I tried to disguise my laughter as coughing.

128
"Sometimes," Bella admitted.
I tried to disguise my laughter as coughing.
This brought me to the nurse's attention.  "You can go back to class now," she
said.
I looked her straight in the eye and lied with perfect confidence.  "I'm supposed to
stay with her."
Hmm.  I wonder? oh well.  Mrs. Hammond nodded.
It worked just fine on her.  Why did Bella have to be so difficult?
"I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear," the nurse said, slightly
uncomfortable from looking into my eyes—the way a human should be—and left the
room.
"You were right," Bella moaned, closing her eyes.
What did she mean?  I jumped to the worst conclusion: she'd accepted my
warnings.
"I usually am," I said, trying to keep the amusement in my voice; it sounded sour
now.  "But about what in particular this time?"
"Ditching is healthy," she sighed.
Ah, relief again.
She was silent then.  She just breathed slowly in and out.  Her lips were beginning
to turn pink.  Her mouth was slightly out of balance, her lower lip just a little too full to
match the top.  Staring at her mouth made me feel strange.  Made me want to move closer
to her, which was not a good idea.
"You scared me for a minute there," I said—to restart the conversation so that I
could hear her voice again.  "I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury
it in the woods."
"Ha ha," she said.
"Honestly—I've seen corpses with better color."  This was actually true.  "I was
concerned that I might have to avenge your murder."  And I would have.
"Poor Mike," she sighed.  "I'll bet he's mad."
Fury pulsed through me, but I contained it quickly.  Her concern was surely just
pity.  She was kind.  That was all.
? 2008 Stephenie Meyer