CHAPTER FIVE
❝ isabella ❞

BY THE TIME lunch had rolled around, Hayden felt better than she had earlier, feeling the excitement tearing away at her mind. She ached to get home; to have the day with her parents that happened rarely. As she took a seat next to Mike in the cafeteria, she turned to see Bella at Edward's side. Bella motioned for her to sit at the table with them, Hayden finding herself in hesitation.

"I . . . I'm gonna sit with Bella today," Hayden says to Mike and Angela just as Jessica arrives. "I'll see you guys later."

Mike looked disappointed to say the least, but Jessica looked satistfied with her decision as she sent Hayden a wave. Hayden disregarded her, only focused on her steps as she moved to sit with the Cullens.

"Hey," Bella says as the girl takes the only empty seat. "Having fun over there?"

"You saved me from the fun," Hayden chuckles, sitting her tray down in front of her. "Eric was about to start on ideas for the new paper, and Angela's so caught up in him that it hurts to breathe."

"I feel you," Bella nods, Emmett finally looking to Hayden. "They've always been that way."

"So you decided to sit with us?" Emmett raises an eyebrow.

"Yes," Hayden clears her throat, looking at the floor as her cheeks heat up. "I'd rather be over here than with them."

"I'm Alice," the girl with the pixie cut chimes in, cutting Emmett off without hesitation. "And this is Jasper. That's Rosalie and Joseph . . . and I assume you already know Emmett."

Hayden could recognize Alice and Jasper from the day before; when they had caught her in the gym. But as for Joseph and Rosalie, she hadn't saw them around the school at all. Rosalie wouldn't meet her eyes, but Joseph did with a polite smile, his bright blue eyes accentuating against his pale complexion.

"Emmett is a handful," Hayden sighs, shooting Emmett a short glare. "But his handwriting- I have to admit- is the definition of perfection."

Emmett rolls his eyes jokingly. "Just because you write like a slob doesn't mean that mine is all that great. You should get help for that. It's not healthy to get confused over what you write."

"Excuse me," the girl scoffs, her jaw dropping. "I do not write like a slob. And I'll have you know that I can read my notes easily."

"Is that why you wanted to borrow mine?"

Edward snickers at the comment, Bella right with him. Hayden only huffs in annoyance, sinking down into her seat. "This is considered bullying, and it's rude."

"Could you cry about it a bit more?" Emmett asks, pressing his luck purposefully. "I could get you a bucket if it would help."

"So rude," she mutters under her breath, making the extra effort to move her chair closer to Edward and Bella. From what she could tell- from the corner of her eye- Emmett almost looked offended.

"Are you free later?" Bella asks Hayden, changing the subject. "My dad wants me to get out with my friends more, and I'm not too psyched about a night with Jessica."

"For the first time, I'm actually not free," Hayden replies, still surprised that she would have the chance to have a night out with her parents. "My parents are going out tonight for the first time in a while, and I plan on going with them."

Bella looked a bit disappointed, before composing herself. "Oh- okay. Maybe some other time."

"I'll let you know if my plans change," she suggests. "And you could stay over this weekend, if that's cool. We could go out on the rez or La Push or something."

Emmett, along with everyone else at the table, went stiff at the mention of the mention of the Reservation and La Push. Bella, however, seemed quite pleased at her ideas, and nodded along as Hayden talked.

"I'd like that a lot," Bella smiles, Edward's grip on her chair tightening. "Do you know anyone down there?"

"Considering I live pretty close, I know a few," Hayden shrugs. "Paul Lahote, for starters. We met yesterday after school, he was pretty friendly."

Hayden flinched as Emmett shoved away from the table, grabbing his jacket as he dismissed himself. She watched quietly as he left the cafeteria, her heart beating a mile a minute. Once he was gone, she took her time in glancing at the faces around her.

"Did I . . . ?" She trails off, confused. "What was that all about?"

"It wasn't you," Edward assures her with a heavy smile. "He's just not all that friendly with Paul Lahote."

---

Hayden could hardly keep herself in line as she pulled into the driveway of her new home, spotting her parents' parked cars. She was over-bound with excitement; with the fact that she would finally have time with her family. Just the three of them, together, and having a time for bonding. It was rare, and she knew it.

The girl held her bag on her shoulder, rushing to the front door and nearly forgetting to grab her keys from the ignition. Her mind was racing as she opened the door, tossing her bag onto the couch. Where would they decide on going? Maybe to dinner, where she would get to tell them about her day, or school, or her new friends.

"I'm home," Hayden announces, her voice echoing in the large house. "Mom? Dad?"

The house was strangely silent, despite her knowing that her parents were home. How else would their cars be in the driveway? She moved to the kitchen, furrowing her eyebrows as she saw nothing was out of place. There was no coffee fixed, nor were there full cups sat out . . . which were normally left behind and forgotten by her father.

Hayden made her way to her parents' bedroom, determined to see if they were home at all. And, as she found, they were.

Her mother and father laid side-by-side in their king sized bed, each of them fast asleep. The television was on, but was muted. A half-eaten pizza sat inside a pizza box, splayed across the nightstand beside her mother's paperwork and computer. The girl felt her heart sink in her chest, the excitement draining from her. They were resting, and she had no interest in waking them.

Instead, she would go about her day like she normally did; alone. Hayden swallowed her disappointment, before residing in her room for a solid few minutes with her eyes on the ceiling. If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't surprised that they were asleep. They worked most of the day, and we're exhausted every time they got home. It was a routine.

But she missed having her mother pack her lunch in a brown paper bag every morning before she left for school. She missed her father taking her out for ice cream every Friday after school, her age not changing a thing. Hayden wanted her family back, and she was ignorant to believe that moving would change anything. The girl resorted to calling Bella, and asking her to stay the night. Maybe then she wouldn't be lonely, and would have someone to spill her feelings to.

After ending the phone call with Bella, Hayden didn't hesitate to order Chinese food. Takeout had become part of her routine, too- well, when she didn't feel like taking the time to cook. Her allowance was enough to pay for it, plus money to put into her savings account. Money was how Amberley and Clark Marris tried to make up for their frequent departures. It didn't work, as Hayden preferred to be with them, but the money helped out.

"You're here fast," Hayden comments breathlessly, opening the door to face the Swan girl. "Bella, are you on steroids? Did you run here?"

Bella's face was flushed, her hair a little tousled. Hayden enjoyed teasing her, watching as her cheeks tinged a bright pink. No car was in sight, so she could only guess Bella walked, or ran, all the way there.

"Edward dropped me off before we got all the way down here," Bella clears her throat, running her fingers through her hair. "Family emergency. So I just walked the rest of the way."

"Family emergency?" The girl questions, hoping not to pry at the situation. "That sucks."

She gestures behind her, stepping aside to allow Bella inside. Bella clutched her book bag, along with an extra bag with an outfit for school inside. Hayden closed the door behind her, leading the brunette to her room.

"Wow, this house is beautiful," Bella says, her eyes roaming the hall to their left. "A lot better since when I was last here."

"I got a grip on the furniture and decorations," Hayden tells her. "You should see my room. I'm proud, there aren't any more boxes laying around."

Bella was shocked at the amount of effort Hayden had put into her room. It was spotless, and decorated in a retro way. Black and white; simple, and adorable in a way that she liked.

"You could go into interior design," Bella chuckles, placing her things on the floor. "This is impressive."

"Why thank you," Hayden says, trying to hold in her smile. "I have an idea. I already ordered Chinese- which I hope you like- and after that, I was thinking we could go to Port Angeles and see a movie or something."

"I'd like that," Bella grins a bit, nodding her head just as the doorbell rings downstairs.

"That would be Chinese," Hayden dismisses herself, rushing down the stairs. She grabs her wallet from her backpack, opening the door. "Thanks for getting here so fast, I-"

Hayden was surprised to see someone without the Chinese food. It was a boy, one she hadn't saw before. His skin was russet, his eyes dark as he stared down at her.

"I'm Jacob," the boy was quick to introduce himself. "And you must be Hayden."

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