Bella's POV

It had been about a week since Jared transferred to Forks High. We hadn't really spoken since I confronted him that first day. Actually, Jared had looked rather miserable. I'd occasionally catch him looking at me with a sad, guilty look on his face. Most of me was glad for it. I was glad he was miserable. Maybe he would understand what he put me through. There was a small part of me though that was upset by his sullen demeanor. A part of me hated seeing Jared sad, even if it was his own fault. I tried to ignore that part of me though. I didn't wanna feel anything good for the guy who broke my heart.

Currently I was in the cafeteria eating lunch. I was at a table by myself today. I knew if I sat with Jess and the others, I would hear nothing but them fawning over my ex-boyfriend. Jared was new and pretty damn hot, so of course every girl in school wanted to date him. I couldn't listen to that because every time I did, I felt a pang of jealously and I didn't wanna feel that.

I was about halfway through lunch when Mike Newton came over to me. "Hey, Bella. How come you're eating all alone?"

I shrugged. "Just felt like having some time to myself."

"It's all the talk about the new guy, right? I don't blame you. I don't see what's so great about him. Personally, I don't like him," Mike said.

I almost rolled my eyes. Of course Mike didn't like Jared. I would have to be seriously stupid to not know that Mike had dreams of me going out with him. He also knew that I used to date Jared. I'd never admitted that fact, but after several people had seen me pull Jared away on his first day, it got around to everyone that I knew him. The leap that we dated happened soon afterwards. So of course Mike didn't like the guy I used to go out with.

Much to my dismay, Mike sat down across from me. "So did you and Cameron really know each other before he got here?"

"You know we did, Mike. Everyone knows that," I said. I would never understand why people asked questions they already knew the answers to. All it did was annoy the person they were talking to.

"Well, is it true that…"

"Yes, we dated," I said with a bit of irritation in my voice. I didn't wanna talk to or about Jared. I especially didn't wanna talk about him with Mike. I knew Mike was just trying to make sure Jared and I were over so he could move in himself. You'd think he would've gotten it the dozens of times I turned him down in the past, but no.

"But there's nothing between you now? No, of course not. You don't even seem to like him now. That's good because I was thinking maybe we could do something this weekend," Mike said.

I sighed. "Look, Mike, I've tried to be subtle about this, but it's obviously not working. I'm really sorry, but the only thing you and I will ever be is friends.

"Why? Because of Cullen? He left you. He's not coming back. Are you really so pathetic that you're gonna wait around for some guy that doesn't give a damn about you?"

I looked at him in shock. I couldn't believe he said that. In two seconds, the guy who was just drooling all over me to a total jerk. Apparently when I openly rejected him, his ego took a big hit and it pissed him off. "Mike, I think you should go."

"Well, I'm right, aren't I? You totally fell apart after Cullen left. You were so bad that you stopped talking to everyone. And before he left, he and his loser family were all you cared about. You turned into a pathetic little pet of theirs," Mike said.

That made me flinch. Not only was it how Edward had made me feel when he left me the way he did, but it was also what Laurent called me when I encountered him in the meadow. It just it me really hard. I felt as pathetic as Mike called me.

"Hey, maybe that's why he left you. Maybe he realized how pathetic you really were and decided he needed a real woman!" Mike snarled.

I felt myself start to shake. Every insecure thought I had about myself after losing Jared and Edward came back at me. My self-esteem plummeted when Edward left. It wasn't great in the months before that, but it went downhill after Edward left. There were only two men that I'd ever loved and they'd both left. That was enough to destroy anyone's self-esteem.

Suddenly, I heard a deep, familiar voice call out angrily. "Back off!"

Mike and I both looked to see Jared just behind Mike. Mike glared at him. "This is a private conversation, Cameron. Why don't you leave us alone?"

"You're the one that's gonna leave, Newton, but you're going to apologize to Bella first," Jared said in firm, slightly threatening tone.

Mike stood up and got in Jared's face like he thought he could intimidate him. It was ridiculous because Jared was a good foot and a half taller and much more muscular. He wouldn't stand a chance. "What do you care what I say to her. You're not her boyfriend anymore. You took off on her, just like Cullen."

Again, I flinched.

"At least I'm assuming you left her. Probably for the same reason Cullen did. He realized how worthless she was," Mike said.

Jared balled his hands up into fists. I could tell it was taking every bit of self-control he had not to punch Mike. "Cullen was a fool. He let the best thing that ever happened to him slip through his fingers and he'll regret it for the rest of his life! And who the hell do you think you're kidding, Jackass? If you believed half the things you're saying, you wouldn't have been tripping over yourself to get Bella to go out with you. You're the one who's pathetic and worthless. I've only been here a week and I see how you follow Bella around like a dog. You're just pissed now because she finally told you it would never happen. Well, you're not gonna disrespect her because you didn't get your way. Get lost before a cave your face in!" Jared growled at him.

Both of them continued to glare at each other for several more moments before Mike finally backed down and walked away.

Once Mike was gone, Jared walked over and sat down next to me. "Are you okay?"

I rested my head on my hand and looked down at my food tray. I was far from okay. Mike' words had really gotten to me. I'd always felt that I was out of Edward's league. When he left, he pretty much told me I was just something to help pass the time. Ever since then, I'd wondered about Jared too. I knew he'd loved me, but I began to wonder if he decided one day that I wasn't worth the trouble of trying to work out the long distance thing.

"Do you want me to get you out of here, Bella?" Jared asked.

I nodded. I didn't have it in me to fight him today. I wanted to get out of there and away from the crowd of gossiping students.

Jared and I both stood up. Jared put his arm around me and led me out of the cafeteria. I let him.