Dusk Till Dawn

Lunch Buddies

I made my way to English in a daze. I didn't even realize when I first walked in that class had already started.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Swan," Mr. Mason said in a disparaging tone.

With a flushed face, I secretly rolled my eyes and hurried to my seat.

In between breaks, Mike seemed more enthusiastic than usual. He talked about the weather report for this weekend; the rain was supposed to take a minor break, and so maybe his trip would be possible. I tried to sound eager, but rain or no rain, it would still only be in the high forties, if we were lucky.

Soon lunch time started and I couldn't help but become a little frightened as Jessica and I entered the cafeteria. I wanted to see her face, to see if she'd gone back to the distant, quiet person I'd known for the last few weeks. Or, if by some miracle, she had decided to suddenly become friendly. Jessica babbled about her dance plans— she finally decided to ask Mike after I rejected her— and Lauren and Angela had asked the other boys and they were all going together.

My shoulders slumped in disappointment when my eyes focused on her table. Before today, she was sitting there but today she was absent. Had she gone home? Sick maybe? I only bought a bottle of lemonade, my appetite disappeared.

"Hey, Bella." A new voice interrupted Jessica's ramblings. When I finally looked up from the tiled floors, I was met with Rosalie's glowing eyes with a soft but barely noticeable smile on her face. "If it's okay, I was wondering if you'd like to sit with me today?"

"Oh-I..." I stumbled over my words. I glanced over to Jessica, only to see her waiting for what I would say to the blonde too. "Okay, sure. I'll see you after class, Jess."

I could feel her staring after me as I walked away.

Much to my surprise, and relife, we didn't sit with the other people from her family but rather an empty table a little further away from the others.

"This is different," I finally said when we sat down.

"Just trying something new out," Rosalie answered. "Sitting with a friend."

"Is that what we are now? Friends?"

Rosalie hummed. "I'd like to be. But, I do think your other friends are a little upset that I stole you from them."

"They'll be fine." I could feel a few of their stares boring into me.

Rosalie leaned on the table, resting her head on her hand and spoke in a soft tone. "I don't know, Bella, I may not give you back."

I could feel the heat radiating off of my cheeks and quickly decided to change the subject.

"Um...so what brought this on? Wanting to be friends, I mean?"

A soft sigh came from the woman. "I decided to start listening to myself, that's what really matters." I could tell there was more to that but I decided not to pry. I didn't want to say anything that would make her go back into her shell.

"Can you do me one favor?" I asked after a second of hesitation.

"That depends on what you want."

"It's not much," I assured. "I just wondered...if you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good. Just so I'm prepared." I looked at the lemonade bottle as I spoke, tracing the circle of the opening with my pinkie finger.

Rosalie was quiet to the point where I thought she left me alone at the table. That was until her colder than ice hand lightly skimmed over the back of mine to get my attention.

"I'm sorry," she started. "I know I already apologized before but it feels like I need to again. Know that I wasn't just extremely drawn from you but pretty much everyone who was close to me, I was going through my own problems. However, I can promise you, the next time I just need time for myself or just space, I'll let you know."

"That's all I ask for," I said. "Thank you."

I didn't notice the cafeteria was almost empty.

"Oh." I jumped to my feet. "We should go, we're going to be late."

"I'm not going to class today," she answered, standing to her feet as well.

"You're not?"

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then." She smiled down at me yet her eyes looked troubled. "You could join me if you'd like?"

As tempting as that sounded, I was far too big a coward to risk getting caught. "I should go."

"I'll see you then."

I was able to enter the room before Mr. Banner, taking my seat just as he stepped foot into the class. He was juggling a few small cardboard boxes in his arms. He put them down on Mike's table, telling him to start passing them around the class.

"Alright everyone, the Red Cross is having a blood drive in Port Angeles next weekend, so I thought you should all know your blood type." He sounded proud of himself, while a wave of dread passed over me. "Those of you who aren't eighteen yet will need a parent's permission, I'll have slips at my desk."

While he went over on how to do the assignment, my stomach flipped. I had to place my head on the desk when he carefully jabbed the spike of the needle into Mike's middle finger. Clammy moisture broke out across my forehead.

Mr. Banner continued through the room, helping my peers so they could start. I put my cheek against the cool black tabletop and tried to hold on to my consciousness. All around me I could hear squeals, complaints and giggles as my classmates skewered their fingers. I breathed slowly in and out through my mouth.

I berated myself when I didn't take the chance to skip with Rosalie.

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Chainsaw Man and Demon Slayer are my new obsessions

Bye!