I Want To Save You: Ch 3

Chapter Three

Emmett was waiting for me at the entrance of the science building with a cheesy ass smile on his fat face.

"Hello Eddo!" he called boisterously, even though I wasn't but five feet away from him. "You ready for some Biology bullshit?" He then proceeded to slap his knee laughing madly at his attempt at a joke.

"We aren't doing anything today Emmett. If anything, Banner will turn on a movie and let everyone talk quietly," I said rolling my eyes. "I'm sure Mike will want to talk friendly with you." Emmett scrunched up his face in annoyance, pissed that I brought up Newton.

"Well at least my partner speaks ass face," he defended, punching me in the arm. He was really starting to get quite violent with me. The bruise he'd given me a week ago throbbed painfully at the contact, but I refused to show any reaction. "From what I've heard Isabella Swan is a mute."

"It's her first day, you dumb ass. She probably just needs some time to adjust." I opened the door to walk inside but he pushed me aside so that he could enter first. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot my manners. Ladies first," I teased.

"Shut the hell up!" Emmett growled.

We entered the classroom that was already full and I shyly made my way to my desk that was now occupied by one silent girl and two crutches. Isabella paid no attention to me as I sat down on my stool and pulled my text book out of my bag.

I allowed myself one quick glance towards the girl sitting on my right, and found her half asleep yet again. Her face a shade paler than it had been this morning, making the dark circles under her eyes look a tad darker. I tried to be quiet as I flipped open my book so I wouldn't disturb her, when the door slammed shut, revealing Mr. Banner in his bald headed glory. Isabella jumped slightly, almost falling off of her stool but was able to catch herself.

"Good afternoon class," Mr. Banner greeted, then looking over to Isabella. "And welcome to Biology, Miss Swan."

Isabella nodded once in acknowledgement, but made no attempt to smile or answer the greeting with words. Her hands weren't shaking anymore, but she fiddled with a worn silver bracelet on her left wrist nervously.

"Well..." Mr. Banner said nervously, turning to the TV stand. "Today we are going to watch a movie. Cullen if you could talk Miss. Swan through the last chapter, we have a test on Friday before we leave for winter break that I want her prepared to take with the rest of your classmates."

"Yes sir," I coughed nervously.

I could hear Emmett laughing from his seat, but I ignored him.

The lights went dim and the movie started, but Isabella remained in the state she had been before class started. I cleared my throat to get her attention and watched her head turn slightly towards me. I took that as a sign that she would listen to what I had to say, so I flipped towards the beginning of the chapter and scooted the book towards her so we could both use it.

"I'm Edward Cullen," I blurted out softly, feeling the sudden need to introduce myself. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. My little sister talks enough for the both of us."

Bella nodded once but didn't reply. Instead she looked down at the text book without a hint of interest. Her brown eyes were blurry, but focused on the diagram, and yet she made no attempt in understanding it. I pulled my folder out and started reading the notes I had taken from the past two weeks lectures as quietly as I could until I flipped the page and realized that she was now asleep. Her chin rested in a cradle she had formed by folding her arms together.

I shut my binder quietly and turned my attention to the movie trying to get the gist of what it was about. About twenty minutes into the movie, I felt the lab table move just a little and realized that Isabella was the cause of the disturbance. She was moving softly and murmuring something I couldn't hear. I tried to focus on the movie but she gradually got louder and louder until I could understand everything she was saying.

"Jake… Please... Wake up… Pl-… Vanessa... Hear me… Help... Help..."

I turned around and realized that no one else could hear her over the movie until she started to scream.

"BLOOD, OH GOD THE BLOOD! SOMEBODY HELP!"

Without thinking I grabbed her shoulder as Mr. Banner cut the lights on probably thinking someone was being murdered in his classroom. As soon as my hand touched the bare skin of her arm she jerked awake and fell off of her stool hitting the floor with a loud thud and yelped out in pain.

"Oh god! Are you okay?" I asked jumping up. It didn't even cross my mind that she didn't like anyone in her personal space until I started to reach towards her in an attempt to help her to her feet. Her entire body shook so I started to pull away until her frail hands shot out and grabbed mine. I gasped as I felt her ice cold fingers wrapped around my hands.

"Are you alright?" I asked. "Isabella?"

"What's going on back there Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner asked, his voice full of authority as he took in Isabella's shaking form on the dirty floor. "What happened?"

Isabella shot me a pleading look so I took matters into my own hands.

"It was an accident. She got distracted by the movie and I touched her shoulder to get her attention back on the chapter we were discussing and it scared her. She fell off her stool in surprise," I explained, hopefully making it sound believable.

"Do you need to go to the clinic, Miss. Swan?" Mr. Banner asked.

Isabella nodded, pulling on my hands at the same time, so I helped her stand up, me handing her her crutches. She picked up her back pack and slung it on her back before limping out of the room. I was royally confused with the entire encounter and felt the need to rush after her.

"Mr. Banner, it's my fault she's hurt. I think I should go make sure she makes it to the clinic in one piece," I offered desperately, and without permission gathered my belongings and ran out of the room desperate to find her. I couldn't see Isabella anywhere, and I knew that unless she had super speed, she was still somewhere in the science building.

Slowly I walked down the hall looking in every nook and cranny for her, until I reached the bathrooms. I could hear someone silently talking, and at first I thought that they were talking to themselves and that they were crazy. Tentatively I pushed the door of the girls' bathroom open just a smidge and peeked inside, my heart breaking at the sight of Isabella Swan's broken form crouched down beside the sinks. She had a cell phone pressed to her ear as she leaned against the pale pink wall.

"Please, mom. I can't do this," she pleaded. "I tried really, I did." There was a long pause and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Can't you just get someone to cover your class for thirty minutes? What if you called the school and told them I could walk home?" She paused again. "I'll walk," she replied, a sob erupting from her throat.

Without realizing my actions I pushed the door open the entire way and entered the girls lavatory. Isabella's sad tired eyes met mine and I watched fear run through her body at the prospect of getting in trouble for being on her cell. I gave her a warm smile before sitting across from her on the dingy floor. She didn't return the smile, but instead pulled her good leg up and rested her head heavily against it.

"I had another nightmare last period. If you don't call the school, I'm going to walk off campus and possibly get in trouble for skipping," she said with finality in her tone, snapping her phone shut harshly.

We were quiet for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were our breathing, mine calm, hers short and panicky, and the annoying dripping faucet of one of the sinks. She didn't make eye contact with me, but I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She was exhausted, and from what I gathered in her conversation, she suffered from nightmares about people named Jake and Vanessa, and that wasn't the first time either. I was afraid she was going to fall asleep on the floor of the bathroom, and I knew the bell was about to ring, so we wouldn't be alone for long.

I scooted closer to her without touching her and spoke softly, "I can give you a ride home if you want Isabella." She shifted her head that was still resting on her knee and mumbled something, but I couldn't understand what she said, and at first I thought she was possibly talking in her sleep again.

"Isabella? You don't want to sleep on this floor. Trust me, the janitors don't mop frequently," I attempted to joke. "I'll give you a ride home that way you don't have to walk, or, uh, crutch."

She then spoke louder, "It's just Bella."

"Bella."

"I can't ask you to do that. You don't even know me and you could get in trouble," she murmured, wiping her nose on a paper towel that she had crumpled in her hand, but still refused to look over at me.

"You're right. I don't know you. But I'm sure you're pretty sore from that fall, and it was my fault, so come on," I said, standing up and offering her a hand.

Bella shook her head defiantly. "I can't ask you to get in trouble for me. Thank you anyway. I'll just walk or wait for my mother."

"That's crap," I sighed. "Because I have lunch next period and we as seniors have the option to leave campus. I'm sure they informed you of that when you enrolled. So we could walk off the campus in..." I checked my watch, "...three minutes and no one will care. So enough excuses. Come on."

With an agitated sigh, she placed her small hand in mine and allowed me to help her to her feet for the second time today. As soon as she was upright, I quickly handed her her crutches and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over my shoulder. She gave me a questioning look.

"It's so you can't run off. I have collateral," I said, shrugging.

I followed her out of the school, questioning my actions. I didn't know this girl other than her name and the few things I had heard around school since we found out she was coming. Yet I was offering to take her home when it was obvious she wasn't emotionally there. We made it to my car with no incidents and I informed Bella that we only had to wait a minute before we could leave undetected. I started the car and turned the air condition on so we didn't suffocate in the heat, awkwardly fumbling with the radio controls.

Girls like music right? What if she likes pop? Or worse, country? I wracked my brain as the opening cords of Placebo's 'Drag' began and watched as Bella's hand shot out to turn off the radio.

"Sorry. I, uh, don't really like music," she explained, her cheeks flushing. She was beautiful when she blushed. The bell rang, and, as if on cue, my phone vibrated in my pocket with a text from Emmett wondering where I was. I ignored it and pulled out of the parking lot. A minute or so passed, and I realized I had no idea where I was going.

"Um, I just realized that I have no idea where you live," I stated.

"At the first red light, take a left," Bella instructed softly before reverting back to silence. The rest of the twenty minute ride was silent other than her soft voice instructing me when and where to turn. As we got closer to her house, I was glad that I had ran after her because it would of taken her forever to hobble all the way home from the school on her crutches. I could tell that she was shaking again, her hands grasping the fabric of her pants tightly, and her eyes were closed, only opening every minute or two so that she could give me another instruction.

"It's the blue house on the right, with the bright yellow shutters," her voice cracked. Not knowing what to say, I just nodded and pulled into the driveway of a Smurf blue house with florescent yellow shutters. The house was a bit small, but you could tell that a very fun person lived inside. I turned the car off and shot a quizzical look towards Bella, who was now looking at me, her eyes blurry with exhaustion.

"My mom's a nut case," she shrugged before quietly adding, "Probably worse than me." Knowing the last bit wasn't intended for my ears, I got out of the car and grabbed her bag and crutches before opening her door for her. She stumbled to keep her balance, blushing for the second time today. And for the millionth time she surprised me.

"Do you want to come inside? I can make you a sandwich since you missed lunch to bring me home," she asked, her already pink face growing a shade darker, and her brown eyes hopeful.

"Sure. I could eat," I answered. I remembered the two slices of buttered toast that I had tossed out of the window this morning on the way to school, and my stomach growled. I followed her inside and straight towards an equally fun kitchen. It smelled like chocolate, vanilla and baked goods and was impeccably clean; the countertops a bright green that clashed with the hot pink cabinets and orange walls. Bella must have seen my expression.

"Like I said, my mother is nuts," she said, pulling a loaf of bread out of the bread box and opening the fridge. "Is egg salad alright? I just made it yesterday."

"That's fine," I replied, nodding, a little bit nervous being alone in a girl's house. A girl that was breathtaking, that confused the hell out of me. A girl that looked so utterly broken one minute and then close to normal the next.

Within minutes we were sitting in her living room, me eating the best egg salad sandwich I had ever tasted. She didn't talk as she picked at the bread of her sandwich and made no move to turn the TV on. After I finished my sandwich and she hadn't taken but two bites of hers, she excused herself to use the restroom, asking me to stay until she came back out so she could lock up behind me. I nodded in understanding.

I carried our plates into the kitchen and sat them beside the sink before walking around the living room. The mantle was covered with small trinkets and other homemade odds and ends that Bella had clearly made in her youth. A hand painted coffee cup that looked to be of broken ceramic, and then glued back together haphazardly, held a bouquet of flowers made of intricately folded pieces of construction paper.

There was a small house made entirely of Popsicle sticks and a framed hand turkey drawing sat in front of another picture. I allowed curiosity to get the best of me and scooted it aside curious to see what it was, and was surprised with what I saw. The picture was marked in the corner that it had been taken last December. An exuberant Bella was sitting on top of a mound of snow with a bright smile. To her right was a tall, dark skinned girl of Native American descent, smiling as she placed a kiss on Bella's cheek. Next to the girl was a large muscled boy smiling wickedly as he secretly held up bunny ears behind the girl's heads. All three of them had snow clumps in their hair and dripping off of their jack-

My train of thought was cut off by Bella's screech, making me jump a bit at the pitch of her voice.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Her voice was cold, void of any emotion other than pure hatred. It caused me to jump again and knock over the picture of the turkey.

"I-I was j-just looking," I stammered out, attempting to right the pictures, but my hands were shaking so badly I only managed to cause further damage at rectifying. Her eyes were brimming with tears and she shook on the verge of a panic attack.

"Get out," she croaked.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," I said trying to take a step towards her. She moved backwards, breathing heavily.

"I said get out. GET OUT!"

Sighing I grabbed my car keys and made my way out the front door. Before I could shut the door, I heard her sobs carry throughout the house. I was too shell shocked to go back to school, so instead I drove home and crawled into my bed. Sleep didn't come right away so I thought about everything that had happened today.

In one day my life had changed. Books, learning and school were the farthest things from my mind at the moment. Instead I now longed to make everything that was wrong in Bella Swan's life right. I wanted to see her smile again like she had in that picture. There was a part of me that wanted to love her, and for her to love me back, but a larger part that just wanted her to be happy swallowed the feeling.

I felt wetness on my cheeks and I realized I was crying, something I rarely did. I had ruined any chance of being able to do any of that. She had made it clear when she caught me snooping. I prayed before I fell asleep that I would find a way to make it better the next day at school.

My family only bothered me once that night to inform me that dinner was ready, but I couldn't eat. Instead I slept restlessly and woke up three hours early for school, showing up an hour before the bell rang. I sat leaning against the library in hopes that I could catch her before school started, to try to make things right.

I readied myself for rejection. She could spit in my face for being a nosy asshole, or tell me that she never wanted to see my face again. But all of my preparing was in vain.

Bella Swan didn't come to school for the rest of the week