A/N : I'm sorry it's been longer to get this chapter than the others, but sixth form has just restarted so I've had to do that. Also, I wrote the first 2 about 3 months ago so I could put them straight up.

I hope this chapter is alright. Let me know what you think pleeaasssee?

Thank you.

Saga Lover

xx

The Head wanting me had just been a set up. My heart started to beat a little faster as they stalked towards me.

You're probably thinking, 'why are you scared? They're just high school girls.' The thing is, they may well be high school girls, but they certainly don't act like it.

Two years ago, Jennifer Hanel killed herself with an overdose. For a year before she was plagued by Jessica Stanley. This is why she was queen bee, because everyone was scared by her and the pain she could inflict. Enough pain to cause a suicide.

Don't think Forks is a bad place. It's family orientated, friendly and welcoming, apart from the Stanley's. In the five years I was living with my Mom and Phil, her parents split up and her mother remarried to a non-local that nobody knew. David Kendon was from the city I think, and had been involved the bad side of it, and due to his marriage, his behavior had seemed to rub off on Jess. She was tougher, angrier and knew how to play people, how to cripple them.

This is why my palms were sweating and my breath was unnoticeably shorter.

They walked up to me in formation.

"You think you can speak to me like that? You don't get to say what I can or cannot do, so don't try me." Jessica's words brushed my ear and she spoke over my shoulder, leaning in close. Too close.

I felt her hands on my back and before I could act, I was slung forward towards the wall of her followers, causing me to stumble. Lauren grabbed the hair at the back of head before I fell, pulling me back, jolting me head to face Jessica.

"You are insignificant. You don't matter to anyone and you never will. You think you have a chance with Edward?" Lauren's fingers tightened their grip as Jessica spoke. She was in my face as she spat the words, her claws gripping my face. She let out a loud laugh at the prospect. "Edward Cullen, and you. Ain't gunna happen, honey, I promise you that. Now how am I going to make sure you don't stalk him anymore? I mean, he must be getting annoyed, right girls?"

"Right."

"So… how about we just see if you have common sense and stay away from what's not yours…? Then if you can't manage that, I'll have to consider teaching you a bit about real life, yeah? Oh and no need to tell anyone about our little agreement."

Lauren let go of my hair with a shove, sending me flying into Jessica, who grabbed at my face and shoulder, launching me onto the floor. I landed on my front, my legs underneath me, hanging my head. My hair hung down over my face creating a curtain between me and them. She stalked over to me, knelt down, and yanked my head back. I closed my eyes, expecting a blow to my face.

I heard a short breath out and felt something slime down my face. It slipped down from my cheek as she let me go. I hesitantly wiped the saliva off, not wanting to draw attention to the water in my eyes, and started to stand. I had just found my feet and begun to rise when a foot knocked the breath out of me and pain shot down my side. Lauren sniggered, and I looked up to see her walking away. They all giggled, looking down at me.

"Come on, girls. Let's leave this dirty skank to clean herself up. Wouldn't want the Chief to worry, aye?'' With that they walked back into the building, leaving me face down on the pavement.

The tears dribbled out of my eyes, stinging as they travel down my spit covered cheek. My right side ached from the blow. My head stung from the grip they had maintained. I felt something hot on my cheek, running slowly down my face. I touched it with my fingers, gently, and looked down at the deep red coating the tips of them. She had drawn blood with her nails.

My head was pounding. I had to get out of here, now.

I stumbled to my feet and ran a few steps until my body lunged itself onto my knees. I felt it rising in my throat, all the disgust, the hate, the pity. The bile rose and I vomited out onto the grass beside the path.

Wiping my mouth, I rushed to the car park. I needed to get home. Now.

Then I realized. Edward had brought me in. My truck was at home. I leant heavily onto the Volvo, my breath short and my legs weak. I needed to clean myself up. I couldn't let them see. They would worry.

I went to the bathrooms inside the main building, ducking in quickly. The mirror showed somebody I didn't recognize, with nail scratches down their face, matted hair, a pale white face and blood shot eyes. I rinsed off the blood, gently washing my face with the refreshing water, wiping away the last half an hour and watching it run down the plug-hole.

x~x~x

"Bella?"

I was slumped against the wheel of the car, hood up, waiting for the man with the velvet voice to sooth me and take home. I needed to sleep this away.

"Bells?" His voice made it through my sound block. I looked up to see him knelt beside me, his green eyes worried and anxious, searching my face.

"Bella! What happened to you?" Huh. Guess I hadn't recovered as much as I thought I had. His eyes were wide, taking in my appearance and hearing his gentle voice, made my eyes well up. You don't matter to anyone and you never will. Her words ringing in my ears.

"Please… take me home." I whispered.

Edward slid his hands underneath my arms, raising me to my feet. He opened the passenger door and slid me into my seat, slipping my belt on. After making his way round to the driver's side, he sped off, out of the car park, and down the road. My hood was pulled up and my knees to my chin with my arms wrapped around me.

We drove to my house is silence. I didn't ask how he knew the way already, Forks is a small town…

I undid my seat belt as we pulled up alongside my drive. Edward undid his and came round to my side at super human speed, helping me out of the car. My legs were so weak having emptied my stomach's contents onto the schools grass.

"Keys?" Edward asked, softly.

"Under the flower pot." I whispered, nodding to it on the floor next to us.

He let us into the house, and led me to the sofa, pulling the blanket off the back of it and wrapping it around me. After closing my eyes and leaning into the sofa, I heard his footsteps as he walked into the kitchen.

I'm not sure how long later, he re-entered the room.

"Bella? Bella, I've got you urm… some tea, and some water or hot chocolate? I didn't know which you wanted…"

I opened my eyes in amazement, and my gaze dropped to the coffee table where three drinks sat. I started salivating after seeing the hot chocolate. He had done this, for me?

"Hot chocolate, please." I whispered, "Thank you, Edward. I can't believe you… you did all that."

He shrugged and grabbed the tea, taking a sip, after handing me my drink. There was a moment of comfortable silence, until he placed his cup back onto the coffee table and shifted to face me.

"What happened?"

I swallowed hard. It wasn't even that bad. It seemed kind of childish now, that I was so upset from it. I realized my eyes had started to water. I opened my mouth, and words poured out, fast.

"I don't even know why I'm so shaken up. I mean, it wasn't that big of a deal. She didn't even do that much, and yet I'm crying like a 10 year old. I guess it was probably her mind games, and the sly way it happened. I mean, who could have known? It wasn't Hannah's fault. She was probably scared of them. They probably threatened her too. Or maybe she wanted to be part of them, and it was like an initiation? I didn't mean to do it. I just couldn't stand by and let her d-"

"Bella!" He cut me off from my word vomit, crushing me to his chest. "It's okay. I think you're in shock, little Swan. Come on, breath deep."

The silent tears I had been shedding turned into full sobs, wetting his t-shirt as he held me. My side ached from Lauren's kick.

"Start from when you left the class, okay? Did you go and see the Head?" He spoke quietly, pulling back and cradling my face in his hands. I took a deep breath.

"It was a set up. Jessica and her gang were waiting for me…" And so I told him everything. From Jessica's words, to the pain in my side, to the way the blood ran down my cheek, and how cold the floor was when I fell.

He was silent throughout my speaking, holding my hands in his, occasionally making soothing patterns with his thumbs on my hands. His eyes never left mine even though mine left his, going back an hour or so into the past, glazed over.

"and that's when you found me." I finished, my voice back to its normal sound, though hiccups from my tears still commenced. I twisted to place the blankets back onto the sofa back and hissed at the pull in my side. There'd be a big bruise tomorrow.

He shot up, and walked into the kitchen, leaving me with my eyes open wide in shock. Was he annoyed with me? I backtracked in my mind over my words, rushing to find anything insulting towards him. A hand appeared in front of me, holding two tablets.

"Pain killers. You're in pain, Bella." I gratefully grabbed them and knocked them back with the water. He still seemed quiet, not looking at me.

Suddenly, he rose out of his chair and stalked over to the window, staring out.

Oh no. What had I done? Maybe I should have told him? Was it because Jessica was talking about him? Or because I defended him? I had defended him without his approval… He hadn't actually said he wasn't interested in her, just that he didn't want to have lunch. He was annoyed because he wanted to be with Jess? My stomach sank even lower.

"Did you.. do you want to be with Jessica? Is that why you're annoyed at me?" I said, quietly. He spun around with surprised eyes, walking over to me quickly to kneel in front of me.

"You think I want her? No, no, no, no." He took my hands in his. "Don't think that. Especially after what she has done today! I'm angry, so angry at them. Why you? I mean you've done nothing wrong!" He was insistent and strong, gripping me firmly, giving gentle squeezes to emphasize his words.

"But you wouldn't look at me…?" I whispered, looking into his softened eyes.

"Only because I don't want to see the hurt, because I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself from finding them out and making them regret hurting you. I would never hit a woman, ever, but I'm this close to breaking that," he said, holding his forefinger and thumb up.

"But why do you care so much? I mean, we only met yesterday." I said, slowly, asking myself as well as him.

"I feel, very protective of you, Bella. I want to be a good friend to you, like our friends are." So it was out of obligation. I shifted away from him slightly.

"You don't have to care because you're obligated." My voice gained some strength back.

"Hey, hey, I never said that. I want to be a good friend, little Swan." He leaned to brush a piece of hair behind my ear, stroking my cheek on the way. I leant into his palm automatically. I felt very safe with him. I felt so comforted by his presence, glad that it was him here and no one else.

x ~ x ~ x

"Hey Kid!" Charlie shouted, as he thumped through the door.

"Hi Dad, in the living room!"

Edward and I were sat on the sofa still, but I was feeling remarkably better. After a hot shower and a change of clothes I felt more like myself, add that to the fact Edward was still here and we were watching my all time favourite film, I was much happier.

"On Saturday, do you w-" He came to a halt when he entered the room. "Who's this, Bells?" I took in his stern face, praying he wouldn't give Edward a hard time. I was just about to speak up when Edward, responsibly, made a break for it.

"Good evening, Chief Swan, I'm Edward Cullen. It's nice to meet you." Edward said, politely, offering his hand to shake as he stood. He looked slightly anxious, glancing at the gun attached to Charlie's work clothes.

Charlie looked at his offering, and hesitantly shook it. "Esme's other boy?"

"Yes, sir." Boy, he was sucking up. Sir.

"Well, seeing as she's your mother, you must be a good kid," He smiled, breaking the tensed atmosphere. Normal Charlie was back and Edward's face spread into a grin.

We chatted to Charlie for a bit, until I realized it was almost 7pm, and should probably make dinner for us. Edward kept me company in the kitchen whilst I pottered around, setting things off to cook. My phone started to ring when I was almost done.

Alice calling…

"Alice?" I asked, anxiously, as I picked up the phone. I had completely forgotten about the fact I hadn't seen the others since lunch. This had probably been the most amount of time we'd spent apart for years.

There was silence on the other end, and if I hadn't have heard heavy breathing then I would have thought she had accidently rung.

'Alice? No, Alice!'

'You worked so hard!'

'I wasn't doing anything…'

'Put the phone down, Mary Alice. Now.'

'But… but…'

'Nope, put it down right this se-'

"Alice? Are you there?" I called over the fighting at the other end.

'Bella!'

'Noooo!'

I heard a lot of shuffling around and a few 'oofs' and thumps. I was so confused. Edward had an eyebrow raised in question. I put the phone on loudspeaker to explain.

'Get off me!' Edward started to chuckle.

'Bella? Bella? You there? It's Rose.'

"Hey Rose. What the hell is going on?" I asked.

'Urm, well, we were attempting to leave you some space, and not bug you, so we were preventing Alice from calling you every five seconds. We hid the phone for a while and kept threatening her shoes…'

Edward and I laughed.

"I take it she snuck away and rang, huh?" I asked, still chuckling. It felt good after the day I'd had.

'Yeah…'

"Well, you better put her out of her misery, Rose, otherwise you'll be suffering for weeks."

After a shuffle and a distant squeal, we heard her bounce onto the phone.

'Bella? Are you there?' Alice squeaked, anxiously.

"Yes Ali, I'm here. What's up?"

Edward walked around the kitchen checking on the food, whilst I was getting told off by Alice for scaring her. My abrupt exit from school with Edward was 'unacceptable'. I told her I had another headache but I was thinking this excuse wouldn't last much longer.

I promised to see her tomorrow at school, with the gang.

x ~ x ~ x

The next few weeks flew by quickly, with Edward becoming a permanent fixture in my life. He fell into the group with ease, and was accepted and worshiped at school, much to his amusement. We grew closer friends, and began to lean on each other through everything; he was my best friend. I'd like to think I was his, too.

"I'll see you at lunch, yeah Bells?" He said, as he dropped me off at my French lesson.

"Yup. See you later." I smiled, and watched him walk down to his English Class.

The lesson was tedious, and hard but finished eventually, and I made my way out of the room. I was just rounding the corner past the gym, when someone shoved into me, knocking me through the door. I heard them slam shut behind me.

"What do you want, Jess?" I spoke, quietly, as I turned around to face the girls. The 6 of them stood with their arms crossed.

This type of thing had become a regular occurrence, almost daily, and to be honest, it was draining. The bumps, bashes and verbal lashings were wearing on me, and becoming harder to handle. I felt exhausted and confused. I was beginning to feel like maybe I had done something wrong, something to deserve this. I felt guilty for being friends with him, and almost deserving of this treatment. Friends were supposed to be similar, and we weren't at all. He was gorgeous, funny and clever.

"I think you know, Bella. Who were you walking with today, again? You're just not learning your lesson, are you? I mean, how much can you handle? You gunna keep this up until you end up like Jenny Hanel?" She stalked towards me, her hands on her hips.

Darkness filled my vision as I closed my eyes, waiting for it. Begging for her to get it over with and leave me be. Leave me to find Edward.

He knew about most of these meetings, and was having serious control issues. He wanted to all but hunt them down, but I begged him every time to leave it alone, they would stop, I wouldn't give in. He also tried to distance himself from me, but that didn't work out long at all. Our static pull not letting us stretch apart for more than a day. I guess I should try harder, but to leave him was enough of a torture as it was to suffer Jessica's inflictions.

Her claws dug into the top of my arm, suddenly, and I felt the rest of them holding me still, Lauren's fingers yanking my head up from its ducked place.

"Open your eyes."

I did.

"You want me to try this again? What do you think you're doing, Isabella? Every fucking day you're attached to his side. He's mine, and I do not share. Leave him the fuck alone." As she said 'alone' she grabbed my face in one hand, and slung a fist into my stomach. I gasped as the wind blew out of me and gagged as another landed into the same place, not giving me chance to re-draw my breath.

They all let me go, leaving me to slump to the floor in a heap. My eyes stung, but I blinked the moisture away, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing her affecting me.

She knelt down to my level, and shoved me onto my back, thrusting a knee onto my stomach, hard. She leant over and grasped my left wrist, raising it above my head, whilst forcing my head back with her free hand.

"You don't learn, do you, you bitch. I said he was mine, and you keep meddling in, so he doesn't want me. You mess with his head. So now I'll mess with yours…" she spoke slowly and clearly, as if waiting for it to sink it.

She drew her fist back, letting my wrist free, and punched my cheek bone hard. Pain shot through me as the punch combined with my head bashing against the floor in aftershock caused me to reel back in disorientation. After shaking my head slightly, I grabbed her hair with my hands, and yanked with all my might, causing her to screech out. Suddenly, arms were all around me, the fake nails of the other girls, yanking me away and onto my feet.

"Get out of here." Jess ordered me, with a shove.

I drew my head up, determined to leave with the last word. "You'll never have what you want, if I have anything to do about it." I said, somewhat strongly, surprising myself with the difference between how I felt and how I sounded.

I strode out of the gym as quickly as I could, running down the empty corridor to the cafeteria, rubbing my sore ribs and stomach on the way. Without thinking, I jogged through the tables over to ours where they were sat having lunch.

As soon as he saw me, his eyes grew wider making me remember my face and the possible damage. He launched out of his seat, dragging me away from prying eyes. We reached the outside benches, where we sat, him cleaning the cut on my face from Jessica's punch.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked, softly, as he wiped the blood off my cheek with a tissue. "I mean, of course you're not, but are you okay now?"

"I'm okay." I whispered, bringing my knees to my chest as he finished cleaning me up.

"Please, Bella, just let me-" He started to plead, until I interrupted.

"No, Edward. Just leave it. Please. It'll stop soon."

He leant forwards to lean his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. I took one of his hands into both of mine, hating to see him hurting because of me.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I shouldn't have said anything, and now you're involved in all of this! I'm such an id-"

"No," He shot up and cradled my face in his hands, "No, this is not your fault. Don't ever think that. I won't do anything now, because you are asking me not to, but if this continues for much longer, you won't be able to stop me, I swear. Bella, this is cruel what they're doing. You do not deserve this!" He said, firmly, standing up and pacing in front of me.

"It's okay."

"It is not okay."

x ~ x ~ x

We spent the rest of lunch outside on the bench, talking. I managed to calm him down eventually, but it was getting harder each time; harder because I knew I should stop him, but I didn't quite want to. We met up with the guys after school.

"Shorty! I've missed you!" Emmett shouted, as we approached after Biology. He grabbed me up in a bear hug, squeezing a little too tightly. Pain shot up my side as the repercussions of earlier started to bruise. I drew in a short breath, making Emmett put me down immediately. "You okay, Thumbelina?" He asked, rubbing my side and eyeing the cut on my cheek.

"Yeah, I f-fell again today before lunch." I said, fiddling with my sleeve, not wanting to meet their eyes.

"Again? Bella, there's only so much my concealer can hide!" Alice moaned, "Please try and be more careful, or I'm going to need to new make-up." She huffed.

"Sorry, Ali." I said, forcing an apologetic smile. Edward caught my eye with a stern look. He hated me lying as much as I did. I still couldn't believe they bought it… Boy they must thing my clumsiness is insane.

We all separated to our cars, me in Edward's, and went to the Cullen's, at Alice's request. We were having a movie night.

After the film, the others went off for couple time, leaving Edward and I in the sitting room with the left over pizza from dinner. Carlisle and Esme had gone out tonight.

"I just remembered that you never completed your promise." I realized. I looked up to meet confused eyes. We were sharing the sofa, again, and were sat quiet close. I revelled in it.

"Promise?" He questioned, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I shuddered at his soft touch on my cheek.

"You said you'd play your guitar for me, on the first night I met you, in the car. Remember?"

"You remember that? From almost 3 months ago?"

"Yeah. You do?"

"Yes. I remember everything with you." He spoke quietly, intensifying the privacy of the conversation.

"So, will you play for me?"

"Okay. Come on." He grabbed my hand and pulled me up the first set of stairs, and towards the third floor stairs.

"I've only been up here once, to see Esme." I said, intrigued by the new area of my second home.

Emmett and Alice's rooms were on the second floor, and Esme's was on the third. It was one large room at the top, so I was confused as to where we were going.

"Urm… Edward?"

"Yeah, Little Swan?" He said, pausing on the steps.

"Where are we going?"

"My room."

"But Esme's is up here…" He started to pull me up again.

"Yeah, but she and Carlisle sleep on the ground floor now, with a bigger room and walk-in wardrobe. I didn't need the closet space. Plus, I like my privacy, so a floor to myself is ideal," he smirked.

I nodded as we reached the top. The room was so Edward, with everything crisp and clean, but with a little mess making it looked lived in. There was a large double bed, a small balcony and an excessive amount of music along the whole of the left wall. The bathroom could be seen through the open door at the end. The whole floor had been re-decorated since I had last been up here, into a blue theme, with dark blue covers on the bed and a light blue feature wall, with the rest white. The floor was covered in a thick, lush dark blue carpet, feeling extremely soft on my bare feet. The room didn't need a bed, with a floor this soft; I'd just sleep on the carpet all the time.

He walked over to his guitar, leaning against the wall underneath the music shelves, picked it and settled on the bed.

"You can come in, you know," he grinned, patting the bed next to him.

I ambled over to him and sat with one leg tucked underneath me.

"Bear in mind, I've not had any lessons. I just kind of fiddle and see what comes up. I mean, I know the cords, but only from books… So I'm sorry if it's rubbish. Lie if it is." He smirked, getting ready to play.

I smiled, "I bet it'll be amazing, now shut up and play. You've kept me waiting!" I teased, nudging his shoulder with mine. He grinned at me.

"Here goes." He started to strum the guitar, tapping his foot against the bed.

I was in awe as the effortless sounds filled the room, the stunning man beside me absorbed in his creation and concentration. I closed my eyes and reveled in the beautiful sounds, letting the simplicity roll around me in the air.

Suddenly, it felt like my heart stopped. My breath caught. Oh my god.

A/N : Said it all at the beginning :)

Thank you for reading this!

Saga Lover

xx

PS Review please!