Chapter 4

Little did I know.

It's Halloween. And things were a bit better than before. No one has called me names and Edward hasn't attempted to talk to me unless we're in class. I think he finally got the concept of "leave me alone" through his thick skull. My friends haven't asked me what's wrong and I've tried my best to go out with them and be as cheerful as I can.

First period class is a complete dull. Mrs. Kane's voice just keeps droning on and on and it's impossible to try and pay attention. We were going to start a lab today which meant that Edward was sitting next to me at one of the lab tables.

He was fidgeting in his seat next to me as I twirled the apple that Mrs. Kane threw to me. She walked back to the front of the class and started talking about our new lab and something about jeans. I was surprised to find Edward listening. I lifted the apple up to the edge of my nose and inhaled the sweet smell of it.

I remember when my dad would help me pick an apple from the apple tree. That was when we weren't in that weird father daughter awkward stage. It's hard to find things to talk about now that I'm in high school. I lost myself in the memory and bit into the apple without even thinking about it.

"What are you doing?" Edward whisper yelled to me.

I turned to look at him surprised that he was here. I had totally forgotten where I was at. I pursed my lips as I looked down at the bitten apple in guilt.

"Were you not paying attention?" he asked as he took the apple from me.

I swallowed down and looked over at it, "No…were you?" I asked him.

"Yes," he looked at me annoyed before he raised his hand for Mrs. Kane to come over.

Great now he's going to rat on me, "Mrs. Kane I kind of accidently bit the apple," he told her with a guilty face.

I stared at him amazed. He was taking the blame for me. "Its okay dear," she took another one out from a bag, "just make sure not to eat this one," she told him kindly before she left the table.

He took the bitten apple and handed it back to me, "Here why don't you finish what you started," he suggested.

I took it from him still in a state of shock, "What?" he asked.

"Why did you do that?" I asked curiously.

"Do what?" he asked confused.

"Take the blame," I told him.

"I wasn't going to get you in trouble because if a stupid apple," he replied back.

"Umm…thanks," I told him in a small voice.

"No problem," he replied back as he looked back at Mrs. Kane for instructions.

I had decorated my little closet here all for myself. I brought a lamp in and threw some trash away and even put up some of my paintings and old posters. I didn't like eating with my friends at lunch much. I mainly came to the closet to eat. I was alone and it was quiet. No one could call me a squealer in here.

I decided to eat lunch with my friends today. Not such a good idea today. We were talking about our Halloween plans when Jessica whispered, "Here comes Tyler Crowley and Edward."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stayed perfectly still. "Hey ladies," Tyler's voice said from behind me.

He leaned over me and placed his hands by my arms, "Did you bring me my sandwich?" Jessica asked him with a small smile.

He threw a bag that was in one of his hands over to her before he placed his hand back next to me. I didn't pay attention to the conversation after that. My body was too aware of the fact that his body was leaning over mine. I tried my best to calm my breathing but I could see Angela and Lauren looking at me in concern while they talked to Edward and Tyler.

I peeked up at Edward to find him smiling at the girls. I looked away from him as my blood boiled in anger. I couldn't stand being under him anymore. I have to leave. I scooted my chair out a bit and ducked under him before I started leaving.

"Bella?" I ignored the calls from Edward and my friends as I quickly made my way down the school halls. I ended up finding myself walking towards Mr. Freeman's classroom. I stopped at the entrance and watched as he painted something.

He turned around sensing my presence, "Hey you're the tree," he said as he pointed the paintbrush at me. Well at least its better than being called squealer. "You can eat lunch in here if you want. It's against school rules but I'm sort of a rebel."

I slowly walked into the room and walked over to a table. He walked over to me and set a paper on the table in front of me. Was he that picky about getting food on the table? I mean there's paint on it? I placed my lunch bag on it in confusion.

"That's not a lunch mat. If you're going to stay in here I need you to work," he told me as he placed a box of chalk like crayons in front of me.

I took one out and started working on one of my trees, "Are you going trick or treating tonight?" he asked me.

I looked up at him and sighed lightly, "No."

"Ah you don't like candy?" he asked. Who doesn't like candy? What a stupid question is that?

"I'm too old," I told him.

He mumbled something about going with his kids while I stared at the work I was doing in front of me. I didn't have anything to say so I just stayed quiet but it was coming out horrible. I crumbled it up into a ball, "No, no, no," he said as he made his way towards me.

He took the crumbled paper and looked at it, "You've got to give things a chance," he told me. He went over and grabbed another paper and put it in front of me before he bent down to my level, "Alright close your eyes."

Why should I close my eyes? What's he going to do? "Just do it I'm the teacher," he told me making me close my eyes. "Can you picture a tree? Any tree?" he asked.

The first tree that came to my mind was the one that my father used to help me pick apples from. "There it is. It's burning in your regna. Now try and draw it," he suggested as I opened my eyes and he handed me a chalk.

School went by rather slowly after that. People still stared and called me names behind my back. I went on the bus once and one of my friends pulled a paper off my back that read squealer once. Oddly enough my life revolved more around school than anything else.

I went to school and when I came home I would be either reading a new English book or drawing something that was related to a tree in a notebook. I found myself spending more time in my closet falling asleep during lunch.

My friends never asked where I was or what I do. They were okay with me just hanging out with them when I felt like it. Speaking of friends Edward was talking to me a bit more in biology class. He invited me to come over to do lab homework but I said no…no thanks. I just…I can't.

Tyler was bugging me more than usual. He'd find someway to embarrass me in the hall. And Edward wouldn't do anything about it. He'd actually laugh! But when we were in class he'd try and be a good friend. What kind of stupid shit is that?

I found myself on the bleachers more often now. The closet was nice but after a while I need some fresh air and some sunlight. Hair woman was power walking around the track. She didn't have a life she had no friends. She was dealing with whatever problems she had by walking. Oh my god. I'm turning into hair woman. Her hair even looks like mine!

My mother seems to be too busy with work to remember anything. It's Thanksgiving Day and she forgot to take the turkey out to thaw. And well my dad on the other hand was in the living room just watching TV. There was nothing ever to talk about with my father anymore.

He asks me about school and I respond back with "fine". That's the way it always is. There's not much to talk about. We used to be the best of friends but then last summer happened and now I just don't know what to say around him or my mother.

I watched as my father started chopping the turkey up outside with an ax. What kind of family have I been born into? My mother doesn't know how to cook a turkey and my father doesn't have common sense enough to cut the turkey inside. And then after all the hard work my dad was doing to at least try and make this a good thanksgiving she says she can't stay. To forget about thanksgiving because they need her down at the store. She wants to go out for thanksgiving now.

My dad seemed a bit saddened by the news. I was just plain shocked although I'm sure I didn't show it on my face. The good thing about not eating the turkey my dad ruined was the fact that I got an idea for an art project for school. So the day after thanksgiving I brought some bones in so I could start on my tree project.

I somehow ended up with a weird bone graveyard kind of setting with a small green palm tree in the center. I didn't build the tree but I did build the graveyard. "I see a girl caught in the remains of a holiday gone bad. Her flesh picked off day after day. The tree could symbolize a broken dream. It definitely has meaning…pain lots of pain," he said to me as he examined the project.

I was headed for the storage room/closet that I always go to during lunch now when Lauren suddenly came up to me and handed me a pom- pom, "Come on lets go to the prep rally," she said as she took my hand and started dragging me to the gym.

We got in the freshman section and sat down. I really didn't want to be here. I was planning on ditching this event. One thing I hate the most is crowds of a bunch of cruel kids that could bully me around. Everything was fine until I saw him. He was sitting in the senior section calling out to someone. I watched in horror as my friend Jessica ran over to him and kissed him on the mouth.

Someone has to tell her that he's bad that he's not good. I was about to ask Lauren what Jessica was doing when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head around to look at the girl behind me, "Your Bella Swan," she stated, "Aren't you the one that called the cops at Kyle Rogers party?" she asked as I looked straight ahead.

"My brother was arrested at that party. Got fired because of it," she told me. Well maybe your brother shouldn't have been there, I thought. She lightly kneed my back making me move forward a bit.

Everyone was yelling around me as I looked over at Tyler and Jessica hugging and kissing each other. How could she? How could everyone just be cool and happy right now? This isn't right. None of this is right.

I quickly slung my backpack over my shoulder and started heading down the stadium seats. I needed to get out of here now before I do something stupid. As soon as I exited the gym I ran down the hall and straight to my hide away. It was the only place where I felt safe when I was at school.

I couldn't get them out of my head though. And just thinking about him made me remember.

A/N: Okay so I havent updated this in a while but Speak is coming on TV right now and I got inspired again! Just like yesterday when they showed The Messengers on TV and I wrote another chapter :)

Anyways the next chapter will have a meaningful flashback in it! Please review!