemed to be focused on something a little ways off, because he kept glancing to the right and grimacing.

"Sorry to pull you away like that," he started. "I just can't be around Sam anymore."

I glanced at him. "What happened?"

Jacob shook his head to himself. "I don't really know. Sam—he's the guy with the really deep voice—he just got really strange one day."

I looked away, this conversation was headed straight towards a bitch session. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, I mean one day he's super chill and then suddenly he's…well, he's huge, you know? And all he wants to do is talk about how he hates the Cullens, who I don't think he's ever even met by the way, and how we all need to hang out together…"

"Wait, why doesn't he-"

"…I mean, we never even really hung out with him before. He was too old for us. For the most part it was just me, Quil, and Embry. But now every time we hang out, it has to be with EVERYONE. Even Sam. I just…I don't get it."

"Jacob," I finally cut in.

He glanced up, face slightly red from his rant. "Yeah?"

I shivered a little as a breeze came off the water. "Why does Sam hate the Cullens?"

Jacob shook his head. "I'm sorry for dumping this on you but it's all so annoying. I mean, I doubt he's ever even talked to anyone in the family but he keeps telling us not to talk to them or hang out with them."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? I mean, I know they're kind of weird what with all the in-family hookups and whatnot but that's not really any reason to hate them."

"Yeah…" I had sort of forgotten about that. I cringed.

"Hey, are you okay? Are you too cold?"

"No, I'm good. It's just…it's gross, you know?"

"Yeah," Jacob seemed to think about it. "But I guess everyone has those weird family secrets right?"

I shrugged, kicking a piece of wood in the sand. "I guess."

Jacob was quiet for a couple of minutes and then he glanced at me and smiled. "Okay, do you want to hear something hilarious?"

I nodded, smiling.

"Okay, so you know that everyone who lives on the reservation is a descendant from a Native American tribe right?"

I raised my eyebrows at his caramel skin and shiny black hair. Then I got sarcastic. "Really? You're kidding…I didn't know that."

He laughed. "Yeah, well, believe it. Anyway, legend says that all of us…everyone who lives here who belonged to that long ago tribe, are descendants of wolves."

I smiled. "Oh, no, Jacob, don't maul me!" Then I stopped smiling and blushed because I realized what I had just said.

Luckily, Jacob didn't seem to notice. "Yeah, so, you're looking at a guy literally raised by wolves."

I started laughing.

And that was it. Because you see, Jacob didn't know about vampires. How could he when they're practically human? We talked about school, met back up with the group, and eventually I had to leave.

Sometimes I wish he had known back then. That way he could have told me and I could have avoided the Cullens with everything I had. It would have saved me from a lot.