Disclaimer: Jeez, can someone get a macrobot or something to type this out? I do not own Twilight. Done.

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Bella

Thank God for Jake. He held me together the whole night as I sobbed into his arms, cursing bloody murder at Edward and Jane. He even cracked a few lame jokes that, while it didn't make me smile, was appreciated all the same. He even risked Charlie's wrath by sneaking into my room and comforting me to sleep.

Jake picked me up for school on Monday. The whole day I dreaded seeing Edward, but a quick run-in with Alice in the hallway confirmed that Edward was home nursing a horrible hangover with Emmett. It soothed my nervousness a little, but I knew Edward would reappear on Tuesday. I just didn't think he would have the nerve to actually pick me up for school.

Tuesday morning Jake picked me up for school again. I got up and waved at Charlie before running out of the house. Jake was sitting in his Volkswagen with his feet propped up on the dashboard, holding one hand up and out the window in a permanent obscene gesture directed at the silver Volvo behind him. He didn't even look behind.

"What the hell is he doing here?" I hissed, peering in the window. Jacob shrugged.

"Picking you up, I think. The nerve of that guy," Jacob said, almost disappointingly, as though Edward had failed him somehow. I rolled my eyes and chanced a quick glance at the Volvo.

Edward got out of his car and slammed the door angrily, storming over to me. "What the hell is he doing here?" Edward demanded. Jacob sniggered at his identical wording to mine and Edward glared at Jake. "Shut up, Jacob. You don't know anything," Edward said scathingly.

"Ooh, that's gotta hurt. Rich Boy is saying I don't know anything. Hard to believe, considering I'm your biggest rival in class," Jacob said sarcastically. "Other than you, of course," he added hastily to me. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes Jacob was so...Jacob.

Edward ignored Jacob and looked at me. "Why're you taking a ride from him?" he asked furiously.

"You tell me," I retorted. "God, Edward. You're really dense, aren't you?"

"I'm dense? You're the one all buddy with Indian boy here!"

"Watch it, Rich Boy," Jacob hissed. "I prefer the term Native American."

Edward flipped Jacob off and stared at me. "Fine. Go ahead and slum around, see if I care."

He stalked off to his car, leaving me standing next to Jacob's yellow Bug openmouthed. He was the one who made out with Jane! Why was I to blame?!

Jacob glared at the retreating Volvo, mumbling all sorts of foul words under his breath as he went over to me and slung one arm over my shoulder, gently steering me inside his car. "Don't worry about him, Bells. He's an asshole that can just go piss off," Jacob said darkly.

"I know," I answered unhappily. "But it doesn't change the fact that I'm feeling completely hurt."

"What, that he's an ass? Bella, get real. He's always been one, and always will be," Jacob retorted, taking his arm off my shoulder and gunning the engine.

I glared at him. "And why does it seem awfully coincidental that a certain someone in my presence is also known for being a hateful jerk?"

"Fine," Jacob muttered.

I bit my lip and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

.xXx.

Edward ignored me. All the time. For the whole day.

The rest of the Cullens, however, treated me as per normal. Alice was her usual bubbly self, Jasper was reserved and kind, Rosalie was cool, and Emmett was...Emmett. Devouring hot dogs by the dozen and cracking dirty jokes.

Edward didn't appear to lunch, and I could only assume he was hanging out in his car listening to depressing music. Alice dragged me to lunch, babbling about how drooly the latest Dior collection was. Yes, she said drooly.

I plopped myself down in my usual seat, feeling more than aware of the empty seat next to me where Edward would be at. I suddenly felt extremely weary.

Emmett rolled his eyes at me. "She never shuts up, huh?" he joked in easy familiarity, kicking me under the table gently. I giggled before watching in playful disgust as he scarfed down the hot dogs slathered in so much mustard it looked like a layer of paint. Rosalie huffed at him before engaging herself in conversation with Alice. Jasper turned and distracted Emmett with a remark about cars, which quickly turned into a brawl.

I felt horribly out of place.

Rosalie nudged me under the table with the point of her heels, and gave me a confused look. I shook my head and stared down at my plate, abandoned and untouched. It stung to think that I was as abandoned as the plate of food on the table.

I never did believe in all that hokey fate and destiny, but maybe Edward and I were really not meant to be. Maybe our horoscopes had something against one another.

I sighed, bit my lip, and the next thing I knew Alice and Rosalie were up and dragging me to the girls' bathroom, throwing words like 'girl problems' back at their boyfriends, who promptly shut up. I didn't struggle. It felt kinda nice to be dragged, like someone else was in control of my life for a change. I was so sick of having to make decisions.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Alice asked gently, her voice kind and soothing. I sniffed a little.

"Bella, fuck the formalities. What the hell is going on?" Rosalie demanded. I giggled. Leave it to Rose to be blunt. It was so outright it was hilarious.

Rose turned to Alice. "I think she's hysterical," she remarked.

"Maybe you should slap her," Alice suggested. I started giggling more, then laughing. Soon I was laughing so hard my sides hurt. Alice and Rose looked at each other and shrugged, unable to stop themselves from chuckling a little at my sudden hilarity. Soon we were having a good ol' giggly time when I stopped laughing, my humor dissapating quickly.

Then I started to bawl.

"Bella?!" Alice half-screamed, her tiny hands scrabbling quickly at me aimlessly. I sniffled, wiped my tears, and reopened the floodgates again.

"Oh, move it," Rosalie muttered, shoving Alice aside and patting my back with less aimless scrabbling and more comfort. Alice frowned and crouched under me, peering up from below.

"You look fine," Alice mumbled, jabbing my sides clinically. I yelped in response, suddenly irritated with the constant attention.

Huh. I must be PMSing.

"God, would you two stop touching me?" I snarled, yanking back from Alice's prodding fingers and stalking to the sink. I stared into the cloudy mirror, glaring at my distorted reflection. Even through the layers of dust I could see I looked like hell. I gritted my teeth, staring at my reflection hotly.

I was done with the denial crap. I had been used and thrown away by Edward Cullen like a Kleenex way too many times before, beginning from the day I left Forks.

I realized if this was the anger stage of the five stages of grief I still had a long way to go, but hell. Right now I didn't want to be weeping over Edward Cullen, I wanted to be punching him in the face, which was rather surprising considering my fairly non-violent history. I whirled around to face Alice and Rosalie, both of whom were eyeing me in skeptical worry.

With a twang I realized if I wanted to get away from Edward it meant getting away from his whole family. I licked my lips. This was going to be hard.

"I'm fine," I said quietly. "Please, would you guys just leave me alone? I kinda need some space right now."

Rosalie nodded and left promptly-I was grateful for that. Rose was never one for frivolities. She cut to the chase. Alice, however, was still looking at me with those damn puppy dog eyes. I gritted my teeth and stared coldly at her, wishing that she would just leave so I wouldn't have to get angry. It was Edward I was pissed at, not Alice or her family.

"Alice, please just leave," I muttered.

"Bella..."

"Damn it, Alice, please!" I snapped.

She recoiled as though I had slapped her and took a step backward, swallowing rapidly. I felt my knees weaken and my resolve waver, and I pushed it all back. I was sick and tired of being pissy Bella, able to be pushed around and bossed like a friggin' dog.

The hostile emotions were new to me, but I welcomed them. Much better than being a wimp.

Alice hesitated before nodding and walking out, no doubt to join Rosalie and start muttering half truths about me. I sighed and splashed water onto my face, taking comfort in the coldness of it.

I stared into the mirror, wiping off the cloudiness with one dripping hand. My reflection gazed back steadily at me, looking exactly identical and yet so different. I looked different, like a familiar stranger.

Who was I becoming?

A/N: Short chapter, very poor, but it's a pivotal moment that changes how Bella sees Edward from now on. On another note, I now have a blog for FF. The link can be found at my profile. It's the only place you'll get teasers at, mainly because I hate LiveJournal and LiveJournal hates me. It's a mutual understanding that we don't go near each other. Seriously.