Bella POV
"Crap, crap, crap." I muttered after stumbling for the fifth time on my way to the locker room before gym. "Damn Alice and her damn shoes." Without any more preambles, I took the stupid shoes off and ran barefoot to the gym. I knew was going to be late.
As I entered the locker room, I noticed that no one was there. Great, everyone must already be in the gym. That meant when I walked in, all eyes would be on me as the latecomer and of course, the coach would have something to say. How I hated being the center of attention. My outfit for the day didn't help any of course. Thinking back at Edward's reaction, I smothered a small smile. I had never seen him so out and out jealous before. It did worry me a bit however. I didn't want Edward exposing who he and his family were because he was being overly protective. There were a few times it had come close. Especially in English. I had no idea what he heard that would make him react so violently and part of me was glad I couldn't. It was disturbing enough to be leered at. Surely if Alice had seen Edward going overboard, she would never have dressed me like this, no matter how much she wanted her "revenge".
I was such in a rush that I messed up my locker combination three times trying get the stupid thing open. Then I heard a noise behind me. Maybe I wouldn't be the only one late to gym. That was a relief. When I started to squirm out of the ridiculously tight top Alice made me wear, I heard footfalls come closer to me. Heavy footfalls, ones that didn't belong to a female. Ones that definitely did not belong in the girls' locker room.
My hands froze in place, no longer trying to take my shirt off.
"Don't stop." A deep male voice behind me said.
Startled, I whipped around to see Jeff, a new guy that just transferred in a few months ago. He was so big he could give Emmett some competition in the size department.
"You shouldn't be in here." I told him, pulling my shirt back down. The way he was looking at me was downright creepy and I thought I could almost feel my skin crawl under his gaze.
"I knew you'd be here. Waiting for me." As he walked closer to me, I retreated until my back hit the locker. There was nowhere else I could go. He had me effectively blocked in. I thought of the pepper spray I always kept in my bag but realized that I didn't have my bag. I had the one Alice gave me. Crap!
"Are you freaking insane!" I yelled at him hoping that someone would hear me. Jeff just smiled eerily and shook his head.
"Insane? No. You see I have had my eye on you. I know you wore this just for me."
Okay, this was getting bad. At least it was only him and not a few drunken louts like there were in Port Angeles. But he was large. Linebacker large.
"I can assure you. I did not wear this for you." I told him scathingly hoping he would wake from his fantasy land and realize what he was doing before it was too late. Dear God, Edward would kill him.
"I think you need to leave, NOW." I heard Alice's voice say in a tone that had the threat of violence laced all of it. Alice! Thank God. She must have seen. I felt so much relief my legs nearly buckled beneath me.
Jeff turned to her and smiled. "Sorry, my mistake. I'm new here." He shrugged.
Really? He was going to use that lame excuse. Alice wasn't buying it.
"Yes, well just make sure you never make that mistake again. Or any other mistakes that concern my friend Bella. Comprende?"
"Sure." He said and went to walk out the door.
"May I suggest using the other door? You don't want to run into her boyfriend." Alice called out to him contemptuously. Jeff quickly changed direction and went out the doors to the hallway.
As soon as he left, Alice ran over to me and embraced me in a strong hug.
"Oh Bella. I am so sorry. I didn't see this. He must have decided on impulse."
"Ow…Alice…can't …breathe." I groaned and she immediately loosened her hold.
"Sorry, sorry. Please say you'll forgive me." She pleaded, "He didn't hurt you did he?" She said inspecting me, her eyes wide with concern.
"No...just scared the hell out of me. He said he's been watching me. "I shuddered.
"Don't worry. I doubt he'll be bothering you again. I'll make sure of it." Her head turned to the doors. "Shit! – Listen Bella, Edward is going to come barging in here any minute. We can't let him know what happened. He'll go ballistic. Just follow my lead okay? I know you don't like to lie to him but trust me. You can tell him later when he asks you…and he will but he will have had ample time to calm down by then." Her voice was barely above a whisper and she spoke very fast but I got the gist of what she said.
Don't tell Edward…let her speak. Okay, I could do that, I thought as I nodded dumbly. I watched as Alice opened her pocketbook and grab some cosmetics out. What the hell did she have in mind?
She counted down 3-2-1 on her fingers than spoke ."Now Bella, when you need to reapply your lipstick after gym, make sure you use the lip pencil after the lipstick." Alice said loudly at the same time Edward came charging in. He skidded to a halt and watched us dumbfounded.
"Sorry." Jasper said with a shrug entering behind Edward. "I tried to keep him out but…"
"Bella, are you alright?" Edward asked me worriedly then looked at Alice.
"Why shouldn't she be Edward?" Alice asked him.
"Because you ran to the gym as if the hounds of hell were chasing you."
"And you automatically assumed something was wrong. " Alice finished for him. "Well there is." She said pouting.
"What?" He growled. I could tell his patience had reached the end of the line.
"A fashion emergency…that's what. I had to show Bella how to reapply her makeup after gym otherwise she just wouldn't look right."
Edward still looked suspicious as he turned to me. "Is this true?"
"I really don't know how to put it back on the way she did it." I told him with a shrug. Technically, it wasn't a lie. I really didn't have any idea how to achieve the look Alice created on me this morning. However, I was immensely grateful for the glitch in my brain that kept my thoughts silent from Edward. I knew without a doubt had he any clue as to what was really going on, it would be just as Alice said. There would be no containing him.
Edward still looked doubtful but he asked no more questions. He looked at Alice oddly and briefly I wondered what she was chanting in her head to keep him out. Jasper knew something was up as well. He looked at both Alice and I strangely and I knew he could feel the different emotions rolling off me, none of which could be caused my make up lessons.
"At this point I already missed most of gym so this is all a moot issue. There really is no point in going now" I said starting to leave.
Edward grabbed my hand and looked at me intently before bending down to kiss me. I knew he was silently trying to figure out if Alice had been telling the truth. "Let's sit in my car until lunch then." He said when his lips left mine.
"We'll meet you in the cafeteria." Jasper told us. Before we left, Alice gave me a pointed look. Don't tell Edward. Got it. I would have to distract him from asking any questions so I wouldn't have to lie. I could do that.
Edward didn't question me further about the "locker room incident" although I knew him well enough to sense his mind was brewing with questions. We sat in his car for the duration of the period. He held my hand, fiddling with the ring on my finger that he, himself had put there.
"I love the way this looks on your hand." He whispered. "Like it's always belonged there. I can't wait to call you my wife."
I didn't know how to reply with words so I leaned in to kiss him letting him know I felt the exact same way. He groaned and deepened the kiss molding his hand to the back of my neck to bring me closer. All too soon he pulled away and touched his forehead to mine.
"The way you look today…it's driving me crazy." He said breathing heavily.
"I believe that was Alice's intention." I pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Mmm. If she had dressed you like this for me alone, I would have to thank her." Edward's hand caressing my neck and shoulder was doing delicious things to my body. He began to nuzzle my neck and breathed in deeply. I could feel the whisper of his breath tickling me. I couldn't think straight.
I moaned and wrapped my arms around him. Suddenly he withdrew, raking his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry Bella. I shouldn't behave like this, especially in the school parking lot. It's just that I can't think straight around you." I laughed suddenly and he looked at me questioningly.
"I was just thinking the exact same thing." I told him.
"C'mon, let's go." He said grinning, opening the door on his side of the car. "Before you get into anymore trouble."
I held back a snort. Trouble, I thought. That was becoming my middle name.
Lunch was the usual crowd. Angela, Ben, Jessica, Mike and Eric sat with us. I wondered briefly if they had ever noticed that Edward, Jasper and Alice never actually ate anything. If they did, not a word was said.
I saw Edward stiffen behind me and looked to see where the source if his sudden change of mood came from. Then I spotted it. Lauren had come over to our table and was whispering something in Jessica's ear that made her laugh. Since they were both looking in my direction, I assumed they were discussing me.
"Bella." Lauren said with a condescending note in her voice. "You are aware that the ring finger on your left hand is kind of reserved for engagement rings and wedding bands, right? Or are you trying to put ideas in Edward's head?"
I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and Edward placed a protective arm around my shoulders.
"Actually, Lauren." Alice started sounding just as patronizing. "Edward and Bella are getting married. He proposed this weekend."
Everyone's mouths gaped open in surprise and I wanted to crawl under the table. If it weren't for Edward's arm around me, I probably would have. Then Lauren started to laugh.
"Didn't your mother teach you about birth control? Or were you trying to trap him?"
"It's not…I mean…I'm not…" I stammered utterly mortified. I knew this was going to happen. Of course the first assumption any one would make when they hear of two people in high school getting married is the girl has to be knocked up. Edward emitted a low growl and looked at Lauren with anger in his eyes.
"People do still marry for love." Edward said very softly but I could hear the barely contained rage in his voice. If Lauren knew what was good for her, she would shut up now.
"Well...duh. But not in high school."
"I suggest you keep your wrong opinions to yourself, Lauren. Otherwise Edward will get very angry." Jasper said trying to work some control over the situation. From what I could tell, Jasper's attempts at calming Edward down were having little effect.
She scoffed and flipped her hair behind her shoulders…it was such a Rosalie move, I almost laughed. "Oh, please. This news will be all over the school in minutes. Everyone will come to the same conclusion."
"Well I guess you'll just find out the truth in a few months then when I am still thinner than you." I told her scathingly. Alice looked at me with an approving smile.
"Well, I think the ring is beautiful. Congratulations to you both." Angela said sincerely. God bless you Angela, I thought.
It turned out that Lauren was right. Everyone did find out and of course mostly everyone came to the same conclusion. I would just have to ride it out.
"I'm sorry." Edward told me on the way home. "You were right. They did make the wrong assumptions."
I waved away his apology. "No, it's my fault."
"Your fault?" He asked bewildered. "How is it your fault?"
"I should've never worn the ring to school." I sulked.
"Don't apologize for that. I love that you wear it. It'll be okay. The rumors will die down soon enough."
"I hope so. "
He gave my hand a squeeze. "We could always start a bigger rumor about someone else. I am privy to lots of useful information getting into peoples' heads like I do. Juicier gossip would take the heat off of you."
I smiled at him. "That's sweet but not necessary. I'll just deal."
Edward was driving at his usual fast pace but when we got closer to my house, he slowed down considerably. His expression was grim when I looked at him questioningly.
"Uh, Bella. Did you do anything recently to tick Charlie off?"
Now I was concerned. "No, why?" I answered apprehensively.
"Well, I can't hear exactly what he is thinking. His thoughts are too muddled but he is very angry…at you."
"But I didn't do anything wrong."
"Since we are turning on to your street now I am sure we'll find out soon enough."
As we approached my house, I saw it. The source of Charlie's anger and now mine as well. My hands clenched into fists. Sitting in the driveway was my old fixer upper motorcycle. Jake. He did this and of course the tattle tale was nowhere to be found.
"Bella, what is that?" Edward said his voice sounding half strangled as he pointed to what was once part of my salvation (now my doom) when Edward had left.
I sighed. It was bound to come out sooner or later. "That is my motorcycle."