The bell rang, startling me from my inner thoughts and causing me to spill the contents of my backpack as I knocked it off the table. I groaned and bent to pick up everything when a perfectly manicured set of hands had my bag and was shoving everything into it for me. "Thanks." I said and I picked up some stray items that had rolled away. "No problem. I do it all the time." Said a musical voice and I looked up. "I'm Rosalie Hale. Jasper's younger sister." She said. "Hayley Scott and I know who you are. Im just wondering why you are helping me." I said. "I told you that you ask that a lot." Jasper laughed. I had already picked up on the southern drawl to his words but Rosalie had none. In fact she sounded like she came from somewhere in the north.
"Yeah well its not like everybody loves me. I'm a bitch and you are the family of freaks. None of you talk to anybody." I said. I realized my words had come out more harshly than I had wanted them too and frowned. "I'm sorry. I have to go." I said as I moved past Rosalie and out the door. The hall was mostly empty and I decided that I should probably run if I didn't want to be late for my next class when someone had my hand and was pulling me up the stairs. "I know a shortcut." Rosalie said as if in explanation. She was pulling hard and I was stumbling trying to keep up with her. "How do you know what classes I have?" I asked. "I saw your schedule when you dropped your things." She said. We entered our statistics class just as the bell rang. "Ah, Ms. Scott and Ms. Hale. How nice of you to join us. Please take your seats." said snidely. The only seats open were in the front of the room so Rosalie and I sat next to each other and pulled out a notebook and pen.
Mrs. Cobb said very little about her expectations in the class. She handed all of us the course syllabus and a packet of homework for the first week. "What it with these packets?" I groaned. "Do you need help?" Rosalie asked. At first I was a little insulted but then I realized that it was her way of trying to be my friend. "Help is an understatement. I have this one and Chem due on Monday. There is no way I can manage getting both of these done. Plus I guarantee that Mr. Banner is going to hand us a thicker on in History." I said. "You can always come to my place and we can work on it together. Jasper and I wouldn't mind helping you." She said. "Would you to care to fill us in on your conversation?" Mrs. Cobb asked.
"We were just discussing a study plan for the homework. We wanted to make sure we got it all right and will be able to strive in your class." Rosalie said. It wasn't a lie mostly but I could see that something strange happened to after she looked directly at Rosalie. She simply waved her hand in a dismissal to us talking and went back to teaching the first lesson. I looked back a Rosalie and for a second I felt like I would believe anything that came out of her mouth but then she blinked and everything seemed to go back to normal. "So are you going to come over today to start on the homework?" she asked as if nothing had happened. "Uh yeah. I just have to drop something off at the hospital for my dad but I will come after. Just give me your address." I said. She took my phone off my desk and played with it for a few minutes before handing it back.
"Now you have all of my family's numbers and our address. If you ever need anything don't hesitate to call. Jasper and I will do anything for you." She said. "Thanks Rosalie. I could really use a friend right now." I said. "Its Rose. Everyone calls me Rose." She said. "Rose it is then." I smiled. She grinned in returned and we both returned to learning statistics. The class passed in relative silence, only being interrupted by the occasional student question. When the bell rang, Rose told me goodbye after stating I had to sit with her at lunch. I nodded and walked in the opposite direction to Music class. I was hoping to get to class without incident but Mike saw me and I frowned when I saw his evil smirk. He shoved me hard with his body and I fell into the wall of lockers beside me. My face hit one of the locks and pain erupted through it as angry tears welled in eyes.
"Stop being such a fucking dick Michael Newton." I spit. He laughed and shrugged. Anger rushed through me and before I could stop myself I had drawn my fist back and punched him hard in the face. "Just because you have a small dick and I wouldn't fuck you doesn't give you the right to act like a little bitch. I said we were done so leave me alone. Mess with me again and you're going to wish you hadn't." I sneered. I walked away as Tyler tried to help Mike up off the floor. I reached music just as the bell rang and was glad that this was my double period. I had Mr. Garcia for music and art, on right after the other, so I didn't have to go far. I took my seat and looked out the window as I thought back on my summer.