Taking A Break [Open]

[Gwen Gates]

Gwen sat huddled under the overhang on the side of the library, watching the rain pour down. She was used to rain in Forks, like most of the residents there. Normally, though, it was just light showers. Today, on the other hand, was an out and out downpour, with thunder and lightning, a real bad storm.

She was currently taking her break from working in library shelving books. Instead of going into the break room, she decided to head outside and watch the storm. The head librarian thought she was absolutely insane. But Gwen had been disappointed anyway-the rain was falling in sheets, and she couldn't see a foot in front of her beyond the overhang. Sighing, she wondered if anyone else was watching the storm, or stuck there because of the rain.

[Bella Swan]

Bella truck grumbled as pulled it into the library. She did not know why the high school did not have a big selection on books but yet again, it was a small town and nothing like her old school which had three or for times as many students. Finding a parking spot closer to the library Bella turned her keys in the ignition killing the gas to the Truck, it was not till she stepped out into the rain she realized how hair it was raining. Putting her hood up and looking to the ground Bella walked to the entrance, not noting a dip in the walk way she tripped and landed on someone's foot.

Oh god, klutzy Bella has done it again She was now all wet and on the ground getting wetter by the moment. A little red in the face Bella got up of the path way apologizing as she did. " Oh I am so sorry, I so did not mean to fall right on you feet." Bella flipped her hood back and looked at the girl in front of her before looking down at her hands the were stinking a bit but did not fee like she had cut them at all. Looking her hands over Bella saw a little bit of blood dripping from the knuckle of her right hand, it was not too much blood but should could not tell by the amount of mun on her hand how bad it was. " All this for a library book." She sighed

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[Gwen Gates]

Even over the roar of the pounding rain, Gwen could hear a loud truck pull up to the library. It wasn't long at all before a girl emerged from beyond the wall of water, who promptly tripped, landing on her feet. She recognized the girl as she pulled back her hood. It was Bella Swan, a fairly new student at their school. "Oh its fine, no harm done," Gwen said quickly, offering the other girl a hand to help her up.

"Are you alright?" She asked, before she spotted the blood dripping from her knuckles. "Oh, you're bleeding...do you want to go inside? We have a first aid kit in the break room..." She didn't want the other girl to go around with a bleeding hand. The fact that she was now soaked she couldn't do much about, but she could at least bandage her up.

[Bella Swan]

Bella was surprised the girl was not mad, Most people back in Phoenix would be that kind, yet again there it was desert so there was less mud and a whole lot less rain. " Okay ? Yes I think I will be fine, I was born with two left feet, well that was a least what my ballet teacher told me when I was little, I was glad to give that up." Bella let a soft smile appear on her face she still felt awkward about the whole tripping thing, She was not even sure who this girl was, there were almost to many new face in Forks to know so soon. Bella looked back at her hand then to the girl.

" Ya I am bleeding, and I would most definitely want to go inside, I can't stand blood that much...Your in One of my classes right? I am Bella. " It was a pretty Bad way to introduce herself but if the girl was going t help her might as well know what her name was. One more friend at Forks high would be too bad. She already felt a some moment she had to many friends to keep track for but it was not too bad they all hung out in the same group except for Edward but Bella was not sure if she should call him a friend or not. He was both her best dream in her worse nightmare. Bella wiped so of the mud off on her pants, the looked ruined now anyway so a little more mud would not hurt. " So do you work here?" Bella asked keep her mind occupied and off her sore hand.

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[Gwen Gates]

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we are," Gwen said when Bella mentioned that they were in a couple classes together, "I'm Gwen. Its nice to meet you, Bella. Even if its not under the best circumstances." She lead her to a door in the side of the building, which opened up to the breakroom. She walked over to the fridge and reached for the First aid kit on top of it, pulling it down.

"Yeah, I work here," She said, sitting down at the small table and motioning for Bella to do the same. "Shelving books and reading to kids on the weekends, mostly." She started to pull a few items out of the first aid kit, and set to work on Bella's hand.

[Bella Swan]

Bella fallowed Gwen around to the side of the building then inside. The break room was not too big but it was well lit enough for reading, It had a few tables, a sofa, and a fridge .Bella watched Gwen walk over to it and pull down the first aid kit. She was glad she had almost fell on someone who was friendly, She would have felt more embarrassed if she had tripped and the person just laughed at her or something.Bella looked do at her hands and Gwen started to work on them it stung a it but Bella was used to the bit of pain now she had accidents regularly.

" It not to bad is it? Bella said looking down at her hand, she could smell the mud and iron smell of er blood, it made he a little queasy but she handled better then someone else blood. She hated how she almost passed out in Biology and had to leave class when the were doing the blood typing lab. " It must be interesting working at the library. I like to read, Wuthering Heights is my favorite novel I cant help but to read it over and over again." Bella smiled, she could reread the book a hundred times over and still like it. Bella did not know who couldn't it was a classic " Have you ever read it?"

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[Gwen Gates]

Gwen shook her head when Bella asked if it was bad. "Its not terrible. I think you just bleed more than usual," She said. She could see it was a shallow gash on the back of her hand, once she had cleaned it up some. she placed some guaze over the wound and then wound a bandage around it. Gwen wasn't the squeamish sort, never bothered much by blood or gore, or things like that.

She started to pack the first aid kit again, and then shook her head when she asked if she'd read a certain book, Wuthering Heights. "No, I've been meaning to read it though," She said, "My favorite's Watership Down."

[Bella Swan]

Bella smiled a bit she was glad it was not too bad, as the minutes went by Bella could see herself becoming good friends with Gwen, she was nothing like Jessica it was one thing that made Bella like her more. Bella hand never read Watership Down, she did not even know what the book is about. " I don't think I bleed a lot more then usual, I am a klutz though I am surprised when I get through a week without tripping, or something.

Bella's hair fell down along the right side of her face and she used her good hand to push it back behind her ear, she could see there was a bit of mud it it too. If Charlie seen her in such a state he might begin to worry about letting her out, Bella knew she would have to make it home before him. " I have never read Watership Down, maybe I will some day. I like the classics thought. I like Shakespeare also. Wuthering Heights is a god read I would loan you my copy but I am reading it again for the thirty second time." Bella joked she was not the best at it because she was more serious then anyhting,but she was attempting.

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[Gwen Gates]

Gwen smirked lightly at her joke. "I'll just have to wait to read it, huh?" She said. She finished with the first aid kit, and brought it back over to the fridge, sticking it on top. She turned back around, leaning against the fridge, her eyes flicking up to the clock. Surprisingly, all that hadn't used up half her break.

"I can loan you my copy of Watership Down, if you want," She told Bella, "Its kind of beat up, but its still readable." She worn the book out from multiple readings.

[Bella Swan]

Bella smiled at Gwen after she had finished tending to her hand in the sort about of time it was feeling a lot better." Thanks for you help Gwen, and I would love to read it, I could let you barrow my book at the same time, it's in about the same shape as yours. We could exchange them in one of our classes." Bella was going to mention which class but Bella would not remember which ones she shared with Gwen.

Edward kept her quite distracted in Biology so she was not sure if Gwen was in that class, She was not too sure who was in that calls actually. Thoughts of Edward got Bella curious she began to wonder if Gwen knew him at all or anything about his family. " Gwen have you lived in Forks long? I was just wondering if you knew anything about Edward Cullen besides what Jessica may have told me.

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[Gwen Gates]

Gwen nodded when Bella told her they could exchange books in class. "Sure, I'll make sure I bring it Monday," She said, "We're in the came math class, right?" She asked, thinking quickly on where she had seen Bella before.

"I lived here a couple years," Gwen told her, "But I don't know a whole lot about any of the Cullens. So I probably couldn't tell you much more than Jessica could." She really didn't know much more about the Cullens than anyone else. "Why do you ask?" She raised an eyebrow. She supposed it was just curiosity-Edward, as everyone knew, had saved her life not too long ago, after all.

[Bella Swan]

Bella had to think for a second, ...Math.... that had to be the class that She and Gwen had together." Yes Math class, I'm sure that the class I have sen you in, Sorry I have not talk to you at all before today, I was a bit of a social outcast at my old school then I came here and it feel like I am smothered with attention. Bella did not like too much attention but being the new girl she was told it would be expected. Not many new teens came to Forks

" I was just wondering Edward and his family are just so different...I don't know why I asked really just trying to find out what others know about them." Bella felt tat Edward was such a mystery to her still and saving her from Tyler van had increased her curiously so much she wanted to see what other people knew. Bella let a smile show on her face felling a little awkward about asking about the Cullens it will not be long and people would begin t think she liked Edward, and she did."

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[Gwen Gates]

"Yeah, I know what its like," She said, "The same thing happened when I came here in middle school." She'd never been one to like being the center of attention, which is exactly what one became in a small town like Forks. It had been overwhelming at first, but eventually everyone settled down and things went back to normal. That would happen with Bella too, eventually.

"Not a whole lot of people know much about them," Gwen said with a shrug, "I tried to talking to one of them-Jasper, I think- when they first came here, and he just sort of brushed me off. They're just private people, I guess."

[Bella Swan]

"You had to go thought it to, I thought it was just because I was the Police Chief's estrange daughter and he went around telling the whole town I was going oto be moving in with him." It was like everyone in the school expected her and knew her name before could even get one of her feel inside the school. Bella just thought Charlie was just way to excited about her coming to live with him, it was all so that could travel with Phil and not worry about her being alone. " I just hope in a few more weeks some of them forget even exist.

When Gwen said she attempted talking to Jasper, Bella had to think for a second which one was which besides Edward. She remembered Jessica explanation an how he Always looked like he was in pain,along with the fact he was dating the little graceful one Alice. " Maybe he is just shy if I was not approached the first day of school I would have been the Social butterfly

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[Gwen Gates]

Gwen had forgotten for a moment that Bella was the daughter of the chief of police. "Oh, yeah, I remember my dad mentioning something about that...." She said, thinking back a few months. Her father was one of the paramedics for the area, so he knew Charlie. They weren't friends, as far as Gwen knew, just acquaintances.

She shrugged at Bella's explanation of Jasper's behavior. "Its possible," She said, "I guess they're just...what's the word I'm looking for...reclusive." Reclusive was a good word for the Cullens. She couldn't remember seeing them at any school events; they mostly just kept to themselves.

[Bella Swan]

Bella laughed slightly "See even you remember.I swear he told the whole town. Bella shock her head looked down at her clothes seeing how wet and muddy she was. "I must really look like a mess, I am covered in mud I am all wet and I am injured. I would have to get home before my Charlie" Bella took her jacket off at least with it of she look a bit more put together now.

Wanting to see what the library was like still Bella stood up out of her chair, dusted her leg off a bit and picked up her coat. " how about you show me around here a bit"

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[Gwen Gates]

"No, I'm sure he only told a couple people," Gwen said, "and then everyone else just decided to spread the word and around and blow it way out of proportion." All gossip seemed to work like that in town. Or any place, for that matter. She shrugged lightly at Bella's comment about looking a mess. "You could look a lot worse," She said, though she had to admit, she looked a lot better with her jacket off.

"Um, sure," Gwen said. She'd never given a tour of the library before. Told people wherever thing was, sure, but she'd never given an entire tour of the place. "Anything you want to see in particular?" She asked.

[Bella Swan]

Bella was not sure what she was doing really asking for a tour of a library but it would be good to know where to look if she had a school project to do. Bella shrugged "I am not sure Gwen, maybe sections that might be beneficial for me to know about. You know like for school projects or literary enjoyment."Bella loved to read and he computer was old and ran a little slower then she liked .

This made Bella decide if she had a major project she knew the library would be the best place for her to do her research." there does not seem much to do in Forks maybe when I get bored with trying out more about Edw...the Cullens."Bella blushed a bit then looked at her feet.

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[Gwen Gates]

Gwen nodded at her request. She moved past the children's room, doubting that Bella would have much interest in that, leading her towards the reference section. "This is where all the encyclopedias and things are," She explained, "Its a bit old school, but we keep getting updated sets, so the info's good. And there are computers over there," She paused to nod in the direction of a group of five or so computers, "They're on the slow side, but printing's free." It was a little odd, telling her all this, when she was on her break. It was basically more work for her, but she didn't mind it.

She started to lead Bella towards the literature, when the other girl brought up the Cullens. She glanced back at her, seeing her blush and look down at her feet. She paused. "Is there something...going on, with you and Edward?" She asked, curiosity in her voice. "Its no big deal, either way...I'm just curious, is all. There's been rumors going around, since he saved you. But then again, Tyler's been saying he's taking you to the prom..."

[Bella Swan]

As they both walked on Bella listen to everything Gwen had to say, making mental notes where to find the Encyclopedias and the computers. " my Computer at home is a bit slow also, but If my printer ever stops working it good to know printing is free." Bella smiled slightly and ran her hand through her hair again. She felt stupid what the whole Edward slip, she like him but he showed little or not interest in her besides staring at her with his alluring eyes which seemed it change from her favorite color topaz to a darker blackish color. Bella began ot get lost in her thoughts as Gwen asked her if there was something going on between her and Edward, and then Tyler's plans for prom.

"Something going on between Edward and myself , ummm no. He just save my life and it like every time i talk to him he tries to push me away." Bella started her eyebrows furrowed a bit as she talked about the whole Edward thing. She just wished he would make up his mind and be her friend or ignore he totally, his mood swings were confusing her. " As for going to the prom with Tyler that is a lie, I am not even going to Prom, I have ticket to Jacksonville that weekend ot see my mom, there non refundable."/b] Bella was lying, she hated dances, she was klutzy and had too left feet, she always felt self conscious and felt like she was having a bad time because of it." He has not even asked me."

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