Never Again, Chapter 4: Unexpected

Okay, here it is! The big one. *chuckles* I'm so perverted.

Twilight is not mine. But Taylor Lautner is. Wait… no. Apparently I can't lie in a disclaimer. :'(

"You're not going, Bella, and that's final." Jasper slammed his fist down on the table for emphasis.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. I was perfectly fine. It's not like this was the first time I'd had to go to school covered in bruises. They didn't even hurt, really.

"I'm not going to sit round here moping all day. I'm going." I grabbed my bag, just to make my point clear. Aww, crap. My truck still wasn't in a driving mood. I looked back at Jazz. "Come on," I said. "You can give me a lift."

Either realizing I wasn't about to change my mind or remembering that I was a stubborn bitch when I wanted to be, Jasper grabbed his keys from the side and we walked out of the house.

It was a quiet drive. Jazz glanced at me out of the corner of his eye warily every few seconds, like you do with a crazy person. Maybe that's what I was. But I wasn't about to miss school just because of Jacob. So he'd hit me. Story of my life.

This was my fresh start. Forget about him. Closure. Screw karma.

Jasper pulled into the school, driving past some fancy ass car I didn't recognize. Too fancy for Forks really. (Ooooo!)

"I won't be home for dinner; I'm taking Alice out. It's, well… an anniversary." Jasper told me. "But… I don't have to go, Bells. She'll understand if you need me at home."

"Jazz. I really appreciate your concern, but I don't need it, OK? Have a nice time with your girlfriend." I said as I got out the car.

I loved Jazz and all, but it was totally unnecessary. Anybody would think it was a big deal. It really wasn't. Was it? No, it wasn't. I'd been in the same situation many times before. It was just different, 'cause it was over. It wasn't going to happen to me again. Yay.

What the hell was wrong with me? Did I just not care about myself anymore? Or was it something else?

It dawned on me then, as I looked around Forks High's campus. Everywhere, couples were saying good morning to each other with sweet kisses. Hand holding. Bag carrying. Even some ass fondling, for Christ's sake.

And I was single.

God, I really was pathetic. Just like he said.

I spent the day actually focused on my classes, blocking out the romance that I really hadn't noticed before. You know, back when I had a boyfriend. I was actually looking forward to my last lesson- Biology- (very original, I know) so I could get out of this shit hole and go home, put my pyjamas on and weep like the messed up hormonal teenager I was. And nobody could judge me for it, because it's totally what normal people do when these types of scenarios turn kind of…real. Know what I blame? Karma.

I was first in the Biology room. It was petty creepy actually. I got my books out and dated a clean page in my notebook. I didn't know if I was going to be able to keep up the attention thing I'd had going on, so I'd settle for doodling.

I'd just finished an intricate Celtic star design when a large group of my classmates walked in, most of them female, gushing loudly about some mindless garbage. It was a pretty kick-ass star. I wondered what Jasper would think of tattoos. There was a conversation we'd never had…

Good God, these people were loud. Had I really never noticed before?

"So, we should totally like, ya know, hook up," She gushed. Jessica Stanley. Straight to the point, as usual. Stupid slut.

"Uh huh." Came a monotone reply. Jessica's mouth pulled into a shit-eating grin across her face, like he'd just agreed to marry her or something equally as gruesome. Pathetic.

Then I looked at him

Stood right in front of me was sex on legs. His hair was all… uhh…it was like the colour of a really shiny penny. You know, all kind of bronzy, coppery…in a good way. He was wearing gorgeous black skinny jeans, and a tartan kind of shirt in grey shades. Like Jez from Britannia High, he knew how to carry off a skinnys/shirt combo. And my God he looked good. No. He made the clothes look good. He was really obviously good-looking, like the stereotype of a jock in your average American high school, but… my God, he looked good. His shirt clung to him in all the right places, emphasizing his toned torso. He wasn't proper buff like Jake but… my God, he looked good!

Then it spoke. And if I'm honest, I felt a little giddy when it did.

"Could I please sit here?"

Perfectly fluent, almost…velvety. If a voice can be described as a FABRIC. It spoke perfectly normal words, but they confused me. Here? With me? It's got to be some joke. Oh well, its HAWT.

"Sure," I smiled. "I'm Bella."

"Edward." He replied as he sat down. I had to check that I wasn't drooling or anything. 'Cause that'd just be embarrassing.

I glanced back at him, and he was most definitely checking me out. Well, two could play at that game.

I swept my eyes over his body once again, and I was a very happy bunny. My eyes travelled further south, and I noticed that he was the right build for skinny jeans. You know, how lots of guys wear them, but they're too short? Height-wise, I mean, not the other kind. Not Edward. Perfection. Was karma finally paying off?

I glanced back up, and found myself transfixed in a pair of vibrant green orbs.

Crap. He'd caught me staring at his package.

But he didn't seem to mind. His mouth was pulled up in a crooked grin, and he eyed me again, sort of… suggestively?

Meh. Who cares? He's freaking gorgeous.

We spent the lesson chatting about ourselves, and also gazing at each other in a pitiful manner. Edward had just moved here with his brother from Chicago, which explained the flocking girls. I remembered my first day in Forks, all the male attention. I was truly surprised at how easy it was to talk to him: we'd only just met. Jacob had never really let me hang out with guys before. If we were out, and I happened to be looking at the same place a mildly attractive male adolescent stood, he'd…

Oh, God. Jacob.

I'm disgusting. I'd been single for thirty-two hours and I was already jumping some fresh meat. I didn't like Edward at all. I mean, obviously, he was attractive. And he was…nice to talk to. He was a nice guy. You know what? He was probably gay. It was just because he was new, and I was currently lacking a man.

Ugh. Rebounds are almost as bad as karma.

As soon as the bell rang, I was out of there. I heard him calling after me, but I didn't respond. Let him think I was slightly hard of hearing. Or a complete spaz. Whatever.

I almost ran to the lot, ready to jump in my truck and… oh yeah. My truck. Karma is more of a bitch than life.

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xxx