Old Soul

Chapter Two: Double Entendre

I feel less jittery the next day, more in control of my situation. I decide to leave extra early just to see if I can manage to get to the school without using my GPS. The extra time is for when I inevitably get lost and have to resort back to using a GPS for guidance. As I pull slowly out of my driveway, I notice how slick and icy the roads are.

"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Virginia anymore." I mutter to myself. Back in Virginia, if there was even a hint of a snowflake in the sky, the entire state shut down. Here, no one bats an eye even if inches of snow cover the ground and thick sheets of ice cover the roads.

After a few almost-wrong turns, I manage to make it to school, in one piece no less. Since the lot is emptier than it was yesterday, I park a bit closer to the school. I also notice that the Cullens are standing around a silver Volvo like yesterday. I climb out of my car and head into English, carrying my dad's old copy of Macbeth, though I plan to get a copy of my own when I take Will to Port Angeles. I'm adding sticky notes to important passages that I think will bolster my argument for the paper due soon. Angela, a tall girl that I sat with at lunch yesterday hurries over to me, taking Bella's seat. She looks flushed, her eyes wide and her breathing faster than normal.

"Hey, Angela. Are you okay?" I ask, genuinely concerned that she's going to pass out with how shallow her breathing is.

"Yeah, it's Bella. Tyler was being reckless, driving way faster than he should have been, and he lost control of his van and it almost hit Bella. Apparently, Edward was there beside her and pulled her out of the way just in time. She's going to the hospital now to make sure she doesn't have a concussion. Jessica, Mike, and Eric are going to make sure she's okay. I figured she won't want all the attention, so I'm staying here." Angela gets out in one breath. I gasp a little when I hear Bella was almost killed.

"We should try to get her notes for her, so she isn't stressing about that." I say, and Angela nods. We discuss the logistics, that I can get Bella's notes for trig, Spanish, and English, and Angela will get her notes for history and biology. I ask Angela for both her and Bella's phone numbers, so I can text them later. Making friends, check.

My day passes in a blur again until lunch. I join Angela at the table, where only another girl and Ben are sitting.

"I see you've decided to join the lunch-from-home team." Angela says to me, gesturing towards her lunchbox.

"Yeah, I had hope that the food here would be decent, but I was sadly disappointed." I reply as I slide into the seat next to her.

"Huh. Edward's back in school. I wonder why he's back but not Bella." Angela wonders aloud. I shrug.

"Maybe her injuries were a bit more serious." I suggest.

"No, Jess said that she was fine, just a bit of a headache. Not even a concussion. Tyler had the worst injuries of the three, and he just had a cut on his forehead. He had to get stitches."

"Who knows? Maybe he just really wants to get an education." I continue looking at the Cullen Table, focusing on Edward, who has a knowing smirk on his face, as if someone said something humorous, perhaps an inside joke. Abruptly, his expression darkens and he says something to Rosalie, fixing her with a glare that sends a shiver up my spine. The bell rings, and I wave to Angela before throwing out my trash and heading to the gym. I had managed to find all of my other classes with ease, but since I had used Jessica's guidance to find the gym, I realize I can't remember the way to get there. About halfway across the cafeteria, I begin to fumble around in my bag, looking for the schedule Ms. Cope gave to me.

"Are you lost?" I look up to confirm that my ears aren't playing tricks on me. Emmett towers over me, an easy smile on his face. Despite the smile, there's an undercurrent of tension I can't identify. My eyes flash over to where his siblings stand, Edward and Jackson look as if they're about to come storming over to their bigger brother, but Alice has a hand on both of their arms and is saying something to them, which makes Jackson visibly relax but not Edward. Alice turns to him and says something more forcefully and tugs on his arm, leaving the cafeteria. Rosalie looks at me, tilts her head, and frowns, but follows her other siblings out of the building. My eyebrows raise in confusion as I turn back to Emmett.