AN: Back by popular demand . . . You have to admit the outtake does make things understandable. I'd like to thank all who enjoy my story and take a little time out from their day to tell me. You're great.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything . . . yadda yadda. We waited long enough let's get on with the tale.

Chapter 16 Moving Right Along

The next morning at school, Rosalie came in on the back of Emmett's motorcycle. He parked right beside Jacob's. She pulled off Emmett's helmet revealing a very flatten blonde mop atop her head.

"That was awesome!" she yelled.

"Oh no! I'm a bad influence," I mocked.

"Oh hey Bella," she greeted. "Do you like my arm candy?" She curled her arm around Emmett.

"I'm so glad you're back to your old self, but you need to do something about the hair."

"I like it," Emmett stated. "It is a symbol of a true biker chick." He pecked her lips.

Jacob came up behind me and curled his arms around my waist. "Bella's the original, y'all just copycats."

"Y'all?" I turned my face to him.

"What, I can't be a little bit country?"

"You have an English oral report today. I hope you plan to speak better than that."

"You know exactly how I'm going to speak. You helped me practice yesterday. Don't worry I'm going to be spectacular. You will be thoroughly impressed. Remember it's during last period," he reminded me.

"Yes. I will be there and receiving my first official cutting of class."

"It will be worth it," he smiled.

We all took off into the building as soon as we saw the rush of students entering symbolizing the sounding of the morning bell.

*0*

Right after my homeroom trig class something odd happened. Victoria approached me. She was never one to initiate conversation with exception to our first introduction.

"Um Bella, I need help with some trigonometry problems. You usually help Volcano after school right?" she asked.

"Ah yes. Which ones?"

"All of them."

"I thought you were doing fine?" I questioned.

"You don't want to help me? Fine I'll just fail."

"No, no. I didn't say I wouldn't. Sure I'll help. I'm just going to need to tell Volcano we'll do trig today."

"Without Volcano," she demanded.

"Without? Ahh . . ."

"I don't want him to dominate all your time," she explained.

"You need that much help?"

"Yeah."

*0*

I rushed to make it to chem, making it just in time to not be late. The chem lesson went swiftly and we were told to do the experiment at the end of the chapter before leaving class. Jacob was my partner of course and I told him about Victoria.

"So no Bella today?"

"I'm sorry."

"But we were supposed to celebrate me impressing you," he sulked.

"She really wanted me to give her some help. How could I turn her down? She rarely speaks to me," I explained.

"Exactly. You don't owe her anything."

"Actually I do. She stopped Jane from injuring me far worse than just a loss of some hair. I'll make it up to you."

"Fine, I want you the whole day Saturday. We'll go to the mall. Maybe catch a movie." He gave me his familiar smirk.

"Okay. We'll hang at the mall just you and me. Hanging."

"And celebrating."

"You have to impress me first."

The bell rang. I cleaned up and we headed to our next class.

I met up with Victoria in our English class and informed her of my ability to tutor her alone. The tension in her face suddenly eased and she allowed herself to smile.

Members of my class stood up on their turn to give their oral report, including me. My report was on Shakespeare and how he portrayed unrequited love in his Sonnets. The reports took up the entire session and we were dismissed to fourth period as soon as the bell sounded.

As lunchtime approached, I made a discovery in the girl's restroom. I walked in hearing a familiar voice swearing. At first I was going to walk right out having recognized the voice as Jane's, but instead I ducked into the stall. I couldn't hold my bladder any longer. I stayed quiet relieving myself.

"Hey you in the next stall," she called.

I deepened my voice and added a southern accent. "Yeah?"

"Do you have a sanitary napkin or maybe a tampon? I just got my cycle and I wasn't expecting it."

What? She's not pregnant! "Um, if you'll give me a minute," I said still in my southern speak. "I could get one for you."

"Thanks."

I pulled up my undergarments and adjusted my black mermaid skirt. I stepped out quickly washing my hands. I exited the restroom, headed for the nurse's office, and was back to the restroom with the Kotex.

I knocked on her stall door. "I got it," I verbalized forgetting my disguise.

"Who's that?" she asked. "Bella?"

"Um . . . no."

"I can see it's you," Jane uttered, her hazel eye was peeking through the door slit.

"You asked me for a pad before. You want it or not?"

She paused contemplating. "Slip it under the door."

I passed it to her. "You're welcome by the way."

*0*

I headed to the cafeteria afterward with my shocking revelation, but I kept it to myself. I just felt it wasn't my business to spread this fortunate news. If Jane wanted people to know she wasn't pregnant, she could do it herself. Who knows? Maybe she was using her pregnancy to get sympathy, but now that I knew it was false she could admit it or go through her days paranoid I will spill the beans. I didn't really care. I had my own life to think about.

I came to the lunch table with my home lunch of an extra large tomato soup with sour cream freshly heated in the cafeteria microwave. Rose was her old self. She chatted away about several different topics and what she was planning on wearing on her date with Emmett. Asia and Angela were still in bewilderment about her return and her choice of suitable company.

"He called me last night and we talked for hours," Rose revealed. "Did you know he is the oldest of three boys and he has a sister?"

"No, I wasn't aware," I stated.

"He took karate for years as a child to control his burliness. And he was picked on when he was—"

"Wait a minute!" Asia stopped her. "Take a breath and let us comprehend this. He was bullied so now he's the bully?"

"Well . . . he's not—"

"Yes," I injected. "Rose, you could sugarcoat it, but it's true. Volcano and the stooges are bullies. They're just really great guys underneath." I noticed Jacob and the stooges with Victoria headed our way. "Speaking of which."

Emmett sat beside Rose and Jacob beside me. The others dispersed along the table. "You don't mind if we join you ladies?" Paul sounded.

"Not at all," Asia sarcastically mumbled moving a bit away from him.

"How are you doing?" Emmett asked Rose.

"I'm okay."

Jacob was about to take my soup. "Wait, wait." I stopped him. I lifted the bowl to release one beneath. I poured half of my soup in and added a dollop of sour cream to each of our bowls.

He smiled and pecked my cheek. "You're so good to me."

Paul looked at Asia. "What are you eating?"

"Get your own lunch!" she scowled.

"Okay okay. I was just asking." He, James and Victoria got up to acquire their school lunches.

*0*

The rest of the day passed quickly and it was time for Jacob's English report. I successfully managed to get out of my history class and was lounging in the back corner of Jacob's classroom. Jacob stood up and spoke clearly, announcing what his report was on.

"English authors' view of society and how it is expressed in their work."

Jacob went on and on, giving examples, not once stumbling over his words and rounding off the end with a joke—his idea. The whole class applauded and he took a bow. He went back to his seat and I took the empty chair behind him.

"That was excellent," I whispered in his ear.

"So you're thoroughly impressed?"

"You definitely did it better than in practice yesterday. It was impressive," I complimented.

*0*

I headed to the library to tutor Victoria. It turned out she was very confused on which formula to use and when. It wasn't quite the travesty she portrayed, but in a stressed mind everything could be blown out of proportion. I gave her some helpful hints to clue her in. Once she got past the which formula? dilemma she was okay. Her basic math skills were as accurate as her aim in basketball.

*0*

The next few days were pretty much the same as always. Rose came to school in her car and Emmett waited for her in the parking lot. Paul was relentless at the whole whipped thing. He claimed he was the only man left in school that still had a pair of his own. Jacob warned him that he will kick his pair if he didn't shut up. I forced Jacob to join me at watching Mike's wrestling match and Jacob cheered him on. As false as I knew it was, it still freaked Mike out.

Friday night was Rose's official date with Emmett. I couldn't wait until she'd call afterward to tell me how it went. I spent most of the night distracted while my parents decided they wanted a "Family game night." I couldn't understand why they needed to include me on their keeping in touch with each other life. I see them every day. There were always lulls in the conversation as if they were waiting for me to say something. I kept telling them there wasn't anything to say. Rose was better and that was it.

I was so happy when she finally called, but she didn't tell me about the date at all.

"Hello? Why are you dodging my question?" I directed.

"I'm not dodging. I just want to keep the date to myself. I had a good time and that's it," she uttered.

"Did you have sex?"

"NO! Why would you even ask such a question?" she pondered.

"Ahh . . . no reason. It's just it is very weird for you to be so tight-lipped. You're usually one to broadcast all the fun you did on your dates. It was actually not one of your better qualities," I admitted.

"Well now I'm never going to tell."

"Why?" I whined. "I just spent the night bored out of my mind playing Blokus with my parents. Please? I need something to soothe my curiosity."

"Okay, I can't believe I'm admitting I did this and actually had a good time, but we had dinner with his family."

"Fine, don't tell me!"

"I'm not joking. We had stuffed turkey and yams, pot roast and French fried green beans. They didn't get to make a real thanksgiving for some odd reason, so they did it tonight. It was kind of weird meeting his family on a first date, but nice."

"I guess it was 'family night' all around," I laughed.

AN: Well tell me if you liked this chapter. Was it okay? It basically was just to move the story along. What do think about Jane not pregnant? Do you think she is a fake or a mistake?