~9~

I just stayed in bed all Sunday, crying to myself, missing my mother, father, and my whole family, but also Jacob. I didn't know how I was going to be able to function without him. I considered calling him, but I know he wouldn't answer. He probably wouldn't be home yet either and if he was, he would be out in the woods and I'd just get Billy.

Alice came to check on my periodically through the day, but I didn't want to get up. I knew jasper accompanied her too, to try to lift my mood, but it only lasted for a minute. Just long enough to tell Alice I'd rather be left alone and I had homework to do.

It took all of might just to get out of bed on Monday morning. I threw on clothes that would express my mood, jeans and a sweatshirt. Why bother trying to look nice for school? I thought to myself.

I came downstairs to find Alice glancing out the big picture window. She was sitting at the table, her phone in front of her, wearing sweats and a T-shirt, never something she would be caught wearing to school.

"You coming to school?" I asked her, confused.

She turned to glance at me with a tiny smile, "No, I have to be here", she said glancing down at her phone. "Jasper will take you to school and pick you up. He's waiting for you in the car."

"Oh, okay," I stuttered. I didn't know what I would do without her there at school with me. I had always felt so much better knowing that she was there for me.

She saw the worry on my face as I bit my lip.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'll be by the phone all day if you need me," she said smiling to reassure me.

I smiled back, "Thanks Alice. See you later", I said as I walked out of the room, prepared to meet by doom.

I met Jasper out by the car and stared into his set as stone face. He tried to smile, but the overall fakeness of it reminded me of a clown in a circus and did nothing but make me more nervous to go to school. As soon as I got in the car though, I felt nothing but fine and knew Jasper's magic was working on me. Maybe that was another reason Alice sent Jasper to take me to school, to calm me down.

"I'll be here when you get out," Jasper said emotionless. For someone who messed with people's emotions, he sure didn't have any. I never knew how him and Alice became to be soul mates. They were polar opposites.

"Yupp, thanks for the ride," I muttered as I shut the door. As soon as I was out of the car, I felt the wave of positive emotions leave me, and I felt the strain come up through my stomach.

I walked stiffly toward the school, trying my hardest not too completely lose it and fall to the ground in the fetal position.

As I trucked my way to the school, one of the football players accidentally knocked into me, causing me to drops the books I was carrying in my hands.

"Oh, sorry Weirdesmee!" he called back laughing with a few of his other friends. I wasn't exactly in with the football players and cheerleaders of the school. The cheerleaders felt that my prettiness was a threat and the football players thought I was a weirdo for not doing anything to show off my prettiness and want them. Basically, none of them liked me. The little knock would have never bothered me, but today, it was like a thorn in my side.

I picked up my books and began my walk to the school, once again, in no hurry to get to class.

As I walked, I began to think of Jacob once again and my father and how they both had promised me that they would personally come after the next schoolmate who made fun of me. Just thinking of their reactions if they were by my side made the sadness hit again, making it harder to walk. As a result, my wobbliness caused me to not see the rock in front of me on the sidewalk and knocked me to the ground as I slipped on it.

I sat up trying to brush the dirt off my jeans, but it was no use. The tears had already started falling and I couldn't stop them.

"Hey, what's a matter, are you hurt?" a calm, soft voice said comfortingly.

I looked up to see Aiden crouching over me. He put his hands on my shoulders, steadying me as I sat on the ground looking like a wreck.

"Yeah, I'm fine", I sniffled.

"Then what's a matter? Was I that bad of a ski instructor on Saturday?" he said.

The little joke made me laugh, choking back my tears. "No, you were a great teacher", I added, trying to sound cheerful.

"Then what's got you so upset? Don't tell me nothing cause I know its not", he demanded.

I chuckled again. He just had a way of taking me out of my darkest moments. "But it is nothing," I insisted, "I'm just getting upset over some stupid little thing."

"Okay, if you're sure," he said not totally convinced.

"I am, but thank you", I said, trying to reassure him.

"Well, come on then, let's get you off the ground", he said helping me stand up.

"There ya go. Now, are you okay to go to class?" There he went being all concerned again.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry. I don't want to make you late. I'll see you in French!" I called back to him as I started to hurriedly walk back to the building. I knew I was in for a rough day ahead of me, but my encounter with Aiden, made me realize that I had someone to lean on here and I wasn't completely lost and alone in a world that was so foreign to me.