Surviving High School

Better than Revenge

A/N: Just got back from Ohio, and now I'm off to the in-laws, but thought I'd post a chapter real quick.

....

"We need to have a talk, bitch."

I turned around as much as I could and saw Jessica standing behind me, my hair in her fist.

"Geez, Jess. You scared me!" I exclaimed, trying to remove my hair from her grasp. "For a second there, I thought you were one of the Bitch Brigade."

Jess's hand tightened around my hair, and she leaned in.

"I said, we need to have a 'talk'."

I was thoroughly confused. "Yeah, I heard you the first time. Do you mind letting go of my hair?"

She let go, and I turned to face her. Gone was the normal bubbly, gossipy girl, replaced with an evil clone. Her eyes were hard, and she had her bitch face on.

"So . . . uh . . . what did you want to talk about?"

"Edward."

"Okay. What about him?" I asked her, confused as to where this conversation was going.

"He's mine. I've wanted him since he moved here, but Victoria snagged him before I could get to him. Now, I know that you've been busy getting all cozy with the Cullens, and I don't care if you hang out with Alice, but Edward is off limits. If you're really my friend, you'll stay away from him."

I stared at her like she'd grown another head. I felt like I was in an alternate reality. There was no way my friend, Jessica Stanley, had just threatened me away from Edward Cullen because she called dibs on him.

"I'm confused. You're telling me that because you have a crush on Edward, I'm to back off and stay away from him?"

"Yes."

She sounded sincere, but it had to be a joke, right?

"Yeah, okay. So not happening," I told her, as I headed toward the bathroom door.

She reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the door.

"I mean it, Bella!" she screeched at me. "Stay away from Edward. He's mine. I've waited years for this, and I won't have you ruin it for me."

Scew  that.

"Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with my friend? Seriously, Jess, have you been invaded by an alien, or maybe been possessed by a demon? Because this isn't like you at all."

She stepped closer to me, getting in my face. "We may have been friends once, but I saw how quickly you were willing to give us up to hang out with the popular crowd. Then I thought, why not use that to my advantage? I figured eventually you'd ask me to hang out with you and Alice, but you never did. That really pissed me off. I saw how close you were getting to Edward, and I couldn't have that. I was ecstatic when Edward stopped talking to you. And then today, I find out that Edward and Victoria broke up! This is my chance, and I'll be damned if anyone ruins it for me! It's nothing personal, Bella, but I've wanted this too much, for too long."

Nothing personal? I was completely floored. I'd always considered Jessica to be one of my friends, and to have her turn on me because of a pretty face -- well, it made me realize that I didn't know her at all.

"Screw you, Jessica. I'm not gonna stop you from going after Edward, but just know that I'm going after him as well. May the best woman win. Good luck snagging Edward, 'cause you and I both know it'll never happen," I snapped at her, and then proceeded to leave the bathroom.