Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long, I just couldn't find the time to write. I should have the chapter after this, plus a new story, up in a few days. Here we go!

The next day, in Biology, Bella looked at me in the same way. It was slightly disturbing, being under her scrutiny, and I found myself fidgeting while I could feel her eyes on the back of my head. "I hear you're not going to the dance the week after next?" Bella said to me at the end of the lesson. Cautiously I turned around, and answered "No, I am going to be in Seattle instead. And I probably wouldn't go anyway, since I can't dance very well." My eyes narrowed. "Are we speaking again?" I asked. Despite the tone of my voice, Bella remained calm, but I could see the humour in her eyes. "Not really, no." She admitted slowly. I turned away, wondering what had brought on this sudden bit of friendliness if we weren't going to be talking to each other.

"I'm sorry that I have to be so rude in doing this, Edward," She offered. She sounded serious enough that I dared ask what on earth she meant. "It's better if we're not friends. I'm afraid that I can't explain why, but you'll just have to trust me." I sighed. I could have guessed that she thought that by myself. "Then it's too bad you didn't figure that out before. You wouldn't have had to regret me being saved from being run over."

We stayed silent for a few moments while she thought about what I had just said. I began to wonder if I had been too forward in my accusations. "You really think that I wish you were dead?" She asked, horror in her voice. Perhaps I had been too hasty. "Not dead exactly, but in pain, certainly." I confirmed. "You know nothing of my feelings. Please do not attempt to guess them." She said shortly. I looked over and noticed that she was already packed and ready to go. "Goodbye" She ended, and whisked herself out the door before I could bid herself farewell. I, too, packed up my things and readied myself for gym.

Gym was painful again. We were doing Basketball, one of the numerous sports which requires hand-eye co-ordination, and a well developed sense of balance, both of which I do not possess. I ended up falling over twice, plus bringing Mike down with me on one occasion. When the lesson ended I practically sprinted out to the truck. I stopped short when I saw a thin brunette standing next to my truck, but continued when I realised that it was no-one I knew, and certainly not Bella.

She smiled when I came up to her, and she began to introduce herself. "Hi, I'm Tracy," She said, "I'm in your maths class. I was wondering if maybe we could go to the dance together?" I was shocked. I'd never seen this girl before in my life – although I did vaguely remember seeing her in maths one time – and she wanted me to go to a dance with her? Even if I had been going, there would be no way I would say yes.

I smiled and pretended to be sorry, and informed her "I'm terribly sorry Tracy, but I'm going to be in Seattle that day, I'm not going to the dance." Her face fell. "Oh . . . well then, I'll let you get on home then. Maybe we can get to know each other, and go next time?" I couldn't believe how persistent this girl was. So I smiled and nodded, and mentally made a note to myself to never do anything socially with this girl.

As I watched her walk away, I heard a small snicker behind me. Bella was standing near my truck, holding back laughter. I breathed in deeply, reminding myself that I would regret it if I ran her over. But perhaps just a bump to the paintwork on the car which she was seated in. . .

We both reversed at the same time, she neatly blocking me off. She was waiting for her family, but this position just tempted me to scratch the paintwork more, but the witnesses in the line behind me would see. I could see one of the girls who I sat with at lunch a few cars behind me. I only glanced forward once, but when I glanced back, she was stood by the window. I remembered that her name was Rebecca, so I rolled the window down.

"Hey Rebecca. I'm sorry I can't move – I'm stuck, as you see." I said to her, apologetic. She smiled, obviously not bothered. "I know. I just wanted to ask you something, while we're all stuck here." I was surprised. I barely had spoken two words to her, what could she possibly want to say to me? "I wanted to know if you were available for the dance that's coming up," she said, "I know that some others had asked you, and you said no, but I thought you might want to be holding out for someone else." I was beginning to be irritated by this. What was it with girls who I didn't know asking me to dance with them?

"I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I won't be here on the day of the dance. I have to go to Seattle that day." Rebecca looked sad enough, but not completely disheartened. "Well, there will be other times well enough, eh?" And she walked away. I shook my head in disbelief. Was there no end to this?

Finally the rest of the Cullens reached the car, and the car moved so that the rest of us could get along. My foot began to inch to the gas pedal. Just one tiny bump. . .but the car was already gone, speeding away faster than the rest of us could go.

When I got home, I decided to make dinner. That would keep me busy for a while, surely? But as I made more and more of the dinner, I found my concentration slipping. What did Bella mean when she said that we would be better off not being friends? Perhaps I wasn't good enough for her? Maybe she was self-obsessed, like some of the girls I had seen in Phoenix, and was trying to rid herself of me?

Well then. If she wanted to be left alone, I could do that. After I had done my sentence, I could go to another state and forget about Bella entirely. I focused on that idea until Charlie got home.

When he first began eating he seemed cautious, as if he didn't trust me. I couldn't blame him, he must have thought that being around Renée would have rubbed off on me and that I wouldn't be able to cook well either. But he managed to be brave and take the first bite, and after that he seemed to like it.

At the end, I managed to find the courage to say "I was thinking about taking a trip to Seattle the Saturday after next, if that's ok with you?" Charlie didn't look like he was going to say no, but he asked anyway, "What for?" I sighed. I knew he would ask this. "I haven't been here that long, and I just wanted to explore the places around here. I thought I would start with one of the biggest."

"The truck probably won't get you that far without you having to refuel," he pointed out. I nodded, and said "I know, I was going to stop off in Olympia and Montesano, possibly Tacoma."

"Are you going by yourself?" He asked, and I only just stopped myself from rolling my eyes. He was either wondering if I was bringing a girl with me, or just concerned for my safety. "Yes," I confirmed.

He was silent for a minute, and then nodded. "Okay." I smiled. "Thanks, dad." I said. He frowned. "I take it that you're not going to the dance then?" I rolled my eyes. "No, dad – I don't dance, remember?"

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