Disclaimer: All rights belong to Stephanie Myers.
"Bella, you and Charlie just need to sit down and talk without a crowd. You're father and you have had a rocky relationship you just have to work it out." Renee had been giving the same speech since the dinner fiasco last night. I'd gotten home after the walk with Edward and ended up getting an hour long talking to about how Charlie didn't mean anything and that in a week I need to go back over and try to make things right with him. It's like it was my fault that we're estranged.
"Look mom, I'm not fixing anything with him. If he wants it fixed he will talk to me." Renee gave me the standard lighten up look, but this time it didn't work. I gave my mom a lighthearted smile and a small hug. I knew Renee wanted me to fix my relationship with Charlie before it was too late. I knew she wanted to make things better. The thing she didn't understand is that she's not the one that I need to want to make it better. Charlie needs to decide that. "I'm going to be late if I don't get going." I grabbed my bag from in front of the door.
"Are you getting a ride from Edward?" Phil asked cautiously. Phil didn't like Edward, I could tell from the look he gave Renee when I was leaving with him. In all fairness Edward did have Tanya screaming at him for being a manwhore in the middle of his house. I'm pretty sure that's a good reason for a dad not to like a teenage boy his daughter is hanging out with.
"Yes," I answered back just as cautiously.
"Just be careful, Isabella." I took a deep breath shaking my head at Phil. I knew he had a reason to tell me to be careful, that didn't mean I needed to like what he was saying.
"Look, I'm not going to make judgments about him because when I explained why Charlie said what he didn't look at me any differently." I explained shrugging my shoulders. Renee only tilted her head to the side. "You guys forgave me for what happened. You understood after a few weeks. The thing you don't understand is for that few weeks you guys looked at me just like Charlie, just like the girls at my school. You looked at me like I was never going to amount to anything other than some guys little housewife. Edward didn't look at me like that, and for me, right now, that meant something." Phil shook his head in understanding right as someone knocked on the door. I already knew it was Edward. Phil opened the door.
"Miss Swan," Edward joked seeing me. "Would you like a ride?" He tipped his hat like he was a driver making me giggle as I walked out the door.
"Why yes sir, I think I do," I joked back linking my arm through his as we walked to his sleek black car. "So, how does a teenager afford a car like this?" I asked as I got in the passenger seat. Edward shrugged his shoulders and pointed to Esme.
"Esme lets me keep it as long as my grades are up, I'm not fighting, and I don't do any stupid shit." It was her way of making sure he stayed out of trouble. "Looking forward to seeing Tanya today?" Edward had a joking tone in his voice. I was definitely not looking forward to seeing her. I already knew she was going to make my life a living hell, and I knew it was going to start today. I'd dealt with girls like Tanya before; they were vicious with the things they said.
"I mean, I hope all your friends like me because you're stuck with me now." Edward only laughed as he pulled into the parking spot next to Alice. Alice was standing with two people I wasn't introduced to yesterday. One was girl, a drop dead gorgeous supermodel like girl. The other was a man with shoulder length blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a smile that could kill you. What was up with all the attractive guys in a school like this? Arizona didn't even have this many head turners.
"There she is now," Alice motioned to me as I walked up. "Bella, this is Rosalie and Jasper." Rosalie simply looked me up and down just to turn her head away from me. Maybe not everyone in their group was going to like me. Jasper looked over at me, slowly looked me up and down making me blush, before his eyes rested on my face, and he gave me a warm smile.
"We skipped yesterday, went to Seattle for the day. Now I kind of wish I wouldn't have ditched out." I couldn't help the redness that took over my face. Jasper had a perfect southern accent automatically making him ten times hotter then he already was. Jasper walked away from Rosalie to stand next to me, and Edward went to stand with Rosalie. "Are your cheeks permanently red, or am I the one doing that?" He whispered low enough so only I could hear him.
"Maybe a little bit of both," I admitted sheepishly.
"Oh look, there's the high school whore," I heard Tanya's voice before I saw her. Rosalie turned around so fast I thought her neck was going to snap.
"That's original," I mocked not bothering to turn around and face her. She wasn't worth the effort it took to move a single finger let alone my whole body. I heard Tanya chuckle under hear breath already knowing she was going to say more.
"Wait, Bella, what was it they called you in Arizona?" My jaw clenched immediately. I didn't tell anyone, not even Edward the things that were said about me in Arizona, at least not all of them. "I mean there are a bunch of rumors circulating but I heard from my mother, who by the way does Renee's nails, which you left because you slept with your English teacher. So maybe a more appropriate nickname would be free blowjob Bella?" Tanya gave me a sickly sweet smile. I saw Jasper glance over at me. I saw Edward and Emmett take a step closer to me. I saw Rosalie and Alice both stare at me.
"Tanya, what's your problem?" Rosalie was the one to speak. Tanya only gave Rosalie a single glance before turning her glare back to me. "No seriously Tanya, what is your problem? She's been here less than a week and you're already starting drama." Rosalie was right. I'd been here less than a week, and she didn't have any real reason to cause all this drama.
"My problem is that she is the reason Edward broke up with me," she hissed making Rosalie give a loud laugh. Tanya took her death glare off me, and shifted her full attention to Rosalie.
"I'm sorry," Rosalie said through chuckles, "Edward ended things because we're together." Well at least that explained why he backed off so quick last night. It made sense; Rosalie wasn't at school yesterday, so they shoved me in the line of fire so Edward didn't have to deal with her all day long. Tanya stood there in silence as the first bell rang warning us to get to class. None of that drama was mine to deal with.
"Wait up," I turned my head around to see Jasper jogging up to me. "I'll walk you to class, you have English with Alice, Edward and Emmett, it's on my way," he explained slowing to a walk as he caught up to me. "You like it here so far." I shrugged my shoulders. I still hadn't decided if I liked it here. It was so much different than Arizona. Being different from Arizona wasn't a bad thing in any way, but the fact that Arizona was going to follow me around anywhere I went was one of the bad things.
"I'm still deciding." Jasper shook his head stopping outside of the English classroom as everyone started piling in. I stood outside the door with Jasper. "It's just very different."
"I'll give you that one. Rosalie and I left New York last year, so last year we were the new kids. I remember how unnerving it was to be a junior and be the new meat all over again." I made a mental note to ask him about why they would move from New York to Washington, but I knew I wasn't going to have enough time for that answer.
"Rosalie is your sister?" I asked making him laugh.
"Younger sister," he answered as the bell rang signaling we needed to be in our classrooms. Alice, Emmett, Edward, and Tanya all flew through the doors. "Professor Smith is very punctual; I'll see you around Newbie." Jasper winked as he ran back down the hallway. Guess his class was actually out of the way. I took my seat next to Edward; Alice seemed to be trying to watch mine and Jaspers conversation, because when I got inside the classroom her rigid posture toward the door relaxed.
"Forewarning," Edward whispered low enough so only I could hear. "Rosalie is Jasper's baby sister, and she does not like you." I turned to Edward raising my eyebrow. "Rosalie is an acquired taste. Alice and I made it very clear that you're in our group so she needs to be nice. She's still going to be a bitch. It's Rose." Great, I not only had Tanya hating me, I also had Rosalie to worry about. I rolled my eyes grabbing the assignment out of my binder.
English today wasn't nearly as stressful. We handed in our homework, and this time instead of debate class we read the ending of Romeo and Juliet aloud. It took the entire class giving no room for small talk. After what seemed like a full day of Tanya staring razor blades into my back the bell rang signaling the end of class.
"I'll walk you to second." Alice linked her arm through mine. "We've got Jasper and Rosalie in that class," I raised my eyebrow.
"I thought Jasper was a senior?" Alice shook her head confirming that he is.
"Anatomy is a senior class. I'm only in anatomy because I finished science credits last year. Anatomy is my elective." I gave her a confused look. "It has to be your elective too, that's the only way juniors get into it, unless you're trying to graduate early." I wasn't trying to graduate, but I also never took Anatomy as an elective. I didn't really get to pick my classes like I did last year. I had to take what had openings because I was entering in the middle of the school year.
"On a scale of one to ten how much does Rosalie hate me?" I asked knowing that I could ask Alice and she was going to give me a no bullshit answer. Alice seemed to be weighing on a scale in her head how much Rosalie didn't like me,
"Probably about a low eight," Alice admitted stopping outside of Anatomy. "She doesn't like that Jasper has eyes for you. He's had a rough go of it with girls in the past, and hasn't really looked at anyone like he looked at you since he's been here. He's never had a girlfriend, hasn't even gone on any dates. Rosalie is protective with him." At least I had a somewhat understanding as to why she seemed to hate me as we walked into the class. Alice pointed to the table where Jasper and Rosalie were already sitting.
"Hey stranger, long time no see," Jasper bumped my arm while I took my seat next to him.
"How late were you for class?" I teased. Jasper only gave me a crooked grin in response.
"About five minutes," he answered as the teacher walked up to the front of the classroom indicating that he was ready to begin the class. Yesterday all we did in anatomy was read through our books silently. If anyone tried to talk yesterday the teacher told us to settle down, like we were getting out of hand.
"Alright today pop quiz day. Someone tell Bella how we do pop quizzes in this class." Everyone in the class simultaneously groaned.
"In a nutshell, he will begin the lecture, then pick someone to continue it, when you're done you'll pick the next person. Really its torture, the only good part is you don't have to stand up there." Jasper explained no excitement in his voice whatsoever. No one in that class was wrong to groan, it was terrible. It took the entire class of the teacher asking random questions making everyone give him at least a five minute explanation. Based on your understanding is how you were graded.
"Alice, Edward, and Emmett are all coming to our place after school; you want to come hang out with all of us? You started on a shitty day of the week, and it's Friday, so I thought you'd want to see what weekends are like for us Washington kids." Jasper blurted out the question as soon as the bell rang signaling it was the next class. Rosalie only rolled her eyes and walked out of class with Alice.
"Only if you'll give me the ride, no offense but I'm not riding in a car with Rosalie." Jasper gave a loud laugh walking me out of the classroom.
"Fair. See you after school." Jasper ran off catching up to Emmett.
A/N: This chapter is a little shorter. First draft. Let me know your thoughts (: