Disclaimer: I own a new laptop. I don't own Twilight. Shrug.

ATTENTION: Uknoulovemextay! This one's for you! Hope you like it! ;]

Songs: Dark as the Black – Serena Ryder, Eastern Glow - The Album Leaf (listen to this with your eyes closed. So romantic!), If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It – Snow Patrol, Your Hand in Mine – Explosions in the Sky

CHAPTER SEVEN – Abuse

Edward POV

I sat at the edge of my bed, staring straight ahead. My mind was running in eight thousand different directions, all of them tangled and laced with one singular thought:

"Bella," I whispered, gazing into nothing.

My fingers absently ran across my lips as I recalled Saturday night. I hadn't expected it to feel like that.

It's like time had stopped. For that brief moment, it was like the whole world was put right again. The way her body fit perfectly against mine, every contour fitting like a solved puzzle. The way her breath tasted in my mouth, a taste I craved like a drug; a hunger I didn't dare satisfy. The way her skin felt like spun silk on my skin. The electricity she sent shooting down my spine was intoxicating, every nerve ending in my body on edge. She had paralyzed me; I couldn't let go. I didn't want to let go.

'what have I done?' I thought in agony. I had ruined everything. I had Bella so close, and I had ruined it. What was I thinking?

"Yeah, real smooth, Cullen. Take her to a house party to get to know her! Friggin' idiot..." I mumbled bitterly as I buttoned up my shirt. I put my head in my hands as I tried to convince myself to face the day. I would have to see her. I couldn't escape this shame.

The door was kicked open suddenly, and a blur came crashing at me, forcing me to fall backwards off my bed.

"Alice, for the love of all humanity, could you have a little compassion on my nerves? At least knock."

" Oh, grow a pair, you broody brute," she snickered as she gave me a hand up.

"What do you want?" I mumbled as I dusted off my pants.

"Just checking in on you, see how you're doing," she said innocently, looking everywhere but at me.

I glared at her.
"What do you know?" I demanded.

"I know you got harsh rejected in front of the entire student body, then proceeded to slobber all over poor Bella, then she harsh rejected you again," she responded bluntly, shrugging.

I just stood there in shock. I had to hand it to Alice, she never beat around the bush. I looked down at the floor, suddenly fascinated with the fibre of the carpet.

"So what do you have to say for yourself?"

My head snapped up to see Alice glaring at me, her tiny arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently.

"What the hell, Alice! She wasn't supposed to hear any of what I said! It was all a bunch of crap to get those tools off my back!" I defended, throwing my arms up in frustration. Alice just rolled her eyes, sighing.

"Okay, look, Edward, you're a nice guy and all, but you can be the biggest Knob I've ever met. You're lucky I wasn't there, I would have gone ninja on your scrawny ass!" She huffed.

I just stared at her blankly, waiting for her to keep going. There was no way this little demon was done with me.

Her eyes suddenly softened as she sat next to me on my bed.

"You know I love you, but you messed up," she said sternly.

"Like I didn't know," I inserted, scoffing.

"- And now you have to fix it," she smiled.

I looked over at her, disbelief flashing across my features.

"How?" I asked eagerly. There was nothing I wanted more than to take it all back. Well, besides the kiss. She grinned evilly at me.

"I didn't say you could do it on your own. Like I said, Ed, you royally fudged this one. I'm going to have to pull some strings, but nothing I can't handle," she sniffed non-chalantly as she dusted off her shoulder and stood up to leave.

"- Wait, what?" I asked, confused. I was terrified; letting Alice try and fix this didn't sound like a smart plan. She turned back to me, a grin plastered on her tiny face.

"Let's just say, Bella and I are going to be great friends," She said simply, winking at me. She shut the door behind her.

Today is going to suck.

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The coast was clear.

I snuck along the freshmen's lockers, keeping my eyes focused on my destination. Only a few more steps and I'd be home free. That is, until the bell rings for break.

"Well, hell-o, loverboy!" a soprano voice came from behind me. I froze mid step.

'Don't turn around, Edward, whatever you do. Don't. Turn. Around.' I chanted as I tried desperately to unlock my legs from their paralyzed state.

"So how's the misses?" the voice chuckled in my ear. I betrayed myself. I turned around.

"Honestly, Jessica? What are we in, grade five?" I shot back at her coldly.

"Oh don't be like that, Eddie, I'm just playing with you," she purred as she pushed her body up against me. I cringed back, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I have class, Jess. Could you save your witty comments till later? I'm a little pressed for time," I sneered.

"I'll catch you at lunch then, baby," she winked and pursed her lips, making the kissie-face. She spun on her heels, taking tiny steps so she wouldn't fall on her face. I rolled my eyes as I entered the Biology classroom.

I kept my eyes to the floor, too scared to make eye contact with anyone. I didn't know who all attended the party, but I was positive of one person, and I was too ashamed to look into that set of eyes. No matter how much my mind demanded it.

I sat in my seat, scooting my chair as far away from her as possible. My body couldn't have been more aware of her presence beside me, but I was keeping myself in check. No mistakes this time.

As Mr. Varner started on today's lecture, I went against my better judgement and stole a glance at Bella.

Her hair was cascading over her left shoulder, blocking her face from view. Her delicate fingers were drumming tunelessly against the desk as she sighed loudly. I found myself staring, watching her every move. She shuffled awkwardly in the tall lab chair, adjusting her shirt and rolling her neck. She raised her arms above her head, stretching out her muscles. Her hands fluffed out her hair, finally revealing her face. Mid-fluff, she froze, hands still tangled in her locks.

Before I knew it, I was looking into the eyes of Bella Swan. I shook myself out of my daze, realizing I had been busted. I felt my face get hot as I quickly turned my head away. I coughed awkwardly, keeping my eyes on my paper until I was sure she wasn't looking my way anymore.

I tried to steal another peek at her, only to find her eyes boring into me, as if she was mentally picturing me spontaneously combusting. I shrunk into my seat, keeping my eyes on Mr. Varner. I used my peripheral vision to try and see is she was still looking. She most definitely was. I could see a smirk on her face as she gazed at the side of my head, most likely aware of the effect she was having on me. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, trying to keep my head from betraying me and looking back at her.

I couldn't help it.

If looks could kill, I'd be dead several times over by now. But I didn't care. I couldn't look away. I was like a bug drawn to the light, and I couldn't pull myself away.

The light from the window danced across her face, the warmth of her eyes melting my very bones. It was like these eyes were never created to be weapons, or hold any amount of hatred. It was unnatural for them to be paired with the scowl Bella was wearing. No matter how hard she tried, those eyes could never scare me.

I think she realized it, too.

"What do you want, Cullen?" she finally snapped.

"For you to stop staring at me, might be nice," I commented smugly.

"Oh, how rich coming from you, Gawky Mc Stares-a-lot!" she spat.

"I wasn't trying to murder you with my eyes, unlike someone!" I retorted, flicking my hand in her direction.

"Grow up, Edward. I don't need your smart-ass comments. I'm done talking to you," she dismissed me, turning back towards the front of the classroom. I leaned forward, whispering in her ear.

"'Gawky Mc Stares-a-lot'? ...Really?" I teased.

She wiped the smirk right off my face with one look, her knuckles growing white from the grip she had on the side of her chair.

"Why are you talking to me? What about your precious reputation?" she mocked, batting her long eyelashes and raising her voice in an impressive impersonation of Lauren's pitch.

" To be honest, I really have no idea. It might have something to do with you being my lab partner, and we're stuck with each other," I whispered angrily.

"We're not even doing a lab, genius! There's no reason for you to be wasting my time right now!" she shouted at me, forgetting where she was. I slapped my hand over her mouth to shut her up.

"Is there a problem, Mr Cullen?" Mr. Varner's bored voice came up behind me.

"Not at all, Mr. Varner!" I smiled innocently, my hand still firmly placed over Bella's mouth.

"Then, might I ask... Why are you gagging Ms. Swan?" he asked, rubbing his temples.

I opened my mouth to respond, but my hand shot away from her mouth in a split second.

"You licked me!" I accused in shock.

"And it's the only tongue you'll ever get from me, Eddie, remember that next time you try to stick your mouth anywhere near mine!" she snapped, folding her arms.

"Detention, both of you. After school. In my classroom," Mr. Varner ordered as he walked to the front of the class. I just glared at Bella as she returned the favour.

"I've never had detention in my life. This is ridiculous," I mumbled angrily.

"Suck it up, princess, you won't chip a nail, I promise," she whispered, exasperated.

"I can't believe you licked me! What are you, seven?" I responded in frustration.

A loud clap from Mr. Varner caught our attention once more.

"Enough with the chatterism, you two! Or else I'll call your parental units!" he threatened, his hands on his hips.

This so isn't over yet.

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I slouched in my seat, arms folded, an obvious pout on my face. I felt like a child, but I didn't care. I was pissed. I shot a look across the room, to the farthest seat from mine. Bella. I hated her. I hated her. Who did she think she was?! Self-righteous, ignorant, childish, stubborn, thoughtless, psychotic, bizarre, strange, annoying, special, quirky.. interesting.. funny... beautiful... stunning girl.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I thought angrily, 'How dare she!? It's like she's controlling me!"

She was playing unfair. She consumed my every thought. She abused all my senses. She had no right to control me like this.

"I can't even hate her," I thought bitterly, scratching my pen into the battered surface of the desk. I looked over at her, hiding my face behind my arm so she wouldn't notice. She was talking animatedly with a copper skinned boy I didn't recognize. I watched as she smiled freely, smacking at his arm playfully. My brow furrowed as I turned my gaze onto the boy.

"Of course," I scoffed to myself, "him too."

I recognized that look. It painted the perfect picture of a love-struck puppy. His eyes wide, desperately trying to avoid blinking in case he missed something; the way he was unintentionally leaning forward, drinking in her scent; the way his knee was trembling at her innocent touch. He had it bad.

A jolt of nausea shot through my stomach as I watched him tuck a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. She blushed as she looked down at her shoes, obviously embarrassed. I found myself gripping the sides of my desk to keep myself from going over there and stealing her away from him. I could taste the blood inside my mouth as I bit down hard on my tongue. I wanted to scream at him.

"Stay away from my Bella!" my head shrieked as mental images of me brutally attacking him danced across my imagination.

I banged my head against the desk, trying to beat the thoughts from my mind.

'She is not 'your Bella', Edward. She is your own personal demon, sent to nip at your heels until you totally lose it,' I told myself desperately. I put my cheek on the cool surface of the desk, clamping my eyes shut. I hummed a melody to distract myself from the giggles coming from the corner of the room. A loud chortle came booming through the room, causing my eyes to shoot open.

Mike Newton walked into the detention hall, throwing his slip on the vacant desk where the supervising teacher should be sitting. He nodded towards me in greeting then let his eyes graze across the room. They stopped on Bella, a grin threatening to spread across his face. My stomach did a few flips as I saw that glint in his eyes. I held my breath as I watched him approach her.

"Bella, babe, you're looking especially delicious today," he winked as he leaned forward on her desk. I saw the disgust in her eyes as she leaned as far away as her chair would allow.

"Mike, you're looking especially pervy today," she retorted, wrapping her arms across her chest. The boy beside her stifled a chuckle.

"Come on, admit it, you like what you see," he replied, running his finger down her neck. I swear I would break the desk if I gripped it any harder.

"I'll admit to finding you completely and utterly revolting, and would like nothing more than take a crow bar to your thick skull," she smirked.

Mike was getting annoyed. His confidence was taking a beating, and I knew this wasn't going to end pretty.

"I love it when you talk dirty to me, Bella, but must you do it in a room of our peers?" He responded with a evil grin. I stood up stiffly from my desk, just waiting for him to take it another step too far.

I watched as Bella climbed atop of her desk, bringing herself to the attention of all the people in the room. She looked down at Mike, her little fists balled up beside her.

"Let me make this perfectly clear to you, and to every other person in this room: You. Disgust. Me. The second I first saw you, I knew your type. A perverted, All-Talk Jock who speaks out of his ass, and plays sports to distract the other guys from the fact that he can't get a girl to save his life. Not to mention the fact that your 'manhood' is virtually non-existent. If you are still not clear on the issue at hand, I will make sure to enunciate properly so your brain has time to make sense of it: I... Am... Not... Interested."

Watching her angry outburst from the side lines instead of being the victim, was actually quite entertaining to watch, and I probably would have laughed if it weren't for the expression on Mike's face. All the blood had drained from it, and the annoyance that had been there just a few moments before, was now replaced with rage.

"You little-" he spat as he grabbed her wrist roughly and whipped her to the ground. I watched in horror as she slid across the floor and smashed her head against the door frame. He went and stood above her, seething. His knuckles cracked as he opened and closed his fists. Before I knew what I was doing...

THWACK.

Mike was on the ground, a confused look on his face as he looked around to see what had hit him. I shook my fist out, trying to shake off the pain. Shit. Broke something.

Totally worth it.

When Mike's eyes found mine, he squinted in disbelief.

"Edw-" he began.

"Don't even bother, I'll rip your teeth out one by one. Don't you dare touch her again," I spat with as much venom as I could muster.

His face went blank of any emotion as he looked from me to Bella, who was standing up, one hand clasped where she had hit her head, then back to me again.

"Ah, I see. Sorry, I didn't realize. Here, help me up," he apologized, reaching his arm up to me. I stared at it, then grabbed it. Stupid move.

He yanked me to the floor and his fist connected with my right cheek before I had time to curse myself. Before anyone could have time to make sense of the whole situation, a full-out brawl had erupted. I could hear shrieks of outrage coming from Bella amongst hoots and hollers from the stoners sitting in the back of the room. I grabbed at any part of Mike I could find and throttled it with all the force I could put behind my already throbbing hand. Mike got one more punch to the face before I upper-cut him in the gut. He buckled over in pain, coughing and wheezing. I stood myself up straight, breathing heavy.

Everyone was up on their feet, cheering. We had fights at Forks High, but never between two people in the same social circle. They were impressed, and probably rather pleased that detention proved to be shockingly more entertaining than it's ever been.

Then I saw Bella.

She was livid. Her whole figure was trembling in anger, tears spilling down her flushed cheeks. I opened my mouth to speak, but words failed me, so I snapped it shut again. I just stood there, numb to the physical throbbing of my body. The only throbbing I was aware of was my heart. It had somehow reached to my throat, making it difficult to breath. She was looking at me in a way that caused it to shatter into a million pieces, tearing and shredding at my insides.

She took a step towards me. Then one more. Then another. Her face was inches from mine, and it took all my strength to keep me from leaning in to kiss her. She looked up at me with unfathomable eyes. Her mouth slightly parted, as if she had something lingering behind her lips, desperate to be said. We could have been standing there in silence for 30 seconds or 30 minutes and I wouldn't have noticed. I watched as resolve flickered across her eyes, a peace flooding her. She blinked, a tiny smile appearing for the briefest second in the corner of her mouth before it disappeared again.

SMACK.

I stood there in shock, my hand covering the side of my face she had slapped. I couldn't pull my eyes off her as she took 3 steps backwards, her face still peaceful. She looked beside her to the boy with copper skin and smiled. He smiled down at her in return. She intertwined her fingers with his, and his smile widened. She never pulled her gaze from his face as they walked out of the room, hand in hand.

Longest one so far! Tell me what you think! Honest opinions, of course! Love you all!

Hope you don't mind all the EPOV, but it just makes sense at this point. Next chapter we'll get some BPO V again, but it WILL start off with Edward again, just for a bit.