The next couple of days at school were fairly normal, with the Cullen's all being their usual friendly selves and Edward ignoring me. I had gotten over feeling hurt by his silence, and now I just felt annoyed. The rest of his family didn't see the need to avoid me so why did he? I decided I was going to have to tell them soon that I knew what they were. Hopefully that would make Edward relax and start talking to me again.
During these days though, sometimes I would catch Edward staring at me, and when our eyes met, neither of us could look away. It happened a few times, once in Biology, and twice while we were sitting together at lunch. The first time our eyes met we stared intensely at each other, completely oblivious to the rest of the class, until Mr Banner interrupted us by asking me a question about meiosis.
The second and third times, Alice interrupted us, giving us a knowing smile as she did and confirming my suspicions that she knew we were mates, in fact she had probably seen some of our future together.
Despite these looks, Edward still didn't talk to me until Wednesday arrived. I had just joined a still silent Edward at my biology table when Mike walked up. To give him credit, since his little 'talk' with Emmett he had stopped being so cocky around me, and usually either avoided me, or was incredibly polite. Still, it was a little odd for him to approach me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward stiffen slightly, and surmised that whatever Mike was up to, Edward didn't like it. "So Bella, I just wanted to apologise again for treating you like that on your first week," he had an appropriately abashed look on his face, but I could tell he was lying. I mentally groaned, couldn't this guy take a hint?
I tried to smile, which it came out closer to a grimace, as he continued to talk. "So Jessica asked me to the spring dance," he stated.
I grinned happily, if he was going with her he wouldn't be asking me out, "That's great Mike." I exclaimed.
He frowned slightly, "Yeah, well I told her I would think about it." I grimaced slightly at that, "I thought I wait and see if you asked me first, because I would totally go with you." He finished with a wink.
Next to me Edward's hand clenched into a fist, and I half hoped that he would backhand Mike across the room for asking out his mate. No such luck. I put on my best fake smile. "Sorry Mike, but I've already got someone in mind to ask and it isn't you." I said as sweetly as possible. I would rather walk naked through fire than go to the dance with him.
In the first stroke of luck I had had all day, the class started and Mike was forced to go to his seat. I turned slightly, and once again my eyes were locked into a staring match with Edwards, but this time his eyes held a type of emotion I couldn't identify. Once again we were interrupted by Mr Banner, and as Edward turned to answer I let my hair fall around my face, hiding the sudden blush I now had on my cheeks.
I could feel Edward's gaze on me throughout the lesson, and eventually he whispered softly, "Tu és tão bela, e ainda assim tão difícil de ler (Portuguese for: You are so beautiful and yet so hard to read)."
My eyes darted up to his in shock. I knew he hadn't meant for me to understand it, but I was glad that I did, and, if I was being honest, I was pleased that he thought I was beautiful, and smug that he couldn't read my mind. "Eu estou longe de ser bonita, e estou feliz por ser difícil de ler(I'm hardly beautiful, and I'm thankful that I'm hard to read)." I whispered back in flawless Portuguese.
He looked at me in astonishment. "Kailangang tandaan ko iyan(Filipino for: I'll have to remember that)." He muttered to himself softly, obviously filing away that I understood Portuguese.
I grinned, " Oo gagawin mo(Yes you will)," I replied, yet again surprising him with my knowledge of yet another language.
This time he smiled softly back, and I could see from his eyes that he was testing me. " postoji li jezik kojim bih mogao govoriti, ali nećete razumjeti?(Is there any languages I can speak that you won't understand?)" He asked in perfect Croatian.
My smile broadened, "Ne znam, ali možete ga zadržati i pokušati saznati. (I don't know, but you can keep trying and find out)," I replied, cocking my eyebrow in challenge.
He just smiled back before addressing my earlier comment. "You are beautiful Bella," he said, his eyes showing that he was being truthful.
I shrugged. I knew I wasn't ugly, but having lived with a family of inhumanly gorgeous vampires for most of my life, my perception of beauty was rather swayed, and it was hard to see myself as anything but plain in comparison. "Whatever Edward," I dismissed his comment, although secretly, include I was tingling with happiness.
He looked like he was going to reply, but the bell went. Realising my time with Edward was over and that he would probably go back to ignoring me; I quickly turned and packed up my books.
I stood, surprised to find that we were the only ones left in the class. I was startled when I heard him address me. "Bella?' he asked.
I sighed, turning around to face him, my previous anger at him ignoring me resurfacing, "What? Are you talking to me now?" I demanded.
He smiled softly, "No, not really," he admitted. I glared at him, and he cringed slightly, "I'm sorry I've been treating you like this, but it's better this way." He explained. At my disbelieving look he continued, "It's better if we're not friends Bella, I'm not a good friend for you."
It was obvious that he truly believed that he was bad for me. For some reason that made me madder. "Whatever Edward, maybe if you'd figured that out a little sooner you could have saved yourself all this regret and just let the van hit me." I hissed angrily, my eyes fierce.
He looked stunned and his expression turned angry, "You think I regret saving you?" he asked, stepping forward until we were nose to nose.
I glared up at him, "Don't you?" I said harshly.
He matched my expression, "You don't know anything," he growled before stepping back from me, his jaw clenched.
I picked up my books and hurried out of the classroom, heading for gym, I know a lot more than you think Edward, I thought rebelliously, still seething from our encounter. Stupid vampire mate thought he could ignore me for a week and I would be friendly when he finally decided to talk to me again.
Unfortunately for me, my day did not get any better. Before I could get to my truck after school I was accosted by Eric. I sighed; I had a sneaking suspicion that this conversation wasn't going to be one I'd enjoy.
Sure enough, Eric didn't disappoint. "Hi Bella," he managed to stutter out.
"Hi Eric," I smiled softly at him. He wasn't a bad kid, a little shy, but relatively nice, I just didn't really like him, we had nothing in common.
"I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me." He said quickly, his words merging into one.
If I hadn't grown up with fast whispering vampires I wouldn't have understood a word he had said. I decided to let him down easily since he wasn't really a bad guy. I smiled apologetically, "Sorry Eric, but I already have someone in mind that I'd like to ask." I explained. Although, thinking about it now, I was still angry at Edward, so maybe I wouldn't ask him after all.
"Oh, yeah," he said awkwardly, "That's okay. Bye Bella." He quickly made his escape, and I sighed in relief as I got into my truck. I heard a low chuckle, and turned to see Edward getting into his car. I glared at him, and reversed out, but I was soon cut off behind Edward, who had blocked me, and was now waiting for his siblings, who were slowly heading over to him, confusion evident on their faces.
I glared at his car, tempted to dent it with my truck, and wondered why Edward had purposely stopped me from leaving. It didn't take long for my answer to arrive in the form of Tyler knocking on my window. I rolled it down. "Hi Tyler, I'm sorry you're stuck behind me." I said, gritting my teeth and praying that he wasn't going to ask me to the dance.
God must hate me. "Oh that's fine Bella, I just thought that while you're stuck here I'd ask you if you were going to ask me to the spring dance." He said with confidence in his tone.
My jaw clenched in annoyance, "Sorry Tyler, but I already know who I want to ask, and it isn't you." I informed him harshly, my quota of patience for the day well and truly used up.
"Oh," he said, seeming surprised that it wasn't him I was planning to ask, "That's okay, we still have prom," he said cheerfully as he walked back to his car. I stared after him in disbelief. There was no way I was going to prom with him, I shuddered at the thought. I turned back to see the rest of the Cullens getting into the Volvo, with Edward shaking with laughter in the driver's seat, no doubt he had found my run in with Tyler funny, I thought furiously as he drove away.
That night I was woken by another feeling that someone was watching me, and as I cast my shield out I realised that yet again Edward was watching me sleep, this time from the tree outside my window. I rolled over, realising there was nothing I could do about it right now. I had no idea why he seemed to find watching me sleep so fascinating, but I couldn't help feeling slightly warmer at the thought of being close by. I just hoped that I wouldn't say anything embarrassing in my sleep. I fell back to sleep quickly, for some reason feeling more comfortable knowing my mate was close by.
The next day I drove to school desperately trying to forget about my unhealthy obsession with Edward Cullen. Of course, as soon as I spotted his silver Volvo I was back to my thoughts about him. My only consolation was that, judging by his prescience outside my room last night, he was just as obsessed with me as I was with him.
I was surprised when I got out of my truck, and Edward immediately approached. "Hello Bella," he said softly, smiling at me.
I stared at him suspiciously, wondering why he was talking to me again. "Hey Edward," I smiled hesitantly. Then I remembered him purposely stopping me escaping from Tyler after school yesterday. "So what was with the big hold up yesterday in the parking lot?" I asked, my eyes narrowing into slits.
He looked amused, "I didn't want Tyler to miss his chance," he said, his eyes dancing and a smile forming on his face.
I was momentarily distracted by how unbelievably gorgeous he looked when he was smiling. Then I frowned, furious at being set up. "Why you..." my fists clenched in anger, and I couldn't think of a word bad enough to describe him. I wanted so badly to hit him with my shield and throw him through a building, or at the very least place a thin ring of my shield around one of his fingers and compress until his finger fell off. I figured that was reasonable, I knew it would reattach, I had "cut off" limbs from both Felix and Demetri with my shields before when they aggravated me.
Of course, realising that I could do neither without revealing myself, I settled for growling at him. "So are you trying to irritate me to death since Tyler's van didn't do the job?" I had to admit, at the moment I was more likely to die from being annoyed by Edward than I was by a van hitting me.
Edward's eyes flashed angrily. "You are utterly absurd Bella."
I simply glared at him. "Why are you talking to me anyway? Didn't you say you didn't want to be friends?"
"I only said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be." He clarified.
I rolled my eyes. "Well thanks for clearing that up," I said sarcastically as I continued walking towards the school buildings. "What did you want to talk about anyway?"
He tensed suddenly and, surprisingly, he looked nervous. "Um, well I wanted to ask you something." He started.
I stopped and looked up at him, his eyes were unsure. I sighed. "Spit it out Edward."
"Well, normally I wouldn't do this, since it's supposed to be a girls choice dance and I heard you say you already had someone in mind to ask, but seeing as three guys have already asked you, I um..." he trailed off nervously, shoving a hand through his gorgeous bronze hair.
My mouth opened in shock and I'd be lying if I said I didn't find this situation amusing. Edward was nervous about asking me to the spring dance! Internally I was doing a happy dance. "Well, since you haven't actually asked yet, and it is a girl's choice, would you go to the spring dance with me Edward?" I asked, searching his eyes for my answer.
He smiled, "I would love to Bella." Then he looked thoughtful. "But what about the guy you wanted to ask?"
I rolled my eyes, "You were the guy I was going to ask Edward." I was exasperated. Evidently Alice hadn't told him who I had wanted to ask.
"Oh," he looked pleased. "Sit with me at lunch?" he asked suddenly.
I frowned, confused. 'I always sit with you and your family at lunch."
"I know, but I meant, would you sit with me by ourselves." He explained.
My eyes widened in astonishment and confusion, "Okay." I agreed.
He gave me a beautiful grin then, "Thank you Bella." The bell event and we turned towards our classes. As if he suddenly felt guilty, he stopped, "You really should stay away from me," he warned, then kept walking.
I watched for a second. Too late, I thought dryly.
I continued towards my class, eagerly anticipating lunch