Puzzlement

Later that week, Jessica was in the gym, jogging on a treadmill facing out towards the indoor pool. Potts Academy's large and extensive grounds allowed it to rent a piece of it for a gym open to the public to be built on its land. In exchange for the land, the gym gave free memberships to pupils in their second and last year. Thus, Jessica used her card extensively, keeping her toned figure by jogging three times a week after her Pilate's class.

She always got the treadmill facing out to the pool; so she could watch the fit and lithe swimming team, mainly comprised of males, do their lengths. It also helped that Edward was in this very swim team.

Fight for this Love by Cheryl Cole came blaring across her eardrums as she watched Edward swing himself out of the water, beads of the stuff following the toned muscles of his back and abdomen. She watched with delight as he pulled his hand through his sopping hair and glanced at the large stopwatch on the, taking note of the time before diving under the surface again.

She sighed to herself and pushed herself to run faster, pounding away on the rapidly turning mat beneath her.

Life was good, she decided. Nothing could take away what she had, or what was destined to her.

It was at that moment that Bella Swan pushed her way into the swimming pool, her hair down, wearing a white skort and polo shirt, carrying her white plimsolls and socks in one hand as she sauntered barefoot around the pool, staring at the water avidly. Jessica watched with distaste as one of the female swimmers pulled up to the side. Swan paused and crouched, a wide smile on her lips as she began to talk to this swimmer.

Jessica tsked in irritation. Why must she ruin any peaceful moment she had? Stealing Edward's attention and his glory. Little bitch.

The two by now had finished talking and Swan was walking to sit on one of the benches by the wall, perhaps waiting for her friend to finish her session.

Jessica scowled and ignored Swan, choosing to focus straight ahead. Jessica knew her hatred for the girl ran deeper than just prejudice and anger at slights towards her boyfriend. Swan was…she carried an air of indifference wherever she went. She didn't seem to care about anything that made this school tick. The class system, the unspoken rules, the snobbery, the prejudice. She glided through it all with a devil-may-care attitude that cut right through all that Jessica had painstakingly followed for most of her life. And for that, Swan was a threat. She threatened to turn this world over, to make it collapse to its knees.

She glanced down again and nearly tripped when she saw Edward and Swan standing close by the pool edge. They're the only ones there, apart from the lifeguard who stared off into the middle distance, not paying attention to the two adolescents across from him. They appear to be arguing, Swan gesticulating while Edward scowls and retorts back.

At first, Jessica thought that Edward was giving what Swan deserved. She smirked in triumphant glee and watched in delight as Edward argued with a towel wrapped around his waist. Swan was red in the face, hissing as she placed her hands on her hips, brows furrowed, her shoes and socks forgotten on the floor.

But what happened next was so fast Jessica almost didn't catch it.

Swan turned as if to leave, but Edward reached out with his free hand, grabbing her wrist. She struggled, her spare hand slipping uselessly against his wet fingers. Her bare feet slid against the tiles and, like a tree just had been cut, she began to topple. Edward's grip slipped and he watched helplessly as Swan tumbled into the water. The splash was muffled through the glass but Jessica still heard it. Edward stood, frozen by the edg,e staring down to where Swan had disappeared, his fists clenched at his side. Eventually, Swan's head broke the water and she spluttered, wiping her hair away from her face. She heaved herself out of the water, her clothes sodden and dripping her hair forming a curtain around her face as she stood up. The lifeguard was about to get down and help but seeing that Bella was ok and out of the water made him stop and get back on his seat again, a puzzled look on his face.

Edward was still frozen by the side of the pool as Swan hoisted herself out of the pool. Her clothes stuck to her skin, rivulets of water running down her legs and dripping off the tips of her fingers. She pushed her hair back with a mustered dignity, shivering as Goosebumps puckered her skin. Edward only stared, his face still formed in shock. She said something, her face tensed as she spoke.

Edward nodded, finally looking away, spare fist clenched as Bella gathered her shoes and stalked off, head held high.

Edward did not watch her go, but his jaw was clenched. He ran his fingers through his hair and his chest heaved with a sigh.

Jessica stopped the treadmill, looking away to stare off into the middle distance. She gritted her teeth, wondering what the hell she had just witnessed. She considered texting Jane about it, but realised that this could be detrimental to Edward's reputation.

She was pretty sure that something like this had never happened in Potts Academy.