Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates, I just want to say I'm still alive and wanting to continue this story! My year is getting hectic with school and colleges and everything, but I'm going to try and update as much as I can. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and everyone who is enjoying this story! I tried to make this chapter a little longer.

Another note: I believe it's best to tell this tale from Bella's point of view so I'm going to try that for the rest of the story. It may not work out, but we'll see. I hope there aren't many grammatical mistakes, I didn't read it very carefully a few times over.

WARNING: This chapter contains disturbing scenes. I'm going to rate this chapter M, and I might change the rating of the story to M as well.

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It hurt.

The stares. The whispers. The public humiliation better known as my life.

I hated it, all of it. But most of all I hated him. The one that made life hell. Edward Cullen. God, Edward Fucking Cullen.

--

It was 8:15 AM on a very rainy, Forks-esque Friday morning. The bell rang, like it always does, signaling the start of another day in this god forsaking school.

I trudged to first period, once more ignoring the crude comments and crumpled paper flying my way. I took my seat in the front row of English and rested my head on my hands, waiting for the day to end.

Edward and his crew lazily stumbled into the classroom, laughing and jeering. God, how I hated them. Edward noticed me and swaggered forward, casually leaning on my desk.

"Well, good morning to you, sunshine," he said, eyes alight with malice. His stupid posse took their seats as the bell rung, but Edward stayed at my desk.

"What do you want, Cullen?" I spat, ignoring my heart that was pounding inside my chest and the way my palms were growing wet and clammy. He eyed me and smirked.

I glared at him and put my hand on his, digging my fingernails into his skin. His expression changed from cocky and cruel to furious and disgusted.

"Just a good morning hello would suffice," he growled, grabbing my wrist till I could feel the bruises forming.

"Mr. Cullen, would you mind taking your seat, please?" Mr. Landers voice rung from behind Edward.

"Of course, Mr. Landers," Edward said, still staring straight into my eyes. I was desperately trying to keep his gaze, but my wrist hurt so badly my eyes were watering.

Suddenly, I couldn't hold my pain in any longer.

I gasped loudly and he let go, brushing past me to his desk. As he passed I inhaled and caught a whiff of his scent. God, he smelt so sexy. Like cinnamon and musky guy scent. How ironic that somebody so vicious could smell so incredibly good.

I rubbed my wrist, wincing as it turned bright red and tried to focus on the lesson ahead. I could still feel his eyes boring into the back of my head.

Halfway through Mr. Landers' lecture on American history through literature, I felt a harsh tap on my shoulder. I ignored it at first, until the repetitive tapping wouldn't stop. I was just about to turn around and tell whoever it was and to stop until a note dropped on my desk from the person behind me.

I swallowed and slowly unfolded the note, reading it's contents.

Be outside the locker rooms immediately after school. It's not a choice.

I dared to sneak a glance back at whoever sent me this horror note and shuddered under the gaze of Lauren, shooting daggers at me from the back of the classroom.

--

Fuck. I had to go. There was no other way around it. She would either find me hiding in the bathroom and drag me out, or I could go without a fight. Either way would mean I'd have to face her and her posse.

Sixth period Gym felt like it was going in super speed. Before I knew what we were doing it was over, and the last bell of the day rang. I changed quickly and stole out of the locker room, hiding in the shadows, afraid. No sign of Lauren anywhere, yet.

It was pouring. Forks gets heavy rain on almost a daily basis, but this was especially drowning. Water flooded from every centimeter of the sky and I shivered as cool winds carrying icy raindrops blew my way. The weather seemed to reflect my mood and the dark, cloudy sky clapped with thunder.

"You actually showed."

A voice shouted from across the pathway and I shivered again, but not because of the cold. Lauren appeared, strutting up in full rain gear, her posse of five other girls keeping pace beside her.

"You made it pretty clear I had no say in the matter," I managed to choke out, hoping my voice didn't sound as quivery as I thought it did. I gulped. What was this? Since when have I gotten this anxious in front of these girls?

I was shaking and I knew it was from a mixture of the freezing temperature, the rain, and the growing feeling of dread inside my chest.

Lauren smirked and chuckled, growing closer. She was now merely feet in front of me, her breath showing up as small puffs of warm fog in the cold.

"I did, didn't I?" She asked rhetorically, snickering as her band of airheads laughed with her. "Well I just wasn't sure I made myself clear the last time we . . . spoke."

She smiled maliciously and I knew she was referring to the cafeteria scene the day before. As frightened as I was, a surge of hatred and fury burned in my chest. As tempted as I was to say something, I kept quiet. I knew if this turned ugly, I would have nobody but myself to back me up. And I couldn't compete against six other girls.

Her group had now formed a half-circle around me, backing me up against a wall on the side of the building with no covering. Pouring. It was absolutely gushing rain. The heavens had opened up and I, having no raincoat and only a small sweater and jeans to protect me, was getting positively soaked.

"I see the way you look when Edward's around you. I notice things. I know you like him, you bitch." Her voice was strong and unwavering, piercing through me.

Despite her tone, I had to inwardly laugh at the irony. Me like Edward Cullen? She's got to be joking.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I muttered as loud as I could. My voice seemed to not want to go past a loud whisper, and I cursed myself for being so weak.

Lauren reached up and slapped me in the face. Hard.

"How dare you," she trilled, her green eyes scowling at me with contempt.

Before I knew what was happening, her fist was colliding with my stomach. I gasped, clutching my middle, more out of shock than pain, and doubled over. As if Lauren had given a soundless order, all six girls were hitting every part of me they could reach.

And it hurt. Badly. They pushed me on the ground and kicked me in the face and on the arms and on the legs and in the middle and shoved me against the wall. Don't cry. Don't cry.

I closed my eyes tightly, dreaming of being anywhere but here. My body betrayed me and I let out a stifled sob, tears slipping from my eyes and mixing in with the rain on my already soaked face. I was shaking now, and I couldn't even fathom what I looked like. Ripped clothes, possible some blood, definitely some bruises, and mud and rain all over me.

"What a cry baby," Lauren trilled, continuing to hurt me. "Stay away from Edward Cullen."

I couldn't believe I had let them see me at my weakest again.

Then just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. I slowly opened my eyes to see all six girls in the same semi-circle, their backs toward me.

"Oh, hello, Edward," Lauren giggled in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Want to help me with a little project?"

"Uh, sure, Lauren," said Edward, ever the gentleman, though I could hear a note of annoyance in his voice.

Lauren stepped to the side and I got a glace at Edward, staring down at me, a wide range of mixed emotions on his face. I closed my eyes under his gaze and blushed deeply with embarrassment. I continued to shiver involuntarily, and I hugged my knees, just wanting to disappear forever.

He heard a laugh from Edward. He was laughing about this? I felt my heart drop. He was more cruel than I thought if he thought this was funny.

I peeked open my eyes and stole a look up at him, my eyes a mixture of grief and hatred. He was pursing his lips and staring at Lauren, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Actually, Lauren," he said, pleasantly. "I need to be heading home. I'm sorry I can't help you with . . . this." He didn't sound disgusted, he just sounded like he needed to get home.

"Yeah, we were just leaving too," Lauren said, rushing to her bags a few feet away under the covered entrance to the locker rooms. The rest of her girls followed, picking up their things and heading down the pathway to the parking lot.

Edward lagged behind, adjusting his raincoat and looking at me from ten feet away. I shut my eyes and painfully shifted so my back was resting against the wall and my knees were hugged against my chest. I whimpered in agony and rested my forehead on my knees, silently crying as the rain came down.

"See you around, Edward," Lauren murmured in her most seductive tone, and she and the other girls disappeared down the pathway, umbrellas up.

A few minutes passed. I lifted my head slightly to see if everyone was gone.

Edward was still standing there, hands in his pockets, the same expression in his eyes. It hurt my heart to be staring into the eyes of someone who hated me so much, but I lifted my eyes to meet his.

As soon as our eyes met, he whipped around and started down the pathway, slower than he usually walks, his head down.

But before he turned away, I could've sworn I saw a look of sadness in his eyes.

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There it is! Sorry it took so long to update, I hope you are all still reading and enjoying. I'll try and be quicker with my next update!