My Shiny Freak

Chapter Three: This is your brain on Drugs

Beta: Vintagejgc

"We want to know everything," demanded Jessica.

The whole trying to ignore the gossip queens was not working at all.

"Come on Bella. Spill." Lauren eyed me warily.

"OK, here's the story. We all know that Cullen likes to stare at me. I confronted him about it in biology. We had a staring contest. I won. The End."

We walked to an empty table in the cafeteria and sat down. The queen bees sat across from me and continued to pester me for details.

"Look, there is nothing news worthy to my story. Why don't you move on to something that does not involve me," I suggested. They both rolled their eyes in unison. Yorkie and Sporto joined us as well as pot smoker extraordinaire Tyler Crowley. Tyler showed up for school every day baked out of his mind. He drove a big blue van which he cleverly nick named The Mystery Machine.

"Hey Bella, sorry about getting you all wet this morning."

Ah, the return of Sporto and he was even carrying a football. How fitting... He grinned at his use of the word wet, implying something dirty.

"Sporto, I have a question for you. Ever have any luck getting a girl all wet, without the use of a puddle?" I smiled a devilish smile.

I was filled with joy as howls of laughter erupted from everyone at our table. Poor Sporto... He sat and sulked, unable to compose a witty retort to my joke.

But alas, my laughter was short lived as Lauren gasped.

"He's at it again Bella!" She said, and then she pointed at something behind me. I turned myself around to see golden boy was staring again! Persistent little bugger.

Oh no. I was not even going to acknowledge him. I rose from my seat and walked up to forage for food. I surveyed the crappy selection of pseudo food, before settling for a bottle of water. I took one last look and saw burgers, hot dogs and pizza. Pizza could work. Dammit! All of the pizza was littered with pepperoni, every single piece! Why have the cafeteria gods smited me? Greasy nasty, slimy pepperoni on every stinking piece of pizza in the place. Fuck it. Water it is.

I cringed as I started walking back to the table. The evilness that was Jess and Lauren were whispering back and forth between their glances at me and at Edward. No need to prolong the inevitable I thought. I would just walk back, sit down and attempt to drown myself with this water as my brain recoiled from the speculations they would come up with.

I was struggling to keep my eyes to my table. Was he still staring? Why the hell did I even care?

NO! Do not acknowledge. Do not look over there. I tried to convince myself.

I could see the evil ones waiting and plotting. I could see them already concocting a juicy new story to tell everyone. Those bitches. That is when I changed my mind. If they were going to gossip about me, then I was going to make it good.

I walked right past them, not even giving them the courtesy of a look and I kept walking until I was standing right in front of him. I wondered why he was sitting alone today.

"Listen golden boy, the staring thing is really getting on my nerves. Can't you pick some other girl to drool over?" I asked.

"Hhhmmm... No." He continued his stare.

"I thought we were past this staring shit. I won. Game over."

He huffed. "I let you win."

"What? Are you mad because you got beat by a girl? Get over it already."

He pursed his lips. "Why don't you sit down and shut up?"

He pushed the chair next to him out and motioned for me to sit.

"I'll stand thank you."

"Whatever. Why don't you just go back and sit with your friends?" He muttered looking down, hiding his eyes from me.

"I don't know if my brain can handle any more of the wicked step sisters."

He laughed. "You are right about one thing. They are truly wicked. Aren't you hungry?"

"Well, yeah, but the food here scares me."

"Would like some of my pizza?" He asked while holding a plate with two pieces of stinky pepperoni pizza.

"Um, no."

"Don't like pizza?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I like pizza; I don't like what is on that pizza."

"I could take it off," he offered.

"Ug, no." I shook my head. "Even if you pick it off, it would still reek of pepperoni. Yuck."

"I could get you something else?"

"I am going to have to pass. I already took a look at the menu choices and they don't have anything here that suits my lifestyle. Half of the shit in there is unrecognizable and if I don't know what it is, I am sure as hell not going to eat it."

"What do you mean suit your lifestyle?"

"I'm a vegetarian."

He laughed again.

"What the hell is so funny about that?" I asked.

"Nothing really," he said looking down at his pizza. "Vegetarian huh? Why do you do it?"

"Well, I believe that you are what you eat. The idea of eating a part of an animal is positively revolting to me. Not only that, but living vegetarian can reduce your chances of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and a slew of other illness. Did you know that 18% of the US population is obese, but the obesity rate for vegetarians is... Well, there is no obesity for vegetarians. I could rant off statistics that would make your head spin."

"Did you know that 42.7 % of statistics are made up made up on the spot?" He replied and that bastard was trying not to laugh.

"You are an asshole." I told him. He looked up at me and I quickly turned and walked away. No more staring at Edward Cullen.

I sat back down at my table and listened to Tyler ramble on about this mornings' wake-n-bake. I closed my eyes, pulled my hood up over my head and sank into my chair. I tried to put myself in a happy place, away from this school, away from the torturous slandering campaign of the gossip twins. I could hear someone saying my name, but I ignored them. I could feel someone poking me. I opened one eye to see Tyler McPothead leaning dangerously close to me.

"Bella, we still have thirty minutes before we have to go to class. Wanna go smoke a bowl?" He whispered.

I took a moment to ponder this. This might be the perfect way to rectify my horrendous mood.

"Why not…"

I followed him to his van and proceeded to smoke myself into oblivion. Tyler fell asleep beside me. I checked my cell. Shit, only seven more minutes before I had to get out of the drug induced stupor and attempt to learn something. I decided not to wake Tyler. I walked really slowly back to school and into the cafeteria. I looked over to see that the gossip twins were getting up to leave. I contemplated going to my next class early. I looked over to Edward's table, but true to form; he was already gone, leaving behind two untouched pieces of pepperoni pizza.

I wandered through the rest of the school day like a zombie. I made no wise cracks, but I found myself laughing quite often. What was I laughing at? Your guess is as good as mine. Hold that thought… Your guess is probably better than mine, unless you too are under the influence of mood altering drugs. Who the hell am I talking too? Oh yeah, myself… Mental note, I don't need drugs to make my life tragic.

A breathed a sigh of relief as the bell rang and school was now over. I made it to my truck and I stood at the back of the bed and picked at the little pieces of rusting paint. I was trying to get this one stubborn flake to come off and mother fucking ouch! I just cut my finger. I clenched my hand into a fist and spun around and when I looked up wouldn't you know that Edward the bane of my existence Cullen was once again attempting to stare his way into my brain from across the parking lot. I tried to look away but something about his expression really freaked me out. He looked furious, like he wanted to kill me. I needed to turn around but my body wouldn't move. There was a loud screeching noise in the distance that broke my concentration. I looked toward where the sound was coming from and I saw the mystery machine barreling toward me uncontrollably. It should have been coming fast. It must have been the pot that was making it seem like it was coming at me in slow motion. I was at a loss. No amount of snide comments or smart ass remarks could change this situation. I had no control. I closed my eyes and waited to be crushed.

Then it was happening all too fast. I had been pushed to the ground. I heard the crunching sound of metal on metal, but there was no pain, just cold. Cold hands around me and cold breathe on my neck. Someone was touching my hand. I opened my eyes and gasped.

"Edward, are you sucking on my finger?"