Pinned but Fluttering

Chapter 13

Here's Chapter 13; I hope you'll enjoy it!!!! Time for some back story and such....

Chapter 13

After following her into the parking lot and piling into Mrs. Jane's van, I found myself strangely silent. I should be flying high after my first day of school, but I was also strangely nervous, almost as if I was keeping secrets...secrets about the Cullens. The feeling was rather bizarre, but I quickly put it aside as Mrs. Jane began to gently question me about my day.

“It was okay,” I answered noncommittally, looking out the side window so that she couldn't see my face.

“Hmmmm,” hemmed Mrs. Jane giving me a keen look—rather like my mother used to do when she doubted I was telling the truth—then she abruptly switched topics by informing me of the school arrangements she had made on my behalf during the day. The school bus will pick me up at the end of Billy's driveway each morning at 7:20 A.M. and will drop me off there each afternoon. Mrs. Jane asked if I had picked up my lunch voucher and my locker information, and I answered her dully in the affirmative.

“How were your classes?” she asked kindly, yet throwing me another speculative glance.

I frowned. How was I going to tell her that I'd probably be failing half my classes within a week? I knew very little Spanish, and most of the chemistry and all of the calculus had flown right over my head; I had understood very little of what the teachers had lectured on. PE would also be a lost cause as I was the world's klutziest teenager and would only be a danger to myself and others in the gym.

I was going to be a complete and utter failure. But what else could I do?

I looked at Mrs. Jane, frightened by my thoughts, only to find her frowning at me. Okay, she knew something was definitely going on; nothing got past her for long.

“Well,” I started slowly, “I think I'm going to need some tutoring in order to catch up in my classes.” Understatement of the year. But at least I've let her know what the major problem is. Yeah, Billy taught me shit.

“Oh, really?” she asked nonchalantly. “I'm sure that can be arranged if you need it, Bella.”

“The Spanish teacher said that she knew of someone who might be able to help me. I'll ask her about it tomorrow. And maybe I can track down some other tutors in calculus and chemistry.”

“Good idea,” agreed Mrs. Jane calmly as she drove us toward La Push. Wow. That was it? I wasn't going to mind terribly if she changed the topic again, though...especially when it got me off the proverbial hot seat. “Did you make any friends today?” she continued.

My face crinkled a bit in amusement; how old did she think I was? Oh, right...her kids were much younger than me. So I decided to answer the question since it was kindly meant. “I rediscovered one of my friends from elementary school; her name is Angela Weber. We hung out most of the day and ate lunch together.”

“That's lovely, dear,” said Mrs. Jane absently as she made a turn onto the main highway leading toward La Push and the beaches.

Then an idea struck me, and I had to give it a try. “I also met Alice Cullen today. She sat with Angela and me during lunch.”

Mrs. Jane's head spun toward me so quickly that she looked like something out of The Exorcist. I would never forgive Jacob for showing me that movie when I was eleven. I still had nightmares about Linda Blair. Ewwwww.

“You hung out with Alice Cullen?” Mrs. Jane squeaked.

“Yes, she seemed really nice...a lot nicer than some of the other girls,” I replied calmly. “Why? What's wrong with spending time with Alice?” I asked innocently, hoping now to find out more about the Cullen family. Angela had been willing to fill me in during lunch, but my stupid panic attack had derailed that master plan. But Mrs. Jane worked for CPS, and if there was anything going on with the Cullens, she'd know what's going on for certain.