You're the risk I'm willing to take

Chapter 9

I went back to school after my week off. Angela stayed close to me, and Eric was glad to see me back in school.

"Hey, how are you feeling, Bella?"

I walked into English and sat next to Angela. Everyone was glad to see me, since they heard what had happened. Kevin was angry that he hadn't noticed Mitch, even though he had been looking for him. I told him, that it wasn't his fault and after about 15 minutes of convincing he believed me

"So, how's your dad? Still trying to talk you into staying off for a bit longer?"

I nodded, turning to look at Angela. My dad kept trying to tell me that I should take more time off. Sure, I had a tough time with the crowds, but Angela promised to walk me to all my classes and be there when it was finished. The teachers had heard about what had happened so she wouldn't get into trouble for being late. But, I kept thinking about Alice, and how she studied after what happened to her. She had been surprised when I told her I was going back, but when I explained everything to her, she understood.

"Yeah, he was. But, I talked him out of it. Well, I was allowed out of the house, so I think he's accepted it."

She shrugged, looking at the teacher. The guy was an idiot and didn't seem to notice that most of the class wasn't paying attention to anything he said.

"Yeah, what about your girlfriend? How did she react?"

The class was full of people whispering, so I knew no one would hear her.

"She wasn't happy, but I managed to talk her into thinking it was OK. And if you keep looking at me like that, Eric won't have a girlfriend for much longer."

The look on her face suggested that I had to do more than talk to her to convince her.

"I doubt you'd murder me, considering I'm the only one who can cover for you."

She knew I wasn't serious, but still felt like she had to mention that. I shook my head, and just looked at her.

"Yeah, unless you take anymore photo's."

"Somehow, I doubt she was complaining about that."

The class ended and I grabbed my bag. I walked out, following Angela. I had chemistry last. I was getting pretty good at it, and this was a source of endless teasing from Angela. We stood outside, and I leaned against the wall.

"How's chemistry going?"

I shook my head, and she laughed.

"Fine."

Alice walked by, smiling at us. I could see that she was worried, but was trying to hide it. She smiled at us, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Hey, Angela."

"Hey, Ms. Brandon."

I went into class and Angela went to hers. I sat down, and took out my stuff. The only free seat was next to Kevin. When he saw me, he asked me how I was. He knew that I was nervous around guys, but he couldn't exactly move. I told him to relax and that I actually liked him. I was being honest, but that didn't mean I wasn't nervous. Alice noticed where I was sitting and kept an eye on me during the class. I looked at her a few times, and I finally understood why she looked at me when guys went up. It really was for reassurance, and that's what I felt when I looked at her and saw that she was watching me.

Kevin didn't say anything to me, but I could tell he was just worried about upsetting me. By the time the class ended, I was ready to get out of there. I grabbed my stuff, and put on my hoodie. I had picked up the 'still into you' hoodie. I knew Alice liked that one. I noticed her watching me. Most of the students were gone, and I knew Angela was waiting for me. She walked past me to get something out of one of the presses, and her hand brushed mine. The room was empty by now, people knew I wasn't great at this subject, so no one would ever think much of me staying behind a lot.