world we created, paul lahote

Chapter 07

In the weeks that followed, Charlie had gone out and hunted down these massive wolves. Now having confirmation on what they were, he was finding a way to track them quickly. Day in and day out, the Swan spent his time trekking through the woods with groups of men from the police force and Harry's crew looking for these predators. They haven't had much luck yet and Charlie was starting to think this was a figment of his imagination.

And with Charlie being occupied attempting to catch the wolves, Bella seized it as an advantage. She'd spend her days out doing who knows what and returning late with an array of papers and a stack of books on werewolf legends. Lucia would've thought Bella would be brushing up on her school work as exams crept closer and closer--not to mention their teachers had a mock exam prepped for them every other week. It amazed Lucia how Bella managed to pass with her mind on less trivial matters.

And that's what she couldn't help but wonder about in this instance as well. AP Biology had a set exam for that Friday yet Bella had spent the majority of the week running around wondering where Jacib was and what he was up to--even though Billy had informed her he had mono--or researching werewolf legends as if that was what they were writing about. Now, she sat gazing out the window, paying no mind to her paper.

Lucia returned her attention to her paper as Mr Lawson walked by, the sound of his polished shoes tapping against the linoleum floor as he paced between the rows of desks. Lucia sat hunched over her desk, her brow furrowed in concentration, ignoring the rhythmic scribbling of pens across the page. Pausing momentarily, she would reread her answers, brow furrowing slightly as she double-checked her work, before continuing.

"Ten minutes left," Mr Lawson called as he swept by, his stern gaze scrutinizing each student's work. "If you've completed your exam, you may put it on my desk and head on out. Please ensure you do not disturb your classmates when you do."

Not many students had begun to leave, and this particular mock was far more gruelling than the previous ones. Among the first to leave was Bella, most likely handing in a mostly blank sheet of paper. Charlie had gotten a few calls from the teachers for Bella's incomplete exams, piling more stress onto his already jam-packed day. One-sided arguments ensued most nights, leading to slammed doors (on Charlie's part). His daughter seemed unreceived to his attempts to shake her out of her Edward/Jacob-induced haze much to his dismay.

Lucia's anxiety subsided as she reached the final question, her bouncing knee subsiding in its rapid movements. Once done, she flipped back through the pages of her exam, skimming over each response one last time and quickly double-checking that her name was neatly written at the top.

Gathering her things, she rose from her desk, the legs of the chair softly scraping against the linoleum floor, and made her way to the front of the class to hand in her paper. Exiting the stifling quiet of the classroom is like a breath of fresh air to Lucia as she quickly makes her way to her locker.

"And, how did it go?" Jessica asks as she stops beside Lucia who gathers the things she needs for the weekend. "From the look on Bella's face, I'd say it went quite well, no?"

Lucia looks at her friend with a satisfied smile. "I think it went pretty well. All that studying definitely paid off. Though, I wouldn't take how Bella thought about the exam into consideration."

"Why's that?"

"She was gazing at the window for half of it and only started writing in the last 20 minutes," Lucia told her, closing her locker. "She barely even studied for the exam so I'm not sure how well she's going to do."

"Is she still depressed about Edward? I'm starting to realise he's not as great as we all originally thought," Jessica mused as they fell in step, making their way to the parking lot. Lucia was thankful that it was Friday and she could sleep in a bit later tomorrow before she had to study again.

Lucia shakes her head, adjusting the strap of her bag. "You say that now but when they return, I can just see the moon-dog eyes you'll have. But, no, she's worried about a guy named Jacob. He's been ignoring her for the last few weeks and Bells can't seem to take the hint."

"Yikes." Jessica grimaced. "Well, at least we're not focusing on that stuff. I know for sure I'm going to get a good mark on this paper. I can't have you taking my valedictorian spot, now can I?"

Lucia giggles and bumps shoulders with her friend. "I don't think you can agree. If I didn't know you, I'd think you had a little fan club for a certain Mike Newton."

"Shut up," Jessica grumbles, a pale pink lighting up her cheeks. "It's not that serious. Just a teeny, tiny high school crush."

"Mhmm, sure." Lucia seemed unconvinced by her friend's assertion which was nothing more than a weak attempt to convince not only Lucia but herself too. The Barone girl knew better, however. Jessica had let it slip how she's been crushing on Mike since sophomore year and he never once glanced in her direction. And that only drove home the fact he didn't return her feelings when Bella came to Forks last year and the Newton boy still chased after her to this day--despite Bella's unhealthy obsession with Edward.

"Just... don't put your eggs in one basket, alright? The guy for you is out there. Probably in Arizona," Lucia tells her, wiggling her brows. "You have yet to see what's out there for you."

"I won't," Jessica assures her as they push open the doors leading to the parking lot, the idle chatter of a few students lingering around the lot meeting their ears.

Lucia glances around the parking lot and sees Bella camped out in her car reading one of those weird werewolf and vampire books again. She wondered what was so interesting about these books that captivated Bella's attention so effortlessly. It was odd. But, then again, Bella was odd as a whole.

"Well, I'm gonna head home," Lucia tells Jessica as she looks away from her cousin who tosses the book into the passenger seat of her car before driving away. "I think I might take a nap and just chill for the rest of the day. I'm already dreading tomorrow."

"Sacrifice reaps great rewards," Jessica reminds Lucia, patting her arm. "Remember what the benefits of all this will be in the end."

Lucia nodded as they descended the stairs and made their way to where their cars were located. "Yeah, I know. But giving the bare minimum sounds so good right now."

"Don't." Jessica gave her a stern look. "Just because Bella's doing it doesn't mean you should too."

"I said it sounds tempting, Jess, not that I'm going to do it," Lucia defends herself as she stops at her truck. "Besides, you'd be left without a study buddy if I do."

"Exactly."