High School Sweetheart [Jacob & Edward]

ten.

Prom. 

The entire school is excited about it, chatter buzzing around the cafeteria as everyone talks about who and how they're going to ask. Bella's group of friends are no different. She can see Angela waiting for Eric to pull her to the side and ask or leave some cheesy note in her locker or scribble it across his forehead in marker. Anything. Meanwhile, Jessica has already asked Mike, goofy-looking smile on his face as he clings to the flowers she'd picked up on the way to school.

"What about you, Bella?" Eric asks with a knowing grin. "Your girlfriend gonna be there?"

It's meant to be light teasing, but Bella hadn't asked. Her mind has been on the streets, worried she'd make a light and get T-boned. So, she hadn't been toiling over some elaborate way to ask Leah if she wanted to go to prom.

"Haven't asked yet..." she says truthfully and is confused when the table falls silent.

She looks up, expecting there to be some kind of spectacle, only to find that the entire table is looking at her.

"You are going, aren't you?" Angela asks, looking as if Bella's answer was critical.

The table feels as if it's at some sort of standstill, everyone seemingly holding their breath as they await an answer. It feels as if the moment is catapulting towards something important. Like, if she said no, they'd come to some sort of solid conclusion.

It seemingly stretches on too long as Angela leans forward in her seat with a solemn expression.

"You guys didn't break up, did you?"

Ah. There it is.

"No..." Bella mutters, eyes flicking around the table.

"It's just—you haven't talked about her...." Jessica whispers as if it's some kind of secret, as if there aren't three other people listening in, waiting.

Right. 'Cause that's what people did, normal teenagers who weren't running around looking over their shoulders, talked about stuff like that. They go out, live their life, enjoy things. Bella hasn't seen Leah since a group of crazy, dead people attempted to murder her brother. There was nothing to be said.

"Right. Haven't seen her. Been busy." The response is meant to be casual, but she knows how snippy it sounds as she prods at her salad.

The table falls silent again. She can feel them calculating what that may mean.

"Studying for final exams and all that." Bella supplies, and watches as that seems to ease the tension.

"Well," Jessica says decisively, "then you can bring her dress shopping."

Bella, while having spent copious amounts of hours with Leah, wasn't exactly sure if anything on any of the aisles would get her to say yes to something so seemingly ludicrous as prom. There were pink hearts, red hearts, flowers in every color, cheesy cards, candy, frilly shit. Anything a corporate depiction of a hopeless romantic could spit out in time for prom season, and yet, none of it seems appropriate.

Leah didn't seem like she'd want anything too extravagant or overtly feminine. She didn't like chocolate or the color pink. She'd probably grimace at a cheesy card and balk at a giant bear.

Too much, too little.

Jacob is having the time of his life, eyes glazed over as he stares at the massive teddy bear in front of him. Bella knew he wasn't going to be of any help when he climbed into the truck with a goofy grin. He's been so wrapped up in fantasizing about Edward that he hadn't really had room for much else.