VII. Insane.

Edward didn't come back after he left with his father. It had been ten minutes and nurse Jackie had come to discharge me, telling me, my mother was with another patient but would be with me in a second.

I couldn't get out of that room soon enough. I grabbed my bag, pulling on my denim jacket that I had shoved in there this morning along with my long-forgotten gloves. I stepped out of the room with a deep sigh.

My gaze darted around, hoping to find my mother approaching me so that she could just take me home. As I turned toward the left side of the hallway, I froze for a second. Dr. Cullen, Edward, and Rosalie Cullen were standing a few feet away, having a heated discussion.

"This isn't just about you, it's about all of us." I could hear Rosalie snap at her brother.

Dr. Cullen pursed his lips and looked at his daughter, but then his gaze shot towards me. He sighed softly. "Let's take this in my office." He told his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder while sending Edward a look.

Edward glanced over his shoulder, his gaze meeting mine. He didn't follow his father or sister as they walked away. He rather approached me. His jaw was clenched and his eyes cold. He looked intimidating.

"Maybe we should talk," I muttered softly as I stared up at him, crossing my arms over my chest, a frown tugging at my lips. I needed answers before I lost the last bit of sanity I had left.

He stared down at me with his cold eyes. "About what?" He asked in a low voice as his head tilted to the side.

"How did you get over to me so quickly?" I asked as I raised my eyebrows at him.

He let out a scoff, shaking his head at me. "I was standing right next to you." He told me in a firm voice, and his stare grew more intense. He wasn't even blinking anymore. Just staring at me as his jaw remained clenched.

My jaw clenched as well. "No, you weren't," I argued in a low voice as I slowly shook my head. "I'm not stupid." I snapped at him and he replied with an annoyed roll of his eyes. "You were next to your car, across the lot," I spoke in a hushed tone. This was not a conversation either of us wanted heard.

"No, I wasn't," he argued back, his stare growing even more intense as he loomed over me. He was deliberately trying to intimidate me. That meant I couldn't be that far off with this ludicrous argument. Was I actually going insane?

"Yes. You were. " I gritted out,

He rolled his eyes once again and shook his head. "You're confused. You hit your head." He said as he sighed softly, his eyebrows knitting together.

My eyes squinted and I scoffed at him. "I know what I saw," I muttered softly as my arms unfolded and dropped to my sides, my first balling up and clenching tightly, my nails digging into the soft skin of my palms.

Edward's head cocked to the side and his eyes squinted. "And what, exactly, was that, Ana?" He asked in a condescending voice as he quirked an eyebrow. He knew no matter what I believed I saw, whether it was true or not, it was absolutely insane.

I leaned a little closer to Edward, and to his surprise, I glared him right in the eyes. "You stopped that van. You pushed it away." I insisted in a low and hushed voice.

He let out a scoff of amusement and glanced off to the side, shaking his head. "No one will believe that." He muttered as his gaze returned to mine.

My eyebrows furrowed as I silently stared at him for a second. "Is that you admitting I'm right?" I asked as I raised my eyebrows, my head slightly tilting to the side. He knew. He knew what I saw, but he also knew what I saw was impossible. He was right, no one would believe me. If I wasn't sure if I was crazy before, I am now.

He took a deep breath and I could see him slightly flinch at that action, turning his head away from me for a brief second. He sighed before looking down at me, shaking his head. "No, I'm not admitting to anything." he denied. "I'm just saying, you tell anyone your story, they'll throw you in an insane asylum," he muttered.

My fists clenched even tighter at that. He knew! He knew I was right and he knew people would think I was insane. Maybe I was insane because nothing I thought I knew, was possible. He couldn't have gotten to me that fast, he couldn't have stopped that van. But he did. I saw it!

I swallowed thickly at the lump beginning to form in the back of my throat. "We both know what I saw, Edward," I whispered as I slowly shook my head.

He briefly closed his eyes, turning his head away again to take a deep breath. "Can't you just thank me and get over it? " he asked in a low voice, his head still turned away from me.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest once again. He turned back to face me and I flashed him the most fakest smile I could. "Thank you for getting to me so fast and stopping the van with your hand." I thanked him sarcastically.

"You're welcome." He replied as he flashed me a fake smile as well. "Even if that's not quite what happened," he muttered before turning around and storming off.

I watched him go, my smile immediately slipping. My eyebrows furrowed and an unsettling feeling of nerves crept into the pit of my stomach. I felt on edge, I felt insane, I felt confused and I felt very anxious.

My mother turned a corner and approached me. Immediately I forced a small smile onto my face. I couldn't let her see something was wrong, because I couldn't deal with questions and lies. "I called Billy, Jacob said he'll come take a look at your truck this weekend." She informed me, placing a hand on my back as she led me towards the front desk. "I just have to sign some paperwork. Then I'll take you home. Wait right here." She instructed.

Once we finally made it home, I was immediately off to my room. I stayed there for the rest of the day, even refusing to come down for dinner. I had absolutely no appetite as I sat on my bed, replaying the accident over and over.

I wasn't sure what had me more shaken, seeing that van nearly crush me to death, or whatever the hell it was Edward Cullen did.

The next morning, everyone stared more than they had on my first day. I was already annoyed but now it felt ten times stronger and worse. My mom had offered to let me stay home but there was a field trip for Biology that I really couldn't miss.

As I stepped into the school building, Jessica approached me, carrying a small black Tupperware in her hands. "Hey, Ana." She greeted me with a small smile. "How are you doing?" She asked as she raised her eyebrows.

My lips slightly pouted out as I reached back, pushing my hand into my hair and feeling the bump on my head. "Got a nice bump on my head but I'll live," I muttered softly as I made my way to my locker with Jessica following next to me.

"I bought you brownies." She said as she held out the Tupperware, a small smile on her lips.

A genuine smile graced my features, feeling touched by the gesture. "Thank you, Jess," I replied as I took the Tupperware from her. I opened the lid, offering her one of the many brownies inside before taking one myself.

"My mom always bakes me some whenever I feel kinda down." She explained as we came to a stop by my locker and I shoved a few of my books inside as well as the Tupperware inside. "I hope my baking is half as good as hers." She muttered as she took a bite of the brownie.

I took a bite of my own one and softly hummed, making an 'ok' sign with my left hand as I nodded my head. I chewed and swallowed before speaking. "It's really good," I told her and she smiled proudly at herself.

I closed my locker, took another bite of my brownie, and fixed my bag on my shoulder. I followed Jessica towards her locker so that she could put away and exchange her own books. "So, can I ask something?" She asked as we walked side by side down the hall.

"Of course." I replied with a nod of my head as I looked over at her with curiosity.

"Would you be cool if I ask Mike to the Spring dance?" She asked me as we stopped by her locker and she opened it, exchanging the books in her bag for a few that had been shoved into her locker.

I leaned against the locker next to hers. "Shouldn't he be asking you?" I asked her as my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It was customary for the boys to ask the girls to school dances. Maybe it was different in Forks.

"Spring dance has always been a girl's choice around here." She explained as she closed her locker, scratching at her chin. She seemed anxious. Because I didn't answer her question.

My eyebrows furrowed again as my head tilted to the side. "Wait, why are you asking if I'd be cool with it?" I asked her softly, looking at her with utter confusion. I was aware Jessica liked Mike, and I was also slightly aware that he seemed a little too interested in me, but I had shown no interest in Mike, and nor would I. Jessica was my friend now, and I'd never do that to a friend.

"Well...I don't know, you two are close." Jessica muttered softly as her gaze diverted down to the ground and she shrugged her shoulders. She was right, me and Mike were close, not as close as me and Jessica or Angela, but we were good friends despite the advances I had to dodge from him.

"As friends, sure," I replied with a nod of my head, giving her a small smile as her gaze hesitantly met mine. "I'm not asking him to the Spring dance," I assured with a shake of my head and she looked a little relieved. "I'm not even going," I said as I shook my head.

I didn't like school dances. The music was always so tamed and boring, teachers were around to gawk at every move you made, the snacks and drinks were always cheap taste when served free but always expensive when you had to buy them yourself.

Jessica frowned at this. "You're not?" She asked as her eyebrows furrowed.

"No," I replied, pursing my lips as I shook my head.

"Why not?" She asked, her eyebrows remaining furrowed. We walked together towards the Trig class we shared. It was still early and the bell wasn't going to ring soon, so we walked at a leisurely pace.

Would I sound weird for not liking school dances? Would she try to convince me or make me go? Jessica was persuasive when she wanted to be. And with the upset look on her face, I knew she'd try to convince me to go. So the best outcome I thought of was...to lie.

"I...have to go to Seattle," I muttered softly, taking a deep breath as I fought to urge to absolutely kick myself.

"For?" Jessica asked as she looked at me with furrowed eyebrows and curious eyes.

I pursed my lips, my gaze diverting down to my feet, staring at my black boots as I walked over the cracked tiles of the school building. "I need to go buy some things that we need around the house and it's my only available day." I lied as I glanced back at Jessica, shrugging my shoulders.

"That sucks," she muttered softly as her lips pouted out. Thankfully she didn't push for further information. She sighed and we walked in silence for barely a few seconds. "So you won't mind?" She asked hesitantly as she glanced at me.

I gave her an assuring smile as I shook my head. "Not at all," I replied before lightly bumping my shoulder with hers. "Go for it, Jess." I insisted and an excited smile tugged at her lips as she nodded in agreement.

Biolagy period rolled around and I stood by my truck, leaning against the hood as I watched everyone gather around. The busses were pulled up but we were still waiting for everyone to show up, as all the biology classes were attending the field trip, so everyone stood around in clusters of different groups.

"Look! You're moving. You're ALIVE!" Mike called out as he approached me, a big grin on his face as he waved his arms up in the air.

"Gonna take a lot more than a van to get rid of me," I replied with a small smile as I gave him a brief glance before I returned to watching the other students. I looked in the direction of the Cullen siblings who were only a mere few feet away. Edward seemed to favor staring at me rather than listening to his siblings' chatter.

"Actually, I'm glad you're not dead 'cause - well, that would suck." Mike stuttered over his words, oblivious to the fact that my attention was on Edward and not him. We were both to the near point of glaring at each other from a distance. This was getting ridiculous. I was getting ridiculous!

I tore my attention away from Edward. "Yeah, it definitely would," I muttered as I looked at Mike, pursing my lips.

"So, Jessica asked me to the Spring dance," he informed me as he scratched the back of his head. I felt a sense of annoyance creep into my chest. My eyebrows furrowed. I wasn't annoyed. Again, it didn't feel like something that was my own. A foreign emotion hidden deep with inside my chest.

I gave him a small smile as my head tilted to the side. "Oh, that's great," I replied as I crossed my arms over my chest. "You guys are gonna have fun," I assured him and for some reason, my annoyance grew. That foreign annoyance.

Mike pursed his lips, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. "Well...actually, I told her I'd think about it," he muttered softly as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Why would you do that?" I asked softly as my eyebrows furrowed and my head tilted to the other side.

Mike was hesitant to reply and his gaze diverted own to the ground. "Well, I was wondering if you were maybe planning on asking me," he explained softly.

My heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach. My lips parted as I raised my eyebrows. "Oh," I whispered, staring at him, stunned. "I'm...not going to the dance." I quickly said as I shook my head, my gaze diverted around and landed on Edward Cullen. He was staring at me and Mike. He looked visibly annoyed.

Mike's eyebrows furrowed as his gaze shot towards me. "You're not?" He asked in confusion.

I looked back towards him, forcing a small smile as I shook my head. "No, I'm going to Seattle," I muttered, continuing on with the lie I had told Jessica. Might as well stick with it so that I didn't back myself into a corner I couldn't escape.

Mike seemed frustrated as he stared at me, his eyebrows deeply furrowed. "Can't you go any other day?" He asked with a soft huff.

I quickly shook my head as I pursed my lips. "The Saturday of the dance is the only day I can go," I replied with a shrug of my shoulder as I took a deep breath. "You should say yes to Jess, you guys will have fun together." I insisted as I reached out and patted his shoulder.

"Oh, yeah okay." He slowly nodded his head, a frown tugging at his lips. "Sure." He agreed reluctantly before turning around and leaving.

That foreign annoyance left me but my own annoyance filled me. I liked Jessica, and I'd hate to have our starting friendship ruined because of Mike Newton. I wasn't interested in him and I wouldn't want to blatantly hurt his feelings, but I wish he'd just get the hint by now.

----

Edward Cullen; professional gaslighter.

Anastasia Moore; professional liar.

Is it obvious through my writing that I don't like Mike Newton? If it's not...I don't like Mike Newton.