CHAPTER NINE – BEAUTIFUL DISASTER

BELLA POV

I woke up before my alarm had the chance to wake me. I literally jumped out of bed and ran to my wardrobe. I had a shower last night so I just pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans with a black long sleeve top. I quickly got dressed and put on my pair of black converse and accompanied my outfit with a black hooded jacket. I flung my bag over my shoulder and grabbed my keys from the side.

Today was Friday so I had Art with Conner's, free period, then I had double Harding, first History then Social studies. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a lesson of Social Studies but for some reason I knew I would from now on purely because I knew that Edward would be in my class. I stuck to my promise that I made to myself, I said that if Edward spoke to me first then I would speak to him back and he did. I must admit at first the conversation was awkward but during the free period we shared together I already felt like I could see a glimpse of the real Edward underneath the tough guy exterior. He was just a normal person just like everybody else and I must admit he was quite observant.

"This is unacceptable behaviour" I heard my dad shout.

I crept to the door and half opened my bedroom door. His voice sounded muffled so I presumed that he must be in his study. I crept out the hallway to the banister and slowly crept down the stairs avoiding the fifth and second step because they creaked.

"Yes I know that Mr. Langford" he continued.

I crept through the living room and hugged the corner of the wall a few feet away from his study.

"How the fuck am I suppose to explain this to the department?" he raised his voice.

Explain what? I've never heard my dad swear before so this must have been a heated conversation. Who the hell was this Mr. Langford? I'm sure he was the same person who my dad was speaking to in his office a few days ago.

"Don't tell me to calm down this program is getting out of control"

Program what program?

"Yes, but" he paused "I'm calling another board meeting we need to discuss these errors" he said more calmly.

I heard footsteps so that was my queue to leave. I quickly crept back through the living room and into the kitchen. I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and pulled out the essentials to make turkey sandwiches.

"Bells" Charlie shouted.

"In here" I replied.

I continued to make my sandwich as he entered.

"Morning" I smiled.

He looked like he hadn't sleep all night, he was in the same clothes as yesterday but his shirt was unbuttoned half way down and his hair looked like he had been running his fingers through it all night.

"Everything alright" I asked.

"Yeah, just been up with paperwork and stuff I'm not going to be in work today I have important stuff to attend to in Port Angeles so I'll probably be home late again." he told me.

"Alright"

He pulled me into a quick hug and he kissed the top of my head.

"Be good" he said before he left.

I finished up making my sandwich then cleared the mess away. I wrapped the sandwich in a plastic food bag and put my lunch in my bag before I left. I walked out the kitchen then through the front door. I quickly walked down the porch steps and climbed into my car. I threw my bag on the passenger seat before I drove to school.

I pulled up inside the parking lot. There wasn't many students but considering the time on my dashboard then school didn't start for another forty five minutes. I parked up in my usual space and grabbed my bag before I climbed out the car. I walked through the parking lot and up the steps then walked through the detectors and in the entrance. I quickly made my way through the hallway and out the side access to the courtyard. I usual got to school early enough to miss the rush and I spent my time in the courtyard reading or doing homework.

I walked over to the lunch shelters and surprisingly I sat on the top of the table instead of in the seat. I pulled out my copy of Pride and Prejudice out my bag and began to read.

Ch.10 - Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.

I have always been a sucker for love stories, or maybe I was just a sucker for fiction all together. I enjoyed reading because I could sit there for hours and just escape from reality and into other worlds created by brilliant authors. I suppose my life could be made into a novel and maybe a movie one day, it would have been rated pg thirteen but since I moved here I can clearly say that it had to have been upgraded to at least an eighteen without a doubt, and maybe be put in the horror section.

In today's era then you could say that Elizabeth was just a rebel who just wanted to find her own way through life and marry a man for love and not just for security. I haven't even had the opportunity to have a boyfriend let alone find love. Even though I haven't had a boyfriend doesn't mean I haven't experienced what goes on in the bedroom, and that is something I tried not to remember and vowed never to bring up again.

I must have been reading for a while because I heard the sounds of cars pulling up in the parking lot. I was about to turn the page but I froze as I heard somebody clear there throat.

"Hey you, principles daughter" I heard a husky voice speak.

I hesitated at first but eventually looked up into this boys eyes. I recognised him instantly, he was in my Chemistry class and he had picked my book up that I had dropped. He skin was an olive shade and he had long black hair with dark eyes. I didn't know his name but I'm pretty sure that he wasn't a member of the black hearts. I didn't answer him instead I looked back down and put my book back in my bag.

"You're in my Chemistry class aren't you?" He asked.

Still I said nothing. I slowly climbed off the table but he barricaded himself in front of me so I couldn't move.

"What the problem, are you a fucking mute" He laughed.

"No" I whispered.

"Oh, so you can speak" he applauded me.

"Yes I can and I can scream as well so leave me the fuck alone" I spat.

"Feisty as well, I like it" he smiled a sinister smile.

"I don't believe this is the way to your class Mr. Black" Came another voice.

He spun around causing an opening so I quickly hurried to the side door where one of the guards was standing. The bell rung and I quickly walked down the hallways to Art. I walked into the classroom and took my seat by my easel without acknowledging anybody.

I didn't even know why that boy paid any attention to me at all because this was the first time he had even spoke to me since school first began. I guess I knew the reason why but I didn't want to admit it to myself. The look in his eyes made it all to clear as to what his intentions were and it made me feel disgusted and sick to my stomach. A little over a year ago I had been on the receiving end of that look before but the only difference was that this time somebody intervened.

"Bella are you alright" Rose asked beside me.

I haven't even noticed the tears that trickled down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away with my sleeve and swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Yeah" my voice was barely a whisper.

I was glad that Ms. Conner's started talking then because I didn't have to explain to Rose's curious eyes.

The time went by too quickly if you ask me, mind you it always did in Art because we were left to be creative in our own little worlds. The bell rung which drew me back to reality, I looked down to my drawing but sin nothing but a red circle in the centre that faded into darker shades then eventually black circles. It reminded me of the picture the little boy drew in the film The Ring. I was so spaced out I didn't even remember drawing it.

"Whoa, that's deep" Rose perked up scanning my picture.

I shook my head and stood up.

"Yours is great" I smiled looking at her picture of a pink Rose.

"It's a self portrait if you ask me" she giggled.

She linked my arm and we began walking out of class. She too had a free period so we made our way through the hallways and out the side access to the courtyard. Emmett was already sat under the lunch shelter as we walked out. Rose giggled and let go of my arm and ran over to him. I walked to an empty table and sat on the top of it. I crossed my legs and pulled out the apple from my bag. I took a bit and froze as Edward came out the side access. The chuck of apple stayed frozen in my mouth as my jaw made no movement to chew. Rose was also frozen on Emmett's lap but Emmett was none the wiser.

"Sup Cuz" Emmett said.

"Alright mate" Edward replied walking over to us.

Edward looked like he had got into a fight with Mike Tyson and lost. His right eye was black and both of his cheekbones were bruised. His lip was split and his jaw line looked swollen. He kept his left arm tucked up to his side and he limped slightly. He walked straight over to me ignoring Emmett's signal to sit down by him. He sat on the table top next to me and forced a smile out. I didn't want to feel as if I was gawking so I torn my gaze from his injured and chewed the piece of apple still in my mouth.

"Hi" He smiled.

"Hi" I smiled back.

What the hell had happened to him? He used his right arm to receive his cigarettes from his pocket and winched as he stared to reach for what I could only guess was his lighter.

"Here" I said putting my apple down.

He nodded for approval so I reached into his pocket for him to receive his lighter.

"Thanks" he said.

I should have stopped there but I didn't, instead to pulled out a cigarette from the box and put it in his mouth and lit it for him. What the hell was I doing?

"Thanks" he said out the corner of his mouth.

I put the lighter down on top of his smokes and picked my apple back up. I didn't know why I did that for him but it seemed like whenever Edward was around my movements moved fluidly without me thinking about them.

"Are you alright?" I asked with sympathetic eyes.

Nice question Bella considering the state of him. I scowled at myself. Maybe you should ask him if his injures actually hurt or did they just suddenly appear when he woke up.

"I'll live" he smirked.

I must admit even despite of his injuries he was a beautiful disaster. Edward always looked well, nice and it confused me as to how anybody could hurt him.

"Sorry I um" I paused "I didn't mean it like that, I meant well" I paused again.

And queue the blush, for god sake Bella shut up. I groaned at myself.

"Of course you're not a right, you, well" I continued.

Or just continue talking and make an idiot out of yourself.

"Bella, its fine" He smiled. "And thank you for asking" he added.

"You're welcome and I'm sorry I tend to waffle on until somebody stops me and" I paused and blushed "And it looks like I'm doing it again" I finished looking down.

He laughed which caused me to giggle.

"Ouch, ouch" He said causing me to look back up.

He gripped at his stomach and winched in pain.

"Don't make me laugh it hurts" He continued to laugh.

"What's so funny" Emmett perked up at the other table.

"Nothing" Edward smirked.

I finished my apple and climbed of the table and put the core in the bin. I returned to the table and pulled out my sandwiches. I offered half to Edward but he declined.

"You sure, its turkey" I smiled.

"No thank you" he smirked.

"Did someone say turkey" Emmett perked up.

He jumped up out of his seat and placed Rose on the seat next to him. I was still wary of him but this time I didn't make myself look invisible. He jogged the short distance between us with a huge grin on his face.

"Yeah and its mine" Edward perked up.

He snatched half the sandwich away from my lap and began stuffing it into his mouth.

"Bitch" Emmett spat at him.

Edward laughed as the sandwich began peeking back out his lips. I couldn't help but laugh back.

"Here" I said giving my half to Emmett.

"Aw, thanks sis" he grinned taking it off me to eagerly.

Sis, since when did anybody call me sis? I flinched as he wrapped his big arm around me and began to pull me close to him.

"See somebody loves me" Emmett sarcastically grinned to Edward. "You're my new favourite person" he said before stuffing his face.

"I thought I was your favourite person" Rose scowled in the background.

He removed his arm and began walking back to Rose.

"Aw, you know you're my best girl babe" Emmett fluttered his eyelids.

"What class you got next" I asked changing the subject.

"Math" he sighed inhaling his smoke. "You?"

"History"

He stopped inhaling and held the smoke in for ages before he blew it out. I could see by the look on his face that something was wrong.

"You alright?" I whispered.

It was like my voice had pulled him back to reality. He shook his head and relaxed.

"Yeah, um, can" he paused.

I waited for him to speak but he looked like he was debating with himself.

"Yes" I pushed.

"Can you do me a favour?" he asked.

Ok this seemed bizarre considering I never get asked to do anything by anybody especially since nobody even noticed me enough to even say hi let alone ask me a favour.

"Ok" I whispered.

"Can you just" He paused again tiring to consider the right words "I have a feeling that something not right with Mr Harding"

"Like what" I asked.

"I know it seems" he paused again "It seems a bit stupid me asking, but could you be careful around him" he finished.

As soon as the words left his lips I wanted answers.

"And please don't ask why" He added.

So much for me wanting answers, I was always carful with everybody including the teachers but why did he feel the need to ask now and why did he choose the word carful? Did he no something about Mr Harding? Was the teacher up to something? Was he dangerous? All these questioned filled my mind but I didn't want to push Edward any further.

"Ok" I whispered with wondering eyes.

I could tell that he wanted to tell me something but there were other ears here.

"Do you want to talk" I whispered not loosing eye contact with him.

He didn't respond so I couldn't no for sure.

"Like, other there" I nodded to the other side of the courtyard.

He knew what I meant straight away and he nodded slightly. He swung his legs around and jumped off the table. I grabbed my bag and flung it over my shoulder and climbed off the table.

"Where are you two lovebirds going?" Rose asked.

"I bet there going to do it" Emmett howled with laugher.

"Fuck you" Edward hissed at him.

I blushed as I kept my head down and followed Edward to a more secluded place. As I turned the corner of the building Edward climbed up and sat on top of the metal railing. I hugged myself and stood against the wall and waited for him to speak.

"First of all not a word to anybody" he started.

"Ok"

He paused and inhaled some more smoke.

"I think Mr Harding had something to do with Eric's death" he said.

Ok this, I was not expecting then all new questions and thoughts entered my head first of all who was Eric?

"Eric?" I asked sounding more like a question.

"The boy from yesterday" he told me.

Rose had told me that someone had Od'd from the black hearts but I didn't know his name or who he was.

"I thought he Od'd" I said.

"He could have done but, I don't know this whole thing is fucked up" he said pulling at his hair.

"So how does Mr. Harding fit into this?"

"I had history last period yesterday, Eric came in totally fucked out his head, anyway Mr Harding took him out the room and when he came back I noticed that he had a gold chain in his hand which was covered in blood. I can't say for sure that it was Eric's but it looked just like the one his mother gave him." he finished.

"Maybe Eric tried to attack him and Mr Harding retaliated in self defence" I said.

He shook his head at my assumption.

"Eric wasn't the violence type. He was totally fucked out of his head he couldn't have even walked in a straight line let alone start a fight"

I considered everything that he was telling me but I couldn't for the life of me wrap my head around a teacher killing a student. I knew there was something weird going on with the teachers but stuff like that didn't happen. In the midst of it all though I couldn't shake the feeling that Edward somehow stumbled across something much worse than just a suicide. Maybe there was some truth to his statement and we were on the path to something much more sinister. I remembered Edwards's reaction when I sin him in the parking lot yesterday after school, I knew something was wrong then but why didn't he tell me then?

"Was this what you were going to tell me after school yesterday" I asked.

He nodded and inhaled from his cigarette again.

"Why didn't you tell me then and why are you telling me now?"

"Bella, you seem like an intelligent person so I'll let you figure it out, you told me yesterday that you thought something weird was going on with the teachers. I thought by telling you that you could see if for yourself and make your own assumptions, I knew now body would believe me but you seem like the only other person in this place who has got there fucking head screwed on" he finished.

"I've seen what all three teachers are capable of and I would agree with you that there methods of discipline is a bit extreme but you can't expect me to believe that they are actually killing students"

"Bella, I'm not asking you to believe me I'm asking you to believe the possibility that it might be happening"

"Ok so let's say for example it is happening don't you think the school would know about it, don't you think" I paused.

He looked at me and I could tell that he knew what I was about to say.

"Look I'm not saying that your farther has any involvement" he defended himself.

"No you're just implying that he knows something" I finished for him.

He threw his cigarette on the floor and growled to himself.

"This is why I didn't fucking say anything yesterday" he shouted.

His jaw locked and for the first time ever I actually felt scared of him. I followed my instinct and turned to leave.

"Wait" he pleaded.

I froze in my track and heard him hop of the railing and walk over to me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to" he paused.

I looked up at him to see that his jaw was still locked. He pinched the bridge of his nose and winched as his hand brushed past his cheekbone.

"I'm sorry there was no need to shout at you" he apologised which made me relax.

"It's fine" I whispered.

"No its not I shouldn't have shouted at you, look I just didn't want you to have to defend your farther especially to me of all people. I didn't say that your farther was involved but if it is true about Mr. Harding then he or they or whoever must be either doing it without anybody knowing or worse the department know and this is their way to somehow restore order to Forks"

"It makes no sense" I sighed.

His theory was a good idea but still it was just a theory.

"I don't understand, if this was the department's way of putting order to the town then why not kill us all now, why do it one by one? Why not just drop a bomb on the place for god sake?" I said.

"Publicity maybe" he scoffed "I mean let's say for instance that they did come in guns blazing or they dropped a bomb as you said. Even though there isn't any laws in Forks, the rest of the country still follow the rules so they can't just come in kill us for no reason. If any of us pulled a gun out and fired at them then yeah they are allowed to take us down no questioned asked but considering the fact that Forks is a free fire zone and civilians like yourself" he smirked at me "Still resides here then they can't, I'll say remove us from society without breaking the law themselves" he finished.

Again he had a valid point, it was against the law for anybody who came from a law abiding town to commit murder so even if the department or police wanted to come in and kill us they couldn't anyway unless they did it secretly which brought me to my next theory.

"Or the department and the school doesn't know and the teachers are secretly killing students and making it look like suicides" I joked.

I could tell that he didn't appreciate my little joke.

"Look, were probably just getting ahead of ourselves as to what actually happened. I believe that there could be a possibility that Mr Harding might have had something to do with Eric's death but we will never know the truth so there nothing we can do" I said.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and winched again.

"Yeah you're right, we will never find out. The department could be involved or they might not be, but anyway thanks for listening" he smiled.

"Don't mention it, hey we could always just monitor them, you know see if their any more weirder"

"Sounds like a plan, I've got Social Studies last lesson so we can monitor Mr Harding together" he smiled.

This whole thing could have just been blown way out of proportion so the only thing we could basically do was start at the bottom and try to uncover the truth that way. As the teachers were watching us we would watch them back. I could somehow sneak into my dad's office and take a look to see what goes on behind his desk. Whatever we planned to do we would do it together because that's what we were, in this together.

"Yeah, we can be like" I paused.

"Like ninjas" he said karate chopping the air.

I laughed and began to walk back around to the lunch shelters.

"You know that joke you made before was a good theory I hadn't actually thought about, I mean if Eric's looked like he had been pulverised to a pulp after Mr Harding was the last person to see him then how the fuck was he suppose to explain it to the department?" he said walking away.

It was like a light switch went off in my head as he repeated my father's words this morning. My father had said the exact same thing to this mysterious Mr Langford on the phone. Did my farther know something was going on? As much as I didn't want to believe it mine and Edwards conversation was becoming all too real. Even if something was going on regardless if my dad or the department knew about it, there was nothing that myself or Edward could do about it anyway.

Edward trusted me enough to tell me about his theories even though I could have acted harshly by him pointing the finger at my farther. I could easily run to my farther and tell him about our conversation which would have gotten both of us in a lot trouble. I wouldn't dare tell my farther mainly because I truly did believe that something was not right and if this whole thing was a secret then telling my farther that I knew along with Edward could have had dire consequences and partly because I trusted Edward also and I wasn't going to throw him into the deep end alone.

I didn't consider Edward a friend because as I said before friends were people I couldn't trust and friends were people who betray you the worst way possible, so I thought of him more as a close acquaintance.