School = No life for this BookWorm.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Much love to you guys as always =)

So this is a little late. Or a lot late. I have been super busy, but if anyone is still reading

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Chapter 2

The sound of pop music had awoken Bella from a short-lasting sleep. She was lying in the same bed that she had occupied fifteen years prior in her old bedroom. By the time Bella had arrived at Charlie's house it was already one-thirty in the morning. After sending Edward a text that she had arrived safely, she had not even bothered to undress as she fell onto her old bed. Sleep had hit her before her head hit the pillow.

Bella glanced at the clock and groaned to see a five glowing back at her. She shut off the alarm before stumbling out of bed. She let out a yawn as she looked for her toiletry kit in her suitcase. Bella also pulled out the black pants and blue sweater that she had planned to wear. She was going to need to iron those. It was part of the reason why she had to be up so early after only a few hours of sleep. Today was going to be a long one.

After a quick shower, Bella slipped into a robe before heading down to the kitchen. There was still a half a pot of coffee left over. She suspected that she had just missed Charlie since it was still hot. He usually left at six and did not make it home much before five in the evening. That was the life of a police chief. It's one of the reasons Bella hated visiting when she was younger. He was always gone by the time she woke up so he had sent Ms. Marge, his elderly neighbor, over to babysit. Bella remembered that she smelled like milk and had taught her how knit. She used to tell her that it was a skill that all young ladies should learn. It would help their chances of getting a husband.

Once she was old enough to stay by herself, she did not mind it so much. The peace and quiet was nice. Unlike most kids her age, Bella would opt to curl up on the couch and read. The first evening that Charlie walked into the house he expected to see the aftermath of a party or a mess at the very least. He was shocked to see the house cleaned, Bella reading, and dinner on the table. She had only been twelve at the time.

Bella grabbed a cup of coffee and the iron as she walked back upstairs and to her old room. Everything in her old bedroom was the same as when she had first started visiting. The walls and door were the familiar shade of purple. The same tall wooden dresser stood next to door. Bella remembered the many times that she had run into it on her way to the bathroom. In the corner of the room, next to her closet was an old rocking chair that had belonged to Grandma Swan. The old computer that Charlie had picked up from a garage sale sat on the desk underneath the window.

After dragging the ironing board in from the hall closet, Bella set to work ironing her clothes. She had finished her pants, and was about to start on her shirt when she heard Beethoven 'Eroica' in E flat major begin to play. She knew right away that it was Edward calling. He had picked out the ringtone himself after telling her about its history and alleged connection with Bonaparte. It was a fascinating tale, but to be honest, Bella only thought about how beautiful the music sounded whenever she heard it. So it was a win for each of them. In return, Bella was put in charge of picking the ringtone for when she called him. She chose something a little less classy, but still a classic; "Hello Goodbye" by the Beatles.

Bella leaped across the bed to grab her phone off the nightstand. "Hello, may I ask who's calling," she teased.

"It's your secret lover. Did you finally shake that old boyfriend of yours?"

Bella held in a laugh. It was always funny to hear his attempt at an American accent. "Oh I am so glad to hear from you. I did get rid of that extra baggage. Now we can finally be together, Alejandro."

"Meet me outside the chapel in an hour?"

"Oh I wish I could," she said as she turned the speaker on her phone and went back to ironing. "But I am in the middle of a very important mission; removing wrinkles from my clothes."

"Sounds dangerous."

"It is, but someone's got to do it."

"Damn," she heard his natural accent return. "What am I going to do without you?"

"You've managed for this long, I am sure you can think of something," Bella said with a laugh. Pause. "So do you have any tips for me oh wise teacher?"

"Well I am going to pretend that you truly meant that and that you were not just being sarcastic," she could hear the smugness in his voice.

"Of course," she laughed. "See I was thinking about the use of leashes and spray bottles of water."

"These are teenagers here, babe- not dogs." Edward laughed.

"They are worse than dogs," she told him seriously as she slipped on her pants. "They are animal like. Or so I have heard."

"You have to go in there and not show fear. You will gain respect that way."

"Duly noted," she was slipping on her shoes when she looked at the clock. 5:56.

Bella grabbed her bag and phone as she hurried down the steps, completely forgetting about her coffee. She poked her head in the fridge to see if there was anything to make for breakfast. There was one egg left, half a gallon of milk, stick of butter, and beers in the fridge. The freezer contained frozen fish.

"Well it looks like I am going to have to do some shopping," she said as she walked around the kitchen while her phone sat on the table. "There is nothing to eat."

"You are going to need to find something," his voice lectured from the tiny device. "My girl is going to need her strength for the first day of school."

"Yes, father," she laughed.

"Thank God I'm not," she could hear the lust in his voice. It sent shivers down her spine.

"So what are you doing up this early?" It was an attempt to distract herself from the effect that his voice was having on her body. "You have evening classes today. Did you need to cover someone's class?"

"Can I not call to wish my secret lover good luck," he asked feigning hurt.

Bella decided to grab a pop tart before she headed out the door. "I will allow it."

She grabbed the keys to her old beast as she walked past the key hooks. When Bella had asked Charlie about staying with him while she went 'undercover', he had agreed, but did not like the idea of her driving by herself to Forks. He then suggested that she fly out and could use her old truck while she was in town. He told her he would get it checked out, but it should still run smoothly. She did not bother to ask where he would be going for the automotive check-up. She already had an idea.

"How did you sleep last night," Edward asked as she climbed into the truck.

"Like a rock, to be honest," she laughed. "I was so tired."

"I can imagine. "

"What are your plans for the rest of the day, Masen," she asked. "I mean besides missing me." In her mind Bella said a silent prayer that the beast would start before sliding the key into the ignition.

"Well I thought that in between my emotional breakdowns and through my heartache that I would catch up on grading papers before class."

"That's very responsible of you," she commended as she started her old truck. It roared to life causing Bella to jump.

Apparently Edward could hear it as well. "What was that noise?"

"The Beast," she said simply. "I am about to leave for school- I mean work?"

Edward let out a laugh. "Okay. Well I am going to let you go then. Be careful in that truck. I love you."

"Love you too. I will talk to you later," she told him before hanging up.

Bella Swan walked into Forks High School at six-thirty. The halls were almost empty since the late bell for homeroom did not ring until half past seven. She was able to find the office with ease because it sat right next to the front doors.

The secretary told Bella to have a seat as she went back to tell Mrs. Greene, the principal, that she was here. She was currently in the middle of an important phone call. Bella sat on a bench outside of her office as she waited. She could not get her knee to stop from shaking. It felt as if she was back in high school herself. Bella had never once found herself in the principal office and had always dreaded the idea. Bella had always been afraid of getting in trouble.

"Good morning, Ms. Swan," Mrs. Greene greeted her as she appeared from her office. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but if you will step in here."

Bella took a seat in front of her desk. It was a rather small office, not much bigger than a large closet. It did fit the rest of the school, which was also about half the size of a normal high school and about a third the size of her old one.

"So Ms. Swan," she started. "I just wanted to discuss the confidentiality agreement that we have agreed upon."

Bella nodded. "The privacy of these girls will be my number one priority."

"I am glad to hear that," she nodded her head. "Now there will be no mention of these girls and their families as well as the school. Correct?"

"Correct," Bella confirmed. "The school will have an alias and we will not be publishing any names or descriptions of these girls since they are underage. In the article it will be referred to the school of observation or something along those lines."

Mrs. Greene nodded her head as Bella had listed all of the components of their agreement. "Now do not take this the wrong way, Ms. Swan, but you see this as an opportunity for a story. I see this as a way of finding answers. I am concerned about what has been going on with these young girls. I am afraid that some of them are being misguided and making decisions that they are not prepared for. I want to know why and what can we do to help these young people."

Bella listened in silence as this principal showed a genuine concern for the well-being of these girls. Not once did she mention how this all reflected on her reputation as principal.

"I will do everything I can to give you answers," she told her with determination. "I also hope that my story will help other young girls to become aware and also have parents become more involved."

"I appreciate that dear." Mrs. Greene gave her a thankful smile. "Now I suppose you have some questions for me?"

"Right," Bella's journalist instincts kicked in. "Is the count of pregnancies still sitting at eight?"

Mrs. Greene gave a frown. "There was another young lady who has a confirmed condition."

"So the total is up to nine?" Not waiting for an answer, Bella continued. "The first girl to step forward, Nicki, is now six months along. Which means it must have occurred at the end of the previous school year."

"Yes. It was originally viewed as just something that accidently happened. That is until several teachers reported incidents where Nicki was practically bragging about her pregnancy to friends."

Bella scribbled a note in her notebook. "Did the concern grow when three more girls became pregnant the next month?"

"Yes, however, our fears were confirmed when last month four more girls came forward. Now there has already been one this month. I know this is something that is usually taken care of among the family; however, it seems to be affecting the entirety of this school. Several parents are looking towards the school for answers. Some are afraid that this will spread as if it were a disease to their daughters. Nine girls pregnant in six months in a school this small, Ms. Swan, is just unheard of."

After her conference with Mrs. Greene, Bella walked out of the office and into the now crowded hallway. There were freshmen students racing down to their homerooms, afraid of being late. Several of the older students, walked at an exaggeratingly slow pace. They had been doing this long enough to know that they had plenty of time to get there.

Bella received several curious stares from students who had never seen her before and were not sure if she was a student or teacher. There were glares from those who recognized her for what she was and saw her as just another authoritative figure in their lives. These were also the students who were attempting to intimidate the new teacher.

She quickly maneuvered her way through the crowd and to the classroom that she would be occupying for the next several weeks. It looked like the typical English room. There were posters of Shakespeare, Aristotle, Hawthorne, and Austen on the walls. There were famous quotes painted on the wall above the chalkboard.

Bella admired these touches as she walked over to the desk in the corner of the room. If she found herself too overwhelmed she could duck under the desk and use it as a fort. Let's hope it never comes to that. She placed her few belongings on her chair and stood up facing the rows of empty desks that would soon be filled by sixteen and seventeen year olds.

On the desk, Bella found a binder that had the words "Lesson Plans" written on the front. She flipped through the pages to find that every day for the next two months was clearly written out. There were class work and homework assignments as well as lecture notes. The tests and quizzes were also written up. All she had to do was make photo-copies of the worksheets that were included as well. This teacher would have given Bella a run for her money in the organization department.

Since she had no homeroom, Bella spent her extra time writing that day's objectives and assignment on the board. The class was to read The Masque of the Red Death, a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, out of their textbook and work individually on completing the questions that followed in the book. Bella had printed her name, 'Ms. Swan', at the top corner of the board.

When she had finished, Bella sat at her desk, nervous for the first bell to ring. The school ran on a block schedule. This meant that there were A days and B days. Each day the students would have four, ninety minute classes. They had each class every other day. In total there were eight classes that the student had to take. Bella had second period free for planning on A days.

After the bell had rang to signal the end of homeroom, students started to file into the English classroom. They all came in groups of two or three laughing and talking noisily to one another. Bella had smiled at the students as they walked in as an attempt to seem warm and friendly. She received blank stares and even glares in return.

Once the late bell had rung, Bella tried to call the class to order. Several people ignored her at first. After clapping her hands, she was finally able to gain their attention.

"Okay, class, as you know your teacher, Mrs. Thompson is going to be out for the next month or so," Bella tried to control the shaking of her voice. "My name is Ms. Swan and I will be her substitute for the next month."There were a few boos and a few high fives being exchanged. Bella was about to continue when a hand shot up from the back of the room. "Yes?"

"Like, how old are you," a blonde hair girl asked staring at her.

"I'm not sure how that is relevant," Bella started.

"You don't look much older than me," someone in the second row pointed out. "Are you even qualified to teach?" This lead the class to begin talking again.

Bella raised he voice above the noise. "I am twenty-five and am qualified to teach. I have a bachelor's degree in English and am currently working towards my masters." Only half the class was paying attention at this point. She then attempted to raise her voice even more to regain their full attention. "Now your teacher left you an assignment to be completed individually," she pointed to the board behind her. "I will be collecting it at the end of class.

Instead of opening their textbooks to read quietly, the class continued talking. They did however; slowly start to pull out their notebooks to write. It may not have been individual work, but at least they were working on something. Bella took a seat behind the desk as she watched the class work with one another.

It continued that way for the next eighty minutes when the bell finally rang. The students walked up and piled their papers in a basket on the corner of the desk before leaving. Bella let out a sigh of relief once the last student left the room. She had survived the first class and even got them to do their work.

Bella picked up the pile of papers to begin grading them. She had the next hour and a half free before the next class was due in. The first question asked what the students thought the clock represented in the story and what does it mean when it stops?

The first boy, Jordan answered: The time that I am wasting reading this story and that I am never getting out of this class.

Next question asked what the color blue made him think of in relation to this lesson.

His answer: That despite the grandma, blue sweater the sub is wearing, it still shows the potential of a nice rack.

Bella could feel her face turn red as she looked down at her shirt. It was not showing off a lot of skin and she did not think it was very tight. She scanned the rest of his paper to see that the all of his answers were just as sarcastic. In fact- after a quick glance, Bella noticed the rest of the papers were along the same lines. She sighed in frustration before dropping the papers back onto the desk. Bella then grabbed her phone to call the one person who could make her feel better.

"Hello, love," the English accent fills her ear.

"Edward," she spoke quietly.

"Are you hiding somewhere? I can barely hear you."

Bella forced a laugh. "Ha. I wish I was able to last period."

"What happened," his voice was sympathetic now.

"I was never meant to teach, that's what happened," she said impatiently. "Stick me in front of a notebook or a computer and I will give you perfection. Stick me in front of a class full of teenagers and I become ignored."

"Isabella," his voice soothed. "It was only your first class. It will get better once you get the hang of it. You have always been able to."

Bella shook her head even though he could not see her. "That's the thing, Edward; I do not think I will. It is all too terrifying. You should have seen the responses that these kids put down on their paper. They did not even take Poe seriously."

"You will figure something out, my Isabella," he reassured her. "You just have to find what works for you." He then paused for a moment and Bella could hear talking in the background. "Hey, how about you call me later tonight and we can talk about this some more? I had to head in early for an emergency staff meeting. Then I am just going to stay on campus and finish grading before my class."

Bella let out a sigh. "Fine."

"I love you."

"Love you," she mumbled into the phone.

For the remainder of her free period, Bella attempted to grade the rest of the papers. There were only a few that were actually appropriate. By the time she actually finished grading, her free period had ended. It was time for the second battle to begin.

This class walked in- in similar fashion as her first period. She was able to take their attendance, something she had forgotten all about doing before. The students raised a hand or let out a grunt in response to their name.

Before Bella could direct them to follow the instructions on the board, there was the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. A girl with short brown hair stood up suddenly. She had her hand covering her mouth while the other one rested on her stomach as she raced out of the room. Once she was out of sight, the class broke out into a buzz of sound.

"Oh my gosh," one girl leaned over to her friend. "I knew it."

"What is that number ten?"

"I never imagined Katie to be the type."

"She ran out of Spanish yesterday to puke."

Bella glanced around the room as the students spread gossip like a forest fire. It did not take a genius to realize that the main rumor: this young girl, Katie was pregnant. Realizing that this was something that she was supposed to be looking for, Bella's instinct kicked in for the second time that day.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen," she stood in front of the class and spoke loudly. The students stopped and looked at her. "I want you all to get started on the assignment that your teacher left for you." Bella pointed to the board. "Yes, this means that you actually have to read the story. It will take you less than fifteen minutes to skim it- then another thirty to answer the questions. Even though it is to be done individually, I don't care if you choose to work in groups, but just keep the noise down. You are almost adults after all. This should not be too difficult for you."

Bella stood with her hands on her hips once she was finished her speech. There were people mumbling under their breaths, but they were actually pulling out their textbooks and notebooks. She watched them for a moment longer before excusing herself.

Bella slipped out of the classroom and walked next door to the ladies' bathroom. Inside she could hear the sound of someone coughing. It was the type of cough that was normal after a person vomits. Pushing the door open slightly, Bella heard the toilet flush. She had walked in just in time to see the young girl from her class stepping out of the stall.

Katie froze when she saw the substitute standing in the doorway. Her eyes were red and cheeks were stained from tears.

"Are you okay," Bella asked softly.

"I'm fine," she spoke quietly. The look of fear on her face was then quickly masked by one of anger. "You didn't have to follow me," she snapped this time.

Bella threw her hand up in defense. "I am sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Well I am," Katie's voice shook. "Besides I don't even know you."

"I know, but sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger. If you ever needed someone to talk to," she offered.

Katie just shook her head in disbelief. She pushed passed Bella and out into the hallway. Instead of turning towards the room, Katie walked the opposite way.

Bella stared after her before realizing that she should get back to her class. She was surprised when she walked in to find the students working as they talked quietly amongst each other. At least she was getting something right.

The same approach was taken by the amateur teacher for fourth period. Fortunately, this class was uneventful. The students kept their conversations to a low volume as they actually completed the assignment. Bella was also surprised to grade the most recent set of papers and to only find a handful sarcastically answered.

When the final bell rang, Bella packed up her belongings to head home. She collected the assignment from the students before they left for the day. To give the hallways time to clear, Bella hung around inside the classroom for a few of minutes before she left. She took this time to glance at the lesson plans for the next couple of months. They were to start reading "The Crucible" next week. She observed the desks and thought about how she wanted to rearrange them so the students were more in a group. It would make reading the play more interactive.

As she walked down the now empty hallways, ten minutes later, Bella started to wrap her scarf around her neck. She failed to pay attention to where she was going. Colliding with another person, Bella stumbled backwards and into a locker.

"I'm so sorry," she heard a deep voice apologize.

Bella looked up to see a tall, attractive man with short blonde hair staring down at her. He was muscular, but not as intimidating as Emmett. His eyes- blue- had a look of sincerity in them.

"It's okay," Bella shook her head. "I should have watched where I was going. I am a little distracted today."

The man gave her a charming smile. "We all have days like that. My name is Drew. Drew Manning," he said sticking out his hand.

Bella took his hand. "Nice to meet you Drew, I'm Bella Swan."

"You must be the new teacher."

"I'm just the substitute," she corrected.

Drew smiled at her again, "Well Ms. Swan, if these students give you a hard time, just let me know."

It did not go unnoticed by Bella at the emphasis he placed on her name. "Thanks, Mr. Manning. It's nice to know that I will have two people to turn to for advice. My boyfriend will be glad to hear it."

Drew gave a smile of defeat. "I should have known. Well Bella, the offer is still on the table. I can always use the friends."

"Okay, Drew," she agreed. "And I could definitely use some friends around here."

Bella told the man goodbye before walking out to her truck. Instead of heading straight home there was a pending need to stop at the store. She wanted to pickup something for dinner that night as well as to restock the refrigerator. If Bella was going to be staying here, she was not going to be able to eat fish every day.

When Charlie had walked in the door that evening, Bella had chicken parmesan on the table for dinner. The house was cleaned and the kitchen was stocked. She was also able to take care of some the laundry that had been piling up.

"Bells, something smells good," Charlie said as he kicked off his boots in the hallway. Bella was sure she would trip over those at some point tonight. "And the house looks great."

"Hey, dad," Bella walked over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I made your favorite.

"Thanks," he let out a grunt. His cheeks turned a slight shade of red.

The father and daughter sat in silence as they ate dinner. It had always been this way between the two of them. Bella had never minded the quiet though. Charlie was just naturally a quiet person. Renee' used to tell her that she got her father's sometimes a curse and sometimes a gift of being able to stay silent. Dinners between the three of them used to drive her mother insane if Bella did not speak up.

Before Bella climbed into bed that night, she slipped on a pair of old sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt that she had taken from Edward. As soon as she had it on, a feeling of comfort washed over her. She could smell Edward's familiar cologne on the collar.

Two years ago, if you were to tell Bella Swan that a single piece of clothing could leave her so affected, she would call you crazy. It was amazing how just the scent of a person could leave her at ease. Bella had always been a cynic when it came to love. She had always believed that very few were actually destined to find their true love. Never would she have believed that she would be that lucky.

Bella had been that lucky. Edward had been the only one who was able to wear down her stubborn attitude towards love. She realized how much she wanted and needed him in her life. The past two years with Edward were easily the best of her life. Sometimes it scared her to think about what her life would be like without him in it. She would always push those thoughts away.

As if on cue, Bella could hear her phone vibrate on her night stand.

Good Night, my beautiful Isabella, I love you

So what did you think? Leave me a Review and let me know!

Next chapter up in a week? Hopefully. I have a small gap between tests and assignments then, so I will try to get it up by then.

Much love,

BookWorm4Life