COLD WATER

two.           in her head

▬ SHE COULDN'T HELP IT when her eyes fluttered closed, her head lulling to the side and if Noah hadn't held his hand out she would've face planted on her desk. She groaned a little, sitting up, her tired eyes squinted slightly as she looked up at Noah. She rubbed her face a little before the boy leaned closer to her, his elbow on her desk.

"You okay, Pipsqueak?"

"Shakespeare is boring." She grumbled, adjusting his letterman around her torso.

He chuckled lightly. "Don't let Carter hear you say that."

"He's not normal." She huffed, leaning against his head and he smiled lightly. She was so tired that she didn't care that she was leaning against his forehead and he didn't move. "You're warm." She hummed, her hand reaching for his free hand and she wrapped her fingers around his palm, resting their hands against her thigh.

Both of them jumped a little when Mr. Berty paused the TV, his eyes scanning the room of teenagers. His brows were pinched as he searched for someone he could catch not paying attention. "Now, who would like to repeat the last few lines of iambic pentameter just to show they were paying attention?" His eyes settled on the couple at the table in the back. "Mr. Cullen?"

"Uh, yes, Mr. Berty." Edward took a breath and everyone turned to face him, all waiting to see what he would say. "Oh hear, will I set up my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And lips, Oh you, the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death."

"Eyes on the screen people." Mr. Berty mumbled, slightly irritated that the boy had gotten it right and everyone turned back to the screen. Cori rolled her eyes, settling into her seat before leaning against Noah, and the boy chuckled. He wrapped his arm around her and patted her back, bringing a smile to her lips.

After class, Cori followed behind Noah, her hand wrapped around the back of his shirt – his letterman still hung from her shoulders. He was bigger and people usually moved out of his way – they didn't move out of Cori's way. But before they got too far, a hand landed on Cori's elbow and pulled her back slightly.

"Cori." Bella mumbled and the girl stopped, turning towards her sister and she was a little surprised to see that Edward wasn't by her side.

"Yeah?" She asked as Noah stopped at her side, his hand on the small of her back.

"I, um..." She glanced up at the boy before looking down at her sister. "I just wanted to, um, thank you for the present." She shifted on her feet, pushing her hair back. "You didn't have to."

"It's your birthday, Bella." Cori shrugged, giving her a small smile. "And I love birthdays."

"Even when we aren't really talking?" Bella raised an eyebrow, an awkward chuckle behind her words.

"Yeah, even then." She hummed. "Did you like it?" She asked curiously, her fingers toying with her sleeve.

Bella chuckled before reaching into her bag to pull out a magic eight ball. "Yeah." She nodded, spinning the toy in her hands a little as she looked at her sister again. "I can't believe you remembered."

"Just wanted you to have a little help, in case you had any big decisions coming up." Cori gave her a smile, her eyes momentarily moving to Edward, who waited down the hall.

"Thanks. Really. This... it means a lot."

"Happy Birthday, Bella." She smiled, then she turned and walked away, Noah close behind her.

"You got her a toy?" He asked, his hand still on the small of her back as they waved through the crowded hallway.

"She was obsessed with one of those when we were little." She explained. "It drove me nuts. No matter what we did, she'd always ask the stupid toy. I broke it. I just wanted her to make her own decision and not have a toy make her mind up for her. Now, I think she could use all the help she can get."

"Anyone ever tell you how sweet you are?" He asked and though it was a harmless question, it sent her right back to the ballet studio. Sweet was a word James had used many times to describe the way she smelt and even now the word made her chest hurt. Her hands tightened around each other and her breath even hitched slightly. "You okay?" The boy asked, pulling her to a stop much to the annoyance of those behind them. "Cori?" He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him as he bent down a little, his brown eyes searching her blue ones.

"I-I'm fine." She nodded, taking a breath as she reached out and latched onto his arm – having something solid in her hands always helped. "Um, just thinking." She gave him a smile and he nodded despite the fact that he wasn't wholly convincing.

"Okay." He wrapped his arm around her and she leaned against him as they started down the hall. The boy greeted a few people with a smile as they congratulated him on the football team's latest win.

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▬ JASPER COULDN'T HELP IT when his gaze lingered on the blue-eyed Swan from across the parking lot. She sat on the tailgate of Noah's truck, Carter next to her and Noah leaning against it. The two boys were trying to cheer her up, she had been a little off since earlier that day and it was starting to bother them.

It was starting to bother Jasper.

Even more so that he couldn't tell what had her feelings shifting so drastically.

"What?" Alice asked, looking up at her husband, her eyebrows creased with worry.

"Something's wrong." He told her. "She's... sad, scared even."

She quickly turned to look at the human, but she didn't look to be in any danger and Alice hadn't seen anything happen that could've put her in such a mood. She did look different though. Her smile was forced, her head hanging forward a little, and her hands gripped the edge of the tailgate.

"It's almost like she's-"

"Traumatized." Edward cut him off, nearing his siblings with Bella in tow.

"What?" Bella questioned, looking between the three before looking over at her sister, who now held tightly onto Carter's hand as he pulled a cigarette from his lips with the other, making sure to blow the smoke in the other direction. "What do you mean?"

"Everything that happened with James, she's still there. In her head." He explained. He could see it as clear as day. The vampire in her face, when he pulled her closer and breathed in her scent. The way he teased and taunted her. That stupid camera. "Something happened and she went right back there."

"Maybe invite her to the party." Alice suggested, her hand on Bella's forearm. "Maybe if she sees that not all vampires are like him, she can get past it."

"You think that'll work?"

"Couldn't hurt." Jasper shrugged and that was all Bella needed. She made her way across the parking lot, stopping in front of the trio.

Carter stopped mid sentence and looked up at the brunette. Noah gave her a confused look, she had never approached them before. And Cori looked slightly panicked, but Bella assumed that had more to do with the fact that she was replaying that night in her head.

"Can we help you?" Carter asked before placing his cigarette between his lips. Cori weakly sent her elbow into his ribs, but he barely acknowledged it as he let out a puff of smoke, making sure to blow it away from Cori.

"Just wanted to ask Cori something." She shrugged, shifting a little as the boy narrowed his eyes at her – he was protective – then she settled her eyes on her sister. "There's this party for my... at Edward's and I want you to come."

"At Edward's?" She mumbled, but Bella knew she was really asking about Emmett.

Cori hadn't seen Emmett since he graduated and she had only gone because she promised Travis she would before everything happened. And she would never break a promise.

"Yeah." She nodded, giving her a small smile that she hoped was reassuring. "I'd really like it if you were there."

"Okay." She nodded and she wanted to ask if the two boys on either side of her could join her but thought better of. She didn't want to accidentally drag them into something they couldn't get out of, she wouldn't put them through that. They meant too much to her. "I just need to change." She looked down at her ripped jeans and Paul's hoodie. "Is it fancy?"

"Um, no, I don't..." she trailed off before adding, "Alice put it together."

"So definitely a dress." Cori mumbled and Bella nodded. "Um, I guess I'll ride over with you from the house. I think I have a dress that I could wear."

"Great." Bella smiled and nodded before she turned to walk away.

"I thought you guys weren't talking." Carter mumbled, his eyebrows pinched. "And I'm not saying that it's a bad thing that you are, I'm just confused."

"I'm an amazing sister." She gave him a small smile. "That's all you need to know."

"Got it."

"Does this mean you can't stay to watch practice?" Noah asked. "I know how much you love seeing me in shoulder pads." He winked.

A small giggle bubbled up in her throat, but it didn't wash away anything. She was still in that place no matter how many times she told herself she wasn't. "Maybe next time." She hummed and he nodded his head before checking his watch, to which he groaned.

"Shit." He muttered. "I was never late before I met you." He huffed before bidding the two goodbye and running off, his duffle over his shoulder.

"I'm not late that often." She mumbled as she looked up at Carter and he pulled his hand from hers only to pat the top of her head.

"Sure you're not." He smirked when she narrowed her eyes at him. "Come on, let's get you home." He jumped off the tailgate and tossed the butt of his cigarette to the cold concrete before pressing his boot into it. Then he held his hand out and Cori took it as she slid off of the tailgate. She turned to push it up before she and the boy made their way over his Camaro.