A/N: So I got some super awsome feedback, special thanks to Kuro Yuki Valkyrie for her input and thoughts, crazy how we were on the same brain wave. This chapter has a bit of drama, so hope y'all love it. I think that either the next chapter or the one after that is going to be a lemon, I'll let you know and do my best to update ASAP.

Oh and there has been a few requests that the chapters be a bit longer, and I will do my bestest, this chapter is a bit longer then the last at least and I promise to keep getting longer.

I walked into my class and took my regular seat beside Alice. Every eye in the room was on me again. Girls and guys alike found me incredibly interesting today. Who was I kidding, I knew this was going to happen. Even people who I thought had been my firends were looking at me in a way that I suspected we no longer were. Mike Newton, a rather annoying but friendly enough person, was on my other side and the moment I sat down he glared at me.

"So.." he said

"So..what?" I asked

"You and Cullen?" He said, disgust and anger colouring his tone.

"What about us?" I asked

"Are you two like, together?" he asked, even though there was no way he didn't already know the answer.

"Yes, we are" I said, happy despite the anger that was clearly rolling off him in waves.

"I don't like it" he said

"You don't have to" I said, staring him straight in the face

"He looks at you like he owns you" he said

"And whats wrong with that?" I said "At least he doesn't act like it."

He looked at me like I had three heads. The truth was that before I met Alice I used to hang out with Mike and a bunch of other people everyday. When I did, it felt like Mike thought that I belonged to him, that he had some kind of claim on me. I hated it, but I was too nice to say anything to him. I thought that he would eventually get over it, and that he would see that I really didn't like him that way. But clearly, he had not.

He continued to stare, and it was starting to make me angry. "Look Mike, you don't own me, you never did. I'm happy with Edward, and if you don't like it that is so NOT my problem. Your a good friend, but that's it, nothing more."

With that I turned toward Alice, who was gigling to herslef, and ignored the huffs and puffs from Mike. The rest of the class had clearly overheard our exchange because, though some of the other guys I had been friends with looked angry, or annoyed, they knew enough not to say anything to me. Maybe Edward had been right, maybe a lot of them were looking for more then just friendship, but never had enough courage to go there.

As I moved to my next class, nothing changed. More angry faces and bitter attitudes followed me. It seemed that the only one of my former friends who wasn't acting strange was Angela. I knew that I could always count on her and nothing changed. She held no resentment toward me, or Edward and she seemed genuinely happy for me. But that was just Angela, the best friend to any and everybody and she was never one to judge anybody. I talked with her, in between minimal amounts of paying attention to our lesson, and before I knew it it was lunch. When the bell rang I mande my way out of the class and down the hall to my locker. When I got there, there was a couple of girls standing around it. As i got closer I started to recognize them. It was Jessica, Lauren and a couple of the other cheerleaders, all of them looking very upset. I was really nervous now, they looked like they meant business, and coming from a cheerleader, that was never good.

"Well well, If it isn't Bella Swan" Lauren sneered at me as I got to my locker. I ignored her, but it didn't stop them

"So, you and Edward, huh?" Jessica asked. I still ignored them, but they were unrelenting, not that I was expecting anything less from them.

"Well we don't like it" Lauren said, her voice ringing with authority.

"Yeah, what makes you think that you deserve someone like Edward." Jessica went on

"I never said I did" I told them

"Then how do you explain you...and him...together?" they both demanded

"I never said I deserved him" I said looking them straight in the face. "But I sure as hell am glad I have him. Anything else is none of your business"

Lauren was shocked, I had never been a vocal person and she knew it. "He would be so much better off with one of us. After all, WE are at least on the same level."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded angrily

"It means, we are on an entirely different level from you. We rule over this school, and I mean come on it's obvious why." she said, motioning towards her body

A different level. Oh well that's just rude

"Lauren I have a very serious question for you." I said, seething with anger, I could see Edward making his way down the hall toward me, and there was a crowd starting to gather in the hallway. "How do you manage to stand up straight with a head as big as yours. What makes you think that you can talk to people like that?"

"Because I can." she said "I'm head cheerleader. And you're nothing more then a waste of space. And you definitely do NOT deserve Edward Cullen, he could do so much better then you."

That was the last straw, something inside me snapped. I knew Edward was almost right behind me, and that Alice was by his side. I could see the crowd around me and I heard the Ooohhhh said they made when Lauren said that. I curled my hand into a fist, brought my arm back and punched her right in the nose. As soon as I did it, I knew that it was a mistake, even though it made me feel SO incredibly good. My hand was throbbing as Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and half dragged me away, straight in the cafeteria, Alice following close behind. Emmett and Jasper were blocking Lauren and Jessica from following me, and I was somewhat satisfied to see blood running down Lauren's face.

We made it safely to the cafeteria and to our usual table. Edward pulled a chair out for me and I took it. My hand still throbbing.

"What was that Bella?" he demanded, concerned

"It was Lauren." I said "She was being...well to put it nicely, a bitch."

Alice giggled

"What did she say?" he asked

"It's not important." I told him

"If it's not important why did you punch her in the face?" he asked, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"I just got angry." I said "I lost my temper."

"Bella" he said "You know you can tell me."

"Alright alright." I said, as Jasper, Emmett and Rose joined the table. "She was talking about what the rest of the school is talking about. US."

"She must have said something a bit more then that" Alice said

"Well she was saying stuff like how I didn't deserve Edward, and how we were on two different levels. She said that he could do much better then me, and that she was the one who should be with him." I said in a rush. Edward just laughed, which I really didn't understand.

"What's so funny?" I asked

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." he said. I must still have looked confused because he laughed again and went on

"There is nobody better then you Bella. If anything I don't deserve you."

"I for one agree." Emmett said with a booming laugh "You don't deserve her."

Edward elbowed him in the ribbs and everybody laughed.

"Hows your hand Bella?" Jasper asked

"It feels like it has it's own heartbeat." I said honestly "But I'll take it. It felt good to finally hit Lauren."

"She so had it coming" Rose said.

"For sure." Alice agreed

We all laughed and spent the rest of the lunch hour talking about our weekend plans and other normal stuff, trying very hard not to pay attention to anything that was happening around us. But I found it a bit harder then everybody else to pay attention. My eyes wandered around the cafeteria. The preppy girls glared at me, the boys looked sad and mad at the same time, and the girls that were often made fun of by the cheerleaders smiled at me. I was becoming more and more uncomfortable sitting here and decided that the best thing for me would be some fresh air.

"I'll see you guys later." I said, to nobody in particular "I'm going to get some air"

With that I got up and left. No sooner had I made it outside, Edward was behind me. It was silly to think that he wouldn't be, but I didn't mind all the same. He walked beside me, his arm wrapping itself around my waist. Lunch was only half over so the majority of the school was still in the building.

"What's the matter?" he asked me

"Is it that obvious?" I asked

"Not really" he said "But I know you better then you think. I can see it in your eyes."

"You know your more like Alice then you think." I said the a small chuckle, which sounded somewhat strained

He stopped walking and turned my body so that I was looking at him. I felt like crying, and I knew that he could see that. He grabbed my hand and half dragged me to the parking lot.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"Home" he said

"We can't just ditch." I stated, not really caring

"It's healthy to ditch sometimes" he said.

When we made it to his car he opened the door for me and I slid into the seat. He went around to the drivers side and got in too. He started the engine and pulled out of his parking space. He was driving a bit too fast, but I knew it was because he was worried. I felt bad that I was making him upset, but I couldn't help it. I could smile and laugh and say that everything was OK, but he knew the truth. And the truth was what was making him upset, kind of a catch 22. I wasn't sure what I was going to say to him. I knew that once at his house he would want to know what was wrong, and I really didn't want to lie to him, I was such a horrible liar, and I really hate secrets. He was going to think I was being stupid, and I knew that. Maybe I even knew that I was, but you can't really help the way you feel sometimes.

When we got to the house he pulled the car into the driveway and we went inside. We made our way silently upstairs and into his bedroom. I took a seat on the bed and he folllowed me.

"Bella, I know something is wrong." he said "I just don'tknow what"

"It's just Lauren." I said

"Bella, love, you don't actually believe anything she said do you?" he asked

"How can I not?" I said, tears flowing silently from my eyes "She's right"

He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. Then he reached his hand up and gently wipped the tears from my face.

"Bella, Lauren lives to make other people miserable. She finds a way to get under their skin and pushes and probes until they crack." he said "She's just jealous"

"Why would Lauren ever be jealous of me?" I asked "She's head cheerleader, she's gorgeous, she has tons of friends, she's basically got everything everybody could ever dream of."

"Bella" he said "What makes Lauren so 'pretty' is all that makeup she has plastered all over her face. All those so called friends are nothing but social climbers, they like her because she has power over them. They like her for the things she has, not for who she is."

I just sat there, and he went on "You have friends that love you. They actually care what happens to you. Alice and Rose would pounce on those girls in a second for you. Jasper, Emmett and I would beat anyone who ever tried to hurt you. People like you for who you are. Your personality, kindness, caring, love, and honesty is what draws us all to you. We love you more then you can imagine."

Now I was full out crying, more like balling. I knew that what he was saying was true. Honesty rang from his every word. The truth was that I felt the same way about all of them. They hadbecome my family from the moment I met Alice. The love I felt for them grew everyday, and nothing could ever change that. I had to admit that I really did have it pretty good. I had five of the best friends that anybody could ever ask for, one of whom I was in love with and lovewd me back.

"I told you I was just being silly." I said, through the tears

"I love you Bella." he said "More then you'll ever know."

"I love you too." I said "With everything I have"

He sat back against the headboard and I sat with my back against his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around my body and kissed the top of my head. I snuggled as close to him as I could, tears still flowing.

"Feel better?" he asked

"Yeah." I said "I'm sorry"

"You have nothing to be sorry for." he said. I tilted my head back and pulled his face to mine, kissing him with as much passion as I could

"Why are you still crying?" he asked, worried, when I pulled away for air

"Don't worry" I said "Happy tears."

A/N: Remember to review...they make me write faster...and they may even make for a better lemon :)