CHAPTER VII ―

YOU'RE NOT ONE OF US!

𝐀 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀'𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐄'𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐌, her grip tightening on her lunch tray to make sure it didn't go flying up into the air as she was flung back around. "Where are you going? Are you not sitting with us today?"

Nora watched the hurt appear on Candice's face. She's only been here for a few weeks and this was the impact she had on her? "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier today," Nora explained. "But the Cullens invited me to sit with them at lunch today and I didn't want to be rude and reject them."

A bright grin covered Candice's pretty features and she instantly let go of Nora's arms. "Don't you worry about us," she shoved her off in their direction. "You just go sit with the Cullens and fill me in later, okay?"

Stifling a laugh, Nora slowly headed towards the inevitable Cullens table. All golden eyes were on her as she approached, and as she did, she could feel her nerves calming. Thankfully, Emmett and Alice's smile put her into a positive trance. "Why, hello, Nora!" Emmett patted a seat between himself and Alice. Nora hesitantly sat down at the table. "What's new with you?"

"At the moment, nothing." Nora glanced down at her tray of food, awkwardly looking at the rest of the empty table with no trays besides the unopened juice in Jasper's hand. She didn't really have anything else to say, the tension was so thick, Nora swore she could slice it with a knife.

"Surely something must be happening," Emmett frowned, patting her on the back. Nora flinched as she was pushed forward slightly as his rough hands tried to comfort her. "You're life can't possibly be that boring."

Nora glanced around the table to find that Rosalie was giving her that same glare as her heel clicked noisily on the tiled floor. Alice and Emmett were beaming at her and Jasper was impassive, but there was something in his eyes that had some type of emotion. Edward just stared at her with a frown, like he was trying to figure something out. She sighed. "Uh, yeah,  nothing really."

Rosalie scoffed, not embarrassed to hide her anger in anyway. "This is ridiculous!" She pointed out, her arms flipping her hair back in a flash of anger. "Why are you even here? You're not one of us. Just because we hit you with our car doesn't give you the right to come over here and sit with us."

Nora's heart began to thud. Why was Rosalie so mean towards her? What gave her the right to treat her like this? Thankfully, no one heard or glanced over. That is, no one except the Cullens. Nora wanted to get things clear with Rosalie, that she wanted no part of their precious little family, and that they were the ones who invited her. Before she could get a sliver of information out, a low, coarse, snarl escaped Edward's throat. Everyone turned their heads towards him in surprise.

"Edward," Alice whispered, trying to calm him. "It's okay... just sit tight."

"You have no right to speak to her like that," Emmett's tone was quiet, but he was definitely irate as he spoke, his fists clenched just as tight as Edward's. "None. We're the ones who invited her. So you have no room to blame her for anything."

Nora pushed her tears back, not wanting the Cullens to see her cry. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, shoving her chair back. Everyone's eyes that were fixed on Rosalie were now on her. "I shouldn't have come." Standing up, Nora gasped as Edward mimicked her movement. The whole lunch room was silent.

"Edward." It was Jasper this time. "Sit down. Now." He shot a glance to everyone in the lunch room. They all suddenly turned away, mumbling to their table mates. "You too, Nora! Sit down. You're not leaving this table!" His tone was so father-like that she couldn't refuse.

Nora stared at Edward for a minute. They were both shaking and before she could sit down, he was already in his chair, fists clenched. "Now," Alice hissed. "We're going to work this out. This is stupid."

"You're right. This is stupid." Rosalie spoke, eyes narrowed. "What gave you the right to invite her?" She directed this towards Alice this time and it seemed Emmett wasn't having any of it as he grabbed the pointed finger that was directed at Alice.

Eyes narrowed and angry, Emmett spoke hushed as he snapped. "Sometimes I wonder if you even have a heart, Rosalie." Nora's eyes shot back up at Emmett's words.

He didn't actually say that.

He couldn't have.

Rosalie's face twisted into hurt as she leaped out of her chair, silently walking out. Nora blinked her tears away again. "You shouldn't have said that," Nora urged Emmett, her voice growing louder. "You knew I could have left, but all you did was tell her she had no heart. If she doesn't like me, than that's her problem." Nora stood up, Edward no longer following her motion. "This is directed towards all of you. Don't talk to me again. For not only my sake, but yours as well. Don't even try to communicate with me in anyway." Her voice was now down to a harsh whisper. "I just want to live here, quietly. Is that too much to ask for? Whatever drama you have here, I don't want part of."

Nora quickly left the lunch room in the same direction Rosalie did, finding herself in the parking lot. She paused. Her father was still at work. Taking a deep breath, Nora began to walk towards home. It would take her probably a half hour on foot, but it would give her time to breathe.

Nearly half way down the road, the dam broke loose and the tears began to fall. The Cullens were the causing of her pain and at that moment, Nora Elliot was sure she was beginning to loathe the existence of the Cullens and... whatever they were.

─ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧ ─