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Thanks to Lizzie Sixx, teamjake216, Ravenspetater1032, YouHaveGOT2BeKiddingMe, JacobB'sImprintee, ladybug82896, dorme99, tewig, firesspawn, oohapoo, and my two anonymous reviewers.

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I don't own anything, except my imagination. Ok, I do own a copy of the Twilight Saga.

Chapter 6 – Flirtation

"Jane? When?" I asked slowly.

…..

Jane was the new student when we were in tenth grade. She was a little on the heavy side and a bit reserved. She and I shared a few classes including drama. I always noticed she sat in the back of the class. One day my drama teacher, Ms. Goff, who I now have for fourth period Spanish, assigned a play for the class to perform right after spring break. During one of the small auditions, I approached Jane. She was backstage staring at herself in the mirror mumbling something. She became quiet when I got close.

"Hey," I whispered. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." She looked at me for a moment. "I wasn't talking to myself or anything."

"No, I didn't think you were," I denied even though I did think she was.

"I was saying some lines from a movie to get the right feelings for Emma Jean's part."

"Oh, well that makes sense."

"I know I won't get it though. I'm not the right body type," she stated.

"That shouldn't stop you," I encouraged. "Emma Jean is pretty and you could be really pretty if you did your makeup right." I took out a mini package of makeup wipes I carry in my purse when I smudge. "Let me show you." I began to roll a square around the tip of a pen and thinned out her gunky eyeliner over her lid. Then I cleaned off the black shadow from below her lower lids. I instructed her to completely remove her blush and chose a more rosy tone that complemented her skin tone from the stuff backstage. The look was finished with a swipe of my subtle red-toned chapstick (I told her she could keep it). Her face looked so much better without the heavy makeup.

"Thank you," she said. "Do you think I could get the part?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should run those lines you said earlier. I could give you my amateur opinion." She said a few words, but then Ms. Goff called her up.

We discovered later she got the part. I was just picked to be one of the stage hands, which was fine with me.

She started coming over to my house after school uninvited, to get more makeup tips and hair styles. I never really said anything, but after a month she stopped on her own. I think she caught on to a right style and stuck with it. Another thing was her waist line began to shrink more and more. Rose asked her once how she was able to do it. Jane never told anyone, but we suspected she was starving herself. No one claimed to have ever seen her eat. Her personality changed as well. She looked so good, she was starting to get more attention from the male student body, not that she was any competition. It turned out she was a better actress than she let on. She played shy and subdued, because she was on probation with her parents from being too popular at her last school. The decreasing of her weight was the shedding of pregnancy pounds. She had delivered over the summer. By spring break she was back to her original pre-pregnancy size and dated half the boys at this school. She was phenomenal in the play by the way.

…

"On Sunday and again just a few minutes again out front," Angela informed. "I can't understand why you were so nice to her. She clearly was using you."

"I thought I was helping her out of her shy shell."

"I wonder what happened to the baby," Asia asked.

"She gave it up for adoption," Angela answered.

"I bet she's going to try to hook up with Volcano now," Rose speculated. She gave me a sympathetic look. "Oh, sorry."

"It's okay," I commented. "It's not like I'm his girlfriend or anything. We just went out three or four times. No big deal." My sadness grew with every word I said.

"That girl has a real problem. I don't like to call people names, but I really think she is a slut," Asia uttered.

"ASIA!" we all gasped. I took a sip of my drink.

"I'm sorry, but really. How long has she known him? You remember how she was all over him on Sunday?"

I began to choke. (cough, cough) "What?"

"Yeah," Angela added. "That's why we thought you weren't dating anymore."

I got up. I had no idea where I was headed, but I needed to get away. I started walking through the halls to get to my next class, but then I realized I still had a while before class began. I took the emergency exit to go outside and walked along the side of the school building. I wasn't paying attention until I noticed I was in front. And there she was, sitting in his spot. He was standing talking out loud to the others about a concert he went to last year. I couldn't help but think he might've only liked me for one thing. He could get it from Jane, probably a lot better since she had more practice. There wasn't much of a difference between the two of us. I did sleep with him right away and I only bothered to get to know him afterward. The thing was I really thought Jacob might actually have started to like me for real. I turned around and ran off.

…..

After school the girls and I went to Rose's to give each other facials. We always do this beautification ritual when one of us felt rejected. This time it was for me. About an hour or so into it my cell received a text from Jacob.

WHR R U?

ROSES Y?

MISS U

He missed me? I was a little confused.

WHAT ABT JANE?

?

JANE. SAW U W HER 2DAY

O. CANT STUDY W HER. U SAID UD HELP

4 CHEM?

YES

I thought about it. I did tell him I was going to help, but I really was in a bad mood. I needed this time with my friends.

CANT 2DAY. MAYB 2MRW

U MAD?

NO

FINE TALK L8R

….

That night my cell rang really late. I snatched it from its charger bed quickly before it could wake up my parents.

"Hello," I answered in a raspy whisper.

"Hi," a voice whispered on the other end. "Am I calling too late?"

"Volcano?"

"Yeah."

"I was asleep. Why are you calling so late?" I yawned.

"I had to wait till my mom was asleep. I was looking through my chemistry book and I was confused. How am I gonna learn it all?" he worried.

"Look Volcano I'll help you tomorrow. I'm not really awake and I can't think straight like this."

"Oh. Okay. Good night then," he resolved.

"Good night."

"Bella?" he called before I hung up.

"Yes."

"Did it bother you when you saw me with Jane?" he asked seriously.

I paused to think about it. We really weren't boyfriend/girlfriend exclusive, but still . . . "Yes."

He was silent.

"Volcano?"

"This whole thing with you and I is still new," he said breaking the silence. "We both have a right—"

I cut him off. "I got it. You don't really like me that way. It's fine."

"No," he interrupted. "I do. It's just weird that you feel that way. Jane is a fake. She just wants whoever wants her."

"Whom."

"What?"

"It's whomever," I corrected.

"See? Why would I want a fake when I got a smart beauty like you?" I lost my breath. "I'm not completely sure how I got you," he continued, "but I'm not gonna let you slip through my fingers."

My breathless face slowly smiled.

"So don't worry. There isn't anything between Jane and me."

"So on Sunday, her advances?"

"I didn't return them," he assured me.

"And at lunch? You were hanging out," I interrogated.

"That was for James's benefit. He's sweet on her. He's hoping he's got a shot since she really doesn't have high standards."

"Tell him to be careful. She's already had one baby," I warned. "Volcano, can I ask you something else?" The thought of Jane's and my behavior similarity plagued me.

"Is it possible to stop you?" he chuckled quietly.

"Do you think I'm a slut?" I held my breath for the answer.

He sounded solemn. "Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know. You and I were only on our second date. I would think—"

"No," he cut in. "I don't think that."

"You're not just placating me?"

"I don't know what that means."

"Saying things to please a person," I defined.

"Oh, then yeah, but I never thought that. I actually thought you were a virgin, but you weren't. It got me wondering about that condition you gave me."

"What about it?"

"Who didn't call you?" he asked straight forward.

I paused. He was very perceptive. I was surprised and bewildered. Should I tell him? I hadn't told a soul and it would be nice if I could open up to someone. Jacob already knew part of my secret. I might as well share the story.

"No one knows this, okay?" I slowly began. "It was over the summer at this country club. My dad is a member, so I used to accompany him. The guy worked as a waiter, but it wasn't because he needed the money. He did it to make contacts with the right business people. He thought he was so smart. He was trying to get into Dartmouth University. A few great recommendations from Alumni go really far when you're competing for placement.

Anyway he was really sweet to me when I started coming to the club. We went out for about a month and then . . . we did it one night."

"Was that your first time?" he gently questioned.

"Yes. He didn't call me the next day and avoided the areas of the club I usually attended. At first, I thought it was my performance."

"That's ridiculous," he whispered in defiance. "You're awesome."

"Thanks, you too." My cheeks warmed up. "But then it occurred to me that no matter how bad it might have been for him, he should still call me. We went out for a while. He was just being a jerk. He got what he wanted and was done with me. He knew I wouldn't tell anyone, because I would have to explain and then my dad would find out."

"What's this guy's name?" he asked curiously.

"Why?"

"So I could beat the shit out of him." A smile crept out on to my face. "He's was what, like 18? You're 16. He shouldn't have been allowed to date you, let alone touch you."

"That matters to you?" I questioned. He kept silent.

"Don't worry; I took something important from him, his shot at Dartmouth. Certain valuable items belonging to the spouses of Dartmouth alumni club members, as well as other female members, began going missing and unexpectedly turned up in his locker, which was searched do to an anonymous tip."

"You framed him?" surprise colored his tone.

"He should have thought twice before messing with someone who knew so much about him. I knew his schedule perfectly so that he was always the last one seen when things went missing. I also knew his locker combination. He couldn't claim I did it, because why would a good girl like Bella Swan do something so preposterous?"

"Wow, you're right. You aren't Miss Pretty Perfect. You're down right evil," he claimed. "Even I haven't done something against the law. Well, except speeding."

"I was a woman scorned."

"Remind me to change my locker combination."

I giggled.

"Wow, it's like two in the morning. I'm keeping you up," he whispered.

"It's okay. I like talking to you. You aren't what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"A jerk like Mr. Wrong over the summer," I answered.

"Then why did you get involved with me?" he wondered.

"Well most guys can be two-faced. I hate that. I figured with you I know what I was getting into. But, you are sort of two-faced reversed. You show people your bad side, when you are really nice and sweet."

"It's easier not to disappoint people when they don't expect anything from you. Bella?"

"Yes."

"I like talking to you too." I could hear the smile in his voice.

We continued talking for another ten minutes before we both agreed to go to sleep.

….

The next morning, I was groggy and had to drag myself out of bed. I pulled myself together, still happy about my conversation with Jacob. I drove into the school parking lot and saw Jane sitting on Jacob's bike. I watch as I saw him take her hand and gently help her off. I didn't know why she was on there, but it looked as if he may have given her a ride to school.

I just kept whispering under my breath. "Volcano can be a jerk, but he's not a liar." If he really wanted her, he would have said so.

Again, Jacob didn't show up to chem class, but I knew he would eventually with my help. I was thinking about that when I sat down for lunch with Asia and Rose — Angela had a dentist appointment. She always scheduled them during school hours so she would be able to get a decent lunch that day. We envied her.

"What the heck are they serving us today?" Asia said as she stirred some green muck in her tray.

"I think it is some kind of veggie purée," I guessed.

"At least they have a decent dessert," Rose commented.

The kitchen staff was kind enough to bake tons of chocolate cupcakes in celebration of one of the lunch ladies' birthday. If you greeted her with a "happy birthday," she gave you an extra cupcake. We each had two. Fruit was also available as a staple at lunch. Today there were apples, my favorite.

We laughed as we watch several students try to ingest some brown rubbery substance served in place of actual roast beef. Then we winced as we realized unless we intend on starving we better start eating. I was so distracted on convincing myself the food was edible; I hadn't noticed Jacob come into the cafeteria until he sat right beside me.

"Hey," I greeted in surprise.

"Hey," he responded and looked at the others around the table. He gestured to my cupcakes and apple. "These yours?"

"Yes."

He grabbed the two cupcakes in one hand and the apple in the other. He got up and walked out.

"Hey!" I got up and went after him.

He stopped just shy of the school exit and spun around. "You following me again?" he joked.

My breath caught. "You took my desserts."

"I thought I was your dessert," he responded making my face pink up.

"I could say the same to you." He smiled. "You could have just asked. I don't mind sharing my lunch with you," I told him.

"But then everyone would know I'm nice," he whispered slyly. He turned around to leave.

"Could I please have one thing back?" I asked quickly.

He came unusually close. He stood over me and I could feel his heat radiating off of him. The urge to kiss him washed over me as I watched his lips move to form the words.

"Here." He handed the fruit and a pastry to me. "You could have two, because I know apples are your favorite."

My expression blanked. "How did you know?"

"I pay attention sometimes."

I just held my breath as I could hear his speed up. He wanted to kiss me, I could feel it, but he didn't. He just turned and walked outside to join his friends.

Once lunch was over I headed to my last two classes, Physical Education and History.

AN: Well? How did you like it? What do you think is really going on with Jane and Jacob?

Let me know by clicking below.

~g2r~