Guarding the Angel

[weartheseshorts]

Fandom: Twilight
Rating: Teen -- eventual M
Pairings: All canon
Comments: After going through my writing journal, I found all the effort and energy I put into this story during that week of finals, so I decided to give it a go again. And it had me engulfed. I rewrote ideas, put more into my timeline, gave histories... It was pretty exhilarating. My fluffy story Library Buddy can't compare to the effort I put into this, and I work on that all the time.



[ Previously in Chapter 3]

Chapter Four
Let's Argue - Then We'll Get to Introductions

When I reached my Biology class, I made a bee line towards the teacher as Angela headed for her seat. I liked Mr. Banner immediately, as he had handed me a book and a seat assignment without so much as a single word except for the necessary. Though when I turned to my table, I had to question whether I liked him so much anymore.

There, next to my assigned seat was Edward Cullen, his beautiful green eyes scrutinizing me so intensely I had to wonder how I didn't notice it when I walked in. I blushed, pulling myself from his gaze; I was starting to feel like a science experiment all over again. I didn't want to have to look him in the eye, so I focused on my feet under my nose. In fact, I was so focused on my feet that, when I reached the table at the end of the row, I had accidentally bumped my hip into corner.

At that moment, three sounds reached my ears: the soft "shit!" I whispered sharply, the sound of something snapping, and a low growl. My head snapped at the growl, recognizing it immediately as the one I heard last night as the beast in my mind. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure where it come from. All I saw was Edward's face, devoid of emotion, except for a hard stare and a clenched jaw. (How come he hated me so much?) There was nothing to hint anywhere else either where the growl or the snapping came from. It could have been my mind again, just like last night. Then I suddenly remembered the pain in my hipbone.

"Shit," I whispered again, only this time more drawn out and almost like a hiss, clenching my side. It was surely bruising now. I squeezed my eyes shut in hopes to distract myself from the pain. It didn't help. Actually, this pain had been a lot worse than some other simple bumps I've had in the past.

"Are... are you okay, Bella?" The voice was very strained, sounding almost as much in pain as I was, but it still came out like smooth velvet. I wondered if that was possible, but apparently it was. Though the voice was captivating, something else caught my attention. Something about the way my voice was said was familiar.

I looked up to the voice's owner. Edward had a similar expression to earlier, but it was now contorted with a worried grimace. I forgot all about the pain as I got lost in his eyes once more; such green eyes had me captivated, and I found myself with that same stunned silence as I had the previous night when I thought I saw those same eyes. Then, for almost a split moment, his light green eyes became black - a frightening pure black. A shiver went down my body involuntarily. I blinked, trying to figure out if that had just happened. Then I remembered that I hadn't responded yet, with my mouth hanging open and all. Great, he must think I'm an idiot.

"Y... yeah," I said anticlimactically. But he seemed to accept my answer as he gave a short nod before he turned his body towards the front of the classroom.

I let out a silent whoosh of air that I hadn't realize I was keeping in. It didn't go unnoticed by me that he still had that hard expression, but I tried not to dwell on it. After all, we hadn't even had a conversation, so he couldn't possibly have a reason to hate me so much. It must have been something else that happened before I came to this school. Right?

Unfortunately, my mind was reeling with all these thoughts during Biology that I couldn't even focus on half of what Mr. Banner was talking about it. That was alright anyway, seeing as how I had already taken AP Biology in Phoenix. Still, that meant this class wouldn't be distraction enough from the godlike man who would be sitting with me through the rest of the year. I didn't know whether to take that in worry or gratitude. After all, I seemed to have already gotten on his nerves, and I hardly said a word to him. Heck, I hadn't even introduced myself --

That's right. I hadn't introduced myself, and he already knew my name. And not only that, but the fact that I preferred "Bella". It was the same scenario as with Alice. I shot him a sharp and hesitant glance, as if he would suddenly pounce on me at any given moment or something. Then I realized how silly my thoughts were, how silly I was being. Actually, I was pretty sure that giving him pointed looks wouldn't only make his opinion of me worse. It was too bad he caught me glancing at him already. I began to blush in embarrassment, but only before I had realized why I was looking at him in the first place.

"How do you know my name?" I gave a harsh whisper, before fully realizing what I was doing. Okay, I knew interrogating him during class wasn't the best time to do this, but curiosity got the best of me.

His eyebrows furrowed as he gave me another glance, just before looking towards the front of the class. Seeming to settle with himself mentally, he turned to me again. My breath hitched at the sight of his beautiful eyes, but I made myself focus. I didn't want to be distracted by his striking eyes once again. Then, he did something that completely threw me off guard.

He smiled.

It wasn't one of those fake smiles I found myself seeing all day from people like Lauren, or even a strained one like I would have expected from him; it was pure. Absolutely pure. And it was absolutely glorious. The teeth that were peeking out of his full lips were gleaming in the light shining overhead, and his eyes crinkled adorably in amusement. He seemed to have this light around him, but that could have been my imagination. Needless to say, my breath caught at the sight. I had no words, after all, but then I realized I was on a mission: I could not be distracted.

"I don't think there's a single soul in this entire school who doesn't know who you are," he said, his tone filled with amusement.

How odd... here he was from Prince Priss to jolly good fellow within seconds. I wanted to scowl, to show that I was serious, but I'm sure it came out more as a grimace crossed with a swoon. His smile faltered at my expression.

"Well," I went on to say, "it seems everyone around here can't get it through their thick skulls that I prefer to be called Bella - they're bent on 'Isabella'."

He was eying me suspiciously now. "What are you saying?"

"I don't know, Edward!" I half-whispered. Thank God a low murmur had broken out in the classroom already or else all attention would be on me again. "All I know is that you and Alice already know my name and I haven't even talked to either of you before."

Again, he surprised me by letting out a low chuckle, but not before a look of panic crossed his face for a split second. "And it seems you know of our names as well. Does that not count as the same thing you are accusing me of?"

I opened my mouth to retaliate, but closed it again after I couldn't think of anything to say. How could I beat that logic? I had been curious enough to ask around who he and his family were, so it meant he could've done just the same. Still, it just felt different with him. That, and the mystery of Alice and my odd first meeting with her. It seemed I kept going back to that moment. She liked me already? What could that mean? This was proving to be a confusing first day, all because of the short black haired girl.

"Well, it still doesn't explain Alice's weird introduction," I muttered in a low voice, thinking he didn't hear. Though, it seemed that he did, because he tensed up, nostrils flaring slightly. He didn't say anything in response.

The rest of the class was uneventful after that, because Edward made it a point to not even so much as look my way. And to tell the truth, I was a little disappointed. Not because his voice was so compelling (well, that too), but because I was curious and wanted to continue our conversation. He had a way of talking that made me feel insignificant in his presence, yet esteemed because he was talking to me in that way. So, I had felt at a loss afterward, having no Edward to talk to.

Then the bell rang, signaling the end of Biology. I gathered my things, thinking of my next class: gym. Great. Unlike in Phoenix, Forks High School had a requirement for all four years of PE, so that meant another year of torture. Hey, for a person of my balance and luck, it was torture after all. In the middle of my inner grumbling, however, I was stopped by a hand lightly touching my wrist. I almost jumped at the spark I felt from it, but instead I settled on looking up at Edward - after all, I could only imagine that such a wonderful cool touch was his.

"Bella, there's something I need you to know," he said, his voice low and urgent. My heart sped up at it.

What on earth did he have to say? His voice was even more compelling, especially in this deep urgency. I had no words, so all that came out was a strangled mewl from my throat. His mouth twitched in a smile, but it was gone before I could register it fully in time.

Then his words came to hit me: "I don't think we should be friends."

My heart could have stopped right there. But my mind was in too much of a frantic haze to let that happen. Not be friends? Not be friends? Who did he think he was, to determine who should be my friend? Or maybe... he was determining for himself? I felt my heart drop into the pits of my stomach at the thought. Of course. He was choosing his own friends. Why would Edward Cullen want to be friends with me?

I decided not to let my disappointment show, so I mustered up the best stoic face I could. I nodded in response to what he said, and stalked off the other way, towards the gym. I couldn't even remember going up to the gym teacher, or greeting the familiar people I got acquainted with today, or having a total of four balls hit me all within the class period; all that mattered was what Edward had said to me.

It was almost cruel, what he was telling me. Who goes around telling people that? People you barely meet? What on earth had I done to him that he would hate me so much within my first day of meeting him? All day, I felt his glare on me, when I hadn't so much as said one word to him. Then comes Biology, and... and... I even thought he was warming up to me - somewhat - with the smiling he had throughout our conversation. But, I guessed, smiles are lies as well.

I fought tears the whole hour, getting mad at myself for letting him have this unnatural pull on me. Why should I let him affect me so? After all, I hardly knew the guy. Hardly anyone outside his family knew him. He didn't even talk to the rest of the kids in his grade, for goodness sake. He was a weird one... albeit a gorgeous weird one, but a weird one nonetheless. There was nothing special about him. He wasn't worth it.

So, there was no reason to be worked up over him.

I convinced myself of this somewhat by the end of the school day (which I had been eager for all day). There were some overeager kids who wanted to take me home, but I told them all that I'd get home on my own just fine. Even if I knew I wasn't convincing, I really did want to just have time on my own, so when everybody just let me be, I let out a sigh of relief.

After walking my way out of the school grounds, however, I wished I could take back that sigh of relief; it was far too soon. Since I had taken a secluded pathway out of the school, I was faced with a blockade at the corner when I realized two people were using that space in heated conversation. I tried to be discreet to make my way backwards, but as soon as I heard whose voices they were, my heart rate sped up and I couldn't help but lean in closer.

"--because of you, she suspects something!" said the very velvety voice that had my mind in a haze. To think my heart sped up the more I heard his voice was insane. "Alice, I really can't fucking believe this. You should have just kept your mouth shut, 'cause now we're gonna have to deal with her suspicion!"

"Okay, first off, please don't curse around me," came the tinkling voice of Alice. "I understand you're on your little strike, but hearing that kind of talk hurts me personally. And second, I know what I was doing. She may be a perceptive girl, but this may be good for us in the long run... I find it stupid that we're hiding anyway, from her especially... after all, you never know if she would be wanting to know what's going on. You know, to listen in."

I didn't know how to react to that last line, but I took my chances and poked my head around the corner to look at them. Alice had this smile, like she knew something was up, which seemed to grow when I looked in, but Edward's back was turned to me. As if noticing Alice's infinitesimal change in expression, he tensed up, then leaned in, asking her something too low for my ears, to which she nodded smugly at. Suddenly, Alice's head snapped to me.

"Why hello, Bella!" she said brightly. I immediately felt blinded by her beautiful smile. "How're you doing this fine afternoon?"

"Hi," I replied quietly, ducking my head so I wouldn't have to face them head on, knowing how obvious I was to show my shyness. "I'm... fine... What're you guys doing?"

"Talking," Edward replied coolly. I bit my lip in response, but I saw that Alice turned to him, giving him a pointed look. He nonchalantly continued, "So... do you have any way to get home safely in the rain?"

Oh no, not them too. What was with everyone caring to give me a ride? "No... I was actually planning to walk, I guess."

Both Alice and he winced as well as tensed up with what I said, though I had no idea why. Edward gave her a sideways look, that worried expression again, and his chest was almost heaving now. It was unsettling, really. Alice, on the other hand, was biting her lip with her eyebrows raised high, as if getting ready to burst from... excitement? I could almost see her bouncing.

"Now we can't have that!" she exclaimed, running over to me, grasping onto my hand. "Wouldn't want something to happen to you... No slips on the wet concrete giving you a concussion or any unknown car accidents causing amnesia? Right?"

"Um..." Though the scenarios she presented completely froze me up, it sounded as if what she said was directed more at Edward than at me. He just grumbled under his breath. Then she giggled, looking over to me, grinning, and locking her arm with mine. I blushed, embarrassed by her forward actions.

"I don't know, Alice... I kind of have to rush home..." he said, just loud enough for me, and slightly warily. But it still sounded strained. Very strained.

"You really don't have to take me home! I wouldn't want to be a burden!" I interjected immediately. I really hated the attention on my getting home safely. It was a ridiculous worry that reminded me terribly of Renee. "I'm fine with walking, really."

"Nonsense!" Alice replied sternly. "Ol' Edward is just being a meanie. And if he won't take you, I'll walk you home! I can't stand to have you just walking home... After all, anything's better than walking home all alone." Again, it felt like the last bit was more for Edward than for me.

"Alice," his voice turning hard. "You're not making this any easier for me."

She snapped her head over to him, then hissed in a low voice, "Don't think this is any easier for me. It was never meant to be easy, anyway."

They seemed to be having some sort of a silent argument. It was apparent with the electricity running through the air that it was intense, whatever was going on between the two of them. I almost felt like I shouldn't be here to witness the harsh stares they were passing back and forth. Suddenly, Alice relaxed completely, but Edward was still in that hard position.

"We're just going to drop you off, and we'll be off," a very familiar, emotionless tone in his voice responded.

"No! Really! I wasn't lying when I said I can just go home myself," I replied. They hadn't even so much as asked me to take me home? "You guys don't have to escort me home. I mean, it's obvious that Edward doesn't want to, and I wouldn't want you to walk all the way there, Alice. I'll be fine. I can walk home by myself."

They both surprised me by giving me pained looks. It was as if they were dying at the thought of that. It was so apparent that I had to shake myself to not reach out and touch them. Their beautiful faces shouldn't have been subjected to such... anguish.

"Or... not..." I continued lamely.

Alice immediately brightened up, whereas Edward just looked frustrated. At first I was amused by their contrasts, but now my curiosity was making me more worried by it. Why should Alice be so happy to take me home? And why would Edward look almost worried about it? ...And why did he hate me so much?

"And don't worry about Edward not wanting to take you home, he's just being too stubborn to admit he wants to," she said, holding tighter onto me with her arm. It was like steel, that arm of hers, and it reminded me of falling into Emmett's arms, which reminded me of another fact.

"Isn't there going to be no room with your family in the car?" I asked almost timidly once we reached their car. It was a simple, shiny Volvo, but from what I can tell, it was the nicest car in the lot. But it certainly wasn't big enough for six people.

"They walked home." Alice shrugged as she pushed me into the backseat. She surprised me by joining me in the back. Edward was quiet and stoic as he sat into the driver's seat.

I thought about what she said for a moment as we pulled out of the student parking lot. What? They were so insistent on having me not walk home, and they were letting their own family do exactly just that? I was the new girl, they hardly knew me, and yet they were more concerned over me than their siblings (and, in Alice's case, boyfriend)? Though the thought oddly touched me, it concerned me and made me mad. I could already begin to feel the angry tears building up in the back of my eyes.

"How come - how come you're letting them walk, and I can't?!" I exclaimed a little too shrilly.

"They're in a group, and we know they can take care of themselves," Edward responded from the front seat, glancing back at me in the rear-view mirror, making my heart's beating increase. "Tell me when to turn."

Momentarily stunned, I forgot what he meant. Then I realized they were dropping me off home, and my exit off the highway was just coming up. I murmured when, and he followed my directions. I hated being so distracted, but it seemed that he knew just when to pull me out of my thoughts. But that didn't mean I couldn't think about the mysterious Cullens some more.

"You know, just because I don't have muscles like Emmett, it doesn't mean I can't walk by myself," I said strongly to the both of them.

Alice grinned at me, catching me off guard with her shiny teeth. She then slyly leaned in. "It seems you know quite a bit of our family, Bella. Have you been asking around? After all, it's not nice to gossip."

This earned a blush from me. Great. I forgot about the fact that we weren't introduced properly. "Well, err, Emmett did catch me from stumbling earlier today."

"I heard about that..." I heard Edward mutter from the front. It was so soft, I almost couldn't make out what he was saying.

Alice heard him loud and clear though, because she leaned into me now, saying, "Well, I didn't. Tell me what happened!"

"N-nothing special happened," I stammered. Her being so close was almost distracting, but it was just so comforting in her presence. "He was in my class, dropping off something... or something... and I stumbled, and he was by my side in my flash. Like, he was protecting me. And he had this concentrated and angry look on his face. I would have been scared if I wasn't so relieved for some reason... I was stunned, sure, but I guess you could say it was nice to feel... protected..." I realized then that I was sharing way too much, and I blushed at my blunder. I tended to vomit out my words anyway, and I could only imagine Alice giving me an odd look.

Instead Alice giggled. "At least one of us is doing some good at keeping you safe. Even if they don't need to."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her.

She simply smiled. The subject was not touched after that.

I finally noticed our surroundings and realized we were near the house. I told Edward where else to turn, which he followed without a word. When we pulled up to the home, I suddenly felt my stomach drop. I didn't want to have to leave them. Okay, I may have been so adamant about not getting a ride from them before, but I was starting to enjoy their - well, Alice's - company. In just being in their presence, I felt my nerves calm down. It was both unsettling and comforting: unsettling because I never would have thought my nerves were uneasy to begin with, and comforting because it was such a safe feeling.

"Here, let me walk you up," Alice said, glancing over to Edward with an exasperated expression. He ignored her, clenching his fists in his lap. His knuckles were so white and locked that I thought they were going to pop.

I thanked Edward for the ride, and he nodded in response, but otherwise he was still frozen. I heard Alice sigh from beside me, but she hadn't said a word as I walked clumsily up to the door. I felt so inadequate next to her as she glided up the steps. Almost mesmerized, I slipped on the wet top step, expecting the impact of the ground to hit me head on. Instead, I found Alice's arms wrapped tightly around me, holding me steady. She had the same grip as Emmett.

"Ah, God, I'm so clumsy, sorry!" I immediately started apologizing before even looking up at her face. When I did, I was taken aback slightly. Her expression was almost animalistic. Nostrils flaring, eyes hardened, jaw clenched... I felt my heart pound in my chest, scared a little bit. It was the same exact look as Emmett's when he held me.

"I... really hope you'll be more careful than that, Bella," she said, almost breathlessly. "I'd hate for you to get in an accident."

All I could do was nod, not finding any words coming out of my throat. She quietly let go of me, and went down the steps slowly. Though she was watching my every move, she gracefully made her way back to the front seat of the car like a swan, a perfect foil to my clumsiness. I waved heartily to her and gave a short nod to Edward as I went inside. They didn't drive off until I closed the door.

Leaning my head on the door, I sighed. What a day. If everyday was going to be as packed as this first one, I wasn't sure I was going to handle being in Forks. After all, there was only so much action I can take. But I would be able to suck it up, right?

Right?

[ Continue on to Chapter 5]