The Face of Beauty to Fall For
Betrayed
I walked into school the week after, using a cane but otherwise okay. I went to first period and turned in my back work. I sat in my same chair and smiled sheepishly at Salym.
She smiled back. “You look good.” She told me.
“Yeah. I know I look like shit. Thanks.” I told her, pushing her shoulder playfully.
When I saw people walking into class, I looked up, seeing Edward and Elizabeth walk in and sit in the back of the room, away from everyone. I sighed a little and did my best to ignore them. “So what’ve you been up to?” I asked her.
She smirked. “I just hang out.”
I nodded. “Me too.”
The bell rang and we shut up, listening to the teacher talk to us about Senior preparations.
The rest of the day went by quietly. The Cullens/Hales kept to themselves, and I tried my best to ignore them. Every so often, however, I caught Edward looking at me and when our eyes met, he’d look away like he didn’t know I’d been looking at him.
A Few Weeks Later
Lunches were nothing different than usual, except for the Cullens/Hales sat at their own table ignoring everyone and I sat with Salym and, today, her new friends.
Salym flagged me over, standing when I arrived at the table to introduce me to the two boys sitting with her. “Em. This is Pryce Graves and Adio Blood.” She told me.
I shook each of their hands. “Audio like A-U-D-I-O?”
He smirked and shook my head. “No. A-D-I-O. Like the skate shoe.”
My eyes widened. “Oh! That is so cool!”
He laughed. “I get that a lot.”
I sat and bit into a French fry. “Do people usually tell you that your name is the title of one of their favorite songs?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Can’t say I get that a lot.”
I nodded and chuckled. “I thought not.” I sipped my tea and looked at them. “So are you two… like Say?” I asked.
They looked at her and she gave them the ‘it’s okay’ nod. “Yeah. We are.” Pryce spoke up.
I gave Salym a look that she dismissed and started a conversation on how bad cafeteria food could be.
Salym and Pryce stiffened a little a few seconds later, making angry and sick faces.
“Ember.” A voice said behind me.
I turned and looked into the eyes of Alice. “I thought I told--”
She stopped me. “You did. I just want to let you know that you may be able to turn your back on us. And Edward. But he will not be able to do the same with you.”
I stared at her in shocked silence. “What?”
She sighed in annoyance, her posture conveying the same. “He loves you. He tried so hard not to, but he did. You know what he told you when he came back and you still did that to him.”
Salym was at my side. “You should leave now, rodent.” She said. “She’s back to normal and she doesn’t need you confusing her.”
I looked at Salym. “Is that all I was to you?” I asked. “Someone needing to ‘get back to normal’?”
She looked insulted. “Ember, you know that’s not true. You’re my best friend.”
I held up my hand to stop her. “That’s what I thought too.” I said harshly. “How could you do that to me, Say? You know I was happy.”
She shook her head. “No, Em. You were being influenced by them. They’re not your real friends. I am. Trust me.”
I grabbed my bag and cane. “I don’t think I will, Salym. You are more manipulative then they could ever be. At least they don’t do it because they want me to themselves. They never once stopped me from being your friend. I should’ve seen who you really were when you wanted me to give them up for you.”
She, once again, looked insulted. “Em.”
“Shut up. I don’t want to hear it anymore. You sit here with your mongrel friends and I’ll go be with the people who actually care about me.” I told her, walking away, Alice at my side.
Alice looked worried. “Ember. I didn’t want it to come to that.” She said genuinely.
“It’s been a long time coming, Alice. I’m just glad it happened before I burned my bridge.” I told her, stopping at the table.
The Cullens/Hales all looked up at me, most of them holding looks of hatred, but I ignored them, looking at Edward. “I’m sorry.” I said simply. “I’m an idiot.”
He looked over at the table holding Salym and her two friends, all of whom where glaring daggers at me and the table of my friends. “You were looking for an excuse to do that.” He stated.
I gaped. “I was not!” I cried.
He smirked. “Yes you were. I heard it.”
I frowned at him. “You are a bastard for reading my thoughts.”
He laughed and pulled me into his lap, hugging me tightly. “I know, but I needed to know that you didn’t really regret meeting us or loving me.” He whispered.
I laughed and kissed him softly. “You’re still a jerk.”
He nodded in agreement. “I’ll accept that.”
She smiled back. “You look good.” She told me.
“Yeah. I know I look like shit. Thanks.” I told her, pushing her shoulder playfully.
When I saw people walking into class, I looked up, seeing Edward and Elizabeth walk in and sit in the back of the room, away from everyone. I sighed a little and did my best to ignore them. “So what’ve you been up to?” I asked her.
She smirked. “I just hang out.”
I nodded. “Me too.”
The bell rang and we shut up, listening to the teacher talk to us about Senior preparations.
The rest of the day went by quietly. The Cullens/Hales kept to themselves, and I tried my best to ignore them. Every so often, however, I caught Edward looking at me and when our eyes met, he’d look away like he didn’t know I’d been looking at him.
A Few Weeks Later
Lunches were nothing different than usual, except for the Cullens/Hales sat at their own table ignoring everyone and I sat with Salym and, today, her new friends.
Salym flagged me over, standing when I arrived at the table to introduce me to the two boys sitting with her. “Em. This is Pryce Graves and Adio Blood.” She told me.
I shook each of their hands. “Audio like A-U-D-I-O?”
He smirked and shook my head. “No. A-D-I-O. Like the skate shoe.”
My eyes widened. “Oh! That is so cool!”
He laughed. “I get that a lot.”
I sat and bit into a French fry. “Do people usually tell you that your name is the title of one of their favorite songs?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Can’t say I get that a lot.”
I nodded and chuckled. “I thought not.” I sipped my tea and looked at them. “So are you two… like Say?” I asked.
They looked at her and she gave them the ‘it’s okay’ nod. “Yeah. We are.” Pryce spoke up.
I gave Salym a look that she dismissed and started a conversation on how bad cafeteria food could be.
Salym and Pryce stiffened a little a few seconds later, making angry and sick faces.
“Ember.” A voice said behind me.
I turned and looked into the eyes of Alice. “I thought I told--”
She stopped me. “You did. I just want to let you know that you may be able to turn your back on us. And Edward. But he will not be able to do the same with you.”
I stared at her in shocked silence. “What?”
She sighed in annoyance, her posture conveying the same. “He loves you. He tried so hard not to, but he did. You know what he told you when he came back and you still did that to him.”
Salym was at my side. “You should leave now, rodent.” She said. “She’s back to normal and she doesn’t need you confusing her.”
I looked at Salym. “Is that all I was to you?” I asked. “Someone needing to ‘get back to normal’?”
She looked insulted. “Ember, you know that’s not true. You’re my best friend.”
I held up my hand to stop her. “That’s what I thought too.” I said harshly. “How could you do that to me, Say? You know I was happy.”
She shook her head. “No, Em. You were being influenced by them. They’re not your real friends. I am. Trust me.”
I grabbed my bag and cane. “I don’t think I will, Salym. You are more manipulative then they could ever be. At least they don’t do it because they want me to themselves. They never once stopped me from being your friend. I should’ve seen who you really were when you wanted me to give them up for you.”
She, once again, looked insulted. “Em.”
“Shut up. I don’t want to hear it anymore. You sit here with your mongrel friends and I’ll go be with the people who actually care about me.” I told her, walking away, Alice at my side.
Alice looked worried. “Ember. I didn’t want it to come to that.” She said genuinely.
“It’s been a long time coming, Alice. I’m just glad it happened before I burned my bridge.” I told her, stopping at the table.
The Cullens/Hales all looked up at me, most of them holding looks of hatred, but I ignored them, looking at Edward. “I’m sorry.” I said simply. “I’m an idiot.”
He looked over at the table holding Salym and her two friends, all of whom where glaring daggers at me and the table of my friends. “You were looking for an excuse to do that.” He stated.
I gaped. “I was not!” I cried.
He smirked. “Yes you were. I heard it.”
I frowned at him. “You are a bastard for reading my thoughts.”
He laughed and pulled me into his lap, hugging me tightly. “I know, but I needed to know that you didn’t really regret meeting us or loving me.” He whispered.
I laughed and kissed him softly. “You’re still a jerk.”
He nodded in agreement. “I’ll accept that.”