Midnight Sun (The Twilight Saga #5) - Stephenie Meyer Page 0,42

life of illusion—we were better at it than she was. But why would she have to play a role? She was one of them—a human teenager.

Only… she occasionally didn’t behave like one. For example, when Mr. Banner assigned a group project in Biology. It was his practice to let the students choose their partners. As always happened with group projects, the bravest of the ambitious students—Beth Daws and Nicholas Laghari—quickly asked if I would join them. I shrugged my acceptance. They knew I would complete my portion perfectly, and theirs, too, if they left it undone.

It was unsurprising that Mike allied himself with Bella. What was unexpected was Bella’s insistence on the third member of their group, Tara Galvaz.

Mr. Banner usually had to assign Tara to a group. She looked more surprised than pleased when Bella tapped her on the shoulder and awkwardly asked if she wanted to work with her and Mike.

“Whatever,” Tara responded.

When she was back at her seat, Mike hissed at her, “She’s a total stoner. She won’t do any work. I think she’s failing Biology.”

Bella shook her head and whispered back, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll catch whatever she misses.”

Mike wasn’t appeased. “Why did you do that?”

It was the same question I was dying to ask her, though not in the same tone.

Tara was, in fact, failing Biology. Mr. Banner was thinking about her now, both surprised and touched by Bella’s choice.

No one ever gives that kid a chance. Nice of Bella—she’s kinder than most of these cannibals.

Had Bella noticed how Tara was usually ostracized by the rest of the class? I could imagine no reason besides kindness for reaching out to her, especially with Bella’s shyness in the way. I wondered how much discomfort it had caused her and decided it was probably more than any other human here would have been willing to go through for a stranger.

Given Bella’s grasp of Biology, I wondered if the grade from this project would even save Tara from failure, in this class at least. And that was exactly what happened.

Then there was the time at lunch when Jessica and Lauren were talking about the number-one dream destinations on their bucket lists. Jessica chose Jamaica, only to feel immediately one-upped when Lauren countered with the French Riviera. Tyler chimed in with Amsterdam, thinking of the famous red-light district, and the others began sounding off. I waited anxiously for Bella’s answer to the question, but before Mike (who liked the idea of Rio) could ask for her take, Eric enthusiastically named Comic Con, and the table erupted in laughter.

“What a dork,” Lauren hissed.

Jessica snickered. “I know, right?”

Tyler rolled his eyes.

“You’re never going to get a girlfriend,” Mike told Eric.

Bella’s voice, louder than her usual timid volume, cut into the melee.

“No, that’s cool,” Bella insisted. “That’s where I’d want to go, too.”

Mike was immediately backpedaling. “I mean, I guess some of the costumes are cool. Slave Leia.” Should have kept my mouth shut.

Jessica and Lauren exchanged a glance, frowning.

Ugh, please, Lauren thought.

“We should totally go,” Eric enthused at Bella. “I mean, after we save up enough.” Comic Con with Bella! Even better than Comic Con alone…

Bella was thrown for a second, but after a quick glance at Lauren’s expression, she doubled down. “Yeah, I wish. It’s probably way too expensive though, right?”

Eric started breaking down ticket prices and hotels versus sleeping in a car. Jessica and Lauren returned to their earlier conversation while Mike listened unhappily to Eric and Bella.

“Do you think it’s a two-day drive or three?” Eric was asking.

“No idea,” Bella said.

“Well, how long a drive is it from here to Phoenix?”

“You can do it in two days,” she said with confidence. “If you’re willing to drive fifteen hours a day.”

“San Diego should be a little closer than that, right?”

I seemed to be the only one who noticed the light bulb going on over Bella’s head.

“Oh yeah, San Diego definitely is closer. Still two days for sure, though.”

It was clear she hadn’t even known the location of Comic Con. She’d only chimed in to save Eric from teasing. It was revealing of her character—I was always compiling my list—but now I would never know where she would have chosen for herself. Mike was nearly as dissatisfied, but he seemed oblivious to her real motivations.

It was often like this with her: never stepping out of her quiet comfort zone except for someone else’s perceived need; changing the subject whenever her circle of human friends grew too cruel to one