Breaking Tides

4 February 2010

Sum: What if Edward wasn't the first vampire Bella met?

Chapter 2

Bella worried unnecessary for the next day, and for a whole week she managed to relax. The other siblings were there but Edward was no where to be seen. However, now confident in the fact that Edward was gone, she entered the classroom with Mike with absolutely no worries. Things were looking up for her, going to Port Angeles wasn't a problem, they'd watched a movie, had dinner and did a little bit of shopping. The boys hit on her, but she managed to brush them off tactfully and even set Mike up with Jessica and got Eric to ask Angela out. Tyler was more insistent and every time he asked her out, Lauren would glare at her and her attitude got more frosty towards her.

Bella tried to get Tyler interested in Lauren in return, she didn't need any more drama, in her life, and making another girl at the school mad at her, would only make her life a little more irritating. She'd tried talking to Lauren about it, she wasn't interested in Tyler, but she only got the cold shoulder and a brush off.

Mike was talking to her, so her back was slightly turned back to the door, and she smiled at whatever he said and said she'd talk to him later. With Mike it was just easier to be friendly and let his over-friendliness roll off and pretend she didn't understand what he was talking about and she had to halt the scream that wanted to escape her throat when she saw that her table was no longer empty.

In the spot next to her which had been vacant all week now sat the object of her fears. She tripped on her way over and the class snickered, but they were used to it by now. Edward had straightened as she landed on the floor and she helped herself up and pulled the stool as far away from him as she could. He too sat angled away, easier to see each other, but not in touching distance.

Bella turned her head towards the front of the room, she hoped that he would ignore her as she was him. "Hello." Bella's head snapped in his direction and was surprised to hear him talking to her. She had hoped that he would just be the normal bloodsucking vampire he was, and only talk to the one he was mated with. "Careful, you might hurt yourself that way."

"Why would you care?" Bella frowned and turned towards her notes to adjust the spelling of something she hadn't been paying attention to.

"I'm sorry?" He turned his head to take a deep breath and returned his attention to her.

"Just leave me alone." Bella's face scrunched up in distaste and turned away from him.

"My name is Edward, I believe yours is Bella?" He leaned forward to look in her face but kept the distance away from her.

"It is." Bella bit her bottom lip to keep from having an outburst in the classroom as well as her earlier one against Emmett, Edward no doubt had heard about it and was trying to see if she knew their secret. If she did, she was surely a goner, and Emmett couldn't do it himself as she already freaked out because of him and the reaction might have just been because he was a giant.

"Is it just the men or the entire family that you have a problem with?" His tone sounded just a little annoyed.

She glanced at him, feeling the same emotion towards him and not letting this drop. She looked over at him and she saw the confusion that seemed to be a normal expression on the vampire's faces. "You know, I would have to say it's your whole family."

"Look, I'm sorry about the way I acted last time."

"I like to be left alone, thank you."

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I just like the simple life., you would change that."

"How did you find out?" He was instantly serious and the intensity was back.

"Find out what?" Bella asked, turning her attention back to him.

"You ever been told that you're a horrible liar?" He asked. "I might not be able to read your mind, but your face is pretty open."

"Whatever. I'm not going to out you, so just leave me alone."

"You sure about that?" Edward demanded, his eyes scanning her face and looking for any indication that she was about to lie.

"It wouldn't matter if I did, you'd be gone, and I'd be dead and you'd have no consequences. It's in my best interest to keep quiet."

Edward didn't say anything for a long time, and the lines of tension in his form never faded, they both looked ahead to listen to the teacher. A long time later he seemed to come to terms with what he wanted to say. "You're wrong, you know."

Bella hesitated before asking, this could end up very badly for her anyways, she might be wrong about them leaving if they killed her, it wasn't exactly a linear pattern. "About what?"

"We wouldn't kill you, we'd just leave."

"Why would you do that and allow me to spread it around even more?" She shouldn't have asked it, because then it wouldn't have suggested that he should kill her and encourage it.

He only moved his head slightly side to side. "Let's just say we're not like that."

Bella's eyes jumped to his to try and understand and was taken aback by their color. "You-" She gasped, unable to look away.

"What's wrong?" He searched her eyes and frowned, all he was getting from her was wide eyes.

"Uh..." She lost her train of thought, he was the most gorgeous man and undead man she had ever seen. "Stop trying to dazzle me." She complained, short on breath.

"You first." He countered and together they both tried to pull their eyes away. They succeeded with some effort. "Now tell me what has just caused you some alarm."

Bella took a deep breath before bracing herself to admit something more on what she knew. "Your eyes are gold."

"And?" He asked. "I thought you knew what I was."

"No... they're usually red. Yours were black, meaning you were hungry, meaning you've fed, but how-"

Edward pushed the slides towards her, the teacher just finished explaining their assignment. "Ladies first." Edward leaned away and took a deep breath and turned back to her. "It's difficult to explain, I need to talk to my family first, but all you really need to know is that we don't hunt humans."

Bella's eyes narrowed in response. "Then how do you feed?"

"Animals."

"Oh." Bella looked surprised. "Does that work?"

Edward laughed. "It has been."

Bella looked into the microscope. "Anaphase."

"May I look?" Edward asked but he made no move to touch the microscope. Bella moved it closer to him, aware that he was struggling and she shouldn't trust him at all, that's how things got so complicated in the first place, but he knew she knew, and he had given her the most interesting explanation for something that didn't make any sense in what she knew about vampires.

He took it when it was a safe distance away from her, and looked it for a split second. "Anaphase."

"Like I said." Bella stated with a raised eyebrow. She wanted to know about his reaction to her, the other vampires seemed slightly curious but none had such a reaction to her. It might have been because he was a different type of vampire, but then again Emmett didn't have such a reaction, he merely seemed puzzled.

"Prophase." He stated on the next slide and she reached for it without completely thinking and encountered his cold skin. He pulled back like he was burned, and she wasn't sure if it translated like that, since she was so much warmer than he, if he would feel like he was burning, just like she felt extreme cold. Then again, why would they want human blood so badly if it was painful?

She looked in it and agreed with him aloud, ignoring the strange reactions he always seemed to be exhibiting, it didn't follow with any vampire traits she'd seen or learned about and he definitely wasn't responding like a human did.

"Like I said." Edward repeated her own words and she laughed.

"I guess we both know what we're talking about."

"It seems like it." Edward agreed, with his own crooked smile.

Bella felt her self being moved towards him and she had to physically jerk herself away from him. "God you guys are so good at it!" She grumbled and turned away forcefully. "Just leave me alone. I'm not part of your project or experiment or entertainment!"

"Bella?" He asked concerned. "What are you talking about? I was just making conversation with you, it's so easy with you."

"Because I know? And because you're a vegetarian?" Bella shook her head. "No way, its all the same, you might have a different meal plan but your intentions are the same. You all intend to mess with the humans."

"Where are you getting this from?" He grouched. "We stay away from the other humans, we aren't trying to mess with anyone, we're just living our lives over and over again because we don't want to move as often." He said all of this in a harsh whisper so no one would over hear them.

Bella shook her head. "Just leave me out of this, pretend I'm like everyone else."

"Fine." He snapped, irritated. "That'll be easy, it'd be better for me anyways."

He turned away from her to start the leaving her alone. "Look, I'm sorry, I don't want to make you mad. It's just I've had enough of this, that's why I'm here."

"It's ok, we shouldn't be friends. It's not safe for you."

"Fine." Bella said in a tone similar to his. She looked forward, ignoring him.

"Now it's my turn to be sorry. I don't mean to be rude, it's just- it's hard for me to be around you, but I already tried to leave and I couldn't stay away."

"Your family was here." Bella whispered, understanding.

"Something like that." He shut the conversation down.

Bella rolled her eyes and went back to her notes, he was so bipolar, then again, when it came to him and his family, she wasn't exactly steady in her course either, shit she'd screamed and yelled at Emmett when she first met him and then held a conversation with his brother, even though she knew the dangers associated with it. Then she abruptly removed herself from him and accused him of psyching her out and using all of the humans. He seemed so honest, but she couldn't believe it, they were amazing liars.

The teacher came over when he discovered them working on something other than the assignment and looked at it. "Edward, did you do it all yourself? Didn't think to give Bella a chance?"

"I did at least three of the 5, sir." Bella interrupted.

"Have you done this lab before?"

Bella shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"Done something similar?"

"Yes."

Edward watched the conversation with curiosity but he didn't say anything.

"All right then." The teacher shook his head and walked away but not before plopping the golden onion down on their table.

"You can keep it." Edward said instantly and Bella raised an eyebrow like she didn't already know that, what would he have done with it? He laughed. "Sorry."

Bella shook her head and went back to her doodling, but there was a smile along her lips. She was in so much trouble, and for some reason she didn't seem as appalled by that idea as she should be. She was going to die, one way or another and it didn't bother her like she thought it should. She was so screwed.

Edward sat there and stared at her as she worked, blocking out the rest of the world. The real reason he was back he couldn't share with her yet, but one thing he did know for sure was that he would not end her life, not if he could help it.

He was intrigued by her, he couldn't read her thoughts and despite clear warning that she didn't want him anywhere near him, she seemed inappropriately not scared of him. Or at least not enough, any other human would be running out screaming and not stick around for a week in a building filled with vampires and definitely not sit next to one and make small talk when he started it.

Mike's thoughts though had turned slightly negative when he saw them talking, but he was slowly putting it aside as classroom discussion as they weren't now. That Cullen better not think he can move in on my girl!

Edward rolled his eyes internally, Mike was now 'dating' Jessica, when he still made eyes at Bella and from what he'd been able to garner from passing thoughts during the day, Bella had no interest in any of the males that had hit on her. But she remained friends with them, and talked with them, and did things together. That's why it was so weird to recollect that with her behavior that Emmett remembered when she first saw him, and she had a right to be scared there- and now with him. It only made so much sense that she knew that they were vampires, but none of her reactions made any sense. If she knew it, wouldn't she try to get them to leave?

But he would try to respect her wishes, but she too seemed confused on what she wanted, only time would tell what would happen. He believed her when she said she wasn't going to talk, and she hadn't, even though she knew, and how she knew was suspect, but she did. He'd check with Alice, just to be safe, but he had a feeling that they'd be sticking around Forks for a while yet, which fit in exactly with his family's plans. Crisis was adverted. It just begged the question- if she had met a vampire before, how was she still alive? Maybe she had a different source- or had met another vegetarian vampire, but then she wouldn't have been surprised at the eyes and the color not being red. He smirked at that word, vegetarian, wait until his family heard it in use, they'd enjoy it and probably use it as well from now on. He'd have to talk to Carlisle about a meeting with the wolves, if they still believed it or still had their ability to change and if they've been spreading stories around.

It was Isabella Swan wasn't it? As in Chief Swan's daughter? Edward had heard through the grape vein that he was real close to a lot of the reservation people and by association, so too could Bella. He'd have to watch and look for any signs that anyone else was hearing anything from them.

Class was over, and he had no intention of running out quickly this time around, he still couldn't handle her scent but she intrigued him too much to miss a moment he could observe her. Mike came to stand next to the desk and Bella finished packing up, but didn't look like she was going to try to leave any time either, and Mike interrupted anything they could have said to each other. He was still sending jealous thoughts his way and leaned against the desk.

"I see you won the competition. Wow you must be smart!"

"I guess... I never really thought about it." Bella responded off-handed.

"Ready to go to your next class? I'll walk you."

"I-" Bella stood up and looked back at Edward a little unconcerned but then she changed her mind. "Let's go."

Edward watched them leave the room and watched through Mike's eyes as they walked down the hall. They got to the doors to go outside and Bella stopped just outside of them. "Thanks Mike, but you should head to your class, it's all the way across campus from mine. I don't want you to be late."

"Hey Bella!" Edward jumped to his feet as he heard Alice call out to her, they've never spoken before and he was a little afraid of what she would do to the accord that he'd created with her. If one of the other vampires scared her, she might change her mind.

"Alice!" He growled, and she returned his warning with a mental response. Relax, her future hasn't changed, it's still two options, death or vampire. Ok, three, growing old, but that's a weak option and it flickers all the time. So quit it, I like her best as a vampire. Don't you dare think of doing that! Fine, I'll leave her alone.

He'd thought about destroying her entire wardrobe. Alice walked away from the duo, letting it be just a random acknowledgment and shout out. Bella was looking at Alice's retreat a little confused and Mike said something to her to bring her back from her irritatingly hidden thoughts. Earth to Bella! He said, and a hand on her arm.

Edward growled and had to hold himself back from ripping Mike's arm off, he calmed himself down quickly when Bella shifted and his hand dropped to his side. He didn't know how it happened, but between wanting her blood so badly it hurt to a simple conversation with her, he felt something towards the mysterious girl, and he didn't know what it was, but part of it was a fierce protectiveness of her. He didn't want anyone to get close enough to her to touch her let alone hurt her.

That only meant that he couldn't go anywhere near her, not only because of his feelings, but because he didn't want to be the person that hurt her.

So he let her walk away and finish her day.

EAN: Sorry guys, I couldn't resist the EPOV there, hope you got it. I don't know how often it will happen. It's all about how it will play out, no?