VIII. Spring dance.

Soon we arrived at the greenhouse which was our field trip for the day. We were instructed to study the different plants as Mr. Molina walked through with us, explaining the process of why these different types of plants were here and what was being done with them.

As I followed the crowd of people, I spotted Edward observing a plant that was placed underneath a light. I approached him, leaning in close to him. "Just be careful of the fluorescents," I whispered sarcastically before moving with the rest of the students again.

Edward rolled his eyes and followed behind me, his arm brushing against me- that's how close he was. "So do you not like dances or just don't like Mike?" He questioned and my eyebrows furrowed. "Or are you actually going to Seattle?" he asked curiously.

I shot him a confused look over my shoulder. "How did you hear that?" I asked him softly as I crossed my arms over my chest, my focus returning in front of me.

He softly hummed as he stepped aside to walk next to me instead of behind me. "You didn't answer my question." He replied with a shake of his head.

I gave him a side-eyed look before rolling my eyes, making sure he saw I rolled them. I huffed. "Right, because you've been so good at answering any of mine," I muttered softly and I heard him inhale sharply. "You going to tell me how you stopped that van?" I asked softly, still not wanting anyone else to hear this ridiculous conversation topic.

"Adrenaline rush." He replied with a shake of his head. "Very common. Google it." He insisted.

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to him, forcing him to stop abruptly as well. The students behind us grumbled in annoyance as they passed us. My eyes squinted at Edward and my lips parted. "You had all night, and that's the lie you came up with?" I asked as I raised my eyebrows.

Edward's jaw clenched as he rolled his eyes. "I'm not lying." he gritted out in a low voice as he slowly shook his head. He huffed in annoyance and turned his head away from me as he closed his eyes to calm himself.

Jessica rushed up to me with an excited smile on her face, grabbing onto my arm. "Ana, guess what." She squealed excitedly. Edward let out a soft huff and continued walking through the greenhouse.

I stared at Edward with furrowed eyebrows before turning to Jessica, my annoyance turning into curiosity. "What?" I asked softly as I raised my eyebrows.

"I asked Mike to the dance, and he said yes." She squealed in excitement again as her smile grew. I felt a little relieved at this. For now, my friendship with Jessica wasn't at risk because of the blonde boy.

"Of course he did," I replied as I offered her a confident grin. I hooked my arm in with hers and we walked through the greenhouse together. "He'd be crazy not to." I insisted and Jessica smiled shyly.

Edward was a few feet ahead of us and Jessica nodded at him. "So what was that about?" She questioned, referring to the conversation she had interrupted.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, feeling myself annoyed with Edward. While he still lingered in my head, constantly, I still felt annoyed with him and his bizarre behavior. "Nothing," I muttered softly as I shook my head.

"Nothing?" She repeated as she raised her eyebrows, clearly not buying that lie as easily as the Seattle one. "You know, I've never seen him talk with anyone but his siblings." She informed me.

I rolled my eyes again. "Lucky me," I replied with a soft huff and Jessica looked at me with eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "He has a really great personality," I muttered sarcastically and Jessica's lips parted as she nodded in understanding before her eyes turned towards Edward, her eyebrows furrowing again.

After walking through the greenhouse, me and Jessica parted ways for a second. I walked out towards the busses. My attention was immediately caught by Edward, who silently stared at me with furrowed eyebrows and a clenched jaw.

I silently stare at him for a second before approaching him with a huff, crossing my arms over my chest. "You keep staring at me like that, I might think you have something to say." I snapped at him.

Edward seemed both amused and taken aback by how straightforward I was with him. I assume he wasn't used to people coming up to him like this. He stared at me for a second before sighing and all amusement slipped from his face. "We shouldn't be friends, Ana." He muttered in a low voice.

"Oh, were we friends?" I asked him as I quirked an eyebrow, growing more annoyed by him at the second. Surely friends didn't act or talk with each other the way me and Edward did.

He sighed again and shook his head. "Look, I won't be good for you." He muttered as he pursed his lips.

Alice approached us from behind, a gentle smile on her beautiful face. Jasper was behind her, looking as in much pain as always. "The bus is leaving." She called out as she nodded towards the bus next to us. She turned towards me, her smile growing a little. "Hi." She greeted softly. "Will you be riding with us?" She asked as she raised her eyebrows.

Before I could even think of an answer, Edward answered for me. "No. Our bus is full," he replied to his sister in a snappy voice but his cold eyes were set on me.

I turned towards him, my eyes squinting. "Don't worry, I'd rather have it crush me than get on it with you." I snapped back at him, aware of his sister and brother watching us closely. "Maybe this time you just let hit me," I muttered before turning around and storming off.

Once we got back to the school, we were permitted to go home. I quickly ran into the building to grab my books that had homework as well as Jessica's brownies. As I made my way back out of the building, one of my classmates from the gym, as well as Mike Newton's friend, Ben, approached me. "Hey Ana." he greeted.

"Hi, Ben." I greeted back as I continued walking towards my truck and he followed next to me. He was a tall and pale brunette with piercing blue eyes. "What's up?" I asked as I glanced at him with raised eyebrows.

"I wanted to ask...if you would go to the Spring dance with me?" he asked me, a lot more confident than when Mike had asked me. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach and I fought the urge to sigh heavily.

"Isn't it girl's choice?" I asked, hoping to distract him from his question, at least just for a little while.

"Well yeah." He replied with a nod of his head as he scratched the side of his face. "Thought I'd take my shot before you asked someone else," he explained as he shrugged his shoulders.

I gave him a forced smile. "I'm sorry, I'm going to be in Seattle that Saturday." I continued to lie. I guess was really gonna have to go to Seattle that Saturday.

Ben's face fell a little and a frown tugged at his lips. "Oh okay," he muttered softly as he nodded his head. "Maybe next time," he said with a shrug of his shoulders before he walked off to his car.

I clenched my jaw and took a slow and deep breath. My patience was admittedly running thin, with both myself and everyone else. I just wanted to get home, lay on my bed, and eat my brownies. That wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

I rushed over to my truck before anyone else could bother me. I climbed in and slammed the door, tossing my bag and Tupperware of brownies on the seat next to me. Just as I pulled out of my parking spot and into the one-way lane, tires screeched across the parking lot. That pestering boy and his stupid Volvo cut in front of me and then he breaked to a complete stop.

There was no one in front of him, no cars or people passing by. But he was also at the exit of the parking lot, so there was no going around him unless I wanted to risk driving my truck over the high curb that separated the parking lot from the road.

"Move." I huffed, honking my horn at him. He stuck his hand out of the window and held it up, signaling for me to wait. I vigorously honked my horn a few more times. "Ass!" I snapped with another huff. I sat there, glaring at the white Volvo. A knock to my window startled me and my head snapped to the side. I was met with Tyler's smiling face. I rolled the window down, giving him an apologetic smile. "Tyler, I'm sorry." I apologized. "Cullen is in front of me and he won't MOVE!" I spoke, my last words harsh as I honked the horn again, startling Tyler.

He let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "Oh yeah, I know." He replied, glancing at the Volvo with furrowed eyebrows before turning back to me. "I just wanted to take this chance to ask you something." He said.

I felt my heart sink heavily once again, my mood deflating even more. "Oh..." I whispered knowingly as my face slowly dropped.

"Will you ask me to the Spring dance?" Tyler asked hopefully as he grinned at me.

I forced a smile as I stared at him. "I'm not gonna be in town that Saturday," I explained softly, my voice a little strained. Now I was really gonna have to go to Seattle. By now half the damn town knew I was gonna be in Seattle.

Tyler sighed softly and nodded his head. "Yeah Mike said you were going to be in Seattle," he muttered softly as he pursed his lips.

"Yet, you still asked?" I asked softly as my eyebrows furrowed, my smile slipped and my head tilted to the side.

"Well, I thought maybe you were just trying to let him down easy." He explained as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I'm really not gonna be in town," I told him, and this time, seemed like it was less of a lie than the very first time I said it.

"That's okay," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders and I nodded in relief that he dropped it. "We still have prom," he said, patting my truck before turning around to leave.

"Yeah..." I muttered without registering his words. But when I did, my eyes widened. "Wait what?" I asked, glancing at Tyler's retreating form in my mirror. I huffed, shaking my head.

I watched as Edward's sibling crossed the parking lot in annoyance and climbed into his waiting Volvo. What an asshole move to me and them to wait there for them. I rolled my eyes as he sped off and the line could finally move again. I could finally get home.

When I arrived home, my mom was sitting in the living room, typing away at her laptop on her lap. She looked at me over her shoulder when I stepped into the house. "Hi, sweetheart." She greeted me with a smile. "I bought pizza, it's in the kitchen." She told me.

"Thanks," I said, dropping my things down on the coffee table before taking a seat on the couch next to her, sitting on the edge with my body facing her. "Listen, I need to ask a favor," I told her.

Her attention fully turned to me and her eyebrows furrowed. "What is it?" She asked softly as her head tilted to the side.

I took a deep breath clasping my hands together as I reasted my elbows on my thighs. "I need to go to Seattle on Saturday three weeks from now," I muttered softly as I stared at her, pursing my lips.

She silently stared at me, waiting for more information that never came. Her eyebrows furrowed and her head tilted to the side. "Why?" She asked in confusion.

I stared at her for a brief second before closing my eyes, a brief smile tugging at my lips. I shook my head as my eyes opened, my smile dropping and I glanced at the floor, then towards the wall, and then back at her. She was definitely going to think I was insane for this. "Because it's the spring dance and I told people I would be in Seattle," I informed her in a soft voice, pulling my lips in a tight line.

Her eyebrows furrowed even more and her lips parted. She was silent for a second as she gathered her thoughts. "Why did you tell them that?" She asked in confusion as her head cocked to the side.

I took a deep breath and sighed heavily. I scratched the side of my head as I gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Because they wanted to go with me," I explained softly as I slowly shrugged my shoulders.

Her gaze darted around for a second and then returned to me, her eyes squinting. "So you lied?" She asked softly. She was confused. I didn't blame her.

My tight-lipped smile remained on my face and I nodded my head. "Yeah," I replied softly, like it absolutely made sense. It didn't. It didn't make sense at all. I would rather go to Seattle than one stupid dance just because I've already lied to a few people.

Even if I did want to go to that dance, I'd still have to lie my way out of going with the few suitors that had asked me. Why couldn't they just leave it? It was girl's choice after all.

My mom glanced at her laptop screen for a second, pushing a few buttons. Her eyes scanned over the screen for a second before she looked at me. "Well, I'm working the day shift that day." She informed me, having checked her calendar. "Will you be okay driving alone?" She asked as she raised her eyebrows.

I offered her an assuring smile as I nodded my head. "Yeah," I confirmed and she nodded. I wasn't surprised that she said yes so easily. My dad used to be the one who did all the disciplining. If he had been here and I had asked him the same question, I would have gotten a hard no. My mom was the more relaxed parent.

I got up to my feet and grabbed my things. I flung my bag over my shoulder and opened the Tupperware, offering her a brownie. "While I'm there, might as well get some things we need around the house." I offered as I raised my eyebrows.

She took a bite of her brownie, holding a hand over her mouth as she chewed. "New bedsheets." She said as she wiggled a finger at me.

I nodded in agreement as I took my things and went up to my bedroom. I lay in my bed and ate my brownies, just like I had planned. Finally, I felt at peace. I didn't have much homework so I went for a walk later in the day. Our house was right on the edge of the woods, which sat right behind our line of houses.

As I walked through the edge of the woods, the houses still in sight, my mind was filled with Edward Cullen. I hated it now. I felt annoyed. But I couldn't ignore the small flutter in my heart at the thought of him.

I returned home and laid on my bed, staring up at my ceiling with a blank look, drowning out everything around me. It wasn't untill I closed my eyes that all went away, and I could be at peace. There was not a single thing in my head. Just peacful nothingness.

----

Edward has competition, and I don't blame the boys...Ana's a boss girly.

Also, Ana is very much done with Edward.