Bella tapped her foot as she sat behind her desk in English 3 H class. She chewed her lip and glanced distractedly around the room.

Her friend and classmate Reneesme Jones, Nessie, nudged Bella and gave her a knock-it-off look.

Bella smiled awkwardly back at her. She had a lot on her mind.

"What's wrong Bella?" Nessie whispered and tilted her head inquiringly.

Bella scratched her neck, avoiding Nessie's gaze. Nessie smirked and leaned back in her chair.

"So...what did Emmett do?"

Bella rolled her eyes at Nessie.

"Nessie...."

"...will be in detention with you if you two don't pay attention!" Mr. Burns, the English teacher, frowned at both of them.

Nessie hunched her shoulders while Bella gave him her signature smile.

"Oh, please don't worry about a thing, Mr. Burns. It won't happen again." Bella purred from her seat.

Mr. Burns nodded sharply and returned to his desk. His cheeks had spots of red on them.

Nessie was giggling quietly.

"Bella! You shouldn't do that!" Nessie hissed, trying to smother her giggles behind her hands.

Bella ran her fingers through her hair. She tossed a smile Nessie's way.

"Um, why?"

Nessie gave her 'the look' again. She loved Bella, she really did. But she didn't like her new attitude. Bella was different this year, more arrogant, more sneaky... Nessie didn't know what to think of it.

And what was with Bella and Emmett? Bella still hadn't answered her question.

"So, I was thinking that maybe we should put Bella on top of the pyramid this year." Melissa Hale prattled to the girls sitting at the lunch table.

Bella sighed. "But Mel, I'm on the top every year."

Melissa grinned at her. "I know but you're so good! We only put the best on top of course. Aaaannndddd....the freshmen will be spotting."

"Again." Bella muttered under her breath.

The freshmen cheerleaders all frowned. Spotting was, in its very essence, nothing but staring up at the other cheerleaders who would be having a great time. Spotters just had to make sure no one got killed if they fell off.

Melissa surveyed the table with a satisfied smirk. "That's all."

The freshmen were dismissed. Some of the sophomores stuck around. All of the juniors and seniors sat together at the table.

Bella pressed her hands on top of the table and glared at Melissa.

"Mel, why would you do that? It's mean. And some of the freshmen are really good this year. You can't just write them off like that." Bella argued, angry sparks flying from her brown eyes.

Melissa sipped her drink. "Oh but yes I can. Bella, I'm captain this year. A senior, if you recall. I make the decisions here and you listen and do."

Everyone else avoided looking at the bickering pair and carried conversations of their own. Melissa always got what she wanted. And Bella always was against it.

Bella leaned back and away from Melissa who sat across from her.

"Fine. Just watch me become co-captain. Then, you won't be able to trample over people anymore." Bella growled at Melissa.

Melissa rolled her eyes and tossed her hair.

"You do that. Can't wait to see you screw up the team."

Bella clenched her fists and was ready to hit her when someone rubbed her back.

"Everything OK here?" Emmett whispered in Bella's ear.

She closed her eyes and let herself relax as he rubbed her shoulders soothingly.

Melissa beamed up at the quarterback star and batted her annoyingly fake lashes.

"Oh, we're getting along swimmingly. Emmett, Bella and I were just talking about co-captain tryouts. She's absolutely set on making it all the way." Melissa gushed in her fake sugary bubblegum voice.

Emmett ignored her and gazed at Bella's face.

"Bell?"

Bella shook her head. "I'm fine. I--I need to go."

She stood up and rushed quickly away from the table out of the cafeteria. She could feel eyes burning holes into her back as she left.

"Bell! Bell, where are you going?" Emmett chased after her and snagged her wrist.

She spun around to face him and started hitting his chest furiously.

"Lemme go! I swear if you don't...." Bella cried angrily as she hit him repeatedly.

Emmett released her wrist in shock and she stumbled away, crying.

What the hell was going on?

Emmett rubbed his chest absentmindedly as he silently followed his girlfriend. She was tripping over herself, the way she did when she was really upset about something. This was really freaking him out. Bella had never acted this way before.

Finally, Bella came to a dead stop in front of the girls' bathroom. She slammed the door open and locked herself in a stall.

Emmett frowned and leaned against the wall. He decided to wait for her to come out and talk to him. He wasn't going to have her hate him for barging in the girls' toilet.

Angel Moore, a junior, came out with a sick expression on her face. Her face turned red when she saw Emmett standing like a statue on the wall.

Emmett leaned towards Angel, making her squeak in surprise. "Hey, is Bella alright in there?"

Angel's face once again turned disgusted, even a little green in color.

"Um, not really. She's puking in the stall. It sounded horrible." Angel whispered, closing her eyes.

Emmett became alarmed with worry. Bella was sick? Was it the lunch?

"Thanks Angel." Emmett muttered as he, cringing, entered the girls' bathroom.

"You're welcome." Angel whispered as Emmett disappeared into the bathroom.

It didn't take long for Emmett to located his girlfriend. Her sick squelching noises filled the whole room.

"Bell? It's Em. Baby, what's wrong?"

Bella froze in the stall when she heard Emmett's voice. Why was he in here? Someone had tattled....Angel. She was here.

Great.

Letting out a big breath, Bella tossed her hair over her shoulder and meekly opened the stall door.

Emmett stared at her as she bit her lip.

"I...I don't really know Em. It might have been something I ate in the Caf." Bella offered, her voice raspy.

Emmett frowned and crossed his arms. "Are you sure? What did you have?"

"I--"

SLAM!

Emmett winced as more disgusting noises came from behind the shut door.

"Should I get the nurse?" He felt very helpless and sick himself all of a sudden.

Bella gasped and shook her head at the toilet.

"No! No. I'll be fine Emmy. Really. Just--just give me a minute." Bella protested weakly, rubbing her stomach anxiously.

Emmett nodded, uncomfortable anyways.

"I'll wait outside then."

Good idea.

He exited the bathroom and took up his post on the wall once again. But he hated to leave her. She had sounded grossly sick and weak. It was a major difference from this morning.

"Only two more classes...." Bella mumbled as she flushed the toilet for the third time. "Only two..."

Bella washed hands and dried them with a paper towel. She picked at her face in the mirror and finally exited the bathroom.

Emmett hurried over to her and grabbed hold of her hands.

"Bella. Isabella. Are you sure you don't want to go home?" Emmett said, staring into her eyes.

Bella smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Well, aren't you just the perfect boyfriend?" Bella cooed as she led them back to the Caf.

Emmett glanced at her wearily. "Bella, what act are you putting on now?"

Bella laughed lightly. "No act. Promise. I just ate some bad meat. The worst part's over."

Emmett didn't say anything as they entered the Caf hand in hand.

Bella sat in front of Melissa and smiled demurely at the girl. Emmett stood silently behind her, rubbing her shoulders. Lunch was about to be over soon.

Melissa arched a brow at Bella. "So...?"

"I'm still going to make co-captain. Hopefully, we can agree and get along swimmingly." Bella responded sweetly, a subtle threat beneath her words.

The senior stuck her chin out stubbornly. "We'll see about that."

Melissa stood up and stomped away from the table and out of the Caf.

Bella looked up at Emmett. He looked back at her and she smiled.

"I think I know what made me sick."

Emmett snorted. "Looking at her would make me want to puke too, babe."

The bell rang then and the Caf emptied out to get to class.

Emmett and Bella had to part ways again. He kissed her on the forehead and let his lips linger there for a moment.

"See ya later." Bella sang as she took off.

"Yea...." Emmett trailed off, watching her go.

He ran a hand over his face and turned the opposite way.

I love you Bella, he thought. I just want to know what's wrong.