Buckle your seat belts because things are about to get bumpy.

The song for this chapter is Circus by Brittney Spears. (#freebrittney)

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Disclaimer: I'm only doing this for a friend. I don't get anything from it but her undying appreciation. I certainly don't get to have fun with Emmett and the boys in my head.

Chapter Three: Circus

BPOV

Alice all but jumped me as soon as I pulled up to the school the next day. My eyes were puffy from crying and there was a pounding in my head that promised to be a migraine by the end of the day. I opened my truck door and climbed out.

"Hi, Bella! How are you?" I regarded her warily. She was too energetic for this town and this early in the morning.

"Dandy," I muttered and I saw her smile flicker into a look of pity before fixing itself firmly on her face again.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house after school today. We could do homework and get to know each other." I paused, a rejection poised on my tongue when I remembered what Charlie had said the night before. I knew why I was so hesitant to get close to Alice and it wasn't just her brother's insane reaction to my clumsiness.

She reminded me of my mom.

Bright, airy, infectious grin, enthusiastic to the core.

Mom was exactly like this. All sunshine and rainbows. Even after cancer had robbed her of her hair and left her gaunt and weak, she'd smiled like the world was in the palm of her hand, ready for the taking. Alice radiated the same energy and I wasn't sure I could be around her without feeling the piercing ache of my mother's death all the more fiercely.

But I longed for a friend. Someone to talk to the way Mom and I talked.

"Will your brother be there," I asked her, my tone and posture nonchalant while my heart thundered furiously.

"No. My aunt took him to Alaska to stay with family and work out his issues. It's just me, my other siblings and my dad if you stay long enough. So do you want to come?"

"Sure," I said with a shrug and she wrapped me in a tight hug.

"We are going to have so much fun! I'll come find you at lunch!" She skipped off, meeting who I assumed was Jasper by the school doors and pressing a kiss to his cheek. He smiled at her, eyes soft and I felt a pang in my chest. It was weird that they were together, romantically, and also siblings, yet I hadn't ever been in love. I'd had crushes but I'd never had a man look at me like that. Like a Disney prince who finally found his princess. I shook my head slightly and made my way to class.

I made it through my first two classes with little disruption. But as soon as I sat down in Trig, Jessica was leaning over to me.

"Oh my god, Bella, I can't believe Alice Cullen hugged you! They never talk to anyone and then you come along and suddenly, they're friendly as can be." I didn't miss the jealousy behind her eyes.

"I think it's just because her brother doesn't like me," I muttered and then cringed.

"Really? Which one?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I've only met her and Rosalie."

"Is it Edward? Is that why he's not in school? Did something happen?" It was like she was a shark that smelled the blood of juicy town gossip.

"Oh, is that his name? Alice just mentioned he and her aunt had to go visit family. Some kind of emergency. But no, nothing happened. I accidentally scratched his car before he left and I don't think that endeared me to him." She fell back, disappointed in the lack of a better story.

"Don't take it personally," she reassured me. "Edward doesn't like any of the girls in town. Apparently, no one is good enough for him." I could hear the bitterness as she said that and I wondered how often she had flirted with him only to be rejected. As far as I was concerned, Edward was the equivalent of a serial killer. He had the likability of Jeffrey Dahmer. "Personally, I think that they're all a little full of themselves," she whispered, leaning closer to talk to me as the bell rang and Mr. Varner called our class to order and took roll. "Like, why do you have to date someone you live with? Are other people just not good enough or is it some weird family thing? I bet that Doctor Cullen has a total Targaryen relationship with his sister." I scowled at her.

"You know, Jessica, it's one thing to be jealous that Edward won't give you the time of day but it's a completely different thing to start saying things like that about a family you know nothing about." She gaped at me, mouth hanging open like a fish.

"Excuse me? What the hell do you even know," she shouted, jumping up to stand over me. The class froze, Mr. Varner included. "You've been here all of five seconds and think you know the people here? You've spent the least amount of time possible here since your mom ditched your dad! You don't know anything!" She was standing so close I could feel her shirt rubbing against my shoulder while she yelled. I sucked in a deep breath and then let out a humourless laugh before standing up and forcing her back. I stared her dead in the eyes and moved so that our faces were only inches apart.

"You're right, Jessica. I haven't been here long. But it took me all of five seconds to realize that the reason why Edward Cullen and every other boy in this school doesn't want to date you has less to do with them and everything to do with the fact that you are a shallow, gossipy bitch." Her eyes narrowed.

"At least my mom didn't ship me off to my dad because she didn't want me anymore like you," she whispered.

I don't remember hitting her. There was no clear decision where I weighed pros and cons. But as soon as she finished speaking I had my fist cocked back then I was slamming it into her face as hard as I could.

Several people screamed and I vaguely registered Mr. Varner coming between us and then grabbing her arm and mine and forcing us out of the room and down the hallway where other curious heads were popping out of the neighboring classrooms. I caught sight of Rosalie and Emmett standing at the back of a crowd that was piling out of a classroom to see the drama unfold. Rosalie looked impressed but Emmett was grinning then whooped as I passed. I ducked my head, hiding a smile, and continued with Mr. Varner out of our building and towards the front office. He held the door open, motioning for Jessica first and then jerking his head for me to follow. I stepped into the small room and flopped down on one of the plastic chairs.

"Oh my-" Mrs. Cope started but he cut her off.

"Miss Stanley needs to see the nurse. Miss Swan hit her." She gasped dramatically, her eyes immediately flying between me and Jessica who was playing up her injury by moaning and moving gingerly like I had shot her in the leg instead of hitting her square in the eye. I rolled my eyes at the theatrics while Mr. Varner helped her into a small room off of the front desk. Mrs. Cope got on her phone and started speaking in low tones, glancing furtively at me every so often before hanging up.

"Principal Greene will see you in his office now, young lady," she ordered sternly and I heaved myself out of my chair while she picked her phone up again and began to dial another number. I walked past her to the door that had been opened and a slightly balding man with a beer belly stepped out, glaring at me.

"Miss Swan," he barked and I waved half-heartedly before entering the room and collapsing on a chair in front of his desk. I heard the door close behind me and he hurried around me to sit at his desk, leveling me with a stern look. I remained impassive. After my run in with Edward Cullen yesterday, this was about as menacing as a kitten. "I don't know what the policy was at your school in Phoenix, Miss Swan, but in Forks we do not condone violence of any kind. I certainly expected better from the daughter of the Chief of Police. Clearly, this is the byproduct of living in a city where morals are less valued. Perhaps if your father had raised you, you wouldn't consider physically harming another student." He paused and I saw my opportunity.

"Do you normally reprimand students without hearing about what happened or is this just because I'm new and my mother left this town behind," I asked flatly. His face reddened.

"You punched Jessica Stanley. The evidence of that is very evident on her face not to mention the classroom full of students who saw you do it. Like I said, violence is not tolerated at Forks High School. As soon as your father gets here, we will take necessary disciplinary measures." As though he'd been waiting for his cue, there was a firm knock on the door and my father stepped into the room. He was in uniform and I was reminded of the reputation he had in this town. His eyes moved to me, moving over me in a swift inspection before they locked with mine and I don't know what he saw in them but his jaw tightened and he turned his attention to the man behind the desk.

"Chief Swan," Principal Greene said grimly, holding his hand out over his desk. Charlie shook it stiffly before sitting down next to me. He turned to me.

"What happened," he asked me lowly. I opened my mouth to finally explain but Greene cut me off.

"Your daughter attacked another student without provocation," he started and I immediately jumped up to argue but Charlie placed a hand on my arm.

"I believe I asked my daughter what happened."