Thank you all so much for the support on my first chapter! I was so happy to see that you all liked it and are willing to give my characters - flaws and all, a chance.

Chapter Two: I Hate the Way You Avoid Me

I tossed and turned for a few hours, sleep completely eluding me. I growled and slammed my hands down on the mattress. When that didn't make me feel better, I kicked my legs until the blanket dropped to the floor with a soft thud. I sat up, scrubbing my hands down my face. I did my best to control the scream that was threatening to spew forth.

"Fuck," I groaned. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." The curse word was a welcome distraction from my racing thoughts. All of them were about one guy. One prick of an asshole guy.

My best friend.

Well… my ex-best friend, I guess he was now.

I had held onto the thought of who he was for so long that my mind just couldn't wrap around the bastard I met earlier. How could someone who was once so sweet and caring turn into such a... such a… I had no words for him. I might have used every insult in the English language already. My swear word arsenal was running out very quickly.

The sad part was, I didn't think I meant a single one of them.

Pathetic.

My heart still yearned for the boy who had so efficiently stolen it from me all those years ago. He had promised to take good care of it. But he fucking lied. The very second, he had the chance, he stomped all over it without a care in the world.

And that was the real kicker, wasn't it? He didn't care anymore. That thought alone stung so badly, that I had to cross my arms over the constricting in my chest. The tears started to fall freely down my cheeks. I dropped my head to my arched knees and allowed a few quiet sobs to escape.

His treatment hurt so badly that it felt like I had lost a loved one. Which, I supposed I kind of did. I had loved Edward so deeply. Once upon a time. I had thought the love I had for him had waned throughout the years, but maybe it was just put on ice, waiting for his return.

I snorted painfully at the pathetic turn of events. Never in a million years would I have guessed how meeting him again would go. I had envisioned it so many times, each of my made-up scenarios nothing but blissful dreams. So when it went down the way that it had, it was fucking nightmare fuel.

I needed to stop thinking about him. At least for now.

I checked the time. It was almost time for me to be up for school. In two short hours, I would need to be fresh-faced and energetic. I didn't think my body or mind could take the pressure of it all, but with the thought of the pep rally I had to perform at, I forced myself back down onto the bed, closed my eyes tightly, and willed sleep to take over.

I grimaced as I looked at myself in my full body-length mirror that hung on my bedroom door. I was a massive mess. My eyes were red and sleepy, my hair wild and untamed. I gave up trying to sleek it down with my brush and flat iron. It was wavy in some areas and curly in others. So, a ponytail just made me look even worse with all the lumps that popped up at the top of my head. I left it down and puffy fully embracing the bridge troll look.

I applied a little concealer under my tired eyes to cover the dark circles. And then a few coats of mascara and added some blush to my cheeks to liven up my face some. The last thing I needed was my mother criticizing my appearance or asking why I looked like the dead.

What could I say, anyhow? I was crying because of being burned by a love that never was.

Yeah, no. I was going to keep that to myself. For now.

I smoothed the blush into a manageable light pink splash of color and then walked over to my dresser. Because we had a pep rally this morning, I decided to just wear my dark blue track shorts and a loose gray tee. I pulled the tee taut to my abdomen – careful not to aggravate or show off my new piercing and tied it in the back. I tucked the tied park into my shirt and went about getting my socks and white chunky sneakers on.

I grabbed my backpack and headed down the stairs. I could hear my mom humming softly in the kitchen, the smell of cinnamon toast enveloping me when I made it to the last step.

"Hey, Mom," I said to her as I sat down at the table. I set my backpack on the floor next to my feet. "Smells great in here."

"Good morning," she said cheerfully. She set a plate with two pieces of toast in front of me and a glass filled halfway with milk.

"Thank you," I smiled up at her.

"Of course." Her eyes scanned my face, her smile faltering slightly. Concern clouded her dark brown eyes. She touched my back lightly. "Are you alright, honey?"

I guess I didn't do a very good job of hiding my exhaustion or sadness, or both.

I sighed. "I just didn't sleep very well last night." I shrugged and turned to my plate, picking up a piece of toast and taking a small bite. It was the truth in a way. I just left out why I couldn't sleep.

Mom removed her hand and walked to the other side of the table. She sat down across from me, with her fingers steepled and her chin resting on her hands. Her inquisitive eyes searched my face for longer than I liked. I squirmed under her laser-like focus.

My mom was a very fix-it type of woman. If there was a problem, she wanted to rectify it. She was also a psychologist who loved to get into people's minds and find the root of their issues. These two characteristics made it impossible to escape my mother's nosiness and need to fix me.

Sometimes I felt more like a project than a daughter.

I avoided her eyes, instead focusing all of my attention on my breakfast. I took small deliberate bites. I was getting uneasy under her unwavering gaze, crossing and uncrossing my legs.

"Bella," Mom said softly.

"Hmm?" I didn't look up. I was too afraid that if she pried too hard, I would break down right there at the table.

"You would tell me if something was bothering you, right?" she asked as if she already knew something was bothering me. Which she most likely did. My mom was extremely perceptive and a natural empath.

I nodded quickly, taking one last bite and then jumping up. I grabbed my backpack and walked over to my mom, kissing her on the cheek. "I've got to jet. The squad is meeting up before the pep rally and Alice will have my head if I'm late."

"Okay…" she said hesitantly with a slow nod.

I was glad she wasn't pushing it.

I wasn't sure why I didn't want to tell my mom about what had happened. Maybe because she never really liked my friendship with Edward in the first place. Maybe I just didn't want an I told you so. Or maybe I just wasn't ready to talk about what happened because then that would make it too real.

Maybe, maybe, maybe…

I hopped into my red Toyota, backed out of the driveway, narrowly missing the garbage cans on my way out, and then took off toward school. I was the police chief's daughter, so I followed the speed limit even though I was running a bit behind schedule.

I wasn't kidding when I said Alice would have my head. She may have been my best friend but when it came to her squad, she was a tiny terror drunk with power. And being tardy to practice was a huge no-no in her book.

The parking lot was already pretty filled by the time I made it to school. I looked at the time and groaned. It was ten minutes passed the time Alice told us all to be there. I jumped out of my car and ran to the gym building, pushing myself through the heavy double doors. I was winded by the time I got there, bending over and grabbing my knees, trying to catch my breath.

I was in good shape, but apparently not sleeping had its ill effects.

"Bella!" I immediately heard Alice's shrill scream.

I huffed and stood up, facing my squad. Alice stood in the center of the gym with her arms crossed over her chest and her hip popped out. Her foot was tapping, and I could see the annoyance on her face. She looked about two seconds away from a full-on meltdown.

"Sorry!" I yelled with my hands up in front of my face before she could reem me out in front of the whole damn squad.

I could already see Jessica and Lauren huddled close together, whispering to each other with smirks on their makeup-caked faces. Those girls hated my guts, and I wasn't sure why, but they loved when I got yelled at.

I walked over to Alice and forced a cheerful smile. "Reporting for duty, ma'am." I saluted her exaggeratedly.

She rolled her eyes, but I could see her pink pout fighting a smile. She didn't like to give preferential treatment if only to avoid an overthrow. But we all knew I was her favorite.

"Go get changed, bitch" she jerked her thumb toward the locker room. "We don't have much time to go over our routine before this damn pep rally."

I nodded and smiled wide at her. I walked over to the locker room waving to my other friends on the way and smirking at Jessica and Lauren as they scowled at me. I knew they were hoping for a showdown. They always were.

Sorry to disappoint, bitches.

I slipped on my cheer uniform quickly, as well as my sneakers that had our school colors for the shoelaces. I went to the attached bathroom and looked in the mirror. I couldn't exactly cheer with my hair down and all crazy, so I wet it with some water to tame it. I flipped my head over and pulled my hair into the tightest ponytail, willing the lumps to smooth out.

I swung my head back up and looked at my reflection. I pursed my lips, checking my hair from each angle, and then shrugged. It would have to do.

I walked back out to the gym. Alice had all the girls in formation for the beginning of our routine. Alice stood by the bleachers, her fingers flying over the screen of her phone before she put it in the dock and music started to play loudly. We both ran to our respective spots in the lineup and for the next hour, we practiced our routine until it was flawless. Alice would have made us do more if we had more time, but it was almost time for the other students and teachers to come into the gym and take their seats.

And honestly, thank goodness. I was dead tired. I loved my best friend so much, but she just didn't know when enough was enough.

We all lounged on the bleachers, totally wiped out, trying to catch our breath and relax our overworked muscles. Alice stayed standing, screwing around with her phone for a while.

"Alright, ladies," Alice clapped her hands to get our attention after a few minutes. "Let's keep up the high energy and please do not screw this up like the last time at the football game."

Her eyes looked pointedly at Lauren who forgot her spanks and underwear at our last performance, and we got reprimanded by Principal Cope. She flashed everyone in the bleachers – students, teachers, parents… the whole damn town pretty much.

Lauren had enough decency to look apologetic. It wasn't her fault. I just thought that the girl couldn't quite contain the ho in her. I wasn't a judgmental person, but that bitch loved to make my life miserable so she could for sure suck my ass. Offence totally intended.

"At least her pussy was shaved, unlike some people's," Jessica spoke up, her eyes on me, a smug smirk on her face.

"At least when I do shave, my vagina doesn't look like street meat," I retorted, not missing a beat.

Jessica's face flamed and her nose flared. She opened her mouth to say something else, but the sound of a loud whistle stopped the argument. We looked over to Alice and she stood with her hands on her hips, a whistle hanging between her lips. She spat it out and it fell between her breasts, the string around her neck holding it up.

"Are we going to continue to have these problems?" She demanded in her best authoritative tone. "Because if we are, I can totally find new cheerleaders to replace your petty asses."

I shook my head and Jessica and Lauren said no at the same time. I sat forward, fixing the laces on my shoes, doing my best to ignore the daggers I could feel on my back. As if I had started it.

"Very good," Alice said. She walked over to the dock and picked it up along with her phone. She placed them in the far corner of the gym. Principal Cope would connect Alice's phone to the speakers when she arrived just like she did every time we had a performance.

Alice came over to sit next to me, the cheerleaders all occupying the bottom row of the bleachers. We were going to set the mood of the pep rally, so we had to be ready and able to easily make it to the center of the gym. We were also going to be a part of calling each valuable player on the varsity football team up with a cheer for each of them.

I know. Cue the eye roll.

I wasn't looking forward to boosting their egos any more than they already were. But when we were asked to do it, it was more of an order than a request. I swear, cheerleaders were so underappreciated as athletes. We were just seen as pretty things to cheer on the guys when we were so much more than that.

But I digress.

The bell for the first period signaled, which meant the gym was about to be filled to capacity. I straightened my back and crossed my ankles, waiting for everyone to start piling in. Alice came and took her seat next to me, an excited gleam in her eyes.

She lived for this kind of thing. She was exactly what you would picture a cheerleader to be – large personality, bubbly, energetic, cheerful. She was made for this. And it made her really happy.

I was pretty much the opposite, but that didn't mean I didn't love cheerleading. My mom may have forced me into it to begin with, but I grew to love it. And it was how I met my best friend, so it held a special place in my heart. Without cheerleading, I would just be a wallflower with no friends.

The gym was filling up quickly with teachers and students, everyone was hyped up and happy that they didn't have to do their first-period class. I was pretty happy myself, getting a short break from math class. It wasn't my strongest subject, and my math teacher was an ass who loved to torture and humiliate me and a few other select students whom he deemed unworthy of proper treatment.

"Incoming," Alice whispered close to my ear.

I looked at her confused but it wasn't long before a pair of blackout Nikes stepped into my line of site. I sighed and rolled my eyes. I looked up into the familiar light blue eyes framed by blond lashes.

"What do you want, James?" I tried to keep my voice even.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled down at me. It was the smile that caught my attention two years ago when he asked me out. It was also the smile that I saw him with when I caught him with another girl a year later.

I hated that goddamned smile.

"I wanted to say hi," he shrugged. "Is that not allowed?"

"No, it's not, bitch," Alice hissed before I could answer.

I put my hand on her arm and shook my head when she locked eyes with me. I didn't want to make a scene. And I knew with Alice's protective side and fiery temper, there would most definitely be one if I didn't stop her.

"I was hoping," he continued as if Alice hadn't spoken at all. "that we could talk. I can pick you up from your place after school and we can go to the diner. Say yes," he grinned confidently.

I could feel the stank face I was giving him, but I couldn't help it. Who the hell did he think he was? Like I was just going to go because he asked me. He seemed so sure of himself and that pissed me off more than I'd like to admit. I didn't want him to have any power over me.

None.

"I don't fucking think so," I told him, trying to hold back the sneer on my face. I crossed my arms over my chest.

His smile dropped for a moment before he shook his head and laughed softly. "Have I ever told you how much I love that temper of yours, baby?"

I licked my teeth and looked away from him. He wanted a reaction, and I wasn't giving him one. I didn't even know why I stayed with that jerk for as long as I did. He never treated me well. He was always an ass with an ego bigger than his dick.

"Get lost, fuckboy," Alice waved him off, her navy blue nails glistening in the harsh lights.

He coughed out a laugh, but surprisingly walked off to the other side of the gym without another word. I glared at his back as he went.

Fuckboy was right.

Alice grabbed my hand when I uncrossed my arms. "You okay, girl?"

I nodded. I really was fine. I was over that guy, and that meant I wanted nothing to do with him ever again. I wished he would just leave me alone. The only way that was going to happen was if he got into a relationship with another girl and I wouldn't wish that treatment on my worst enemy. Not even Jessica.

"He's such a d-bag," Alice snarked and I giggled, leaning into her.

"Yup."

Once Principal Cope entered the gym, she grabbed the microphone and quieted everyone down. She went over the basics about what Senior year would entail, what was expected of us, and how there was always someone here to talk to if needed. Then she grinned and turned to the cheerleaders. She waved her arm dramatically in our direction.

"And now, the Fork High varsity cheerleaders will lead us into the new school year with an original performance. Let's go, ladies!"

She clapped with the microphone in her hands and a lot of the teachers and students joined in. We all put our biggest smiles on and jumped up and down as we ran to the center of the gym. We got into formation and waited for the principal to start our music.

The techno-punk beat filled the gym, and we started our routine seamlessly. Alice was dead center, not because she was the captain, but because she was the smallest and she would be the one thrown into the air when the time came. Several of the girls ran at full speed doing their flips, klicks, and rolls while Alice, Angela, and I did our dance in the middle. We shimmied and did our poses, perfectly on beat.

The other girls came to join us, clapping and yelling at the appropriate times. Me and Lauren lifted Alice up, holding her feet with Angela, Jessica, and Ashley spotting while the other girls continued their stunts and dancing. We lifted her and pushed until she left our hands. We caught her easily when she came back down. Then we had to lift her again. She grabbed her leg, holding it high above her head. She was about to jump and twirl down.

I was getting ready to catch her when there was a movement to my left that distracted me. I looked over for just a second, but it was long enough to see who had just walked into the gym. His black tee clung tightly to his broad chest and shoulders, a chain dangling from his dark jeans. His combat boots scuffed across the floor as he made his way to the bleachers.

He looked the same as he had yesterday. Beyond pissed off.

I could feel the pain I was trying to suppress coming back in full force and when I looked back up at Alice, remembering that I was in the middle of our routine, she was already flying back down to our arms. I panicked, not ready for the motion. I went to grab her but missed her by a centimeter, her side brushing my fingers as she went down.

"Oww!" Alice cried when she landed hard on the floor with a loud and painful-sounding thud.

"Oh, my god," I whispered, bending down to see if she was okay. "Are you alright?"

She lay on her side, her hand gripping her left wrist, her knees pressed to her chest. Her eyes met mine in a fierce glare. She pushed my hands away and when the principal made it over to us, Alice jumped up from the floor and booked it to the locker room.

I looked back at the bleachers once more; I couldn't seem to help it. I spotted him right away at the very top, as far away from everyone else that he could possibly get. He wasn't even looking, completely unfazed by the chaos that had erupted around him.

I tore my eyes away from him and took off toward the locker room, passing a slow-moving Principal Cope. I brushed by her and ran into the locker room where I found Alice sitting against the lockers, her face pressed into her knees, her shoulders shaking violently.

"Alice," I breathed. "Oh, please don't hate me. I'm so fucking sorry!"

She looked up, her eyes running with tears, her mascara marring her cherub cheeks. Her eyes were blazing with so much anger that I took a step back. I bumped into the principal as she entered. She went right over to Alice with concern pinching her foreheard.

"Let me see," she ordered, gently taking Alice's hand in hers.

Alice hissed and groaned when the principal tried to move her wrist.

Principal Cope clucked her tongue. "It's emitting heat. You're going to have to go to the emergency room. Stay here."

She stood up and walked by me, her eyes disapproving. She shook her head, her red curly hair fanning out across her face. Once she was gone, I walked hesitantly over to my best friend and kneeled down in front of her. She wouldn't meet my eyes, her own focused on the wall next to her. Her chin jutted out and her lips quivered.

"I'm so sorry, Alice. I'm so, so, so very sorry. Please forgive me?"

Alice sniffled again and when her eyes met mine, the anger was gone. But there was a deep sadness. She held up her wrist with her other hand wrapped gingerly around it. "I think it's broken," she cried pitifully, the tears falling freely.

I dropped my head. "I didn't mean to…"

"We have a competition coming up, dammit," she hissed, some of that anger coming back. Alice banged her head on the locker behind her twice and then dropped her head back to her knees. "Just go away, Bella. Please."

I felt the sting of her words but took them seriously. I wasn't going to crowd her if she didn't want me around. I stood up and with one last look at her crumpled form, I left the locker room and went back out into the gym that was now in full chaos mode. Everyone was talking loudly, some laughing, some yelling. The teachers that I passed looked on with disapproving eyes.

Damn, people were acting like I did it on purpose.

I went back to my spot on the bleachers next to Angela. She was the only one who wasn't looking at me like I was a monster.

"How's Alice?" she asked when I sat down.

"She might have a broken wrist and she for sure hates my guts now."

I propped my elbows onto my knees and dropped my head into my hands. One, because I couldn't face all the stares, and two, because I didn't want my eyes to wander back to Edward.

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you," Angela said comfortingly. She pressed her hand to the back of my head soothingly. "She's just hurt and embarrassed. She's your best friend. She could never hate you."

I turned my head to look at her and forced a small smile. "I feel so bad, though."

"I'm sure you do, but it will all be okay. Let's just pray that it's only a sprain."

I held up my middle and pointer fingers and crossed them. "Here's to hoping. If Alice can't cheer, especially at the competition, she will never forgive me."

The doors to the locker room opened and Principal Cope escorted Alice out. She held her close to her side as she took her outside. I watched them go, willing Alice to look at me, just to give me some hope that she didn't despise me. But she never looked my way. She kept her head high and her eyes straight ahead.

I was hoping since she didn't seem to be screaming in agony that it wasn't a break. But I also knew that Alice had an extremely high tolerance for pain. I learned that Freshman year when she fell off the top of the pyramid and actually did break two of her fingers. She took that like a champ. So it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibilities that she had a break and was just toughing it out.

Once Alice was gone, I had nothing to distract me.

Without my consent, my eyes drifted back over to the other side of the gym. I was surprised when my eyes connected with Edward's. His face was a mixture of pain and something I couldn't quite place. He looked the other way when he noticed my gaze, that same pissed-off look taking over his features once again.

What was his freaking problem? Like, is life so bad that he has to look peeved off at all times? I huffed out a breath and stood up, my legs carrying me with purpose across the gym. I was going to get some answers, dammit. I deserved at least that much.

I wasn't sure where the newfound bravado was coming from, but I was riding the wave right over to the source of my pain.

I stepped onto the bleachers, my foot almost kicking Eric Yorkie in my determination to get to Edward. I looked down and apologized and when I looked back up Edward was standing. His fists were balled at his sides, his eyes racing over the many people in front of him. He looked like he was trying to make a run for it.

Oh, hell no.

I picked up the pace and made my way through the throng of people, most of them parting like the red sea when they saw the concentrated determination on my face. Edward looked like a caged animal the closer I got to him. I was so close I could see the deep forest green of his eyes. Those eyes narrowed at me. He turned his head and looked over the rail. He put his hand on it, gave me one last scathing look, and then heaved himself over the rail, jumping down onto his feet.

I ran over and looked down just in time to see his back leaving through the double doors, ignoring the teacher that was trying to scold him as went.

Motherfucker.

Can anyone tell me what is going on with this site lately? My views aren't showing up and my reviews keep disappearing when I go to answer them. It's driving me nuts. Also, tell me what you think of this chapter, please. All of your reviews made me want to write faster.