Author's Note: Hi, people! I'm so sorry I couldn't update for a while. I have two excuses this time: one, I started school. I'm taking four advanced classes, two of them which are Advanced Placement, or college courses. And that's just...well, I don't know what I was thinking when I signed up for it. Homework is overwhelming every single day. Second, I got a new laptop! Finally, a computer of my own. But the problem was, I hadn't bought Word yet, so I couldn't actually write my stories, and even worse, I couldn't even pull up the stories that I'd wrote so far! But anyway, I downloaded something similar to it for free, so that's good. I'm back to work; aren't you glad? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.


Chapter 35

I couldn't breathe. He just looked so incredibly good. Was it my imagination or was it actually possible that he got even more handsome and hotter? Even underneath the baggy, slightly big sweatshirt, I could tell that he had become much leaner, yet more muscular. He'd been working out.

I quickly dropped my gaze, turning slightly red when I felt his eyes burning a hole in me. He didn't seem embarrassed or stop himself from staring. It was as though that last month in Forks High School before I moved away had never happened. It was like he had never avoided or ignored me.

How many times had I dreamed about seeing Edward again? How many times had I imagined us getting back together? And yet, it seemed it wouldn't be easy. There was already an obstacle. My gaze flickered back to the cute girl who had barged in. It couldn't be possible that she and Edward were together.

"Come on in, Edward," Alice invited, though in a dangerous tone like she was asking him why he had brought the girl.

The girl pouted. "You're not inviting me, Alice?"

I looked from her to my friends. How did they know each other?

"Go ahead and have a seat," Rosalie said stiffly.

If the girl noticed Rose's hostility, she didn't let in on it. Happy at being invited, no matter how grudgingly, she made herself at home, squeezing in between Emmett and Jasper, and smiling flirtatiously.

I stared at her, taken aback. Couldn't she see that the boys were taken? If she and Edward had come here together, then she should stick to him, even though I wouldn't like it.

Edward moved slowly, looking as though he was oblivious to how uncomfortable his siblings and friends looked at the girl's presence. He was still staring at me as he sat next to Rosalie, across from me.

The girl grinned and thrust out her hand. "So you're Bella. I've heard so much about you. I'm Elise Taylor. Nice to meet you."

I studied her warily before taking her hand. "Pleasure, Elise." Her bubbly attitude was so blunt and cute at the same time that I found that I couldn't exactly hate her. I wanted to so much, but she brightened up my usually dark and calm self, much like Alice's influence on me.

"So, Elise," I said conversationally. "How do you know the gang?"

Was it just my wishful thinking, or did Edward looked slightly hurt at my apparent indifference toward him?

"Oh, I came to Forks High during our senior year," Elise chirped. "I was like, so new and lost on my first day. And then, I met Edward here, who took me under his wing." She threw Edward a fond look that he didn't return. He didn't even look at her, but she didn't seem to mind. She seemed used to it, in fact.

"Really?" I asked, sounding interested. He was still watching me like a hawk, watching my reaction carefully with narrowed eyes. Suspiciously.

"Of course, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper had already graduated and were freshmen here at UW, so I didn't meet them until winter break, when Carlisle and Esme invited me over for dinner."

Alice and Emmett looked at me quickly. I tried not to feel hurt that my pseudo parents had invited some random girl over. "I see."

"They miss you," Elise told me promptly.

My throat tightened, but I gulped it down. "I miss them too. How are they?" I asked, turning to Alice.

"It's like she said," Alice said, mentioning Elise with distaste. "They miss you."

"I'll call them tonight," Emmett said softly. "They'll be happy to hear you're back and attending college with us."

I didn't understand why everyone except Edward and I had a problem with Elise. While I hated the fact that she seemed together with someone I loved, it was hard to hate her.

"So, Bella," Elise gushed. "Where'd you live in Florida?"

Edward glanced at her this time, annoyance detected in his green eyes. "Elise, give it a rest."

She ignored him and continued to stare at me in fascination.

"Jacksonville," I answered, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"What's in Jacksonville?" she wondered.

Okay. Now, I could see why she irked the others so much. I could also see that Edward, too, got irritated with her easily. She talked too much and asked questions in a way that made the other person uncomfortable. I felt like she was interrogating me so she could use the information against me.

"My parents," I said, my tone slightly flat now. Rose gave me a look of approval, having caught my tone.

"Oh, yeah, your parents divorced," Elise stated bluntly that made me want to slap her.

Emmett nudged her as inconspicuously as he could, but it wasn't that hard to notice because Elise gave a loud, "Ow!". Emmett looked embarrassed.

"Yes, my parents are divorced," I said, softly now. The subject of my parents' divorce was a touchy subject for me, and I always grew sad when I talked about it.

Apparently, Elise had a conscience because she looked guilty. "Oops. Sorry. I didn't mean to sound so…" She trailed off, looking awkward. She turned to Edward. "Edward, will you take me bowling tonight?" She looked hopeful.

"No," Edward answered without missing a beat. "And quit asking me. You've been asking me that for weeks."

She pouted. "Please?"

He sighed. "Go with your girlfriends. I'm sure they can entertain you better than I can."

Elise looked disappointed. "But my friends suck at bowling. You're the only one who could go against me and actually win. You can make two, three strikes in a row!"

My eyes flickered to Edward, slightly accusing. He'd taken her bowling before? I'd thought I was the only he ever took.

Edward looked uncomfortable at my stare.

"Is anyone else hungry?" Jasper asked, trying to ease the tension. Always the peace maker. "Let's go eat at the cafeteria, eh? We can catch up while we're eating."


It turned out, we couldn't catch up while we were eating either, because Elise decided to try to feed Edward halfway through lunch. This made everything more awkward, and I grew quieter, keeping my eyes on my plate.

I felt like hitting something. I didn't like that this girl was so attached to Edward. I was actually jealous of her.

Thankfully, Edward kept slapping her hand away when she tried to feed him bits of ham or gravy. He turned his head away when she poked a grape with her fork and tried to make him eat it.

Alice and Rosalie threw her deathly glares that she didn't notice. Emmett and Jasper tried to make conversations to no avail. And I just kept eating without making any eye contact while Edward kept glancing at me, thinking that I wasn't noticing.

Finally, Alice got so annoyed that she snapped, "Can you stop? Like, seriously. We're trying to eat here. I mean, I don't even do that with Jazzy."

Elise looked embarrassed. "Sorry." She ate the pineapple on her fork. Her eyes flickered to me. "Bella! I almost forgot you were here! Are you always this quiet?"

Was I? I was trying to think when Rosalie answered for me. "Yes, she doesn't talk unless absolutely necessary, unlike you. Now shut up and eat."

Emmett nudged her, but Elise didn't take offense. In fact, she seemed to take it as a joke and laughed. "Oh, Rosalie, you're so funny."

At that moment, she got a call on her cell phone, and she chirped, "Talk to me." She brightened. "Adam! Oh, good, you're here? Okay, I'll be right there!"

Was she two-timing Edward?

Elise hopped off the bench and took her tray. "See you later, guys! Bye, Edward. It was nice meeting you, Bella." She winked before dumping her tray and flouncing out of the cafeteria.

I took an exasperated sip of my water and glared pointedly at Alice, who was sitting next to me, for an explanation.

Alice sneaked a glance at Edward, who was sitting in front of her, before saying, "Adam's her boyfriend."

I raised my eyebrow. "Is that hard for you, Edward?"

Edward paused in the act of sipping his water, looking embarrassed. He did seem taken aback that I was finally talking to him, but he had no idea how to respond back to me.

I hadn't meant to sound so mean, but I couldn't help it. I felt betrayed and hurt. Even if he had rejected me a year ago, he still shouldn't be doing this in front of me.

"Bella, you're misunderstanding," Rosalie protested, but I got up, taking my tray.

"I've got a lot of unpacking to do," I said shortly before walking away after dumping my tray. I tried to keep the tears from appearing.

Edward's Point of View

How was it possible that she looked even more beautiful? Her curves were more noticeable in all the right places, and her chest seemed more pronounced. She had no makeup on as usual, but she still looked like a goddess. God.

I couldn't stop staring at her like an idiot. The way she blushed when she noticed I was looking…

Silently, I cursed myself for bringing Elise with me. She had begged me to come with me so she could finally see Bella, but I should've protested harder. Her presence had just made everything more awkward.

Elise had just moved to town, and she had looked so lost, looking for the gym. I had been tempted to just keep walking like I would normally do, but my thoughts had flashed to Bella. Bella and her kindness, always lending others a helping hand.

I'd missed her so much that I'd felt I was going insane. So I decided to help Elise, just so that I could feel that Bella had been real, and not a dream. So I knew that I hadn't been dreaming my entire life.

I quickly grew close to Elise. She was a friend and nothing more. I found her annoying at times, but I liked her because she kept me company. I'd felt lonely when Bella had left. And though Elise could never be enough to fill up my loss, she had helped me to endure.

Elise wasn't interested in me either. At first, she had been, confessing her feelings and asking me to be her boyfriend. I'd turned her down, wishing to remain friends, and she'd ruefully agreed, though she didn't refrain from acting affectionate in public. Besides, she had an extremely protective boyfriend, Adam, who only approved of my friendship with her because he had known me for years. He knew that I loved only Bella.


AN: So...what'd you think about Elise? I think she's pretty interesting. Her presence is enough to annoy Bella, anyhow. Leave me lots of love and reviews!