The conversation on the way to school was one that I wasn't looking forward to having. I loved Alice like a sister but I wasn't ready to have to pick between them. I was beginning to doubt that I would be able to have Alice for my best friend, and not give in to Edward, which was something that I was not willing to do. It wasn't until Alice pulled into the parking lot at school that she spoke. "He was very upset last night after you left!" said Alice. I just stared at her in silence. Was I supposed to care that he was upset. Did anyone care that I had been upset after they left. Did anyone care that he had told me that he didn't love me and left me out in the woods alone. Did anyone care about Bella?
"Bell…." Started Alice again but I cut her off this time. "Alice I don't want to talk about this. I love you, and I love the rest of the Cullen's but you guys are going to have to love me for me, not because of Edward. So either we can be friends without me dating Edward, and not talk about it, or as much as it hurts to say this, we can't be friends!" I said. I felt bad for yelling at one of the best friends I had ever had, but I needed to get my feelings out there. "Oh!" said Alice. She was quite for a minute before turning to me and saying "Isabella, you know that I love you. I saw that I would love you way before Edward let me anywhere near you. I am confused, as to why I didn't see you change, and why I didn't see you come back into our lives. But you are here now, and that's all that matters to me. It doesn't matter if you are with Edward, though I think you two are destined to be together, I love you regardless of who your mate is. Now that I have spoken my peace, I promise not to say anything else on the matter!" she said with a smile. "Thank you Alice!" I said letting out the breath that I didn't realize I was holding. I hugged her quickly and she kissed my cheek before we climbed out of the car and made our way to English.
I was smiling and laughing with Alice until I walked into the classroom and realized who was sitting in the seat behind mine. "Are you kidding me?" I asked Alice. She gave me an apologetic smile, and sat down in front of her brother, in the seat that was once mine. I took a deep breath and sat down in the seat where Alice had sat yesterday immediately laying my head down on the desk. It was going to be a long day.
Ms. James was at the front of the class and started taking roll after the final bell rang, pausing between names for the student to answer. I groaned as I realized that Edward would hear the name that I had been going by for the past 100 years. "Alice Cullen…..Edward Cullen…….John Dorman……Kimberley Fale……..Daniel Ivey……..Christie Lisk…….Isabella Masen……." "Here," I answered without raising my head from the desk. "Isabella, are you feeling alright?" asked Ms. Johnson. "No Ms. Johnson actually would you mind if I went to the nurse?" I asked. "Of course!" she said putting down the roll and writing me a pass to the nurse.
I left my things behind and made my way to the nurses' office feigning a headache. She gave me some Tylenol and I pretended to swallow them before making my way slowly back to class. I had managed to spend half of the class in the nurses' office. When I returned to class Ms. Johnson was handing out the assigned reading.
When the bell rang Alice was at my side apparently taking out talk seriously, when Edward approached me she didn't acknowledge him at all. "I was hoping that being you wouldn't let me speak to you, you would at least read what I have to say!" he said handing me a letter folded in the shape of a heart. I took it from him and looked at it for a few second before tearing it in half and handing it back to him. "That's what I think about what you have to say Edward!" I said before turning and making my way to Biology.
I suddenly hated him more than I thought possible as I walked into the same class room that I had biology in 100 years ago and saw Edward sitting next to my empty seat. "You know, there are such things as restraining orders!" I said throwing my tote bag onto the table. "Bella, love, you can't just get a restraining order on someone because they happen to be in all your classes at school!" said Edward. "Excuse me, did you say all?" I asked. He smiled, "Yes love, all!" "You are unbelievable you know that?" I asked. "I just want a chance to explain!" said Edward. "You don't deserve a chance!" I said as the final bell rang.
Just as at the end of English he handed me another note folded into the shape of a heart, I took this one and put it in my tote bag. U.S. History and Psychology followed in suite, Edward was seated either next to me or behind me and at the end of the class he handed me another heart shaped letter. As the bell rang at the end of psychology Edward turned to me, "Bella may I walk you to lunch?" he asked. I took a deep breath and turned towards him, there was no point in torturing myself, and he didn't appear to be giving up. "Keep your hands to yourself!" I said. "Yes love!" he answered with a smirk on his face. "And stop calling me that!" I ordered. "What would you prefer that I call you?" he asked. "Oh I don't know, perhaps Bella that is my name!" I said. "Yes, speaking of your name, I find that last name of yours to be very interesting!" he said. I glared at him as we entered the cafeteria.
I couldn't help but smile after I saw the rest of his family sitting the same table they had been seated at when I first saw them. But their bronzed-hair brother was once again missing, because once again he was with me. Only this time I wasn't staring at them or longing to join them, I was sitting with them. "Hey Bella!" said Emmett grabbing me and hugging me. "Hey Em," I said quietly. "Bella, sit here!" said Alice patting the seat between her and Rosalie. I saw the glare that Edward shot her and couldn't help but smile. Oh how I loved Alice. I sat down between the two girls and as if it were planned, they both reached over and squeezed my hands. I couldn't help but feel hopeful, despite the situation between Edward and I, my life is as close to perfect as it had been since I was human.