A Midnight Kiss ~Twilight Saga FanFiction~

Chapter Five

The hallways were crowded with students and teachers, making it nearly impossible for me to reach my locker, loud conversations drowning out all other sounds. Mike and Eric flanked me, chatting over me as if I wasn't there, making me feel claustrophobic as if I were trapped between them. I put my bag into my locker, and grabbed my books for my first class, tuning out the babbling noise from the two guys. "What do you think, Roxi?" Eric leaned in close, his breath reeking strongly of coffee, making me fight back a wave of nausea. "No idea," I sighed, fighting every urge in my body not to throw up, having no idea what they were talking about. Eric's arm draped possessively over my shoulders, as though he was staking a claim over me among the other males in the school. His grin revealed uneven teeth and large pink gums peeking through, his ordinary face marred by acne and blemishes, making him neither attractive nor entirely ugly — just average. Perhaps it was his acne that made him unattractive, his misshapen teeth, or maybe he was too clingy. However, neither Eric nor Mike had any appealing qualities. Maybe because they didn't look like him. Their features were too asymmetrical, unlike Edward's perfect, flawless face. I despised the fact that no one looked as gorgeous as Edward to me anymore. I hated that he had spoiled my attraction to normal-looking men.

"Roxi, are you listening?" Mike's voice cut through the loud noise, his arm casually leaning against my locker as he edged closer, being more intrusive than Eric had been. Their combined presence suffocated me, reminding me of the incident with Jacob in my kitchen. What was with some men and not respecting personal space? I shrugged Eric off, taking two large steps away to put some distance between us, squeezing past Mike. "Sorry, I'm a bit distracted. Is there a cheerleading squad at this school?" I asked in my sweetest voice so as not to offend them, directing my question at Mike, who seemed more like the sporty type of the two. Mike's eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth seemed to curl into a smile a bit too eagerly, saliva nearly pooling at the sides.

"Uh, yeah," he said, swallowing hard. "Lauren's on the squad. You'll have to ask her or Coach Clapp, they should be in the gym at this time." He shrugged and exchanged a glance with Eric. They seemed to be having a silent conversation that I couldn't hear, but I definitely knew the gist of it. "Okay, well, I'll go find them. Bye, guys." I gave them a quick wave and walked away from them as fast as I could, ducking in and out of groups of people. I felt uncomfortable with the way Mike and Eric reacted when I mentioned cheerleading. It was clear that they were thinking of things they shouldn't be. Stereotypical horny teenagers. As I walked away from them, I couldn't help but notice how quickly their attention shifted from me to Bella the moment she entered through the front door. Better her than me! I thought, feeling guilty for a split second. They were like a pack of hungry wolves trying to find their latest meal, Bella and I seemed to be the newest pieces of meat. Except I'm not a piece of meat, and I won't be treated as such. I was determined to not be stuck with one of them in my future. They weren't the kind of guy I wanted to be with, I didn't want to be with some loser who has wandering eyes for every girl they see or a guy who doesn't actually care about me — only what I look like. I want to be with someone who sees me for me, someone who loves me and not what being with me will do for their image...

Thankfully, it didn't take long to find the gymnasium, the double doors stood open, revealing a spacious room with polished wooden floors under the bright fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling, basketball hoops hung at each end of the gym, and a large scoreboard hanging prominently above the hoops. The walls were painted white, and decorated with colorful flyers and motivational quotes in different fonts. Near the center of the room, a group of students accompanied by the gym teacher, engaged in conversation and cheer practice, rehearsing chants and moves I recognized. I eagerly walked to the large group, recognizing Lauren speaking to the coach. Her blonde hair was styled in a high ponytail, and her makeup was amateurishly applied. She was playing with her hair when she noticed me, raising her eyebrow in a way that dripped with judgment. "Oh, hey! What are you doing here, Roxi?" Lauren spoke in a sweet voice that was obviously faked, emphasizing her words to make it clear I was beneath her. At least, in her mind I was. I decided to just ignore her, there was no point in fighting her. It wouldn't change her toxic personality. The coach turned around to face me, curiosity in his tired, drooping eyes. I assumed this must be Coach Clapp, my class schedule mentioned him under gym class. "Can I help you, young lady?" He was a stout man with a prominent beer gut and a balding head. Those were his most defining features.