Hiii =D … you all still with me!?
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter =/ … but oh well… can't be happy with all of them I suppose =/
Please enjoy though =D!
Chapter 8:
So my whole ingenious idea of taking control proved great in theory, but in practice, it wasn't working out so well. Over breakfast I'd concocted a plan that would solve all my problems. I was adamant that from now on I would do all I could to avoid spending time with him. I would remain civil, but not encourage. I would smile, but not engage in conversation. Besides, we had finals coming up, which meant we'd all be swamped with revision. In a few weeks I doubt we'd even have time to socially interact… I hoped anyway.
Then I remembered the camping trip. An entire day and night stuck in a forest with Edward Cullen. It was glitch, a minor one, but one I could work around.
Sadly that wasn't the only glitch however, because as most of my plans end up, it all went rather pear-shaped come 9am.
And the route of the problem was…?
Well, it starts with an 'A'.
Alice Brandon! Because wherever Alice was, Edward wasn't far behind. And vice versa. So avoiding Edward would mean avoiding Alice, my best friend. And I couldn't even bear the ramifications involved in doing that.
"Hey Bella!" she waved as she skipped towards me, her arms flinging around my neck to embrace me. How anyone could ever be that cheerful on an early school morning had me baffled. "Shopping tomorrow!" she beamed as she pulled away, before laughing as my face contorted into an involuntary grimace.
"I can hardly wait," I said with limited enthusiasm, forcing a smile; noticing as Edward and Jasper then grew increasingly close, as I spied them from the corner of my eye as they approached us.
"Bella," Jasper -a man of few words- gave me his usual nod as he reached a standstill, whilst Edward just smiled that flawless smile of his, and I quickly felt my knees go weak.
"Hi guys" I smiled back sheepishly, feeling as my cheeks already began to burn. Had I no self control at all anymore!?
Obviously not.
"So how was the movie?" Edward asked me, as we all simultaneously turned on our heels to head for the main school doors. We somehow then ended up pairing off; with Alice and Jasper marching off ahead, and Edward and I trailing behind at normal speed. We were like a couple of couples. Alice's doing, no doubt. In fact I'm almost certain I saw Alice tugging at Jaspers arm to pull him along faster.
I shrugged miserably, "It was alright. A little disappointing actually. It was going great until the end, when they stupidly decided to kill off one of the main characters. I wasn't impressed," I turned to look at him, only to see him wearing that little sideways smile he wears so well. I chose to look away and babbled on. "Call me crazy but I thought movies were supposed to carry you away into a happy make-believe fantasy land. Not make the fictional even more depressing than real life".
"Ah, right" he laughed a little. "And that would be one of the many reasons I can't stand period dramas". He told me, his face still smiling.
"Yeah, well" my face began to frown, "they're not all bad" I sulked slightly, suddenly feeling the need to stick up for them as I sensed they faced no mercy from Edward.
"Oh come on. They so are. And what did you expect anyway? Isn't that where the genre gets its name from?" he looked at me stupidly.
"Huh?" I frowned back at him.
"It has the word 'drama' in the title, i.e., dramatic, death, suicide. And any other depressing term that falls into that category. If you were expecting smiles and a bed of roses, maybe you should stick to Disney movies" he nudged my side and I leapt forward slightly laughing.
"You're very opinionated aren't you?" I said whilst laughing.
He shrugged back, "We all have our beliefs".
"Yeah well, might I add that it was all going great last night until you showed up. In fact I'm starting to think you're to blame for all of this. You probably jinxed it with all your negativity" I teased, my eyebrows rising and my head held high.
"Yeah, you think whatever you want to think. But just remember this, if I hadn't have shown up last night, you'd have had a wasted journey. You should be thanking me if nothing else," he spoke so pompously.
"How's that?" I asked in bewilderment as I stopped, my feet routed on the spot as I looked at him through smiling eyes.
"I provided you with 5 minutes of good quality banter. I gave you an insight into the mind of the young twentieth century male. It was all fascinating stuff, was it not?"
"Well, it was certainly an interesting experience. But don't flatter yourself too much" I smirked back and kept walking.
Making our way into class, I noticed Alice and Jasper had already taken to their seats. I shook my head in irritation as she'd purposefully sat beside Jasper, evidently leaving me on a table alone with Edward. She grinned at me wildly as we took to our seats. I knew her game; she couldn't be more obvious if she tried! I simply glared back at her, my eyes squinting as I flashed her a warning sign, to which she turned away, suddenly fidgeting nervously in her seat.
I took to my chair, smiling smugly. Oh how I loved to make her uncomfortable with just one simple glance.
My happiness was short lived however, and it was my turn to shift awkwardly in my seat, as Jessica Stanley, the gossip girl of Forks High School suddenly appeared at our desk.
"Hey Ed" I shuddered at the way she spoke his name, but busied myself in getting my books out.
"Hi … Jessica, is it?" he spoke with slight uncertainty, as I watched him place his glasses case onto the table through the corner of my eye. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of them. I did adore him in those black frames.
"Yeah, that's right. But you can call me Jess" she placed her hands on our table, nearest to Edward. Her attempt at using her body flirtatiously had me cringing. And I felt a sudden urge to jab my pen into her hand.
"Erm, I was just wondering if you had any plans for this weekend? There's this party I'm going too and…" but she was cut short as the teacher took to the floor. Thank goodness. Her voice grated me, not to mention I didn't appreciate where that conversation was headed. "Oh, never mind, I'll catch you later" she giggled as she practically skipped away, running her fingers through her hair in a desperate and completely unattractive way, to which I saw Alice to my left practically fuming.
I remained as rigid as possible. I was barely breathing, not even able to find pleasure in the fact that his glasses had now found their way onto his nose. And it wasn't until I felt a shoot of pain run through my hands, that I unclenched my fists, my nails retracting from where they had stabbed into my skin. No words were spoken from then on. And despite my efforts to focus solely on the lecture in hand, I couldn't help but feel deflated…
………………………..
"God did you see her!?" Alice failed to hold back the second that Edward and Jasper were out of earshot. They had computer class, whilst Alice and I had a free period. "The way she flaunted herself in front of him. How very unattractive!" she folded her arms across her chest as she huffed in disgust.
"Yeah well, Jessica's never had the knack of being subtle" I rolled my eyes before turning back to her. "And why do you even care anyway?" I asked out of curiosity. I knew for a fact Alice was ridiculously in love with Jasper, but my paranoia failed to listen and I had a sudden fear that I'd not only be competing with the whole of Forks Washington, but with my best friend as well!
Not that I would ever act on my feelings of course… I could never handle the inevitable rejection … but in my own fantasy land, in which Edward would happily obey my every wish, I probably would've asked him out by now.
"I care because I don't want my friend being paired up with some bitchie, blonde, gossip girl".
"Alice, you gossip all the time" I told her knowingly, as we took a seat at one of the library tables.
"Yes, but … I'm allowed too" she threw her head to the side in avoidance.
I laughed back, "whatever".
"So, you're not even bothered?" she asked me cautiously as she sat across from me.
I sighed, biting my lip, a habit I'd picked up from Emmett. "I … I don't know. Maybe, a little" I found myself starting to open up, only to back pedal as Alice's face lit up astonishingly. "But only because I don't want Jessica Stanley joining our group!" I quickly added, to which her face gradually fell. "God help us all if that happens!"
"Yeah, well, we're just going to have to do all we can to make sure that doesn't happen" she grinned deviously.
"Alice?" I looked at her worryingly. I'd hate to think what Alice now had up her sleeve.
"Time to start digging!" she rejoiced, as dread filled the pit of my stomach completely.
………………………………
It was 12pm. Lunch time. And there I was, stood awkwardly with my back against the side-wall to the music building, trying to mind my own business, as Alice tried her best to get into the mind frame of Edward Cullen.
Alice had spent the past hour formulating a plan; a one to one discussion of some kind, or bonding session she'd called it. And one of which, if proved successful, would answer all of our relationship questions.
Unfortunately, this so called bonding session went right out the window, and it was suddenly turning into a rather uncomfortable interview session.
It all happened so fast. One second I was probing her to reconsider, the next, she'd pounced on him. And all I was left to do was just stand there and cringe.
She'd started by making some excuse about not knowing much about him, to which she began firing questions at him. Favourite colour, favourite music? Any dark and painful secrets he wished to share with us? He found that last one rather amusing, saying he had a few stashed away, but would have to kill us if he told us them…
I think he was probably joking with that one... And then she landed on the topic of girls.
"What about them?" he asked, and my forehead crinkled in discomfort.
"Well, do you have a type? You know, just for future reference, so we can smile at the ones you like, and glare at the ones you don't".
I took a peek at his face, trying not to be too overt about it, and that crooked grin revealed itself again for the second time that day. "I don't know. I've never really thought about it. But I guess, anyone that's half as attractive as me, stands a small chance of getting noticed" he was as smug and as cocky as ever, but I strangely found that rather endearing. I guess it was also to be expected; you ask a petty question, you're likely to get a petty response.
"So I guess that rules Jessica Stanley out then" she smirked. And I think I almost held my breath. If I'd been sitting on a chair, I'd be on the edge of it right about now.
He laughed in return. "I don't know. Does it? I honestly haven't given her much thought". His head turned towards me and he flashed me a look of bewilderment; I could tell Alice amused him no end. I smiled back awkwardly before turning away, unable to stand my increasing levels of unease.
"Oh, ok. So you're not going out with her then?" I felt sick, wanting to hide myself. Alice was about as subtle as Jessica Stanley was! "I only ask because I happened to hear some vicious rumour that you might be dating her," she laughed a little, her eyes suddenly like golf balls as she awaited his answer.
"Nah" he smiled back at her, shaking his head. "I'm sure she's … lovely" he seemed to struggle for the correct word, I found a brief amount of pleasure in that. "But, I took a pass on that one. Besides, I've already got plans for this weekend".
"Oh right. Well, Great then! Thanks!" she grinned, "Gosh, look at the time. We've gota dash. Excuse us!" to which she spun on her heel, scurried straight towards me, grabbed my arm and pulled me in the opposite direction. We said a quick 'Hi' to Jasper as he made his way over towards Edward, before entering the building out of sight.
"Alice!? What the hell was that!?" I asked as we speed walked into the canteen. I could just imagine the look of bewilderment on Edwards face, as he'd watched us walk away like gossiping little school girls.
"Did you hear? He's not going out with her!" she said, utterly delighted.
"Yes but, how embarrassing was that. Couldn't you have been a little more subtle about it! How am I going to be able to look him in the eye after that!" I said mortified.
"Oh Bella, you know the only way to get any answers out of someone is to just ask them directly. And voila', success!"
I laughed, still bewildered and completely embarrassed by the events of the past 10 minutes. This girl desperately needed to be restrained; I swear she had no morals the majority of the time! But still, she did have a point. And no matter how excruciating I'd found the last 10 minutes, I definitely got the answer I'd been looking for!
A/N: Thanks again for reading!
Pretty please comment :) … It makes me happy and I might just update sooner than you think ;) xxx