The Outlier

ELEVEN

The days after the incident had been particularly agonising to get over with. Being bombarded with people asking you for first-hand accounts of the incident was maddening. I was starting to think Dr. Cullen made a false call and I, indeed, did have a concussion because there is no way people were usually being this painfully annoying.

Tyler Crowley seemed to be diseased with the idea of repaying me somehow, regardless of however many times I assured him his debt had been paid. Nothing major happened to me or my car (other than one distinct dent that matched the structure of Edward's shoulder on my fender), the most he could do was focus on recovery— he was still trying to make amends. He'd follow me around, carry my lunch tray or even help me out with homework I certainly didn't need his incorrect answers to.

Mike and Eric's discreet rivalry seemed to turn into a three-way festival of hostility. Mike and Eric's former fondness of Tyler was replaced by what I can best describe as resentment rooted in jealousy. As much as I tried to be flattered by what was going on around me, the annoyance certainly overpowered it. It was nice to be liked—I'd be lying if I denied it— but being liked at the expense of friendships wasn't something I desired. I wondered how Bella had the patience to deal with the people around her.

Bella and I's car ride proved that the girl didn't hate me as much as I imagined her to. She was nice to talk to, the conversation went awkward a lot, but all in all, she was lovely to speak to. I resonated with the way she missed her mum. We had a lot we related on.  After the car ride, the glances Bella sent me always felt nicer— like she didn't hate me as much as she previously did. 

Due to my sequence of intricate lies, Edward was not bombarded with questions like I had been. As per usual, the Cullen-Hale clan was just as avoided as they usually were. No one bothered to give them so much as a second glance. 

Edward—and by extension, the rest of his family—seemed to be avoiding my usual observant glances. Like every day, their food sat on the lunch table untouched while they were preoccupied with conversations of their own.

Thankfully, the snow was replaced by the familiar sight of rain. I had no wish to have a repeat of the nightmarish snow day that ended in me having a swarm of paparazzi around me at most times. Mike kept voicing his annoyance that he never got to perform his ultimate snowball fight, to lessen his evident disappointment, I tried to remind him of his upcoming beach trip and it instantly seemed to lift his moods.

Jessica and Lauren seemed to constantly notify me of the upcoming school dance during lunch, their loud blabber was hard to ignore. To be frank, Angela was the only person I liked to listen to when talking about school events. Lauren former slight aversion towards me was replaced with severe loathsome that I couldn't quite locate the cause for.

On my way to Gym, Jessica pulled me to the side to ask for my blessing asking out a boy— Mike. I couldn't quite understand why she felt the need to ask for my go-no-go judgment on the situation.

"You weren't planning to ask him?" she asked hopefulness filling her shrilly voice as her big blue bug-eyes peered into my own.

"No," I said honestly, "I won't even be in Forks that weekend."

"You have fun with Mike," I said with a warm smile etching its way onto my face before exiting hastily.

☉☾

The following day, Jessica wasn't her usual radio-like self. She actually stopped talking unless she was spoken to. I couldn't possibly bring myself to parade her silence when she was visibly upset. Even while loading books into my bag from my locker, a moment where she'd often buzz excitedly about the details of how she'd look on the night of the dance, she was silent.