AN: I am so sorry about the delay with this chapter, in the lead up to my exams I've been buried under piles of homework.
Thanks to everyone one who read and reviewed last chapter!
To MaxWannaBe, I'm flattered that you like this story that much and thank you for reviewing!
This chapter is dedicated to all my wonderful readers!
Thanks to Dri, without you this chapter would still be a work in progress.
Last chapter
"It's all clear." Rosalie rolled her eyes and smiled softly after him.
"Come on we'd better go catch Mr. Bond before he gets himself into anymore trouble.
Coming out of the darkness, Edward reached for my hand and we followed the others out on to the street.
B POV
I was getting ready for bed when there was a knock at my door. I walked over and opened it.
"Esme, hi." I said, somewhat shocked as I had been expecting Edward.
"Hi Bella, can I come in?" she asked.
"Of course." I said stepping out of her way. She walked in and moved to sit on the bed. I followed, sitting next to her.
"I came to ask you how you feel about returning to school." She said hesitantly. School. I hadn't allowed myself the chance to think about the reaction I knew I would receive when I returned to school. Forks was a small town, and like most small towns everybody knew everybody else's business, by now the news of what I had been through since Charlies death would have spread like wildfire.
"Do you think you're ready?" Was I? Was I really ready to face them all?
"I-I don't know…" I answered truthfully. She smiled a sad smile and patted my shoulder.
"It's ok dear, after all Rome wasn't built in a day." She squeezed my shoulder gently and stood up.
"Think about it. Ok?" I nodded and she turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. I fell back onto the bed and sighed. What am I going to do?
My thoughts were interrupted by another knock on my door.
"Come in." I called. The door opened and Edward walked in.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey yourself." I smiled at him softly.
"What did Esme want?" he asked locking the door and coming to lie next to me.
"School, she wanted to know if I thought I was ready to go back tomorrow."
"Are you?" he asked gently.
"I don't know. I know I can't hide forever, but..."
"But what?" he asked. I sighed.
"But I'm scared." I admitted.
"It's ok to be scared Bella and yes they probably are going to be talking about you, but you know what?"
"What?" I asked.
"I'm going to be right there with you." He promised.
"You can't protect me forever you know." I told him. He frowned.
"I know, but I can try." We smiled at each other.
"You're strong Bella, you can do this."
"Thank you." I whispered.
"For what?" he asked.
"Being here."
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." My smile grew and I could feel a tear slip from the corner of my eye. He reached over and wiped it away.
"So what does this mean?" he asked.
"I guess it means I'm going to school tomorrow." He smiled and kissed my forehead.
"Well if that's the case I guess we should get to bed." He said starting to get up.
"No." I whined. He laughed.
"It's already late; you do want to make it on time tomorrow don't you?"
"No I didn't mean we don't go to bed, I meant stay here."
"Are you sure?" he asked. I nodded eagerly. He hesitated and then smiled.
"Fine by me." He said pulling back, the covers for us to both get under.
I snuggled into his chest.
"Night Edward." I whispered.
"Night Bella."
-xXx-
I awoke to the sound of knocking. "Go away." I moaned in to my pillow. My somewhat hard pillow, I brought my fist up to punch it into a more comfortable shape. 'Thump'
"OOWWW!" a voice cried out next to me. I shot up to discover my 'pillow' had actually been Edward's stomach.
"Ohmigod-Edward-I-am-so-sorry!" I apologised, my face beginning to burn bright red. He groaned.
"What did I ever do to deserve that kind of treatment woman?" I blushed brighter.
"I am s-"there was another knock at the door. I turned to face the door.
"Bella are you ok in there?" Esme asked from the other side of the closed door.
"Um yeah, I'm fine." I called back.
"Oh that's good. I was wondering if you'd thought over what we talked about last night?"
"Oh yeah, I've decided to go back." I told her.
"Are you sure dear?"
"Yes."
"Ok, I'll see you downstairs." I turned back to Edward, he was grinning up at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Scared she's going to find out you have a boy in your bed?" he asked, his grin growing.
"She might get mad."
"She knows."
"What!" I half shrieked. He laughed.
"Don't worry, Esme's cool."
"But you're in my bed?" I said shocked.
"She trusts us."
"Oh." I said, shocked by this revelation. I couldn't remember ever having an adult trust me, especially if they knew I had a boy in my bed.
"We should probably get up." I said.
"In a minute." Edward said pulling my face down to his.
"We're going to be late." I told him.
"You owe me; remember you thumped me in the stomach."
"So this is your idea of payback?" I asked.
"Yep." I shrugged and leant into kiss him. If this was his idea of punishment, I should sock him in the stomach more often.
-xXx-
"You sure about this?" Edward asked. We were sitting in his car outside Forks high.
"I have to go back sometime." I sighed. He smiled and took my hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it. I smiled at him and he let go of my hand to get out of the car.
We met up with the Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie, who had driven in Rose's car, outside the school.
"How are you feeling Bella?" Jasper asked.
"Nervous." Edward gripped my hand.
"Here goes." I sighed and followed the others into the school.
-xXx-
"Bella Swan's back."
"I heard she was being abused by her stepmother."
"Well I heard she tried to kill herself."
"I heard she worked as a prostitute."
We walked down the hall amidst the whispers. Edward held my hand tightly.
"Ignore them Bella." Alice told me. I nodded, unable to talk due to the tears clogging up my throat.
My first lesson was English. After one last comforting squeeze, Edward left for his own class and I was all alone. I walked into the class and all conversation halted as everyone turned to look at me, then it suddenly started back up again in frenzied whispers.
"Look at her face."
"I heard she did that to herself."
"I heard she tried to hang herself but the rope snapped."
"I heard it was an overdose."
"Apparently her stepmother beats her."
"Good morning class." Mr. Mason said as he walked into the room.
"Ms Swan, are you planning to join us today?" he asked.
"Yes sir." I said confused.
"Are you planning to stand there all lesson then?"
"Umm no sir."
"Well then, I suggest you sit down." I blushed.
"Yes sir, sorry." I said quickly making my way to a seat.
-xXx-
"Bella." I turned around to see Rosalie running towards me.
"Hey." I greeted her.
"Hey, how's it going?" she asked coming to a stop next to me.
"Ah, it's been ok…" I told her.
"Ok?" she questioned.
"Well it's not exactly pleasant being stared at all the time, or walking into a classroom to have everyone suddenly stop talking and knowing they had just been talking about you." I explained. She nodded.
"I'm sorry you have to go through this Bella." I shrugged.
"It's not like you did anything."
"Still…" she started.
"Really, it's ok." I assured her. She smiled.
"Aw did Bella piss her mummy off?" a mocking voice said behind me. I turned around to find Lauren, Jessica and Leah. Lauren had been the one to speak.
"What do you want Lauren?" Rose spat at her.
"None of your business." Lauren spat back.
"It is if you're trying to hurt Bella!" Rose told her.
"Hurt her, I just came over to confirm the rumours and stop the gossip. So tell me Bella is it true you use to perform sexual acts on your stepmothers friends?" she asked innocently. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and the need to cry overwhelmed me. I wouldn't let Lauren see me cry, I had already lost enough of my dignity. I turned and fled down the corridor.
Rose's POV
"God Lauren, where you born a bitch, or do you just act that way to cover up the fact that you have no personality?" I yelled at her.
"Whatever." Oh because that just didn't prove my point…
"What did Bella ever do to you anyway?" I demanded.
"Um, she was born." Lauren smirked and before I could stop myself, I slapped her hard across the face. She gasped and brought her hand up to her now bright red cheek.
"Leave Bella alone or I'll make sure you regret it." I told her, then left to find Edward.
I found him heading towards the cafeteria with Alice, Jasper and Emmett.
"Edward." I said rushing over to him.
"What's wrong?" he asked after looking at my face.
"It's Bella, Lauren said something really horrible and she ran away."
"Oh god." He said and took of at a sprint.
Bella's POV
I was sitting against Edward's Volvo sobbing to myself.
"Bella." I suddenly felt his warm arms wrap around me.
"You had me worried." He told me.
"I'm sorry." I sobbed.
"Shh, it's ok." He said kissing my hair. We sat there, with me in his arms well into lunch.
"What did Lauren say?" he asked after awhile.
"She asked me if it was true that I use to perform sexual acts on Victoria's friends." I said using my sleeve to wipe my eyes.
"I could kill her." He growled.
"She's not worth it." I told him. He smiled at me softly.
"No, she's not. Hey, come with me." He said getting off the floor and giving me a hand to help me up.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Just a place I discovered. I go there to think and to be alone."
"But if you take me you won't be alone."
"No, but I'd rather be with you than alone." He said kissing me.
"What about school?" I asked when he'd pulled away.
"It's healthy to ditch every now and then." He said grinning. He opened my door and gestured me to get in. I hesitated.
"Don't you trust me?" he asked, his face falling a little. I didn't hesitate before I replied.
"More than anybody else on the planet."
"Good." He said, his gorgeous crooked grin returning to where place it belonged.
AN: Whoa 1,853 words, my longest chapter yet. I hope the length of this chapter helps to make up for my late update. Please review and tell me what you think!