Bella's POV:

"What!" I screeched looking at the computer screen. I got a C , in ENGLISH! I had never gotten a C on anything ever except that one time in gym when I couldn't climb the rope in third grade. Alice came running in.

"Where's the fire?" She asked confused when she saw me at my desk, fuming. I was too angry to speak so I just pointed to the screen, she looked to where I pointed. She gasped dramatically.

Alice POV:

I looked to where Bella pointed and I saw the big C next to her name.

"How in the hell did that happen, I practically wrote the same thing as you and I got an A!" I know something happened between her and Mr. C that she refused to talk about but I didn't think he'd take it out on her grades. This was not good, Bella never got a C on anything, I knew I was going to have to do major damage control. But before I could calm her down she was already heading out the door. I rushed after her. She couldn't confront him wearing that! She had on her old lumberjack pajamas that were not flattering at all. Had I taught her nothing!

"Where are you going?" I grabbed her arm, I know how she gets when she's angry, she's a loose cannon and I didn't want her to do anything she'd regret.

"I'm not going to let that asshole push me around" She seethed and yanked her arm from me. I sighed and let her go, this would not turn out well. I went under my bed and grabbed my slumber party kit, that came with food, makeup, facial kits, and nail polish, I only pulled this out for emergencies. And boy was this an emergency. I knew that whatever happened with Bella and Mr. C would come to light and it wasn't gonna be pretty.

Bella POV:

I barged into his empty classroom, I saw him sitting as his desk, typing on the computer. He had on a dark grey dress shirt with black pants that made him look handsome and professional and to top it off he was wearing dark rimmed glasses that made him look like a nerdy sex god. I was momentarily stunned by his beauty, his presence hitting me like a big mac truck leaving me breathless. Seeing him calmed me and for a second I forget why I came.

"Just one minute." He said holding up his hand as he finished what seemed like an email.

He looked up from his desk and smirked when he saw it was me. Smirked! I became angry all over again, that conceited, arrogant son of a bitch thinks he can bully me. I marched over to his desk, fuming.

"How may I help you" He said grinning. That bastard!

"I looked at my grade this morning for our introductory assignment and there seems to be a mistake. You gave me a ...a... C" I could barely get the last part out, I tried to remain calm but seeing his smirk turn into a full blown smile was making me irritated.

" Ahh that yes, well there is no mistake. I gave you a C because that's what I thought you deserved on your assignment." He said, then continued to type on his computer, ignoring me. I slammed my fist down on his desk to get his attention, his head shot up and he looked at me confused at my sudden outburst as if he expected me to be just fine with it.

"Look I don't know why you're singling me out. I know we had a altercation in the hallway but my assignment was just as good as Alice's and she got an A" I huffed. His expression went from one of confusion to annoyance.

"You said you wanted to major in Journalism correct?" I nodded slowly, I didn't understand where he was going with this.

"But what does that have to -" He cut me off. He looked upset now, his nostrils flaring.

"Do you know how many people want to be a journalist just like you, how many in this school alone." I shook my head no, still slightly confused.

"Thousands. All vying for the internships and jobs you are. I gave Alice an A because she did the introductory assignment to the best of her ability. I gave you a C because I know you can do better so I expect more out of you. You want to be a writer you say, don't you know true writers treat every assignment no matter how simple as an opportunity to create a masterpiece. Anybody can call themselves a writer but a true writer knows that if want the job they have to outshine all the others. That is what is takes to get ahead, to be noticed, not the half-assed work you turned in. How can you expect to write for the New York Times when you turn in writing that is only so so. " Tears began to pool in my eyes and I tried to blink them back but it was too late, they spilled onto my cheeks as I turned away from him, ashamed. He was so right, I was pathetic to believe that my work was good enough to ever compete with the serious writers here.

I heard him sigh and pull his chair back. I felt his strong arms around me and felt the same electric current I did the first time we touched. I cried unabashedly into his shoulder, weeping for my lost dream. After a few moments I calmed down enough to look up at him, his eyes were closed and his breaths were slow as if he were breathing me in. His eyes suddenly shot open, looking down at me. He wiped my tears away and tucked a lose hair behind my ear.

" I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. I just wanted you to realize that you are so much better than what you turned in. " He said softly.

His gaze was so intense, like he was memorizing every inch of my face. I suddenly felt embarrassed, I looked horrible, my hair was greasy and unkept, my pajamas were less than flattering and I had no makeup to hide my sickly pallor. I looked down shyly, a blush tinting my cheeks , but he grabbed my chin forcing me to look up at him.

" You are luminous and enchanting" He whispered softly. "You look down to one." He said this with a slight edge to his voice as if it was a command. I nodded my head weakly, so dazed to form a educated response. He smiled sadly at me and for a moment he dropped his hard facade and I saw the anguish in his eyes. I wanted to comfort him in some way, tell him that he was the luminous one not me but I couldn't get the words out. He traced the lines of my face and I closed my eyes reveling in the warmth of his touch.

"So beautiful" He whispered, so softly I barely heard him. I felt his breath on my face and when I opened my eyes his face was so close to mine, I could just... But before I could think any further his lips were on mine...

Yeah yeah yeah . I know, I'm a bitch but I'm going to leave it there. Thank you so much for the reviews and subscriptions. If I get 15 reviews I'll post another chapter tomorrow!