Wayward ➳ Edward Cullen

3. Suspicions

It was hard not to take my gun into school with me. I reluctantly left it under the truck's front seat. Sam kept his beneath the pickup's passenger side. We had the sawed off stashed between the seatback and the cab.

I did hide a hunting knife in my bag. Just in case. It made me feel marginally better.

While not as bad as the day before, I received a fair share of looks on my way to and from classes. My self-appointed guides continued to walk with me, even though I now knew the way. Most of my attention went to keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. That included Cullen.

Come lunch, as soon as I stepped into the cafeteria, I sought the table at the far end. Four perfect people sat at it. No sight of the bronze-haired Edward.

I thought of his murderous eyes and his attempt to get out of Biology. Why wasn't he sitting with his family? Was he gone? My mind wandered to the creature last night. Trying to remember Edward's height, I attempted to put him in the corner of my bedroom. Was he the same size as the intruder? I hadn't gotten a good enough sense to say for certain.

Still. I'd shot something last night and today Edward wasn't here. Could be a coincidence, but it was suspicious.

I stood in line with Jessica and Angela, but before we could sit at the same table as yesterday, Mike intercepted us. Jessica started out happy with the new arrangement, but her mood soured when Mike took a seat next to me, leaving her sitting beside Angela. Between walking with me to classes and this, Mike's interest seemed more than friendly.

At least, Jessica seemed to think so.

Cute as he was, I'd probably be gone within the month. I'd never stayed put anywhere long enough to do much more than have a couple of dates. I'd learned real quick that trying to have a boyfriend while on the move was the stuff of fairy tales.

And I was learning the family business. Hunting wasn't the kind of life choice that lent itself to the white picket fence and apple pie.

I resolved to sit beside someone else next time.

I tried to be more reserved with my responses and my smiles as Mike walked with me back to Biology. It wasn't too hard. My mind was on Cullen, and whether he'd be in class. But his seat was empty. I took mine, considerably more at ease than I'd been the day before. Mike lingered by my station, telling me about a trip he and his friends planned to take to the beach. He didn't leave until the bell rang.

I did much better during gym class, scoring a handful of points. Afterwards, I met Sam back at the truck.

"Anything weird happen?" he asked as soon as I shut the door.

I shook my head. Cars were pulling out around us. I watched as they lined up to exit the lot into the street.

"Same." Sam settled his bag down onto the floor. "What do you think? Wait and see?"

The Cullens were crossing the lot, keeping pace with one another. Jasper and Alice held hands. They made their way to a shining silver Volvo. No Edward.

"Not much choice," I replied as they got inside. "We'll keep an eye on the news. See if anything comes up."

We left soon after, stopping by a gas station on the way to pick up a copy of the paper. Sam checked the obituaries while I drove us back to the house. "Nothing strange," he announced shortly before I pulled into the driveway.

Sam was folding the paper back up as I shifted into park. "Anything in town?"

"No," he replied, tucking the paper into his bookbag. "Port Angeles, mostly. Natural causes."