"I guess this is where you leave me," Colton said rather reluctantly as she glanced over at the door they had just arrived in front of, "You know where you're going?"
Bella nodded, "I think I have this map memorised by now." Colton sent another look towards the door, "You'll be fine."
"I know," She agreed with a sigh, "Doesn't mean I'll like it, though."
"Meet you at administrations after?"
"See you then, if I survive," Colton dragged out as she began to open the door and Bella began to walk off in the direction of her AP Biology class.
Knowing her strengths, Bella didn't attempt to wave and walk away at the same time, but instead gave Colton a faint smile and then disappeared down the halls. Colton let out a prolonged exhale before shaking off her shoulders and fully opening the door to her AP History class.
From what Colton had observed, it was impossible for a Cullen to go unnoticed, no matter the setting. Edward Cullen with his ungodly good looking face and perfectly lean body that was draped in his chair like he was casually posing for Vogue was what Colton first noticed as she entered the room. She had to make sure that her words were intelligible as she introduced herself to Ms Christoff despite the fact that she wanted to return the stare that was piercing into her skull like poker digging for some sort of discovery in a blazing furnace.
"Glad to have you with us, Ms Black, you can take a seat next to Mr Cullen." The grimace-smile that Colton gave the measly women was to cover up the amount of spite she now held for the teacher for doing the exact opposite of what Colton had been attempting to telepathically project to her. She wanted to be in the seat that was the farthest away from the creature she was now making her way towards and it felt as if she was walking over hot coals with each step.
Attempting to be polite, Colton kept as pleasant of an expression as she could possibly muster as she took up the seat at the desk adjacent to Mr Cullen's, or more Edward if she was being informal which Colton prayed for not only her sanity but for her life, that they would never move passed the Ms Black and Mr Cullen stage in their relationship. AP History was also not a very discursive subject, which hopefully meant that she wouldn't ever have to interact with her neighbour.
"Alright," Ms Christoff called the attention of her classroom, instantly silencing the voices of the once chattering students. "For the next few classes, we're going to be working in pairs."
Oh good god. Colton all but bit her tongue to stop the foul curse that instantly entered into her mind. But she attempted to remain hopeful, maybe Ms Christoff would take pity of her and pair her up with the boring look blonde girl to her right who seemed a lot less threatening to Colton's sanity then the boy to her left.
"Everyone in the middle to my right, look to your left, everyone in the middle on my left, look to your right." Ms Christoff ordered plainly and Cole felt her stomach, and her hopes, drop. "The person you are looking at is now your partner for the next two weeks or so as we go about learning about the causes of Cuban Missle Crisis. You may have a moment to introduce yourself and become acquainted and then we will go one to discussing your assignments."
Colton remained plastered to her seat, eyes set forward and her entire body stiff as the students around her began to quietly introduce themselves. This was not happening. This is not happening.
She heard someone clear their throat and almost fainted. This is happening.
"Hello." Oh sweet hell, his voice was like honey coated in gravel and Colton felt her muscles subtly contract and release all at once. In a manner that could possibly be counted as robotic, Colton stiffly turned to face her partner, who looked just as uncomfortable as she did. It was then that she was fully submerged by his blatant attractiveness, the very sight of her crashing over her like a wave. Perfectly tousled bronze hair and firelight topaz eyes. "I'm Edward Cullen."
"Colton," She replied, amazed that she was able to remember her name while being in direct eye contact. "But you're allowed to call me Cole."
He coughed a laugh, "Thank you for that privilege."
She managed a tip of her head, "You're very welcome.
Sarcasm, that was a good sign. That meant that she had yet to be fully corroded away in a heap of awkward rust that just sat and gawked at the person she now had to both avoid and work with for the next two weeks. Avoid because not only did he make her skin crawl, though she couldn't tell if it was in a displeasure or pleasurable way, but also because Billy would skin her alive if he knew she allowed herself to get tangled up with any of the Cullens, in any way shape or form.
"Cullen, Black," Their teacher called for their attention and she was immediately faced by two blank stares. "You'll be writing an argumentative piece. You can either chose from writing about of you think Khrushchev or Kennedy were responsible for the Cuban Missenden Crisis."
Colton almost scoffed, "That's easy. Kennedy obviously."
"Actually, it was Khrushchev." He countered and Colton blanched.
It seemed that this wasn't the first time the teacher had heard this argument because she simply sighed and pushed her glasses up her pin straight nose, "You can decide among yourselves but I want to see it on my desk in a week and a half latest."
Colton droned their teacher out at this point as she continued to hand out assignments while she turned to Edward, gawking at him in pure disbelief, "How on god's earth can you not think that Kenndy was the main reason for the Missile Crisis?"
"Because he wasn't," He stated as though she was a toddler and he was explaining the existence of primary colours.
Colton had to gap at him, her previous stunned and stiff behaviour melting away in a burning field of irritation. "I can already tell this is going to be a long two weeks."
"I couldn't agree more, Cole."
Bella gaped at her as they walked alongside each other in the direction of the administration office. Colton hadn't been able to stifle her frustration any longer and had marched in the direction of Bella's AP class as soon as her own class had finished, knowing she needed to vent as soon as possible or she actually was going to key Edward's car like she had been secretly planning during the rest of their shared lesson.
"I know right," Colton hissed, "What an entitled jackass."
Bella simply shook her head in disbelief, "It seems that rudeness runs in the family. It also seems that the universe hates the both of us."
"Why do you think that?" She asked while dodging an incoming student who whizzed down the hall.
"Because I got stuck with Noah Cullen as a Biology partner and he spent the entire lesson acting like I had showered this morning in curdled milk." She stated dryly and Colton instantly picked up on the equal levels of bitterness and embarrassment.
Colton felt her lips pull back in a subtle snarl, "You smell absolutely fine. And even if you hadn't. Any decent human being should at least attempt to be polite."
Bella shrugged in indifference as they reached the office, "I'm not too bothered. They seem a bit pompous if I'm being completely honest."
"A bit," Colton scoffed, holding the door open for her newly discovered friend, "I feel as though Oxford Dictionary missed the opportunity of having two perfect definitions of the word."
The tiny brunette let out a chuckle, but the sound quickly died in her throat and her soil brown eyes widened to a considerably larger size. Colton followed her line of sight through the office and found herself having to hold back a snarl.
Leering over the desk was Noah Cullen, with his equally infuriating brother standing beside him. Colton could barely hear Noah attempting to charm the receptionist into switching him out of Biology and she stared down the bronze haired jackass who glanced at her in a perfect mask of nonchalance and indifference before tapping his sibling on the shoulder.
Noah stopped his flirting with the ever-flustered women behind the desk for a moment to look sharply over at them, he wasn't as practised as Colton in the art of hiding once snarl as his gaze fell on Bella who cowered into Colton's side. "I guess I'll just have to put up with it."
He then turned on his heel and stalked passed them, hitting into Colton's shoulder as he went passed causing her to snap her teeth at him before re-entering her glare onto Edward who glided after his brother.
He turned to her for a second, lips curving into a smile. "I guess I'll see you soon, partner."
Oh my god. I so prefer this storyline to the original. So much more of the book Edward and then they'll actual have a more solidified connection, because yes I've seen your comments on chapter 8, I get it, you guys don't think it was enough time for them to be into each other. Which I get, they barely knew each other. But I was so shit when I first started this, okay I'm still shit, so I kinda just relied on the whole mate thing to carry the relationship. Which is shitty but it was what I thought was best at the time.
Anyway, till the next chapter!!