BPOV
I was pretty sure I was in shock. Walking through the halls with Edward's hand holding mine was pretty amazing, but everyone we passed was looking. I hated attention with a big fiery passion.
Edward squeezed my hand, smiling down brightly at me. I couldn't help but smile back. His smile was infectious, and he was super cute. As we walked down the halls of Forks High, almost everyone stood by their lockers gawking at us.
I heard the shocked bellow. "What. The. Fuck."
I knew Jessica's shrill voice from anywhere. It didn't take my eyes long to seek her out. She wasn't far from my locker, seeing as hers was only a few banks down from mine. Mike and Tyler were with her as well, and they were all glaring at us.
Edward stopped walking once we were at my locker. He leaned against it, looking at his feet, and then his eyes met mine. I watched him tap my locker.
"Yes?" I asked, peering up at him.
He then tapped his watch. I rolled my eyes and opened my locker. Edward stood watching me.
"Hey Bella," Tyler grinned, leaning on the other side of my locker.
"Tyler," I nodded, grabbing my books.
I saw Edward's fist form in my periphery. I hurried stuffing my Chem book into my messenger bag before any kind of trouble broke out.
"Well, see you later," I said, snatching Edward's hand in mine.
As I tried to propel us down the very crowded hallway, I noticed Edward looking over his shoulder and openly glaring at Tyler. I squeezed his hand, gaining his attention. Surprisingly, Edward was the one guiding me to my English class. I didn't know how he knew, and it wasn't like I could ask. A few people pushed past us into the room. Edward kind of leaned me against the wall observing me.
"Bella," he said with a smile, twining our fingers together as they hung by our sides.
Again, I couldn't help but smile back. I saw his face move closer, and his lips approach mine. I closed my eyes, feeling his lips hit my cheek. He so totally kissed my cheek, and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped, maybe just a little. I kept my eyes closed, but could feel the toe of Edward's boot lightly hit the toe of my Toms. His nose then skimmed my cheek, making my eyes finally open.
"Bye," I said, studying his face.
He nodded and detached his fingers from mine. He shoved his hands in his pockets, slowly backing away from me.
"Bye," he said only to me.
As he turned around, I noticed everyone stood gaping at him as he left. Rose huffed past me, almost knocking me over. Mike hurried to right me so I wouldn't fall.
"Thanks," I sighed.
"So, you and Masen, huh?"
"We're friends," I grumbled.
"Right," he frowned and took his seat as I took mine.
I felt like this morning's little display made school a million times worse. The switch had definitely been flipped. I thought everyone cared about me being Emmett's girlfriend. Well, I was wrong. Everyone cared that I was Edward Masen's girlfriend. Guys were pissed, girls were pissed. I had no idea that many people cared about our lives. I don't know who was more bitchy to me, Rosalie or Jessica. Alice and Emmett seemed to be the only people that were nice to me.
After fourth period, I snuck into the girls' room to take a breather. I looked in the mirror, noticing I was still the same girl I saw this morning before I left the house. I traced my freckles, taking one finger from one cheek across the bridge of my nose to my other cheek.
"I think it rocks that you don't have to wear makeup," A voice chirped from beside me.
I glanced in the mirror, watching Alice apply her eyeliner.
"Uh…thanks?"
"You're like a natural beauty," she continued. "I wish I didn't need to make an effort."
"You're really pretty," I supplied.
"You think?" she pouted out her lips to her mirror self.
"Yeah," I nodded.
"Thanks," she said, turning to grin at me.
"No problem," I mumbled, leaning against the counter.
"You know the whole threesome thing was fake, right?" she asked, copying my stance.
"Edward kind of explained it all to me," I frowned, still not comfortable thinking about it.
"Good, 'cause me and him aren't like that. I mean sure he's hot and all, but we don't have sex and stuff."
"Just with each other or at all?" I don't even know why I just asked that.
"We have our v-cards. I mean, I don't have mine by choice. My boyfriend is who I wanted my first to be, and he is nineteen. He says I have to be legal or whatever. So, I guess I'm going to have to wait… Edward, though, doesn't say why he is, but hell, he doesn't like the girls in Forks. They're all… slores," she staged whispered. "I can tell you're good people, though."
"I guess I should take that as a compliment?"
"Oh, most definitely," she waved her hand down.
I laughed at how quirky she was. I'd never met anyone as forward as her other than Edward.
"So are you hiding out in here?"
"I don't know," I pursed my lips. "It's a lot… I'm not used to all of that attention."
"The gossip is way bigger than the rumors about you and Emmett. Those drove Rose over the wall. Like, she was literally out of her mind."
"Emmett's only my friend."
"He is very protective of his people. I totes get the friend vibe from you two," she agreed. "But you and Edward are like… off the Richter."
"Uh? What?"
"The sexual chemistry between you is of the scales. He is also really sweet… gentle with you. Usually he's just an asshole," she shrugged. "I like your style, by the way."
"It's a t-shirt and jeans?"
"You have to see more than that. You're wearing a kid sized Pixies' shirt and super baggy jeans. Your stomach is so showing… you have to admit it's kind of sexy."
"Sexy," I spat out, horrified.
My face flushed, and I looked down at the sink.
"Aw, that's cute. You're shy."
"Do you… uh? Like girls?" I blurted out.
She started laughing really hard. "I said I had a boyfriend, right?" she snorted.
"Yeah."
"Bella, take the compliment," she grinned, putting on her last touch of eyeliner.
Before I could say anything else, she threw her backpack over her shoulder and left.
"Why do I feel like I'm sexually undeveloped in this town?" I sighed to myself in the mirror.
Even Alice, claiming to be a virgin, talked about sexuality like it was nothing. It wasn't nothing. Maybe I was sheltered in Florida. I lived in a kiddy-able world where I read books and played board games. I rode my bike everywhere along the shore boardwalk. Now I had Emmett carting me around.
My kid life was suddenly a very grown-up teenage one. Was that how life was or just Forks?
The rest of the day, I hid as much as possible. I even spent lunch in the library and ate in the stacks. I really liked the library because it seemed to repulse the students of Forks. No one came in for almost two hours. Best hiding place ever.
Where are you? – Em
In hiding… - B
Haha… Funny – Em
I'm enjoying peace and quiet. – B
Well your boyfriend looks pissed as hell that you're not in here. Tyler and Mike won't lay off him either. I'm trying my best to play devil's advocate. – Em
That's when I grabbed my stuff and ran down the hall to the cafeteria. I didn't know what Tyler's and Mike's problems were, but I wouldn't let them bully Edward. I arrived to the scene of Edward pinning Tyler against the wall. I grew gutsy as I ran to them, sliding in between them. That caught Edward's attention, making him let go of Tyler's shirt.
I let my hands rest on Edward's chest as I gently pushed him so he would back up. I noticed Emmett dragging Tyler away from us. Edward's hands cupped my face, and he brushed his thumbs against the apples of my cheeks.
"Hi," I said.
He smirked slightly, playing with the collar of his jacket that I was wearing.
"Hi," he repeated.
I stared into his eyes to see if I could communicate anything to him. I truly wanted to know what was going on in that head of his. Would he always be a mystery or would I eventually be able to figure him out? I felt his hands leave my face as he twined our fingers together.
I jerked my head back toward the exit, hoping he knew what I was saying. He nodded, letting go of my right hand, while still holding my left. He led the way back to the library. I watched as he waved to the librarian, and she waved back. Edward went straight back to the stacks and plopped down in front of the last shelves in the back. I sat down beside him as he reached for my bag, pulling out my notebook.
I missed you. You weren't at lunch.
I wanted quiet time.
Away from me?
No! Just everyone.
He continued to frown down at our conversation. Then his eyes sought me out. Like the books that surrounded us, Edward could easily read me and that in itself scared me. Other than my parents, I never had someone so concerned with what was going on with me.
He lowered his head, and I felt his nose brush mine just as his lips attached to mine. This was only the second kiss in my whole life, and again, it was with Edward. And boy did he know how to kiss.
When he pulled away, I sat in a daze, gaping at him. Edward kissed me and grinned as he rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip.
"Hmmm," he hummed in contentment.
I just about fell for him a little harder.
We sat there until the librarian told us she was locking the doors. School was over, and I ditched my last two classes for the day. God, if Mom or Gram found out, I'd be grounded for sure.
I walked out to the parking lot with Edward where Rose waited for him and Emmett for me. I didn't want to leave Edward, though, not yet. He hooked his finger under my chin, gaining my attention.
"Walk with me," he smiled.
Again, how could I say no? His smile alone made my heart melt so much. I wanted to kiss him again, but I didn't want anyone to see. I kind of liked our kisses being just ours… private.
"Bells, you coming?" Emmett bellowed.
"I think we're walking home today," I called back.
Edward wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close into his side, and I really kind of loved it. As we quietly strolled the sidewalks of Forks, I realized I wished every school day would end like this.
He made me feel safe and not once did I think about Dad today. I stopped dead in my tracks. I didn't think about Charlie… not once. Did that mean I would forget about him? I wasn't aware I was crying until Edward was frantically trying to wipe away my tears.
"Bella?" he chanted over and over.
I tried sucking them back, but they just wouldn't stop. Edward was helpless and shaking me. He finally picked me up and started carrying me back to my house. His lips kept meeting my temple.
He couldn't hear me. I kept trying to vocalize what was wrong, but with him, I couldn't use my words. Be the time he ran into the house, I had stopped crying. Mom tried to reach me, but the cast slowed her down.
"Bella, what happened?" she just about shrieked, checking me over.
Edward laid me on the couch, but refused to leave my side.
"I realized I didn't think about Daddy all day," I whimpered.
Now Mom was crying, trying to pull me to her. Poor Edward again looked so scared because he had no idea what was going on.
"Girls?" Gram was in the doorway freaking out. "Edward?"
My head snapped to him as I watched him pull at his hair. He was slightly curling into himself.
"No… no, no. Stop," I cried, throwing my arms around him.
I pulled his hands away from his hair, placing my fingers there instead. His tension slowly eased, and I had to sigh in relief.
"What just happened?" Gram sighed, looking at the mess I had caused.
I hiccuped through my retelling of how I'd forgotten about my father. Gram caught on to the fact that Edward's distress was caused by me and that he didn't know what was going on. It didn't help that Edward was clinging to me, not wanting to let go. I kind of told them Edward might be my boyfriend and that I wasn't sure if he was or not. That caused my mom to giggle.
I was also pretty convinced I had broken Edward because his face was hidden in my neck, and he refused to move. I didn't know what was going on. He just kept repeating "Bella". So yeah, I was definitely sure I'd broken my almost boyfriend.
A/N: Sorry this is late but my grandmother passed away last Sunday. It was hard to write, but I managed to get this done yesterday. I think Edward broke meeeeee! What do you think?
I want to thank my awesome betas Dolphin62598 and lizconno for all their help. They definitely make this easier to read! Until next week!