Bullet To The Heart

Sunny with a chance of rain. The weather man was droning on in my ear as I grabbed a quick breakfast. Charlie always watched the news in the morning. I never really paid much attention to it myself. If anything newsworthy happened in Forks, I would hear about it by lunch, and there wasn't really a point to watching the weather, because no matter how many predictions of sun we had, it was probably going to end up raining anyway.

I told Charlie bye, and shoved my toast in my mouth, before grabbing my bag for school and hopping down my front steps. I fumbled with my radio dial while I drove and ate my breakfast. I nearly hit a mail box twice, and almost rear-ended a car at the only stoplight we had in Forks.

The little slivers of sun poking through the clouds were throwing me off. At least that is what I would blame it on. I rolled down my window, and took a deep breath of Forks air. It smelled of rain and trees. The static on the radio was irritating me, and I stuck my hand in my bag, which was splayed out on the seat next to me, and dug around to find my ipod.

When I finally pulled it out of my bag, I accidentally dropped my headphones on the floorboard and cursed, trying to blindly reach my hand under the seat while still driving. With no luck, I finally just gave up and sat in silence for the rest of the ride to school.

The parking lot was nearly empty when I pulled in, which meant I probably was either late to class, or only had a few minutes to get there. I pulled into the first spot I could find and parked, leaning over the seat to grab my headphones.

I made it to class with ten seconds to spare, and scanned the room for Alice. Thankfully she was in the back, next to an empty seat that I would soon be taking residence in for the remainder of the class. Our idiot teacher didn't believe in assigned seats, and it was always a bitch to get a good spot. Especially for someone like me, who was almost always late to class.

She mouthed my name with an exasperated look on her face. I shook my head and plopped down in my seat. Alice and I had been friends for a couple of years now. We met in gym class, neither of us even remotely interested in volleyball, which was the sport we were learning at the time. She didn't want to get hot and sweaty in the middle of a school day, and I didn't want to kill half of my classmates with a flying object. I was the clumsy awkward one, she was the poised and graceful one.

Alice kicked my leg to get my attention. "We are supposed to be on page 65."

The teacher was shuffling some papers around, and I rolled my eyes as I dug the book out of my bag and dropped it on my desk with a loud thud, causing a few people in the class to turn around and look at me. I shrugged innocently, and flipped the pages until I was at the right one.

As soon as our teacher started to talk, the door slammed open, interrupting the start of our lesson. I groaned as I realized that the only seat left in the class was directly in front of me.

Mr. Banner looked irritated. "Edward, you're late again."

"Sorry Mr. B." He said as he took his seat, dropping his bag on my foot in the process. I kicked it off of me, and went back to doodling on the corner of my book page. He turned around in his seat and I slowly looked up at him, with a smirk in return. He was giving me some serious bitchface. I obviously didn't care what reactions I got out of Edward, simply because I could care less about Edward.

You see, we despised each other, even though we had never spoken. We just didn't mix. I was oil, and Edward was water.

Alice nudged me in the arm and I looked at her. "What's his problem?" I shrugged at her, looking back at him. He had turned around to face the front, but had moved his bag in between his feet so I couldn't reach it.

"Bella, Edward? Can you go to the library and check out a tv/vcr please?"

We both stopped what we were doing and stared at Mr. Banner. I looked over at Alice, before I slowly got up from my desk, forcing myself to walk towards the front of the room. I could hear Edward shuffling his feet behind me, as I grabbed the pass that Mr. Banner held out to me.

We walked in silence down the hall, and I pulled my headphones out and stuck one in my ear, while pressing play on the screen.

Mrs. Cope, our librarian was sitting at the front desk when we walked in, popping her gum, and flipping through a gossip magazine. She was only in her late 20's, but looked so much older. I handed her the pass, and waited for her to get one of the TV carts from the back room.

Edward was leaning against the wall playing on his cell phone when I looked over my shoulder. He wasn't going to go out of his way to be nice to me so I just decided to keep ignoring him in return.

I could hear the creaking of the metal stand, as Mrs. Cope pushed it towards us. As soon as I was in reach of the TV she let it go and walked back to her desk, to her magazine.

Apparently everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.

I stared at my feet as we walked down the hall, trying not to hit my toes on the wheels of the metal cart. I was tempted to put my ipod back in, but I didn't want to stop to pull it out again, and look all awkward.

Edward, as if he could read my thoughts, abruptly stopped, and I nearly tripped over my own feet slamming into the cart instead.

"What the hell Edward!"

"Sorry, I just wanted to step outside for a minute." He replied, sticking his hands in his pockets.

I raised my eyebrows and stood there, waiting for some explanation. He pulled his right hand out of his jeans and produced a pack of Camels.

"Oh, yeah…sure. Go ahead." I said motioning for the door. As much as I hated being around him, I would do anything to stay out of class for just a little while longer. I pushed the cart up against the wall by a classroom and we snuck out of one of the janitor entrances and around the side of the school. It had started to drizzle a little bit, and I laughed, remembering the weather report this morning. The grass back here was nearly as tall as me, but I guess it didn't matter…no one was ever back here anyway.

"What's so funny?" He asked as he stuck a cigarette in his mouth and flicked his Zippo lighter. I watched him inhale, the cherry burning bright orange, before he pulled it away and released his breath. The grey smoke swirled in the air between us, and I pulled up my hood and leaned against the wall.

"Nothing."

I picked at a thread that was hanging from the rip in my jeans. He continued to smoke in silence.

I watched his long fingers flick the butt up into the air, but couldn't see where it landed.

We walked into the school, grabbing the cart on our way back down the hallway. When we got to our classroom the door was shut and locked. I tried knocking a couple of times.

"This is weird." I said, noticing that the window above the door was dark. I turned to asked Edward what was going on, when he backed into me, shoving me against the wall.

"What the-"

"Shhh, Bella, Shut up."

I could see the little hairs on the back of his neck. "Bella. I need you to reach into my back pocket and grab my phone."

"Edward, if you wanted me to feel you up, you could have just asked." I said jokingly.

"Bella, now!"

"Okay, geez." I snaked my hand in between us and fished the phone out, and handed it to him over his shoulder.

"Bella stay here." Edward asked as he walked a few steps down the hallway.

I watched in confusion as Edward looked around the corner slowly.

What was he looking at? I wanted to see, but didn't want to piss him off anymore, so I stayed put.

He turned around quickly, and the look on his face made my heart stop; something was wrong. He grabbed my arm roughly, and I went to ask what the hell he was thinking, but he put a finger to his lips to silence me, and I followed his directions.

We had walked to the end of the hallway quickly and he suddenly pulled me into a janitors closet, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

Putting my hands on my hips I said, "Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Bella, you have to promise me that you wont freak out ok?" I nodded in response. "I thought I saw something around the corner, and when I looked, I saw Jessica Stanley laying on the floor with a pool of blood around her. It looks like she was shot. I think there is a shooter in the school right now."

I backed away from him, my hands covering my mouth. I could feel hot tears stinging my eyes. I hadn't told Charlie I loved him today. I hadn't called my mom since last weekend. I had never been in love. I was only 17.

I felt arms surround me, and I looked up in confusion. Edward Cullen doesn't hug anyone. He doesn't care.

But he did. And he was.

I quickly wiped away my tears, and pushed him away. "You don't have to hug me because I'm crying. I'm a big girl you know." I sat down on a bucket that I had turned over, as he sat down against the wall across from me.

"I was just trying to help."

"I know that, but it's hard for me to let you. I didn't know you could function in any other mode but asshole."

"Did Bella Swan just curse?" He said smirking.

"Yes asshole." I said flipping him off.

He put his head in his hands and started to laugh. How could this be happening? Ten minutes ago we were glaring at each other in English, and now we were stuck together in a closet. Alone.

"We aren't going to get out of here alive are we?" I asked, watching him twiddle his fingers in his lap.

He stopped and looked at me, "We're going to get out of here, okay? Stop thinking so fucking negatively.".

"Listen, Edward…" I started to say before we heard screams from down the hallway echoing outside the door.

I slid backwards off the bucket against the wall and Edward scrambled across the floor, sliding his body protectively around me for the second time today.

After a couple of minutes, it was quiet again and he let go of me. We went back to our regular positions.

"I'm scared." I looked up at him, waiting for him to laugh at me. If we ever got out of here, he wouldn't ever let me live this down.

"Me too, Bella."

I sat staring at him in shock. I had never seen him vulnerable. He was always big man on campus, with his group of stereotypical high school friends.

"Are you okay?" I asked timidly.

"Why the fuck do you care?"

"I don't know." I replied honestly. Why did I care?

He looked at the ground, and I had time to come up with something better. "We might not ever see anyone else but each other. We could die, Edward. I at least want to be civil with you."

My words caught him off guard, and he sat straight up, looking me in the eyes.

"I can be civil. I don't understand why we are treating each other this way. I guess you just don't get me. I'm not an awful person…I think we just rub each other the wrong way."

I nodded, "Well yeah, can't you see how people would be nervous around you?" I asked.

He looked down at the floor and then back at me, "Kind of. I try to be myself, but I still end up being judged. I don't want problems with anyone. I'm very laid back and quiet, and so many people take that differently."

"I know the feeling Edward. I'm Bella Swan, miss perfect. I get good grades, I don't fool around, drink or do drugs. And you know what kind of effect it has on me? It means that no one wants to date me because I don't put out, which I don't, but no one will give me the chance. No one asks me to come to parties because they are afraid that I will be the only sober one there, and will end up calling Charlie to come break it up. It sucks, and I hate being stuck in this little bubble that I basically had no choice of being put in."

I let out a much needed breath, "So you see, everyone puts us in these different categories, and yet we are probably the most alike out of everyone."

He nodded, "Yea, I guess."

We stayed in the closet for what had to have been another twenty minutes.

"Ok, I have a plan." Edward said suddenly. My heart started pacing as I prepped myself for what we were about to do. "I am going to go out there and figure out what is going on."

I nodded freaking out, Edward was going to go out there by himself and I would have to stay here and wait to see if he would even come back. He went to the door and peeked out and I watched as he started to leave. And in that moment, I knew I might never see him again.

"Edward!" I whispered. He turned around to look at me, eyes wide, and a finger to his mouth to signal me to be quiet.

I walked over to him and put my hand on the back of his neck. My tears had come back and I was getting worried. "What if we die?"

He didn't answer me.

I rushed to him, pulling his face to mine. Our lips met desperately, over and over and I fell into him, letting him be strong for the both of us. I could feel his tears dripping onto my cheeks, as he wound his fingers through my hair, holding us together.

He eventually pulled away and we kept our faces only inches apart, breathing heavily. "I won't let anything happen to you."

I nodded, closing my eyes. I felt him brush his lips against my forehead before hearing the door open and shut. I looked around, feeling my heart beat quickly. The adrenaline rush I was experiencing, a mixture of the kiss and the thought of dying, was something I had never felt before.

I played with my hair and bit my fingernails, desperately trying to pass the time with my thoughts. I heard frantic footsteps coming and I backed myself up against the wall.

The door handle turned and I curled into a ball closing my eyes.

"Bella."

I only then realized I had been holding my breath. "Oh thank God." I scrambled to my feet and ran across the small space into his arms. "I was so scared. Are you ok?"

He breathed heavily and quickly, and sat back down on the bucket facing me.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He sighed, grabbing my hand.

"So what do you think we should do now?" I asked.

Shaking his head at me, he simply said, "We have two options. We can stay here and wait, or we can try to run."

My breath caught in my throat as I tried to picture the schools layout in my mind. "Where is the closest exit?" I asked.

"We are at the end of a hallway. If we can make it around the corner and through another hall, we will run straight into the lobby, and main doors. I don't know where the shooter is, so it would be risky."

"Yeah but sitting here could also be risky. What if he finds us? We would be cornered." I added.

He pulled something small out of his pocket. He played around with the object at first, and when he held it up, I saw that it was a very large pocket knife. "If need be, we can use this"

I nodded and we looked at each other, silently agreeing we would give it all we had and get the hell out of here.

He took my hand, "Listen Bella, if I tell you to run, you have to promise me that you won't try and argue with me. I need you to get out, even If I'm not with you. Please do what I tell you okay?"

As scared as I was, and as much as I had hated Edward Cullen only hours ago, I didn't know if it was possible for me to leave him alone to deal with this. I know he was concerned for my safety, but it didn't seem fair for him to face it all alone. I looked at him, with his pleading eyes, and knew he was serious. There was no arguing.

I nodded hesitantly, and he pulled me into another frenzied kiss.

I knew there was no turning back.

We inched our way out into the hallway, slowly closing the door behind us. I could feel the hair on my arms standing up, the eerie silence deafening my ears. I stayed flat against the wall, with Edward in front of me. He glanced around the first corner, and then proceeded to guide me to the end of the next hallway. We could see the double doors, just across the open room. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that once we made it to those doors, we would be okay.

He looked at me one last time, and nodded, letting me know that as far as he could tell, the path we were on, was clear.

We walked quickly, and before I knew it, we were almost across the room. I could see the doors that I had entered this morning and smiled, knowing that we had made it. Everything was going to be ok.

I let out an exasperated breath and felt my heart stop, as Edward collapsed on the floor next to me. The gunshot was loud, my ears were ringing, and I fell to my knees next to Edward.

"You shouldn't be here. I never intended on hurting you." Mike said calmly. I shivered at his words as I turned to stare into his cold eyes. I saw his arm lowering, the gun coming to rest against the side of his thigh. Edward was gasping next to me, and it hurt to see him in so much pain.

"Please. Let us go." I begged, hoping my words would get to him somehow. I felt Edward stirring next to me, and he slowly stood back up on his feet. I could see the blood seeping through the shoulder of his t-shirt as he held the top of his arm.

"You may go," Mike nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "but he stays." He said pointing to Edward.

I shook my head frantically, "Why? Mike, please, just let us go."

"That would defeat the purpose of being here." He said as he paced back and forth in front of us. "You know, Edward…Jessica was the first person I killed today."

Edward's eyes widened. "Mike please…you know it wasn't like that."

"Cullen, this was all your fault. That stupid party…"

"Man it didn't mean anything! I know she's your girl. We were drunk, it was just a kiss."

"Shut up!" Mike yelled, as he pointed the gun back in our direction.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Edward whispered through winces.

"Bella, get out, now!" Mike said a little more angrily while stepping towards us. I shook my head again, not wanting to leave Edward.

"Bella, you need to get out of here. I will be okay." He said so reassuringly, I almost believed him. "You promised, remember?"

I had to trust him and in this final moment, I felt myself putting all of my trust into this one person. The last thing I wanted to do was walk away, but I had indeed promised him I would listen. I turned my back and started to walk towards the double doors. I could see cop cars, blue flashing lights, and groups of hysterical parents.

I hesitantly put my hand on the door knob and gave one last look at the two guys and walked out, not knowing what would happen next.

As soon as I stepped out into the rainy weather, I ran. I ran until I met my father who was in the front of the crowd, and he put his arms around me and I finally let go of all of the feelings I had been experiencing since the moment I entered the storage room with Edward.

"Dad, you have to get someone to go in there. We have to save Edward."

"Sweetie, we are going to do the best we can." Said an officer who was standing over a map showing the layout of the school.

"I'm just glad you are okay. Who was in there with the gun?" Charlie asked.

"Mike Newton. He was upset with Edward, and wouldn't let him leave." I said, surprised I could get that much out.

"So he wa-" Charlie tried to get out before we heard another gunshot from inside of the school.

"NO!" I screamed as my worst fears were realized. I watched in slow motion as a couple of the armed officers, snuck in through a side window. Tears ran down my face as I realized that Edward had been shot. I felt guilty, that he had stayed behind, to save me.

I listened to Charlie's radio as the officers inside kept in contact with him.

"We have one man down, another dead. We are scanning the remainder of the perimeter. We need an ambulance ready, there is a significant amount of blood loss."

I couldn't listen anymore. I sat down on the curb with my head in my hands. I was numb.

I went to school today and hated Edward Cullen. And now I never even knew why I hated him in the first place.

Moments passed and I watched as the police officers emerged, letting the paramedics bring in a stretcher. I waited for what felt like hours.

The stretcher came out, and they were running it towards the ambulance, and at a quick glance I saw the messy bronze hair.

It was Edward.

Edward wasn't dead.

I watched as they pulled him up into the back, and slammed the doors.

*Two Weeks Later*

Two weeks after the shooting, school was still not in session. The school board had decided that it was a good idea to give the students more time to come to terms with what had happened and they also needed time to work on the new security advances in the school.

Edward had suffered from one gunshot in his upper arm.

I hadn't really seen him much, not wanting to step over my boundaries, and when I heard a knock on my door I was shocked to see that It was Edward.

I opened it eagerly, and welcomed him in.

"It is so good to see you." I said as we walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

He nodded, "I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner. I had to have surgery, and when I came home, I just wanted some time to myself.

I nodded, signaling him to keep going, "I entered into counseling when I was in the hospital, and really, I am ok. If anything, I was worried about you." He said looking up at me.

I got up from my chair and went over to sit next to him. "You were worried about me? Why me? You were the one who had basically sacrificed yourself for someone you barely knew."

He smiled, "I know, but there had always been something about you, and I needed you to be ok."

I looked down at my hands as I played with my fingers. "It was because of you, that I am alive. I owe you everything." I said, feeling my emotions resurfacing.

Slowly, he reached over and grabbed my hand, "You don't owe me anything, it was my pleasure to save you."

I smiled. "I'm glad you are ok Edward. If you need anything, please let me know."

Smiling, he looked at me and said, "Well there is one thing." He said scooting closer to me.

"And what would that be?"

Not wasting any time, he said "Bella Swan, will you go on a date with me?"

I smiled and nodded. We had saved each other, in more ways than one, and as he pulled me into a soft kiss, I knew that it was the start of something fantastic.