eah, yeah, now can you continue reading," Bella tried to sound as if this wasn't bothering her, but she was still red and her voice was too weak to pull that off.

Ow. Ow. Ungh. That's going to leave a bruise.

"Good," Jacob said, his dying laughter starting again.

Bella was kneading her forehead. It was hard to stay in my seat where I belonged, knowing she was hurt. But what could I do, if I were there? And it didn't seem to be serious... I hesitated, watching. If she intended to continue to try to play, I was going to have to manufacture an excuse to pull her out of class.

"Overreaction," Bella rolled her eyes.

The coach laughed. "Sorry, Newton." That girl's the worst jinx I've ever seen. Shouldn't inflict her on the others...

More laughter for Jacob, but Bella was pleased that the coach seemed to get it better now.

He turned his back deliberately and moved to watch another game so that Bella could return to her former spectator's role.

Ow, Mike thought again, massaging his arm. He turned to Bella. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, are you?" she asked sheepishly, blushing.

"I think I'll make it." Don't want to sound like a crybaby. But, man, that hurts!

"Crybaby," Jacob laughed.

Mike swung his arm in a circle, wincing.

"I'll just stay back here," Bella said, embarrassment and chagrin on her face rather than pain. Maybe Mike had got the worst of it. I certainly hoped that was the case.

At least she wasn't playing anymore. She held her racquet so carefully behind her back, her eyes wide with remorse... I had to disguise my laugh as coughing.

What's funny? Emmett wanted to know.

"You know... if you were in Emmett's Gym class, I bet he would have liked you from the first day," Jacob teased.

"Shut up," Bella hissed at him.

"Tell you later," I muttered.

Bella didn't venture into the game again. The coach ignored her and let Mike play alone.

I breezed through the quiz at the end of the hour, and Mrs. Goff let me go early. I was listening intently to Mike as I walked across the campus. He'd decided to confront Bella about me.

Jessica swears they're dating. Why? Why did he have to pick her?

He didn't recognize the real phenomenon - that she'd picked me.

"Don't go overboard with that," Bella rolled her eyes, it was more of a phenomenon that he had picked her after a hundred years after all.

"So."

"So what?" she wondered.

"You and Cullen, huh?" You and the freak. I guess, if a rich guy is that important to you...

Bella was glaring at the book, she didn't like this assumption at all, but what was really getting to her was how very wrong Mike was... Edward was so much more than just a rich guy.

I gritted my teeth at his degrading assumption.

"That's none of your business, Mike."

Defensive. So it's true. Crap. "I don't like it."

"You don't have to," she snapped.

Why can't she see what a circus sideshow he is? Like they all are.

Bella was glaring more at the book than before, not liking his way of thinking at all.

The way he stares at her. It gives me chills to watch. "He looks at you like...like you're something to eat."

Bella and Jacob both tensed a little at that... it wasn't good that Mike was able to notice that.

I cringed, waiting for her response.

Her face turned bright red, and her lips pressed together like she was holding her breath. Then, suddenly, a giggle burst through her lips.

"You laughed?" Jacob looked at her incredulously.

"Um... the irony of that must have gotten to me," Bella said. "I'm sure it was a nervous laugh if that makes you feel any better."

"It doesn't," Jacob said and then started reading again.

Now she's laughing at me. Great.

Mike turned, thoughts sullen, and wandered off to change.

I leaned against the gym wall and tried to compose myself.

How could she have laughed at Mike's accusation - so entirely on target that I began to worry that Forks was becoming too aware... Why would she laugh at the suggestion that I could kill her, when she knew that it was entirely true? Where was the humor in that?

What was wrong with her?

"Nothing's wrong with me," Bella huffed.

"I beg to differ," Jacob chuckled, though he was giving her an odd look, too.

Did she have morbid sense of humor? That didn't fit with my idea of her character, but how could I be sure? Or maybe my daydream of the giddy angel was true in the one respect, in that she had no sense of fear at all. Brave - that was one word for it.

"I'm not brave," Bella mumbled.

Others might say stupid,

"So I guess you're stupid then," Jacob chuckled and Bella glared at him.

but I knew how bright she was. No matter what the reason, though, this lack of fear or twisted sense of humor wasn't good for her. Was it this strange lack that put her in danger so constantly? Maybe she would always need me here...

Just like that, my mood was soaring.

If I could just discipline myself, make myself safe, then perhaps it would be right for me to stay with her.

When she walked through the gym doors, her shoulders were stiff and her lower lip was between her teeth again - a sign of anxiety. But as soon as her eyes met mine, her rigid shoulders relaxed and a wide smile spread across her face. It was an oddly peaceful expression. She walked right to my side without hesitation, only stopping when she was so close that her body heat crashed over me like a tidal wave.

"Hi," she whispered.

The happiness I felt in this moment was, again, without precedent.

"Hello," I said, and then - because with my mood suddenly so light I couldn't resist teasing her - I added, "How was gym?"

"Argh... did he have to mention that?" Bella groaned.

"Yep," Jacob chuckled. "Besides, isn't it better that you know he's watching you... not as creepy that way at least."

"Whatever," Bella shrugged.

Her smile wavered. "Fine."

She was a poor liar.

"True," Jacob and Bella both said.

"Really?" I asked, about to press the issue - I was still concerned about her head; was she in pain? - but then Mike Newton's thoughts we so loud they broke my concentration.