Random Dedication- This chapter is dedicated to my incredible pet name making skills. My last masterpiece-AppleCour.

We're Back

I set my alarm a little earlier for Monday morning.

Charlie had wanted to drive me to school but I had hastily refused, claiming that I had been planning on getting in shape anyway and walking was the perfect way to begin.

As soon as Charlie left I peeked out the window. A black car had pulled up in my truck's spot.

I quickly scooped up my coat and arranged my face as to not appear too eager.

As soon as I was out the door, Mackenzie stepped out of this car, looking stunningly mysterious in the fog that swirled around his feet.

"Good morning, Miss. Swan." He said, taking my arm and leading me over to the passenger's side. It was a completely over the top gesture but nice all the same.

I sat down and, too quickly, he was in the driver's side.

He put the car into drive and pulled out before speaking. "Where is the truck?"

"It broke."

He sighed. "It's a deathtrap. Let me get you something else. A nice...Porsche, perhaps?"

"No." I said firmly.

"You never let me have any fun." He pouted. "But I'll try again later."

We sat in silence for a while.

"So..." I said with an exaggerated casualness that immediately got his attention. "Continuing our last conversation, let's talk about your sister."

"Let's not." He said stiffly.

"Why?" I asked, upset. "I just want to know what her power is!"

"I thought about it all weekend. I don't think you need to know."

Well, that hurt.

"At least not yet." He amended.

He was quiet for a moment.

"So, I guess, seeing as you have no truck, you're not going downstate?"

I stared at him, surprised by the strange change of subject and confused as to what it meant. "Downstate?" I decided to ask.

He nodded. "Girls' softball state championship is today. Most of the school is going down to watch and support after first period."

"Oh." How could I have missed that announcement? "I guess not."

"Neither am I. We're going to have to compress classes though, being as there will only be about 5 of us after first period."

"Joy." I said sarcastically as we pulled into the school parking lot. A lot of kids were car-pooling so there were alot of open spaces.

"Oh no." I heard Mackenzie say.

"What?" I asked but he was already getting out of the car.

I scrambled out, hastily running around the car to meet him. "Wh-" I began but he cut me off.

"Listen, Bella, I need to drop some things off in the office but I'll meet you at our lockers." He stared at me a few moments, like he was trying to decide something then he strode off toward the office, pulling a wad of official looking envelopes out of his pocket as he went.

I walked off towards our lockers obediently. Instinctively, before I walked into the building, I looked back towards the office. I don't even remember deciding on it; it just happened.

Mackenzie was shuffling the envelopes, not really watching where he was going and did not seem to notice Jessica until she was right next to him. He looked a little surprised to see her but more alarmed. He took a hasty step back.

Jessica's face was overly friendly and innocent and it was clear what she was doing- collecting gossip.

He shook his head in answer to some question and said something with an uncertain expression that, under any other circumstances, I would have found adorable.

He ran his fingers through his hair nervously as she spoke.

"I don't know!" I saw him mouth almost angrily. "I wish!"

Jessica crossed her arms and said something else.

He rolled his eyes and dodged around her, continuing on his earlier route.

Jessica huffed angrily.

I turned partway, planning on continuing to my locker but a flash of raven black hair caught my eye.

Becka Richards grabbed Mackenzie's arm, pulling him back just as he was about to enter the office.

He looked truly happy to see her, smiling hugely and almost laughing. He nodded at something she said and laughed mouthing something that looked like. "Good. Good."

Then he shook his head, pouting a bit and mouthed "No."

They said a few more things I couldn't catch, then Becka suddenly looked serious. She put her hand on her hip, flipping her hair around impatiently.

Mackenzie also frowned seriously and reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Tomorrow." I saw him mouth. "I promise." He smiled again as she said something else and shook his head.

They exchanged a few more words that I could not catch before parting. Mackenzie finally walked into the office.

It had not been spying. I told myself as I reached my locker. It had been...chance seeing.

"Bella!" It was Jessica. "I've only been looking for you, like, everywhere! You had a date with Mackenzie Johnson Friday night, right?"

"Uh-huh..." I said vaguely, busying myself with searching for a missing book in my bag.

"Well, before I yell at you for not giving me every detail, I have to ask- Are you two a thing?"

"A thing?" She made us sound like the missing link.

"You know! An item! A couple! Don't make me beg, Bella!"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"

"OMG!" Jessica said. "That's what he said too!"

"What exactly did he say?"

"He said," She tried to mimic his low voice and slight accent unsuccessfully, "'I don't know. I don't want to push her. Whenever she is ready to move into the next stage, we will. Until then I'm happy the way it is.' I thought that was sweet...and him being outrageously hot while he's saying it doesn't hurt." She fanned herself, leaning against the lockers faintly.

"Then..." Just don't think about what your saying, I told myself. It will hurt a lot less that way. "I guess we are a couple." There was a ringing finality in my voice. Even if I had wanted to take it back, I couldn't. Damn...

Jessica stared at me for a moment in blank shock then suddenly she was screaming. "Oh-my-God! Oh-my-God!" She was jumping up and down. "Mackenzie? God, Bella, for not dating anyone before Forks..." She trailed off. "Mackenzie and Bella! I need to think of a good couple pet name! Backenzie? No too long... Mella? Too fruity sounding... Back! It's perfect! Then you're pet name phrase can be 'They're bringin' sexy Back.' Haha. I have to go tell someone!" She ran off to flaunt her couple name making skills.

Only Jessica could come up with a name that stupid.

I preoccupied myself with searching for a pen in my bag.

Just as I found one, I looked up into the completely and utterly confused face of Mackenzie.

"Ok. This is going to sound insane..." He began, looking around nervously. "but...I think there is some kind of conspiracy against me. As I walked down the hall all I heard was the word back and the phrase he's bringin' sexy back. I don't know if it's some kind of Timberlake obsession or what but-"

Wow. That had gotten out faster than expected...

"Mackenzie!" I silenced him, blushing from the embarrassment of what I had just done. "It's Because...I kind of told Jessica that we're a couple. She felt that our couple pet name should be Back."

He stared at me with blank eyes. "Seriously?"

"Well, I know that it really is a stupid name but it has promise-"

"Don't be dense. You know I don't mean the name. Are we seriously a couple?"

"Well..." I hesitated. "Only if it will make you happy..."

He smiled widely. "It would make me very happy, but that's not what I care about. Bella, is this really what you want?"

Bella... The Edward in my head growled warningly.

I closed my eyes and felt the smile on my face. "Yes."

Bella! The Edward in my head was now indignant. You are joking, right? You can still take it back.

No I can't. I told the hallucination Edward. I'm sorry.

I opened my eyes slowly. Mackenzie was looking at me with oddly tender eyes.

I looked away quickly, stuffing my backpack into my locker and sliding off my jacket. Something fell out of the pocket.

Mackenzie picked it up almost before it touched the ground.

"Here," He started to hand it back. "You dropped th-" He stared at it. "Why does it have my name on it?"

Darn it! It was Jacob's letter to him. I had meant to secretly read it before giving it to him but could not think of an excuse to take it back now.

"It's for you." I told him, like that wasn't obvious.

He looked confused for a moment but seemed to get over it quickly because he was suddenly fluttering his long lashes at me in a joke-flirting way. "Is it a love letter?" He started making kissy faces.

I stared at him, not sure whether to laugh or scream.

People around us were stopping to stare also.

"You wish." I muttered.

He frowned again, confused and quickly tore it open.

I scrutinized his expression as his eyes soared across the page. His frown became more pronounced as he read.

Finally he looked up to find me staring at him and he smiled. "Well that was nice of them!" He said brightly.

"...Huh?"

"It was a 'welcome to the town of Forks' letter from the people of La Push. That was very kind of them."

I sincerely doubted that that had been the case.

"Who did you get this from?"

I considered not telling him but then reminded myself- HE'S MY BOYFRIEND!

"Jacob Black. He's a friend of my family."

"I'll have to send them a thank you letter." He said, ripping the letter in two. "We should be getting to class." He ripped it into fourths and then into eighths and then sixteenths. He kept doing that until there was nothing but confetti-like strips.

Well, there went my chance of stealing it back...

"I'll see you in second period then." He said and I nodded.

We headed off in opposite directions.

I slid into the first period classroom just before the bell rang and sat down in the only available seat. Unfortunately, Mike was sitting in front of me and turned around to talk with a resigned expression.

"Hello Bella." He said, not smiling.

"Hey Mike." I flipped open my notebook and searched for the page where I had left off to avoid looking at him.

"So...Back?"

That was all he had to say.

"Yup." I answered, shortly. It wasn't like I was about to deny it.

The teacher walked in and he was forced to turn back around but by his silence I could tell what he was thinking- Why couldn't it have been Bike?

Told ya I'd update soon!

Disclaimer- I own a bag of gummy bears but I do not own Twilight. By the next time I post I will also own Breaking Dawn. Yay!

I'm goin on vacation so don't expect me to update for at least 2 weeks. I expect lotsa reviews when I get back! -big smile- Okay? Thanks!