I got a second review! Thank you so much! I am super stoked. :)

Anyways, because of that review I am posting sooner than I expected so I hope you all enjoy this.

Oh, and I have a question to my readers: why are there so many less views for chapter six?

Just curious.

Alright, enough talk, now get to reading!

Chapter Nine:

The next day was Monday and I blatantly ignored my alarm clock and school altogether. There was no way I was facing them today.

Call me a coward if you want, I don't care, it still wasn't happening.

Richard didn't bother checking on me, but big surprise there, right? He left early and he'd be gone all day.

Thank God for small miracles.

I spent the majority of the morning hiding in bed, begging for sleep to come, but it just wouldn't. I had barely slept at all the whole night and when I did it wasn't pleasant.

When two o'clock rolled around I decided I should venture downstairs for some sustenance before Richard came home. I padded down both sets of stairs and wandered into the kitchen. After staring blankly at the food stacked in the cupboards for twenty whole minutes I came to a bold conclusion: I hated food.

At least for today and the foreseeable future. Just the thought of eating now churned my stomach. I sighed angrily, running a hand through my long, blue hair and jogged back up to my room. The rest of the day was spent in either a comatose state or crying in a ball on my bed.

You're pathetic, Hannah.
P-a-t-h-e-t-i-c.

Yep.

I contemplated many times calling Chris, but knew I couldn't, that I had to wait this out. I could handle my own problems.

I had to.

Maybe Chris was right.
Maybe I am too young to date.
Maybe I should be a monk.

The next morning came unceremoniously and I groaned when my alarm clocked blared at me. I decided sometime around three am that I would attend school today.

Anything had to be better than wallowing in my own self pity, right?
Right?!

...right.

I yanked on a comfy pair of dark jeans, a black Good Charlotte shirt, and my oversized Flogging Molly zip-up that came down to my knees. I glared at my reflection after scrawling on some eyeliner, not even bothering with mascara. I had pulled my hair into braided pigtails that weren't even and moved on with my life.

Who really cared anyways?

I walked the forty minutes to school with my heavy messenger bag slung across my chest and contemplated turning back once I saw just how many people were there.

There would be rumors.
Harsh words.
More exclusion.

Fuck it, I don't care.
Let those assholes talk.

History was first, as usual, which meant Emmett. I wasn't really excited to face one of them that soon, but I couldn't just put my life on hold. He was already at his desk next to mine when I walked in and seemed genuinely surprised to see me.

Alice must be keeping secrets again.

"Hey!" He greeted me enthusiastically to which I managed a lazy wave and promptly let my forehead hit my desk loudly. I kept my head down all of class, both trying to sleep and ignoring Emmett.

He was a persistent bastard, I'll give him that.

I had my last class before lunch with Alice and she was worse. She obviously wasn't shocked to see me and she decided to use all of her time trying to cheer me up. She'd tell silly jokes quietly or make funny faces at me when our teacher's back was turned. I appreciated the effort, I did, but in the end I asked to go to the bathroom and used that excuse to bail on the rest of class.

I couldn't handle it.
Pathetic.
I could spell it out again, but what's the use?

Lunch was a fiasco all on its own. I was a nomad. I had no other friends, nowhere to sit. So I found an empty table near the back of the cafeteria and laid my head down until the bell rang.

I heard people talk, whisper things.

Edward had finally gotten sick of me.
I was a pity date anyway.
He didn't want to waste anymore time with my ugly face.
Why would he?

I didn't look for them or at them, I didn't think I could stand to see his face. I could feel their eyes on me and it only made it worse.

I was so exhausted by the time chemistry rolled around that I was surprised I made it there at all. Edward was already seated and I took solace in the fact that he, at least, looked worn out, too. About as worn out as beautiful Edward could, though. I slumped into my chair at our shared table and continued my ritual of just putting my head down, ignoring everyone.

I felt my mind start to weaken and knew that my shield was crumbling. Let him read my mind. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything.

Let him see.
Fuck it.

I must have passed out at one point because the ringing bell and Edward's gentle hand woke me up. I flinched away from his touch and I could see the heartbreak on his face. I grabbed my books, shoved them into my already heavy bag and bolted from the class.

After school I grabbed a soda to try to boost my energy and headed into the forest. I spent hours under the trees in and out of conciousness. When I finally decided to head home it was passed dark and I groaned at the thought of dealing with Richard now.

I tried to sneak in the back, but it was no use.

"Hey, freak!" He shouted at me while taking an unsteady step towards me. I could tell he'd been drinking, the stench alone was proof enough. I didn't have much experience with drunks, but I could tell this was headed south fast. I narrowed my eyes at him, halfway to pissed already just from the word "freak". "You're an ungrateful bitch, you know that? I bring you into my home, I take you away from those, those, abominations! How do repay me? By whoring around and using your fucking voodoo! You're a god damn monster just like your mother!"

"Dont you talk about my family like that! You're a disgusting, fucking waste and I don't have to listen to your shit!" I yelled back at him then I felt my head snap back and my whole body slammed into the wall.

Richard hit me.
He fucking hit me.

At that my rage exploded and I screamed. I used my telekinesis and lifted him up and threw him into the door. I held him there by his throat and I saw terror in his eyes.

I relished in it.
It coursed through me like fire.

I fucking loved it.

"If you ever lay another fucking hand on me I will not hesitate to ruin you. Do you understand me?" He nodded vigorously, shaking in utter fear, and it still took every ounce of control I had to let him go. I watched him slump to the ground defeated and stormed up to my room.

It was bad.
Bad and very noticeable.

He got the whole right side of my face with his meaty fist and not only was a black eye already forming, but my lip was busted and my nose was gushing blood. I pinched the bridge of my nose and grabbed a wad of toilet paper, mopping up as much blood as I could. Once the bleeding stopped I grabbed my iPod and climbed out my window. Using my telekinesis, I lifted myself onto the slanted roof near the chimney. It had begun to rain pretty hard, but I kept it at bay, forming a bubble around myself. I put my earphones in and picked a song at random.

Oh, iPod, you know how to pick the mood.

"Don't Let Me Go" by The Summer Set played methodically in my ears and I hummed along.

The rain beat down harder around me as I began to sing softly into the night.

"Oh, just a memory I'm chasing
Better days, but I'm far behind,
am I still alive?

Don't let me go, don't let me go
Is anybody gonna lift me up?
When're you gonna come lift me up?
I'm out of my head, flat on my face
Is anybody here listening?
When're you gonna come let me in?

Cause the hardest part is holding on
When everything has come undone
Yeah, everybody needs someone
So when're you gonna come lift me up?

When're you gonna come lift me up?
Are you gonna come lift me up?
When're you gonna come lift me up?
Don't let me go!"

I felt his presence before I saw him. He approached me slowly on my left, unsure. I pulled the earphones out, but didn't move otherwise.

He took that as an invite.

"I have thought and thought. I have spent every hour since you walked away thinking of nothing, but you and what you mean to me. I cannot promise you that I won't worry because I know I will, but I can promise not to hold you back. Instead I want to help you in any way that I can. I can't spend anymore time away from you, Hannah, I don't think I could stand it."

I didn't turn to look at him yet.

"You said you thought you were in love with me. Do you know yet if that is true?" He asked quietly, only a foot from me now.

Still I didn't turn, but answered, "I wasn't sure then. I have never been in love before. It could have been anything or nothing, but I know now. I have never felt such pain, such heartache before. It must be love. What else hurts so badly, but fills you with unparalleled happiness?"

I sat up and finally faced him and he hissed in unbelievable anger. His hand stretched out and gently stroked my swollen cheek. His fingers grazed over my busted lip and up to my blackened eye. I smiled at him softly.

"It turns out that Richard is quite the violent drunk. Don't worry, though, I doubt he'll be giving me anymore trouble."

Edward didn't speak. I knew he was trying to control his rage, his eyes shone darkly into mine.

"I almost killed him, Edward. I almost became every bit the freak, the monster, the abomination he claims I am. It would have been so easy." I shook my head away from his grasp and laid back down.

"You are not a freak or a monster or an abomination. I... We need to leave. Now. Before I go in there and rip his throat out. Please, please come back with me," he said urgently as he grabbed my hand in his. I nodded immediately and let him lift me into his arms bridal style.

I kept the rain away until he put me into his car that I never heard pull up. We drove for a few minutes in silence before Edward finally spoke.

"I love you, too, by the way."

I grinned at him which consequently hurt my face, turning my happy smile into a grimace fast. Edward growled immediately and I tried to soothe him by grabbing his hand in mine.

"I love you. That's all that matters right now, okay?"

He didn't answer just drove faster. Once we reached the Cullen house I was swamped by everyone.

"Hannah! Oh my god! Are you okay?" Alice tried to pull me into a hug, but Edward was quick to snatch her back. "Easy, Alice. Carlisle, will you take a look at her, please?"

Carlisle nodded immediately.

I was about to protest, but I let it go. I knew it would make Edward feel better so I followed Carlisle to his improvised hospital room. He did the flashlight in the eye thing that I hated so much and I followed it easily. It turns out I didn't have a concussion which apparently was a big relief to both of them. I was "released" after he cleaned my cuts with something that burned severely and gave me pills for both the pain and to help me sleep.

Edward laced his fingers with mine and gently pulled me upstairs. He opened his bedroom door and the first thing I noticed was that there was now a bed in his room. I eyed him suspiciously, but he held up his hands in surrender and said, "Alice."

I nodded and climbed into the bed after he pushed me towards it. The covers were fluffy and warm, the bed unbelievably soft. I smiled, my bed was hard and never permitted a full night's sleep. Edward was about to leave when I stopped him gently with my telekinesis.

"Stay, please? I...uhh...I don't want to be alone." I felt my eyes water and hated myself for it. Everything seemed to weigh on me at once and it was too much. Edward walked over and laid down next me. I rolled over to him and let wrap his arms around me. He soothed me while I cried as I thought about Richard, my family, school, and the last couple days. I didn't hold my force field up, I let Edward in and he held me tighter at the memories of earlier that night.

I could feel the pills start to kick in and my eyes got too heavy for my brain to keep them open.

I mumbled a very slurred, "I love you."
Then I was out.