Welcome to Drama Academy

Welcome to Drama Academy By twilightluver001 All the girls in East Coast Academy wanted one thing- the king, the playboy of the school, EDWARD CULLEN. What happens when the beautiful Isabella arrives and Edward is determined to make her his? Will she fall for the playboy? All HUMAN. Twilight - Rated: T - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 45 - Words: 148,976 - Reviews: 12,900 Bella & Edward - Complete Quick Summary: Edward Cullen is THE KING of East Coast Pacific. Basketball Captain, Student Body President... Not to mention the hottest guy on campus. When Bella starts going there, Edward immediately had his eyes locked on the new girl. The problem is, she isn't panting after him like all of the other girls. What will he do to win her heart? And will Bella fall for the playboy? How will Lauren Mallory, the jealous Queen Bee react to that? Lots of drama and romance. ALL HUMAN... of course. p.s. In my story, Bella isn't the same klutzy girl that she was in Twilight. She's athletic, and more outgoing. Enjoy! Chapter One

“Bella, call if you ever need anything, okay?” my dad, Charlie said for the thousandth times before handing me my bags and luggage.

“Dad, I’ll be fine…” I assured him, almost tired from repeating the same sentence over and over again. “Good luck, kiddo,” he patted my head and hugged, “I hope you meet great friends.” “See you later,” I waved him goodbye, and sighed in relief as soon his BMW was out of sight. I was sick of the fake, cheerful face that I forced myself to put on for Charlie’s sake. I took a deep breath, and turned around to face my new school, East Coast Academy, the home of the Bulldogs. Huh. Perfect. My father, Charlie, is a movie producer. He lived in Hollywood while I lived in New York with my mom. My parents divorced since I was a toddler, and they both got remarried about a year after. Mom’s husband, Phil, is a pretty cool guy. He wasn’t the fatherly figure, more like the friend kind. Which is totally fine with me. Charlie’s new wife (Yes… He got another divorce with the one after my mom), however, IS a problem. She thinks that somehow she needs to look after me and stick her nose in every single one of my problems. I constantly remind her that I have a mother. A real one. One that actually cares about me, not just faking in front of my dad. Now, I wouldn’t be so pissed if she wasn’t only ten years older than me; I mean come on! Do you expect me to call someone who’s old enough to be my sister, “mom”? My first impression of the campus was that it was very bright… modern. There were guys playing catch with footballs, freebies… Girls just sitting there on a beach stool getting a tan. In fact, this doesn’t look like a school. It looks like a hotel or a club. There were lots of laughs, giggling… Just my type, I thought to myself sarcastically. When I went in the Administration Office, there was a very pretty lady, Roxanne, it shows on her name tag, sitting up front, typing. Huh. I really hope not all of them look like her. Because then, I would definitely not fit in.

“Umm… Excuse me? I’m Isabella Swan… I’m new here.” She glanced up from her work, with a huge smile.

“Hello sweetie, welcome to our school… Here’s your schedule, and a map of our school…” She handed me a bunch of papers to fill out. As soon as I was done, I rushed out of the office. That’s what I hate about transferring to another school, paperworks. Agh. Since East Coast Academy is a boarding school, we are assigned to dorms. Mine was really close to my classroom, or so it seems on the map. As I went in the common room of our dorms, there were lots of snickering and pointing.

“Ha… Newbie,” a girl with long black hair smirked as her friends started laughing. I tried to ignore them and just headed for the elevator.

My room was on the second floor. Room 204… Room 205… Oh, here it is. Room 206. I took a deep breath and opened the door, and there was someone in there already. Of course, my roommate.

“Hi!” she skipped to me, optimistic and cheerful. “You must be Isabella! I’m Alice!” she hugged me as if we have been friends for life. Alice was very pretty. She had glossy, black, spiky hair; and she was thin to the extreme. She was about a foot or more shorter than I am, yet, she looks so energetic.

“Hello Alice,” I giggled. “Please call me Bella…” I said shyly. She laughed. “Oh my gosh! Here I am hugging you when you’re probably dead on your feet! Let me help you with your bags!” she took it from me as if they were no weight at all and placed it on my bed, which was the one closer to the window.

“Thanks Alice…” “Sorry… I must be scary you with my enthusiasm, I was just so happy that about having a roommate! I have a feeling that we’re going to be great friends!” she squealed as she held my hands with excitement.

“Me too, Alice! You really are the nicest person that I’ve met all day!” I laughed as she did the same. “Here, let me help you unpack,” she offered. “Umm… you don’t have to… You must have something better to do on a Sunday afternoon…” “No! That’s fine…. My boyfriend’s in basketball practice… besides, I remember my first day here, it took me a whole week to get settled,” she grimaced. She had decorated the room with posters, picture frames… The room was amazing.

“Oh… if you want to hang something up, or if you don’t like any of these things, feel free to take them off… This room is just as much yours as mine… I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable in it,” she smiled apologetically.

“No Alice! The room looks great! Better than my old bedroom at home,” I chuckled and she looked pleased. “Well, let’s get you unpacked,” she clapped her hand as I unzipped my bags. I have a feeling that we’re going to get along just fine. We talked while we unpacked; I found out that she too, was from New York along with the rest of her family.

“Alice?” There was a knock on the door; a beautiful blonde girl came in. She was very pretty; she looked like a swimsuit model rather than a typical high school student. Her blonde hair was long and wavy, and her eyes were clear blue. She had all the curves in the right place, it made me feel bad just to look at her.

“Speaking of family,” Alice muttered. “Bella, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Rosalie. She’s my brother’s girlfriend.” Before I could say anything, Rosalie smiled and shook my hand.

“It’s really nice to meet you Bella, Alice was so excited about having a roommate…” she rolled her eyes at her. “You too, Rosalie,” I smiled back at her. “Rosalie’s a senior, and she lives right next door…” Alice explained. “You don’t have a roommate?” I asked. “No…” she chuckled. “She needs the privacy with Emmett,” Alice elbowed her and I laughed. Rosalie looked slightly embarrassed. “So you guys want to grab dinner or what?” Alice and I didn’t even notice that it was already 6:30.

“Sorry, I kept you working for so long,” I apologized. “No… Don’t worry about it! I wasn’t even hungry,” Alice grinned. “Come on, let’s go to Hal’s,” Rosalie suggested. “Jasper and Emmett are there already, I saw them coming out from practice a while ago.”

Turns out, there WASN’T a cafeteria in the school. There were different kinds of shops, restaurants, even stores for shopping. It was like a mini town. When we reached Hal’s, I saw two very good-looking guys sitting outside, waiting at the table. They waved at us; and it suddenly came to me. Of course, Emmett and Jasper.

“Hey!” they greeted us and motioned us to the table. “You must be Bella!” said the bigger, more muscular one. He had curly black hair, and scary biceps. Yet, he wasn’t intimidating, he was very nice. “I’m Emmett,” he smiled as he held out his hand.

“And I’m Jasper,” said the other one, smiling. We exchanged a hand shake and he gave Alice a small peck on the lips. Jasper was very different from Emmett; he had blonde hair, and blue eyes, just like Rosalie.

“We’re twins,” Rosalie explained as she watched me study them two with a chuckle. “Oh…” I said shyly. Then, I noticed the similarity between the four of them; they were all unbelievably good looking. They weren’t like those stars from the movies that wore makeup and fancy clothes to emphasize their looks; in fact, they could wear rugs and still pull off the perfect look.

“So… what do you guys want to eat?” Emmett asked. “I’m starving! The coach made us run twenty laps at practice today,” she rubbed his belly.

“I don’t know about you, but the super-sized pizza sounds good to me,” Jasper licked his lips. Alice and Rosalie decided to get spaghetti, as for me? I ordered a personal pan-sized pineapple pizza.

“I’ll be right back with your order,” said the waitress as she disappeared into the kitchen. “So… how’s your first day going?” Emmett asked conversationally. “Umm… so far so good,” I shrugged. “Well, look who’s there,” Alice groaned as we all turned to see a bronzed- hair boy, arms around two pretty girls, laughing. He was gorgeous. He was definitely better looking than any actors or models that I have seen. He glanced at me as he passed by, and I found myself lost in his gaze. His eyes were smoldering and beautiful, just like the rest of him.

“Those girls are idiots; can’t they see that he’s playing them?” Jasper sighed. “They know; they just want to brag about their night with ‘the Edward Cullen’…” Rosalie said, annoyed. I didn’t dare to ask about the attractive guy, they all looked obviously frustrated by the fact that he exists.

“Here are your drinks,” a different waitress came with five Cokes and pulled me from my train of thoughts. Rosalie and Alice prattled on something about the exam next week; I just ate quietly and listened. I couldn’t help but think about the gorgeous guy that I saw a while ago. Chapter Two Beep! Beep! I groaned at the sound of my alarm clock the next morning, tried to ignore it.

“Bella?” Alice was tugging at my blanket. I yawned, “Okay. I’m up,” I said sleepily and headed for the bathroom. I cleaned my teeth, and headed for closet for something to wear. I decided to wear my Levis jeans and my American Eagle pullover that my mom had gotten for me before coming to California. I wasn’t a fan of brand shirts, but my mom had eliminated my old clothes saying that she wants to renew my closet before I come. We compared our schedules, turns out; I didn’t have a single class with any of the Cullens. Nada.

“Man, what is wrong with this school?” Alice said, frustrated. “Oh well, at least I can still see you after school and at lunch,” I tried to cheer her up. “Yeah… You’re right, we better get going,” she said, disappointed. Alice walked with me, giving me a quick tour of the campus. We passed by the pool, the basketball court, and a sign that says “Bowling Alley- TURN RIGHT”. Is this seriously a school? Alice and I grabbed a sandwich and a glass of orange juice to eat on the way, because we were kinda running out of time.

“Well, I would walk you to your classroom, but my class is that way, and I’m going to be late…” she looked at me apologetically.

“Don’t worry; I’ll be able to find it… Thanks Alice,” I smiled. “I’ll save you a seat at lunch!” she called and she took off running. I really hope I don’t get her in trouble. I pushed the door of the building open, and looked for my first period, Mathematics. On my way to my class, I saw the gorgeous looking boy from yesterday lip-locking with another girl. He had his hands on the girl’s waist, as the girl had hers around his neck. Just watching them made me feel sick! Can’t they seriously do it in a closet? When I walked in the room, lots of girls were glaring, and the guys were whispering. I took a seat in the back, and tried to turn my attention on the book. First period was utterly boring. I was never a fan of equations and square roots. The bell rang, and I stormed out of the classroom, hoping that next period would go as smoothly as this one, no introductions expected from the teachers. I didn’t notice where I was going, then I ran into something hard while I was looking down at my map. I fell flat on my butt. Crap. That hurts.

“What the…” said the voice, furious. I looked up, rubbed my forehead, and saw him looking straight down at me, very surprised.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized as I tried to get up. He helped me pick up my books and gave me a dreamy smile. “No, it was my fault; I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going…” he offered his hand to help me up, I took it and he handed me my books.

“Thanks,” I said. “I’m Edward Cullen,” he took out his hand again, dazzling me with his smile. “Bella Swan,” I said breathlessly, once again caught up in his gaze. I reminded myself to snap out of it. “Do you have any trouble finding your next class?” he asked generously. “No… I think I know where it is,” I said politely. “Yo! Edward!” One of the boys from the crowd called to him from the end of the hall. He turned around, and the whole group waved at him. The girls were squealing, as if they just won a million dollars. They all looked at him as if he was… I don’t know, god?

“Umm… I guess I’ll see you around,” he smiled crookedly. “Yeah…” Then he was gone. I sighed. My first encounter with Edward Cullen? I fell on my butt. How impressive. I couldn't help but think of his smoldering eyes. his breath-taking smile... they were soo dreamy. I immediately shook that thought off my head. He's a playboy, remember? I had gym second period. We had to play basketball, guys versus girls. I had always been a big fan of b-ball, and I loved to play the game. Some of the girls sat out, saying that it’ll damage their “precious nails,” so two guys came on our team to help us out. The game started with the guy-team scoring. I didn’t want to go for the ball; I wouldn’t want them to think that I was showing off. They weren’t really that good; it took them three tries to make it in the basket.

“Yeah! In your face!” they smirked at me and my teammates and high-fived each other. “I think the girls are just too fragile to play ball with the guys,” said a boy with blonde, spiky hair, taunting. Okay. That does it. BEEP! It wasn’t a surprise that their team got the ball.

“Derek!” the guy who had the ball tried to pass it to the boy next to me. Hmm… Not this time… Before he even got a chance to catch the ball, I lunged for it and headed for the other side of the court. The girls on my team were cheering. I ran past several guys who tried to stand in my way, but they never got the chance to touch the ball. As I was saying, they weren’t GOOD. The two guys on our team, Chad and Lucas, were definitely helpful. We passed the ball to each

other, back and forth, until we were only a foot away from the basket. Chad gave me the ball, and the guys on the other team crowded me. Shoot Bella! And I did.

“Yes! You did it!” the girls were hugging each other. I made the basket. “Damn! The new girl’s pretty good,” said the two boys on our team. The other team scoffed nervously, “She just got lucky,” said a boy with seriously facial problems. The game ended, we were two points behind. The girls on our team were pleased. However, the girls that sat out weren’t too thrilled with my performance. A tall, skinny, blonde girl, came up to me, smirking. She was wearing shorts that are short to the extreme, a few guys whistled as she made her way toward me.

“Well, I would say you’re proud of yourself… I’m Lauren, and these are my friends, Jessica and Kelsey.” She smiled, and it wasn’t friendly at all. It gave me the creeps. She was the cheerleading type, I could tell you that much.

“Hi,” I greeted them back dryly. Jessica and Kelsey gave each other a dirty look. “So… work out much?” she smirked and frowned as the group behind her burst into laughter. “That’s really none of your business,” I said. She sounded surprised with my tone. There was an “OH” sound in the background.

“Okay newbie, just stay out of my way, and we won’t have a problem,” she said through her teeth. “My pleasure,” I said back, serious. She shook her hair with her hand, and turned away with a huff along with her posse. The guys and the girls stared at me with wide, curious eyes.

“What?” I shrugged. “No one. Has ever. Talked to her. Like. That.” said a boy, jaws hanging. I turned away and went in the dressing room to get ready for my next class. I sighed, sounds like I just got myself involved with “the untouchables”. Chapter Three The morning went by fast, it was already fourth period. One more class, and it was lunch, which means hanging out with Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett. Even though I’ve only met them for a day, but somehow they were already added on my best friends list- not that I keep one. I arrived early for ELA; there were only six kids in the room when I walked in. The teacher told me to take a seat in the back and I did. I was just flipping through the literature textbook, trying to ignore the staring. That was when I heard his velvet voice.

“So…” I looked up and saw none other than the perfect Edward Cullen, smiling brilliantly at me. He bent down and rested his arm on my desk and took the seat in front of me. Great… I have a class with him? I felt myself blushing; remembering the little accident this morning. He was close to me. Close enough to see all those perfect features of his. Close enough to see his stunning emerald green eyes, his long lashes, close enough to smell the attractive scent of his. Stop it Bella.

“Quite a performance in gym,” he leaned closer and I was nearly out of breath. “Very impressive from what I’ve heard,” he smiled crookedly, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“No… I’m sure you heard wrong….” I mumbled and looked down at my text book. He chuckled. “We didn’t get a chance to talk this morning… You’re from New York, isn’t that right?” he asked, still grinning. “Yes… Wait, how did you know about that?” I was sure that I only told Alice about it. “Let’s say I have my connections,” he snickered. “Cali must be hard for you to get use to. How do you like school so far?” he asked, messing with one of my pens. “Well, it’s my first day… so I don’t think I can answer that question right now. But, so far so good,” I shrugged.

“Yeah… because you’ve met me,” he joked. “You wish,” I scoffed. “Yeah, I really do…” he smiled, looking straight at me in the eye. I didn’t notice that we were leaning toward each other, for when the bell rang, we both scooted back.

“I’ll see you after class, Bella Swan,” he whispered and gave me one last crooked smile before going back to his seat, which was in the third row.

“Okay class, today we’re going to read and learn more about William Shakespeare… Oh, before we start, I would like to welcome a new student to our class, Isabella Swan…”

“It’s Bella, Swan,” Edward corrected her. The teacher gave him an annoying look. “Thank you, Mr. Cullen, I guess you got the chance to get to know Miss Swan over there,” her eyes narrowed. Some of the girls turned around to glare at me; they all looked ready to pounce on me any second.

“Oh, yes… I did,” Edward sighed, smirking again. The guys were giving him high-fives or telling him “good jobs” as the girls shot dead glances in my direction. He turned around and mouthed a “hey” to me, as I pouted slightly. I did not enjoy being the spotlight of the class.

“Okay… besides Edward,” she paused to look at him, rolling her eyes as he shrugged, “I really hope that everyone else will help her around. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Mrs. Coughman,” the class replied, snickering still. Then the class began, thank heavens for that. The Literature teacher was fun; she gave us many interesting facts about the man, alone with his plays.

“Over the centuries, readers have pointed to Shakespeare's sonnets as evidence of his love for a young man…” said Mrs. Caughman, as everyone in our class frowned.

“Oh god. That would make him like so…” said a girl in red jacket as she curled up her lips in disgust. “Gay?” Cody, a boy from my gym class, I remembered, finished. Mrs. Caughman glared at him. “I wasn’t finished… As I was saying, everyone has different opinions. Others read the same passages as the expression of intense friendship rather than sexual love…” she finished proudly.

“Yeah… Whatever, I still think the dude is gay…. I mean, if he actually had a love life, why was he spending most of his life writing plays and poems?” Edward asked, smirking as he put his hands up in the air.

“If you want to criticize Mr. Shakespeare, I would suggest you do it outside my classroom,” the teacher said fiercely. “But Miss? What happened to different opinions?” he asked. The teacher turned red, completely speechless. To her rescue, the bell rang.

“Okay… Tomorrow, we’ll be continueing learning about the greatest English poet… Your homework for the night is to look up information on the Internet about him.” I was just gathering my books when I heard their conversation.

“As for you Mr. Cullen,” she smiled darkly at him, “I will be expecting a a thousand word essay on my desk tomorrow…” she cracked a smile. “HAND WRITTEN.”

“What! I didn’t do anything! Besides Mrs, writing’s not my thing!” he complained. “I’ll see it on my desk tomorrow, Mr. Cullen.” Edward winked at me before leaving the classroom as I rolled my eyes at him. It felt like he was just doing that to torture me. I headed for the food court, as I called it. Alice and her family were no where in sight, and then I heard someone calling my name.

“Bella! Over here!” I turned around and saw her waving at me, bouncing up and down. I ran to them, and saw Emmett and Jasper pouring drinks at each other.

“Hey Bella!” Rosalie greeted me, smacking Emmett at the same time. “Oh, please don’t mind us…” Emmett laughed. “This is a part of our daily routine,” Jasper joined him and laughed, too. Rosalie and Alice both glared at them, which made their smiles disappear.

“Okay… No more messing around. Got it,” they looked nervously back at their girlfriends. “Thank you,” Alice smiled. “So! How was class? Did you get a chance to talk to anyone?” Alice beamed at me. I told them about my encounter with Lauren and her group.

“God… You’re serious,” Rosalie looked at me, unbelieving. “Well, why is everyone so afraid of her?” I asked, puzzled. “She thinks that she’s the queen of the school, being the head-cheerleader,” Emmett snorted. “All the guys imagine themselves in love with her, just because she was Prom Queen, and the girls think that the only way to get popularity was to suck up to her, stay on her good side…” Jasper said, disgusted.

“Last year, she offered Rosalie and I a place in cheerleading, we turned it down, of course. I mean, do you see us as the cheerleading type?” Alice chuckled as Rosalie made a gagging sound.

“She said it made sense for us to join, since Jasper and Emmett were on the basketball team… But I just can’t imagine holding two pompoms, cheering with Lauren and her peeps,” Alice shuddered.

“Go Bulldogs!” Emmett said in a high-pitched voice to make us laugh. “Anyway, she was furious… Saying that we’re ungrateful and all that crap… You know what she did? She printed out flyers saying that Rosalie and I had sex with Emmett and Jasper in the locker room! As if we were that low, as if we were HER! ” she grunted through her teeth, you can almost see smoke steaming off her head.

“What a bitch,” I mumbled. “Thankfully, we got back at her before she put them up… We had a picture of her without makeup when she woke up one morning, she looked horrible, and so we threatened her.” Rosalie said darkly.

“Ah… good times. Good times,” Emmett smiled. “But I wouldn’t mess with her, she’s a total devil.” “Enjoying ourselves?” A voice came from behind and it startled me. I turned around and saw the godlike creature smiling. Chapter Four

“Speaking of devils,” Rosalie muttered as she took a sip of her lemonade. “Ouch, that’s harsh Rose,” Edward pretended to look hurt. Rosalie ignored him. “What do you want Edward?” Alice asked, rolling her eyes, annoyed. “Relax. I just wanted to say hi to Bella,” he smirked. “And to inform Jasper and Emmett that Coach decided to postpone practice today.”

“Gotcha man,” Emmett said, taking a huge bite of his sandwich. “Mr. Cullen?” a teacher called him from behind, looking furious. “Oh god… What did you do this time?” Alice laughed. He pointed toward a red Ford that was parked a few yards away in the parking lot. It was egged.

“You did that?” Rosalie asked, outraged. “No… It wasn’t me... Casey did it and he knows that, the old man just wants to blame it on me,” he pouted. He looked so cute when he was annoyed.

“And why would she egg his car?” Emmett raised his eyebrows. He swallowed guiltily, “I had date with her that night… I called her to tell her that I couldn’t make it because Florence gave me detention for skipping… She got mad and said, “Nobody treats Edward that way…” the next thing I know, Florence was giving me deathly glares all morning,” he finished innocently. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“But how would he know it had something to do with you?” I asked. “It’s so obvious that you’re new Bella,” Emmett laughed. “This ain’t the first time something like this happened…” They all laughed, except for Edward.

“Edward Cullen?!” Then man was furious now. “Chill man, I’m coming,” he muttered as he walked to the teacher with a huge smug. “Whatever you’re about to say, I wasn’t me…” I heard him saying to the teacher before their voices began to fade. “Sure… And the sun sets in the east,” Mr. Florence gave him a disbelieving look. “Follow me to the principal’s office Mr. Cullen…”

“See? Popularity is pretty dangerous,” Jasper said jokingly. We laughed hardly. “I didn’t know that you guys talked to him,” I said truthfully. “Unfortunately, we have to…” Rosalie sighed as I gave her a confused look. “You see Bella, Edward is my brother.” Alice smiled as I stared at her with my jaw hanging. “Whoa… What. Did. You… say?” “Edward’s our brother, hard to believe, huh?” Alice repeated with a wink. “He really is our cousin, but our parents adopted him when we were seven… He’s parents died,” she explained.

“Oh…” I couldn’t think of anything to say. Edward Cullen was related to Alice and Emmett? Then something dawned me. Alice Cullen. Edward Cullen. Of course they were related.

“Bella? Are you alright?” Rosalie asked, waving her hand in front of me. “Maybe we should pour drinks on her or slap her,” Emmett suggested as Jasper gave him a elbowed him. “No… I’m fine,” I mumbled. “Something wrong?” Alice asked. “It’s just hard to believe, I mean… I thought you guys didn’t like him,” I said shyly. “No, Edward’s a cool guy…” Jasper said truthfully. “It’s just his ways with girls that we get frustrated with,” Rosalie sighed. “But underneath it all…” Alice said smugly. “We all still love our little brother,” Emmett finished. “And you know what I think?” Alice beamed. “What?” I asked as I took a sip of my Coke. “I think he likes you,” she finished proudly as I spat out my Coke. Emmett patted my back while I coughed, as soon as I was well enough to speak again, “Don’t ever, I repeat, EVER, say that again Alice!” Why the hell does she think he would like me? He could get any girl in this school, it was impossible!

“Oh come on Bella! It was so unusual for him to be so interested in someone… He called me this morning to ask about you right after first period,” she laughed. That’s why he knew where I was from. I could feel myself blushing while they all stared at me.

“We better get to class,” Jasper took a look at his watch. “Yeah… What do you have next Bella?” asked Rosalie. “Biology.” Emmett laughed loudly, “More power to you… that class was as boring as hell when we took it last year…” Emmett was right. Biology WAS boring. Mr. Gonzalez spent the whole period talking about cell theory. That wasn’t the worst part; Lauren Mallory was in that class as well. When I first walked in, I nearly gasped because she looked like as if she was going to bite me. Thankfully, she sat in one of the tables in the front as I sat in the back, like usual. The seat next to me was empty, but it would be filled tomorrow because the student was absent today. At least that’s what the teacher told me. When class ended, I heard a loud thump on my desk. It was a pale, bony hand with long, sharp, bloody red finger nails that made the thump. I didn’t even have to look up to know who the owner of the hand was.

“Lauren,” I greeted her coldly. “You are unbelievable, Swan. I told you not to mess with me in gym today didn’t I?” she snarled. “What the hell are you talking about?” “Oh. Don’t act innocent with me… You’re damn smart, I’ll give you that. If you think that sucking up to his family gives you an advantage, you’re dead wrong.” She growled.

“What?!” “Jessica told me that you were flirting with Edward in fourth period, you bitch. Let me tell you something, you better stay away from him. He’s mine, do you hear me? He’s mine!! It’s only your first day, and you’re already crushing on the Edward Cullen,” she spat angrily at me, and then scoffed. I laughed dryly, “First of all, I had no idea that Alice was related to him. I just found out half an hour ago. Second, I was not flirting with him. He was the one who came up to me. Third of all, I AM NOT CRUSHING ON EDWARD CULLEN!” I spat fiercely, and loudly, back at her as gasps came from all over the room. You’d think they had nothing else to do but to watch a catfight.

“Just stay the hell away from him. If I ever catch you talking to him, I’ll make you pay! You’ll wish you had never been born!” she yelled.

“I have better things to do than to listen to your stupid little runt. If you’ll excuse me, I have a class to attend to,” I headed for the door dramatically, leaving Lauren there with wide eyes.

“New girl’s spicy,” I heard a boy whisper to his friend as I passed by them. “No… she’s hot!” his friend whispered back. “Bitch,” I muttered quietly under my breath. That was what Lauren was, a total pain in the ass. That was when I heard a loud scream coming from the Biology classroom.

“Gah! Swan!” Chapter Five Thankfully, I didn’t have any other classes with any of the untouchables. Guys came up and talked to me, some of them even asked me out, but I politely rejected them. I didn’t realize how sleepy I had been until I got back to the dorms. I took a short nap, and when I woke up, it was 4:30. I decided to jog around the campus, it was better than sitting alone in the dorms with no homework to do. I put on a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and left the dorms. Alice wasn’t back; I figured she was probably doing something with Jasper since practice was canceled. I passed by the basketball court and saw several guys playing three-one-three, I wanted to play… but then I reminded myself I’ve already caused enough drama for a day.

“Hey…” jogging beside me, I saw Edward Cullen in a pair of black gym shorts with a red muscle shirt. He looked

amazingly hot. Bella! Stop it dammit!

“Hey yourself.” “What are you doing?” he asked, amused. “From the looks of it, I would say I’m jogging,” I responded sarcastically. He gave me a look… “What?!” “Nothing. I just usually don’t see girls jogging in our campus.” “Huh…” I muttered. “Mind if I jog with you?” he asked, perfectly polite. “Suit yourself,” I shrugged and he chuckled. Several people glared or stared at us as we passed by. I guess you can already tell which one the girls were doing.

“Edward!” a pretty girl, with long strawberry blonde hair came up to him and gave him a hug. “A minute, please?” he asked, and smiled apologetically. “Yeah, I’ll wait over there…” I rolled my eyes. I kept jogging. I stopped when I was a few yards away from them, and I bent down to catch my breath. Unfortunately, I could still hear them. This was going to be interesting.

“Hey Brianna, what’s up?” “Umm… It’s Breesa?” the girl muttered. I coughed to hide my laugh. How pathetic. He didn’t even remember her name. “Right! Sorry,” Edward frowned. “Anyways I was just wondering…” she said flirtatiously as she wrapped her arms around him, “Maybe… you would like to go to the movies tonight…?”

“Yeah sure…” “Great! Pick me up at 6:00?” she beamed. “ 'Kay…” Edward nodded and Breesa gave him a little peck on the cheeks. “See ya!” she waved. He caught up to me with a huge smile, “Thanks for waiting… Sorry about that,” he said once again, apologetic.

“No problem.” I grimaced. “What’s so funny?” he mused. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” I smirked. He looked at me suspiciously as I just grinned sheepishly. He gave up. “Up for more?” he gave me his crooked smile. I scoffed. “Are you kidding? That was just a warm up, Cullen…”

“I guess I underestimated you, Swan,” he teased. I rolled my eyes. He asked me about my life while we jogged. About my family, my friends in New York … I would expect him to get bored after the first two questions, but he didn’t. He continued to ask me many questions that I’ve never thought of answering before.

“What’s your favorite band?” he asked, his smile sparking under the setting sun. “Linkin Park, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus… There are too many of them,” I replied, shrugging.

“Really? Those are my favorites too…” he murmured to himself, wasn’t intending on letting me hear, I guess, because he spoke in a low voice.

“So how did your boyfriend react when you came here?” he asked casually, looking straight at me all of a sudden. “Umm… I don’t really have a boyfriend,” I admitted shyly. I hated questions like this, especially when the person asking you is Edward Cullen. He raised his eyebrows, amused? Then his cell phone rang. This is why I'm hot This is why I’m hot This is why, this is why, this is why I’m hot

“Nice ringtone,” I said sarcastically and laughed. “Thanks,” he grimaced as he answered the phone. “Hello… Oh hey Chels! Really? You’re kidding! Sounds good! Yeah sure… pick you up at 6:00? Yeah, see ya…” he shut the phone. And it rang again.

“Hello?” he paused. “Who’s this?” he frowned. “Oh! Bria… I mean, Breesa! Yeah about our date! Listen. I’m really sick…” he pretended to cough, “I think I may have the flu… so I might have to cancel our date… I would never want you to catch it,” I couldn’t believe my ears.

“Yeah… maybe next time… Thanks. I hope so too,” he snapped the phone shut. That Breesa girl was really be an idiot. He was totally fine half an hour ago. How the hell can she buy that? Without thinking, I stomped my foot and started walking to my dorms. Jerk.

“Bella? What’s the matter?” he caught my arm as I shook him off angrily. “Get away, you disgust me.” “What?! What did I do?” he asked innocently and spun me around to face him. “You mean you don’t KNOW? Edward! You had this date with that Breesa girl. You totally lied to her, and now you’re blowing her off for someone else!” I yelled at him.

“Well, Chelsey’s plan sounded better. She had free tickets…” he frowned, as if I was blaming him for nothing. “Agh! Listen to yourself! That Breesa girl was probably spending an hour doing her hair, getting ready and stuff. You lied to her, telling her you’re sick when you’re actually going out with another girl. She may be dumb, buying your poor act, but she’s still a girl. A girl with feelings. You could have just told her the truth! It was better than lying!”

“She’d get mad at me… Besides, what if I decided to go out with her the next time?” I really, and I mean, really, wanted to slap that gorgeous face of his. Never before have I felt so angry. I clenched my fists, hoping not to do anything rash.

“I can’t believe you,” I shook my head slowly, shocked. “Why would it matter to you? Are you jealous?” he smirked. I couldn’t believe he found this funny or amusing at all. “No. I’m not jealous,” I sneered. “And why would it matter to me? Because I’m a girl. I just don’t like the way you treat my equals,” I spat angrily at him. We scowled at each other under the streetlight.

“You know what, Edward? I’m really glad I met up with you this afternoon… Because now I can see through you perfectly. A know-it-all who thinks too highly of himself, who thinks that he‘s the center of the universe… Who doesn’t care for anyone’s feelings but himself’s. Thank you, for letting me see the truth. The real you,” I headed for the door and I saw him looking after me, speechless. Lauren and Edward in a day. God, what have I done? I just messed with the king and queen of East Coast Academy.

Chapter Six When I got back to my room, Alice was back already. I still couldn't believe what had happened...I just yelled at the Edward Cullen!

“Hey Bella!” she said optimistically. “Hey Alice,” I smiled as convincing as I could manage. “I ordered some pizza, if you’d like some.” “Thanks. I’m worn out,” I collapsed on my bed. “Where did you go?” she asked, coming up to me, sitting beside me on the bed. “I just went jogging around the campus.” “Are you okay? You look kinda off,” she raised her eyebrow at me. “Yeah… I’m just tired…” Smooth Bella… I was never a good liar. “Spill Bella, I wasn’t born yesterday,” she grinned. I took a deep breath and started. “I was jogging, and then your brother, Edward,” I sneered, “Came up and decided to join me. Then we were just jogging… and a girl… ” I told her what happened, starting from the beginning, and of course, the part where I got really pissed. I would be surprised if she actually understood me, I was talking so fast, the sentences were glued together. After my little rant, Alice looked at me with the weirdest expression and laughed hysterically. I frowned at her, what’s so funny?

“Sorry Bella! It’s just… I’ve never seen anyone so pissed at Edward aside from myself and Rosalie… It’s so nice to see another female telling him off,” she explained, laughing so hard that she almost fell off the bed. I couldn’t help but laugh with her. There was a knock on the door, “Delivery! Miss… Cullen?”

“Coming,” she jumped out of the bed to grab her purse. “That would be 45.50…” When Alice turned back around, she had two stacks of pizza in her hand along with a bunch of side orders.

“Geez Alice… How much food did you order? It’s enough to feed four people,” I teased her, yet outraged. “What can I say? I have an addiction to pizza,” she chuckled. The next morning was better and worse. I was a bit nervous before entering my fourth period. I knew perfectly why, because I have it with him. I wondered why I was acting that way, it’s not like I did anything wrong. When I got in ELA, I was once again one of the first ones there. I tried to pay attention to the notes that I took yesterday, but my thoughts couldn’t help but wonder to him. I hated that. I told myself that he was just another one of those guys who didn’t care a thing for other people except for his ego and pride. He entered the classroom when the bell rang, and took his usual seat in the front. He didn’t look at me at all; he just sat down quietly, and leaned back to his seat. The teacher started class. I couldn’t concentrate, and that was odd. I was usually one of the students who paid attention to the teachers.

“Awfully quiet today, Mr. Cullen,” Mrs. Coughman smirked at him. I flinched and picked up my head to see what he was doing. He ignored her and turned his glance to his textbook. Was he acting like this because of me? Or was it something else? Maybe that Chelsea girl blew him off… I snorted at the thought. As if! No one in this school will blow off the infamous “Edward Cullen”. I’m sure she would try her best to get to her date even if she was on her deathbed.

“Miss Gray?” “Umm… the Sonnets?” said a girl with jet, black hair. “Correct! Tomorrow, I have a surprise planned for each of you,” she smiled widely and we groaned. “Don’t give me that gloomy look! You are going to LOVE IT!” she squealed. Right on cue, the bell rang as we all sprinted to the doors. Edward was the first one out of his desk; he rushed out without even throwing a glance at the other people.

“What’s up with Cullen?” said a boy that Edward accidentally pushed. “I don’t know, why are you asking me?” answered the other boy, both curious. I sighed. So maybe I did have something to do with his strange behavior. It shouldn’t bother me, I mean… I didn’t do anything wrong. When I headed for lunch, I didn’t know if I should sit with the Cullens and the Hales. They were all really nice, but I wouldn’t want them to think that I was forcing myself on them.

“Hey Bella!” Rosalie and Emmett waved at me with the biggest smiles and motioned for me to go to their table, which was in front of “Juicy Fruity”, a smoothie store. I guess they weren’t tired of me yet.

“Hi guys! Where’s Alice and Jasper?” “Jasper’s getting lunch, Alice’s getting dessert,” Rosalie said as-matter-of-factly. Rosalie told me to sit next to her, and asked me about my classes. Before I even got a chance to start, Alice interrupted.

“I’m back! Admit it; I’m a lifesaver, look at all these food that we bought!” Alice said, proud and excited and took the seat on my other side. Emmett rolled his eyes at his sister.

“Maybe next time we should get two tables instead of one… By Alice’s shopping style, there’s no way that our lunch will be able to fit on one tiny table,” Emmett joked as Alice stuck her tongue out playfully.

“Well, dig in!” They all took something out from the bag as I just sat there, hesitating. “Come on Bella! Help yourself with whatever you want!” Alice chimed. “Alice… I really feel bad about all of this,” I bit my lip as they stared at me with curious eyes. “What do ya mean Bella?” “You’ve already bought me dinner last night… it doesn’t feel right if you pay for my lunch again,” I said, slightly embarrassed.

“Oh Bella!” Alice smiled and gave me a hug. “Don’t worry about it, silly! You’re my friend, one of my best friends!” I was so touched by her words. I’ve only known her for two days, and she was already treating me like I was one of her life-long friends.

“Thanks Alice, that means a lot. Why don’t I take care of everyone’s lunch tomorrow? I’ll feel slightly better,” I pleaded. “Aww! Thanks for the offer… But um…no way…” Alice laughed darkly. “Obviously, you don’t know her well enough,” Jasper murmured as Emmett coughed a laugh. Alice rolled her eyes. “Oh! So… what happened today in ELA? You had that class with Edward, right?” she beamed at me as if she just remembered something important. I groaned.

“Nothing happened. We didn’t talk to each other or look at each other…” I muttered. Alice mouthed me to turn around. I turned to see Edward sitting with his friends, a few yards away from us. He wasn’t his usual self; he sat there eating quietly, without joking or fooling around with his friends. A few girls walked up to him, a blonde wrapped her arms around him and whispered something in this ears. He smiled halfheartedly, and all of a sudden, the anger came back to me.

“Why would it matter to you? Are you jealous?” his velvet voice from last night taunted me in my mind as I screamed back at it, telling him to shut the hell up. I wasn’t jealous. I was just angry at him for being a total ass to the girls.

“Emmett, mind telling that brother of yours to keep his fan club in check? A few girls surrounded me this morning before I got to my class and asked for his number,” Rosalie said, disgusted.

“Yes, babe. I’ll do that,” Emmett laughed so loudly that Edward threw his glance in our direction. Our eyes bored into each other’s for a second, and then we both looked quickly away. Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and Alice chuckled.

“Well, that was interesting…” Alice said to Rosalie with a smile. Chapter Seven Crap! I was late for Biology! I entered a few seconds after the bell, everyone was already seated. It wasn’t technically my fault; we just lost the track of time at lunch.

“Thank you for joining us Isabella,” the teacher said in a bored tone, obviously sarcastic when I entered the classroom. “I’m sorry,” I was slightly embarrassed… “Loser,” Lauren muttered under her breath with an evil smirk. I snorted. I went quickly to my seat, only to find the seat next to me no longer empty. You’ve got to be kidding me….

“Why… wh… why… are you… sitting… here?” I stuttered, outraged. “It’s my assigned seat,” he replied coolly, as if I was missing the obvious. Then it dawned me. He was absent yesterday because he got in trouble with the principal. He was the absent student. I was missing the obvious.

“No… No… No,” I chuckled nervously. “This can’t be right… because I was assigned to sit here yesterday,” I said, pointing to the seat next to him. His face was flushed with horror.

“Is there a problem?” the teacher was frustrated and annoyed now. “Yes… Can’t I sit over there?” I pointed at the empty table behind him. “No, I’m afraid not. I assigned you to sit next to Edward, not over there,” he said sternly. Was he destined to make my life miserable?

“Why do I have to sit next to Cullen?” of all the seats available on the other tables. My voice sounded squeaky, although it was supposed to sound strong and demanding.

“Because you two are the only ones without a partner.” Great. How am I going to get out of this one? Think fast Bella, your life depends on it.

“Well, can’t I partner up with someone else?” Can’t he sense the desperation? I could see a few girls looking at me as if I was crazy. Surely they were all just dying to be Edward’s lab partner.

“I would be delighted to switch with her,” Lauren volunteered with the hugest smile. Creepy. I threw a quick glance to her partner, a guy with braces, ache problems, and thick-framed, dorky glasses. He waved at me with a sheepish smile… and then sniffed loudly. Oh god… that was gross. Mr. Gonzalez ignored her. “Miss Swan, I do not appreciate you coming in late and interrupting my class… You will sit where you were assigned, and that’s final. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir,” I sighed, defeated. I wasn’t the only one disappointed. Lauren was not pleased. She gave a loud “Humph”. Unwillingly, I threw my books on the table and scooted the chair as far away from him as possible, and he did the same. I know it sounds rather childish, but I couldn’t help it.

“You two are acting like a bunch of two year-olds. Please behave so I can continue my lesson,” he shook his head, disbelievingly. We didn’t move an inch; we mumbled a “fine” in unison. The teacher carried on with his lesson, something about genetics. I could feel myself pouting.

“Look, I’m not exactly all chirpy about this, but there’s nothing that we can do, unfortunately. So the solution? We come to class; we sit, when the bell rings, we’re out of here. One class… no big deal… okay?” he said under his breath, low enough to not let the teacher hear us. I could tell he was not pleased with this arrangement, but again, who would be? I nodded my head, he was right… one class, I can stand it.

“Biological form and function are created from and passed on to the next generation by genes, which are the primary units of inheritance…” Mr. Gonzalez’s voice was so dull, I yawned when the words of his lesson sunk in. I would have been

asleep, if it weren’t for my thoughts about this whole sitting next to “Mr. Perfect” issue. How could I not know that Edward was the one sitting next to me? Sure, he wasn’t here, but I could have guessed. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! I did not let myself to look at him throughout the class. I forced myself to look ahead, pretend not to acknowledge the fact that he there. But I couldn’t. He made it hard to concentrate. Instead of fixing my thoughts on the lesson, they wondered to somewhere else. Eventually, they all pulled me back to him. Dammit. I hated that he had this kind of effect on me… but the question is… WHY? Lauren gave me deathly glares through the class. However on the other hand, she would bat her eyelashes at Edward when he looks in her direction. Personally, I thought it was the most disgusting, disturbing thing that I have ever seen in my seventeen years of life. The teacher handed out worksheets for us to write. Edward was forced to pass one to me, since he was closer to him. Our hands touched briefly by accident, both of us pulled back awkwardly. I was surprised by the warmth of his hand, it was soft, smooth… it was perfect… I sighed. I’m thinking all the good stuff about him, and it was wrong. I stared at the clock and counted down the minutes till the class was over. Never before had I felt so relieved to hear the bell ring. My stuff was already gathered, so I stormed out of the room as fast as I could. I didn’t care how stupid I looked; the faster I got away from him, the better.

“Swan! Cullen! I need to talk to the both of you!” I closed my eyes. Stupid Mr. Gonzalez… A few girls snickered as I stumped back in the classroom. Edward had his arms crossed in front of his chest, annoyed.

“Man! Hurry up or we’re going to be tardy for our next class! And I have Florence,” I heard him muttering to himself. “Alright… I assume you both have at least a small clue on what I am about to say,” the teacher looked at us through his thick glasses. Edward and I shrugged, both of us annoyed when we found out we even “shrugged” in unison.

“Have a seat,” the teacher said as he motioned us two chairs in front of his desk. “No thank you… I’d rather stand,” Edward said coldly as the teacher glared at him. “I said have a seat, Mr. Cullen,” he said, threatening. “Fine, jeez…” Edward muttered and took the seat next to me. “So… I’m sure you know that I called you here, not because of Academic performances, but for your behavior during class… I want to make it clear. I do not want any of your attitudes in my class. Whatever happened between you two, will be forgotten in Biology. I want you two to work together in the future for projects, and I do not want to hear any complaints or whines whatsoever. Am I understood?”

“Yes Sir,” we sighed. “You’re free to go,” he dismissed us as I half ran to my next class. Great. Now I have a teacher watching my back. Glorious. “Hey Chloe, did you hear that Edward’s new lab partner is that new chick?” I heard a girl murmur to her friend in the hallway as I passed by. The new chick has a name.

“God! You’re serious! That’s so unfair… She probably blackmailed the teacher into giving her that seat… Remember what Lauren said about her being a bitch?” Chloe said back, disgusted. Looks like Lauren’s been busy. But I could honestly care less; because they looked like one of the “Lauren Wannabes”… You know, blonde hair, thick makeup, preppy, evil… They’ll believe anything that Lauren says. The final bell rang and I was so content to know that I could go back to the dorms and just chill.

“Bella!” a familiar voice called me from behind. I turned around to see Jasper and Emmett running to me. “Hey guys,” I greeted them, surprised. I usually only see them at night or lunch, never between classes. “We got released early from gym, and we saw you walking here,” Jasper explained. “Oh… lucky you,” I grinned. “Looks like someone’s having a bad day,” Emmett chuckled. “Not bad, the worst,” I added as they both laughed.

“I would love to hear about that! Oh shit! We better split! Bella, will you tell Rosalie and Alice that we’ll be in practice today this afternoon?” Emmett asked.

“Of course, I’ll tell them when I see them…” “Thanks… See ya!” They waved at me and sprinted out of sight. “Alice, Rosalie! You guys are back early!” I saw them lying on the couch, reading one of the fashion magazines when I walked in.

“Oh hi Bella!” they threw the magazines on the table and made some room for me on the couch. “I met up with Jasper and Emmett a while ago… They wanted me to tell you that they’ll be in practice.” “God! The coach always makes the team practice! He doesn’t let any of them skip it, except for Captain,” Rosalie sneered at the last word.

“He gets special permission?” I sighed, already knowing the answer. “Yes…” Alice rolled her eyes. “If you think that’s all, you’re SOO wrong. He also gets his own room, and hell, he’s not even a senior yet. But no… ‘Our captain needs his space to master out the game plan,” Alice quoted the coach and shook her head with disgust. It would be so hard to believe that Edward and Alice are siblings. Alice

“I never get the man. Most teachers in this school hate Edward to the bones, especially Florence …” Rosalie chuckled in the memory as I smiled. “But for some reason, that man seems to like Edward. Just because he’s the best player on the team,” Rosalie rolled her eyes.

“He probably got whacked on the head with a basketball…” I muttered mostly to myself. “Definitely,” Alice agreed with a laugh. “Speaking of Captain, you guys will never believe my luck,” I sighed, when reality sunk back in. “Huh?” they said in unison. “Guess who my lab partner is…” I faked enthusiasm. “No kidding! Edward?” Alice beamed, finding this amusing. “I know! How lucky am I?” I said, sarcastic. The girls found it hilarious. I told them what Mr. Gonzalez said, and they watched me rant. It was so weird… I’ve only met them for a couple of days, and I could spill my heart to them like I know they will always be there for me. I’m really grateful to have met Alice and Rosalie.

“Just be hopeful that you wouldn’t have any projects to do with him…” Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. “But knowing Gonzalez, I don’t think that’s possible,” Alice gulped nervously. “That’s what I was afraid of…” I muttered. Chapter Eight

“So… Busy tonight?” he smiled crookedly as he took a step forward. “I was thinking… maybe we could do something together,” Edward batted his lashes seductively. My heart thumped. Say something Bella!

“I have homework to do…” I lied pathetically. “Homework can wait, can’t it?” he leaned in closer, and I could feel his breath on my face; it sent chills up and down my spine. Before I got a chance to reply, a voice interrupted.

“Bella! Wake up! It’s 7:15! We’re going to be late… again!” Alice shook my shoulders with her hand. I sighed, of course silly, it was a DREAM. Whoa. Did I just dream about Edward Cullen? What the hell is wrong with you? You think about him, and now you DREAM about him? What’s happening to you?

I shook my head fiercely, determined to forget all about Edward Cullen today. My hair looked like a haystack! I took my brush from the cabinet, and brushed out all the tangled parts. When I came out from the bathroom, I saw an outfit on my bed.

“Hey! I was just going through your wardrobe and I found a cute brown shirt that matched perfectly with one of your skirts! Wear it Bella! You’ll look cute!” Alice smiled, her eyes glimmering. I hesitated. Usually, I didn’t wear skirts to school… but what the heck? No body knows that here, and who knows? Maybe I’ll even enjoy wearing skirts to class.

“Okay Alice, I’ll wear it,” I grinned. “Yay! Trust me Bella, you can count on my judgments!” she winked and went in the bathroom. I changed quickly, “I’ll wait for you outside Al!”

“‘Kay! Be right there!” We walked toward the elevator. It was closing, so we had to run.

“Wait!!” Alice and I yelled and pressed “open” urgently. “Ding!” It opened, but we also found the least person that we wanted to see, facing us with her back, staring at the mirror. Beside her, are Jessica Stanley and Kelsey Lakers, her sidekicks.

“God girls! I think I have a freaking zit!” Lauren shrieked. “Ah… hem,” Jessica coughed and Lauren finally saw us. She picked up her head and gave us a dark smile. “Well, who do we have here? Loser and Cheerleader-Wannabe,” Lauren sneered as Kelsey and Jessica gave us an arrogant “Ohh…” Alice and I ignored her, and thank god we reached the first floor. She still didn’t let it go after we got out of the elevator.

“Trying to look cute, Swan? Cause you know, mini skirts are SOO not working for you,” she said in a sickly sweet voice. “You’re just jealous Lauren, that she looks prettier than you,” Alice grinned, satisfied at her comeback. Lauren pretended to gag, “Agh! Don’t make me laugh! Even if she put on lots of makeup, she’d still be ugly…”

“At least I don’t need makeup to cover up my face to walk in public,” I muttered as Alice laughed loudly. We high-fived each other and started to walk away from them.

“You’ll pay for that! Bitches!” Lauren yelled from the end of the hall as Alice and I grinned at each other. The other kids looked curiously at us, we grinned the whole way, utterly proud of ourselves.

“Excellent work, sis,” Alice smiled. “Thank you… sis,” we giggled as we gave each other a small hug. We said our goodbyes and walked to our first period. The guys in my gym class seemed to accept the fact that I played basketball. Ryan, that snotty guy from my first day, actually asked me if I wanted to play, since they were one short. When I went in the changing room, I pulled my shirt out of my gym locker, to find it no longer in one piece. The middle was torn and wetted with red paint. Lauren. That bitch.

“What happened to your shirt Bella?” Kelsey faked innocently as the rest of the girls laughed hysterically. I growled. I can’t let them get to me… but what would I do without my gym cloths? Lauren, in cue, walked in.

“Oh! What happened? Who in their wicked mind would do this?” she gasped and laughed. “Too bad you don’t have a shirt now… You can borrow one from me, aren’t you thankful that I keep a spare?” she flashed a smile as she pulled out a rug from her locker. I thought it was a rug, but it was actually a shirt. It was probably an XL, brown, old, and torn. It was not in better shape than my old shirt.

“No thanks, I’ll pass,” I scowled. “Do whatever suits you… It’s either this,” she smiled. “Or that,” she pointed to my old shirt.

They laughed loudly and exited to the gym. I sighed in relief, but what would I wear? The coach made it clear on my first day that he would be taking points off if we weren’t dressed for P.E. Oh well, it wouldn’t hurt.

“Umm… Excuse me, Bella?” a shy voice tapped my shoulders. The girl had brown, long hair. She looked nervous on what she was about to say.

“Hi…” I never caught her name, or talked to her. She was one of those girls who kept to herself. “I have an extra shirt, if you need it,” she said quietly. I smiled, “Really? That’s great! Thank you so much!” She smiled back and handed me the shirt. I slipped it on; it was a bit tighter than my usual ones… but good enough.

“Thanks again… umm,” I stopped. “Angela,” she said. “Thanks Angela…” We walked in the gym together; Lauren didn’t look pleased when she saw me dressed in clean cloth. The coach was calling attendance.

“Swan!” “Here!” “Where did you get the shirt?” Lauren’s face turned white. “Connections, Lauren.” I walked toward the basketball hoop. She scoffed as I turned around, “This isn’t the end! You hear me? This isn’t the end!” she screamed as I rolled my eyes. Whatever Lauren. The game ended with our team winning, and of course, I was the only girl. Again.

“Nice Swan!” Cody gave me a high five. “Not bad, newbie!” Ryan smiled arrogantly. “Thanks… I guess…” I grinned. When I got to Language, I found out that the surprise was a pop quiz, three pages long. I frowned. I hated tests, no matter easy or hard. We groaned…

“Stop being a bunch of sappy little kindergarteners and get started people!” the teacher said with a triumphant smile. When was Shakespeare born? Damn… How the hell was I suppose to remember that? William Shakespeare’s first play? Okay… I knew that one! Henry VI, Part one! I scribbled that on the paper… I looked around to the other kids in the room. They were all frowning, except for some of the brainy ones, who were actually enjoying this. Jessica Stanley was pouting, mouthing some cuss words under her breath that were to low for me to hear. The class dragged, almost just as long as the test. “Alright guys… pick up your heads please!” the teacher announced. Most of us did what we were told, except for Edward. I snorted, too good for instructions?

“Mr. Cullen,” Mrs. Caughman bellowed. “Sorry,” he apologized, almost sincerely. “Since we’re learning about Shakespeare, the school has offered us a chance to do a play! Exciting isn’t it? The audition is tomorrow! It is not voluntarily, so all of you will have to audition!” Murmurs were coming from all over the room.

“I picked the perfect play for us! Romeo and Juliet! The greatest love story of all times!” the teacher squealed with excitement.

“What! No!” the guys were shaking their heads rapidly as some of the girls looked interested. “I’ll be Juliet if Edward’s Romeo,” a blonde girl licked her lips. Gross! Kill me now! Her friends giggled and gave a long sigh, watching Edward with wanting eyes from afar.

“Oh! You are not the only class doing this play… I will have auditions for every class that I have, and I will pick the best from all! That widens up the competition! Good luck to you all!” Mrs. Caughman added as the girls chatted excitedly on who would get the lead role.

“So how will the audition work?” Jessica asked. “You will be reading lines that I picked out during class tomorrow, and I will pick the cast…” she smiled. The bell rang, “Hand in your tests if you’re done!” I made sure that I was on time for Biology. Lauren stuck out her foot as I passed by, causing me to trip.

“Ooops,” she said, an evil smile spread on her face. I scoffed at her, and pretended nothing had happened. I will get her back later. I sat next to Edward, and found him staring blankly out the window. Anything to avoid eye contacts with me, huh? The rest of the day went on, no conversation with Edward whatsoever. I was fine with that.

“Hello?” I flipped my cell open when I heard it ringing. “Bella! I’m going to be at Jasper’s to rearrange his clothes. I won’t be back till later… Oh! Are you going to the game tonight? Rosalie and I are going, to watch Emmett and Jasper play. Wanna come? It’ll be so much fun!” she sounded so excited.

“I’ll be there!” “Great! I counted on that since you’re a big fan of basketball… I already picked out something spirit-y for you to wear for the game! Thank me later! Gotta go!”

“But!!” before I even got a chance to protest, she hung up, leaving me to hear the dialing tone. Thank you so much Alice… It was a sweatshirt with “East Coast Bulldogs” printed on it, with watching sweatpants. They were hung in my closet, brand new with price tags on. That girl doesn’t do things half way, does she? See you at the game! She left a note on my desk as I laughed. Alice is so considerate. I still had plenty of time before the game, so I decided to read my Biology textbook to make up for what I had missed because of him. My cell rang again, “Hello?”

“Bella? It’s Rose.” “Hi Rose! What’s up?” “Did Alice tell you that we left your ticket on your bed?” I looked quickly over to it, and saw a piece of white paper sitting on it.

“Aww! You guys didn’t need to do that!” I whined as she giggled. “Too late! See you tonight! We’ll save you a seat!” “Thanks Rose!” I fell asleep in the middle of my Biology session. I woke up, and found it was time for the game. I put my hair in a ponytail, with a blue/yellow ribbon to match my outfit. I stuffed my keys and cell in my pocket, and locked the door behind me. To my surprise, I saw someone leaning casually against the wall of the outside of our room when I stepped out. Oh god... It was him. Edward Cullen.

“Hey…” Chapter Nine To my surprise, I saw someone leaning casually against the wall of the outside of our room when I stepped out. It was him. Edward Cullen.

“Hey…” “Umm… Alice isn’t here,” I blurted out, shocked. He was wearing his basketball uniforms, some shorts; a blue jersey with

yellow lettering and a big “16” on it, exposing the perfect muscle of his arms. I felt the urge to touch him, to feel the perfect texture of his skin…

“I know…I didn’t come here for her,” he said velvety, looking rather nervous as he straightened himself from the wall. I looked at him, and found myself caught in his emerald green eyes. They were filled with grief, sadness, regret?

“Bella?” he said softly. “I… I want to apologize,” he took a deep breath and took a step forward. Million questions popped into my mind, screaming for answers… He continued,

“You were right… I was a jerk, an ass, whatever you want to call me. It was wrong for me to lie and blow that girl off like that… I realized that it was selfish, wrong, and completely unfair. I’ll try my best to behave now. I’m sorry for not realizing it sooner, I’m sorry for being the greatest asshole on Earth…” he took a deep breath after his long speech and ended with the softest, most sincere apology… “I’m sorry…” He smiled apologetically and sprinted for the elevator. I could feel my jaws hanging open, staring motionlessly after him like a zombie. Did I make that all up? Was I daydreaming? Edward Cullen… apologized? My feet were frozen, and I reminded myself to move if I wanted to watch the game. I walked shakily to the gym, feet numb. My mind was filed with confusion and regret… I should have said something instead of staring at him like a complete moron. Meyer Gymnasium, I have to admit, was very large. It was decorated with ribbons and banners from the outside. It looked very… cheery. I stopped by the concession stand. Hotdog and popcorn, there were my dinner. I gave the ticket collector my ticket, and entered the gym with my food. I looked around for my friends, and saw Rosalie and Alice waving madly from the fifth row. I waved back, telling them they could take a breath. The gym was highly equipped; it was like a mini NBA game. I was in awe at first, but then I reminded myself this school wasn’t NORMAL. None of these things should surprise me.

“Bella! You look great girl!” Rosalie eyed me, smiling, with a nod. “It’s all Alice’s work,” I grinned. “Of course!” Alice winked. I saw Lauren, Jessica, and Kelsey, along with rest of the “Lauren Wannabes” cheering loudly with fake, disgusting smiles in the front. They were wearing what normal cheerleaders would wear, mini skirts, tight fitting shirts, and tennis shoes, only their skirts were shorter than the average ones you see on TV. Sluts.

“East Coast Academy Will beat your ass in playing If you don’t wanna get hurt Then get out of here!” They jumped up and down with their pompoms, clapping their hands excitedly like they just done the greatest deed on the planet. That was the dumbest cheer that I have ever heard.

“Hookers,” Rosalie commented, grossed out. “Tell me about it…” Alice agreed as I made a gagging sound. I looked around and read the banners for something to block out the annoying cheers.

“East Coast Bulldogs! State Champion of the Sunflower State!” “We love Bulldogs! They rule our school!” I sighed. Alice elbowed me, “The game’s starting…” Right one cue, the band started playing, and the announcer came on.

“Alright Bulldogs! Are you ready for some game?” “Yeah!!” We all yelled excitedly at the top of our lungs. “I said… Are you ready?” he held the microphone out for us, but I didn’t think we need it. “Yeah!!” We screamed once again, getting a little impatient. “Alright then… Heeeeere they come!” The band started playing as the basketball players came out. I was expecting to see

Edward first, being captain, but instead I saw some bulky kids running up front with their mascot, a Bulldog with the same basketball Jersey. The rest followed, the crowd cheered and clapped; we did too when we saw Jasper and Emmett.

“Go Jazz! Go Emmett! Go get them you guys!” We yelled loudly as Emmett and Jasper gave us a wink. I know they can’t hear us, with thousands of other kids in the room screaming, but they saw us. Then last, but not least, the “captain” appears. He looked slightly out of breath, as he held his hand up in the air, dazzling everyone with his gorgeous smile.

“Ahh! Edward! Edward! We love you!” his fan girls screamed crazily, all of them hopping up and down with excitement. Oh brother…The guys were throwing their fists in the air, cheering for him as well. I saw card boards and banners being raised and flying in the crowd…

“We HEART Edward Cullen!” “We love you Edward!” “Lead us to victory! Again!” “Go number 16! We love you!” Some blondes even wore his T-shirts. Six of them, each with a letter of his name, puffing out their chests to let him see them.

“Edward! Look over here!” they leaned forward to puff out their chests some more, Alice, Rose, and I couldn’t help but laugh at their stupid action.

“Edward! Edward! Edward…” The crowd continues chanting his name. I snorted, way to make a big entrance Captain… “What’s this? His Pep Rally?” I laughed as Rosalie took the meaning of my words. “I know… I wish they would just get on with the game already….” She giggled. “See what I mean when I say he’s the king of this school?” Alice sighed. “I know that now…” Each player took a basketball and started warming up. Except for Edward, who was in a deep conversation with the coach. It was my first time to see Emmett and Jasper play, and they were good… though that was never a surprise.

“Beep!” The score was set… 0-0. The other team stepped on the gym, smirking. Edward nodded to the coach and joined his teammates. Both teams huddled in two separate circles, and the crowd went silent for a minute there…

“One! Two! Three! BULLDOGS!” The players stuck their hands up in the air and ran to their position. As soon as they were dismissed, the crowd went wild again. Both Captains faces went on the screen; we can even hear what they’re saying through the speakers.

“We’re getting the cup this year Cullen,” the other team’s Captain smirked darkly. He was large, and scary looking. “You wish,” Edward gave him a taunting smile. “Watch out, pup,” the big dude threatened, grinding his teeth. Regardless how fearsome the other kid looked, Edward didn’t even flinch.

“You too… bumblebee,” Edward burst in to laughter as we all laughed too. Big guy was steaming with anger, he took a step forward, ready to punch Edward, but his coach stopped him.

“Denzel,” he warned as Edward snickered. “There’s always time after the game Cullen,” that Denzel dude said, snarling. “Sure… Sure…. Denzel,” Edward shrugged, not showing the slightest hint of fear. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Beep!” With that, the game started. It was time to jump ball. Jasper walked to the center court, represented the Bulldogs, as the other team had a bulky, black hair guy for them.

The referee threw the ball up and Jasper lunged for it… Yes! He did it! Our point guard got it, and passed it to Mitchell… He went for the basket, shit! A guy from the other team stole it from him and… never mind! Edward got it back and he shoots from the 3 point line…

“Three points! Good job Edward!” Rosalie yelled with the biggest smile I gave ever seen as Alice and I high-fived each other.

“Edward! Edward! Edward!” There goes the chanting. Our team continued to score, and so did the other team… Although they were always behind. Emmett played center (since he was the biggest guy on the team), and the smaller players on the other team looked slightly intimidated as they passed by him. I have to admit, Edward was a really good player. The way in jumps up for the ball and shoots… It was amazingly graceful. He looked like a cat on the court, fast and speedy. I guess his reputation for being the greatest basketball player in our school wasn’t made up… He was indeed the captain. He made many three point throws from behind the line, and his aims were perfect, he never missed, like he knew exactly how the ball would land in the basket. He played both point guard and shooting guard, but that didn’t even tire him up. He looked perfectly at ease. They all cheered for him, and yes. So did Alice, Rosalie, and I. Emmett and Jasper were really good too; Emmett was great at defense, and Jasper was great at stealing balls. The next time that I looked at the score board, they were 25 points ahead. The bumblebees didn’t like that very much, they all looked very pissed. Emmett was running, dribbling the ball. We cheered for him, and he was so close to the basket.

“Beep!” The referee called a foul, and a guy on the other team was on the floor. “What?!” Emmett looked at the referee like he was insane. “He fell down by himself, I didn’t push him!” He bellowed loud enough for us to hear.

“Yeah! Sneaks! Yeah!” Everyone in the audience was backing him up, leaving the other team with ugly looks. It was so obvious that that guy faked his injury; Emmett wasn’t even over him when the whistle blew. That was when the Captain stepped in.

“Emmett, let them have the free throw, we don’t need it,” Edward put his hand on Emmett’s shoulder. “But…” “Em,” he spoke with such authority. “Yeah, you’re right,” Emmett finally calmed down but gave the kid a deathly glare anyways. The guy made the free point. Rosalie was cussing, defending Emmett. Edward didn’t look slightly bothered that they scored, he must be really confident. Edward ended the game with an excellent slam dunk! We won! The cheerleaders were jumping up and down with their pompoms… The crowd went crazy of course, as his teammates put him up in their shoulders. He pounded fists with everyone, laughing along with them.

“We love you Edward!” “You rock Edward!” There goes his fan girl club… Lauren wrapped her arms around him when he was let down from the human pyramid, and leaned in to kiss him. To my surprise, he pushed her away and headed for the locker room. The expression on Lauren's face was priceless! After about fifteen minutes of cheering, the players exited the gym with their friends. Most of the audiences left too, leaving a half empty gym. Alice and Rosalie went to find Jasper and Emmett, I asked them to excuse me, and give my best congrats to the guys. They looked suspicious when I said I would catch up with them later, but they let me go anyway, figuring I would tell them later. Bella… You have to do this… You have to! Just go look for him… I gulped. I stood in front of the boys’ locker room. You know he’s in there… With a deep breath, I grasped the handle and pushed it open. He was alone in the locker room, putting something in his locker, and sitting on the bench to tie his shoes. I noticed that he already changed into regular clothes. He didn’t hear me, for I closed the door silently behind me.

“Nice game, Captain,” I smiled. He gasped when he heard my voice and stumbled on the bench. He smiled back when he realized it was me…

“Thanks…” He was sweating, and his cheeks were red from the game. His hair was messy and wet, but he still looked unbelievably gorgeous. I put my hands nervously in my pocket and started.

“Edward… I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything when you came earlier. I was shocked, but it was really rude. I should have said something…”

“Don’t worry about it, I was the jerk and the ass, remember?” he looked down, embarrassed, as he gave me a half hearted smile.

“The things that I said were out of line the other day… I shouldn’t have called you names no matter how pissed I was… I guess I should apologize for that,” I said softly, although I had no intention of doing that. He had it coming… But I had to be nice.

“You don’t have to, you were right. About everything…” he replied. We stared at each other in silence, awkwardly. My hands were fidgeting in my pockets.

“Were you serious?” I asked, breaking the silence. “About what?” “About behaving?” I reminded him and a faint smile touched his lips. “Yes… I’ll try my best to behave,” he chuckled. “See? There’s hope in you after all… That’s good…” I laughed and he joined me. “Bella?” “Yes?” “Thanks for yelling at me the other day, and for talking some sense into me…” his voice was serious, but somehow it made me a little guilty. I hated that he had this kind of effect on people.

“You’re welcome, I’m up for it anytime,” I joked to lighten up the mood. It worked, he laughed musically. “I better go... And Edward?” He looked at me curiously. “You guys really need air fresheners in here, no offence, but it reeks,” I made a face. He laughed, “I’ll keep that in mind…” I turned and went for the door. He stopped me…

“Bella?” “Yes?” Did I turn around just a bit too willingly? He was smiling. “Thank you… Oh, and you look really pretty tonight,” he smiled crookedly. I blushed, “You’re welcome…” I sprinted to the door and found myself gasping for air when I stepped out. My heard was thumping… I could swear I heard a low chuckle… his chuckle coming out from the locker room. It was music to my ears, I couldn’t help but smile. A small voice in my head warned me, don't get your hopes up Bella, he's still Edward. Chapter Ten There were only a few people left in the gym when I stepped out. My heart was still thumping rapidly, and I was sure my face was still kind of red. The girls were ready to ambush me when I stepped in to my room.

“Where did you go?” Alice beamed as Rosalie looked at me, impatient. “Come on Bella! Tell us everything,” her eyes were wide. I was a little uncomfortable with the attention, but then I reminded myself it were only Rosalie and Alice. I took a deep breath, knowing it was going to take a while.

“Okay… I was just getting ready to go to the basketball game you know, and when I stepped out of the door, I saw Edward waiting for someone. At first, I thought he was here for Alice, but he said he wasn’t. He said he wanted to talk to me, and he apologized for being a jerk the other day and he said he would try to behave from now on,” I paused, letting myself catch my breath.

“He apologized?” Alice asked, eyes wider than ever. I nodded slowly. “Well damn!” Those were the first two words that Alice and Rosalie managed to say in unison. I looked at them, with a big question mark on my head.

“We told him it was wrong for countless of times, and hell, he didn’t even “listen” to us. I don’t even think he heard us! And Alice is his sister! When Bella yells at him, suddenly he apologizes? Your brother sucks Alice,” Rosalie’s face wrinkled.

“So I’ve been told,” Alice murmured. “So what did you say?” Rosalie asked. “Nothing… That’s why I went to the boys’ locker room after the game; I figured I should have said something… He was there, and we talked…” I shrugged, hoping they wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.

“Eww! You went in there?” they looked completely grossed out by the fact. “Don’t worry, I suggested air fresheners,” I grinned. “Man, I still can’t believe that he apologized…” Alice said, outraged. “I know…” “So how did it go? What did you say to him?” “I told him that I shouldn’t have called him names… I mean, I didn’t even know him, and I started yelling at him; though he deserved it. How did it go? Well, at least we didn’t come out fighting, no bruises if that’s what you’re wondering,” I smiled.

“Do you forgive him?” Rosalie asked softly. “Of course not, what he did was wrong. Edward had it coming. But I gave him a little credit, seeing he would put down his ego and apologize. After the game, Lauren was pouring herself on him, and guess what? He pushed her off! You should have seen her face! Did you guys see that? Anyway, at least he’s trying…” I asked as they shook their heads, but happy that Lauren got rejected anyway. I blushed for being the only one noticing.

“It’s so weird Bella, I don’t know… Edward never apologizes, especially for something this serious. And today at lunch? Do you remember? You have a big effect on him you know,” Alice smiled as she winked.

“You’re reading too much in to this,” I mumbled as Rosalie laughed. “Is she?” “Most definitely,” I assured them. I was just another girl in his class… “Well, I’m heading back to my room, it’s already midnight…” Rosalie yawned. “Night Rose,” Alice and I said. “Night guys, see you in the morning,” she closed the door. Alice and I changed into our pajamas and called it a night. I prayed that I wouldn’t have another dream about him. The next morning, I got up very early. I didn’t know why, but after talking to Edward, my heart felt… lighter. And for some reason, I was in a better mood. Why did he have that much effect on me? That was the question that I constantly asked myself. I headed to the building for first period, and coincidently, I met Edward at the door. We were both about to go in.

“You first,” we said together in unison and both took a step forward. We laughed since both of us were now stuck at the door.

“Okay… Ladies first,” he chuckled as he held his hand out for me like a gentleman. “Thank you,” I grinned. First period and second period were boring as usual. I skipped happily to third period, because I came prepared. Extra shirt in my backpack.

“Hello Angela,” I greeted her with a smile. She looked surprised. “Oh hi Bella,” she said shyly. Lauren came in, with her friends of course, and glared at me and Angela.

“Something in your eye, Lauren?” I teased. Angela looked frightened, she stiffened a little. “Shut up, bitch,” she snarled. I would let that go; calling names were so beneath me. When I came out, I saw a lot of people sitting on the bleachers and on the court shooting.

“Rose?” I gasped when I saw her waving at me on the top of the bleachers. Angela was talking to Lisa, a quiet girl from my Biology class, so I didn’t feel bad about leaving her.

“Hey!” she ran down the stairs and hugged me. “What are you doing here?” “Our whole class is here today. The roof of our gym was leaking, so we had to have our class here. I can’t believe you’re in this class!” she squealed.

“I didn’t know you have P.E. third period…” I said, happy. “I do, but with a different teacher. We usually take the Banner Gym,” she smiled. Two coaches, both blew their whistle, and asked us to quiet down.

“Our gym is under repairing, so I asked that you share the gym with my students. My students, I asked that you behave…” a bulky, middle-aged man instructed Rosalie’s class.

“You may have a free period today,” our coach smiled as we all cheered. The boys grabbed all of the basketballs as girls sat and chat. I didn’t want to play and leave Rosalie by herself, so I sat with her.

“When does Alice have P.E.?” I asked. “After lunch. She has it with Emmett and Jasper,” she replied, I could tell she wanted to be in that class. “Lucky them…” I sighed. “Yep… I’m going to get something to drink from the vending machine… Want something?” “No thanks… You go ahead,” I smiled. “Alright! Be right back,” she hopped out of the bleachers and walked to the vending machines. “Hey...” Someone tapped my shoulder… “Gah!” I screamed, turned around to find a smirking Edward. “Gee… I didn’t know you were that pleased to see me,” he joked. “You did exactly the opposite… You scared the hell out of me! Where did you come from? I didn’t see you… ” I scowled as he grinned.

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out… I’m a mystery,” he flashed a smile again. “It certainly is a mystery how you can be so annoying,” I murmured, I didn’t think he heard me.

“Fine. I’ll tell you. I was in the Principal’s office.” “Car problems again?” I teased. “Nope… just wanted to congratulate me and the team for the game last night, and asked me if I needed anything for practice…”

“Huh…” I said, pretending not to be interested. I didn’t realize how close he was sitting next to me; I tried not to overreact on the fact.

“So what do you want Edward?” I didn’t mean to be rude, but it made me suspicious. “Can’t I talk to my fellow classmate?” he asked innocently as I glared at him without a slight trace of humor. “Alright. You caught me… I did want something,” he admitted with a grin. I eyed him carefully with a frown… “A game.” He finished triumphantly. “Excuse me?” I choked. “A game. One on one. I heard how good you are from my friends, and I’m curious. Well?” He got up from the bench, and waited for me response. Now kids were starting to look in our direction, even the guys playing basketball stopped and watched us with careful eyes. Lauren gasped loudly, and I could see her hyperventilating when she saw Edward talking to me.

“No thanks,” I chuckled. The whole gym was silent. “Oh come on!” “Isn’t playing girls beneath you, Captain?” I teased and raised my eyebrow at him. He chuckled. “For you I will make an exception,” he said, smiling crookedly. I lost my breath, and I told myself to breathe. I looked away from his eyes, they were too dangerous. No way was I going to let him take over my mind again. What was this little smartalec planning?

“Come on Bella! Just a little one on one, no strings attached. I swear,” he put his hand on his heart and looked at me in the eye, sincere. I sighed; he was not going to let me go. He smelled an easy victory for I saw the corner of his lips curled up.

“If I find anything fishy about this, you’re a dead man Edward Cullen.” I tried to speak as menacing as I could. He smiled and extended his hand to help me up from the bleachers. His hands were warm, and the speed of my heart increased when our skin were in contact. I hoped he didn’t notice that. The guys on the court backed away when they saw Edward and I walking toward the hoops. When I turned around, everyone, and I mean everyone, was seated on the bleachers, eyes wide open. Some of them were smirking, some glaring. Lauren and her friends were cussing; I could see their mouths moving, muttering something. I gulped, center of the spotlight. Perfect. Thanks Edward.

“Don’t be nervous… Pretend it’s just you and me, and no one else,” Edward whispered. “Thanks, that helps,” I sneered. He grinned. “Hey Rick!” he called to a boy seating in the first row who had a basketball in his hands. Rick threw the ball to Edward, and he started dribbling it.

“ Jamie? Scorekeeper…” he instructed one of his friends. “Got it !” Jamie gave him a thumb up. “First one to reach twenty points… Ladies first,” he smiled crookedly and passed the ball to me. “If you insist,” It takes two to play in the game of politeness. “Come on new girl!” A few boys in my class whistled as I rolled me eyes.

“I hope she falls,” Lauren said it loud enough for me hear purposely. It took me all the self control not to stick my middle finger at her.

“Bella! Don’t lose to Edward!” I could recognize that voice anywhere. I looked up, and saw Rosalie winking at me, taking a sip of her Mountain Dew. I smiled. Take a deep breath….

“Ready anytime, Swan.” Edward grinned. With that, I went for the shot. I tried to dribble with the ball to past him, but he blocked me by throwing his arms wide open. I went under his arm, and he seemed surprised by that. I made it in, and I heard Rosalie and some boys cheering. Edward was smirking…

“Nice shot Swan,” he nodded. “Thanks Captain,” I said dryly. We checked the ball, and he passed it to me. Again. I wasn’t born yesterday; no way was I going to use the same strategy twice. I tried to get around him, but he took the ball from me and did a spectacular circus shot.

“Wow…” I gasped, not surprised that he did it, but surprised that he performed it in our game. I knew it was hard to do that shot, it took me years but I never got it right.

“Thanks, that was nothing,” he rolled his eyes and laughed. “Arrogant as usual, I can see,” I said as-matter-of-factly. He laughed again. The game continued, and I couldn’t hear anything that was coming form the crowd. I could only hear his chuckles, his words, and I could only see him. It was like as if we were wrapped inside our own plastic bubble, I know how corny that sounded, but it was true. During our game, I couldn’t see or hear anything that wasn’t Edward. Our arms would touch briefly sometimes, and the race of my heart picked up. Once, my head even touch his chest, and I was sure that my face probably turned red. Thankfully no one would notice, since I was already flushed from running so much. The score continued to change, it was nineteen-nineteen. We checked the ball, and I got it. Dribble… dribble… I tried to look for his weak spot, not sure if he had one. Oh who cares? Just go for the basket! And I did. I ran, at my top speed, and he tried to block me. Only he threw his arms halfway instead of all the way up. He could have had the ball if he reached for it, and I would have missed. I knew that. But he didn’t. Stupid. Arrogant. Egotistical. Jerk! He let me win! Rosalie was cheering at the top of her lungs, “Woo! Go Bella! Yeah! Hell yes!” The crowd were clapping their hands, excepting for the cheerleaders, who looked damn pissed. I didn’t realize how long we had been playing; that is until the coach blew the whistle.

“Alright! Get dressed!” he bellowed as everyone groaned. I ran for the changing room, leaving a very confused Edward along with the rest of the kids from our gym class. I went straight for the shower, so I wouldn’t stink.

“Bella? Are you alright?” I heard Rosalie asking from behind the curtains. “I will be as soon as I punch a certain guy whose name starts with a E and ends with a N,” I grinded my teeth as I put on my shirt. Rosalie laughed.

“What happened? You won!” “Not exactly…” I disagreed. “What do you mean?” “That little weasel let me win on purpose!” I snarled. “Are you serious? How dare he?!” She shrieked as I put on my pants. “I know! Do you mind Rose?” I opened the curtains, gym.

“Of course not… take your time,” she winked and skipped away. She knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to have a little talk with my dear friend Edward. I gathered my stuff from the chair, and headed out to the gym. I found him already changed, drinking water from his water bottle. His eyes were closed, so he didn’t see me. I glared at him with my arms crossed in front of my chest. As soon as he opened his eyes, he choked on water, coughing. Serves him right.

“Who do you think you are?” I clenched my fists, trying to calm down. He eyed me, “Someone that you’re pissed at?”

“If I wanted you to go easy on me, I would have asked you to do so,” I said fiercely. “What are you talking about?” he asked, pretending to be innocent. “Save it for someone who believes you. I saw you playing last night… You would have beaten me so easily if you wanted. You could have blocked many shots that I made, but you didn’t. Especially the last shot, it was within reach! So what? Am I not good enough for you to take me seriously?” I spat angrily at him as he frowned, but still a trace of smile on his lips.

“Okay… I admit. I wasn’t playing my best out there, but I have a reason. I was curious, from what my friends told me. I wanted to see “your game” Bella, if I blocked your shots, I wouldn’t be able to see it. They were wrong you know. You weren’t “good”, as they put it, you were incredible! You’re honestly a good player, Bella,” he said, smiling, looking into my eyes. If he thinks dazzling me was going to work, he was dead wrong.

“Buttering me up?” I asked dryly. He laughed, “Maybe…” Still grinning, “But I meant every word that I said. I’m sorry if I upset you. To tell you the truth, I was caught up with the way you move, you shoot… Sometimes I forgot that I was in the game playing you… Watching you was good enough,” he said softly without a sense of humor. He actually looked sincere, like he was telling the truth. But I wasn’t about to forgive him. I calmed down a little, but the urge the punch him was still there. We stared at each other for a few seconds, and he broke the silence.

“So you’re mad at me again?” he taunted with a huge grin. Back to Mr. Annoying. “You think?” I asked him, sarcastic. “Are you serious? For what? Me losing? ” he asked, trying hard to keep a straight face. I scoffed and turned my head away from him. That was a nice way to put it, Cullen.

“By the way, you didn’t even give me the change to congratulate you! It’s within the rules to shake hands with your opponent after a game,” he joked and took out his hands. I slapped it away, “Screw the rules then.” He muttered an okay and continued smirking. How I wish to wipe that smile off his face. He was having too much fun. I walked away from him. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up in the Principal’s office because of him.

“Oh, by the way, congratulations!” he yelled from behind. “Go to hell Edward!” I said without looking back at him. “Thanks!” he joked back. Idiot. Chapter Eleven Stupid Edward. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I was sure my head was steaming when I walked to ELA. Oh no. ELA! He’s in this class too! Damn it! Aren’t I lucky? Thankfully, I was the first one in the classroom. I took out my book, Sense and Sensibility, and started reading. A few kids started to enter the classroom, including Edward. The bell rang, and the teacher practically ran in the classroom.

“Today… is the day of the audition for our marvelous play, Romeo and Juliet by the greatest play-writer, William Shakespeare!” she threw her hands up in the air dramatically. I rolled my eyes; here we go again about Shakespeare.

“Now! We will be casting our lead roles first! So I want all the boys on the right side, the girls on the left! Come on now, move it people!” she clapped her hands as we all got up from our desks, moving slowly to the other side of the room. Jessica sneered at me, as I gave her a grin. So it was going to be one of those days. Mrs. Caughman handed us the scripts. A few boys looked shocked.

“Dude! How do you even read this thing?” a blonde jock that hangs out with Edward, Tony, I believe, murmured to himself. I took a glimpse of my play, I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve read this play for over three times. In fact, I almost know it by heart.

“Alright people! We will be casting Romeo and Juliet first! And yes, like I said before, all of you would have to audition for these parts! Now, we will start… Mr. Watson, we will begin with you, and then we will have Miss Smith reading the part for Juliet…” she smiled as the boy looked frightened.

“Act one, Scene five. Start with ‘if I profane’ and end on tender kiss.” she instructed as the boy flipped to that page nervously.

“If I… I profane with my un…unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My li…lips, two blushing pil…pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiiiiss.” The boy’s face reddened. “Thank you Mr. Watson…” the teacher smiled as she instructed the girl closest to her, Andrea Smith to read. We heard a loud shriek,

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much! Which mannerly devotion shows in this! For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch! And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss!!”

“Th… Thank you Andrea…” My ears were hurting badly. What did she think this was? Opera? We continued to read. The guys looked very nervous; they were staring at the clock, hoping for this nightmare to end. They girls were trying very hard, on Edward’s account. Right. Like he would even want to do this.

“Mr. Cullen?” the teacher was frowning now, but Edward didn’t look at all scared. He was leaning against the table, perfectly at ease. The girls squealed, and he chuckled.

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” He wasn’t reading from the script; he already had it memorized. He spoke so fluently in his perfect, velvet voice. The girls gasped, even I was impressed. In fact, he spoke like the actor himself, maybe better. It was easy to get caught up in the lines when he read; the guys looked surprised by the fact that their Captain could read Shakespeare. I sighed. Apparently, he wasn’t only good at basketball… but Shakespeare? He surprises me more and more each day. I’m not sure in a good way or bad way…

“Thank you Mr. Cullen,” Mrs. Caughman was startled. She smiled and took some notes under Edward’s name. “Isn’t he just perfect?” Jessica purred as the other girls joined smiled and looked away from the girls. “Wow man, that was like… deep,” Jamie’s eyes widened. “Jamie? That was on the script. I didn’t write it, you know,” Edward laughed as his other friend smacked Jamie on the head. “Ow!!”

“Okay… Miss Stanley?” Jessica’s face lit up, seeing that she was behind Edward for the audition. She winked at him, and mouthed a “hey”. Gross.“Ah-them! Attention please!” she coughed to get everyone’s attention since the guys were still talking about Edward’s performance. I rolled my eyes, talk about dramatic. She took a deep breath and started rambling with a fake, high pitch voice,

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy plamers' kiss.”

“It’s palmers’,” the teacher corrected her. Plamer? What the hell was that? “Yeah… like whatever,” she sneered as she gave Edward another winked and walked back to her spot, confident. Edward coughed to hide a laugh, I saw other people snickering at her performance. Jessica shook hair snottily and thought they were impressed.

“Miss Stanley, thank you…” Mrs. Caughman frowned as Jessica smiled widely. “I’m so like going to be Juliet!” she said optimistically to her friends as they gave her an unconvincing smile. “Sure Jess,” they chuckled nervously. “Over my dead body,” I heard the teacher murmur to herself, I had to laugh. Several guys and girls read, and I waited silently, staring off to blank space.

“… To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” “Thank you Mr. Houston. Next, Isabella,” the teacher smiled warmly. I looked back and found that there was no one behind me. I was the last one. I opened my scripted quickly to the page, hoping it would cover the fact that I wasn’t listening.

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.” I wasn’t really trying. I mean, I didn’t want to be Juliet at all; in fact, I didn’t want to be in the play. What surprised me was, everyone looked at me, shocked for some reason. Edward was smiling crookedly, his eyes gazing me.

“Well thank you, Miss Swan,” the teacher smiled again and looked down at her clipboard. “Fortunately, you guys are the last class auditioning for today. My afternoon classes are doing the Hamlet, also by the great Shakespeare, since the principal wanted to do two plays. So guess what? I can pick the casts right now since you’re my last class! Aren’t you guys lucky?” she said excitedly as we all groaned. “Now, if you would go back to your seats, I have an announcement to make!” I walked slowly to my seat. Dang it! We still have seven minutes of class!

“As you know, it was a very hard decision for me to make. There were many promising actors or actresses, but I had to pick the best of the best. So... drum rolls please!” Right. If it was really that difficult, why did it only take her a minute to pick the cast? A few guys knocked their desks to please the teacher.

“Our Romeo this year will be…Mr. Edward Cullen!” The girls were squealing with happiness as the guys congratulated him. Edward just let out a soft chuckle, and looked down to his lap.

“Way to go, man!” they pounded fists with him and the girls batted their eye lashes. “Please let me be Juliet! Please let me be Juliet!” they murmured with their hands twined in front of them under their breath. I knew they just wanted the part because he was in it. Obviously, if Romeo was played by a band geek, I know they would do their best to mess up on the play, not that they could do any worse.

“Our Juliet for this year, what a surprise… Also from this class,” the teacher mumbled as Jessica screamed a “Yes! It’s me! Yay!” Mrs. Caughman ignored her and continued, “Our Juliet will be Miss Isabella Swan!” Isabella Swan… Whoa! Stop for a minute! Did she say my name?

“What?!” Jessica and I shrieked in unison, her face fell as mine hardened with shock. “Miss Swan was the best girl for Juliet of all. She’s Juliet,” the teacher said slowly on Jessica’s account. I was hyperventilating now. No. No. No. No. No.

“What’s the matter, Miss Swan?” the teacher asked me, confused. “I can’t do the play… I… um…” I stuttered helplessly. “Nonsense! You and Edward will come after school today to work on some lines together…” “No way!” I yelled at her and saw Edward smirking triumphantly, his hands behind his head. “Excuse me?” the teacher looked furious. “I’m sorry. But I can’t do the play! You must have mixed me up with someone else! I’m not your Juliet! Besides, no way am I doing the play with him!” I pointed to Edward’s direction. "Miss Swan, that's the way it's going to be whether you like me or not." She glared at me with disapproval. "Can't I be the guy who kills Romeo by any chance? Surely the principal wouldn't mind us adding an extra character to the play," I pleaded and I heard Edward snickering. "What's so funny Cullen?" I turned to him sourly.

“What’s wrong Bella? Afraid that you might have stage fright?” he taunted jokingly. “Maybe if Romeo wasn’t such a jerk, I would consider it. But since Edward’s the one, I don’t think that’s impossible,” I said dryly.

“Or maybe if Juliet wasn’t so stubborn, and never thinking of other people’s purpose of doing things, we wouldn’t be discussing this right now,” he replied icily. Smartass, know-it-all!

“At least I didn’t lie and fake things just to have things my way!” I stood up from my seat and pounded the table without thinking. I was still angry from the gym incident.

“See? You always take things so personal! It was nothing! And I didn’t lie! Neither did I fake,” he gritted his teeth and stood up as well.

“It may be nothing to you, but to me, it was insulting!” “Enough! Sit down on your chairs! I will not tolerate this in my class! Noon detention! Both of you! For disrupting my class!”

“What?!” we exclaimed, outraged. Oh shit. In unison! “So does this mean we don’t have to be Romeo and Juliet?” Edward asked, hopeful. “Luckily for you, I will give both of you another chance. I want you two to find away to work with each other, without constantly bickering. If you screw this up, you can kiss your grade for this semester goodbye! Heavens…” she breathed. Edward and I looked at each other and turned away. “Ding!” the bell rang and the kids looked disappointed to see the drama end. Jessica pouted after giving me a nice, long, stare, and stormed out of the room with a huff. Edward and I tried to sneak out of the room when the teacher wasn’t looking; maybe she was joking, or trying to scare us with the whole detention thing…

“Edward? Bella? Over here,” Mrs. Caughman motioned us to her desk. “Damn it!” we both murmured under our breath, thankfully she didn’t hear us. “Here’s the slip for detention,” she handed it to each of us as we groaned. “I hope you will work this out, because apparently, you two have the same issue in Mr. Gonzalez’s class, am I right?” she raised her eyebrows as I looked down to my feet. We said nothing and waited for her dismissal. As soon as she did, I walked to the food court to pick up something to eat for detention, which starts in another 5 minutes. I saw “School Mart,” sort of

like a grocery store, and bought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bottle of lemonade, and headed for Warner Hall. A.k.a., the hall of consequences. I wasn’t a bit surprised to see him in there already eating a ham-and-cheese sandwich. He was the only one in the tiny room since the teacher hadn’t arrived yet. Unfortunately, there was only a chair next to him. It was either that, or the teacher’s seat, which I don’t think he or she would highly appreciate it if they found a student in their chair. So, I had no choice. I chewed down my food quietly and kept to myself. It’s been what? Ten minutes? And no signs of the teacher. I finished my lunch quickly, and stared at the blank space. It seems I had been doing that quite a lot today. Then I noticed him staring at me.

“What!” “Nothing…” After about three seconds of silence, I couldn’t hold it any longer.

“This is all your fault. You know, I’ve never, I repeat, never, been to detention, and you! You had to let me experience it before we get out of High School, huh?” I scolded.

“My fault? You’re the one that started the quarrel,” he sneered. “What? Did you expect me to forget everything that happened in gym? Noon detention maybe something you do regularly, but guess what? It’s not how I would like to spend my lunch time! My perfect record! Ruined because of you! ” I spat, pointed my finger at him at the last word. The words escaped my lips, and I just realized how ridiculous I sounded. We looked fixedly at each other for a long minute, and both of us burst in to laughter.

“Oh my god! You should… you should have seen your face when you said… ‘My perfect record’”, he quoted, laughing so hard he was pounding his desk with his fist.

“Shut up!” I said through my giggles, holding my stomach, and slapping his arm at the same time. I knew I overreacted with the whole “perfect record” thing, but I couldn’t help myself. My stomach was hurting so bad, and I was having trouble breathing! We laughed hysterically for a long time, and finally calmed down in the end.

“Okay... No more laughing, I’m supposed to be mad at you,” I reminded myself out loud and crossed my arms in front of my chest, pouting slightly.

“Are you really?” his eyes were teasing, and it looked difficult for him to keep a straight face. . “Yes, of course,” I said sternly. He looked at me with a cute smile. “I’m truly sorry for what I did. Is there any way that I can make it up to you?” he pleaded softly. “Nope. That’s what you get for being a total jerk,” I turned my head away and tried not to laugh at his cute expression. He seemed thoughtful for a minute, and then a smile was lit on his face.

“Not even if I show you and teach you the Circus Shot?” My heart thumped. The Circus Shot? Was he serious? I looked at him suspiciously, and he looked pleased to see that his words tempted me. My options? One, I could ignore the temptation and be angry at him for the rest of the school year, flunk ELA and possibly Biology since he’s my partner. Option Two? I could accept his offer, give him another chance, learn how to do the shot that I’ve dreamed of since I was eight… And get on the teacher’s good side, not that I care. He saw me thinking, so he went on pressing some more…

“I’ll teach you after school, or whenever you want. With your basketball skills and my awesome teaching techniques, you can master it in no time.” Of course, he had to compliment himself. He smiled and waited for my response. I thought for long moment, and he stared at me intently.

“Okay… fine. But,” I paused and saw his face lit up and fell slightly, “this doesn’t mean that I’ve completely forgiven you. I’m just doing the stupid play to get the grade, get this in your head: not because of you, understand?”

“Yes ma’am,” he saluted and smiled widely. The door opened, and a teacher, kind of pretty, in her mid-thirties walked in. “Sorry I was late! Agh… meetings!” she rolled her eyes. “I hope you had been behaving.” I couldn’t help but notice that her comment was directed at Edward.

“Yes we have,” Edward and I replied together, snickering.

She was about to say something else, but the bell interrupted.

“You’re free to go! Oh, and Edward? Please stay out of trouble,” she said, winking at me. I laughed as Edward rolled his eyes.

“Yes Miss,” he grinned. He walked out of the room with me behind him. He dumped his trash in the garbage can and waited for me to do the same.

“So…” he said when saw me finished, walking to him. “So…” I mimicked, my hands in the pockets of my jacket. “Where does this leave us?” he asked casually. I sighed and stopped walking. He did the same and waited patiently beside me. “I guess we should call a truce.”

“Right… Because of the dumb play and being Biology partners,” he added with a nod, grinning. “Exactly,” I grinned too, pleased to see that he took in my words. “So truce?" he held out his hand, his eyes gazing in mine with sincerity. "Truce," For now. I shook it and he flashed a brilliant smile. Chapter Twelve People watched us curiously when we walked together to Biology. It wasn’t like we planned it or anything, but we both had it next so it didn’t exactly leave us a choice. Three periods (including lunch) with Edward Cullen… It was like a dream coming true. Not. If they only knew… Lots of girls were surrounding Edward’s seat when we walked in. He looked apologetically at me, giving a “What? I-didn’tinvite-them” look. I rolled my eyes and sat down on my seat, taking out my novel to read.

“Hi Edward!” they giggled when he walked to his seat. “Hey girls,” he greeted them back, not paying that much attention. Suddenly, the girls went back to their seats nervously. I was confused at first, but then I saw what cleared their way. Lauren Mallory. She glared at them, giving them “how-dare-you-talk-to-my-Edward” look and of course, not without giving me a growl and a snarl. She turned sweetly back to Edward,

“Hey gorgeous,” she leaned in, smiling disgustingly. “Lauren,” he said coolly, and did I imagine the grimace? “So… what did you do last night?” she asked, giving a supposedly seductive smile. “I was at the game, remember? You were there,” he reminded her. I tried to hide my laugh. She doesn’t even remember things that happened last night!

“Oh my gosh. You are like, so right,” she hit her forehead jokingly. Okay… What’s with her and likes? “What are you doing tonight?” she asked, batting her lashes again. Edward leaned back, “Umm…” he stuttered nervously, “Homework. Yeah, homework.” He said, satisfied at his last minute reply. “Oh come on,” she rolled her eyes and giggled. “Good one Edward. We both know that you don’t do homework,” she made it sound like a nasty word.

“Alright. You caught me…I have to umm… attend a student council meeting,” he said, chucking nervously. “Oh,” her face fell, disappointed. “Maybe another time…” she mumbled. Edward didn’t say anything but gave another nervous chuckle. Mr. Gonzalez walked in, giving Lauren a disapproving look.

“Miss Mallory, I’m sure you heard the bell. Please take your seat,” he instructed as Lauren muttered a “screw you old man”.

“Bye Edward,” she waved at him and I stuck out my foot purposely when she passed by. She stumbled with a gasp, “Mr. Whatever-your-name-is! This bitch over here was trying to make me trip on purpose!” she yelled, pointing that ugly sausage of hers that she calls "finger" at me.

“What are you talking about? You’re the one that stepped on me! Now thanks to your Jimmy Choos, my foot will be swollen for the rest of the week!” I lied, yelling back at her.

“What are you calling me? Fat?” she shrieked as Edward slid down to his chair and tried to keep himself from laughing. “I never said you were,” I sang with a smile. She scowled and went on ranting, “She totally was trying to kill me! Yesterday, or was it the day before,” she stopped to think… I was going to tell her not to do too much thinking to bust that tiny brain of hers, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. “I tried to trip her, and now she’s getting me back!! Give her detention or suspend her!” The teacher looked at her with a mused expression…

“Oops!” she covered up her mouth, instantly regretting what she said. “I mean… I mean…” she stuttered. She gave up with a loud scowl and went back to her seat. What a goof. Edward mouthed me a “good job” and I imagined that I had a huge, triumphant grin on my face. I knew I was going to get her back one way or another.

“Okay… Now that we’re done with our little skit,” he glared at Lauren, “It’s time for class.” I admit that I never really liked Mr. Gonzalez, but after the little incident that we had, I began to think he was actually a really cool teacher. Back in New York, the teachers were SOO strict and old-fashioned… If this happened back home, Lauren and I would surely both end up in detention, no matter who started it. That’s why I like staying on teacher’s good sides instead of calling them “Mr. Whatever-your-name-is".

“Now, open your book to page a hundred and twenty,” he instructed now that we were back to business. “Mr. Gonzalez?” I looked up and saw Edward had his hand raised in the air. “Yes?” “I left my book in my room…” he said innocently and ran his hair through his hair. “He can share with me Mr. Cullen,” Lauren volunteered shamelessly. “Thank you for the offer Miss Mallory… But I don’t think I will assign Mr. Cullen to the other side of the room. Well, if Isabella doesn’t mind sharing, why don’t you read with her?” he suggested. Okay. My positive thoughts about him crumbled the second that the words escaped his mouth.

“Umm…” I was about to say no when Edward raised his eyebrow at me, probably reminding us about our truce. “Sure, I don’t mind,” I sighed and rolled my eyes as I scooted my chair to the right. “Thanks,” Edward said optimistically and scooted his chair next to mine. Lauren growled. Mr. Gonzalez guided us through the passage about evolution as I took notes, to keep my mind busy. However, it wasn’t helpful. I could feel his breath on my skin, and I felt chills up and down my spine when he breathed. I told myself to ignore the fact that he’s only a few inches away from me, but it didn’t do me any justice.

“Would you please not do that?” I hissed quietly at him when I noticed him reading over my shoulder. “Sorry, nice handwriting by the way…” he commented with a huge smug. I gave him a look, and he shook his head innocently.

“No I mean it. It looks pretty tight.” “Thank you,” I said dryly as I turned my attention back to the teacher. Edward continued staring at me during class. Every now and then, he would look down to the book; pretended that he was listening when the teacher looked in our direction. He helped me gather myself when the bell rang. He followed me out the door,

“Thanks for sharing the book,” he said humorously, smirking. “Your welcome,” I bit my lipbefore saying anything that I would regret. “Last class you have with me today. I bet you feel relieved…” he smiled. “You have no idea. Gym, English, detention, and Biology… Relieved is an understatement,” I grinned, he looked pleased to see that I wasn’t a hundred percent serious.

“Well, enjoy the rest of the day without me,” he waved and wiggled his fingers; I had to laugh at that. With a breath-taking crooked smile, he disappeared in to the crowd of the hallway. As I made my way to my French class, I passed by the restroom and suddenly, a hand pulled me in.

“What the….” I was about to say “hell”, but I fell on the floor and it broke off my sentence. In front of me, I saw a pair of skinny legs with Jimmy Choos on. I knew immediately who it was. Lauren.

“Fancy seeing you here Bella,” she gave we a sick smile. I straightened myself and got up from the floor with the help of the sink. I glared at her… How dare she?!

“I would say the same thing about you. So what do you want?” Her face wrinkled, “You’re a bitch you know that? How dare you play Juliet for the play when Edward’s Romeo? You must know perfectly that I wanted the damn role!” she clenched her fists.

“News travel fast, huh? First of all, I didn’t exactly want to do the play. I mean, who in their right mind would want to do a play with Cullen? Oh yeah, because of the stupid play, I ended up in detention!!” I spat angrily as she snorted.

“I don’t care. Drop out now,” she said, her eyes deadly. Two can play at the game. I was known for deadly glares back in New York. No one dared to mess with me then.

“I’m not going to drop out. I need the grade, and besides, I don’t want to do something just because you want me to,” I said, giving her the same arrogant smirk that she gives me and other kids.

“You… you… you!!” she stuttered, sweating. I tried not to laugh at her poor attempt at name calling. “Speechless? Why, I’m stunned!” I faked a shocking expression, and placed my hand over my mouth to act surprised. “I’m going to say it again, Swan. Drop out of the play, or I’ll make you very sorry…’ she grunted through her teeth, trembling with anger. ‘

“Bring it on, Mallory. I could honestly care less what you do to me,” I crossed my arms in front of me. That made her even angrier.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. And don’t be surprised tomorrow when you get called to the teacher and are told that you are off the play. My mom’s on the committee, and all the teachers listen to her. Or, she’ll get them fired.” She held her face highly with pride. So that’s why she’s so arrogant. Her mom’s on the committee… like that matters.

“Thanks for the warning,” I said sarcastically. Little does she know, if she actually gets me off the play, she’d be doing me a big favor.

“Oh by the way, before yelling at me, you might want to talk to your friend Jessica because she was all over Edward in English. She thought she would get the role! How careless of her not to think of you!” I smiled when I saw her eyes widen with shock and she growled. Apparently Jessica didn’t fill her in on that part.

“Shut up! Liar! Bitch! ” she screamed. “Suit yourself. I wasn’t the only one there; in fact, you can ask your precious Edward. I have to go. It was nice meeting you in the restroom. We have to do it again soon. Bye, umm… what was the word that you used? Bitch! That’s right! Bye bitch!” I winked at her and slammed the door behind me. I couldn’t stop laughing on the way to my next class. I heard a loud shriek coming from the restroom. People looked curious at the restroom, probably wondering who made the familiar scream. It does take a long time for her to get what just happened. Moron. When I got back to my dorms, I saw Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett on the couch, making out.

“Geez guys! Can’t you get a room or something?” I frowned and they picked their heads out of their embrace. “Technically, we are in a room,” Emmett pointed out as Rosalie hopped up from his lap. “Where were you Bella? We haven’t seen you all day!” Alice sounded worried as she walked up to me to give me a hug. “Believe it or not, I had lunch detention,” I grimaced in horror at the word. They gasped, “No!”

“Hey, is it true that you played one on one with my little brother?” Emmett asked, excited. I gave Rosalie a look… “I didn’t tell him. It was all over the school,” she said innocently. I groaned, just what I needed. Alice looked annoyed, “Okay Bella, start from the beginning and tell us everything.”

“Well, today in gym… Edward’s class joined ours since something happened to theirs. He came up to me, and said he wanted to play one on one with me. He wouldn’t leave me alone, so I gave in. In the end, he let me win!”

“No!” There were horror and anger shown on Alice’s face. “I know! I was so angry! Later in forth period, we did our audition-thank god you have English in the afternoon Alice- and out of all people, the teacher picked Edward and me for Romeo and Juliet! I freaked out, and he teased me. Anger took over me for what happened in gym, I lost my temper, and I yelled at him. Anyway, we started arguing and the teacher got mad… the next thing I know, we both ended up in detention.”

“Wait! You and Edward are playing Romeo and Juliet?” Alice’s eyes were glimmering. “What’s there to be excited about?” I scowled her. She squealed and clapped her hands. Rosalie looked happy too, I saw a wide smile spread on her face.

“Well, we don’t usually go to the plays, but we’re making an exception this year, since you and Edward are in it,” she winked as I groaned. Jasper was laughing, “I heard about that Bella! It was all over the campus! Some seniors were talking about it… girls,” he rolled his eyes as Alice hit him.

“And you didn’t tell me?” she said, disapproving. Emmett was making “oooh” sounds in the background. “Sweetie, I wasn’t sure. Besides, wouldn’t it sound better coming out from Bella?” he asked, smiling innocently. “I knew you being in detention had something to do with Edward,” Emmett snickered as I smacked his head and glared at him. The others laughed.

“So how did that turn out?” Rosalie asked. “Long story short? We yelled at each other some more… And then we started laughing. We made a truce in the end,” I said quickly, hoping they wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. I was wrong to hope that, because it would never happen. They laughed, all of them.

“Here I am thinking that you made up with him yesterday. Ha ha! You get mad at him again today, and then you made up… oh my god! This is so confusing!” Jasper was hanging on to the couch for support since he was laughing so hard. His words were hard to understand.

“Ohh! That means you have to kiss him on stage! That’ll be a joy to watch!” Emmett smiled widely as I smack him once more.

“Shut up! If you’re looking forward to it, why don’t you kiss him?” I snapped back at him, pouting. Emmett hugged me, “Come on! You know I’m only kidding! Besides, why would I want to kiss him when I have Rosalie?” he planted a kiss on Rosalie's lips.

“I swear Bella, you and Edward are like magnets! First Biology partners, and now this? It’s fate girl,” Alice giggled as I rolled my eyes.

“No Alice, it’s called rotten luck,” I corrected her. I crossed my arms and leaned back to the couch, waiting for them to stop laughing. Eventually, it did come to a stop.

“Sorry… Promise no more outbursts for the rest of the night,” Emmett grinned. “So… you guys want to hear about Lauren or not?” I asked casually, hoping that would take their minds off the Edward topic.

“OOH! Yes!! I hope it’s good,” Rosalie’s eyes were glimmering with excitement as she bounced up. “Oh… it is,” I said with a dark chuckle. And the story began... Chapter Thirteen I hate the sound of the alarm clock, especially when it wakes me up in the middle of a good dream. Damn! Lauren was just about to get expelled! But she certainly keeps things interesting when she’s around.

“Hey Bella! I bought some donuts and coffee while you were sleeping,” Alice said, resting her elbows on my bed. “Oh my gosh! Thank you Alice! You’re the best roommate in the history of roommates!” I squealed. “I know,” she rolled her eyes and winked. “Wake up sunshine!” Rosalie slapped me playfully when she entered the room. “Okay, I’m up. I need coffee!” I giggled and hopped to the restroom. We ate breakfast on our little dining table. They waited for me to get changed and stuff, then we left the dorms. Turned out, they had the audition for the rest of the casts after school yesterday. The casts for Romeo and Juliet were posted at the entrance of the hallway. When I walked by, there was a crowd surrounding it. I decided to take a look at it when they left, just in case the teacher changed her mind about the whole me being Juliet thing.

“Hey Bella,” a soft voice came from behind. I turned around to see Edward behind me, also reading the list.

“Hi,” I smiled. We turned our attention to the paper, Romeo and Juliet Cast 2008 Romeo Montague… Edward Cullen Juliet Capulet… Isabella Swan Friar Lawrence… Jamie Petersen Mercutio… Adam Rathbones The Nurse… Angela Weber Tybalt… Tyler Crowley Capulet… Eric Yorkie Lady Capulet… Jessica Stanley Montague… Henry Gerald Lady Montague… Lauren Mallory Paris… Mike Newton Benvolio… Ben Cheney Prince Escalus… Brian Ways Friar John… Jackson Myers Balthasar… George Hyde Sampson and Gregory… Mitchell Garcia and Daniel Houston

Abram… John Lincoln The Apothecary… Hayden Norman Peter… Sean Frost That was a hell of a list. I sighed; I guess the teacher didn’t change her mind. So Jessica ended up as my mother in the play? I bet she was mad. And Lauren was Edward’s… what a surprise it must be for her. I would have to tease her about it later. I was glad that Angela was the nurse. She seemed caring and kind enough; imagine Lauren or her friends getting the role… I shuddered at the thought. Those were the only people that I know of, oh yeah, and Jamie, the scorekeeper from my game with Edward yesterday. The rest of the names were unfamiliar to me. But, I was sure Alice would fill me up when I get back to the dorms.

“Oh my god,” his eyes were wide when he pointed to Lauren’s name. I laughed, “Good luck with your mother,” I teased as he rolled his eyes. “Thanks… Agh! Mike Newton? Damn it! I hate that guy!” he nearly growled when he read the rest of the list. “Who’s that?” I asked, curious. He scoffed, “Oh… he’s the guy with a big ‘loser’ written on his face.”

“Thanks for the intro…” I murmured. “Oh well! At least I get to beat him in the play,” he flashed a smile cheerfully. Talk about childish. “Lucky you…” I rolled my eyes. “No lucky you for not having any classes with him,” he mumbled. More people more starting to arrive, “We better get going or we’re going to get another day of detention,” I said, rolling my eyes at the d-word. He chuckled, “Actually, detention wasn’t so bad when you accompanied me,” he leaned in and brushed a string of my hair out of my face. My breath was becoming uneven, and my heart accelerated uncontrollably. He must have noticed, I heard him gave another soft chuckle.

“I guess I’ll see you later Bella,” he smiled crookedly and started walking to first period. What was wrong with me? One little touch and it gave me the butterflies? I swear, Edward Cullen is the most dangerous creature alive. But I’m not falling for him. He’s Edward Cullen. No way. The rest of the day went by fast. I met my friends for lunch, and we talked about the play.

“You should have seen Lauren’s face when she saw that she was playing Edward’s mother!” Jasper and Emmett high-fived each other. They were right next to her when she read the list and screamed.

“Oh my god! If she flirts with him onstage, it would be so wrong!” Rosalie exclaimed, bringing us another round of laughter. The announcements came on, interrupting us,

“Attention to all students participating the play Romeo and Juliet for this year! After school tomorrow, there will be a rehearsal in the auditorium! All casts are expected to be there! It will start immediately after school, so no lingering around the campus! Mrs. Caughman would like all the casts participating the first scene to memorize all of their lines from the first five acts tonight! ”

“Man! He gets to miss practice, again? And for a reason this time?” Emmett snapped his finger miserably. “I wouldn’t envy him. I mean, he does have to deal with his fan girls…” I giggled, cheering him up. “Yeah… true,” Emmett and Jasper sighed. The seniors had a big test tomorrow to prepare for, so they had to cram hard that night. I checked my e-mails on my laptop as Alice read fashion magazines. There was one from my mom, Hey Sweetie,

How are things going? Do you like the campus? The teachers? The kids? Did anyone pick on you? I swear to god… Phil’s parents came to visit, and I just got a chance to meet my little nephew, Frankie, who is only two! He’s adorable! I hope to hear from you soon! Call if you ever need anything! p.s. Are you going out with anyone? Lots of love like always, Mom. I rolled my eyes. Just like my mom to get worried and stuff. Mom is pretty open to my relationship with others. She doesn’t throw a fit about boys, so I always talked to her about that kind of stuff when I lived with her. She was more than a mom, she was my best friend. Mom, breathe! I’m fine, perfect in fact. I’ve made really good friends. My roommate, Alice, is a really sweet girl. So is her friend, Rosalie, who lives right next store. We hang out everyday, and of course, with their boyfriends, Jasper and Emmett, who are just as nice. We have a play coming up, Romeo and Juliet. And I’m in it, unfortunately. The school is great, the kids are nice too. And no. I DON’T HAVE A BOYFRIEND!! Love, Bella After replying my mom, I had to memorize my lines for the play. Thankfully I had already read the play like twenty times, so it wouldn’t be that hard. Alice and I ordered Chinese food for dinner, and I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Alice had to do her essay for her History class, so she was busy too. That was good; I wasn’t going to be much of a company since I needed to study. I saw Edward in Language the next morning. We greeted each other with a hello, probably to remind ourselves to behave today. Lunch was hilarious; Emmett and Jasper had a mini food fight! However, it didn’t last long since Emmett accidentally threw a piece of bread on Rosalie’s shirt, which he meant to throw on Jasper. Rose was pissed; Emmett was ranting with apologies; thinking of ways to make it up to her. He wasn’t there for Biology. To my dismay, I lost my concentration, wondering what he was doing. Did he skip? Or did he get in trouble? I shook my head, why would it matter to me? It wouldn’t matter that he wasn’t there. I shouldn’t care. I kept telling myself that, it would have been helpful if I listened. After school, I headed for the auditorium just as the teacher told me. I was trying to be a good girl, or was I just trying to make up an excuse to see if he was there? The first one. Definitely. Surprisingly, he was there. He waved at me, and without thinking, I walked up to him and blurted out, “Where were you?” I regretted it, I must have sounded desperate.

“Anxious are we?” he chuckled. “In your dreams…” I rolled my eyes, “So let me guess, principal’s office?” I raised my eyebrow. He sighed in defeat, “Yeah… But,” he paused and put his hands up in the air, looking totally innocent, “It was not my fault. Some girls got pissed because they weren’t Juliet, and painted ‘I Hate Mrs. Caughman’ on the walls… The old man blamed it on me!” Gee, I wondered why… I giggled. At that point, there were crowds of girls entering the auditorium. I had a pretty strong feeling that they were here to see Edward.

“Shouldn’t you wave at your fan club?” I teased him as he grimaced. “Funny Bella…” “Ah! What is all this? You girls are not part of the play,” Mrs. Caughman gasped when she came out from the backstage. “Oh come on, teach! We want to watch! Oh! Hi Edward!” a dark hair girl waved at him, smiling hugely. He smiled back helplessly, as his fan girls gave a loud squeal.

“No! That’s it! Out! Out! Out!” she hollered at them to get out, they grunted with displeasure and finally got out of there seats. I heard a bunch of “bye Edwards” and it was suddenly quiet. For a second. Then Lauren and Jessica entered through the doors dramatically, shaking their butts as if they were doing the hula-hoops. I couldn’t believe that this was their way of trying to be “sexy”.

“Miss Mallory, Miss Stanley! If you will not be on time, I will not allow you to continue doing this play,” she scolded them as they rolled their eyes.

“Oh relax; we’ll come earlier next time… geez,” Lauren muttered as Jessica snorted. They winked at Edward and gave him a questionably alluring smile, which made a look of fear appear on his face. It was priceless. This rehearsal was so worth it. Lauren tried to step on my foot when she passed by. Unsuccessfully, I took in my foot, causing her to step on the carpet instead. She gasped loudly when she saw that she stepped on the floor instead of my toes. I snickered… And that made her fuming; I could almost see steams coming from her head. Before she could make a worthless comeback, the teacher interrupted,

“Today! We are starting with the first scene! All casts for scene one please step forward! On that day, I expect you to remember all of your lines, so However, just in case you forget that day, there will be dialogs written on cardboards provided for you! Of course, you still have to memorize the majority of them; I can’t have you staring at the cardboard in a fight scene in front of the whole school! Now put the scripts away! You were supposed to memorize them last night!” After her speech, some of the students groaned rudely. Edward snorted, “Here they are complaining when they have a lower amount of lines than us.”

“I know what you mean,” I murmured, not quite sure if he heard me. “Oh stop grumbling like a bunch of babies! We have work to do, so come on! Mitchell, Daniel! You’re up first! Move it guys! Let’s go!” she said optimistically. I moved back, since I was not in the scene, and waited for my part. It started with Mitchell and Daniel as Samson and Gregory. The part with Jessica was hilarious; she was struggling so hard with the words! I didn’t even know why Mrs. Caughman picked her of all people to be Lady Capulet! Maybe she decided to turn this play into a comedy… Edward entered near the end of the scene; appreciative cheers were coming from all the girls. They finished slowly, thanks to Jessica’s disabilities at pronouncing words. The second scene was a little better, and I finally saw the “Mike Newton” that Edward detested. Mike had blonde hair gelled in spikes and a baby-face. He wasn’t exactly what I expected see. Edward let out a snort when he stepped on the stage. Again, IMMATURE! During the scene with Edward and Ben, the teacher told me to get ready for mine, which is the next. I saw Angela for the first time ever since rehearsal started, and waved at her. She waved back enthusiastically, smiling. Janice, a girl in charge of the changing of the scenes motioned us to go up to the stage. Including Lady Capulet, a.k.a. the Miss “I-can’t-read-this-word!” This was going to take some time. Jessica glared at Angela, I told her to ignore Jessica and just keep her mind on the lines. Angela smiled back appreciatively, I heard her take a deep breath and walk to where she was supposed to be.

“Madame, I am here. What is your will?” I read, trying to avoid eye contacts with Jessica or I might blurt out something that didn’t concern the play at all.

“This is the matter: Nurse, give leave awhile, we must talk in secret: nurse, come back again; I have remember'd me, thou's hear our counsel. Thou know'st my daughter's of a pretty age.” Jessica frowned, reading off the cardboard that Janice was holding up front. We’ve already been there rehearsing for an hour and a half, thankfully, there was only one last act left for today. I gulped, the part where Romeo meets Juliet. Great. My heart was thumping, knowing that the scene with me and Edward was about to come. Tybolt or Tyler Crowley exited the stage, which meant I was up.

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” The lines that we read for the audition. He looked into my eyes and I was sure I was blushing. He’s only doing his part of the play, now you need to do yours instead of staring at him blushing like a complete fool! I reminded myself to breath, or passing out on the stage wouldn’t have looked too good.

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,

And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.” I read, already knowing the lines like him. My heart was beating faster by the second; it must have been loud too… How embarrassing!

“Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?” His voice was so soft, sweet… like honey; I thought I was going to melt in them. He gave me an encouraging smile, prompting me to continue.

“Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.” When we finished all the dialogs between Romeo and Juliet for this act, everyone was cheering, the evil twins? Well, Lauren and Jessica got up from their butts to tell Mrs. Caughman what an awful job I did,

“Miss! Did you she the way she read? It was so boring and dull! Someone like her would surely bring down our performance! Luckily for you, I will be willing to accept her position!” Lauren said, following Mrs. Caughman around.

“Yeah Miss! She was totally messing up! I mean, the way she read was disgusting! She was totally faking it,” Jessica spat disgustingly. I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing, quoting her words, “totally faking it…” I wanted to go up to her and say, “Duh? That’s called acting you idiot!”

“Miss Stanley! For someone who can’t even pronounce palmers, you are awfully opinionated,” the teacher snapped back at her, impatient. She gasped,

“My mother will hear about this! Only you aren’t bright enough to see that I was meant for the role!” Jessica threatened fiercely as Lauren pushed her and stabbed her with her nails. So Jessica’s mother’s also on the committee. What a coincidence.

“Excuse me? You were meant for the role? Dream on! You are just about as bad as Swan over there! I was meant for the role you bitch!” Lauren screamed at her and snapped her fingers when she said excuse me. Jessica apologized with a mumble and Lauren took the lead again.

“My mother and my lawyer will hear about this!” she fumed and turned to the doors. “Of course, Miss Mallory! Do whatever you like!” Mrs. C hollered back at her, not bothered by her threat. “Mr. Cullen? Miss Swan? I’m sure you are aware that there’s a kiss scene in this act,” she smirked as Edward and I gulped. Jamie, Adam, and George were making “ooh” and kissy sounds.

“Shut up!” Edward and I turned to them, glaring, both of us turning red. “Seriously, we have to do it?” I asked, outraged when I turned back to the teacher. “Of course. Without the kiss, it wouldn’t be Romeo and Juliet,” she said proudly. “No. Way.” Edward and I pretended to gag for her annoyance; she muttered something about us being childish and told us to grow up.

“I will talk to you two when I’ve come up with a conclusion… And you will need to practice with each other privately this weekend since you are leading the play!” she said, giving us a "don’t-you-dare-mess-up" look.

“Alright… All of you did a very good job today! Except for umm… never mind,” she shook her head as we snickered, obviously talking about Lauren and Jessica, “Next Monday! Same time, same place! We will begin with Scene Two! Memorize the lines! Take your things, and you may leave!” Thank god it was Friday night! First week of school. Over!

“Finally!” Jamie put his hands up in the air dramatically. Some other guys were muttering some about wasting their times coming here today when they didn’t even do anything. I walked to the corner to get my stuff. “Hi Isabella,” I was putting on my backpack when I heard a voice from behind. I turned around and saw Mike Newton, smiling warmly at me.

“It’s Bella,” I corrected him. “I’m Mike,” we shook hands, he was still smiling. “You did a good job today.”

“Thanks,” I smiled back. “You did too…” “Listen. Do you want to go out tonight?” he asked, out of the blue. I was shocked, I’ve only known this guy for about two seconds and he was already asking me out? He seemed like a nice guy, but not the kind that I would consider going out with.

“Hey Bella,” a velvet voice came from behind. Never before was I ever so pleased to hear Edward’s voice, now known as my lifesaver.

“Cullen,” Mike sneered as Edward sneered back at him. “Newton.” They both waited for me to say something, so I did. “Umm… No thanks. I’m made plans with some friends,” I rejected as politely as I could, hoping maybe he would take a hint. I couldn’t help but notice his glance turned to Edward.

“Oh… Next time then,” he frowned and looked very disappointed, as if he was betting on me saying yes. I didn’t say anything, knowing that never in a million years would I ever say yes to someone like him. He walked to his friends, glaring at Edward from afar.

“Screw him,” Edward murmured to himself, a dark look appeared in his eyes when he glanced in Mike’s direction. “Thanks for the saving back there,” I said appreciatively with a sincere smile. “No problem… If he bothers you again, let me know. I’d be glad to help,” He must really hate Mike. “Thanks… I guess…” I muttered. We stared at each other awkwardly; neither of us knew what to say. “Hey… Do you mind if I walk you back to your room? I need to borrow something from Alice,” he smiled breathtakingly, smoldering me with his eyes. He still looked bothered by something, but I didn’t want to press.

“Umm…. Umm… Su...sure,” my voice was shaky. I couldn’t imagine how stupid I must have sounded. I cleared my throat, and I swear I saw him smirking. So I was going to walk back home with Edward Cullen, as if the girls didn’t have enough reasons to hate me already. He’s just borrowing something from Alice, no special intention there… Was I… disappointed? No. I couldn’t be. Chapter Fourteen He held the door for me when we left the auditorium. I had to admit, he was quite the gentleman when he wasn’t all arrogant and annoying. The sky was a color between purple and orange, and the sun was setting. It was absolutely beautiful.

“Hey, what do you say we play twenty questions?” he suggested with a smirk. “It’s not really that far back to my room. I doubt that we’ll reach twenty,” I grinned. “Then I’ll take as many as I can get. You in?” he asked as I gulped. He must have noticed my nervous expression, he quickly added, “Nothing too personal of course.”

“One condition, we take turns asking the questions. You didn’t think I was only doing the answering, did you?” I quirked up my eyebrow and he laughed.

“Fine. Deal.” “Okay. Ask away!” I said, sarcastic. “Hmm…” He had his finger under his chin, thinking with a taunting smile. “Ah! What’s your middle name?” I was relieved; this one was easy enough, “Marie.”

“Marie,” he muttered, distracted. “Yours?” “Anthony,” his face wrinkled as I tried not to laugh; not at the name, but at his expression. “It’s not that bad, it suits you,” I said, trying to make him feel better. “It does?” his face wrinkled once again, outraged.

“Well, no. I just said that to make you feel better,” I grinned. “Gee thanks,” he rolled his eyes and fired the next question. “Next question,” the corner of his mouth twitched up as his eyes narrowed, which worried me. “Have you ever had a crush on anyone?” I groaned, “I thought nothing too personal!” I hated questions like this. And he knew that! I wasn’t going to say anything, but he looked so disappointed… I sighed,

“I had a crush on this guy named Hayden in eight grade. I’ve never talked to him, and I doubt that he even knew that I existed. Anyway, he moved away two weeks after school started, end of story. I know that sounded pretty pathetic,” I murmured as he shook his head,

“No! It wasn’t… really,” he assured me. “So… was this guy Hayden good looking or what?” he said humorously as I gave him a glare. He was taunting me, just a bit.

“I don’t really remember what he looks like,” I said icily, frustrated at him for asking. He laughed, and knew I would say no more on the topic.

“Okay. Got one! Remember on Monday, you got a phone call from that Chelsea girl? Did you really go out with her that night, or did you meet up someone else?” I had been thinking of that question all night. Besides, he asked me something personal, it’s only fair that I get something back in return.

“Yeah… I did go out with her. We only had dinner though, I told her I wasn’t feeling well enough for the movie,” his face was suddenly grim. “I was still upset about what you said, so I went back to my room and just… thought about everything…” I was surprised that he was being that truthful with me. His glance was suddenly on his feet, I felt a little bad that I brought it up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… I was just curious,” I said apologetically as he gave me a smile, “I know. Don’t worry about it, I owe you that much. I guess Alice and Rosalie gave you the whole ‘stay away from Edward the asshole’ speech on your first day, huh?” he looked up at the sky.

“No… They told me you were a really nice guy. Just your ways with girls they can’t stand,” I trailed off as he looked back at me.

“Really?” his lips pressed into a tight line. “Yeah,” I smiled assuring at him and he looked relieved. “So what do you think?” he whispered, a faint smile touched his lips. I decided to torture him a little, “Hmm…” I mimicked him, my finger under my chin, “Well, your way with girls really pisses me off,” I paused and I heard him chuckle lightly, “but I guess other than that you’re okay… that is when you’re not all annoying and arrogant,” I quickly added.

“Really? Why thank you very much for the compliment,” he smirked. “Would you like a round of applause?” I rolled my eyes. We passed by the basketball court, and saw some kids playing. Freshmen, maybe. Then I remembered his promise yesterday,

“You still owe me teaching lessons if you want to keep this truce going,” I reminded him, smirking. “That’s right! I forgot about that. Would 8:00 tomorrow morning work for you? That way there won’t be anyone on the court but the two of us,” he suggested.

“Sounds good to me.” We were at the entrance of the dorms. He held the door for me once again, and we headed for the elevator. Some girls stared rudely with a “what’s-she-doing-with-him” written on their face. However, Edward didn’t seem to notice or mind the staring. He made up small talks, and it did get my mind of the glares. Alice was already back, I saw a faint light and loud hip-hop music coming from our room.

“Hi Alice,” I greeted her as I watched Edward hesitate at the door. She picked up her nose from the latest issue of “Glamorous”, turned off the music, and smiled.

“Oh hi Bella!” she froze when she saw him. “Edward?” Alice choked, startled. “What’s up? Why are you here?” “Nice to see you too, sis,” he said with a smug. “Weren’t you going to borrow something?” I reminded him. His face suddenly tensed, “Right… I umm…” he stuttered as Alice and I watched him suspiciously. “I need to borrow an umm… Oh! Geography homework! What page was it?” his face brightened.

“Page Two hundred Eighty Five,” Alice raised her eyebrow, “I thought you already finished it in class…” “Did I?” he chuckled nervously, “My mistake then. Thanks. I’ll see you guys later,” he smiled and ran for the elevator. Okay. Weeeird. As soon as the door was closed, Alice literally pulled me to sit on the couch.

“Okay… That was so funny,” she laughed. I stared at her, finding no humor about this. “What?” I asked, puzzled. “He didn’t even come up with a good lie! And I thought that was his specialty,” she said, still laughing, shaking her head. “Lie about what?” “Bella! Are you blind? It was so obvious that he wanted to walk you home,” she stated, as if I was missing the obvious. I blushed,

“No way. He said he was going to borrow something. He asked you about the homework,” I denied, embarrassed. “You’re so gullible… Fine, if you don’t believe me…” she rolled her eyes. “What did you two talk about on the way?” “We played twenty questions, although we only managed to ask two,” I frowned as she beamed at me to continue. “Did he ask you out?” Her eyes were sparkling, was she ever, you know, not excited? “No Alice! It’s not like that!” I groaned and buried my face in a pillow. “Did you make plans with him this weekend?” her expression was cautious, she was trying her best not to upset me. “Yes… He’s suppose to help me with basketball tomorrow, to keep his side of the bargain, but it’s not a date!” I hissed and she looked slightly disappointed.

“Oh. But he soo likes you! It’s obvious!” I was about to protest, but she interrupted me, “Okay. Have you seen him with any girls lately?”

“No…” I muttered quietly, “But that doesn’t mean anything. I only have two classes with him, so how would I know? I don’t stalk him.” The last sentence made me slightly guilty. Sure I wasn’t a stalker, but I was constantly watching him when he was in the room… though never in a million years would I admit that to Alice. She coughed a laugh, “Trust me. If Edward is the Edward that I knew, he would be lip-locking with a new girl every period. If it lasts long, the same girl for the whole day. That’s the maximum. But for these past four days, I haven’t seen him kissing or going out with anyone,” she said proudly. My face turned red, and I felt like running out of the room.

“Still doesn’t mean anything Alice. We’re friends; it’s either that, or nothing. Depends on how long our truce lasts. Get it?” I snapped.

“Sure Bella,” she rolled her eyes, unconvinced, I decided to change the subject. “Where are the rest of the gang?”

“Jasper’s doing something for the coach, Rosalie and Emmett are doing god-knows-what,” she rolled her eyes. “Enough said… Scary mental images,” I shuddered and we both giggled. “Come on! Let’s go grab something to eat! Friday night! Hell yes!” we cheered, grabbed our jackets, and skipped out of the room. I asked Alice what she was in the mood for, surprisingly; we were both craving for Italian.

“Okay. We have to go John’s Pasta, it’s the best restaurant around…” she exclaimed. “Sure… sounds great!” She called Jasper to see if he was done, and he was. Rosalie and Emmett were at his place, and they were coming to the restaurant to meet us. When I walked into the restaurant, I was stunned. It looked pretty fancy; definitely not cheap. It was similar to a place that my mom took me for my ninth birthday, though I don’t recall the name of the restaurant. I wondered how the students here could afford this; but this is California… and a boarding school. But… still! A fancy Italian restaurant on Campus? This school was wicked!

“Let’s order for them. I’m starving…” she commented when a waiter came over to take our order. “Bella? What do you want?” “Umm… Chicken Alfredo sounds nice,” I handed the menu back to the waiter. Alice ordered two Chicken spaghettis along with an Italian salad and a super large tomato pizza.

“Drinks?” the waiter asked, smiling at us. “Water please,” I said as Alice ordered four Cokes. “I’ll be right back with your order,” he gave us a curtsy nod and disappeared. Right on cue, Rose, Emmett, and Jasper walked in. Emmett and Jasper were smacking each others arms, leaving Rosalie behind them, grimacing.

“Hi guys!” we greeted them; Alice and Jasper kissed each other on the lips. “Not in front of the people, Jasper,” Emmett pretended to be horrified as Jasper punched his arm. I asked Rose and the guys about their exams, they just frowned.

“Man. I think I failed it,” Emmett shook his head. “It was hard, like hard-hard…” Rosalie said, serious. “You Jazz?” Alice smiled. “It was pretty hard…” he murmured as we finished for him. “But you still passed it with a flying score,” I giggled as Rosalie and Emmett glared at him. “Smarty-pants,” Emmett faked a little girl’s voice, making us laugh loudly. Jasper growled at him as Rosalie reminded her brother that we were in a restaurant.

“Wait till you get home, Emmy,” Jasper snarled as Emmett looked perfectly at ease. “Sure… sure… I’m sleeping over at Rosalie’s,” the corner of his mouth twitched up. “And you had to share that because?” Alice raised her eyebrow at him as I laughed. That was when I noticed him. He was in one of the booth with his friends, Jamie, Ryan, and Cody. It sounded like they were making a joke out of something, because they were all snickering… all of them. A waitress came over with four menus, placing them in front of the guys. She had black hair, jet black hair like Alice, only hers was long. I saw her tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear nervously, smiling down at them invitingly. I couldn’t help but notice that her glance were only on Edward, although he showed no interest in her. Jamie, on the other hand, looked like he was doing some serious flirting. Her cheeks reddened when Edward told her what he wanted to order. He looked up, and before I could look away, he mouthed a “Hi” with a huge grin on his face. I smiled back, looking away for my embarrassment. I told myself not to look back to the table at all tonight. As if Alice didn’t have enough to tease me about already. The waiter came back with our drinks and a basket of breadstick. The guys were being gentlemen, insisting that the ladies should take the breadsticks first. We weren’t like, “No, you first…” with the whole politeness thing. Instead, we just grabbed it and stuffed it in our mouth. I told you I was hungry. Jasper and Emmett watched us with a mused expression, like “Didn’t you eat lunch today?”

We ate them all, so the guys had to get another basket. We apologized, but they just laughed. A couple filled the table next to us. I recognized the girl from my Geography class, though I didn’t recall the name. But I did hear her whispering when she thought we weren’t looking,

“Look at her! It’s only her first week here, and she’s already fitting in with the Cullens and the Hales. They never let anyone in their group; I wonder why they allow her…” Talking about us on her date. Boy, the guy must have been really boring. The waiter came back with our meals, at the same time, Alice and I practically stabbed the fork in the plate before the waiter even set them down.

“Seriously, what did you guys eat for lunch? Air?” Jasper looked curious as Alice and I just shrugged. “Apparently a basket full of bread wasn’t enough of an appetizer,” Emmett muttered and we giggled, still chewing our food. It was obvious who got the pizza, and who got the salad. Emmett’s super large tomato pizza was gone in five minutes, he begged the waiter for the menu of dessert. Rosalie was eating her salad gracefully, saying that she needed to lose weight. What was she thinking? She had the figure that anyone would die for, and she wanted to lose weight?

“Anyone want something?” Emmett asked generously. “Chocolate Chip ice cream with chest nuts on the top,” Alice said through her muffled mouth. “Bella?” “I’m fine. Stuffed.” “Alright. Jasper?” “Same thing that Alice chose to order.” “Rosalie?” She gave him a dark look, “If I couldn’t eat anything else but salad, do you think I can eat dessert?” Emmett swallowed, “Sorry honey.”

“What are you ordering, Emmett?” I asked, curious. A big playful smile appeared on his face. “Extra chocolaty Cake with caramel sauce on the top,” he licked his lips as the girls and I giggled once more. “Waiter!!” he waved his hand in the air. They ate dessert, while I just watched them, groaning. I was already too full, watching them made my stomach even more uncomfortable. I heard a loud laugh from Edward’s table. Immediately, I turned to it without my own approval. Damn it Bella! Now you’ll never look away! Jamie had spaghetti sauce on his nose; he looked like a clown, a very messy one too. Edward, childishly, poured water on his face, making Jamie’s face wrinkle. A few seconds later, a man in suits, the manager, came and asked the boys to quiet down. They apologized, and snickered when the man went back to his position. Suddenly, his glance was on me when he noticed me staring. I blushed and tried to look away, but his gaze held me. We looked at each other, him ignoring his friends while they mess around some more, not quite so loud this time. He smiled slightly, and I found myself lost in his eyes, they were depthless.

“Hello? Earth to Bella!!” Alice waved her hand in front of me to get my attention. “Oh… I’m sorry what?” I shook my head, turning my gaze back to my friends. Emmett chuckled, “We were asking whether you changed your mind about the dessert, they’re really tasty.”

“No thank you. I’m full, too full,” I grinned, rubbing my stomach slightly. “You were like deaf, we called you what? Like five times?” Rosalie chuckled, mused at my lack of hearing. “Sorry,” I murmured as they chuckled once more. “What were you looking at?” Alice asked suspiciously and she turned around. When she saw Edward, her puzzled expression turned into a smile. He was still looking at me, but as soon as he noticed Alice staring, he looked down to his lap. She eyed me carefully, and gave me a wink.

“Right, you’re just friends,” she whispered in my ear sarcastically, giggling. I glared at her, I was sure my cheeks were just as red as the waitress from earlier. Oh boy. Chapter Fifteen After dinner, we went to Jasper and Emmett’s place and watched the guys play video games. Their room was like a mini apartment, two bedroom and two bathrooms. Lucky for them, their dorm was renovated last year; so they get all the fancy stuff. I stared at the clock; it was already eleven-thirty, half an hour until midnight. Alice said not to worry about the curfew, because in East Coast Academy, we had no dorm advisors. We had dorm leaders, a student representative in charge in case of emergency like fire or earthquake. She said the school trusted us to be responsible, and provided us plenty space and privacy. I loved the freedom. Like I said, this was more like college life than plain old high school. Go Bulldogs! I decided to call it a night. I was starting to yawn, half-asleep on the couch. The guys were still as energetic like always, eyes locked on the target of their video game. Rosalie and Alice were sleeping over tonight. Alice must have apologized for over twenty times, saying that she felt guilty for leaving me alone in the room. Rose suggested maybe Alice could stay with me tonight while she sleeps over with Emmett, and tomorrow she would stay with me while Alice stays with Jasper. I was touched to have such great friends, willing to give up their night for me, a girl they’ve met for only six days. I thanked them for being so sweet, but I told them to both stay anyway.

“Are you sure?” Rose and Alice asked, I lost count on how many times they had repeated that question. “Yes girls. I’ll be fine!” “Why don’t I walk you back? It’s pretty late,” Emmett stood up and offered to my surprise. “Yeah, let Emmett walk you back. I’d feel a hell lot better knowing your walk home is safe,” Rosalie pleaded. I nodded, “Okay. Thank you Emmett…”

“That’s what friends are for. You don’t have to thank me,” he rolled his eyes. The girls hugged me and said we’d hang out tomorrow. Rosalie was thinking of going to the pool in the morning, but Alice told her I had a “date” with Edward. I groaned once again, “It’s not a date! He’s just helping me with a basketball technique!” The girls giggled, and this caught Jasper’s attention. He picked his head up from the video game, suddenly curious.

“Bella’s dating Edward?!” “AGH!” I hit my forehead and explained it once more to Jasper. “No Jazz! I’m not dating him! He’s helping me with basketball. THAT’S ALL!” I nearly yelled at him, they all found it amusing; I heard a loud booming laugh along with some more giggles.

“Sorry Bella,” he choked as I pouted slightly. “Since Bella’s not available in the morning,” Rosalie gave me a playful smile, “Let’s go shopping in the afternoon. Bella haven’t seen the Campus Mall yet.”

“Great idea! I need a new spirit shirt for the next game anyway,” Alice beamed. The guys looked horrified. That’s right; they had to carry the bags!

“Sure guys… sounds great!” We said our goodbyes and Emmett waited patiently for me outside the door. “You don’t have to do this Emmett, I am perfectly capable of walking back home myself, really,” I grinned. “Nah! It’s cool. In fact, I wanted to talk to you about something… about Edward,” I’ve never seen Emmett so serious before. I wonder what he had to tell me. I didn’t know why, but the mention of his name made me nervous. “First of all, how do you feel about him?” I bit my lip, “Umm… I guess he’s okay when he’s not being a jerk,” I said, very carefully in case he made a big deal like Alice. We were out of their dorms now, and I was glad that Rose made me agree to this. It was pretty eerie outside.

“That’s all?” He raised his eyebrow, elbowing me lightly; at least it was light for Emmett.

“Yes father,” I joked, grinning. His questioning reminded me of Charlie; when he asked me if I dated anyone back in Junior High. He laughed, and his booming laughter echoed in the campus, I reminded him to quiet down since it’s late. It wouldn’t be good to wake one of the Administrators in the office.

“Do you like him?” I sighed, “No! I don’t! I’m not even sure if we’re friends,” I told him, tired that they didn’t seem to believe me.

“That’s because he wants to be more than friends…” I heard him murmuring under his breath, not intending on letting me hear. I glared at him.

“Bella? All I’m saying is… if you do figure out that you like him, give him a chance. He’s changed for the better ever since he had met you. Edward’s my brother, I know him better than anyone. It’s the first time that I’ve seen him trying so hard to accomplish something. I know what we said to you about him on your first day, I guess we didn’t give you a good impression of him,” he chuckled.

“No. He didn’t give me a good impression,” I corrected him. “It doesn’t matter anyway; I don’t like him like that…” I muttered.

“Sure sure… I just wanted to let you know,” Emmett smiled. “Thanks… I guess,” I rolled my eyes. We were here, and I thanked him once again for walking me home. “Bye Emmett!” “Bye Bella! Sleep tight! Oh, be sure to dress up nice for the private session with Edward tomorrow!” he teased, I smacked his arm hardly, hearing him let out an “Oww!” That was the Emmett that I was used to.

“Just think about what I said!” he yelled before I closed the entrance door behind me. I lied down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Why were the Cullens so sure that he liked me? Why would he like me? I was average looking, and I wasn’t anyone special. What surprised me was… even Emmett, Mr. Joke Guy agreed with the insanity. I refused to think anymore on the subject, and decided to sleep since I had to wake up early the next morning. I got up the next morning smugly. My first Circus Shot lesson, and possibly my last, it was pretty exciting. I put my hair into a ponytail, and hoped it would stay in shape instead of it sticking out, making me looking like a half-drowned cat at the end of the lesson. I dug through my closet, looked of something appropriate to wear. Eventually, I found a light green, American Eagle tank top that looked okay with my green Abercrombie sweatpants. I grabbed my tennis shoes, and practically skipped out of the door. He was already there, warming up, waiting for me. His blue, sleeveless muscle shirt emphasized his perfect fitted body, and those shorts of his revealed a pair of amazingly tanned, muscular, legs. His flawless bronze hair was shining under the sun; his skin glittered slightly from the ray of light. My heart throbbed when I saw him, Emmett’s words from last night made me even more edgy. Great, I gulped, as if I wasn’t already nervous around him. Thanks Emmett. He smiled when he saw me coming, I thought I heard a gasp, but I wasn’t sure. His mouth hung open a little, but after a few seconds, he shook his head and grinned.

“Think fast,” he said smugly and passed the ball to me. I tried to shoot from where I stood, which was a little outside the three point line. Successfully, I made it in the basket. My “coach” gave me an appraised look. Thank god I didn’t embarrass myself.

“Nice, Swan,” he nodded, eyeing me with a grin. “Thanks, Coach,” I said, saluting jokingly. He laughed, and I passed the ball back to him. I was showing off a little, just a tad.

“Nice night of sleep?” he asked conversationally, doing a slam dunk. “Not the nicest one that I had,” I admitted. Thanks to you! But I didn’t say that. “Why? Too nervous for our private session?” he teased, emphasizing on the word ‘private’. Stupid mind reader. “Would you just pass the ball?” I said, annoyed. He chuckled. We warmed up a little by playing each other. If it was counted as a game, he beat me and outnumbered me with a

tremendous amount of spectacular shots. I was panting a little, twenty minutes later.

“Alright. Ready to get started?” he asked, his smile brilliant. “Yep! Show me the move, coach!” I bounced a little, and he laughed at my enthusiasm. “It’s really not as hard as it seems,” he rolled his eyes as I snorted. Way to rub it in my face. “I guess the real trick is to force yourself to take tough shots, or even just take silly shots that people wouldn't normally take during a game, and you may at some time find yourself in a situation that no other shot is possible and you have to throw it up there. Here,” he said, passing the ball to me. “I’m going to try to block you, alright? And you,” he smiled, “will have to try to get the ball in the basket. I’m not going to make it easy for you, we all know what happened the last time,” he shuddered as I laughed at the memory. He was all over me, and I mean all over me. I tried to make a jump for it, but he was taller and his arms were in position. Left and right wouldn’t work either; he knew exactly where I was going. I went for the space between his arms and the floor. I couldn’t get pass him, even if I snuggled under. The only way… I had my back to him. I twisted my body a little, bended my waist and leaned back to where I could see the hoop. My head was in front of his body now, though my visions were upside down. I threw the ball up in the air with one hand from the bottom. It spun in a direction that I had never seen before, it traveled to the right, and suddenly as if gravity, it pulled the ball toward the hoop. We both turned to see if I made it in. I didn’t. I was off by about two inches to the left. He clapped his hands, “That was good. A little more twisting and contorting your body, you’ll get that shot,” he prompted and gave me another try. This time, the ball spun past the board and landed once again at the left side of the court. I groaned at my poor attempt of aiming.

“You said this wasn’t hard. You’re right, not for you,” I said, frustrated at myself for not getting the dang ball in the basket. He chuckled. Suddenly; he stood behind me, and his hands were on mine, holding on to the ball with me. I gasped quietly, and the touch of his skin made my heart accelerate to the extreme. I could feel his breath on my neck, it send chills up and down my spine. I was breathless.

“I think I know what your problem is,” he whispered. “Your shots are always off to the left, because you didn’t throw it to the right side far enough. Let’s try it again.” Before I had a chance to respond, he jumped and his hand pushed mine and the ball, and it just… flew out. It was double the force that I used for my previous balls; it was steadier, stronger, and speedier. It spun rapidly, circling at the metal of the hoop for three times, with a swift whoop, it went in. I turned to him, amazed. He shrugged, and passed the ball to me once again. “Circus shots various. That was only one of the ways. With different positions, you will use different kinds of shots. Try it again.” He threw his hands up in the air to block me; I knew not to go under this time… it was pointless since he already knew what I was going to do. Instead, I bended to the left side, and threw the ball with as much force as I could manage. It looked like a tide pool, the way it spun. I was so sure that I was going to be off, but surprisingly, as if magnets, it went through the hoop, still spinning rapidly when landed beneath it. I literally squealed! I didn’t care if I sounded like one of those girls that just got their nail done… but I did it! I did the Circus shot!

“Oh my god! Oh my god! I did it!” I hugged him, laughing. Our skin touched since we were both wearing sleeveless. It took me a second to realize what I had done. My arms were frozen at my sides; I just stared at him like an imbecile. What did you just do, Bella Swan?

“Sorry…” I apologized shyly, blushing. He laughed softly, “Don’t worry. I didn’t know you were that pleased to see you made it in…” That made me blush even more. “Want to rest a little bit? You look pretty flushed,” he said, concerned. Yeah… because of you, I didn’t say. Instead, I told him ‘sure’. We sat in a shade under a tree next to the court. I took a large gulp of water, and he did too. It was getting breezy outside, the temperature was perfect. I leaned back to the tree; I was tired, catching my breath while he looked like he just warmed up.

“When did you first start playing basketball?” I asked. He bit his lip and started thinking, “Umm…. My dad had always set up the little plastic hoops in my room when I was a

toddler… If that counts, I started playing since I was old enough to walk. I would say five years old, that was when I came in contact with a real basketball. It was also then that I started going to Basketball camp,” he finished, grinning.

“Oh…” Five. No wonder. “You?” “I played around with my cousins when I was seven. They were eleven at that time, both in the local Junior League. I didn’t know the rules then, I just shoot around for fun. But in Junior High, I joined the basketball team for something to do after school. I guess that was when I realized that I liked it so much.” I’ve never really talked about my childhood with anyone, well, maybe because nobody asked. I looked at him, expected to find a bored expression, but he actually look amused.

“It’s a shame that they don’t have teams for girls in our school,” he commented quietly. “Why don’t they?” “Bella… The girls here, well, you’ve seen. The only thing that they enjoy doing that comes close to sports is cheerleading. They think that playing basketball is something that the guys do. Their job, is to cheer us on. That is why I was so… surprised when I heard about you playing. It’s not everyday that a pretty girl in East Coast Academy matches up to some of the guys on the basketball team,” he smiled, not in a teasing way, but as if he meant it. I laughed and shook my head, “You’re just humoring me with this. I’m not that good…”

“Yes, you are. Really,” he said assuredly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you beat some of my teammates in a little one on one.” I refused to argue any further, he’d just find another way to persuade me.

“But I’ll never get to beat the Captain, am I right?” I elbowed him playfully. He laughed, “Of course not. You may be good enough to beat some of my teammates, but me? You have a long way to go, Swan,” he teased as I laughed along with him.

“Up for more, Captain?” I smirked and passed the ball to him hardly when I got up. Without any effort, he caught the ball with one hand steadily. I scowled at him, annoyed when I found him smirking. We started playing one on one again, and damn! He was good! Never before had I faced such a strong opponent. We played for twenty minutes, neither of us keeping score, since the result was awfully clear. He won, of course, with flying scores. I heard someone clapping, and it wasn’t Edward.

“Whoa man! That was nice! I told you new girl was good,” Jamie winked at me and slapped Edward playfully. “How long have you been here?” Edward asked, frowning at his friend. “And by the way, the new girl has a name,” I said to him dryly before he Jamie got a chance to respond. He looked slightly taken back, he apologized quickly.

“Sorry… Bella, is it?” he gave me a weak smile and looked nervously at Edward, who chuckled and gave him a nod. “Thanks for using my real name,” I said halfheartedly, hearing another chuckled from Edward. I uncapped my water bottle, and took another sip.

“So… what were you two doing here? Didn’t have enough in the gym, did you?” Jamie teased, winking at me. Edward answered, “I was just teaching Bella here with one of my infamous shots.” I rolled my eyes.

“It looked like you two were doing some playing instead of tutoring,” he said suspiciously. “We were practicing, but then we decided to end our session with a little game.” “So who won?” Jamie asked curiously. “Edward…” I murmured, frustrated, as they both laughed at my response. “Come on Bella, we both know that it’s natural for guys to beat girls in basketball. And I am the Captain; it makes sense for me to beat you,” he said playfully with a smirk.

“What did you say?” I said fiercely through my teeth, shocked that he would even say anything like that. “I was joking, Bella. You know I didn’t mean that,” Edward laughed, taking my hand and begging for forgiveness. He looked sincere, but I wasn’t buying that. Angrily, I poured the water left in my bottle on his face. Jamie gasped, and it was followed by his hysterical laughter.

“What the freak…” Edward was panting, mad as I looked at his soaked shirt, face, and hair. He even looked cute when he was mind. Damn.

“That was a joke, too. Jerk! ” I replied, satisfied at my performance. I grabbed my stuff, and exited the court with a big triumphant smile. No one messes with me like that. Not even you, Edward! I sneered at the name.

“Man, that’s one hell of a girl,” I heard Jamie whistling when I walked away. “If you’re not going to ask her out, I am,” he laughed once more, and I swear I heard Edward literally growling. Chapter Sixteen When I left the basketball court, it was already 11:15. Wow. Three hours went by like that. I was still so proud at what I’ve done. After all, it’s not everyday that a guy does something to piss you off and you conveniently, have a water bottle in your hand with enough amount of water to pour it on his face and get him soaked. That was pure genius. You make me so hot, You make me wanna drop, It's so ridiculous, I can barely stop, I can hardly breathe, You make me wanna scream, On the caller ID, it said Rosalie. I picked it up, "Hey Rose. What's up?" "Bella! Are you still with Edward?" Rosalie greeted me enthusiastically. "Nope," Thank god. "That’s cool! We're going to Lin's Chinese Restaurant for lunch. Want to come? After that, we'll go shopping!" I can picture her glowing at the word. "Sure Rose, be there in a sec! Wel, after I change and shower… I don't think you would appreciate it if I show up in sweats," I said, and heard her giggling on the cell. "Sure sure… Alice and I are wearing Abercrombies! You can wear yours, and we can be Abercrombie trios!" she squealed as I laughed at her brand name addiction. "Sure, we'll be 'Abercrombie trios'," I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "You're rolling your eyes, aren't you?" "Damn… you're good Rose." "Trust me. I've known you long enough to hear your expressions,” she said proudly. "Okay! I'll let you go now! Alice is nagging me with which shirt to wear! See ya later Bella!" I heard Alice yelling at her in the background. "Bye Rose!" I snapped my phone shut and jogged back to my room. The sooner I get to shower, the better. The water felt so good on my skin. After blow-drying my hair, I followed Rose's instruction and wore a black Abercrombie polo shirt with matching jeans. With my Nike sneakers and my wallet, I left my room and started walking to the restaurant. "Bella!" I saw them waving at me in front of Lin's. We laughed when we saw our trio outfit. I waved back, and walked in with my friends with our arms draped over each other's shoulders. "I thought Emmett and Jasper were coming," I said to them. Alice grinned, "Yeah, we were going to make them come and carry the bags. But Rosalie and I thought you would be more

comfortable with confessing when it's just the three of us," she winked at me as I told her there was nothing to confess. We sat down on a booth, and they were ready to bombard me with questions after ordering. "Okay girl, spill! How did everything go with Edward?" Alice asked, her eyes joyous. I couldn't help but laugh when the image of Edward cursing ran back to my head. My friends waited for the hysteria to pass impatiently… "Bella! You're killing us! Say something!" Rosalie pleaded or demanded, was more like it. "He taught me the Circus shot. But it didn't end well because he made a rude comment about the girls, which in his defense was 'a joke', so I kinda," I paused and exhaled, "I kinda poured water on his face. Man, he was soaked. His shirt, his hair, his face," I started laughing again, only this time I was not alone. Rosalie and Alice were hysterical, slapping the table until the people in the restaurant gave us an annoyed and confused look. Alice snickered, "Bet he didn't like that." "You bet right," I chuckled. "Bella! You are brilliant! I love you!" they hugged me and we started laughing again, only not so loud this time or we might just get thrown out of the restaurant. "Emmett and Jasper are going to be so pissed that they missed this," Rosalie said proudly. "Chicken Fried Rice," the girl came back with our food and drinks. My god, it smelled amazing. I guess playing basketball really eats up your energy. After lunch, the girls dragged me to the campus mall. It was on the north side of campus, and it was huge! My mouth dropped. "Watch out for flies, Bella," Rosalie elbowed me playfully. I clasped them shut and followed the girls. The first store that we decided to visit was Fitch. They had some great jackets and we, well, Rosalie and Alice, just couldn't resist buying them. They forced me to get a turquoise color jacket, saying that it looked 'perfect' on me. I sighed and gave in. There is no point to argue when it comes to shopping with them. They had most of the brand names here. Banana Republic, American Eagle, Abercrombie, Aeropostale… We spent the whole afternoon in the mall, and I bought several items myself. Renee would be pleased; she was always bugging me to buy stuff. "Man! I don't think I can carry these bags back to our dorms!" Rosalie groaned. Alice beamed and took out her cell phone, "Jazz! We're in the mall! Could you and Emmett do us a small favor?" her voice sounded sweet, I knew Jasper would never be able to resist that. "Nice guess! How did you know?" she laughed as Rosalie and I grinned at each other. She snapped her phone shut, "All done," she flashed her teeth. We sat there and waited for the guys to come. It was already 5:30, and they started discussing where we should eat tonight. "I feel like a pig. It seems that all we had been doing is eating, shopping, and eating!" I laughed as they smiled. "This is life, my friend." Jasper and Emmett arrived in about two minutes to our rescue. They offered to take my bag too; I was very thankful. They said that mine felt light compared to Rose and Alice's, which of course, earned them a glare from their girlfriends. We decided to grab something to eat from the food stand and eat in the courtyard instead of going to a fancy restaurant. Rosalie said that she was paying, as a treat to the guys. A few tables down from us, Edward Cullen was sitting alone at his table. His eyes met mine without a smile, and he stabbed a piece of meat with his fork fiercely without looking down. He was not happy, that much was easy to tell. "Excuse me, guys," I said to Alice and Jasper and walked to his table. They stared at my back curiously, probably wondering what I had to say to him. I was sure I was smiling hugely. What happened this morning was still humorous to me. "Hi Edward," I smiled at him and sat on the chair in front of him. He looked up, and greeted me back icily, "Hey Bella." I tried not to laugh, but he looked so cute when he was mad. Damn it Bella! Stop that! I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. He looked down to his plate, and stabbed another piece of pork hardly. I chuckled,

"Come on! You're not still mad at me, are you?" Without thinking, I reached out and placed my hand on his. He finally looked up at me, expressionless. "Gee I don't know. It's not everyday that a guy gets soaked because the girl that he was teaching dumped water on his face," his tone was sarcastic, and that pissed me off a little. "You left out one important detail. You're the one that started with the whole gender discrimination comment," I snapped harshly back at him. He sighed and his expression was softer now, "I said I was joking. And you didn't have to get me wet!" he hissed. "Well, it wasn't funny. At all. And if you think that I came here to apologize, you're dead wrong, Cullen. I don't regret pouring water on your face because you deserved it," I felt the urge to stick my tongue out at him. Both of us were silent for about a minute, he spoke first. "How about I apologize first for making the joke?" he offered. "Fine. You first." He grinned. "I apologized for making the stupid comment. It was irrational and absolutely uncalled for," he looked into my eyes sincerely and raised his eyebrow, probably wondering when I would start with my apology. I studied his face for a minute, just to make sure he was seriously sincere with his words. No laughing or a sense of humor on his face… I sighed, "I apologize for pouring water on your face. You totally deserved it, but it still didn't give me the right to do so. I'm also sorry for calling you a jerk…" I was about to say more, but he clasped his hand over my mouth. "Okay… I get it, thank you," he chuckled nervously. "You sure you don't want to listen to the rest?" I teased when he took his hand back. "Damn sure," he nodded and smiled his crooked smile. "No hard feelings? Or should the truce end right here?" I asked him, having a pretty strong feeling on which one he was going to pick. "No hard feelings," he smiled. Then he started laughing. "What?" I asked curiously. "Nothing. It's just usually; it's always you holding the grudge. It feels nice to have a change," he smirked as I rolled my eyes. "You're pathetic." "Can I tell you something?" he whispered sweetly, leaning toward me a little. "I guess…" I gulped. Please don't let him hear my heart beat. "I wasn't really mad at you, I just wanted to see what you would do," he admitted with a smug as I hyperventilated. "You… you…." I was breathless. This… ugh! "I shouldn't have said that, now you're mad at me," he chuckled as I pouted. "You suck Edward." "You know you don't really mean that. You care about me Bella, that's why you came here to check on me," he said arrogantly, dazzling me with his eyes. I snorted, "Think whatever you like. It's not true anyway." He looked amused, "What can I do to earn your forgiveness?" I eyed him carefully, and saw a huge, white chocolate flavored, Great American Cookie, sitting on his plate untouched. "You can make it up to me by splitting your cookie in half and share," I grinned. He nodded and laughed again. He split his cookie, and handed me half of it. "So no hard feelings, really?" his eyes were gentle, so was his voice. "No hard feelings," I smiled and broke a piece of cookie and stuffed it in my mouth. It was pretty good. "This is so unfair. For the first time, I thought I was able to hold a grudge against you, at least in pretense. Now, suddenly, I

lost half of my dessert," he joked, "You're something, Bella, I'll give you that." "Just part of my talent," I replied playfully. We laughed, and he took a bite out of his cookie. "You still up for the rehearsal thing?" he asked casually. "Umm…yeah, when?" "Tomorrow afternoon?" "Sure…" I nodded. "So where and what time?" he asked. "Would you mind coming over to my room? At about two?" I really didn't want to rehearse in the library with everyone staring and glaring at me. "Not at all. Two it is," he smiled. "Okay, see you then," I got up from the chair, and was about to walk back to our table. "Hey Bella?" he called. "Yeah?" I turned around to face him. "That really was a joke. I was serious when I said you played better than some of the guys on Varsity," he smiled meaningfully. I turned back around in case he noticed me blushing, "Thank you." When I walked back to my table, Rosalie and Emmett just came back with food. Jasper must have told them something, they all turned to look in my direction with huge smiles. "What's up with the smiley faces? You guys are seriously creeping me out," I said slowly when the smiles didn't disappear from their faces after I sat down. They quickly regained their composures. "Oh nothing, Bella," Alice gave Rosalie a wink. "Who's up for fries?" Jasper changed the subject and it was followed by a bunch of 'oh me’s. After dinner, I offered to treat everyone smoothies. They looked pretty anxious to get me away from the table. "Be right back," I muttered. There was a long line in the smoothie store. It took me about fifteen minutes to finally get my order. On my way back, I saw the Cullens and the Hales chatting animatedly and secretly because they kept their heads together in a circle. "She's back! She's back!" Jasper hissed at the rest of them. They all raised their heads back up, looking perfectly normal. Well, it would have been unsuspicious if Emmett hadn't started whistling… "Look Jasper! Isn't today a lovely day? Great temperature," he said nervously as Rosalie gave him a smack on the head. That was really obvious, obvious that they were talking about me when I left. I mean, Emmett and weather? Hell no. I would be an idiot to buy that. "Here are the smoothies," I eyed them carefully as they all thanked me. "You're welcome," I said suspiciously, taking a sip of my own. Emmett started humming, which drove me more to the edge of insanity. "What's going on?" I asked, annoyed. "So you and Edward…" he started, smirking. They turned to look at him, and I saw his table was now filled with his friends. "Okay! Never mind that I asked," I said quickly, and they all started laughing. After dinner, we caught a movie on campus. The theater was pretty lovable, the carpets were really new, and they had huge screens. We chose a comedy; it was even more humorous when we watched it with Emmett and Jasper. We swallowed four big buckets of popcorns and four large cups of soda, except for Rosalie who just drank water. I know what mom would say if she was there, “Junk food is not good for your health…” But it was a Friday, which means fun, relaxation, and junk food, of course. In the middle of the movie, I started to feel popcorn on my shoulder. At first I ignored it, I mean, what were the chances that I got thrown by popcorn? Maybe it was an accident. I decided to pretend nothing happened, but then something happened

that I couldn’t ignore. They threw candy bars! Okay. This couldn’t have been accidental. I turned around to see who in their wicked mind would do something like this, and I saw the plastics or the bitches, Lauren, Jessica, and Kelsey, sitting three rows up from us. They high-fived each other and smirked at me. Of course, it was them. Who else could be this lame? They waved stupidly at me when I turned around. Alice noticed my distraction; she whispered to Jasper, Rose and Emmett and informed them about the bitches behind us. Emmett turned around and snarled, his teeth shining in the dark as Jasper stuck up both his middle fingers at them. They looked intimidated; and we didn’t feel any popcorn for the rest of the night. I love my friends. After the movie, we walked to the exit reluctantly, knowing we would see them. We were right; they were waiting outside the movie theater, smirking at us.

“Well, if it isn’t loser and her friends,” Lauren giggled in that annoying voice of hers as Rosalie, Alice and I gave her a sarcastic smile.

“Well, if it isn’t the Bitchy Trios,” Emmett replied, smirking as well. Lauren’s face fell, and then she turned her gaze back on me.

“So Bella, did you enjoy the popcorn? It was caramel flavored,” she taunted as I glared at her with an ugly look. “How old are you? Four?” I scoffed as she stuck her tongue out childishly. “You know what? Why don’t you just go to the “Bimbo Store” and get three shirts that say dumb, dumber, and dumbest? It goes perfect with your personalities,” Emmett snapped at them, as we choked with laughter. Kelsey snorted, “Like… we all know that they don’t like… have shirts like that,” she said proudly as we laughed hysterically again.

“Kelsey!” Lauren yelled at her, “That was an insult,” she told her. I guess you know who gets the dumbest shirt. Kelsey looked blank for a minute, and then she snapped her finger all of a sudden when she finally got what was going on.

“How dare you insult us?” “Leave the talking to Lauren, Kels,” Jessica spoke for the first time. “Actually, we don’t want to talk. Unlike you people, we have a life, which we prefer not to spend it with a bunch of morons. You never know if your idiocy is contagious. Come on girls, let’s get out of here,” Jasper said coolly as they gasped. The look on their face was so hilarious.

“You guys will pay for this,” they screamed. “Oh… speaking of paybacks, how did the talk between your mother and Mrs. Caughman go? I was sure you said to get me removed permanently from the play two days ago, but I’m still here. And I was looking so forward to it,” I teased Lauren as her face turned red, embarrassed.

“You will get removed, Swan,” she sneered at my name as I chuckled. “Like I said, looking forward to it,” I gave her a smile and we all turned away from them. It was a great victory. My friends whooped when they were out of hearing distance, and we all complimented each other for our great comebacks.

“I thought you guys said that all the guys in this school picture themselves in love with her. How come the girls were dateless? ” I asked them curiously; suddenly remembered what they said to me last week. To my surprise, they laughed.

“Well, they do. But Lauren here isn’t interested in any of them, she just wants her Edward,” Alice rolled her eyes as I giggled. They asked me if I wanted to go over to Emmett and Jasper’s place again; I politely rejected them and told them I was going to call it a night. It was a very long day.

“You can’t seriously be tired,” Emmett frowned. “Well, you would be too if you woke up at seven o’clock in the morning,” I yawned. “Who in the world wakes up at seven o’clock on a Saturday morning?” Jasper chuckled as Emmett laughed, “Apparently Bella, since she had her ‘big date’ with Edward.”

I gave him an angry glare, Emmett looked slightly frightened and he apologized quickly.

“Joking Bella, you know me, the big kidder,” he put his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. “Just stop with the Edward comments,” I told him seriously when he put me down. “Sure sure…” he smiled, winking at me. “Remind me not to get on your bad side, Bella,” Alice joked as we all laughed. “You sure you don’t wanna come over?” Rosalie asked when we were in front of the dorms. “Yes… thank you guys for the offer, but I really am worn out,” I said smilingly and gave her a hug and of course, Alice, too. “See you tomorrow, roomie!” “Oh! Don’t forget the bags!” Emmett and Jasper each handed over two bags that had a large “B” written on them. “Thanks you guys,” I hugged them both too. We waved each other goodbye and they continued walking back to their dorms. After taking a warm shower, I snuggled in the blankets and flicked the lights off. Then I drifted to sleep within seconds. Who knew basketball could be so tiresome? Chapter Seventeen I woke up pretty early the next morning; nine o’clock. Well, at least it was early for me. I brushed my teeth, and got out my scripts to read for our private rehearsal with a cup of coffee on my bedside. He’s coming over in the afternoon… My heart flipped and a part of me was excited. Okay. Maybe every part of me was excited. For lunch, I ordered for a personal sized pizza to be delivered. I wonder how late Alice, Rose, Em, and Jazz went to bed yesterday; I wouldn’t be surprised if I walked in the room and see them still snoring heavily. The sun was out today, so I decided to draw the curtains, and let some sun shine in the room. My stomach growled, was I always this hungry? To my rescue, the pizza guy knocked on my door.

“I have a delivery for Bella Swan…” His voice sounded awfully familiar. I opened the door, and saw Edward Cullen, holding two boxes of medium pizzas in his hands, grinning.

“Edward?” I choked out, surprised. “Hey Bella, how was your night?” he asked politely. “Umm… good… what are you doing here?” I got straight to the point. He chuckled, “I wanted to make it up to you for what I did yesterday. I was just about to get pizza myself in Figaro’s, and I heard one of the employees muttering your name on the phone while writing something down. So I told him to cancel the order and that I would carry the pizza to you myself. Between you and me, I think he has a little crush on you,” he elbowed me playfully as I blushed. “So are you going to shut me out, or will you give me the pleasure of accompanying you for lunch?” His eyes were so soft and warm. It was impossible to reject such a face.

“Come on in,” I smiled and moved out of the way so he could get pass the door. “Thanks,” he said as I told him to put the pizza on the end table. “Oh crap! I forgot to buy drinks!” he hit his forehead and frowned.

“I’ll go get some from the vending machines,” I got up from the couch, but he pushed me down, “No. No! Stay where you are, I’ll go get it. What would you like?” “Mountain Dew is good,” I said, surprised by his enthusiasm. “Mountain Dew it is. Be right back,” he winked and jogged out of the room. A minute later, he came back with two cans of sodas. He tossed one to me, and I thanked him. He sat next to me on the couch, tearing off a piece of pizza for me…

“Pineapple?” I quirked up my eyebrow when I realized that he got the flavor that I wanted. He chuckled, “I asked them what you were going to order. I must say, they were pretty secretive about the whole ‘no confidential infos for other customers’ crap. But I convinced them somehow. I mean, come on! Did they expect me to murder you just knowing the flavor of pizza that you were going to get?” he shook his head as I laughed. He handed me a slice of pizza, and I took a bite.

“Nice choice,” he commented as he took a bite of his. I grinned, “You’re talking to the expert of food.”

“That’s why you get along with Alice and Emmett so well, huh? Food-a-holics,” he joked as I laughed. “Part of the reason,” I shrugged and took a sip of my soda. I picked my feet up from the floor, and sat with my legs crossed on the couch. Thank god our couch was big enough to sit four Emmetts, that way I wouldn’t take any of Edward’s room. That was when I realized that I didn’t change this morning, I was still wearing the sweatshirt and sweatpants that I wore to bed yesterday.

“Oh!” I gasped as he looked curiously at me. “What’s the matter, Bella?” “I… uh… never mind,” I blushed and I saw a sly smug on his face. Can you embarrass yourself anymore in any other way? I sighed, what’s done is done. Thank god I didn’t own animated PJs or bunny slippers, or that would have been so humiliating.

“Hold on,” I told him and got up to get some CDs playing. “What are you doing?” he asked. “I can’t eat pizza without music. It’s weird,” I said truthfully and I heard him chuckling softly from behind. When it started playing, I realized that it was the CD that I listened to two days ago, by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I returned to my seat and got another slice of pizza.

“Seriously, we’re not going to finish all this,” I said, eyeing the box of pizza that was untouched. “We will, Bella, with two pizza addicts, this is nothing,” he snorted. His gaze turned to the book that I was reading earlier this morning that was on the table.

“The Count of Monte Cristo,” he read, sounding confused. “I didn’t know that girls liked this kind of books,” he muttered to himself.

“Well, we, the girls, do.” I said sarcastically as he looked at me, apologetic. “Sorry! No gender discrimination intended,” he raised his hands up in the air, as if to surrender. I rolled my eyes and was about to pick the book up to put it back on my shelf. To my bewilderment, he lifted my chin with his finger.

“Really, Bella. It’s a good book, one of my favorites. I was… astounded that you read it that’s all. You amuse me more and more every time I talk to you,” he smiled and I was still swimming with pools of thoughts with the fact that he was touching me. My heart was accelerating… I was weak on my knees, and I thought I was going to faint.

“Okay…” I muttered, smiling slightly as he dropped his hand with a huge grin. Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet started playing… my favorite song; he was tapping along to the beat with a two pencils.

“This song is awesome,” he said as I grinned. “Of course it is. It’s by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. All of their songs are awesome,” I replied smilingly. “True,” he grinned back. We talked about our favorite bands and our least favorite actors and actresses while we ate. Surprisingly, we had many of them in common.

“That Paris Hilton girl is a joke,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s easy to see where Lauren got her inspirations from,” I laughed and he joined me. His laughter was light and it sounded like bell chime… Why do all the Cullens sound so perfect?

After lunch, he helped me take care of the trash, and he was right. We did finish the pizzas. Man, was I stuffed. I became a little edgy when his gaze followed me around the room; I hoped that I didn’t trip or do any thing embarrassing.

“We should probably rehearse, just like the teacher said,” I told him as he nodded, “Yeah. I’ve got my script right here,” he smiled and picked the tiny booklet out from his back pocket. “We’re only going over with the Romeo and Juliet scenes, are we?” he asked.

“Yep. I say we skip the first scene, I am SO tired of it after hearing the whole class reciting it in class,” I said, he smiled. “Of course, let’s start with the second scene then.” We flipped to the page and sat in a comfortable position on the couch.

“You know, I never took you for Shakespeare,” I told him, giggling. “Excuse me?” he asked, his face puzzled. “I didn’t know you read this kind of stuff. It’s hard to imagine you reading old plays and poetry,” I said truthfully, he grinned.

“What am I suppose to read then? Playboy magazines?” he asked sarcastically. Yes, I was going to say that, but I decided not to. Playboy magazines, how ironic.

“Admit it popularity and Shakespeare doesn’t exactly mix and go on the same page,” I told him, smirking. “True. Shall we get started now that we’re done discussing my reading materials?” he grinned. “Sure…” I chuckled and cleared my throat to get serious. He was a great actor, I’ll give you that. We started with Act Two, Scene Two. My heart was thumping rapidly the whole time, because instead of looking at his scripts, his eyes were locked in mine. He spoke the words perfectly and flawlessly, and his sweet, honey-like voice… Damn it Bella! Stop making him sound so great!

“She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art As glorious to this night, being o'er my head As is a winged messenger of heaven Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds And sails upon the bosom of the air.” I inhaled deeply,

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet.” He smiled, and continued reading his lines. Never once did he need to look in the scripts, he almost knew it better than me. Sometimes, I felt the need to look into the booklet because his eyes made me forget every thing that I had on my mind. At four o’clock, we decided to quit. After two hours of reading the play, we finally finished all the parts concerning Romeo and Juliet.

“How did you do that?” I whispered. “What?” “Memorized all the lines like that. Only need a quick peek between the scenes.” “I don’t know. I had read this plays an enormous amount of times… And,” he stopped, “When I looked into your eyes, the lines didn’t need any memorization. They just came naturally,” he whispered sweetly. Then, he leaned toward me on the couch slowly, and my heart was racing to the extreme. Never before had it been like this!

I froze; my body was trembling and shaking slightly when his face was only a few inches away from mine, he chuckled softly, and I felt his breath on my skin. His features were perfect, his lashes, his eyes… He leaned in closer… Oh my gosh…

“Bella?” There was a knock on the door and it opened which made Edward and I jump…. There she was, Alice, her eyes wide and surprised.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” Alice’s hand was on her mouth, her eyes dancing between us. “It’s alright, Alice, I was just about to leave,” Edward cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I’ll catch you later, Bella,” he smiled his crooked smile at me.

“Yeah… See ya,” it sounded squeaky and way too high pitched too pass for my normal voice. With another soft chuckle, he closed the door behind him, leaving Alice and I alone in the room.

“Oh my god…” Alice squealed, holding my hand. “I’m so sorry Bella! I didn’t know! You didn’t answer your cell phone, and I got worried after four or five calls! I decided to check on you, and the door was unlocked. And there you guys were!” she ranted excitedly. I looked at my empty bedside, and I remembered. I left my cell phone in the restroom while I was brushing my hair. I wondered why I didn’t hear it. You couldn’t hear it if it was on speaker, because you were paying too much attention to Edward, a voice in my head taunted me as I screamed back at it to shut up.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t interrupt anything,” I assured her as she gave me a look. “Right. I didn’t interrupt anything,” she rolled her eyes, sarcastic. “How would you explain the fact that you two were face to face with each other, within kissing distance?” I said nothing. She hugged me and squealed some more. “We weren’t about to kiss, Alice,” I told her sternly when she released me.

“Sure… Sure… I know what I saw,” she winked at me, still excited. “Wait. What was he doing here?” “We had to rehearse for the play, an order from the teacher. He brought me pizzas, as a way to make up for what he did yesterday,” I told her, hoping she wouldn’t make it a huge deal. Her eyes were glittering…

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Wait till I tell Rose!” “No!” I shrieked with horror. “But Bella!” she whined with her puppy dog eyes. “Please Alice, don’t say anything,” I pleaded, begging. She looked disappointed, with a sigh, she said, “Fine, Bella.”

“Thank you. Besides, nothing was about to happen. Even if you hadn’t walked in. Really,” I told her very seriously. She giggled, “Sure sure.” She was unconvinced. Great. My heart was still flipping uncontrollably the afternoon. Alice and I stayed at the apartment since Jasper had to finish his homework and Rosalie and Emmett went making out somewhere, which I didn’t ever intend on finding out. But we all promised to meet each other at seven in the courtyard for dinner. Alice and I hung out, reading some gossip magazines and listened to some hip hop, mostly Rihanna. When Umbrella came on, we started jumping on the bed, singing, shaking our hair crazily, each grabbing a brush and pretended it was a microphone. My, were we hyper. We calmed down when the song ended and changed to We Ride.

“That was a lot of fun!” I gave her a high five. “Hell yes! That’s what I call a Girl’s Day In!” she giggled and hugged me. When it was time to meet Jasper, Emmett, and Rose, I told her to wait for me so I could change. Alice and I walked to the courtyard enthusiastically. She was anxious to see Jasper, but who was I anxious to see? My heart started flipping again, to my dismay. Maybe I was going to see him in the courtyard, NOT GOOD. They were all there already, Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. They had already gotten us each a tray of food, with of course, my favorite soda, Mountain Dew, sitting on top of it.

“Thanks guys,” we smiled at them as they grinned at us.

“You look kind of flushed, Bella… What happened?” Rosalie raised her eyebrow; I gave Alice a deadly look. “I didn’t say anything!” she mouthed me. “Umm… do I? Well, nothing special happened,” I chuckled nervously as Rose frowned. Why choose now to be perceptive, Rosalie?! Alice gave a fake cough, smiling, as I kicked her from under the table.

“Let’s eat! The food’s getting cold!” I told them, Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie gave Alice a confused look, she just shrugged.

“Hello family and friends,” a velvet voice from behind startled me. I choke on a piece of chicken finger. Edward pulled a chair from the other table and sat between me and Alice while placing his tray on the table. He looked at me with an amused expression...

“What are doing here?” I was no longer hungry. My stomach was full, full of butterflies. “Can’t I sit with my dearest family and fellow classmate? I’m hurt, Bella! Usually, it’s Rosalie with this kind of comments,” he placed his hand on his heart, with a shocked expression. I rolled my eyes.

“Really bro, what’s up?” Emmett asked him suspiciously. “Nothing. I just wanted to hang out with my family that’s all,” Edward grinned, taking a bite out of his hamburger. Rosalie grimaced when a group of girls walked by and winked at Edward.

“Eww… I just lost my appetite,” Rosalie said, disgusted, as she threw her fork back on the tray. Emmett and Jasper laughed, Alice giggled and winked at me, her eyes joyous as ever, eyeing me and Edward. I picked up another chicken finger, and stuffed it in my mouth. Eating will keep my mind off him, I thought. Yeah right. My heart was pounding heavily, and my legs were wobbling, a little. I hated that. It’s not like he was actually going to kiss you, I reminded myself to calm down and relax.

“So… what have you guys been up to?” he asked conversationally. They shrugged, “Nothing really. Just messing around,” Jasper replied. “Oh! Did dad e-mail you last night? Mom wants to know when the play is going to be… she wants to be here,” Emmett told him. Edward’s face turned green,

“You told them about the play?” Emmett grinned evilly at him and nodded.

“Why? Your ego to honorable for something like acting?” I teased him as he turned his head, facing me. “Funny, Bella,” he snapped back. “You know, I’ve always wanted to see the whole ‘Edward versus Bella’ thing in action,” Jasper whispered to Rosalie, who cracked a smile.

“Oh crap!” Edward’s tone was alerted and he suddenly got out from his chair and ducked under the table. We all picked up our head to see what was wrong, and instantly, we saw Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest walk by. Same routine, Lauren in the front, carrying her Gucci bag and Kelsey, Jessica in the back on each side, following her like some lost puppies. Her lips curled up into a snarl when she saw me, I smirked at her, and looked down to my tray to take a sip of soda.

“They gone?” Edward whispered. “Yeah…” I whispered back, trying not to laugh. “What was that all about?” Emmett chuckled when Edward got back on his chair. “I didn’t want her to come up and talk to me,” he shuddered, his eyes filled with horror, “she scares me, and irritates the hell out of me, too.” Of all the things that Edward Cullen could be afraid of, he was afraid of Lauren Mallory. I laughed at what he said.

“You want to know what we call them? The Bimbo Trios,” Emmett grinned as the rest of us laughed. “Nice one, Em,” Edward extended his fist for Emmett to pound. “Thanks man!” It was hard to imagine Edward and the Cullens related before. But the more time I spend with them, the more obvious the small amount of DNA they share appeared. They talked about home and childhood, and Emmett pulled out some embarrassing stories of Edward as he fired back, causing Emmett to turn red. I always thought there was an imaginary barrier between Edward and his family, but tonight… I couldn’t feel it. They seemed so… close, so normal!

“Okay. Once, when I was eight, our mom asked us to bake while she was going to the grocery store. We decided to make Chocolate Chip Cookies, since it’s the easiest. So on the recipe; it said three cups of flour. I told Edward to get them from the basement, which was really close to the kitchen. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, I got worried. The thoughts of the basement monster even popped in to my head! Anyway, I went looking for him, but he wasn’t in the basement. I panicked, so I looked for him all over the house. When I went to his bedroom, I saw him in the yard, bending down, through his window. I was like, what was he doing there? So I decided to sneak up on him for playing while I was so worried. I was about to yell at him, but I saw him picking mom’s flowers in her garden! I asked him what he was doing, and he said I told him to get some flower!” he finished, his eyes a little watery from laughing so hard. We all laughed for a good amount of time.

“When mom came back, she grounded Emmett for not taking a good care of me and her garden. Emmett was so mad at me; he locked me out of his bedroom for a week!” Edward said smilingly.

“Ah, those were the good times,” Alice shook her head, smirking. “From all the laughing, I’m hungry again. Anyone up for ice cream?” Jasper asked, still having a hard time talking. “Good idea, Jasper! I could really use some sweets,” Emmett rubbed his stomach, licking his lips. “I’ll get them. What kind of flavor do you want?” I asked, scooting my chair out a little bit. “Strawberry Sundae, please!” Alice beamed. “Tiramisu,” Jasper smiled. “I think you know what I want, Bella,” Emmett winked at me. I sighed, “Let me guess, Chocolate?”

“You rock, Bella,” Emmett chuckled as I turned to Rosalie, “Rose?” “Pass…” she said miserably. “Edward?” I turned to him, my heart fastened a little when I said his name. “Coffee, please,” his tone was perfectly polite. “Okay… I’ll be right back.” I got up from the table, but an arm pulled me back… “Wait. I’ll go with you,” Edward smiled at me warmly. I couldn’t help but notice my friends’ eyes dancing back and forth between us. Alice was smiling hugely, Emmett elbowed Jasper and whispered something in his ears, Rosalie winked at me, and as for me? I did what I do best, I blushed. I hoped Edward didn’t notice what his family or my friends were doing, and he didn’t, because he still had his eyes on me. Talk about embarrassing. We got out from our seats and walked to the Haagen-Dazs store. He gave small talks, about the kids in our classes, about his family… but he didn’t mention once about what happened this afternoon. Maybe I should be relieved, because after all, nothing was going to happen.

“Hello… may I take your order?” a pretty good looking cashier asked us when we reached the store. He smiled at us warmly, and maybe it was just me, or did Edward actually glare at the guy?

“Yes… I would like a Strawberry Sundae, a Chocolate, a Tiramisu, a Coffee, and a… Crème Bulee,” I said to him.

“That’s twenty-one, sixty eight,” all of a sudden, he leaned in and whispered, “For you, I’ll make it twenty.” I smiled back at him, “Thanks.” Edward rolled his eyes and snorted. I was going to ask him what his problem was, what did the cashier ever do to him? But I decided to drop it. We decided to wait at the booth. It was pretty intense; we were both out of stuff to say to each other.

“Bella?” he hesitated, “Listen… I’m sorry about this afternoon….” he said nervously, his hands fidgeting. “I was just caught in the moment; I don’t know what came over me… I’m sorry…” he ranted, I bit my lip and smiled, it was cute watching him being nervous. I put out my hand to stop him, “Don’t worry about it. I get it. Really. You were just caught in the moment, and it meant nothing,” I told him, giving him a small, assuring smile.

“Right…” he looked a little downcast as he murmured, or did I imagine that? We sat in silence, listening to some remade Elvis songs sung by A-Teens that the store was playing. Wise men say, only fools rush in… But I can’t help falling in love with you… Shall I stay… Would it be a sin? I can’t help falling in love with you… I walked to back to the cashier when I saw our order coming up. Edward was behind me, pulling out his wallet.

“No… I got it,” I told him, frowning. He smiled, “That’s fine. I’ll pay for it.” The cashier looked a little unhappy, although Edward paid, he handed me the receipt. “Thank you,” I smiled at him before leaving. The guy didn’t say anything else but gave me a big smile. I gave the receipt to Edward, but a few seconds later, I heard him laugh and he handed it back to me.

“What…” I was about to ask him what he was doing, but he cut me off by flipping over the receipt and showing me what was written on it. Lucas Truman 506-243-2485 Call me anytime. So that’s what he was laughing at. I smirked and threw the paper in the trashcan as we passed by.

“Not interested?” he raised his eyebrow, still grinning. “The ice cream, yes. The guy, no,” I grinned. We both laughed, that was when I heard some girls discussing us when we walked by.

“Ugh! He’s hanging out with the new girl, again?” she muttered, outraged. “Lucky her,” the other girl didn’t sound envious; in fact, she sounded angry, angry enough to rip my head off. As if I didn’t have enough problems with the people in this school already. I sighed. Lucky indeed. Chapter Eighteen Alice and I stayed up too late last night chatting, we didn’t even notice that it was two in the morning. When the alarm clock beeped, both my and Alice’s reaction were throwing one of our pillows at it to get some more sleep. A few minutes later, we got out of bed with a groan… Monday, what a nice way to start a week.

“We look like hell, Bella,” Alice said, yawning. “Yeah, we do… We better hurry or we might just get more crap from the teacher,” I told her, stretching. I let her use the bathroom first, she didn’t have time to shower today, and she wasn’t all that happy about that. When she came out from the bathroom, however, she looked like the Alice that I knew. Her glossy hair, shiny lip gloss, she looked like an Alice.

“Nice,” I gave her a thumbs up, walking in the bathroom.

“Thanks! Don’t worry about what you gonna wear! I got it covered!” she yelled when I closed the door behind me. I brushed my teeth and poured water on my face three times, that ought to wake me up. I brushed my hair and got all the tangles out, the reflection in the mirror looked like me; except for all the dark bruises under my eyes. When I got out, Alice was wearing a cute tank top with the word ‘angel’ on it with jean capris. Very California. I looked over to the clothes that she was pointing excitedly at on the bed, an Aeropostal dark blue polo shirt with a short skirt.

“Perfect match. Thanks Ali,” I said smilingly. “No need, no need. Just admit it, I’m the queen of fashion,” she joked as I grinned at her. I put on my white converse, and the both of us ran out of the dorms with our book bags, hoping we wouldn’t be late.

“See ya Bella!” we waved at each other in front of the class building. The hallway was empty when I walked in, except for the janitor who was glaring at me because I just ran over his cleaned floor.

“Sorry!” I yelled to him and ran for Math, he shook his head helplessly. I sighed in relief when I made it in front of the classroom. Then the bell rang, causing me to jump.

“Crap!” I opened the door, and found all the students and the teacher staring at me. Then she ignored me and went back to her lesson. The students giggled and muttered something unintelligible to their neighbors. I took my seat and got out a notebook to be ready for the boring class. The coach made us run on the track in gym. I saw Rosalie and her class exercising on the baseball field a few yards away.

“Move it, Swan,” Lauren bumped me intentionally, causing me to stumble a little. Kelsey and Jessica smirked; I rolled my eyes at them and mimicked their high pitch giggles. Their shorts were like the shortest of shorts. You know, the slutty kind that you see on TV. Their shirts were pretty low cut too; you’d think they were one of those hookers form the strip club.

“Alright. I want a mile run for all of you! We will not be doing anything else if any one of you failed to finish! Am I understood?” he bellowed at us.

“Yes sir!” He blew his whistle and we started sprinting. All the girls were trying, except for Bimbo Trios. They were complaining to the coach, saying that they got a sprained ankle or cramps. It was obvious that he wasn’t buying it.

“Move it girls! Or I’ll make it two miles!” he spat at them annoyingly. They cursed and started jogging, or at that pace, it was walking. After about a lap, I was leading with Ryan and some other guys. I looked back and saw Angela waving warmly at me a few yards back; I smiled at her and waved back enthusiastically. In about seven minutes, we finished. The first ones on our class. After waiting for about six more minutes or so, more people were starting to finish. Angela was one of them, I mouthed her and good job, and she smiled, still out of breath. Now the only people that we were waiting on were the Bimbos.

“Move it ladies! This is a place for young people, not a place for your grannies!” he bellowed at them once again, and I heard them scowled loudly.

“Coach! The wind will break my face!” Lauren screamed; so that’s why they weren’t running. Because it would damage their body. Hadn’t they heard that exercising is good for our health? I guess not. A few minutes later, though it seemed like hours, they finally finished their final lap.

“You kept us waiting, Lauren,” I sneered at her, and she snarled. Some boys laughed, and she glared at them, which shut them up immediately.

“I need water!” Lauren shrieked loudly all of a sudden. I rolled my eyes. What a drama queen. “There’s a water fountain over there,” Cody suggested, pointing to the left side of the field. Lauren looked disgusted, “Eww… those are for poor people. I do not drink from fountains,” she said, frowning. The coach heard her comment and turned around, “Miss Mallory, you will not be going back to the gym until the end of class. If you will not get water from the fountain, please keep that mouth of yours shut,” he ordered. What a challenge it must be for Lauren.

“What?! Mister! That water had been contaminated with band geeks and nerds! I will not drink from the same fountain as

them! ” she said, as if he just suggested her to drink from sewerage.

“Then don’t drink the water,” he glared coldly at her with his English accent. She scoffed angrily and stalked out the tracks and sat on the side with her hands crossed in front of her chest. No doubt that she was cussing with her Bimbo sidekicks.

“The rest of you! Since we’re out here, and we still have about eight minutes, you may play soccer!” he said and threw the ball at us.

“Hell ya!” Ryan gave his friend a high five, “So Swan, you good in soccer?” I grinned, “I’m okay, not good, but I know what I’m suppose to do with the ball…” It was true, I wasn’t that good at soccer compare to basketball. I ended up on Cody’s team, and we won by three points! After the game, we ran back to the locker room to change. There wasn’t that much time to shower, so I did it in a hurry and stormed out of the gym with my book bag. The bell rang when I was putting on my shirt, so I was secretly praying that I wouldn’t be late again for my next class. I ran to fourth period, thank god I still had two minute before class started. I sat down on my chair to catch my breath. Twice today that I had to run to get to my class so I wouldn’t be tardy.

“Hello,” said a soft, gentle velvety voice. My head shot up, and I saw Edward Cullen grinning at me. “Hi,” I smiled back. “I saw you in gym,” he said casually, twirling my book with his finger. “Did you?” “Pretty good in soccer too, I might add,” he chuckled as I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you have anything else better to do than to watch me in my gym class?” I teased him as his face lit up in to a huge smile,

“Not really. It was pretty interesting watching you play…” his tone was light; someone was in a good mood today. Mrs. Caughman walked in, and she smiled warmly when she saw us.

“Bella! Edward! You’re both here! Perfect… Come up here for a second, I need to talk to you,” she motioned us to her desk and we looked at each other and shrugged.

“I have decided for you two to do two kiss scenes in the play. The first one will take place right after Romeo, or shall I say Edward,” she winked at me as I blushed, “says… Then move not, while my prayer's effect I from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.” She threw her hands up in the air dramatically, a few kids in our class snickered.

“The second one however, will be in the balcony scene. I know it wasn’t written, but I thought for the best effects, a kiss should be included,” The bell rang to spare us. I was not the only one turning red, Edward looked slightly embarrassed too as we walked back to our seats. Jamie started making kissy sounds as we passed by. Edward and I both grabbed a book and started hitting him as hard as we could.

“Chill dude! I’m kidding! Geez, I thought Romeo and Juliet were supposed to make peace, not so violent!” he frowned, rubbing his sore spot where we had hit him.

“If you ever do that again, I’d be glad to beat you to death,” I threatened him darkly as Edward glared at Jamie to show him that we weren’t joking.

“Don’t be surprised if you walked out with one leg by the end of the period, dude,” Edward scoffed and Jamie immediately rolled his eyes.

“Fine, fine… geez,” he murmured once again, as soon as we turned back around, he was smirking again, whispering something to his neighbor. I decided to ignore that, since the teacher was watching us intently, although she didn’t comment. I guess she was just glad that her Romeo and Juliet were finally done with the whole ‘bickering with each other’ thing. The day went by pretty fast. After running into Alice, I walked to the Auditorium and saw a few kids had already arrived for rehearsal. The Bimbos, well just dumb and dumber since Kelsey wasn’t in the play, were there to my surprise, each of them smirking evilly at me as I passed by. Angela waved, and I saw her talking to Ben Cheney animatedly. Her face looked slightly flushed.

“Hi Bella,” Mike said enthusiastically as I stuttered a little at the awkwardness. “Hello Mike,” I said curtly, more toward politeness then enthusiasm. As if on cue, Edward walked through the doors. He grinned when he saw me; and I couldn’t help but grin back. After dumping his books on the floor, he came up to me and smirked when he saw Mike.

“Hello Bella,” he smiled. “Hi Edward,” I must have sounded pretty excited, for Mike looked disappointed to see me greet Edward more optimistically then him.

“I guess I’ll catch you later, Bella,” he murmured and stomped away. Edward and I snickered when he left. “Man, that guy is annoying,” he said shaking his head helplessly. “Hi Edward!” Lauren ran up to him and threw her arm around his shoulder. His face looked white, but he greeted her back politely nevertheless,

“Lauren. What’s up?” he said in a bored tone, his face blank. “Nothing much. I’m just so excited for our game tomorrow! Remember the last time when we played the Kangaroos? We went to their school! You totally beat their asses!” she winked at him as he grimaced a little.

“We’re not playing the Kangaroos tomorrow, Lauren. We’re playing the Wolves,” he said as matter-of-factly as he took a step away from her. I bit my lip; this was all just too funny.

“Oh…” she frowned. “Gather up people! And you girls need to get out of here!” Mrs. Caughman bellowed at some of Edward’s fan girls who stuck their heads in here to watch him. He sighed resentfully.

“Alright, so I take you and Edward had been rehearsing this weekend?” Mrs. Caughman raised her eyebrow at us when we formed a half circle around her on the stage.

“Yes ma’am,” Edward smirked as Jamie whistled. I blushed, and Lauren scowled loudly and stomped her foot. “Great. Do you two have the lines memorized?” she asked as we nodded. “Wonderful! Wonderful! I knew there was a reason that I picked you,” she joked as the rest of the students laughed. “Why don’t we get started with Scene Two? And I DO remember telling the rest of you to memorize your lines for this scene last Friday! No scripts!” she clapped her hands, “Chop! Chop! Get to work!” They groaned as Edward rolled his eyes and muttered something like “whiny” under his breath. When I was about to go to the side for Romeo and Benvolio to step up, I stumbled over something, and I was sure I was going to fall flat on my face. Oh god… I closed my eyes and waited for the crash. Except, I didn’t… I felt two strong arms around my waist, keeping my face two feet off the ground. I gasped, and I heard a concerned voice calling to me,

“Bella? You alright?” I looked up and saw Edward frowning at me, almost panicky. I turned to see what had tripped me. A cord, with Lauren’s foot lifting it up. I glared at her, and she instantly dropped her foot, pretending that none of this had anything to do with her. Her face was not pleased when she saw every one rushing over to see if I was okay, and most important of all, Edward’s arms wrapped around my waist protectively. Her plan failed, and I could see it through her eyes on what she expected to happen. For example, me crashing on to the ground, breaking every single bone in my body.

“I’m fine Edward,” I mumbled as he helped me stand back up. “Did you sprain anything?” he asked. “No, I’m absolutely fine. Thank you,” I told him sincerely as he smiled back a little, “No problem.”

“If you’re okay, why don’t we continue with the play?” the teacher smiled at us as I nodded. Edward walked on the stage with one final glance in my direction.

“I’m fine,” I assured him and gave him a smile. Thank you… The teacher complimented Edward and me after we finished the scene without once needing to read off the cardboard. The kids watched us in awe, and their mouth hanging open when we finished. Lauren looked a bit shocked at first, but she quickly shook her head to replace a frown and growl.

“Whoa man! You two were amazing!” Jamie came up to us, sounding impressed. I blushed and thanked him. “That’s what I call acting!” Mrs. Caughman sighed and patted mine and Edward’s shoulder smilingly. “I hope the rest of you learned a thing or two from Edward and Bella!” Edward smiled and winked at me. After Scene four, Angela and I stepped up to get ready.

“Here's such a coil! come, what says Romeo?” I recited, my thoughts wandering to Edward when I said Romeo. Damn it! What was with me and getting too attached to the play?

“Have you got leave to go to shrift to-day?” “I have.” “Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence' cell; There stays a husband to make you a wife: Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks, they'll be in scarlet straight at any news. Hie you to church; I must another way, To fetch a ladder, by the which your love…Must climb a bird's nest soon when it is dark: I am the drudge and toil in your delight, But you shall bear the burden soon at night. Go; I'll to dinner: hie you to the cell.” Angela sounded slightly nervous as she finished her last line.

“Hie to high fortune! Honest nurse, farewell!” Angela and I gave each other an encouraging smile, and I followed behind her to exit the stage. Then, I felt water pouring at me from above. What the hell?!

“Ugh!” I gasped loudly. I was soaked! I freaked, and I looked up and saw a bucket hanging over, tied to a rope. I swear I saw someone stepping behind the curtains. Lauren giggled and Jessica, too. Bitches! That’s why they were here early! The other kids were murmuring “oh my god” under their breaths.

“What is the meaning of this?” Mrs. Caughman shrieked as the rest of the students looked once again shocked. “Who did this?” She looked at me frantically and the stage that was now soaking wet. No one answered, and Lauren just shrugged. Everyone stared at me with wide eyes, watching the water drip from my shirt. I wanted to scream! I wanted to tell everyone that she came up with this wicked, treacherous plan! But that may be just what she wanted; attention. She would be so glad to know that she actually angered me… so I said nothing.

“Sweetie? Why don’t you go back and change?” Mrs. C smiled at me apologetically, “Due to this… mischief, rehearsal will not continue today! Mike, get a mop and clean up the floor! Miss Mallory! Miss Stanley! May I have a talk with you?” she yelled, frustrated and annoyed. So the teacher knew that it was them. That cheered me up a little bit. Their faces wrinkled, and they shrugged innocently. Did they think the teacher was as stupid as them? I walked silently to get my stuff and exited the Auditorium. I couldn’t believe that she hated me that much! I wasn’t popular back in New York, but I was on good terms with the cheerleaders. All I knew, my life had turned upside down when I came to California. I hated Lauren Mallory with every single fiber of my being. There were no words to describe my hatred for her.

“Bella! Wait up!” Oh my god. Please let me be imagining that velvet voice. But I wasn’t. Edward Cullen ran up to me, with a concerned look on his face. Could this possibly get any more embarrassing? My shirt was pretty much see through at that point since it was completely soaked.

“Are you alright?” he asked thoughtfully, I waited for the laughing but it never came. “Yes, Edward, I’m fine…” I said to him with a sigh. To my surprise, he took of his jacket and placed it over my shoulder. “No… it’s okay, I’m not cold…” I tried to say, but words failed me when the wind blew. My voice was quivering… “Bella, take it. It’s getting cold outside, I wouldn’t want you to get sick or anything,” he said sternly, his hands on my shoulder to make sure I don’t take it off and give it back to him.

“Thanks,” for helping me the second time today. “But I’m going to get your jacket all wet…” “It’ll survive, and I could care less about the jacket,” he said, and my face turned scarlet red. Why do you always blush at something he says?

“Mrs. C knows it was them. They’re getting lunch and after school detention for a week. And they found the third girl that was doing everything. Kelsey, was it?” he told me, I knew I saw someone up there. I nodded, “Yeah… that’s her. I don’t know what the hell they have against me, but if they think I’m going to quit the play just like this, they are so wrong because I’m not cracking yet,” my tone was belligerent. Edward smiled,

“That’s the Bella that I know…” he said, followed by his musical chuckle. I was so grateful that he gave me the jacket. He was right; it was getting windy outside. I was about to hand it back to him when we reached the dorms, but he stopped me with his hand on my shoulder again.

“Leave it on… there’s still air conditioning in the lobby and the hallway,” he reminded me. “Edward…” “Leave it on, Bella,” he smiled and I thanked him. “I’ll bring it to school tomorrow, I promise…” “Sure…” his emerald green eyes were locked in mine again, I blushed. “Umm… Thanks for everything, I better go and change,” my voice sounded a little shaky. I had to break the staring; I didn’t want to blurt out something embarrassing or do something stupid, like fainting.

“You’re welcome, I’ll see you later,” he smiled his breathtaking crooked smile and turned around to walk back to his dorm. Holy shit… I stared smilingly after him like a complete nitwit, and my heart; it was definitely melting again.

“Umm Bella?” he turned around and called to me with a sly smile on his face. He caught me off guard, I accidentally gasped to my dismay.

“Yes?” He must have thought I was crazy, still staring after him instead of going inside in my condition. “Let’s just say I have some surprises planned for Lauren on our next rehearsal,” he chuckled darkly as I looked at him alarmed. Oh my god, I had the king of mischief revenging for me. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or scared.

“Don’t worry, nothing major, but just good enough to embarrass her,” he grinned, reading my mind, and started walking again. It was almost worth getting wet, I laughed at myself for thinking so pathetically. Chapter Nineteen After taking a shower, getting all the Lauren-ness off me, I blew-dry my hair and fell on my bed, my eyes staring at the ceiling. I did my Biology homework and planned on reading Wuthering Heights, but just as I was about to opened the book, my cell phone rang.

“Hello?” I said to the unfamiliar number on the called ID. “Bella, it’s dad…” “Hey dad! New cell phone?” “Yes, hon. I’m sorry that I didn’t call earlier, I was in Japan attending a meeting, and the timing was never right...” he said apologetically.

“No worries, I understand how busy you can be.” “So how are things? New friends?” Charlie was never a talker, but he was making an effort bringing up conversations. “Lots of new friends. My roommate, Alice, is a joy. She’s one of my best friends along with her boyfriend, Jasper, her best friend Rosalie, and Rosalie’s boyfriend, Emmett, who is Alice’s older brother. Sort of complicated,” I chuckled. “Yeah,” I could picture him scratching his head. “So… are you seeing anybody?” he sounded nervous.

I groaned. This was not a conversation that I wanted to have with my father. “No dad! Did you and mom talk about this? Because you asked the exact same question!”

“Sorry Bells, it’s just seemed like a father duty to know who his daughter is dating.” “Well FYI, I’m not going out with anyone,” I grinned. Charlie and Renee weren’t the kind of parents who would freak if I was seeing someone. They always said that they would respect my decision, and they trusted me enough to make my own. But that was not something that I would like to discuss with them. I mean, after all, they are my parents.

“Huh. Hey, would you like to talk to Carmen?” he asked. “No thanks,” I rejected quickly, which upset him a little. “Isabella, Carmen misses you terribly. She would love to speak with you,” my dad said disapprovingly. Yeah, when hell freezes over. I never liked Carmen. She butted in my business, and talked to me as if I was a child instead of a teenager, soon to be adult. And she always got me in trouble with Charlie, suggesting some stupid ideas that I would never consider doing in a billion years like joining the “local girl scout”, and then going up to my dad and complain how I don’t respect her decision, ugh!

“Hey dad? Dad? Phone… disconnecting… talk to you… next time,” I was good at faking that kind of stuff; I shut the phone and smiled at my brilliance. Ha ha, no talking to Carmen. No talking to Carmen… I felt like doing one of those hula dances. I looked over to Edward’s jacket, which was still lying messily on my desk. I got up and was going to get a hanger to hang it, but when I picked it up, I stopped and just couldn’t seem to put it back down. Oh my god… It smelled amazing! It had a nice scent; too nice to be cologne. I closed my eyes and breathed in, inhaling those heart melting smells… You are sooo pathetic, Bella. I scowled myself and put it back down. I laughed at myself for being so utterly absurd and went back on my bed to read a magazine or something. Anything to take my mind off him. Alice came back at about five o’clock, and I told her everything that happened, except for the part where Edward walked me home in case she made a great deal out of it again. It would be just like her, getting overly excited for something meaningless. But as perceptive as always, Alice’s eyes wandered to Edward’s jacket after she skimmed around the room. She asked suspiciously where I got the jacket from, and I had no choice but to tell her the truth. As expected, she was squealing excitedly as if she just won a trip to Hawaii. I couldn’t sleep well that night. Alice was asleep three seconds after she came in contact with the bed, but I flipped on my bed for two hours restlessly. It was already one o’clock in the morning when I checked, and I still couldn’t fall asleep! Damn it, I didn’t want bruised shades under my eyes tomorrow! I groaned; why couldn’t I sleep? Why couldn’t I sleep? I felt like I had something on my mind, keeping me awake, but I couldn’t put a finger to it. I closed my eyes and forced myself to think “sleep… sleep” repeatedly and nothing else, but it was worthless. Wasn’t even a bit helpful. I scowled silently at myself for being so difficult. With a sigh, I jumped out of bed and walked to where the chair was in the darkness. I felt the fabric of Edward’s jacket, picked it up and carried it to bed with me. I didn’t care how stupid and ridiculous I was being. I got under the sheets again, and held his jacket tightly in my arms like a pillow beside me. I took a whiff, and I could almost hear his chuckle just by inhaling the scent of his jacket. As if magic, the uneasiness disappeared and instantly, I felt sleepy. I closed my eyes, and I saw his crooked smile in my mind. I couldn’t help my smile back, and that was the last thing that I saw before drifting to dream land. The next morning, I woke up before Alice to place the jacket back on the chair just in case she gets suspicious again. I did my morning routine and found a sleepy Alice mumbling my name.“Bella…” she said, “What time is it? You’re up early.”

“Up Ali, it’s already seven,” I shook her as she yawned again. “Had a good dream?” I guessed by the big smile on her face. “Yes,” she sighed dreamily. “If it involves Jasper in any inappropriate way, I don’t want to hear it,” I warned her quickly and she giggled. “Chill Bella… Yes, I dreamed of him, but we weren’t doing anything. We won a car, a yellow Porsche to be exact, oh! Did I mention it was yellow?” she beamed as I rolled my eyes.

“Only about a million times, Alice,” I teased her.

“I’m going have to get one of those…” she winked, “It was amazing! The speed I tell ya!” After we both got dressed and had breakfast in Starbucks, we walked to our classrooms and guess who I bumped into on the way? Edward Cullen, leaning casually against the wall at the entrance of the building, waiting for someone. A smile lit on his face when he saw me; could he possibly be waiting for me? Yeah right…

“Hey Bella,” he greeted me cheerfully when I walked up to him. “Hi Edward, thanks again for the jacket,” I handed it to him, returning the smile. “No problem. How was your sleep?” he asked politely. “Good,” Thanks to your jacket, I almost blurted out, “Yours?” “Pleasant,” he smirked as if enjoying an inside joke. He walked beside me, and people were starting to stare. We took a left turn when we entered the building.

“So… Did we have any homework for Biology yesterday?” he asked, making up some small talks. It was impossible to feel awkward when with Edward; he was always the conversation guy. Of course, my heart was a whole other story.

“Yep. We had to look up some cell membrane information on the Internet.” “Crap…” I heard him murmur and I laughed. “Don’t worry, I didn’t do it either. It just came back to me a while ago when you brought it up,” I said truthfully and he chuckled. We were at the door of my Math classroom.

“Shit! I better go… Or I’m going to get detention again,” he muttered when he saw a teacher staring at him disapprovingly. “Don’t you have your class right here?” I asked, confused. “No… It’s on the right side of the building,” he smirked. “Then why’d you walk over here?” My tone sounded almost disapproving. “Maybe I just wanted to walk the beautiful girl to her first class,” he joked, “You know, to make sure she gets there safely without any threats from the Bimbos.” For some reason, when the word bimbo came out from his lips, it made me laugh so hard.

“So what you’re saying is, you’re my night in shiny armor?” I quirked up my eyebrow and smiled at him. He took a step closer to me,

“Maybe,” he whispered with a crooked smile. His eyes… were the softest thing that I had ever seen. They stared down at me with amusement, and my heart accelerated. Hell, I thought I was going to hyperventilate.

“Sorry,” I heard a girl squeak shyly as she passed us and accidentally bumped Edward’s arm. “No problem,” he smiled, “I’ll catch you later, Bella,” he tilted up his head and gave me a wink. “Whatever you say, stalker,” I yelled after him jokingly when he started walking. He stopped and spun around to face me with a huge smug.

“Stalker?” he smirked, his eyes humorous. “Yeah… stalker,” I confirmed him and bit my lip to hold back my laughter. “That’s your definition of stalking? I think of it as concerning, thank you very much,” he gave me a curtsy bow and I laughed.

“I was kidding. Get to class, Edward,” I rolled my eyes at him with a smile. “Yes ma’am,” he chuckled and I entered the classroom, laughing. It was weird how my heart would speed up when I talk to him; but when I was with him, I was me. I didn’t have to be anyone else but myself, and I was comfortable with it. But I’m not falling for him, we’re friends, I said to myself. We didn’t have rehearsal that afternoon since there was a game. The school was once again decorated with yellow and blue

ribbons all over, it looked really spirity. I saw a lot of girls carrying shopping bags from the souvenir shop; I’ve never went in there before so I decided to check it out. When I entered the shop, I saw lots of Bulldog Tees, pompoms, and banners up in the wall. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. At the back of the store, where a mob of girls were at, was a section of T-shirts and banners with Edward’s name and Jersey number! And my, were they pricey, each of the shirts costs about twenty to thirty dollars! Yet there they were, grabbing a good amount of them as if they were free! I was too stunned to say anything, so I just stared at them with wide eyes, jaw hanging open. This was outrageous! Never before had I seen so many boy-crazed girls in a shop! The rest of the store was pretty empty; a few students here and there as the rest were crowded in the “Edward Section”. I got the newest Bulldog shirt that was recommended at the counter… I didn’t feel like spending money, but I guess I was so freaked out by the fact that they were that crazy about Edward; I felt the need to get a normal shirt to prove that I wasn’t one of them. Besides, Alice would say something like “No wearing the same spirit shirt two weeks in a roll”… My reasons were good enough. Those girls brought embarrassment to our gender, I felt ashamed knowing that we both were X chromosomes. These are headstrong crazy days When you’re mind’s made up and the music plays….

“Hi Alice!” I greeted her cheerfully. “Bella! Where are you?” “I just went to the souvenir shop. Guess what? I got myself a t-shirt!” “Really?! I’m so proud of you! I knew I was rubbing some Alice-ness on you,” she teased as I giggled. “Well, meet us in the courtyard for dinner, okay? We’re on our way…”

“Of course, see you there!” After changing into the shirt that I just bought, I jogged to the courtyard. We had Chicken Fajitas for supper. One of the things that I like about this school, they have a variety kinds of foods to choose from. The guys left early since they had to get ready in the gym. We girls sat there and just chatted until it was time to leave for the game. We got some good seats. Wasn’t too close, and it wasn’t too far to view the game either. Leave it to Rosalie to get a perfect spot.

“You might be good at football, You might be good at track. But when it comes to basketball, You might as well step back!” The cheerleaders repeated the same cheer, and jumped excitedly with their pompoms. More people were starting to arrive, including the other team, who just entered with their black jerseys on. Whoa. They were all so… BIG! I noticed a lot of them were Native Americans from their tan skin and facial features, I guess this game wouldn’t be as easy as the last one.

“This game is pretty intense. The Wolves are pretty good, though they never beat us, but they came close last year,” Alice whispered in my ear. I nodded my head in comprehension, she continued,

“Don’t worry! They may get more muscles, but we got the skills and the brains,” she smiled surely and that made me relaxed a little. Edward’s fan girls were starting to rise up their banners. They were chanting his name, and we still had ten minutes to the game!

“Come on Edward! Let’s go! Go Edward! Edward!!” They screamed crazily when the team finally came out from the locker room. The other team looked annoyed and slightly taken back by the fans; I would be too hearing those squeals for your opponent. We cheered loudly when we saw Emmett and Jasper come out. They skimmed through the crowd, and to our surprise, they saw us and waved! When I saw Edward jog out with his teammates at last, I couldn’t help but smile. He was talking to Jamie, who was snarling at the opposing team. Were these to two schools rivals or what? Because neither team looked friendly when they saw each other. After glaring at each other intensely, Edward interrupted the glaring between his teammate and the other team.

I admit, he does have the whole Captain stance. I couldn’t help but notice the respect and admiration his teammates had for him. No matter how loudly his fan club was screaming, he never looked in their direction. The gym fell silent when the other Captain walked up to him to talk; I saw and heard through the screen and the speaker,

“Long time no see, Black,” Edward greeted him acidly. “Yeah, you too, Cullen,” the boys tone was reproachful, too. “I hope you don’t think you’re going to beat us again this year, cause we are new and improved,” he smirked. Edward nodded, “We had had been practicing, too. And of course, our skills top last year’s,” he finished confidently. “May the best team win,” he extended his hand and the other guy took it, each still staring intensely at each other.

“Good luck,” the boy smirked. “Thank you, but we don’t need luck to lead us to victory,” Edward smirked back as the other guy’s face wrinkled. “Don’t’ get cocky, Cullen, we’ll see,” he sneered and the buzzer went on. The game started, and I was just about as excited and nervous as the players. Our team got the ball, and Emmett made the first score with a jump shot. Rosalie, Alice and I hugged each other and squealed. What a great way to start the game! The other team looked pretty upset; their Captain was scowling them for not blocking Emmett. That made me a little angry; I felt the urge to just go up to the Captain and tell him to chill. It was only a game. Edward pounded fists with Emmett when he passed by, both grinning sheepishly at each other.

“Step aside, Ready! We're turning up the Heat! We're on our way to victory, We won't take defeat!” Our team was very united and I was very impressed with their teamwork. They were already six points ahead and the game barely started! Rosalie said that Emmett, Jasper, and the rest of the team trained especially hard for this game since the wolves came in second place for district last year. Edward did a spectacular set shot, we cheered for him,

“Alright! That’s my brother!” Alice yelled loudly as the gym echoed with the chant of his name. “Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward!!” “We love you Edward! We love you!” Rosalie gagged after hearing some girls sitting behind us declaring their love for him. “Please! Keep your thoughts to yourselves! This is a basketball game, not his fan club meeting!” she screamed at them when they finally reached her limit. The girls looked slightly taken back, but they were still holding posters with Edward’s name in big, red hearts, waving it in the air. Alice and I both found this too funny. Throughout the game, they had caught up with us little by little, and that made me extremely nervous. During the half time, our team was winning, but I couldn’t help but break out a cold sweat. The Wolves were only down by eight points. But Edward didn’t even look freaked out. He was expressionless, and it was hard to know what he was thinking. His teammates looked slightly nervous as the opposing team looked joyous and confident.

“We’re winning this year,” the Captain smirked and his face came on the screen again. “I would be more impressed if you were able to say that at the end of the game,” Edward said back at him icily as we all back him up with a bunch of “yeahs!” The other team’s arrogant, stuck up attitude was beginning to piss me off. And I thought Edward was arrogant. Compare to them, he was like the saint of ethics. The game continued, both teams gaining points. Edward’s face hadn’t changed, still cool and completely unbothered. At the final fifteen minutes of the game, that was when the game got serious. Edward leaped for the ball aggressively and gracefully when it was thrown by the other team to his teammate; it startled us all with excitement. He caught the ball and ran straight for the hoop. He didn’t make any stops on the way no matter how many guys from the other team stood in his way, he slipped snappily by them, causing them to frown. Miraculously, the ball went swiftly threw the hoop from the three point line by a remarkable shot that he did. Alice and I hugged each other and squealed! So that’s why he was so cool with it, he was feigning and holding back! I couldn’t understand why he did it, but I guess I kind of suspected that from the beginning. Edward was a lot better than the Edward that played during the first half

of the game, although he played good, but he wasn’t like his usual self, the basketball prodigy. The other team’s face fell and their jaws were hanging open when Edward continued making prodigious shots. In five minutes, he had already made more than fifteen points with the help of his teammates. I was smiling so hugely that my face was starting to sore, but I didn’t care! We had seconds to the end of the game, and my heart was beating rapidly, excited at the sound of the buzzer.

“BEEP! BEEP!” We cheered when we looked at the score board. During the last fifteen minutes of the game, Edward had scored over thirty eight points, leaving us thirty one points ahead! Rosalie, Alice and I were too happy to say anything! We just held hands and jumped up and down with excitement.

“The victory goes to… The Bulldogs!” the announcer said as we all cheered loudly. Edward and his teammate high-fived each other blissfully and the cheerleaders were shrieking with happiness. The gym went crazy! The ground was practically shaking from all the laughter and cheers. The other team went back to their bench disappointedly; their Coach was not pleased with their performance. Rosalie, Alice and I ran down the bench to congratulate the guys. With some shoveling and pushing, we finally reached Jasper and Emmett. The couples kissed; and I looked away. Watching my best friends make out wasn’t exactly high on my priority list. After their make out sessions, I hugged the both of them, “Congratulations!! You guys were fantastic!”

“Thanks!” they chuckled. I watched them talk to Rosalie and Alice animatedly about the game; it made me happy just seeing how happy they were together.

“What? No congrats for me?” Edward’s voice came from behind and it startled me. With a short gasp, I turned around and saw him grinning hugely at me. Probably I was still high from all of the excitement; I hugged him with a huge smile of my own.

“You were amazing out there! The word amazing didn’t even cover it!” I exclaimed wholeheartedly as he laughed. “You know, I try my best. They weren’t really that good,” he joked and grinned. “Speaking of trying your best, why were you holding back? You could have totally beaten them from the beginning of the game, and definitely have gotten more points,” I asked him, suspicious. To my surprise, he laughed.

“You noticed that? Perceptive, are we?” he teased, smiling crookedly as rolled my eyes. “About the team, not you… so don’t get cocky,” I grinned, teasing him back and waited for him to explain. “Let’s just say I’m not a fan of the Wolves. They always piss me off with that arrogant attitude, and I just wanted to rub it in their face a little. And I thought, hell, why not build up their hopes on winning and crash it when they were at the highest point? It was more torturous for them than just beating them from the beginning. I bet they’re feeling pretty stupid right now, thinking they were winning the game and stuff,” he chuckled darkly as I beamed at him.

“Evil plan...” I tapped my temples smilingly, “But I like it, genius,” I gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. He laughed, “Thanks.” The cheerleaders were obviously looking for Edward, their smile turned into a snarl when they saw us together. They watched us a few yards afar.

“Congratulations on winning the game, Cullen,” a husky voice sneered from my back. I turned my head around and saw the Captain from the other team looking really pissed.

“Thank you, Black. It sounded almost sincere,” Edward sneered back; a hard, mocking edge entered his voice. It was easy to feel the intensity and hatred they had for each other, I felt awkward just standing between them. He wasn’t as tall as Edward, a few inches shorter; but quite muscular. He was kind of good looking, though not as good looking as Edward. No one would ever be half as good looking as Edward, I thought to myself helplessly. I quickly pulled that thought out of my head. Enough praising Edward, I scolded myself silently. The guy’s face softened up when he realized my presence.

“Well… Well… Well… Who’s this pretty girl right here?” he smirked down at me, his eyes dancing up and down my body, as if evaluating. Edward gritted his teeth together. I could tell Edward didn’t really want to give the introduction, but he did it anyway, unwillingly. “This is Bella. Bella, this is…”

“Jacob. Jacob Black,” he interrupted, offering a handshake. I took it, and he squeezed my hand a bit too tight for my liking.

Edward snorted quietly, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Nice to meet you,” I smiled politely. “You too. So, are you new here? Because I had never seen you before, and you are far too pretty to be missed,” he said, flashing a flirtatious smile.

“Well, there are over hundreds of students in this school… so it would be normal if you hadn’t seen me. But consider yourself lucky, I am new,” I grinned sheepishly.

“Jacob!” his teammate hissed at him, probably for socializing with opposing teams. Man, what was with his school? Didn’t they take the game a little too seriously?

“Alright!” he yelled at him. “Bella? Listen, maybe… umm… we can keep in touch? Here’s my number,” he scribbled down quickly on a piece of paper that he had in his pocket and smiled when he handed it to me. “Call me anytime, and I hope to see you soon,” he picked up my hand and kissed it, giving me a wink. His glances turned to Edward…

“See you in the tournament, Cullen,” the unfriendliness came back to his voice, his jaw twitched when he said Edward’s name.

“Yeah, just get out of here, Black,” Edward replied, his tone was filled with venom as well. Jacob walked out of sight with his teammates, and his coach gave Edward a cold, harsh glare before exiting the gym. They seriously lacked sportsmanship. Edward snorted and shook his head angrily. “Want me to dump that in the trash for you? I can get something to wipe off that poison from your hand,” he sounded so disgusted, his face wrinkled and I decided to play with him a little.

“What made you think that I wasn’t interested?” I gave him an annoyed look. His body stiffened, and his face turned deathly pale.

“I… uh…” he stuttered. I bit my lip, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter anymore. “Relax. I was joking,” I assured him, still laughing as he sighed in relief. “The chances of me dating him would be just as small as me dating Mike…” I rolled my eyes.

“I’m glad,” he whispered and took a step toward me, tucking the lock behind my ear. My heart raced as it always did when he touched me… I tried to modulate my voice, but it was caught in my throat.

“Edward!!” I would know that shriek anywhere. Lauren gasped when she saw him standing so close to me. He sighed, “What is it?”

“We’re taking the group photo, they wantus now,” she whined. You mean you wanted him now, I almost blurted out. “Give me a minute,” he told her as she stomped away with a huff. His eyes still hadn’t left mine. I gave him an encouraging smile,

“Well go! What are you waiting for? They can’t possibly not have the Captain in the photo,” I said in mock horror as he rolled his eyes. He deliberated and sighed, “I guess not,” he said, walking away backwards, still facing me, “Later… stalker,” he smiled crookedly as I scoffed at his teasing.

“Stalker?” I repeated him, outraged. “You were paying awful a lot of attention on me during the game,” he chuckled and quirked up his eyebrow. “Please… don’t flatter yourself,” I snorted at him, although half he said was true. I was paying a lot of attention on him, but never would I admit that. He laughed, “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow, Bella,” he waved and disappeared into the crowd. It was ridiculous how that one little sentence made my heart flip. I was sure I was blushing. I sighed and went outside the gymnasium to look for my friends when my legs started to function again. Chapter Twenty As I walked to class the next morning, people were staring, whispering, pointing at me. I didn’t exactly understand why, I

mean, I wasn’t technically the new girl anymore, and being Juliet was old news… so what did they possibly have against me? I was getting out my textbooks, waiting for the bell when I arrived in first period. Then I saw a girl walking up to me, frowning.

“Hi, Bella, is it?” a girl asked. “Yes… May I help you?” “I’m Rachelle. Listen, I just want to confirm something. Are you dating Edward Cullen?” she asked, frowning again. I couldn’t believe my ears, “Of course not! Why would you think that?” Was she trying to be funny? Me? Dating Edward?

“Well, a few of us saw you walking home with him two days ago with his jacket on… And we saw you hugging and talking to each other last night,” she said bitterly. I sighed, “We’re friends. Really. And the reason that I had his jacket on was because a certain moron got me wet, and Edward offered his jacket since it was cold, so now you can go back, and tell the rest of the school, that there is absolutely, positively nothing going on between me and Edward Cullen.” The girl looked slightly surprised by my response; she bit her lip and went back to her friends, who were huddling around her desk. Though I seriously doubt that it was necessary for her to repeat what I said, since I was sure that my volume was loud enough for every one in the classroom to hear. I was annoyed; what was with everyone thinking that there was something going on between me and Edward? Can’t a guy and a girl be friends? In Biology, I bumped into Lauren at the entrance of the classroom. She started giggling when she saw me and we walked into the classroom together, unfortunately.

“So Bella, enjoyed the rehearsal?” I wanted to rip her head off, and cut off her throat. That surprised me; I was never so violent in the past. Instead of doing neither, or expressing my anger, I played along.

“Yes Lauren. Thanks for the shower, how did you know I was dying for something to cool off the heat?” I smiled sickly back at her as her face fell, startled and puzzled at my response. “By the way, how’s detention?”

“Bitch,” she spat angrily. “Right back at cha,” I replied acidly as she scoffed and went back to her seat. Edward looked at us with an amused expression; he coughed and quickly composed himself. I swear I saw him smirking.

“Edward! We went to the game last night! You were absolutely great!” a few of his fan girls came up to him as they came in the classroom and started to congratulate him, batting their lashes. He replied with a polite thank you, and pretended to work on some assignment. Lauren slapped her desk and growled at the fan girls. The fan girls went back to their seats after Lauren gave them a deathly glare.

“Hey Edward,” she said in her high pitched voice as she walked up to him. “Lauren,” Edward smiled. “Didn’t see you after the photo shoot. Where were you?” “Out with some friends,” he said simply as Lauren’s gaze turned to me, questioning. “Last night, the Kangaroos totally sucked. I mean, they couldn’t even throw the ball into the hoop!” she said proudly, rolling her eyes as if she had ten years of experience.

“You mean the Wolves?” Edward said very slowly, as if she was mentally disabled. “Oh my gosh, you’re so smart! Ha ha ha!” she laughed hysterically and slapped Edward’s shoulder jokingly as he turned to me, mouthing a “help” with a grimace. I chuckled silently as I listened to the rest of the conversation.

“Boy, it’s getting hot in here,” she winked at Edward and started taking off her jacket. Her hands were lingering on her chest as she puffed them out. She looked like a hooker, wearing a tank top, way too low cut and way too tight for school, with the word “Sexy” at the front. The exact opposite of you… She leaned down to Edward, exposing some portion of her chest. Edward didn’t look at all interested, he just looked down to his worksheet, a.k.a. his prop to get rid of the fan girls, and said

to her very coolly,

“Lauren? I have some work to do. So if you’ll excuse me…” Lauren looked at him as if he had lost his mind. Disappointed, she put her jacket back on and walked back to her seat pouting.

“You can undress for me anytime, Lauren,” I heard her geeky partner said to her, smiling flirtingly. Eww!! Kill me please! “Ugh! Whatever loser,” she said, disgusted and scooted her chair farther away from him. Edward and I snickered, hey; at least the geeks find her attractive. She should take comfort in that.

“Physics worksheet?” I read over Edward’s shoulder. “I take whatever I have,” he shrugged, smiling. I noticed his handwriting was very, very elegant. You know, the kind of script you see in the oldie movies, perfectly neat. He didn’t look like the nice handwriting type, but who was I to be the judge of that? He didn’t look like the Shakespeare guy either. I noticed the worksheet was from last year, I couldn’t help but laugh. Does this boy ever clean out his backpack? Or should we be thankful that he even carried one? Okay, maybe I was a little excited and nervous for today’s rehearsal. After all, I had Edward on the job, and that doesn’t exactly put a girl to the state of calm. Pain, without love Pain, I can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

“Alice?” I raised my eyebrow as I answered my phone. What was with the ring tone? “Bella?” answered a sniffed voice, followed by a nasty cough. “Oh my god Alice! What happened?” “I don’t know. I was fine, but after lunch, I started feeling dizzy, so I went to the nurse. She checked my temperature, and she said I had a fever. And now I’m starting to lose my voice from freaking coughing to much!” she sobbed dryly as I heard Jasper’s soothing voice in the background.

“Calm down Alice… You’ll be just fine in a few days.” “Sorry for the hysteria. I just hate it when I’m sick. Anyway, I just called to tell you that I’m staying over today at Jasper’s place, alright? So I can cuddle with Jasper and he knows how to take care of me,” she said, coughing; I heard her cussing.

“Yeah… feel better, alright?” “Thanks,” she sniffed and we hung up. Poor Alice! I could imagine why she was feeling so freaked out. I mean, if she didn’t get better, she couldn’t go shopping. What a nightmare it must have been for her. I walked nervously to the auditorium. Lauren wasn’t there yet, neither was Jessica. Mrs. Caughman was checking for buckets and stuff, so that what happened Monday wouldn’t repeat. I saw Edward coming out from the curtains, talking to Melinda, the line holding girl.

“Hi Bella,” he greeted me smilingly. “Edward,” I grinned, suspicious. We heard some high-heels clicking, and we both immediately knew that it was Lauren and Jessica. I mean, who in the world would wear high-heels to school? Edward’s smirk grew larger, I gulped. Boy, this can’t be good. The rehearsal started; nothing abnormal so far… though my relief stopped in Scene five. Edward and I stepped up the stage along with Jessica and Angela. Edward looked like he was trying very hard to gain composure; he gave me a wink and started grinning hugely again. Edward and I stepped up the stairs for the window scene; the lines came in more naturally for me this time. Though the word love was caught in my throat a little. Just a play… stop being a complete fool! After Angela came to warn us about Lady Capulet, Edward dropped his eyes and walked down the stage, smiling. Here

comes Jessica,

“Why, how now, Juliet!” she bellowed, her eyes locked on the lines that Melinda was holding. “Madam, I am not well.” “Evermore weeping for your cousin's death? What, wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears? An if thou couldst, thou couldst not make him live; Therefore, have done: some grief shows much of love; But much of grief shows still some want of wit.” “Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss.” “So shall you feel the loss, but not the friend… Which you weep for? In fact, why don’t you weep for me? For being dumbest slut in school.” Oh my god. The auditorium turned silent, we all stared at her, completely speechless, jaws hanging open. She looked confused at first, after a few seconds ticked by; she finally got what was going on.

“Ah!” she gasped, covering her mouth as the auditorium was now soaring with laughter. Tears ran down my cheeks, I was laughing so hard that I sank to the floor.

“People! Who… did this?” Mrs. C tried to keep a straight and angry face, but she failed for she was laughing just as hard as us. I looked over to the cardboard that Melinda was holding, I saw a neat print of the added lines glued over the original ones. Edward’s eyes met mine after he high-fived the Melinda girl; I smiled at him and nodded my head in approval at his performance.

“Gah!!” she screamed as she stalked out of the auditorium. A few boys were pointing rudely at her, laughing their heads off. Mrs. Caughman looked suspiciously at Edward, and that worried me. But to my surprise, she acted like as if nothing had happened and told us to go back to rehearsing. Thank god she didn’t hold a grudge against him. Lauren looked slightly pale; probably wondering what would happen to her. Thankfully for her, she didn’t have any lines in this scene. And she must had realized that, for I saw her smiling slightly. We finished the whole act happily. Everyone was still laughing at what happened, though none of them had any clue on who did all of this. Something caught my attention by surprise.

“Hi Lauren,” Edward smiled seductively as he walked up to her. She quickly stood up from her chair, looking surprised by his enthusiasm, she stuttered little, but quickly cleared her throat to flirt back.

“Edward…” she batted her lashes disgustingly. To my surprise, he wrapped his arm lightly around her and placed his hand on her back. I got this weird feeling in my stomach, something unfamiliar. Someone’s got a little green monster on their back called Mr. Jealously… Damn it! Shut up!

“Too bad that you didn’t have any lines to read today. You’re a natural,” he said, sarcastically teasing, but I guess she was too stupid to sense that.

“I know. I told my parents that maybe I can be an actress someday, you know? Since I’m so good at acting,” she said arrogantly, completely buying it. Edward grimaced a little, but I guess she didn’t see because she was too busy undressing Edward in her mind.

“So do you want to go out tonight?” she asked, taking her chance. “Gee… I can’t, I have umm… a big test to study for. Maybe another time. Great talking to you,” he smiled and walked away from a very disappointed Lauren. Lauren walked toward the door sulkily, and then the room was once again filled with hysterical laughter. On the back of her shirt, there was a piece of paper with the words “The Leader of the Bimbos- Lauren Mallory” taped on her back. And on the back of her pants, there were red paint on her butt, making it look like she just had an accident! I looked over to the chair that she was sitting at, it was a red plastic chair, no wonder she didn’t see the paint before she sat down.

“What?” she turned back to us, puzzled. She didn’t know what we were laughing at. We shook our head, trying hard not to laugh. With a shrug, she stepped out of the Auditorium. Edward and I peaked out of the door sneakily behind her, seeing

more students laughing at her as she walked by them on the sidewalk. We gave each other a high five,

“Thank you. That was brilliant,” I said wholeheartedly. “You’re welcome. You know, I really enjoy doing this,” he smirked. “I bet…” I murmured. “Oh my god! Did you see that?” a few kids were talking animatedly about what happened to both Jessica and Lauren. Edward and I decided to get out of the gym before anyone realized that we had something to do with it. We started laughing again as soon as we stepped out of the gym.

“Why did you do it?” I asked him very softly as we both calmed down. I didn’t understand why he would do all this for me. I mean, who was I? Just another girl in his class.

“I don’t know… Just wanted to, I guess,” he shrugged, slightly embarrassed? I looked down to hide my smile. Thank god I wasn’t on his bad side.

“Oh! I better go to Jasper’s place,” I checked on my watched, murmuring to myself. “Is something wrong?” he asked, thoughtful as always. “Alice is down with a bad cold. I just want to check on her.” “Can I go with you?” “Of course,” I smiled. We walked quickly to Jasper’s dorm, finding a very sick Alice, looking green on her bed. “Oh my! Alice! You look terrible!” I exclaimed, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Thanks Bella,” she said sarcastically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that…” I said to her apologetically. “Don’t worry, I do look terrible,” she rolled her eyes, coughing. “How are you feeling, sis?” Edward sat on the other side of her bed. “A little better than a while ago,” she sighed. Then her eyes were suddenly glittering again as she saw the both of us on neither side of her bed.

“Did you two come together?” she gasped happily. “Yeah… Bella told me that you were sick,” Edward nodded as Alice squealed. “Don’t you dare, Alice Cullen,” I threatened her before she blurted out something about me and Edward. Edward had a very confused expression on his face, he quirked up his eyebrow,

“Am I missing something?” “It’s a girl thing,” Alice winked at him as Jasper laughed softly from the back. “You know, I think Alice is a lot better than we think,” I said sourly, gritting my teeth. “I’m just playing with you Bella, relax,” she rolled her eyes as I gave her a nod to show that she was forgiven. The door opened, and Emmett and Rosalie walked in.

“Well, the gang is all here!” Emmett chuckled. “Hey lil sis, how are ya?” “Better,” she coughed. “Bought you some Chicken Noodle Soup, Jasper’s request,” Rosalie smiled down at her. “Thanks. You guys should go eat, it’s getting pretty late…” she said, sniffing. “Actually, Emmett and I are just going to order some takeout. Big tests for the seniors tomorrow,” Rosalie sighed as Jasper

nodded in apprehension.

“It sucks to be seniors, all we get are tests, tests, and more tests!” Emmett groaned. Edward laughed, “What a nightmare it must be for you, Em. Studying…” he faked a shudder and laughed as Emmett gave him a dirty look. “I wouldn’t be laughing. You’re going to be a senior next year, the same routine for you,” he said icily as Edward clasped his mouth shut. Then all of a sudden, his eyes lit up. “Why don’t you grab something to eat with Edward tonight, Bella? We won’t be much of a company,” Emmett suggested, winking intentionally. I heard Alice clapping her hands on her bed, exclaiming, and coughing at the same time…

“What a great idea, big brother!” “Guys! I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself, thank you very much,” I scoffed, a little offended as I heard Edward’s velvet chuckle.

“Why don’t we let her get some rest? She looks tired,” Edward suggested. “Feel better Alice,” I leaned down to give her a quick hug. “Thanks Bella,” she smiled. Emmett, Rosalie, Edward and I left the room to give her some rest. Rosalie and Emmett walked back to Emmett’s room, doing some supposedly ‘studying’ after waving us goodbye.

“So… want to grab something to eat together?” he asked casually. “You don’t have to do this; I’m going to repeat myself once more. I am perfectly capable of feeding myself,” I rolled my eyes and was about to walk over to the elevator. He spun me around to face him, “What if I want to do this?” he whispered, leaning toward me, unleashing the power of his eyes on me. Holy crap. How does he do that? Get whatever he desires? After being dazzled by his gorgeous eyes, I gave up.

“Fine. Let’s go. I’m starving,” I sighed in defeat and I heard him chuckling softly next to me. “So… what are you in the mood for?” he asked, tucking his hands in his pockets as we stepped out of the building. “I don’t know. Anything but salad,” I shuddered. “Not a veggie person, huh?” he teased. “Nope, not today. I’m a carnivore,” I said humorously as I heard more of his musical laugh. Then I noticed him staring at me again,

“What?” “Nothing. I like a girl with a hearty appetite,” he looked in to my eyes as I dropped mine, looking away, a little embarrassed. We settled for hamburgers in Clark’s. I was about to pay for my half of the meal, but he stopped me.

“I got it covered,” he said, smiling. “No way. I’m paying for my own,” I insisted sternly, refusing to let him pay for my meal. “Bella, seven bucks. Big deal,” he sighed. “Exactly.” But did he listen? No. He dragged me out of the store, smirking, finally let go of me when we reached the table in the courtyard.

“You’re so stubborn!” I complained and scowled when I sat down. “That makes the two of us,” he chuckled, handing me my drinks and burger. “Eat,” he ordered as I took a bite of my hamburger, not smiling. Though that status didn’t remain long, for he would say something very funny to make me laugh.

“So how did you come up with the ideas?” I asked, taking a sip of my soda.

“Well, we were always complaining how slowly Jessica reads her lines, right? So I thought, while we were waiting, why not make it more interesting? As for Lauren, well, let’s just say Emmett’s Bimbo comment inspired me,” he laughed as I did the same. “Her face was so funny. I mean, she actually thought that I was flirting with her, ugh!” his faced up in disgust as I shook my head helplessly.

“You’re so cruel. But since this is Lauren, I’m not going to say anything,” I grinned sheepishly. “Hey… Tell me, what did Alice mean when she said it was a girl thing?” he asked, out of the blue. I blushed, and the heat was over taking my body.

“Nothing…” I buried my face in my hands. “Come on, what’s one secret to share?” he teased, pleading with me with his emerald eyes. “Leave it alone. There’s a reason why it is called a girl thing,” I sighed. “I’ll find out,” he said boastfully. “Alice won’t crack,” I said, though not as confident as him. “We’ll see about that,” he smiled, completely sure that he was going to win. After dinner, we decided to grab some dessert. Why was I not surprised? We ended up in front of Haagen-Dazs again.

“How may I help you?” the same cashier from last time. I heard Edward snicker. “Bella?” Edward asked, half smirking. “Vanilla,” I said. “Alright. One vanilla, one Chocolate Chip,” Edward said, getting out his wallet. I didn’t want to argue anymore, it was pointless.

“Seven fifty…” the cashier said, very bored. “No discount today?” Edward smirked as I hit him playfully and hissed, “Be nice.” Lucas looked embarrassed, he said nothing and handed us our order.

“Thank you,” I said to him before leaving the store, giving Edward a glare. “No problem, come again soon,” Lucas smiled. When we stepped out of the store, Edward whistled,

“Looks like someone was a little unhappy that you didn’t call him,” he chuckled and I immediately knew he was referring to the guy from a while ago. We were now walking toward the south side of the campus, the less crowded side. Which was good; I couldn’t stand the staring, though I’m sure the hot topic of today was still Lauren and Jessica. And I would never steal the spotlight from my great friends, yeah… heavy sarcasm there.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I told him, scolding. He licked his ice cream and shrugged. Then I bumped his arm intentionally, getting ice cream on his nose.

“What the?!” he said, outraged as I started running, laughing. After wiping his nose, he started chasing me. “Come here, Swan! See what it feels like!” he yelled behind me as I screamed. We must have looked really stupid, chasing each other with ice cream cones in our hands. It was only a matter of seconds before he caught up to me. Stupid, athletic, basketball Captain.

“Gotcha,” he whispered as he locked his arms around me playfully from the back. I instantly forgot how to breathe when I realized how close we were. I could feel his breath on my neck; sending chills up and down my spine. And the heat of his chest… I hope he didn’t feel my heart race. He leaned in, chucking as I panted… All of a sudden, the sprinklers came on! “Ah!!” we were both screaming by surprise; though mine started like a half

drowned cat as his sounded velvet and perfect.

“What the hell?” We both laughed as a Janitor shook his head helplessly at us from the sidewalk.

“Don’t you kids ever read the signs?” he pointed over to an orange board that said “Do not step on the grass after 9:00 p.m.” Edward and I looked guiltily at each other and I bit my lip, and I saw the Janitor shaking his head once again, muttering something unintelligible. After apologizing, we quickly got out from the grass.

“We’re so pathetic,” Edward chuckled once we got back on the sidewalk. “Tell me about it,” I said, a little breathless. Edward looked like a model for a hair-gel company, his auburn, bronze hair, dripping wet, sparkling like diamonds. His face lit up to a breathtaking smile under the street lamp, so breathtaking that my heart almost stopped beating.

“We should get going if we don’t want to end up with a cold tomorrow,” I suggested, looking away from him, cheeks turning a little hot.

“We sure wouldn’t want that, we have to see Lauren’s reaction tomorrow,” he winked as I giggled. We walked back to the dorms, joking with each other the whole way. He told me about some encounters that he had with the teachers in the past, and they were all so humorous.

“Well, thanks for dinner,” I told him when we were at the entrance of my dorm. I was a little disappointed to tell him goodbye, I admit.

“You’re welcome. Thanks for getting us both soaking wet,” he grinned, teasing. I laughed, “You’re welcome. See ya tomorrow.”

“Sure. And Bella? I’m glad we did this,” he said, smiling his crookedly smile and sprinted out of sight as I closed the door, catching my breath. Was it normal for a girl to react like this for her friend? Chapter Twenty-One My heart was thumping out of place when I got back to the room. After gathering my pajamas, I walked shakily into the bathroom and sat in the tub for a warm bath. I thought maybe that would calm down the nerves, but it didn’t. No completely, anyway. I lied in my bed and tried to clear my head after the long, comfortable bath. I tried not to think about what he was doing right now at the moment, but my head toyed with me. My thoughts would all lead to him eventually, his laugh, his face, his gorgeous crooked smile… I wondered if this was normal. For a girl to think so much about a guy who is categorized in the friend category, if they were still going along with the truce, that is. I didn’t understand why my heart would accelerate every time he looked at me or talked to me. What bothered me the most was how much and often I thought of him. Every night before I go to sleep, his face would be the last thing that I see… And I knew I was anxious to get to school in the morning, knowing that I would see him at least in two of my classes. I froze; did I like Edward Cullen? It was pretty pathetic. Who was I kidding myself? Maybe I was spending too much time around Alice, and what they assumed about Edward and I was starting to grow in my head, which was not good. I told myself that I couldn’t possibly like him that way. I mean, he was, after all, Edward. I didn’t fall for guys like him. I couldn’t. I turned on the TV and saw that they were playing The Count of Monte Cristo on HBO. Maybe the movie would take my mind off him. At first I decided to watch it, but then I quickly remembered that the main character’s name was Edmund, and that was too close. Frustrated, I turned off the TV and played the stereo. 'Cause you're everywhere to me And when I close my eyes it's you I see You're everything I know That makes me believe I'm not alone I'm not alone

I groaned and quickly placed another CD. I really couldn’t deal with sappy love songs right now, though Michelle Branch was always one of my favorites. I got frustrated once again when I thought of how I couldn’t even watch a movie or listen to music without having the fear of being reminded of him. The next morning, I called Jasper on his cell, figuring he would be up already. I asked him how Alice was doing, and thankfully she should be able to go to school tomorrow.

“Yeah… she’s screaming for the phone right now, hang on Bella,” Jasper chuckled and I could picture Alice snatching the phone from him.

“Morning Bella!” she sounded so much better, though her voice was still a little hoarse. “Hey Alice! How are you doing?” “So much better. I think I’d be able to go back to school tomorrow. Hey, would you mind bringing me some work from my teachers? Just so I wouldn’t have a bunch of work piled up tomorrow.”

“Sure. No problem. I’ll go over to Jasper’s after school, alright?” She thanked me and we hung up. I got ready for school, and for the first time, I walked to my class alone. I didn’t see Lauren in gym. Maybe she was still too embarrassed about what happened, but you deserved it… People were still gossiping about the Bimbo Incident. After all, it wasn’t every day that Queenie and her sidekicks get totally put in their places. Jessica showed up in fourth. She acted like as if nothing had happened, and went to flirt with Edward shamelessly once more.

“That shirt looks really sexy on you… where did you get it?” she smiled seductively as she fiddled with a button of Edward’s polo.

“Jessica? Guys like Edward don’t go for sluts like you,” Jamie laughed, quoting her words from yesterday. She gasped, and walked back to her seat, greatly bewildered and embarrassed. Edward raised his eyebrow at his friend, who just shrugged and gave him an innocent look.

“What? I always hated her. Total bitch,” he muttered. “She’s not even that hot, compare to her friends.” Edward chuckled and shook his head slowly, finding Jamie’s response humorous. I looked over to Jessica, who had herface hidden in her hands, scowling. The bell rang, and they got back to their seats. The teacher wanted us to write an essay based on what we think about a famous quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. After writing the first paragraph, the intercom came on.

“Mrs. Caughman?” “Yes?” “Will you please send Isabella Swan to the office? Mr. Robinson would like to speak to her.” I froze. Mr. Robinson? Wasn’t that the… the… principal? What the hell? I’ve never been called into the principal’s office before in my life. In fact, I even doubt that he or she knew that I went to the school, since there were thousands of kids back at my old school in New York.

“Sure thing. She is on her way.” Mrs. Caughman replied, and motioned me to her desk. She handed me the hall pass, and I could hear kids murmuring to each other at my back.

“Mrs. Caughman?” I saw Edward’s hand raised up in the air. “Yes?” “May I use the restroom?” She sighed, “Make it quick.” He thanked her and got up from his chair. We walked out of the classroom together.

“What are you doing?” I asked him when I realized that he was right behind my heels instead of turning to the opposite direction for the boy’s restroom.

“I’m going with you,” he said as-matter-of-factly.

“I don’t understand… why am I called?” I asked him, puzzled as he threw me an apologetic look. “It’s my fault, really… Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” he assured me and before I could throw another question, he started walking away.

“Edward…” “Shhh… Trust me Bella,” he said, his eyes thoughtful. We arrived in front of the administration building. I guess that was where the Principal’s office was at.

“May I help you?” the same pretty secretary from last time. She gave us a warm smile. “I was called here a while ago?” I said, my voice a little frantic. “Oh… that’s right. And you Mr. Cullen?” her tone was suspicious. “I was told to come with her,” he lied, but spoke with so much authority, it was impossible to doubt. “Uh…” she stuttered and deliberated for a moment. At the end she sighed, after Edward dazzled and smoldered her with his unbelievably powerful eyes.

“Fine. But I don’t want trouble, you got that?” “Of course,” he smiled, flashing his teeth as the secretary told us to follow her to the room. The office was big. Much bigger than the one back in New York, and definitely a lot neater. There were many staffs, stuffing their noses in paper works as we passed by.

“Aren’t you at all nervous?” I whispered to him. He chuckled, “Not really. The Principal’s office is like my second home,” he shrugged. True. I mean, he did get in trouble very often.

“Mr. Robinson?” she knocked. “Come on in,” a hoarse voice answered from the other side of the door. We walked in and saw a middle-aged man sitting on a leather chair. He looked more like a business man than a Principal.

“Miss Swan, is it?” the man wasn’t friendly or smiley. His face was very professional, giving me a “no joke” look. “And Mr. Cullen. I don’t remember calling for you.”

“Hey Frank. What’s up man?” Edward said, as if greeting an old friend. “It’s Mr. Robinson to you,” he corrected him, annoyed. “Sure Rob.” Edward smirked and sat on the chair in front of the Principal’s. Mr. Robinson took a deep breath and ignored him.

“Have a seat, Miss Swan,” he said, pointing to one of the chairs in front of him that was next to Edward. “And you, out,” he ordered.

“Come on. Bella doesn’t mind,” Edward said. Mr. Robinson sighed and turned his focus back on me. “I assume you know why you’re here,” he said, staring at me in the eye. “Actually sir, I don’t…” I said shyly, confused. “I got a phone call this morning from Mrs. Mallory,” he started as it suddenly all became clear to me. “She said that her daughter was very upset yesterday, because she was pranked by you. Red paint, paper taped on the back… Would you care to explain yourself?” Yeah, she left out the part that she was the one who started the war. Before I even had a chance to open my mouth, Edward interrupted,

“Actually sir, that was my fault. I did that…” “No…” I gasped, bewildered as he put his hand up.

“Thank you Bella, for trying to cover for me… But it’s fine,” he smiled at me. I was speechless, why was he doing this? The Principal gave a dry laugh, “I don’t understand. Mrs. Mallory clearly said that her daughter was sure it was Miss Swan. Why would you do something like this?”

“Well, Frank,” Edward said, smiling. “Mr. Robinson,” he corrected him once again. Edward sighed, “Fine. Mr. Robinson, are you aware that Lauren too is at fault? She messed up our rehearsal and pulled something really stupid, and I just thought it would only be fair to get her back… Can’t you understand that?”

“Unfortunately, Mr. Cullen, I can’t. I can’t understand why the supposedly role model for this school is always heading to trouble. I can’t understand why every time if there are mischiefs in this school, they are always connected to you, one way or another. And don’t get me started on the girls!” he rolled his eyes, “Can’t you act like a junior for once? For the sake of our school and the sake of the team?” he sounded more helpless than angry. Hearing the speech was making me sickly guilty. Edward helped me, and here he was, sitting, blamed, because of me!

“Mr. Robinson? I was the one who did it,” I said, pleading with him to believe me. “Nice try, Miss Swan. I’m not surprised to see another girl covering for Edward here… It’s obvious that Edward was the master mind behind everything. Well, Edward… Should we go for another day of detention? Or would you like campus service? Oh, you’re free to go now, Miss Swan.”

“But…” “It’s alright Bella, go back to class,” Edward said, giving me a faint smile. I froze and stared at his perfect face… clueless on what I should do.

“Go on, Miss Swan,” Mr. Robinson rushed me as I walked slowly to the door with a pit in my stomach. Jessica had a big, goofy smug on her face when I entered the classroom. The students picked up their heads from their work when they realized my presence. There went the whispering again.

“Did you happen to see Mr. Cullen on your way back?” Mrs. C asked suspiciously as the feeling in my stomach hurt me even more by the mention of his name.

“Yes,” I croaked guiltily. “Ho got called to the office…” “Oh… okay.” Then I went back to my seat to continue my essay, only my head was completely filled with what happened a while ago. I didn’t write a single word throughout the rest of the class, so I had to take it as homework. When the bell rang, I ran for the door and was desperate to find Edward. And I saw him, sitting at a table with some of his friends. I took a deep breath before walking up to him.

“Hey Edward? Can I talk you for a sec?” My face must have been bothered; every one of his friends frowned with confusion and gave him a questioning look.

“Sure Bella,” Edward smiled and got up from his chair. We walked to somewhere less crowded. “Edward… I…” “Bella, I already know what you’re going to say,” he placed his finger over my lip, “It’s fine. I did it anyway, besides, I’m used to detention.”

“But you did it because of me! It’s unfair for you to get in trouble while nothing bad happens to me,” I exclaimed, frustrated at myself.

“Bella, you didn’t ask me to do it. I did it on my own; it makes perfect sense for me to get in trouble. Please, it’s really not a big deal. A day of detention, it makes no difference to me….” he stopped, “Are you satisfied with what happened to Lauren and Jessica?” he asked, his eyes locked in mine.

“Yes… but….” “That’s all I need to hear. As long as it made you happy, nothing else matters…” he said gently, his finger stroking my

cheek as I blushed and begged myself not to hyperventilate. I looked at him in the eye, hoping to find some explaining behind his words, but I saw nothing but a pair of emerald eyes staring back at me with sincerity.

“It doesn’t make me happy knowing that you’re in trouble,” I whispered as he smiled. “At least I only have a day… Lauren and Jessica have a whole week… Don’t worry about me, okay Bella? It was worth it,” he chuckled as I sighed.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered as he smiled once again, his eyes soft. “Don’t apologize… You didn’t do anything wrong.” “Edward! Let’s go!!” one of his friends called him. “I need to leave. We have to meet the Coach,” he said apologetically as I nodded in understanding. “Edward?” “Yes?” he turned around to grin at me. “Thank you,” I said wholeheartedly. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you around Bella,” he chuckled and jogged away, leaving my heart completely overwhelmed. I couldn’t stop wondering why he would do all this for me. Was it normal for him to do something like this? I met up Rosalie and Emmett for lunch. Jasper went back to his room to bring Alice something to eat, so there were only three of us at the table.

“Earth to Bella? You’re like so out of it today!” Emmett chuckled as Rosalie looked at me with a curious expression. “Sorry guys… I just have a lot on my mind,” I said truthfully as they shared a glance. “What?” “Nothing,” they shook it off and Emmett winked at me, mouthing me a “we know”. I blushed and quickly looked down to my tray. Edward wasn’t there for fifth period. A guy from his team came to tell the teacher that the whole team had an emergency meeting so they needed to be excused from class the rest of the afternoon. I felt my face drop when I saw the empty seat next to me… maybe I was just a little disappointed. Even though with the whole paint incident, Lauren was still shamelessly bossing some other girls around to fetch her some water. She glared when she saw me.

“So Swan, did you get an unexpected call to the principal’s in say, fourth period?” she smirked. “Just how old are you Lauren? Snitching on me?” I snorted. “Agh! Don’t turn this on me, you little asshole. You know you deserved it,” she snarled, “So what kind of punishment did you get?”

“None,” I muttered and looked down. Though you got the man that you’re in love with in trouble… “What?!” she shrieked. “I didn’t get in trouble because Edward had to be the hero,” I mumbled as she stared at me with wide eyes. “Whoa. You’re saying that Edward’s the one who got in trouble?" she gasped and her breath was becoming uneven, "You little bitch! How dare you blame this on sweet Edward? How dare you? You were suppose to be on restriction, damn it! How did you do all of that anyway? You ruined my favorite pair of Levi’s, damn! Damn! Damn!” she stomped her foot and I could almost see smoke steaming from her face. I didn’t know what to say, instead of telling her that Edward was the one who planned everything, I walked away silently as she scowled. I’d rather let her think that I did it instead of getting Edward involved in more crap. Kind of too late to think that now, huh? A voice in my head chuckled bitterly.

“Don’t walk away you little weasel!” she screamed from behind as I felt the guilt once again. What she said was half right, I was being a weasel, letting Edward take all the blame though he had assured me that I had done nothing wrong. But he did it because of me. How was that fair?

Rehearsal was canceled today since Mrs. C had something up after school. I walked straight to Jasper’s after collecting Alice’s work, and I saw her looking great on his couch, beaming.

“Bella!” “Hi Alice, you look so much better, I’m happy for you,” I smiled and handed her the work. “Thanks… What’s wrong with you? You look… weird,” she asked, concerned, as I told her about what happened with Lauren and Jessica, starting from the beginning. She sat there patiently and listened to my story, when I finished, I saw her crack a smile.

“And that’s why you’re worried?” she sighed, grinning. “Yeah… well, not worried, but intently guilty,” I admitted as she chuckled. “Bella, it’s fine. Edward gets detention all the time. It’s like a weekly routine for him,” she rolled her eyes, “I wouldn’t surprised to see him ending up in detention for something else if this hadn’t happen…” I sighed after hearing those words. Talking to her about this made me feel a little better, but I think she was still missing the point. I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble because of me.

“You know, it’s so unnatural for Edward to be so grown up and gentlemanly about these kinds of things. Usually, he doesn’t give a crap about any kinds of drama,” she snickered as I blushed. “He has feelings for you Bella. Why else would he go through all these trouble for revenging?” The words sunk in as I looked at her with horror, “He doesn’t have feelings for me Alice!” I half shrieked as she smiled.

“Yeah… that would totally explain why you two are incredibly close,” she said sarcastically. “But we’re friends, just like how you and I are friends,” I said to her, giving her an "you're so wrong" look. “Sure Bella. I suppose you’ll see it my way someday….”she sighed, then suddenly her face was glittering as she remembered something. “Hey, did you know that there’s going to be a dance this Saturday? It’s sort of an annual ‘beginning of the semester’ dance, you know, for us juniors, it'd be so much fun!” she said, excited.

“No… I actually didn’t know that,” I murmured. I didn’t notice anything on the wall today, since my head was too clouded with thoughts.

“We have to go! I mean, we get to dress up!” she beamed as I chuckled, “Sure Ali, we’ll go…” She hugged me and went on ranting excitedly about the one held last year. Like who had the major no-no outfit or hairdo. After about two hours of talking, I told her that I was a little tired and that I was going to take a nap. She said that she had to get started on her homework anyway, so I left. Before exiting the dorm, I saw someone coming in. Edward.

“Hello Bella,” he greeted me enthusiastically when we met each other at the door. “Hey Edward,” I grinned, loads of worries disappeared when he entered the building. “Visiting Alice?” he asked politely. “Yeah… she’s a lot better now.” “That’s great…” Then something dawned me, “Did you just come back from after school detention?”

“Uh yeah… Don’t worry, it was totally cool. Jamie was there, and we practically just sat there and chatted through the whole thing since the teacher came in at the last minute,” he grinned as I felt instantly relieved. At least it wasn’t horrible.

“That’s good… I mean! Not good, but at least it wasn’t… Agh!” I scowled at myself for stuttering pointlessly and he chuckled.

“See? I told you not to worry, in fact, it was even fun. And thanks to you, I got to skip practice with a good reason,” he teased as I laughed.

“Okay… can I just say thank you one last time?” I stared into his eyes, keeping my voice soft. He sighed, “It’s completely unnecessary, but if it makes you feel better, why not?” I smiled, “Thank you Edward. I appreciate it… Everything.”

“You’re very, very welcome,” he smiled back, smoldering me with his eyes as I flustered. He was too good looking for his own good. I didn’t realize that we were blocking the doorway when Jasper had to get through the door.

“Oops! Sorry guys,” he said after he hit us accidentally with the door. “Hey Jasper. It’s fine,” we greeted him and he quickly excused himself to his room. “Well, I better leave…” “Oh, okay. See ya,” he smiled at me and I gave him one grateful smile before exiting the building. I opened the door and stepped out. It was getting a little windy outside, with the wind swooshing harshly.

“Bella?” I heard him running up to me as I began walking on the sidewalk. “Yeah?” I tried to keep my voice even, determined to not let him know the effect that he had on me. “The girl thing- I understand now,” he smiled crookedly as I stared at him with wide eyes. Did… did he say…. “Ali… Alice told you?” I asked, outraged. “I kinda forced it out of her. Don’t give me that look, I was curious!” he threw his hands up in the air, looking totally innocent. I quickly blushed, imagining what he possibly thought of that.

“You shouldn’t have,” I murmured as he chuckled. “And you know, you shouldn’t always bet against Alice,” he leaned in, whispering in my ear. With one last chuckle, he ran back to his dorms. Chapter Twenty-Two The rest of the week, Lauren and Jessica were slightly quieter and less annoying. They even went apologizing to Edward for what happened! I could tell Edward was trying really hard not to laugh when they told him what an evil person I was, getting him in trouble. But just because they were less annoying, doesn’t mean that they were all friendly and cozy with me. They would still throw uncalled for comments at times and give me withering glares when I pass by them. Some things just never change. Rehearsal finally became normal; or in our case abnormal since there weren’t any drama or water involved. Mrs. C must have been relieved; we were finally doing what we were supposed to be doing from the beginning. Everyone was pretty excited about the dance; there were posters and stuff hung up, prompting us to go. You could hear students talking about it in the hallway, in the classroom… Man, it must have been a really big event for the school. I walked home with Rosalie and Alice, since Jasper and Emmett had basketball practice that day. They were talking animatedly about what they have to wear, and deciding whether they should leave their hair straightened or curl them up. Turned out, they have already bought dresses in the summer since they already knew that this dance was going to take place. Alice gasped, “You mean you didn’t bring any dresses?” She looked at me with real horror as Rosalie mimicked her expression.

“Well, I didn’t know that I would need dresses. I mean, for Pete’s sake, this is a school!” I said innocently as they looked at me like, your point is? “But don’t worry guys. I’ll wear a decent shirt and a pair of jeans. And if I still look really embarrassing, you can just pretend that you have no connections with me whatsoever,” I joked, and they both laughed. Alice seemed thoughtful for a minute, but I didn’t dare to ask. Jasper and Emmett said that they were looking forward to the food, which caused Rosalie and Alice to scoff at them. Then they quickly added that of course, their main purpose there was to see their girlfriends in beautiful dresses. That made me laugh, you should have seen the way that they were pleading with them to believe. Rosalie and Alice didn’t sleep over at the guys’ this week claiming that they needed to gettheir beauty sleepfor the dance. When I woke up the next morning, I heard Alice humming cheerfully, holding a white, elegant box in her hands.

“Hey Alice,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes as she jumped and threw the box in the closet. “Bella!” she chuckled nervously, “Hi. Good morning.” “What is that?” I pointed suspiciously to the closet as she gave me another nervous look. “Okay... you have to promise not to overreact, okay? It’s just a little present…” I frowned at her; what was she talking about? “Okay… I won’t, I promise.” She skipped gleefully to the closet and pulled off the lid to the box. She held it very carefully in front of her…. It was a gorgeous brown dress with aqua-ish blue patterns at the bottom. It looked really relaxing, and very spring-like. I loved it immediately! It wasn’t too revealing, too over-the-top, or too formal… It was perfect. I stared at it in awe as Alice’s face lit up in to a happy smile.

“Well?” she asked, waiting for my response, biting her lips. I ran over to hug her, and I didn’t even realize that I had tears in my eyes.

“Don’t wrinkle the dress!” she shrieked as I laughed. No one had ever done anything for me like this before. She looked amused by my reaction,

“Bella? Are you okay?” I croaked, “Yeah Alice… It’s perfect! I don’t know what to say…”

“A simple ‘oh my gosh! Alice, you’re the best’ would do,” she teased as I giggled. “Thank you so much! Where did you get this on such short notice? It must have cost a fortune! I’ll pay you back, I swear,” I was speaking so fast that Alice had to slow me down. She chuckled,

“Whoa Bella, first of all, I got it with the help of a friend, who happens to work in a fashion magazine. I asked them to make sure that the dress arrives this morning. And no. You will not pay me back. Didn’t you hear me? It’s a present!” she said, slightly insulted as I looked at her, ready to protest.

“But!” “No buts young lady,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. She gave me a stern look, the one that Alice has when she deals with clothes.

“Yes mom,” I grinned as she giggled. “Good. I think it’ll look perfect on you! And now guess what? We can officially walk through the doors together! To think that you were going to wear jeans,” she shuddered, “Agh!” I laughed and hugged her again, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. Now I’ve worried for nothing. I thought you were going to throw a fuss! I saw the dress in the latest issue of Glamorous, so I called up Carmelita to see if there was any way for her to help me get the dress, and fortunately, she got it at the last minute,” she explained as I gave a soft “ahhh”.

“Well, I was going to throw a fuss, but I just couldn’t resist the beauty of the dress,” I joked as she giggled. She showed me the pair of shoes, which were golden high heel sandals, that she got to match with the dress, and of course, it was beatific as well. She started telling me what I should do with my hair, but then she jumped to the conclusion that she would do it for me. I was already in my dress, and it was a perfect fit. Rosalie showed up at around four thirty since the dance started at six. She looked like a Runway model, wearing a backless, sexy golden dress what showed off her long, great legs. My self-esteem immediately lowered just by being in the same room as her. I could already picture the boys in this school staring with wide eyes at her. Emmett was going to have a lot of fun teasing them.

“Hi girls!” she greeted us smilingly, posing to tease us. I gave a whistle, and Rosalie laughed. “Rosalie! You look amazing girl!” Alice beamed and hugged her. “Hey careful! Don’t wrinkle the dress!” she shrieked, her face was filled with horror; I laughed when I realized that Alice said the same thing earlier.

“Looks like Emmett’s got some seriously drooling to do tonight,” I teased and she giggled, rolling her eyes. “It’s good that you came over. I’m going to change, help Bella with her hair,” Alice instructed and ran in to her closet. Rosalie pushed me in front of the mirror and sat me down to study me.

“Hmm… aah….Hmm…. Ah ha!” she tapped her temples and smiled, “Wait here Bella!” Like I had another choice. She came back with curls and professional brushes, and that frightened me just a little.

“Eyes closed! I don’t like people staring back at their refection while I work,” she ordered. I sighed and did what I was told. Alice came back a few minutes later, picking out my earrings, I guess, since I felt some cold objects being put on my ears. A few minutes later, they finished.

“Okay… you’re allowed to open your eyes now,” Rosalie announced proudly as I opened them very slowly. I looked at myself in the mirror, and I gasped. They gave me matching earrings and necklaces, and my hair was neatly put down in tiny curls and waves; it gorgeously shiny and smooth.

“Wow.” I said it in three syllables, my jaw hanging wide open. “Admit it, you look gorgeous,” Rosalie chuckled as I rolled my eyes. Who’s being silly now? The three of us stood in front of the mirror and evaluated ourselves. Okay, I admit… Maybe I did look good, with Rosalie and Alice’s help of course. Alice looked so pretty in her tiny, pink dress. Her jet black hair was radiant; she stood there so perfectly in her sparkling pink high heels. We sighed in appreciation in unison, and as soon we realized that, we laughed. It was five forty five, and we were meeting the guys there at 6:20 since Alice and Rosalie said they liked to be ‘fashionably’ late. I thought it was rather silly, but who was I to be the judge of that?

“Thank you guys, for doing this,” I squealed and pulled them both into a tight hug before leaving the room. “Oops!” I quickly remembered the wrinkling issue and dropped my arms, looking totally horrified. They both grinned,

“Looks like we’re rubbing some Alice-Rosalie on you Bella, so proud,” Rosalie sniffed as I giggled. “All I know is that a certain brother of mine would be drooling over you tonight,” I swear I heard Alice sing to herself. Maybe I was mistaken. The ball room was huge. Jasper and Emmett met us at the door, and just as I expected, they were breathless when they saw us. They looked pretty nice themselves, Jasper in a white button-up shirt and Emmett in a blue. They played some loud hiphop, upbeat music, and there were people dancing on the dance floor already. Students looked in our direction when we walked in; Emmett grinned like an idiot and pulled Rosalie on to the dance floor, leaving some of the guys envious. That was when I noticed him. He wasn’t dancing. He was leaning casually against the punch table, talking to some of his friends. I saw a lot of girls staring at him with wants few yards away, but perhaps too shy to ask him to dance? Or were they already turned down? His eyes met mine, and he smiled crookedly and inhaled slowly, mouthing a “hi” as I responded with a smile. Was Edward Cullen breathless? I couldn’t help but chuckle. He was wearing a black, button up shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbow, with a pair of black jeans. He had the first three buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, exposing part of the top portion of his chest. His hair was the same messy, disarrayed… the way that I liked them. Where the hell did that come from? And with his breathtaking, gorgeous crooked smile,all I could think was… Whoa. He looked… hot. I gulped and reminded myself to breath.

“Wow Bella! You look hot!” a voice came from behind, and it wasn’t the one that I was looking forward to hearing. Mike grinned at me, and put his arms around my waist, making me incredibly uncomfortable. I shook them off quickly, and gave him a polite thank you. Hopefully he would get the hint. He looked disappointed, but asked me if I wanted to dance anyway. Before I could find myself to reply, someone came to my rescue,

“Sorry Newton. Bella promised to dance with me,” Edward said from behind, I turned around and saw him wink at me. “Is that true?” Mike scratched his head, sounding surprised. I nodded wordlessly and Mike stalked sulkily away. “Bastard,” I heard Edward mutter to himself, gritting his teeth. I giggled and said gratefully to my savior, “Thanks Romeo…” “No problem. That guy should take the hint already,” he said, full of disgust as I grinned, agreeing with him.

He looked down at me, and I felt absurdly self-conscious.

“Wow,” he said, breathless again, “You look beautiful tonight, Bella…” I blushed. For some reason when Mike complimented me, I wanted to shoot myself and climb into a hole and just… die. But when Edward complimented me, just one little compliment, it made my heart flip.

“Thank you… You don’t look too bad yourself,” I smiled at him and he gave me a mischief smirk. “So I’ve been told,” he grinned arrogantly and I slapped his arm playfully. He rolled his eyes and laughed; I couldn’t help but join him. I saw Alice and Rosalie dancing with Jasper and Emmett on the dance floor, completely enjoying themselves. Alice’s eyes glimmered when she saw me standing next to Edward; she mouthed something to Jasper, making him turn into our direction and smile. After the extremely awkward eye contact with them, my gaze drifted back to Edward, who was once again smoldering me with his eyes.

“Uh… Bella? Would you like to dance?” Edward’s velvet voice sounded like melting honey, I looked into his eyes and found no words escaping my lips.

“Uhh…. Yeah, sure,” I said, completely out of breath. He offered his arm and walked me to the dance floor. A new song started playing, something that I used to dance along to with Alice. Ladies and gentlemen The most beautiful girl in the world pageant Brought to you by Frankie J and Mannie F-f-f-f-fresh A lot of girl gawked at us as we passed by, probably thinking what the hell Edward was doing with me? I didn’t blame them; I was surprised that he asked me to dance as well. I mean, he could have danced with anyone in this room, but he asked me of all people to dance. Everybody knows when I step in the club Girls see me and they wanna show me love I got my chain on, with my shades on Rocking designer shoes and I sold a million He smiled at me when we finally reached the dance floor. He started moving along to the beat, and I did the same. He smiled at me, and it was so irresistible that it was impossible not to return it. Then naturally, my hips started swaying along to the music, and his hands were placed tenderly on my waist. As soon as that happened, I felt an electrical current between us. It felt like static, and it was pulling me closer to him. I felt my heart race by the closeness of his face. I've been around the world And seen so many girls But none can compare 'Cause I can't keep my eyes of that girl I ran my hand through my hair, and I spun around, putting my hands up in the air freely, brushing my hips against his body gently. He chuckled, music to my ears of course, and I felt his hands on my waist again. I was never so comfortable dancing with a guy before, but tonight… I felt… free! Like there was nothing that I wanted to do that I couldn’t do. His eyes met mine, I smiled at him warmly and he gave me a heartbreaking smile in return. Edward was a great dancer. His body moved perfectly along with the music, like he was doing a music video for the singer. We both moved fluently with the music, it was effortless for me with his lead. The song ended, and I heard a whistle coming from my back. I didn’t even have to turn around to know that it was Jamie. Edward’s eyes met mine, and we were smiling at each other again for I don’t know how long. They started playing another song, an oldie that I knew right off the back that it would never fit in my music category. He cleared his throat, his face turning a little red, “Umm… do you… do you want to get something to drink?” I tried not to laugh, but it was fun to see him stutter.

“Yeah sure,” I responded quickly. We walked to the punch table that he was standing at a while ago, and he handed one cup to me and leaned casually next to me, smiling.

“Thank you…” I drank it all in one gulp, and I heard him chuckling next to me.

“Thirsty, are we?” he smirked as I gave him a look. “Just as thirsty as you,” I told him acidly, eyeing his empty glass. He looked amazed by my response; he had that cute, goofy grin on his face. He stared at me, and once again I was starting to feel self-conscious. I just hope he didn’t catch that, we all know what that would mean. Another glorious reason to make him all cocky. Then I saw Lauren Mallory giving us an evil smirk. She walked to us, shaking her hips crazily, which in her book probably meant seductive. She was wearing a very, very short dress that would have passed as a shirt. Her blonde hair was put up in a messy bun, with glitters glued over them. She was wearing a lot of makeup, even her face was covered with shiny stuff. “Edward!” she waved at him and gave him a kiss on his cheek, “You came!” She said it as if he came on her account, like she was the host.

“Of course,” he sounded really uncomfortable, I saw him flinch a little. She turned unwillingly to me, “So Bella, enjoying yourself?” “Yes, thank you,” if she was going to be polite, so was I. “Hey, I got a great idea!” she beamed and winked at Edward when the song ended. She clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention,

“Alright guys! Why don’t we play truth or dare?” she announced, and murmurs were coming from all over the room. Almost every student in the room started to form a circle around us, and of course, Kelsey and Jessica came to stand by Lauren’s sides. It was hard to miss Emmett and Jasper, who were standing at the back of the crowd, watching us curiously. I gulped, what did this bitch had in mind?

“Kels, why don’t you start first,” Lauren smiled at her friend, who returned it with a smirk. “Hmm… Marissa. Truth or dare?” “Dare,” she scoffed, as I she was missing the obvious. “Alright. I dare you to… offer Mr. Gunner a lap dance!” she said excitedly as the girl shrugged and walked to the teacher, perfectly at ease. We couldn’t hear the conversation over the music. We watched as the teacher stared at her, his eyes surprised, and a few guys were whooping. I knew I had always hated this game. It was stupid. Marissa came back with a huge smug on her face,

“Mission accomplished. He told me to go get help,” she giggled as some other students laughed along. I didn’t think it was funny at all. I sensed absolutely no humor in this situation.

“Next. Lauren! I dare you… I dare you to… take off your dress!” Oh gross. Was she serious? Lauren smiled and took off her dress obediently, but thank god she wasn’t naked. She was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts underneath.

“I always come prepared,” she said proudly as a few guys pouted. Edward rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath so quickly that I missed it.

“My turn,” she smirked and her eyes were locked on my face, like a snake targeting it’s prey, “Bella… I dare you to kiss Edward.” The DJ lowered the music, so our conversation was practically loud enough for the whole room to hear. I froze, and my lips parted slightly to let out a soft gasp. Did she say…? I saw Edward tense up, his eyes widened but his face was hard to read. I looked at her as if she was insane, and I received a taunting, devilish smirk back in return. I forced myself to take a deep breath, and I was suddenly becoming wobbly, I had trouble standing. She gave a hard, dry laugh,

“I always knew you were all talks, because that’s what you are, a chicken. A coward,” she spat, followed by a snort. Jessica and Kelsey laughed as if she just told a great joke, and the room was silent. I felt anger building up in my body, was it her purpose to life to torture me? Never before had I felt so angry! I wanted to slap her, and just lock her in a room and never let her out!

“Chicken,” she mouthed to me and sneered, and I couldn’t hold it any longer. I grabbed Edward by his collar and kissed him fiercely.

My lips moved confusedly and shakily against his, and a strange feeling spread over me. I felt like as if… as if I didn’t want to break the kiss despite all the stares boring onto my back. I heard gasps and murmurs coming from all over the room. I broke the kiss, and I heard Edward took let out an uneven breath, and his face was filled with surprise. I couldn’t meet his eyes; I was too embarrassed to do such a thing. My body was trembling and blood was boiling under my skin. What had I done? Just because I wanted to prove Lauren wrong, I kissed Edward Cullen in front of the whole damn school! Tears started to form in my eyes, and my visions were getting blurry. Lauren’s hand was placed over her mouth, as if shocked, and then she quickly composed herself and replaced shock with anger,

“You know what every one has dreamed of ever since you started here? For you to just go away and disappear! You told me that you didn’t like Edward at all, but you know what? You’re a liar! It’s so obvious by that look in your eye that you like him more than a friend, you slutty bitch! You think I didn’t notice that? Shit, you’ve been into him ever since you came here! Let me make this clear, we don’t want you here, we hate everything about you. So you know what, just pack up and get the hell back in New York, because we just can’t stand Bella Swan in East Coast Academy. We hate you! ” she spat at me, her eyes filled with fury and hatred as I found my tears betraying me by running down my cheeks. Without thinking, I stalked out of the room to escape reality. I didn’t know where I could go, so I ran to the only place that I could think of- the basketball court. It was empty, thankfully, so I sat down on the park bench and covered my face with my hands to let a soft sob escape. I knew what Lauren said wasn’t the main reason for my hysteria. I knew that I was freaking out because I was finally admitting my feelings to myself, the feelings that I had been trying to push away ever since I met him… I liked Edward Cullen. My heart throbbed when I said the words in my mind. I liked him, a lot, not just as a friend, but I was longing for something more deep down inside from the beginning. The part of me that denied the attraction that Edward held for me crumbled when I remembered the softness and warmness of his lips….

“Lauren was a bitch,” a soft voice murmured from behind. I quickly brushed all of my tears away, trying to cover up the fact that I was crying. Thank god Rosalie put water-proof makeup on me… But with my puffy, red eyes and the constant sniffing, it was useless. He would be completely brainless not to realize it.

“I’ve had enough from Lauren tonight Edward, I don’t know if I can take anything else from you,” I croaked, and I found my eyes getting teary again. I didn’t know why I was being so cold to him. Maybe I was waiting for him to laugh at me, for him to tell me how stupid I was to kiss him in front of all those people. But Edward would never do that, I knew.

“I’m sorry that you think so much of me,” I heard him walking up to me slowly, but I still couldn’t pick up my head to face him. Then to my utter bewilderment, he bent down right in front of me and lifted my chin softly with his finger,

“Bella,” he breathed, looking in to my eyes with his green, emerald, flawless ones, “I’m tired of hiding how I feel. I’m just going to say it because I can’t hold it any longer…” he deliberated as I found myself frozen once again,

“I like you Bella, very much. Ever since you started here, I knew there was something different about you that held my constant attention. Not just your beauty, but there was something more. It’s fine if you don’t feel the same way back, but I just want to get what was bottled up inside of me out in the open. I like you, Bella, I really, really like you,” he said, no sense of humor in his voice as I looked up at him, open-mouthed. I stood up shakily, and I thought it would be easier for me if I wasn’t having eye contacts with him for they would always make me lose my train of thoughts. I held on to my arms for support, I could feel his stare boring onto my back, which made me more nervous. I closed my eyes,

“I do like you Edward,” I said, my voice quivered and I felt a drop of tear rolling down my cheek as I looked up at the shining moon,

“A part of me knew from the beginning that I liked you, but I had just been denying it to myself. I didn’t want to be another one of those girls, Edward. I told myself not to like you, but it was impossible not to… I mean, we had the same taste in music, in books…” I spun around very slowly to face him, and I found him staring at me, staggered and speechless. Our eyes met, and I saw him taking a few steps toward me, smiling lightly. He stopped when he was a few inches away. His forehead touched mine gently,

“Really?” The coolness of his breath tickled my skin. I nodded my head wordlessly, admiring the perfect structure of his features. He sighed ecstatically, and our eyes were boring into each other’s once again. My heart was fluttering the entire

time, flustered by the closeness of his face.

“So what now?” I asked him innocently, pursing my lips. He took my hands and picked them up to kiss it, “I know you don’t completely trust me yet, after my history with girls... But I’ll prove it to you, and I’d wait as long as it takes for you to accept me fully,” he whispered sincerely as I smiled,

“Okay. I’d like that a lot.” “And you’re not one of those girls, Bella, you never will be. You will always be something more; you will always mean more to me than any one of them ever will,” his voice was just a whisper. He smiled and tilted his head down a little. I couldn’t move, and I didn’t want to move. He held my face in his hands, and his lips crashed on mine gently, as if he was afraid that he was being too forward. Then, I kissed him back to show him that he wasn’t. The kiss felt heavenly, and if this was all a dream, I just wish that at least I could remember the last part. I closed my eyes to prolong the moment. It was perfect, and all thoughts of Lauren and all that crap that happened tonight disappeared. We had to break away to catch our breath. I saw him smiling joyfully at me; I kissed his cheek and rested my head on his chest, fastening my arms around him as he had his hand on my head, smoothing my hair gently.

“I’m sorry I waited this long to tell you,” he whispered, and I could hear the sincerity behind the words, “I was scared of… rejection, I mean, I wasn’t used to feeling like this. I wasn’t used to… going after someone instead of them coming after me.” I had to laugh at that, what he said was true. I was sure he had every girl in the Academy crushing on him.

“And I’m sorry that I didn’t realize this any sooner,” I whisper back. I heard him chuckle softly, and the happiness in it made me smile larger.

“So… shall we go back to the dance?” he asked. I lifted my head up to look at him, and his eyes were filled with care and joy.

“Sure,” I gave him a smile. He kissed my hair gently, having one of his arms around my waist and we started our walk back to the ball room. This dance wasn’t so bad after all, I sighed contently under his arms. Chapter Twenty Three We walked happily back the ballroom together, hand in hand, smiling. Alice and Rosalie gasped when they saw us back, hugging; Emmett and Jasper just grinned at us, elbowing each other. Edward led me once again on to the dance floor, and they were playing “If I Open Up My Heart To You” by Amanda Perez, one of my all time favorites. He rested his forehead against mine, and had his arms wrapped around my waist as I had mine locked around his neck. I knew how we must have looked, like one of the couples in a romantic movie scene, slow dancing. His eyes were locked in mine throughout the entire dance, like I wasn’t self-conscious enough to begin with. My heart was pounding uncontrollably the whole time, it was ridiculous and embarrassing at them same moment. Then something hit me; I kissed Edward Cullen… He kissed me… and now I’m dancing with him, locking my arms around him… Could tonight be any better? I sighed in satisfaction.

“How are you feeling?” he asked; his voice just a soft murmur though deeply concerned, mistaking my sigh of joy as distress.

“Jubilant, blissful, perfect… take your pick,” I grinned at him and he kissed my forehead and chuckled, “I’m glad. You know, this is the best night of my life despite all that crap that happened with Lauren a while ago?” he grinned. I smiled at him and rested my head on his chest, breathing in the scent of his body that I had always dreamed of.

“It’s so hard to believe that someone as beautiful as you is real… is here with me,” he whispered in my ear, taking me by surprise.

“I think it’s the other way around,” I whispered back and picked my head back up to look at his unbelievably attractive eyes. They were shimmering under the light; it was hard to believe someone as flawless looking at him was real. He leaned down to kiss me on the lips again. I closed my eyes and let myself forget everything around me that didn’t concern Edward, and it was easy. I was always thoughtless about everything else when I was with him. His lips moved delicately against

mine, I was in my own, personal heaven. I opened my eyes when the song ended, and I saw my friends, all four of them, giving me thumbs up, waving. Edward and I laughed, and Emmett whispered something to Rosalie, which earned him a smack on the head. I was going to have a talk with my dearest, older-brother like best friend later.

“Umm… would you excuse me for a second, Bella?” Edward asked; his tone as polite as always. “Sure,” I smiled and I saw him slither between other couples to get by. He disappeared into the crowd, then I saw my friends coming up to me, Rosalie and Alice pulled me into a tight hug.

“Bella! You have no idea how upset we were!” Alice exclaimed, concerned. “I was this close to jumping on Lauren in front of all these people, and trust me, it wouldn’t have been pretty,” Emmett rolled his eyes and Jasper chimed in,

“We thought you’d like to handle it on your own… so we held back. Believe me, it was incredibly hard,” he grimaced as I chuckled.

“Thanks guys! But I’m fine now,” I smiled, my thoughts wandering to Edward. “We were going to run after you, but a certain brother of Emmett’s beat us to the punch,” Rosalie grinned as I blushed. Then the DJ was talking over the microphone on the stage, “Ladies and gentlemen! We have a special request made by our man, Edward Cullen! So let’s give it up for him! Woo!” There were lots of whooping and cheering below the stage, and I heard Emmett and Jasper give a whistle. Edward walked up to the microphone, “This song is dedicated to the most amazing girl that I have ever met, Bella, this is for you,” Edward smiled crookedly at me and I blushed when I saw every pair of eyes focused on me all of a sudden. Oh my gosh… Then soft drum patterns started playing in the background, and I heard Edward’s velvet voice singing, I'm not a perfect person There's many things I wish I didn't do But I continue learning I never meant to do those things to you And so I have to say before I go That I just want you to know Then everyone started clapping along to the beat, some were throwing their hands up in the air, closing their eyes to enjoy the music… I've found a reason for me To change who I used to be A reason to start over new and the reason is you I'm sorry that I hurt you It's something I must live with everyday And all the pain I put you through I wish that I could take it all away And be the one who catches all your tears Thats why I need you to hear I've found a reason for me To change who I used to be A reason to start over new and the reason is you I didn’t know what to say. I was so drunk in Edward’s voice, that I found myself oblivious to everyone else around me. Edward’s voice was perfect, if you hadn’t seen him on the stage, you would think that Hoobastankwas giving a live concert in our school. Even though his voice was different from the lead singer’s, but it was just as good… maybe better. All I knew was I will never be able to listen to the regular version of the song ever again. His eyes never left mine while he sang; he had a soft smile on his face and I felt tears in my eyes. Damn it Bella! Do you really have to cry twice in front of the whole

school tonight? I've found a reason for me To change who I used to be A reason to start over new and the reason is you Then to my surprise, he walked off the stage with the spotlight following him. People cleared their way for him to walk by, and oh my god… He was walking towards me! I reminded myself to breathe and not to hyperventilate. I've found a reason to show A side of me you didn't know A reason for all that I do Then he stopped right in front of me and picked up my hand with one of his since the other one was occupied with the mic, And the reason is you… The song ended, and everyone was applauding and cheering so loudly that it was crazy! I leaped on him, throwing my arms around his neck, tears falling,

“Thank you, that was wonderful…” My voice croaked, and a lot of people were “awing”, including Rosalie and Alice whose voice later on turned in to a squeal. As soon as I was right back on the ground, he planted his arms around my waist and gave me a soft kiss on the forehead. Students cheered and cheered, there were even applause from the teachers! I didn’t realize till much later that the spotlight was still on us, which caused me to turn in a deeper shade of red. Edward picked up our twined hands and bowed to the crowd, which earned him another round of applause. Girls looked enviously at me, though not so much of hatred as before, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Lauren literally fuming with steam, incredibly jealous. I smiled; this was all too good to be true.

“Let’s give it up once more for the unbelievable performance!” the DJ said as the crowd cheered even louder. Edward thanked them, and I knew that was the highest point of this year’s annual dance. And to think I was part of it…

“Want to dance some more? Or…” he asked, leaving the decision completely up to me. The other students got back on the dance floor and danced to a song by Sean Kingston- Take You There. It was a relief to be freed from the attention. Lauren was staring at us from afar, sitting with her hands propped up on the table, sulky and angry.

“I’d rather be alone with you if don’t mind,” I tiptoed and whispered in his ear, which made him chuckle musically. “Let’s get out of here then,” he smiled his infamous crooked smile that I adored so much and took me hand; we flew out of the room. The moon was shining so brightly outside, it was absolutely beautiful. We were swaying our interlocked hands, and ever now and then, he would bring them up and kiss it. I was sure I was smiling the whole time, and him too. We decided to go to my room since it was getting a little too windy for my sleeveless dress. Edward held the door when we were at the entrance like a gentlemen, and bowed at me politely with a huge grin on his gorgeous face.

“After you, my lady,” he smirked. “Thank you,” I giggled. It was so easy to be with him! He would always say the right things to make me laugh, to cheer me up… I quickly realized that even before we admitted our feelings to each other, every time that I saw him, he would make my day. I sighed, how could I have been so stubborn and blind? When we reached the room, I became a little nervous when I realized that I was about to be alone. In my room. With Edward Cullen. It wasn’t like I hadn’t done it before, but this time was different. I tried to keep my cool, like sticking the key in the hole instead my dropping it.

“Do you mind if I shower real quickly?” I asked him after I flipped on the lights. “Of course not, take your time,” he flashed me a smile and collapsed cozily on the couch. I went to my closet and skipped to the bathroom with my clothing. It was good that the water didn’t take forever to heat up. I put my hair up in a bun to prevent it from getting wet since I had already washed it this morning. I found myself doing something that I had never done before while feeling the warm water down my body; I was humming. I showered quickly and jumped out of the curtains to put on my clothes. I didn’t want to

waste any of my time with him in case this was a dream. I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw a stranger staring back at me with happiness. Then a picture of Edward’s smile appeared in my mind, reminding me that he was still in the room, waiting. I took a deep breath and slowly walked out of the bathroom. I saw him reading a book, greatly concentrated. His head was picked up when he realized I was back, he gave me a grinned crookedly,

“Very nice,” he smirked and nodded his head appreciatively. I rolled my eyes; I was wearing a pair of navy blue fleece shorts that I got last month in Abercrombie with a tight white sleeveless tank. “No, I mean it. It looks really nice on you,” he said smilingly and invited me to sit next to him on the couch by spreading out his arms.

“Thanks.” I sighed merrily and placed my cheek against his well-fitted chest. I kept my eyes closed and I could feel his heart beat and his breath on my neck. Nothing could have been better. Then I heard him clicking off lights. He bent down and kissed my hair,

“Much better,” he cooed in my ear and my eyes flustered open. There was only a faint light in the room coming from the moon outside since the curtains were drawn. Despite the darkness, I could still make out the perfect guy next to me, smiling.

“True,” I brought my face up to touch his earlobe when whispering back. Two can play at the game… I heard him give out an uneven breath; it was nice to know that he was too, affected by my presence. I brought my face back down and leaned against his chest once again, proud of myself.

“What book were you reading?” I asked curiously and he chuckled, “Something you left on the table- Pride and Prejudice. I never understood why the girls liked it so much though, I remember seeing the movie, and it wasn’t really that good, to be honest,” he said truthfully, “No offense or anything. Really,” he quickly added and I laughed,

“None taken. And you have a point; the movie wasn’t that great compare to the book,” I smiled. “You know…” I quickly clasped my mouth shut, regretting it.

“What?” “Never mind, forget that I said anything,” I told him. “Bella… Please?” he breathed, and leaned down so close that his nose was touching mine. No fair… He was impossible to resist, or was I just a helpless pushover? He continued gliding his nose against mine, so I gave up.

“Fine. I was just going to say… that you remind me a lot of the male leading character, Mr. Darcy,” I cursed at myself silently for bringing something like this up. I scoffed, comparing him to a fictional character? Can you be any more absurd? He laughed, “Yeah. Isn’t he the rich, prideful, good-looking guy? Why I’m flattered, thank you,” he teased and I giggled. I saw his teeth flashing in the dark, I knew he was smirking.

“Yes. I think in some ways, you two are exactly alike. Well, we already know that you two are both really good looking and obnoxiously arrogant,” I elbowed him playfully and he chuckled, “But I think the greatest similarity is that you’re both really sweet once someone gets to know the real you. You know?” He didn’t say anything, and I thought my words had upset him. I looked up worriedly at him and saw that he had his eyes closed,

“I wasn’t always like this, you know?” his hoarse whisper broke the silence; I stroked his face softly withmy fingers, “I wasn’t always a jerk…” I could feel myself holding my breath. Whatever he was about to say must havebeen really difficult on him. He took a deep breath,

“My parents died when I was seven. I remember that day so clearly. My father, Edward Cullen Sr. was a lawyer. He was always really busy, so he barely had any time for me. On June 19th, my dad had to attend a meeting in Washington D.C., along with my mom, who was accompanying him. I got angry at them because they were going to miss my birthday party, which was supposed to be thrown the next day. Though they had apologized so many times, but I was stupid. I didn’t want only my friends and the servants there for my party, I wanted them. Before they left the house, I locked myself up in my room and refused to open the door. I screamed at them, telling them that I hated them both,” he whispered, his eyes remaining closed. I was wordless.

“A few hours after they left, Rhonda, the housekeeper that had been taking care of me since I was a toddler, knocked on my door and told me that she had some unfortunate news. The plane that my parents were on crashed before landing, and not one passenger survived…” his voice croaked and I could hear and feel his hurt.

“Edward…” I whispered. He buried his face in my hair; I wanted so much to look up at him, to say something to make it all better.

“I moved in with my father’s younger brother, Carlisle, and his wife, Esme. They treated me like one of their own, and my new siblings were always nice to me as well. But still, I didn’t want to share this with any of them. I never talked about my parents’ death with anyone. I didn’t cry once. I didn’t want anyone to pity me and give me the sorry look, I couldn’t take that. Then in our freshmen year, we came here,” he sighed,

“The girls here were immediately into me, asking me out… flirting. But I was never really into any of them… I could never talk to them like I can with you,” he said softly.

“So I used them as a part of my cover; I didn’t want anyone to see the depressed me, the real me, I wanted that part to be erased. So I started messing around with them, I became… what did you call me before? A playboy… ” he chuckled halfheartedly and squeezed my hand,

“But none of them ever became any more to me than a tool, an entertainment to take my mind off my dark past, or in this case, my kissing convenient. I know that doesn’t give me an excuse and I know how bad it sounds, but I wasn’t thinking. I was selfish, Bella. I didn’t believe in love, I didn’t believe it would happen for me. I knew it was wrong to be treating the girls like that, but I didn’t care and I thought they wouldn’t care. And it worked; no one here felt sorry for me, the guys envied me, and the girls wanted to date me. I took comfort in that; I thought that was what I wanted, what I needed. But honestly, it all means nothing to me now. All of the popularity crap, I could really care less,” he murmured, stroking my hair.

“And then I met you,” he smiled and brought my face up with his index finger to meet his, “I have to admit, when I first saw you that night having dinner with my siblings, all I could was ‘such a pretty girl’ and nothing more. It was physical attraction, since I didn’t get the chance to talk to you. The second day, when I bumped into you in the hallway, I instantly knew there was something different about you from all of the other girls from just one little conversation. So I called up Alice to find out more about you,” he paused,

“Believe me, she was practically torturing me. Do you like her Edward? She isn’t like your fan girls, you better not mess with her,” he mimicked in a high pitch tone, it was hilarious and it made me bursting in laughter.

“And then when the days gone by, my feelings for you grew stronger. You continue to amaze me with your ability at playing basketball, your witty come backs at me… When you yelled at me that night, I went back to my room and thought everything out. It bothered me, knowing that you were angry at me, and strangely, I wanted to make up with you. That was when I first realized how much I liked you. And then I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. You held my constant attention, and when I don’t see you, I would find myself wondering what you were doing at the minute,” he sighed, “Some first impression I made, huh?” he kissed my hair and I smiled,

“It was the same with me too,” I said softly, “It felt so weird, being angry with you. The next day when I saw you, it bothered me knowing that we weren’t talking..." I smiled sheepishly, "I’ll admit, that night you didn’t give me the greatest first impression. But the second and the third,” I leaned in and touched his jaw with my lips, “It’s not so bad,” I whispered and I heard him chuckle.

“Thank you. For sharing all of that. I know it must have been hard… and it means a lot to me knowing that you told me of all people… not even your siblings, your family, but me. A girl whom you’ve met for two weeks…” I gripped on his hand tightly; moistures were starting to form in my eyes.

“Your welcome. I feel better now, talking to someone about it,” he said, still smiling, “Even though I’ve only known you for two weeks, it feels like I’ve known you all my life. I feel safe to open up to you, to tell you everything, Bella,” he whispered. We stayed in each other’s arms and stared out at the window. It felt right to be in his arms. It made me feel protected, content.

“I’m glad I went to the dance. Or it would have taken me more time to admit my feelings to you,” I whispered. Then I brought my fingers up to his face to trace his nose. My hand was shaky and his eyes were closed, as if cherishing the moment.

“I would have told you how I felt earlier, but I was afraid that you weren’t interested… I’m really sorry about what

happened with Lauren tonight. I should have told you sooner, and you wouldn’t have gone through all of this,” he ranted apologetically. I placed my finger over his lips to stop him,

“It’s not your fault. And it doesn’t matter, this,” I picked up our hands, “This matters.” I smiled at him, and he gladly returned. His other hand was rubbing circles on my back, it felt heavenly. I could stay this way forever, in his arms… holding his hand…

“I should go, it’s late,” he whispered. I looked over to my alarm clock; it was one thirty in the morning. Hours had gone by, though it only seemed like minutes. I felt slightly disappointed by the fact that he had to leave, but then I reminded myself that I would see him again.

“Okay,” I kissed his cheek and hopped off his lap. He led me to my bed and tucked me in, giving me a small peck on the lips.

“Goodnight Bella,” he said softly in my ear. “Goodnight Edward,” I murmured back and smiled. He kissed my forehead and closed the door silently behind him. No doubt I would be dreaming about him tonight, I sighed and buried myself under the sheets, hoping to get some sleep. And the reason is you… Chapter Twenty-Four

“Good morning lover girl!” A cheerful voice woke me up from my heavy sleep. I rubbed my eyes and saw two blurry figures sitting on my bed side, smiling. "Hey guys… what are you doing up so early?” I mumbled, a little annoyed, yawning. My eyes were getting droopy again… It was difficult fro me to talk.

“You have to tell us all about last night!” Alice beamed, and I felt her bouncing on my bed. “It’s too early,” I groaned. I looked at my alarm clock and saw that it wasn’t too early, it was 8:48. Maybe I just stayed up too late last night.

“Come on, get up, Bella!” Rosalie ordered, clapping her hands close to my face. I muttered something unintelligible; turned my back against them and buried my face under my pillow, determined to get some more sleep.

“Come on, Bella, get up…” Alice sang, getting a little impatient. “Later,” I grunted sleepily. Then I felt a heard smack on my butt. “Oww!” I shrieked; it was staring to sting now. I jumped up from bed and rubbed it tenderly, that’ll leave a bruise. Alice was over there, laughing her head off, pointing her finger at Rosalie, who let out an “oops”. Rosalie looked at me apologetically, “Sorry Bella… A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,” she giggled, “Was that a little too hard? Well, look on the bright side, you’re awake now.”

“Yeah, a little too hard,” I said sarcastically. She gave me an innocent look, like ‘not my fault’ and shrugged. “Okay, so I didn’t wake up at eight o’clock in the morning for nothing. Tell us all about last night!” Rosalie said anxiously, pulling me to the bed, shaking my shoulders violently. Boy was she strong! She was starting to make me feel dizzy from all the shaking!

“Can I just have a minute to brush my teeth and wash my face?” They sighed and rolled their eyes, “One minute. If it takes any longer than that, I’m going in.” Alice threatened. I stumbled sleepily to the bathroom and poured water on my face at least five times to make sure I was absolutely awake. After brushing my teeth, I walked back to see Rosalie and Alice sitting on my bed with their legs crossed, their eyes glimmering with excitement.

“Okay, spill!” Alice squealed and gripped on my hand tightly. I sighed and started with the part where Edward followed me to the basketball court. They awed and squealed at the right places, as if they were listening to the most exciting story in the world. They asked me where we went after he sang; I told them that we came here, back to the room. I didn’t tell them about our intense conversation; it was private. Something that

should stay just between him and me. Rosalie sighed, “It was so sweet, you know? It takes a lot for a guy to sing in front of the whole school just to prove how much he likes you. You should have seen the other girls; they were like falling in love with him all over again.”

“And he does have a nice voice,” I added smilingly. They agreed and were bombarding me with more questions. “So what did you guys talk about?” Alice asked curiously. “Lots of things,” I said shyly, “Like books… friends… family.” I never had to worry about making conversations when with Edward. The talking always came naturally. And here comes the squealing…

“Oh my gosh! You and Edward!” Alice let out a high-pitch giggle and hugged me. To my surprise, I liked it. When they said, “you and Edward”, my heart flipped just by the sound of it.

“It’s nothing official, don’t get too excited,” I told her, utterly embarrassed. She snorted, “At least you two finally admitted how you feel to each other. I mean, it was so apparent,” she rolled her eyes and smirked. “Was it really that obvious?” I said, blushing furiously. “Oh yeah… With all the shameless flirting, how was it not obvious?” Rosalie gave a dry laugh and elbowed me. “I did not flirt with him!” I protested truthfully. Rosalie rolled her eyes, “You might have not realized it, but it was totally flirting from a third person's point of view,” she nodded and Alice joined her. Before I knew it, they were grabbing me by my hands, jump up and down on my queen-sized bed.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” I was so affected by their enthusiasm that I was exclaiming myself. Ah, how did I get so lucky to meet the greatest friends that a girl could possibly find and a perfect guy that looks like Adonis himself? We collapsed on my bed, each of us out of breath from all the jumping. I was in the middle, with Rosalie on the right and Alice on the other.

“Is he a good kisser?” Rosalie asked out of the blue, propping her head in her hands. Alice and I looked at her weirdly; she put her hands up and said guiltlessly, “What? Just wondering…” I laughed, “Yeah, he is. I mean, he did have a lot of practice, if you know what I mean,” I winked and Rosalie laughed,

“I guess it runs in the family. Emmett is a good kisser to… like he knows the perfect place to touch and…” she said dreamily, but was interrupted by Alice.

“Eww! Enough talking on my brothers’ kissing expertise,” she shuddered. “Yeah, like you don’t tell us about Jasper,” I teased her and it was her turn to turn red. “Thank god he’s not my brother.” “How long did he stay over?” Alice asked, changing the subject. I shrugged, “Till one thirty.”

“Boy, were you guys busy…” Rosalie smirked as I turned even redder than before. “It’s not like that,” I muttered as they all gave me an unconvincing “sure”. I knew they wouldn’t believe me if I said we just talked; after all, the Edward that they were used to was the all-around good guy, the playboy of the campus. They wouldn’t know the real, the Edward underneath that much. I asked them about what happened after Edward and I left. And they knew exactly who I was referring to. To my surprise, they started laughing hysterically,

“Boy, Lauren was so pissed. Her face was literally red! And not too long after you two disappeared; she stomped out of the room as well. Only not so graceful, Jamie accidentally stuck out his foot, so she tripped. And trust me; it wasn’t a pretty sight…” I know I shouldn’t laugh at someone tripping, but this is Lauren. So I think I was allowed.

“Okay girls, it’s a sunny Sunday waiting for us outside to enjoy. Let's go soak up the sun! Go get changed Bella, and let’s go somewhere!” Alice announced cheerfully. I asked them where Emmett and Jasper were; “still asleep” was their reply. Looks like they were busier than I was last night.

After putting on a tee-shirt and a pair of capris, we walked arm-in-arm out of the room. They criticized Lauren and Jessica’s dresses from last night, saying that they were too puffy and they enlarged their hips. That made me laugh; I was glad that they filled me in on what I missed since my mind was pre-occupied.

“Oh yeah… and they were like,” Alice was mid-way in her sentence when we opened the door. To our surprise, a certain gorgeous bronze hair guy was sitting on the doorstep.

“Hi Bella,” he smiled heartwarmingly, “Alice, Rosalie…” “Hi,” I said, breathing unevenly and I was sure my face was lit up in to a big smile. I heard Rose and Alice snickering next to me,

“Well, we’ll go and umm… wake up Emmett and Jasper, you kids have fun!” Rosalie grabbed Alice by her sleeve and they quickly stalked off.

“I want to hear what they say to each other!” I heard Alice whine, her head still angling toward us. “Give them some privacy,” Rosalie scolded and dragged her with more force. Edward and I gave a laugh and rolled our eyes. He took a step closer and gave me a small kiss on my forehead, his hands on my sides.

“How are you feeling?” I asked him, concerned; and he knew I was referring to last night’s conversation. I didn’t want him to regret telling me all those things. It was nice to know more about his life, his childhood… Everything about him interested me.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry that I dumped all that on ya,” his smile was apologetic and serene. “Edward, you don’t have to apologize. You can trust me, you know? If you ever want to talk, I’ll always be here for you,” I looked into his eyes to show him that I was serious, and his deep, green ones stared back at me, unreadable.

“Thank you,” he pulled me in his arms and held me against his chest for a brief minute. I sighed in relief when he released me; his eyes weren’t sad; but… light.

“So how was your night?” he asked, smiling crookedly. I locked my arms around him and grinned, “Long,” I admitted. He laughed softly, “For me as well. Did you have something planned with the girls? It’s unusual to see them up so early.” “Actually, that was unexpected. They woke me up violently and demanded details about last night. The next thing I know, we were going out,” I shrugged and he smirked.

“Let me guess, shopping?” “Do I really have to answer that? You know Alice better than I do,” I sighed. “Well too bad for them. You’re hanging out with me today,” he smirked. “S… sounds good to me.” Could I be any more embarrassing? I groaned in my head. He chuckled at my response; I wanted to smack myself on the head! I had no idea where we were going, we were just walking around, joking with each other.

“I did all the talking yesterday, now it’s your turn. Mind if I ask a few questions?” he asked, smirking. “Bring them on,” I said confidently. I had nothing to hide. It started out with simple stuff, like my childhood birthdays, pets… I told him how I couldn’t manage to keep a pet for over two weeks without them dying. He laughed and shook his head. We stopped at the basketball court when we heard music playing and saw Jamie and a couple of guys playing. He waved at us with a grin; we rolled our eyes and waved back. His eyes danced between us, and he gave Edward a thumbs-up and mouthed something to the other guy, whose name I didn’t know.

“Hey Edward, hey Bella,” Jamie was always cheerful; he reminds me a lot of Emmett. It was easy to befriend him; he was

always friendly and enthusiastic.

“Hi Jamie…” Edward introduced me to the other guys that I didn’t know. I already knew Jamie and Cody; the other four guys were Adam, Sean, Dylan, and Sam. They said hi and I greeted them back. They all seemed pretty nice; they weren’t glaring or holding a grudge against me like the girls.

“So all-star players, you guys want to play?” Cody asked, smirking. I laughed at the comment. I turned to Edward and he smiled, “Count us in.”

“So Bella, have you played streetball?” Sam asked, smiling. “I have. It’s like basketball except for the trash talking, right?” I joked. They all laughed, Edward including. “Man, I’ve only known you for two minutes and I like you already,” Sean said humorously. I grinned. “Whoa. We can’t put them on the same team, I mean, that would mean the game is already over for the other one side,” Adam said, as if stating the obvious. I looked at him, a little confused.

“Yeah, Edward has told us all about you and basketball. We heard that you’re good,” Sean gave me a smile. “She does play good guys, you should be on your guards; she isn’t as innocent and fragile as she looks,” Jamie winked at me and Edward chuckled,

“Are we just going to talk? Or are we going to start the butt kicking?” “The first one up to fifteen points,” Dylan spoke for the first time in his deep voice. I teamed up with Jamie, Sean, and Dylan. Edward gave me a smile and joined his teammates. Their team got the ball, and why was I not surprised to see them passing it to Edward? He spun speedily and the ball landed in the hoop after a crossover dribble. They high-fived him, and he smirked.

“Okay… we can’t let him continue making the shots,” I murmured and the guys nodded silently next to me, agreeing. They checked the ball to me, and I tried to run pass them. Edward was blocking me as well; I smiled knowing that he wasn’t going easy on me this time. I passed it to Cody, and he passed it to Jamie, who was open at the time. But then Adam got on his back, so he had no choice but to pass it back to me.

“Bella!!” I jumped for the ball and tried to think of a way to get over the tall three guys standing in front of me. Edward was guarding under the hoop, which gave me an idea. I went under, just as I expected, they weren’t expecting it. They gasped, and Dylan let out and “damn”. I did the circus shot that Edward taught me, and it went in.

“I’ve taught you well,” Edward smiled and extended fists with me. I laughed and the other guys stared at me with their jaws hanging open.

“Did she just….?” Sean frowned as Adam’s eyebrows curled up in confusion. “I told you she was good,” Cody chuckled. “Well… damn,” those were the other guys’ response. Edward, Cody, and Jamie laughed, shaking their heads. The game continued, both teams gaining points. They kept it friendly, no major provoking.

“Man, you guys play like girls,” Jamie laughed at Adam and Sam, who were catching their breaths, their hands on their knees. I cleared my throat,

“Ah them…” I gave him a glare which caused a sweat to roll down his cheeks. “Oh geez! I’m sorry Bella, I was just used to saying that… habit…. You know how it is on the court, won’t happen again, I swear it on all of my NBA posters,” he raised up his hand and looked at me apologetically, then at Edward. I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore that. They showed some flashy moves, driving the ball to the basket.

“Ohh! Perfect song!” Dylan exclaimed and started singing along to a song. He got too into the music, that Sean scolded

him,

“Dude, are you playing or singing?” ‘ He gave us a sorry and got his head back in the game. When it was Edward’s turn to shoot, maybe I just accidentally brushed my arm over his back, and I saw him flinch. I giggled quietly, and saw him aiming for the shot shakily. He missed. Jamie thought Edward messed up, so he went happily for the ball, making a re-bound. Edward frowned and stared at the hoop when our team cheered, but quickly composed himself three seconds later. The score was close, but we still lost.

“Good game guys, I’m beat,” Jamie collapsed on the ground, breathing loudly. It was getting close to twelve, which meant lunch time, so we decided to call it quits. I went to the vending machines near by to get some water; I heard someone’s footsteps and I saw Edward’s reflection through the glass.

“Hi, good game,” I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “Thanks. You too,” he grinned and got himself a bottle of water as well. We sat on the bench and gulped down the whole bottle of water thirstily. From afar, we saw Jamie hitting Cody with the basketball and the other guys were laughing, though not with much sound, too tired.

“So, are you meeting anyone this afternoon?” he asked casually, kicking a small rock by his foot. “Not that I know of,” I smiled. “Then would you consider having lunch with me?” he smiled crookedly. “What did you have in mind?” “I was thinking maybe we could order some pizza and just chill in your room,” his voice was so attracting. I smiled, “Sure, but I really should shower first.” He nodded in understanding, “Alright. I need one too… So I’ll meet you in your room in thirty minutes? Or do you need more time?”

“Thirty minutes are enough,” I replied simply, rolling my eyes. “Awesome.” I was about to get up and head to my room. But suddenly, a pair of strong arms pulled me back to him. My back brushed against him… wondering what he had to say.

“Not so fast little cheater...” he whispered. “What?” I asked innocently. He leaned in and said it in that charming voice of his in my ear, “You think I don’t know what you did? You don’t play fair Bella, making me miss that shot.” His voice was unintentionally seductive, I couldn’t breathe. That’s what you get for messing with him from the beginning. My heart was melting, and I could barely stand… To think I wasn’t even looking at him in the face…

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lied shamelessly, my voice quivering a little at the end. He chuckled alluringly, “Sure you don’t. See you in a few, beautiful,” he whispered and kissed my cheek. I breathed unevenly and walked back to the dorms shakily. Damn. Why does he have to so charming? My skin was flushed when I looked in the bathroom mirror, not sure if by the basketball game or the little flustering session with Edward a while ago. My cheeks were rose pink, and my hair was a total mess. Note to self: Never play basketball in jeans ever again. I turned on the water and jumped in the cool tub. Ah, cool, cold water, exactly what I needed. I wrapped a towel around my

chest and exited the bathroom. Great. I had no idea what to wear! After digging through my closet, I finally decided on what to wear. What the heck, it was so sunny outside; I might as well wear something to fit in with the "California summer". I found a yellow-striped strapless tank that Alice had told me to get last week, and a pair of blue crops that rolled up at my knees. I put on the outfits, and blow-dried my hair. It wasn’t completely dry yet, but I didn’t want to waste more time on my hair, so I ran a brush through it to smooth it out. There was a knock on my door,

“Bella?” “Come in, the door’s open!” I yelled, putting the brush back in my drawer. I spun around, and saw him looking as stunning as always. He wore a polo-shirt that was striped like mine, except it was white with lime-green stripes. He wasn’t wearing his usual jeans-look; he wore a pair of khaki shorts and a belt that was loose around him. I liked it; he was wearing something casual just like me. He came up to wrap his arms around me. He was the first one to break the silence, “You look amazing, Bella… So attractive, even your smell is irresistible,” he cooed alluringly in my ear. I blushed and whispered back,

“It’s definitely the other way around this time.” I breathed in his scent and it smelled just wonderful as before. What was the word that he used? Irresistible. Then I heard him chuckle.

“What?” I could hear the hysteria in my voice. I was afraid that I forgot to put something important on like socks or a bra. “We match,” he said simply. I smiled. It wasn’t long till the pizza arrived. He ordered a bunch of sides, like brother like sister, I thought. He was playing with my hair with his other hand while he talked on the phone. It seemed just as effortless for him to be with me as it was for me to be with him.

“All done,” he winked at me and pecked me lightly on the lips. “Hey. Mind if I ask you a question?” “Of course not, go right ahead,” he sounded interested on what I was about to ask. “Tell me about your first date,” I didn’t know why I asked him that out of the blue. But, I had always been curious. He suddenly seemed… I’m not sure, embarrassed?

“You’re not going to believe me,” he whispered as I frowned. “Try me.” “Okay…. The truth is, I don’t really even remember who I was with or what I did on my first date. All I remember is that it was in eighth grade,” his head dropped as I looked at him, completely surprised. We stared at each other, not smiling or talking… though that part didn’t last long, because I started laughing.

“You’re not serious!” “I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” he murmured, frustrated. That brought another round of laughter from me. “Ha ha. Hilarious. Now Miss Smarty-Pants, tell me about your first kiss,” he sneered as I froze. It was not something pleasant to remember. I swallowed, “What’s taking the food so long?” I asked pathetically, changing the subject. With other guys, it might have worked, but with Edward, it was useless.

“Trying to distract me?” he smirked. “Is it working?” I sighed. “Nope. Come on, Bella; tell me about your first kiss. Unless, you know… it’s private, something you don’t want share,” he raised his eyebrow. I laughed, “It’s nothing like that. It was at a birthday party in my freshmen year, and we were playing spin-the-bottle, I know, call us childish,” I rolled my eyes. “And some jock spun it, and it landed on me. So he had no choice. But we never even talked after that, you know? It was back to the usual ignoring each other in the hallway, in Literature…”

“The guy’s an idiot then. If I had the chance to kiss you back then, I’d never let you go,” he reached for my hand and started smoldering me with his eyes again. Then the atmosphere was suddenly intense. Freshmen year seemed so far away from now, hell, I couldn’t even remember anything else that had nothing to do with Edward. The knock on the door seemed to make us both jump up in surprise.

“I’ll get it,” he flashed a brilliant smile and walked to the door. When he came back, he didn’t sit on the spot that he sat a while ago on the couch; he settled on a cushion in front of me, which was perfectly fine. I mean, how many girls got to stare at a flawlessly attractive face while they ate? There was a lot of food, but knowing just like the last time, we could finish it. No problem. We finished it quickly. Just as expected, it was completely gone.

“Hey Bella, what’s your number?” he asked, pulling his cell out of his pocket. I reached for it and dialed it in quickly. His was the newest model of Motorola, there were so many buttons, that I pressed something else without meaning to. Then, to my surprise, a picture of me popped up on the screen with a beep. I gasped,

“What is this?” He chuckled nervously and stared at the screen that was now in my hand, “I took it when we were rehearsing last week. I couldn’t help it, it was a perfect angle right there…. And it looked amazing, you were smiling, looking as beautiful as always… I hope you don’t think of me as an obsessive stalker or something,” he smiled, embarrassed. I blushed. I was flattered by the fact that he had a picture of me in his phone, not that I would admit it in front of him.

“No… I don’t think so…” I said shyly, gulping. He laughed softly, “So… now that I not only have a picture of you, but I have your number as well,” he whispered in a dreamy voice that sent goose bumps up and down my neck, “And don’t worry, I won’t give it to any of your admirers,” he teased.

“Good,” I chuckled, finding it humorous when he said admirers. Then he slowly leaned forward to kiss me. He deliberated when his face was a few inches from mine, probably didn’t want to be too forward or anything. My heart was flopping crazily; I was as frozen as a statue on my seat, my back completely straightened and my hands folded obediently on my lap. His lips crashed mine with the most tender, most gentle touch. Without even thinking about it, my arms hesitated on his shoulders and I kissed him back.

“Whoa Rosalie! Check this out!” Chapter Twenty-Five I jumped off Edward’s lap with a loud gasp. There they were, standing there staring at us with huge smiles, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper! Edward and I quickly stood up embarrassingly, keeping a small space between us.

“My, aren’t you two getting along?” Jasper chuckled and I turned completely red. “Hey guys,” Edward greeted with a nervous smile. Emmett startled me with a loud, booming laugh. “Why am I not surprised to find you two making out in Bella and Alice’s room? Looks like you two were really going at it, huh?” he teased, elbowing Edward. I blushed, but I saw Edward chuckling, completely unbothered by his brother’s teasing.

“Give them a break, Emmett. At least give Bella a break. She’s already turning as red as a red Motorola razor,” Rosalie rolled her eyes as I gave her a sarcastic thanks. Great comparison, Rose. Edward helped me get rid of the trash on the table, and then we joined our friends in their conversation. Rosalie, Alice and I took up the space on the couch, since the girls claimed that they were sore from shopping, so the guys had to hit the floor.

“What did you guys do?” Alice asked, she was impossible to disinterest. Emmett snickered, “Well, little sister, I think we all got a pretty good view on what they did…” Edward shot him a glare as I looked down, turning even redder than before.

“We played Jamie and some other guys in the morning, and then we ordered some pizza for lunch,” Edward replied simply, smacking Emmett on the head for something that he whispered to Jasper. Then a song came on, Emmett started singing along to Party Up In Here by DMX. I admit, Emmett rapping was the funniest thing that I have ever seen.

Y'all gon make me act a FOOL up in HERE up in here Y'all gon' make me lose my cool up in here up in here Emmett started shaking his hips, borrowing a bottle of sun-tan lotion to use as microphone. Then Jasper and Edward joined in by dancing stupidly, we, the girls, were laughing our heads off. Emmett kicked their butts with his foot, and that got Edward and Jasper to punch his shoulder and smack him on the head. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life.

“Okay… I’m dying here,” I choked out; tears were filled in my eyes. The girls weren’t in better shape than I was; they were on the ground, slamming their fists. The song ended, and the boys bowed at us and gave each other a pat on the shoulder.

“I think we should go on Broadway,” Jasper joked as we all laughed some more. The boys went to the mini-fridge and got themselves something to drink. They came back with sodas for us, too. Alice inhaled deeply, “Okay… I think can breathe now,” she said, closing her eyes.

“You guys are idiots,” Rosalie said, shaking her head helplessly. “Why thank you honey,” Emmett kissed her cheek and grinned. “You know Rosalie, I don’t feel offended at all since you call me that everyday when you see me in the hallway or in P.E.,” Edward chuckled as Rosalie rolled her eyes at him.

“What should we do, now that we’re done with the crazy-dancing?” I asked. “Are you ladies good at cards?” Emmett smirked and his eyes were glimmering with excitement. Oh Boy… After the long afternoon and evening, it was time to say goodbye to the guys and time to get ready for school tomorrow. Edward gave me a light kiss on my lips before leaving, I sighed and hugged him goodbye. Alice and I turned off the lights after we both showered.

“Bella?” “Hmm?” “How much do you like Edward?” she asked, and I could hear a smile in her voice. “A lot,” I admitted with a sigh. She giggled, “He feels that way too, you know? He really likes you. Bella,” she deliberated.

“With Edward, there was never talking or holding hands with the other girls, there was only kissing. But the way he speaks to you…. The way he looks at you, is totally different from the Edward that we knew. I don’t want to interfere, but I just want to tell you that… Maybe… Oh,” she groaned,

“What am I saying? I’m not making sense, am I? Okay… I just want to say that I’ve never seen him feeling this way about anyone. I know it’s not official or anything, but give it a chance to be official. He’s my brother, Bella, and you’re my best friend; I love you both to death. I’m glad you make each other happy.”

“Thanks Alice,” I sighed and told her goodnight. I breathed; was I ready to accept him? Did my heart already think of him as trustworthy? He had made it clear to me that he wasn’t interested in anyone else. And I had already seen the changes that he made for me; he wasn’t fooling around with the girls anymore… And he opened up to me. But was I ready? Was I ready to trust him? I decided to put all those thoughts behind me and get some sleep. Only if it was as easy as it sounded. The next morning, Alice and I got up on time and got dressed for school. For the first time, I actually worried about what I should wear, and that was really stupid because I knew I was concerned about my dressing because of him. I told myself to snap out of it and I ended up in a denim skirt and a casual polo shirt. Rosalie dropped by with some Dunkin Donuts and some Espressos. Our life saver… When I left the room, I suddenly felt uneasy. I was going to see Edward. A huge part of me was excited, but the small portion was nervous. Throughout the whole walk, I couldn’t concentrate on what Rosalie and Alice were saying at all. I knew I was really out of

it, and I told myself that I was being utterly absurd. Rosalie giggled when she watched me turning my head around, searching for someone, or in this case, him. And I did see Edward. I found him leaning casually against the entrance of the building. Geez, was he always this early? He grinned at me, and it was a grin that I couldn’t help but return. I walked slowly up to him and stopped right when I was a foot away.

“Hello,” I smiled, unsure what to say. Despite everything that we went through the past two days, it was a little awkward. My hands were fidgeting on the straps of my backpack; he must have thought it funny; I saw him pursing his lips. Then, he took a few small steps toward me hesitatingly, and picked up both of my hands slowly that were by my side, to interlock them with his. It felt right… And I longed for it more than I was willing to admit.

“Hello,” he whispered back, staring at me straight in the eyes. The same words that I said, but when the words left his mouth, it sounded so irresistibly attractive. Even though I had spent the last couple of days with him, his perfection was still something that I couldn’t get used to. We were lost in each other’s eyes; that was until the warning bell rang. I was drifting with happiness; I found myself working more cheerfully in classes, more anxious for the bell. For the first time, I was looking to fourth period, and I knew it was because of Edward. How ridiculous that sounded. The guys in my classes treated me differently ever since the dance happened. They would smile at me when they pass by, some would come up and talk to me about the weather. And trust me; the last time that I had that conversation was when I first moved in with my dad, Charlie. Talk about awkward. The more courageous ones asked me out. That freaked me out a little, since I had never given this many rejections before. Eric Yorkey and Tyler Crowley were the most persistent ones. Even though I had already told them that I wouldn’t be available for at least two weeks, hoping they would get the hint, but they continued asking whether I would be available the week after. When I groaned, they didn’t seem to understand my frustration. I quickly excused myself to the next class, dodging them in the hallway. I wasn’t flattered or pleased with the attention. In fact, I found it rather disturbing and annoying. I knew they were just asking me out because they knew how Edward, the celebrity-like legend on campus, felt about me, not because they really liked me. I wanted to just tell them to leave me alone sometimes instead of letting them down politely, but I didn’t want to seem snotty or be another Lauren, god knows that one is enough. I walked to gym, and I was very content by the fact that I would have the next class with him. I tried to keep my emotions under control; he shouldn’t have that much effect on me. He was just a guy, a guy. When I entered the locker room, my face dropped. All three bimbos were there, their arms crossed, glaring at me, waiting. Lauren smirked evilly when she saw me, she approached furiously, and I tried to keep a blank face.

“I’m surprised that you even had the guts to show up,” she provoked as Jessica and Kelsey gave a high-pitched “hmm!” I rolled my eyes and laughed humorlessly,

“Why wouldn’t I? After all, I’m not the one who called herself the leader of the Bimbos and the biggest slut of the school,” I snorted; thanking Edward on the inside for coming up with those brilliant plans. Lauren’s face turned pale and Jessica had her mouth open, thinking of a snappy comeback. Of course, with a brain like hers, it takes a while. People were starting to arrive now; though none of them had the nerve to get pass us to their lockers. We were now standing in the middle of the locker room, eyes locked in each other’s belligerently. The other girls formed a circle around us a few steps back, enjoying the scene.

“I feel so bad for you… I mean, thinking that Edward is actually interested,” her lips curled up into a taunting smirk. My face hardened, “You leave Edward out of this,” I warned her. It was probably true that she despised me because Edward paid more attention to me than her from the beginning, but I had a feeling that she didn’t just hate me because of that. On my first day of school, when I barely talked to Edward then, I already knew she hated me from that look in her eye. Lauren sneered, “You’re so stupid, Swan, that you mistake a troll as your mother, you sick, pathetic bitch,” Jessica and Kelsey quirked up their brows and laughed loudly, slapping the lockers dramatically. So we were playing that game.

“Well, Lauren, at least I don’t look at the boy that I like as if he was a piece of meat,” I sneered back, remembering that lusty look that she always gave Edward, “You freaking, slutty whore…” I added fiercely, with a huge triumphant smirk. Her eyes widened, and her lips were trembling, and she looked like as if she was about to pop a blood vessel.

“Say that again, and I’ll rip off every piece of skin on that sickening body of yours…” she hissed.

“Actually, I was a step in front of you. I was just thinking about punching you in the face earlier, but that would probably lead you to a nose job, again,” I emphasized the world, and there were now snickers coming from the other girls.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to change,” I gave her a mocking smile before she even had a chance to reply and pushed her out of the way as I passed by her to my locker. She grabbed me by my shoulder and spun me forcedly around to face her, dabbing her pointy nails in my skin,

“I’m not done with you, you frigging boyfriend stealer,” she snarled, her breath becoming loud and noticeable. Now… boyfriend stealer? Wait till Edward hears that one!

“Well, I’m sick of your face,” I pulled her hand of my shoulder, “And I just ate breakfast. I prefer them to stay in my stomach rather than puking them all out, thank you,” I said acidly. Lauren shrieked angrily and her hands were shaking furiously in mid air, her face as red as a tomato. She ran out of the locker room ungracefully with her comrades behind her, screaming the whole way. The other girls were cracking up, clapping their hands. I knew my job was done, at least for today.

“That was great Bella! It’s time that someone stands up to those girls!” Angela hugged me. “Well, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,” I said, quoting Rosalie from yesterday. You’ve got to love her. When I came out of the locker room, I must have looked too excited and overjoyed. Several girls patted my shoulder and complimented my work, their eyes… appreciative.

“Hey Bella,” Cody ran up to me, greeting me enthusiastically. I was glad that Edward’s guy friends seemed to accept me. When I see Sean, Adam, Dylan, or Sam in the hallway, they would grin and give me a “what’s up?” Jamie and Cody had always been kinder and more outgoing, so it was usual for us to greet each other whenever we meet. It was easy to be with Edward and his group, and we were friends… buddies… whatever you’d like to call it.

“Hi Cody…” I grinned back. “What did you do? You have this glow on your face,” he chuckled, frowning with suspicion. “Oh, I just bitch-slapped a bitch.” To my great disappointment, Edward wasn’t there for fourth period. My heart sunk a little, then I reminded myself how laughable I was being. Jessica wasn’t there either; probably comforting Lauren somewhere, not that I cared. The bell finally rang, I put my books and notes in my backpack and walked to the food court. I met Alice and the seniors at the front of the building. Where was he? Was he going to be there for lunch? Emmett was complaining about a pop quiz that his Math teacher threw, but as I started looking around, poking my head over my friends’ shoulders to look for him, their conversation became a small buzz in the background.

“The test that we got in Language was hard too, wasn’t it Bella? Yoo hoo… Bella? Bella!” Alice exclaimed loudly, claiming my attention, “What are you looking for?” she asked, concerned. I quickly snapped my head back at her,

“Oh nothing…” I lied. “I think the question should be who were you looking for,” Jasper chuckled. “You guys have any idea where he is?” Emmett asked, his hands behind his head, walking casually. “I wasn’t looking for anyone, really,” I said untruthfully, they gave me a sarcastic look that told me that they didn’t by any part of my pathetic lie.

“No… He was there for P.E.,” Rosalie said thoughtfully, ignoring my previous comment. We got some Mexican Fajitas wraps from Guadalupe’s. I saw a bronze head a few yards away, and curelessly, I though it was Edward for a moment. But when the guy turned around, I saw it was some other guy in the senior classes. My friends noticed my preoccupation,

“Right. You weren’t looking for anyone,” Emmett laughed and shook his head as I took a sip of my drink, pretending not to hear it. I asked them about the game tomorrow, and they said it was going to be an away-game.

“It wouldn’t be that exciting to watch. Those guys are as weak as shrimps,” Emmett snorted. “Maybe they improved this year. It’s never good to have your guard down,” Jasper was always the more sensitive one, though I was sure Edward would have said the same thing if he was here.

“Last year, we totally beat the crap out of them! What did they call themselves? The almighty Limas? More like Lame-os,” Emmett continued saying. Rosalie rolled her eyes and grinned at her boyfriend, who was slurping down his Coke.

“Beep beep!” I was startled by the buzzing of my cell. I looked at my screen, and it said that I had gotten a text message. To: Bella From: Edward Hey… I’m so sorry that I missed lunch. I smiled; my heart lightened by the look of his name on my screen.

“Who is it?” Rosalie asked curiously, reading over my shoulder. She giggled when she saw the name. “Lover boy, isn’t it?” Emmett teased as I glared playfully at him before I replied. To: Edward From: Bella Don’t worry about it. Will I see you in fifth period? Did I sound a little too anxious and desperate? But it was too late now since I already pressed the “send” button. To: Bella From: Edward Yes. You will… I wouldn’t miss the chance of sitting next to the most beautiful girl on campus in Biology for the world. A bigger smile lit on my face; he was being incredibably sweet. To: Edward From: Bella Lol. Alright, see you later! I snapped my phone shut, and I saw my friends looking at me humorously.

“What?” I asked innocently. “You guys are so cute! Text messaging?” Alice said giddily. “I wish my boyfriend would text me,” Rosalie said sourly, looking at Emmett. Emmett let out a nervous chuckle, “But I call you, babe. It’s a whole lot quicker!”

“But Emmett,” Rosalie said it in a whiny tone intentionally, “It’s more romantic that way. Don’t you know?” she said, tugging at his sleeve, though her pleading look was replaced with a deadly glare.

“Thanks so much Edward,” I heard him mutter unhappily. With that, I had to laugh. I was the first one in the Biology classroom. The room was dark, so I had to flip on the lights. Then before I got the chance to do so, suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. I gasped, “Oh!” When I realized that it was Edward, I relaxed, though my heart was still beating rapidly. “Edward! You startled me!” I was panting with my face a few inches away from his when I turned around to face him. He chuckled, and I

realized how much I missed it,

“I’m sorry. I wanted to surprise you, but you were here before me,” he grinned, “The Coach was leaving early today, so he wanted to talk to me about some stuff for the game tomorrow to pass on to the other team members.”

“It’s okay… I know how important you are to the school,” I smiled. “Of all the classes that he could have pulled me out of, he picked one of the few classes that I have with you…” he murmured, gliding his nose on my neck, “I missed you…” Holy crap… Why does he always sound so freaking alluring? His voice would always melt my heart; make me forget my own name! I surrendered at his seduction and gave in,

“I missed you, too, Edward...” I whispered longingly and kissed him passionately on the lips. He deepened the kiss instead of the usual light peck on the lips, his hands were now on my hips, lifting me up from the floor and sitting me on the lab table. The softness of his lips made me breathless, and he seemed pleased with my reaction. My heart was about to leap out of my chest, never before had I felt this way before. I was breathing heavier by the second. I didn’t care if we were making out in the middle of the Biology classroom; I didn’t want to pull away. But all too soon, we were interrupted. The lights were flipped on, and in front of us, frozen in the doorway, were some shocked students, staring at us with their jaws hanging. And Mr. Gonzalez. Oh my gosh. Please don’t tell me that a teacher just saw me intimately making out with a guy with me sitting on the lab table! Edward and I quickly untangled ourselves to our embarrassments. I hopped down from the table, turning redder than ever, clearing my throat. The teacher pretended that he didn’t see anything, probably preventing the others from making a big deal out of it, and wrote something concerning the lesson on the whiteboard. I saw Edward, too, was flustered, and I took comfort in the fact that I was not alone. We went quickly back to our seat, I hid my face in my hair to prevent anyone see me blushing. Lauren walked in a few seconds later, and some girls filled her in on what happened. Her eyes popped out with angry, her body was even trembling. Again. During the entire class, students would peak at us from the corner of their eyes. My heart was still flopping from what happened a while ago, so their staring weren’t helping at all. Edward saw me tense up, he reached for my hand under the table and squeezed it, and I admit, I relaxed under his touch. We planned to sneak out casually when the class ended, but just because the teacher didn’t say anything back then, doesn’t mean he was an idiot.

“Bella, Edward…” he motioned us to his table. We exchanged a look and walked slowly up to him. “What’s up, Mr. G?” Edward extended a fist, but it was left hanging since Mr. Gonzalez made no intention of returning. He took it back with a grimace and slid them back in his pocket.

“As you are both aware, I do not appreciate that kind of behavior in my classroom…” he trailed off, gliding up his glasses. We sighed, “Yes Mr. Gonzalez, it won’t happen again.” He nodded and dismissed us.

“Edward, I’m so sorry! I have no idea what came over me…” I was ranting when we set our foot out of the door, and I knew how stupid I must have sounded and looked.

“Bella, stop…. It’s fine,” he chuckled with amusement, “And I hope you were kidding back there in the classroom, because I certainly hope for it to happen again some time soon,” he winked at me,

“I’ll see you after school!” Oh great, rehearsal. Oh great. Chapter Twenty-Six Edward was waiting outside of my classroom when last period ended. I decided to have a little fun with him. I walked away from the classroom normally, as if I didn’t see him, and it wasn’t long till I heard a velvet voice calling after me.

“Bella? Bella!” he ran up to me, his hands pulling my wrist. “Oh hi Edward!” I smiled at him warmly.

“Didn’t you see me?” he sounded frustrated and yet amused at the same time. “Yes,” I replied in an oblivious tone, looking down at my nails. I heard him sigh in annoyance, “Then why did you keep walking?” “I didn’t know you were waiting for me. For all I know, you could be waiting for someone else,” I said emotionlessly and I saw him relax, his lips curled into a faint smile.

“I wasn’t…” he began but I cut him off quickly, “I know… I just really wanted to see your reaction…” I couldn’t suppress the giggle that I had been trying to hide. He looked way in impatience, and I became a little worried. Did I go too far on the joke?

“Are you mad?” I tried to hide the panic behind my voice. “A little,” his tone was cold. I bit my lip; he was so cute when he was frustrated. I tip-toed and kissed him softly on the lips, “Are you still mad?” He chuckled, “I wasn’t mad from the beginning. I just wanted to see your reaction,” he quoted me, grinning madly. I scoffed in disbelief,

“How is it fair that you always manage to beat me at my own game?” “Hmm… I suppose it’s not,” he shrugged and bent down to my face again. Before his lips touched mine, I stopped him. “We better go… in case you don’t remember; we still have that rehearsal waiting for us,” I reminded him. He sighed, “Alright! Let’s go and rehearse!” I laughed at his fake enthusiasm. People stared at us with curiosity when we passed by, I was almost used to the attention; after a whole day of glaring and gawking, you would be too. Mrs. C was already there, instructing the other kids to set up. We were now getting closer to the date of the play, which was not too far away. Angela was talking animatedly with Ben Cheney, I smiled; I had never seen her smiling so widely before. I waved at her, and she waved back, a little embarrassed.

“Edward! Bella! There you are!” Mrs. C came up to us with excitement. “As you know, we’re getting close to the big day. So instead of skipping the kiss scenes like usual, I want you two to act it out and I’ll see how well it turns out. ”

“That’s no problem, Mrs. Caughman. I’m ready anytime,” Edward smirked, looking down at me with a wink. I blushed… awesome. Now we had to kiss in front of the cast.

“I swear, I don’t understand teenagers these days. Two weeks ago, both of you were running your tongues off telling me to cut off the kiss… you even had a problem with each other being in the play. Now you… never mind, children with minds like yours never cease to surprise me,” she murmured, going off to the back stage again. Edward and I snickered.

“So… I heard you told someone off today before P.E.,” he asked casually. “Who told you that?” I grinned. “Cody.” “You guys gossip almost as much as we girls do. Nothing ever gets pass you, huh?” “Nothing that concerns you ever gets pass me,” he rephrased, quirking up his eyebrow. “Well, if you’re referring to the Lauren incident, you got that right,” I smiled proudly, and I told him what Lauren said about me being a “boyfriend stealer”. Just as expected, he was laughing hysterically.

“Speaking of the bitch,” he grinned crookedly, looking over my shoulder. I turned around; Lauren was walking in, her footsteps heavy and loud, with Jessica silently beside her. I smiled at them bitterly, and she mouthed the “F” word back in return when she thought Edward wasn’t looking.

“Hello Bella… How are you?” A certain blonde walked up to us, his hands in his pockets, trying to act all cool. Mike’s hair was different. Instead of gelling it up in the front like before, it was now messy and disarrayed; it was obvious to see who he got the inspiration from. But Edward’s perfection wasn’t something that could be easily copied. The only word that popped

in to my head while he talked to me was pathetic.

“Hi Mike,” Nevertheless, I greeted him back. I could feel Edward rolling his eyes next to me, annoyed by his presence. “Listen… I was wondering… maybe… umm… you-would-like-to-go-out?” his words were stuck together in his rambling, “We could go see a movie or something?”

“Err…” This wasn’t a complete shock, but it stunned me a little that he would ask me in front of Edward, though we’re not together or anything. “I…”

“She’s not interested, Newton. Instead of constantly begging her to go out with you, leave her the hell alone. Now, go back to your little friends over there,” he pointed to the group that Mike usually hanged out with, and why was I not surprised to see Eric and Tyler being one of them? “And tell them to stop flirting with her and getting on her back. She’s not interested,” Edward said with much threat, his eyes were filled with disgust and dismay. But shamelessly, Mike snorted.

“And who the hell are you? Her spokesman? It’s not like you’re her boyfriend or anything,” he chuckled dryly. Wrong thing to do. Edward’s fists were clenched tightly into balls. His eyes were suddenly dark and dangerous; he looked ready to pounce on Mike any second. We both knew Mike got him right then and there. He glared at him threateningly, it was intimidating.

“Edward? I think Mrs. C is calling us,” I reached for his hand, and I felt his grip loosen. Of course it was a lie, but it worked pretty well since Mike bought it.

“Let me know what you think of my offer, Bella!” he yelled as I led Edward to the back of the stage. I swear I heard him growl at Mike’s words, but I wasn’t sure. I looked up to face him, holding his face in both of my hands when we hid behind the curtains.

“Are you alright?” I whispered. “Yeah,” he exhaled, “I’m sorry I got jealous back there. I lost it, didn’t I? It’s just… that bastard is really persistent. He’s not a good guy and the thought of you being with him…. Is unimaginable,” he gritted through his teeth. I wrapped my arms around him to calm him down,

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. If I can handle Lauren, I can handle him as well,” I smiled and he smiled back helplessly. “I’m really sorry that I lost my temper,” he whispered, calm now. “Were you jealous, really?” I asked him curiously. He chuckled, “Of course I was. Me despising him was one thing… but the jealousy, was something that I had never experienced before. But I’ll be on my best behavior now, I promise.” I smiled at him, “Alright.” Rehearsal went great. It was even fun since we had gotten some of the props out. The guys had a great time fighting with the wooden swords, and we had some good laughs. Mrs. C told us that she had added a kiss at the end of the balcony scene before Edward and I got on the stage. He didn’t seem nervous at all, he just said “great” while I, on the other hand, was turning red as ever. I lost my train of thoughts while he read. The way that he looked at me… the way he smiled, was powerfully distracting. I swallowed,

“Sweet, so would I: Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow” His eyes were mesmerizing, I wonder if the other people could tell that I practically swooning over him on stage. His soft voice continued,

“Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast! Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!

Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell, His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.” My heart was accelerating now. That was the last line of the scene, which meant… the kiss. He leaned down slowly and brushed his lips very slowly against mine. I expected him to pull away quickly, but instead, he gripped on my face tighter and his lips were moving more urgently than before against mine. Forgetting that we were onstage, I smiled contently with my eyes closed and I kissed him back. When I heard some people whistling and cheering, I pulled away, finally remembering that we were on stage and that there was a teacher down there evaluating us along with a bunch of students. My cheeks were flustered, though Edward seemed to be at ease.

“Geez, I didn’t know the kiss was supposed to be that long,” Adam rolled his eyes and smirked. Jamie laughed, “Heck, if I knew I got to kiss a girl like that onstage, I would have tried harder to get the Romeo part,” he teased playfully. Edward and I smiled; the other students laughed along gently, still staring at us with awe and disbelief. Lauren was stomping her foot, cursing me to the fiftieth level of hell. Mrs. C ran up to us with a huge smile, ‘

“Bravo! Bravo!” she clapped her hands, “I knew I sensed chemistry between you two! It was great!” she hugged us, taking us both my surprise. Edward’s eyes widen as did mine, I had never been forced into a hug by a teacher before. “Alright, it’s already time! No rehearsal tomorrow because of the game! Read over your lines! Great job everyone!” The students were still talking about the “kiss” that happened a while ago. Jamie and some other guys were teasing Edward while I was picking up my backpack from the corner.

“Swan is so lucky. I wish I got to kiss someone as hot as Edward onstage,” I over-heard a girl say longingly. “I bet they’re together. I mean, did you see the way he looked at her?” the other girl said, sounding disappointed. I smiled; it felt nice to be envied. Though the second girl got it wrong, we weren’t together. I froze, did it seem like we were together? I mean, like a couple? Was it really that obvious that he treated me differently from all of the other girls that even the other girls could see it?

“Ready to go?” a velvet voice popped up from behind. “Sure,” I smiled as he offered his hand and I took it without hesitation. There was never talking or holding hands with other girls… Edward was waiting outside of our dorms the next morning. He complimented my shirt, saying that it matched my eyes while I was trying to get over how good he looked in a simple spirit shirt. Rosalie and Alice walked with us; they were in a deep conversation discussing whether Abercrombie shirts are better or American Eagles. Edward and I walked behind them and tried to see how it would end. Every now and then, some snickers would escape from us, but they were too full of thoughts to notice. It must have been my lucky day. After we got dressed, the coach announced that we were playing Volleyball today, and everyone was forced to play since this is a part of the semester grade.

“If I wanted to bruise my arms, I would have hit it with a hammer,” Lauren snorted, looking down at her nails for the millionth time.

“If you play the correct way, you wouldn’t bruise them,” Cody retorted. “Who asked for your opinion?” she snapped back, glaring. “Who said I was talking to you?” Cody replied, grinning. Looks like some of my unfriendly-ness to Lauren is starting to rub on him. We were split into four teams, three girls and three boys in each. Our team and Lauren’s were on first while the other two teams were told to play the next day.

“Just so you know, I was on the volleyball team back in Junior High, and when I came here in my freshmen year, they offered me a spot as the Captain but I turned it down,” she gloated, saying triumphantly as if she did something astoundingly important. Yeah right. A while ago you were just saying something about bruising your arms.

“Great for you, thanks for the heads up,” I rolled my eyes. I took my position at the left front, and to my great irritation, she did the same. Heather served over the ball for the other team underhanded,

“Got it!” Jamie, who was middle back, called it and hit it back over the net, “I got it! I got it!” Jessica yelled, running all the way from the back for the ball with her hands cupped. Unsuccessfully, she tripped over her shoe laces while she ran, slamming her face on the floor. Rule number one: Free your hands while you run, duh? Laughter erupted from all of us; her face was red, and her nose… god, did they actually look a little crooked?

“God dammit! Shut up! All of you!” she said, her cheeks turning into the raspberry color. “What a great opening for us, Jessica,” Keith snickered, “You know, you have these people on your team called your teammates,” he gave her a taunting smile. She scowled at him and turned her head away. I laughed, and so did my teammates. Lauren gritted her teeth,

“Don’t get cocky, Swan… You won’t be in better shape yourself when I’m done with you,” she threatened with a sickly sweet smile.

“We’ll see,” I said simply. It was our turn to serve; Angela stepped up, serving the ball underhanded shyly. Luckily, the ball went over the net, but Caleb hit it back, and Keith covered it by setting it up nicely for me. I hopped up and spiked it with much force over the net. Score!

“2-0,” the coach blew the whistle and motioned Angela to continue. Lauren frowned at me, like ‘she plays?’ “Come on Angela, you can do it!” we encouraged her. She took a deep breath, but unfortunately this time, it didn’t go over. Lauren laughed and muttered something impolite to her teammate.

“It’s okay, good try,” Ben Cheney patted her shoulder, and I saw her blush. Lauren’s team rotated, and it was now Jessica’s turn to serve. More power to her. She bounced the ball for many times, trying to act all professional. A few ten seconds later, we were getting tired of waiting.

“Dude! Are you ever going to serve?” Keith said impatiently. She snorted and raised her arm to do an overhand serve. The ball didn’t go over the net. Instead, we heard a loud shriek. It landed on Lauren’s ass at first then quickly dropped to the floor.

“You stupid, freaking klutz!” she screamed at her, throwing the ball at her face. “I’m so sorry!” Jessica said, frightened of the deadly Lauren, who was still glaring at her. “Rotate!” the Coach said, breaking up the fight. Great, now I was in middle front with Lauren. Nice… Not. “Really Swan, I think you should stick to basketball, no offense, but you suck at this,” she said, emphasizing ‘suck’. Says the one who hadn’t even touched the ball for once since the game started. I decided to ignore her; we’ll settle this later. It was now Keith’s turn to serve. Finally! A decent overhand serve! Jesse, a guy from the other team hit it back single handed, and it spun beautifully in the air, waiting for one of us to spike it. Of course, I had to go for my chance. I jumped for it and hit it as hard as I could to the other side, smacking it on Lauren’s head. She wasn’t even paying attention at first, she was turning her head around, talking to Caleb about my ‘lack of aim’. Her eyes fumed, followed by a loud scream and a series of cuss words,

“Swan you f………” The Coach blew his whistle to stop her from saying more, she scoffed, “Mister! She just spiked the ball at my head purposely. Shouldn’t she be suspended for that?” “Miss Mallory, actually, she didn’t break any rules. She spiked it over the net, and you on the other hand,” he gave her a disapproving look, “Should have been paying attention. Besides, I’m sure it was an accident, wasn’t it, Miss Swan?”

“Of course it was,” I smiled at Lauren, “Sorry if you got hurt, Lauren. My apologies.” “I wasn’t hurt,” she spat quickly. “Great. Then we don’t have a problem then. Continue,” the Coach said, motioning with his hand. The game continued. Thanks to Keith, we continued gaining points with me still at the center front. This time, Lauren kept her eyes on me the whole time, spiking the ball back, mimicking. Of course, I was the one who started it, so I would be the one to end it. If she thought that she could beat me in volleyball just by copying my methods, she would be a lot dumber than I thought.

“I got it!” she jumped and spiked the ball at me. With a smirk, I bumped it up and had Ben spike it over. Her team groaned when they saw that we were eight points ahead. It was good that I had god on my side that day. Before the end of the game, Lauren’s head collided with the ball over three times thanks to me. She shrieked for every time, and everyone found it down right hilarious. We won the game. After we changed back into our clothes, I walked out with Angela, who was telling me what we were doing in Biology today. Then, I felt something hit the back of my head.

“What the hell?” I turned around and saw Lauren, standing there with her hands crossed in front of her chest, standing next to the volleyball rack, smirking darkly.

“Oops,” she said, faking a gasp, “You can forgive me, can’t you? Accidents do occur.” “Of course, I forgive you…” I smiled at her and turned back around, “Or... maybe not!” With that, I picked up the ball swiftly and spiked it at her angrily. She gasped loudly once again, getting out some more balls from the rack and threw them at me. I pulled the other rack that was at the corner closer to me, picking up some balls to throw at her as well.

“Bitch!” “Slut!” I replied, spiking one at her hips before she got up from the floor after picking up a ball since her rack was empty. “Ladies! Ladies!” the Coach came rushing to us, “I just went in the office for a drink of coffee, and look what you did!” he spread his arms out, scoffing at us. There were balls everywhere, and the other kids were staring at us as if we had lost our minds. I tried to picture what they saw, me and Lauren throwing volleyballs crazily at each other, name calling each other. God… that was so childish.

“Principal’s office! Now!” he bellowed. Mr. Robinson wasn’t happy, that much was easy to tell.

“Do you girls want to be banned from P.E.?” he asked, incredulous. “No…” We murmured. “I don’t want anything like this again, do you understand? This is a school, and you’re here for your education and to excel your academic performances. Now Miss Swan, I heard from your teachers that you have been doing very well in classes, straight As, so I'll let that one drop… And as for you, Miss Mallory, your C average will have to be pulled up to a B if you want continue your spot on the cheerleading squad,” he said, glowering at her through his thick glasses.

“Yes sir,” she said quietly. “Off to class! Both of you!” he dismissed us and we walked for the door quickly. She shoved me purposely to pass by the door; I scowled quietly and decided to let that one go. In front of the reception desk, I saw Edward sitting there on the couch, frowning. Lauren beamed and ran up to him,

“Edward! How nice of you to come and see me! I’m perfectly fine, except for this little twist on my ankle,” she rolled up her jeans to show him, but Edward ignored her as if she was invisible, and walked up to me quickly. Lauren’s face dropped, she clenched her fists and watched us furiously a few yards away.

“Are you alright?” he’s eyes were filled with concern. “I’m great,” I smiled at him. He sighed and pulled me into his chest. “I heard a while ago that you got into a fight in the gym. I guess the girls exaggerated a little, they said that you broke your

leg,” he explained. I chuckled,

“Lauren isn’t that good." He led me out the door, throwing no glances at Lauren when we passed by.

“So let me get this right. You were playing volleyball?” “Yes,” I smiled. “I got sick of her provoking me, so I had to do something….” I told him the whole story, and he laughed when he heard that Lauren got hit by the ball so many times during the game and how Jessica managed to hit Lauren’s hip when she served.

“Remind me to never get on your bad side,” he chuckled, looking at me humorously. “Don’t worry, I don’t think you’d ever be.” Chapter Twenty-Seven Since the boys were off to the game tonight, Alice, Rosalie and I ordered some Chinese food and were having the “girl talk” while painting each other’s nails. It was an hour drive, so the school didn’t allow the other students to go, or Alice, Rosalie and I would have been there, cheering for them at the top of our lungs. I admit; it was fun doing the girly stuff. I never did anything like this when I was little, since I didn’t really have any friends that were close enough to me for me to spill my heart. At nine o’clock, I got a call from Edward in the middle of She’s the Man, saying that they won and were on their way home. It felt nice; receiving his call and having him share his joy with me. I mean, he was on the bus with a bunch of other friends, but he called me.

“So what was the score?” “They lost by forty points…” he laughed, and I joined him. “Man… I thought Emmett was kidding when he said they were bad. For the first time ever, he finally got something right,” I joked, grinning.

“Edward… Come in the backseat with me,” a voice purred from the other side of the line. Not just any voice, but hers. Suddenly, I felt this uneasiness in my stomach, and I realized that I was holding my breath.

“Sure. When hell freezes over,” he murmured. “Bella? You still there?” “Yes, of course.” “Well, I better let you go. I have to go and take care of something between Dylan and Jamie before fists get involved,” he scowled. I chuckled, “Go do your thing, Captain. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night.” I snapped my phone shut. Was I seriously jealous? It wasn’t like he would actually give in to Lauren. I told myself that I was being obtuse; maybe Lauren knew he was on the phone with me so she did that just to payback for what I did in gym to make me angry. Even if something did happen between them, it shouldn’t bother me. He was free to date whoever he wanted, I mean, it wasn’t like he was my boyfriend or anything. But I knew from the bottom of my heart that Edward wouldn’t do that, I knew he wouldn’t. My thoughts wandered to this morning when he thought I was hurt. I was genuinely touched by the concerns that were filled in his eyes, and how relieved he looked when he saw that I was okay. It made me smile; seeing him in my head while I replayed the scenes.

“Bella? What are you doing?” Rosalie asked, her eyes tearing off the T.V. screen. “Oh, nothing!” I beamed and joined my friends on the rest of the movie. When I got in the building the next morning, people started laughing at me when I passed by them. What the hell is going on? I looked down; and I was wearing shoes, pants, and they weren't mismatched. I didn’t understand why, until I saw a big poster of me, hanging on the wall.

The photo was photoshopped, and it looked like the one… the one in Edward’s phone! Except in the picture, I was wearing a bikini with the word “whore” on it, and over my head, there was a “Tramp of 2008- You don’t belong here!” banner in bold letters. Just as expected, I saw Lauren surrounded by a bunch of snotty girls, laughing their heads off a few yards away.

“Like it?” she asked, walking up to me with her apprentices following her. I ripped off the poster on the wall and tore them in to pieces, throwing them on the floor angrily. I took a deep breath and told myself to calm down. I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it; because that would be what she wanted. But I couldn’t help that my cheeks started heating up, I couldn’t help the desire of punching her in the face. And how did she get the picture anyway? It was exactly like the one in Edward’s phone. Unless… he gave her the picture? Was it just a coincidence that he wasn’t here? But… that was impossible. Would he really do that to me? No… he wouldn’t! I closed my eyes and inhaled once again. I couldn’t cry… I wouldn’t cry. I walked silently to my first class with unsteady footsteps.

“Look at her! Too scared to make any comebacks! Didn’t I tell you that she’s a coward?” Lauren laughed behind me, and she was joined by many other people. They were now clapping their hands, enjoying my misery. I wanted to die. It was even worse in Math. They were passing notes to each other, smirking in my direction. When I was called on to solve an equation, the guy sitting next to me slipped me a note from underneath, I skimmed it…“New York Slut.” I crumbled the paper in my fist, which brought more snickering. If I was a slut, what would that make Lauren? A prostitute? At least I wasn’t throwing myself at him like her. Him. I couldn’t bring myself to think his name.

“Miss Swan?” “Oh… five square root seven,” I sat down and hid my face in my hair, my head propping in my hand for support. All I could think was… how could she? How could he? Alice pulled me into a tight hug when we met each other in the hallway. She pulled me into the ladies room, comforting me.

“That asshole, I swear… I’m going to do some serious damage to her face…” she said through her teeth when she finished hearing my rant.

“Alice, thanks. But it’s fine. Don’t’ revenge for me, okay?” She looked puzzled, “Bella… you’re going to let her get away with this?” I nodded, “I don’t want to cause any more trouble. I’m through with the drama. I’m tired of it.”

“Are you sure?” “What’s the point? We get her back, and then she starts something new… We’ll just let it drop, okay?” I smiled helplessly. She hesitated,

“If that’s what you want…” I nodded weakly, “It is.” She smirked, and it wasn’t a happy smirk, “If you ever change your mind…”

“You’ll be the first to know,” I assured her. She told me good luck and we went separate ways to our next class. I didn’t want to go to gym, I wanted to ditch. But the good student that I was, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. The locker room was still pretty empty when I went in. Thank god she wasn’t there yet, there were only Angela, Heather and Jasmine.

“Bella… are you alright?” Angela asked, giving me a small hug. “Yeah, I think so…” Heather and Jasmine didn’t know what to do, so they placed their hands softly on me back, patting. The suddenly, I hear someone clapping their hands.

“Well, well, well! I would think you’re already on the next flight back to the Big Apple!” Lauren said, with the laughing Jessica and Kelsey. “So what? You guys are on her side now?” She gave Angela, Heather, and Jasmine an intimidating glare. The other two girls immediately stepped away from me, frightened. With the exception of Angela, who was still

standing beside me,

“Of course I am,” she said loyally, I had never seen her spoken up to Lauren before. And I knew it must have taken a lot of courage; her face was slightly flushed, and her hands were trembling a little.

“Suit yourself. Get this, Weber, people who aren’t on my side always ends up going down,” she smiled at her and went to her locker. We weren’t playing today, which was good. After the coach took the attendance, we, the students who played yesterday, took a seat on the bench.

“Hey Bella, we heard,” Cody came up to me with Sean, taking the seat beside me. “Awesome,” I said sarcastically. They laughed softly, not wanting to upset me. Cody threw his arm around my shoulder, “Just so you know, we’re completely on your side. That bitch can go straight to hell for all I care,” he said, exchanging a gag with Sean.

“Thanks guys,” I laughed; acknowledging that annoyed look that they passed each other. “You’re welcome. She had always treated us like her slaves in the past… Hold this for me, hold that for me…” he imitated, “Like we give a damn about her nails. But with Edward, she puts on this sweet, high-pitch voice… Agh!” Edward… Sean smiled, “Cheer up. Just picture Lauren getting her ass hit again with a volleyball…” he trailed. Cody and I laughed, remembering what happened the day before. Those guys knew how to make me laugh; and it was thanks to them that gym went better than I expected. Before entering the classroom for ELA, I bump into Edward in the hall. He looked as perfect as always, though he seemed troubled by something. My heart thudded, I wasn’t ready to face him yet… with all these confusions.

“Hi,” he smiled faintly. “Hey…” I mumbled and wondered if it was audible. “I heard about what happened this morning, sorry I wasn’t there,” he pulled me into his chest protectively, and that brought me some more pain. I pushed him away, but I wouldn’t have been successful without his help. He looked at me with a hurt expression,

“What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” He stared down at me to read my face, and it wasn’t long till realization hit him.

“You think I gave her the picture?” he whispered, his eyes was full of pain and something that I wasn't sure of, frustration? “I don’t know what I think anymore, Edward…” I whispered back. He sighed and reached for one of my hands, and he winced when he saw that I pulled back instead of accepting it. I wanted very much to believe him, but how could I make it in any other way? If he didn’t give it to her, how could she have possibly gotten the same picture?

“Bella, I have no idea how she got that picture. I swear! I would never do that to you, I wouldn’t! I don’t know how she got it… Really, I don’t…” He ran his hand through his hair, pursing his lips.

“I suppose it’s just a coincidence that you happened to disappear this morning,” I said coldly, then regretting it immediately. What was the use of arguing? I would just end up sadder on the inside. He took a deep breath and looked into my eyes, speaking clearly,

“Something bad happened between Jamie and Dylan last night on the bus, they got into a huge fight, and they were both injured. It was pretty bad; their parents were called here to the school. This morning, I was told along with Emmett and half of the team who witnessed the fight to go to the office and tell them what we saw... The coach is still struggling on whether to kick them off the team or not…” he paused, and suddenly, his body froze.

“Wait… the fight! That’s it!” he smacked his forehead, then grabbing me by my shoulder, startling me by his sudden movement,

“Bella! Remember when I was talking to you last night I cut it short? I had to go break up the fight between the guys, so I didn’t have the chance to slip my cell phone back in my pocket! I must have left it on the seat, and Lauren was sitting behind me!” he hit the wall with his clenched fist,

“Damn! She must have saw and sent the picture to her phone herself! I don’t believe this…” he pounded the wall with his fist, harder this time. I froze for a moment; then everything became clear to me. Edward didn’t send her the picture. He didn’t know. His explanation made sense, and the more I started to think about it, the more it fit with Lauren’s personality. A wave of relief washed through me, Edward didn’t betray me. What the hell was I thinking? I stepped forward and threw my arms around him, closing my eyes. He gripped on to my waist tightly, as if he was afraid I would push him away again.

“Do you believe me, Bella?” he whispered, his tone remorseful. “Yes! I’m sorry for doubting you. Believe me, I never wanted to… but I couldn’t think of any other way for it to happen…” I felt so stupid now, and it made me intently guilty when I looked up at his emerald, sincere eyes. I didn't realize that I had tears in my eyes until he wiped them away with his fingertips. He chuckled, “It’s okay. I would have doubted me too. I’m sorry, I am,” then his smile disappeared, and his eyes were now angry, “And Lauren is going to pay…”

“No!” I almost screamed. He gave me a confused look. “Don’t start anything, okay? I’m going to quit with all this Lauren crap for right now. She’d leave me along eventually. I’m fine, really.”

“Are you sure?” he looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I laughed, “I’m positive. And she’d get more annoyed and angrier seeing me ignoring her.” He sighed, “If that’s what you want. Damn… I was hoping for some fun with her,” he murmured, his thoughts drifting to somewhere else. Did he seriously plan something within those sixty seconds? I decided to change the subject.

“So how are Jamie and Dylan?” Edward sighed, “They’re fine. They made up this morning, and apologized to each other. They were fighting over something stupid anyway; over who were the All-star players of the NBA last year. It was foolish; they started provoking each other, and it turned into a fight. Dylan got the worst damage though; he broke his arm so he might not be able to play basketball for the next couple of months. He’s really upset about it.”

“Ouch. That sucks,” I said, frowning with sympathy. “Yeah… it does,” he grimaced, and then the bell rang. “Come on, let’s go to class,” he smiled, brushing my hand with his fingertips, and his touch tickled me. I realized how much I missed that.

“Okay,” I smiled back. I knew it. I knew he wouldn’t. Mrs. C wasn’t there yet when we got it. A few seconds later, she finally returned, her face apologetic.

“I’m sorry… I just had to take care of something in the office. Open up to page four sixty five and oh… before I forget, for those of you on the play, I won’t be there for rehearsal today. We have a meeting for all the faculties…” Before she finished her sentence, Adam interrupted excitedly,

“Awesome! Did you hear that? I mean,” he stopped carefully and quickly added after receiving a look from Mrs. Caughman, “How unfortunately! Such a pity not to have rehearsal. I am so disappointed,” he said flatly, and there were snickering coming from all over the room.

“I’m really glad you feel that way, which is why I got you a substitute!” she beamed at us. Adam’s eyes widened and his face dropped. Mrs. C laughed humorously,

“I was joking. But I would appreciate it if you reread the scripts tonight to refresh your memory,” she said seriously.

“Of course,” we nodded our head; yeah right. The rest of the afternoon went a lot quicker than the morning. Of course, some bitchy girls would still laugh at me in the hallway, but the laughter quiet down a little. I met Edward at the front of the building when school ended, and was greeted by a crooked smile.

“Hi,” he said cheerfully. “Hello,” I grinned, my mood immediately lightened up by his presence. “A free afternoon. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten one of those,” he rolled his eyes, “So what are you doing with your freedom?”

“I’m going to study for the History exam tomorrow.” “Studying, eh? Sounds interesting,” he cooed alluringly, pulling me in his arm, his forehead against mine. I breathed; and let out a soft chuckle,

“I’m sure my idea of studying is very different from yours…” “We’ll see then, won’t we?” he winked and gave me a light peck on the cheeks. For the first time; I looked forward to reading History. He waited patiently while I dug for my key in my bag to open the door. Alice wasn’t there, probably with Jasper in his apartment. It was absurd how my heart would accelerate every time I realize that I was alone in a room with him when he seemed to be at ease, finding nothing to be nervous about in this situation.

“So… you’re seriously going to study?” he asked, quirking up his eyebrow as if to tease me. Not really, I would rather make out with you instead… But I wouldn’t’ say that, besides, I seriously needed to get some studying done.

“Of course. You know how important my education is to me,” I said, keeping a professional tone, like one of those salesmen that you see on T.V.

“Alright! Let’s get down to business than…” I got out my History textbook and he got out his, sitting on the chair in front of me. I sighed and tried to bury my nose in the book; I needed an A tomorrow. Focus. Ignore that gorgeous guy sitting about a foot away from you… But nevertheless, I lost my concentration when I felt him gawking at me, flipping through the pages swiftly and thoughtlessly without paying an ounce of attention to his book. I laughed,

“What are you doing?” “Studying,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing. He was still gawking at me with a huge smirk on his beautiful face. I shook my head and laughed once again, “Well, I’m thirsty. Would you like something to drink?”

“Sure. Coke would be nice,” he smiled as I got up from my chair to get some drinks from the mini-fridge. Before I reached it, I felt his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him, “Bella?” His breath was on my neck, and his voice was as velvet and gentle as always.

“Yes?” I giggled. “Be my girlfriend,” he whispered, catching me completely off guard. My heart raced and I could feel the thudding of my pulse. Well, that was a surprise. I spun around to face him, and his arms were still locked securely around me. Our faces were almost touching; he waited patiently for my response.

“I… uh…” My breath was unevenly, I wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come out. Eventually, something finally escaped my mouth when my brain started functioning again.

“Okay…” My whisper quivered, and my heart was still doing the little flopping dance inside my chest. “Really?” his face was lit up to a wide, crooked smile. I threw my arms around his neck and smiled, “Yes. I’d love to be your girlfriend,” I said blissfully and he leaned in closer to kiss me fully on the lips. A boyfriend...

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“I wanted to ask you for the longest time… but I didn’t want to scare you away. But when Mike said those words to set me off yesterday about me not being your boyfriend… I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. You are the girl for me, Bella, I already know that I don’t want any one else but you,” Edward murmured, caressing my cheek with his hand. His voice was melting me; and don’t even mention his eyes…

“Well, I’m glad you did,” I said when I finally had the strength to talk. He seemed please with my response, the corner of his lips twitched up in to a grin,

“Okay… this is going to sound very corny,” he chuckled nervously, taking my hand in his, “But I’ve never had a girlfriend before, as hard as it is to believe. So I’m not exactly sure how all the procedures go.” I laughed at the innocence of his expression, “I’m sure you’ll do great, just like you do everything else.” I tiptoed to kiss him again, and he eagerly kissed me back. My breath was becoming unsteady and loud, I was gasping for air as he moved his lips to the hollow base of my throat.

“My girlfriend,” he whispered and nuzzled my neck. I giggled and knotted his hair once more to close the small fraction amount of space between us. His hands moved down to my waist, and he stroked the part of my skin that was revealed very gently as his lips continued pressing urgently against mine. I didn’t want to move; and it appeared to me neither did he. I smiled and snuggled in his arms when we broke away from each other’s embrace; completely pleased with my current position. We sat in the blissful silence; he played with a lock of my hair while I buried my face in his chest, taking in every smell of his scent.

“I have to go,” he whispered, dropping his hand from my head, rubbing my back. “No…” I murmured selfishly; did he hear the great disappointment in my voice? He chuckled, “You know how I wish to stay here with you forever. But the faculty meeting is over, and the Coach wants us there for practice today,” he whispered. I sighed, “Okay. I’m going to have to get over the fact that I can’t hog you forever.” He laughed, “I will see you later on tonight,” he assured me, kissing my hair.

“Off you go then,” I said playfully, picking my head up from his chest, getting off his lap. Flinging his backpack swiftly over his shoulder, he walked to me to give me a kiss on the forehead,

“I’ll see you later… girlfriend,” he winked at me and jogged out of the room. Alice came in with Rosalie with a pout ten minutes later, not all that cheerful looking.

“No fair! Why do they have to practice today? And after the faculty meeting? The Coach is insane. Even Mrs. C, the play addict, postponed the rehearsal.” Rosalie started cursing under her breath, her lips pouty.

“Well, we won’t even remember this part after the guys win their next game with flying scores,” I said, my sentence sounding more like a question than a statement. Then suddenly, I thought of something to cheer them up.

“Okay… you guys have to promise not to scream or freak out, okay?” My hands were fidgeting nervously at my sides; I was picking my nails for heaven’s sake. They looked up at me curiously, then their expressions were horrified,

“Oh my god! Is someone hurt? Edward! Is he alright?” they shrieked, jumping out of their seats. I laughed, “Relax. It’s good news,” I assured them and told them to breathe. They sat down and waited patiently for my continuation, “Okay. Remember your promise,” I reminded them warily and took a long, deep breath, “Edward asked me… a while ago, to be his girlfriend.” They smiled and embraced me into a hug,

“Oh my gosh! That’s wonderful!” I think I heard a few of my back bones cracking. “Wait!” Alice froze, and she stared at me with her wide, sparkling eyes, “You did say ‘yes’, didn’t you?” I laughed, “Of course, Alice. Why would I say no?” She let out a sigh of relief, “Whew. Sorry, I just had to check.” Rosalie slapped her back and called her stupid playfully. Alice threw a pillow at her, and before I realized what was going on, she just started a pillow fight.

“Take that!” Rosalie said, slinging a pillow back at Alice. Alice screamed; and tossed a pillow at my head, “Don’t think you’re just going to sit there and chill, watching us fight!” I scoffed and threw a pillow back at her; she laughed and grabbed a magazine to take as cover. Rosalie started chasing her. When the fight ended, my hair was a huge mess. It was sticking up at the wrong places; I looked like as if I just walked out of a hurricane.

“Okay… That’s enough exercise,” Rosalie panted, “For a year.” Alice and I giggled at her statement, still too tired to talk.

“It’s good that you two are together,” Alice said, sighing contently, “And about time, too. No reason not to make it official,” I saw her rolling her eyes, but I didn’t know why.

“What do you mean?” “We mean you were already acting like a couple,” Rosalie said, smirking as she quirked up her eyebrow. My cheeks reddened, “We were not.”

“Nice. Over defensive I might add,” Alice chuckled then tapping her temples playfully, “Let me see… He meets you at the front of the building every morning… waits for you after school to walk you to rehearsal… calls you and texts you when you’re not with him… Oh yeah, my mistake. Totally not couple like,” her sarcasm was really heavy when she said the last sentence. I blushed; desperate to change the subject. At about six thirty, the guys got out from practice and met us at the food court. I fixed my hair and brushed it to smooth out the tangles that I got from the pillow fight. I’m decent, I thought to myself. My face lit up to a smile when I realized that I would see Edward again. The guys smiled at us when we saw them a few yards away. Emmett leaned in Edward’s ear to whisper something to him; Edward shot him a dirty look and muttered something back at him. Jasper laughed, rolling his eyes at his best friends.

“Being an idiot again, Emmett? My bad. Being yourself again, Emmett?” Alice rephrased before sitting down next to Jasper, grinning. Emmett ignored her with a snort, and turned to me with a smug smirk,

“So… what did you guys do this afternoon before practice?” he beamed, quirking his eyebrows at Edward and me. “Nothing,” we smiled, exchanging a look. Emmett laughed, “Oh yeah. Nothing. That’s why Edward came in with his hair more tousled than usual. I supposed it was the wind.” Edward looked away, hiding a smirk while we all laughed. Then he took my hand on the table, holding it firmly in his. The warmth of it felt wonderful; I looked up at him, and he dazzled me with those incredibly stunning eyes of his. My heart thumped heavily; it was impossible to get used to his flawless perfection. Jasper chuckled, “So you two are finally together. About time, I mean, you were already acting like a couple anyways.” Now I was annoyed, “Okay… why do you all keep saying that? Your girlfriend,” I shot a look at Alice, who waved at me with a giggle, “said the same thing earlier.”

“Because it’s so damn true. Oh, and remember before you guys even admitted how you felt about each other, you were always doing the cute, shameless flirting?” Emmett smirked, lip syncing an ‘aww’.

“We did not,” Edward protested. “And both of you are stubbornly in denial. You really are made for each other,” Rosalie joked. My face reddened; they were

having way too much time teasing us.

“Are you guys done harassing us? Can we finally get something to eat now?” Edward asked with little irritation. “Oh, I’m not done yet, hold on a few more seconds please,” Emmett laughed loudly with humor while Edward and I glared at him. “Okay… Okay… I was kidding,” he muttered innocently.

“Thanks,” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. We ordered lasagna except for Rosalie, who got an Italian salad. She stared at us while we ate, eyeing each plate of our food. It made me feel intently guilty with her watching me with those envious eyes of hers. I dropped my fork and gave her a frustrated look, “Look Rosalie, this is getting ridiculous. You have the most perfect body, and you don’t need any freaking diet!”

“Why are you eating veggies anyway?” Emmett asked innocently. Edward and Jasper groaned, just as frustrated as I was with his slowness.

“Because she gained a pound the last time that she checked,” Alice answered for her, rolling her eyes. Emmett wrapped his arms around her waist, “Well babe, you look fine just the way you were. You don’t need a diet,” he smiled at her. Rosalie looked down to her plate,

“Look guys, I’m fine… okay? If I wanted this diet, I’m going to let it pay off. Besides, vegetables are healthy,” she shrugged, taking a small, elegant bite of her lettuce. We didn’t say any more on the subject; no one could talk her out of doing out of something when Rosalie was determined to get it done. After dinner, Edward quickly excused himself and said that he was going to get something. I didn’t want to press since he had this dark smile on his face.

“Be right back,” he kissed my hair and jogged away into a store. He came back with a bag full of Candy bars, dumping them on the table. Alice and I squealed; it’s been so long since I had chocolate.

“Man, you rule!” Jasper pulled him into a guy hug, pounding his fist. Edward chuckled and stared at Rosalie, whose face was turning a little pale.

“Okay. No one gets the Hersheys and no one gets hurt,” Emmett threatened, unwrapping one, popping it into his mouth. Edward picked up a Twix and took a big bite out of it,

“Hmm… isn’t this just the best? I mean, enjoying the milky and chocolaty taste of it… absolutely delicious.” He licked his lips and closed his eyes in appreciation. I couldn’t help but notice that his comment was thrown toward Rosalie, who had her lips parted and her eyes locked on the chocolate bar. Alice and I suppressed a giggle as we watched Edward’s game plan in motion. Edward took another bite of his chocolate, exaggerating his movements once again, “Mmm… This is definitely refreshing. It’s been so long since I’ve had a chocolate. Don’t you agree, Bella?”

“Oh yeah, it’s delicious,” I smiled, tasting the caramel. Edward swallowed his bite, “You know what? I think I’m going to have another one,” he said clearly and slowly. This comment, of course, was still directed at Rosalie, who was turning whiter by the minute. Her hands were gripping on to the sides of her chair. “The last Twix,” he taunted. As he was about to unwrap the Twix that he picked, it all happened very fast then that Rosalie threw herself up from her chair and snatched it fiercely from Edward’s hands. She quickly opened it with her fingers and took a huge bite of it, chewing it quickly,

“Mmm… Mmm!!” her eyes were closed as she continued enjoying her moment. “I was going to eat that, Rosalie,” Edward scoffed.

“Well, you’re wealthy. You can afford more,” she replied, voice muffled. We laughed; her cheeks were creeping into this pinkish color that often appeared on my face,

“So what happens to the diet, my sister dearest?” Jasper teased. Rosalie swallowed, “Screw the diet.” Emmett laughed and placed his big hands on Rosalie’s delicate shoulders,

“That’s my girl.” “Good to have you back, Rosalie,” Alice said giddily. I tilted my head toward Edward, who had his large, proud smile on his face, completely flattered with himself.

“That was a very nice plan,” I whispered while the others were laughing at the four Hershey wrappers in front of Emmett. Edward chuckled,

“Thank you. The next morning was dreamlike. I felt like as if I was drifting in classes. It was often that my mind would wander to his smile and his laugh… the teacher gave me a look, with “why are you smiling so hugely” written on their faces. I told myself to snap out of it; I wasn’t going to lose my concentration. Lauren was absent today, probably attending a Bimbo Conference, I thought humorously to myself when she didn’t appear in class when the teacher took attendance. I played basketball with Cody and Sean, we weren’t really playing by rules, just joking around and messing each other up. Angela spent the whole period talking to Ben Cheney on the bench; she seemed very happy with a gleeful smile on her face. I didn’t want to stare; I know how awkward I felt when the others stared at me and Edward. When I exited the gym, I was greeted by a very gorgeous guy with emerald eyes. He smiled crookedly at m; resting with his back and one of his legs propped up against the wall. I heard a few girls sigh longingly when they walked by him, and I knew how they felt.

“Hey… how did you get here so early?” “Well, I’m a fast runner,” he grinned. I smirked and shook my head, “Never mind that I asked.” He pulled his face closer to mine, but stopped when it was about an inch away. I felt almost disappointed to see that he didn’t kiss me. He read my face and pursed his lips, as if he was preventing himself from laughing,

“Low profile, remember?” I looked blankly at him, and then remembered that stupid agreement that I forced him to go along with this morning. I turned around and saw a few girls giggling at Edward, waving their fingers flirtingly at him. You brought it up, you stick to it.

“Of course,” I muttered, turning away with frustration at myself, walking to Language with him beside me. He smiled the whole way with amusement, and that brought more irritation for me. The low profile thingy wasn’t such a brilliant idea anymore. Who cares if the girls in this school hate me more? Maybe I should just tell him to forget what I said this morning? Oh get a grip, Bella. So he didn’t kiss you, big deal. Fourth period was… interesting. Edward would turn around and look at me while the teacher wasn’t paying attention or while she was facing us with her back, writing on the white board. He would give me a smile, increasing my heartbeat. The girl sitting beside me, Michelle, thought he was looking at her; she got out a mirror and fixed her hair. It was hilarious.

“Mr. Cullen! Turn around and pay attention,” the teacher scolded him when he was finally caught. He sighed and obeyed unwillingly, propping his elbow on the table while I hid a giggle. When the teacher turned around once more to put her attention on the board, he titled his head a little and smiled crookedly at me. He doesn’t quit, does he? I didn’t mind; it was fun and flattering at the same time to have a gorgeous guy staring at you. I smiled back, and that only cause his lips to curl up into a larger smile.

“Edward Cullen! Stop staring at Bella!” The teacher hit his head playfully with his textbook that was on the desk when she caught him doing it again.

“Alright… Alright…” he raised his arms as if to surrender, I laughed silently when I saw Michelle looking more foiled than

ever.

“You’re lucky that you’re a straight A student, or I would have you answering some questions for your lack of concentration right know…” she murmured. Edward grinned at her, as if he was going say ‘I can’t help that I’m smart’ and smirked in satisfaction. Did I hear her right? Straight A student? How could he possibly have time for studies with everything going on? The rehearsals, the basketball games, and his incredibly busy social life? And he didn’t look like the cramming-hard-in-my-room type either. Even I had trouble keeping my grades up to an A with all this Lauren drama and the amount of time that I spent for the play… His life was about double busy compare to mine… but he… I forced myself to stop. Me and him… we’re completely incomparable. He was great at exceeding everything; I would be thoroughly nuts to contrast myself to him. But still, As. I couldn’t help but feel impressed; first, basketball prodigy, Shakespeare romantic, now… straight A student? Was there anything at all that he wasn’t good at? He was amazing. Far too amazing. After class ended, Edward was waiting casually by my desk for me to gather things up. Michelle daggered me a glare and exited the room. Looks like I’ve been getting a lot of those today. His hands brushed my back while I put my notes in my backpack, but he quickly placed them back to his sides when I was done. The places that he touched were still covered with goose bumps. I knew I couldn’t hold it any longer.

“Are you using some sort of reverse psychology?” I asked incredulously, frowning. He laughed, “I’m not doing anything,” he lied, his face unreliable. I pushed my body against his and kissed him fiercely on the lips, ignoring that there were still some kids left in the classroom, probably absorbing every moment of this.

“I thought you said…” “Forget everything that I said this morning. I don’t care what the others think… this space between us is killing me,” I admitted, a little embarrassed, “And with you reminding me that I was the one who came up with the whole stupid idea, it certainly was torturous. You were pushing me to the edge.”

“I’m that good, huh?” he whispered, chuckling. Then he pulled me into his hard, warm chest, “Okay, I admit, I wasn’t playing fair.” “Cheater,” I murmured. He kissed my nose and laughed, “So... are you hungry?” “Starving!” “Great. Let’s go eat then.” Then we walked arm in arm to lunch. After being inside the building for so long, it was refreshing to feel the warmth and see the sunshine.

“Stay here, ladies! We’ll be back with food,” Emmett winked at us and all three of them got up and walked off to Hal’s, leaving my girl-friends and I at the table.

“So, I can’t believe that you’re going to let Lauren off the hook! That little scum deserves something,” Rosalie said outrageously, giving me the same look that I received earlier from Edward yesterday. At first, I had no idea what she was saying, then yesterday flooded back to me, like a distant memory.

“Well, I’m just going to leave her alone and hopefully she will do the same thing. I’m just really sick of getting her back, and her starting something new… I’m hoping to end all this,” I shrugged. They sighed,

“You’re being so mature about this. If this happened to me, I would be slapping the hell out of her right now,” Rosalie murmured, cracking her knuckles. She was wrong though, if I was mature, I would have thought of this before hitting her back with the volleyballs. Then suddenly, I heard some loud gasps and exclamations. We turned around and saw a lot of people, a lot, forming a large circle in front of the store that Edward, Emmett, and Jasper were suppose to go get our food from.

“What’s going on?” Alice asked.

“I don’t know…” We got up from our seats, and ran quickly toward the crowd to get a closer look. “You bastard!” That voice… With a loud gasp, I pushed people out of my way and saw Edward, holding Mike by the collar of his shirt, giving him a hard, powerful punch in the face. Mike groaned in agony, and tried to kick Edward with his foot, but he was unsuccessful. Edward threw him on the floor, and sank down to give him some more punch in the stomach. Emmett and Jasper tried to hold Edward back by gripping on to his shoulder, but he shook them off fiercely, and gave Mike another vigorous hit on the jaw.

“Stop!” I cried, running to Edward, pulling him off Mike. His eyes were murderous, as if he was ready to rip someone’s head off. Emmett and Jasper were holding him by his arms, getting him up from the floor. His expression was deadly; he was breathing unevenly, and his glance hadn’t once turned to anyone else. His nostrils were flaring, and his eyes were dark and dangerous, locking on Mike like a predator and its prey.

“Don’t you dare talking about her like that again!” he bellowed at Mike, who was helped up by Eric and Tyler. Mike’s step was unsteady, and he was still wincing in pain.

“I didn’t say anything,” Mike replied, rubbing his jaw tenderly. Edward growled, “The hell you didn’t! If you ever, ever talk about her in the inappropriate way at all, I will make your days in this school your personal hell. Do you understand me?”

“Dude, Mike, let’s get out of here! Edward looks like as if he’s ready to kill!” I heard Eric murmuring to him nervously, sweating as he looks at Edward’s venomous face. Mike daggered away cowardly with his friends, running limply as far away from us as they could manage.

“What was that all about?” I heard someone murmuring to his friend. “I have one guess,” the other guy shot his glance at me, and his other friends quickly nodded, “Ah...” Chapter Twenty-Nine The crowd cleared a way for the furious, dangerous looking Edward to get through. I followed him silently, too scared to make any comments. He sat under a tree that was far from the food plaza, facing an artificial pond. He picked up a rock and threw it into the pond, and it bounced on the surface of the water. I waited for a few minutes for him to calm down.

“Are you okay?” I asked quietly, my voice raspy. I cleared my throat. He took a deep breath, “I’m sorry. I broke my promise.” A gentle breeze flew by; he continued, “I overheard Mi… Him,” he spat, too angry to say his name, “Talking to his friends about you. Talking about how amazing you would look in those… swimsuits that they saw in some magazines last night… how much better you would look with no clothes on at all,” he growled, his fists clenching into tight balls,

“I lost it. I didn’t think, and I punched him. I think he knew that I was within hearing distance, maybe he just said that to piss me off… but I couldn’t help it. And his friends certainly weren’t helping by laughing stupidly at the statements that he made,” his voice was low and wrathful. I got on my knees and grip his face in my hands, kissing his nose… his forehead, “He’s a jerk. I don’t blame you. Though I do wish that you would have told me first, I really would have liked to slap his face.” He laughed, “That would have been a nice scene to watch,” his eyes still clouding with stress.

“Do you think he’d tell on you?” I asked, and a wave of anger flowed through my body when I thought of Mike getting Edward in trouble.

“No,” Edward’s reply was surprisingly confident and calm. I looked up at him, puzzled. “He wouldn’t. He’s not that stupid,” he snorted, “I know something that he desperately tries to keep out of everyone’s ear, and he knows if he gets me in trouble, I’d spill it.” He didn’t go into further explanation. I didn’t ask, I didn’t want to talk about Mike because I knew how upset and angry it made Edward.

“Edward, relax.” I kissed his jaw. He sighed,

“Thanks. I needed that.” I saw Mike in the hallway in the afternoon. He looked spooked when he saw me; like he was afraid something bad would happen to him, which probably would. I smiled; maybe this was how it felt to have a boyfriend, to have someone sticking up for you, to have someone always there protecting you. Not that Edward didn’t do that before we made it official, but it was different. We didn’t do any rehearsing in our rehearsal, but instead, we were trying on costumes. Costumes, to my greatest horror. It seemed that I wasn’t the only one completely horrified, I heard the other kids murmuring with terror. Edward, sensing my tenseness, squeezed my hand and gave me a smile. Lauren showed up with Jessica, looking as blank and blonde as always. Yeah, she couldn’t make it to school. But somehow she just decided that she had to show up in rehearsal. Mrs. C coughed to get our attention,

“I have a close friend of mine, who is a ball gown designer in L.A. coming here today to help us select dresses or costumes for the play. Everyone, this is Elaine Marion.” She pointed to a beautiful lady next to her, in her late thirty or early forties maybe, wearing a short, tight dress with pointy high heels. She smiled us a very professional smile, all business like,

“Okay. Right now, I want all of the boys over there with Paul,” she motioned them to a blonde guy with spiky hair, “He will be helping you guys with the selecting. As for you ladies, follow me.” Unwillingly, I dropped Edward’s hand and followed her behind the curtains along with the other girls. I was expecting to see some old looking, ugly and puffy dresses, but to my surprise, in front of us, there were elegant, beatific gowns hung on the rails with different styles and colors.

“Now, I know how you teenagers these days have this thing against wearing ‘old-fashioned, outdated’ costumes. And believe me, been there, done that,” she rolled her eyes, “So... instead of torturing you girls into wearing those itchy, uncomfortable, unstylish dresses, I’m going for exquisite, feminine dresses that have a touch of old fashion but modern at the same time,” she picked up a navy blue dress and the girls behind me were squealing with delight,

“This, for example… you can still feel the hint of the antiqueness and elegance but you can also feel… glamorous,” she flashed a brilliant smile proudly,

“Remember girls, old fashion doesn’t mean ugly. We just balance it out with the right amount of modern, nowadays style to make it look even better,” then she turned her gaze to me, “Sweetie, you are playing Juliet, aren’t you?” she said, as I looked surprisingly at her.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I answered politely, wondering how she knew. As if she read my mind, she chuckled. “You just seemed like the Juliet type. I have picked out some dresses that I think would fit with the character. If you will kindly follow me, I’ll show them to you.” Lauren and Jessica weren’t pleased with the amount of attention that I was getting. They scoffed and looked incredulously at me, which was a gaze that I was more than happy to ignore. Elaine took me to a rail of long gowns and handed one of them to me and said,

“I was thinking this one for the ball,” she displayed a long, exquisite, red gown that looked like something Rosalie would wear. It was modern but old-fashioned at the same time with the bottom of the dress draping down elegantly over the legs… Okay… I admit, I liked it. And I could picture someone wearing that dress in a ball. Someone but not me.

“What do you think?” she asked, her face still as glorious as always. “It’s great. But umm… I’m not sure that it’d fit me,” I said shyly. She looked at me skeptically and then said softly, “Which is why you need to try it on, to convince yourself that you will fit and look great in it, of course. I’ve been doing this for quite some time now, and my judgments never seem to fail,” she winked. I blushed and folded the dress delicately in my arm after she handed it to me. She told me to go to the changing rooms at the back of the stage. I breathed and walked nervously to my doom. I unzipped the dress first, then slipped in it after taking off my top. Here goes nothing… I stepped into the dress and pulled

them all the way up with my some of my hair stuck to it during the process.

“Ouch!” I scowled and cursed silently under my breath. That is why I was never a fan for clothes fitting. “Are you done, dear?” I heard Elaine call to me from a distance. “Yes,” I said, picking up my clothes from the hanger. I took a long, deep breath and opened the door with less bravery. She was there, smiling at me with satisfaction. An Alice-expression, I wanted to say. I knew if she was here, she’d get along fluently with Elaine.

“You look wonderful, sweetheart! Come and take a look at yourself in the mirror!” she dragged me to a huge, body length mirror with the carving of the name of the company across it. They thought of everything, I guess Mrs. C was no where near kidding when she said they were professionals. It turned out fine when I finally had the strength to look into the mirror. The end of the dress was right above my feet; at least it wasn’t dragging on the floor, which was a plus considering I have some balancing problems when I’m really nervous. At least I wouldn't trip over it.

“Marvelous! Marvelous! Now, I have a beautiful red masquerade mask that goes with the dress...” She then left me in front of the mirror for a metal, expensive looking chest nearby.

“Ms. Marion?” I heard a velvet voice call as I turned my head to the attracting voice away from the mirror. I saw Edward entering the backstage from behind the curtains, making his way to her. “Paul wanted to ask…” then he froze. Literally froze at his feet when he saw me. His lips parted and his eyes widened with surprise. He shook his head a few seconds later, as if to snap out of something. He was wearing an old-time creamy-ish, white button up shirt with the top three of his buttons undone and a pair of black pants, tighter than what I was used to him wearing. I must say, his costumes looked pretty amazing on him. It was hard to picture anyone else portraying Romeo at the moment; not even Leonardo Dicaprio from his movies.

“Uh… uh… Wow,” he stuttered breathlessly, his eyes still gawking. I blushed and pursed my lips at the same time. It was so unusual to see him speechless, not to mention stutter.

“Huh! It’s not in the chest! Maybe it’s in the other one. I’ll be right back,” Elaine said exasperatingly while Edward and I ignored her, gazing intensely into each other’s eyes. She didn’t seem to mind though; she walked speedily to the other side of the curtains while Edward took several small steps toward me. Now I was the one becoming nervous with the inhumanly beautiful guy, his face a few inches away from mine. My heart was pounding, hard. My face was probably as red as the dress itself. My eyes couldn’t help but stare down at his partly exposed chest. It took all of my self-control not to reach out and run my hands over it.

“You look stunning. No, the word stunning doesn’t cover how beautiful you look…” he said whispery, his arms grasping firmly around my waist, enthralling me with his captivating eyes. I was breathing so hard that I could actually feel my heart beating. I’ve got to learn how not to make a fool out of myself every time he was being unintentionally irresistible. But then again, the word irresistible meant, well obviously, irresistible.

“You look pretty good yourself, Romeo. I never thought that you would give in into trying out costumes,” I faked a shudder. The corner of his lips twitched up,

“Well, Mrs. C threatened me into wearing tights if I didn’t go along with it today.” I laughed, “I’m pretty sure the tights would work out for you as well. I mean, you can wear a rug and still pull it off.” He rolled his eyes, as if not believing me, “I still prefer not wearing those pantyhose like pants, thank you very much. If I wanted to be a ballerina, I would have gone to an art school.” This cracked me up even more; I tried to imagine him in some tight-fitting pants, but he still looked… hot. Talk about unfair.

“I found it! Like I said, it matches the dress!” Elaine emerged through the curtains, then looking stunned to see us in some deep lip-locking session. Busted. So busted.

“Okay… I’m just going to pretend that I didn’t see that,” I heard her muttering to herself, then she smiled at us, “I found the mask. And I found yours too, Mr. Romeo. Oh, did you need something?” she asked, suddenly remembering that Edward came back here for a reason.

“Oh no,” he said quickly, not caring.

Elaine handed me a red, glossy masquerade mask that had scarlet feathers sticking out at the side. If there was anything that I was wearing that was considered old-fashioned, it had got to be the mask. I must say Elaine was right; it did match with the dress that I was currently wearing. Edward’s was silver, shining under the light. It matched, too, with his outfit. He inspected it,

“It could have been worse,” he said helplessly into my ear when Elaine wasn’t paying attention. I sighed in agreement with him. Mrs. C beamed when she saw us, while we were forced by her friend to try on the masks, “Fabulous! You two look fabulous!” she said, her hands clasping together as Edward and I quickly took off the masks to out embarrassment. Then to my dismay, I saw Lauren behind her, peeking through the curtains with her fiery eyes. She didn’t say anything or pop out and attempt to tear off my face. Not with Edward there she won’t.

“Okay… you two can change back into your clothes, it’s time already,” Elaine said to our relief. “Thank you,” we sighed, completely grateful. Edward kissed my hand and walked back to his dressing room. “I told you there was chemistry between those two,” I heard Mrs. C say proudly to her friend, though not too loud, probably didn’t want to upset me. I smiled and was on my way back the dressing room. Then I noticed that Lauren was still peeking through the curtains, her eyes furious, but at the same time… envious. Our gaze met, and she quickly disappeared behind the red cloth. When I was finished changing back into my own clothes, as soon as I stepped out of the doors, I saw a blonde headed jerk leaning in the hallway with his leg propped up against the wall. It was easy to see where he got the inspiration from, but there was a hell lot of difference between him and Edward. When Edward stood in the same gesture against the wall, he just looked, well, like Edward. But When Mike stood there…. Let’s just say that you wouldn’t even want to glance twice at the wall, or maybe it was just because I was still angry with him for what happened during lunch. I ignored him at first, resisting the desire to kick his groin. I just became a little annoyed when he started walking up to me while I was putting on my backpack.

“Hi Bella,” he said, no trace of apology or guilt. “Hey,” I said coldly, giving him no eye contacts. I picked up my dress and was about to exit the room, but he spread his arms out and stopped me.

“Are you mad at me or something?” he chuckled. “Huh. I’m not sure. I mean, you did say some pretty bad stuff about me, and you did force my boyfriend into a fight with you. No. Definitely not mad,” I said, glaring at him with anger. He looked shocked, but he composed himself very quickly,

“Boyfriend? You’re serious!” He laughed, “Listen. I don’t know what Cullen told you, but I didn’t say anything about you. He was just trying to pick a fight with me.”

“So you’re telling me that he lied?” “He’s not exactly the most trustworthy person, if you know what I mean.” “He’s a thousand times more trustworthy than you are. And if you think that I believe you more than I believe him, you’re dumber than Edward said you are,” I said fiercely. He smirked,

“He’s just playing you, you know? Edward Cullen never settles for any girl. He messes with them, and he just dumps them like they are trash. I’m warning you; dump him before he dumps you. “ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! From a guy that was saying all that inappropriate stuff about me and who just got his ass kicked this afternoon, he sure had guts. “Look, Mike,” I said his name like it was a nasty word, “You know nothing about me and Edward. And our relationship doesn’t concern you. So butt the hell out, or I won’t stop Edward from killing you the next time. Oh, and I have an advice for you. Don’t waste your time with me. You clearly have your other half in this school. Ask Lauren out,” I told him, half smiling. He frowned in confusion, so I took that as a chance to walk away. After dinner that night, the guys walked us back to our room and stayed with us until 9:30. Edward gave me a sweet kiss on the lips before leaving, which made me swoon with my knees faint. Then Emmett pulled Edward away with his bare, strong hands, grabbing him by the collar, breaking our kiss to my utter dismay.

“Okay… We need to go. I know you two are the Shakespeare couple of our school, but I’m pretty damn sure that Romeo and Juliet don’t kiss each other goodbye for that long. And believe me, I know since I’ve watched the movie five times with Rosalie,” he said, rolling his eyes and dragging Edward out of the door. Edward cussed at him, telling him to mind his own business while Jasper was watching the whole thing relaxingly, laughing at them from behind.

“Bye girls!” I heard Emmett call to us when the door closed. “Bye Em!” We giggled and Rosalie decided to retrieve back to her own room. After Alice and I showered, we were drawing all of the curtains and checking to see if the doors were locked before going to bed, the usual routine.

“Bella?” Alice said when we were about to slip into our beds. “Yes, Alice?” She hugged me, “Thank you.”

“Err… You’re welcome. But why are you thanking me?” She laughed and took me by my arms to sit down on her bed, “For bringing Edward closer to us than he ever was. These couple of days, we’ve been spending more time with him than we had ever before.”

“That’s good. I’m glad,” I smiled wholeheartedly at her. She hugged me once more and we told each other goodnight and slipped comfortably into our beds. It wasn’t long till I was deeply asleep. The next day, rehearsal was canceled right before last period. But then the office announced that the student council meeting was taking place, I sighed in disappointment when I realized that Edward would be busy. The seniors had an orientation to attend after school, so it was just Alice and me walking back to our dorm. She told me that Kelsey walked up to her and asked her if I was dating Edward, since they were in the same Art class,

“And I was like, ‘Oh yeah. Definitely.’ I swear, it looked like she was losing blood with that paleness on her cheeks. She dropped her textbook and it landed on Mr. Raymond’s foot. He wasn’t pleased since he thought she did it on purpose, and you should have seen the way she was begging for him to believe her!”

“I have to say, out of all the Bimbos, I like Kelsey the best,” I laughed, “I mean, it's not her fault that she's stupid and lacks opinions. I think she just made the wrong friends, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess. But she’s still a bitch,” Alice shrugged. We studied for our Biology test for several hours in our room. Alice bought us some chocolate cookies and strawberry smoothies as snacks, keeping out mouth busy while our brains were processing.

“Why do we have to learn about dissection? It’s not like we’re going to walk up to some creature one day and actually want to spilt it open,” she said, utterly grossed out when she flipped through a page with a frog’s stomach opened up. I grinned; then my phone buzzed. It said “Dad” on caller ID, and that was pretty unusual since I usually keep in touch with Charlie through E-mails. We could never seem to keep the conversation going for more than two minutes.

“Hey dad,” I said, putting as much enthusiasm as I could. “Bella!” his voice was urgent, “Listen sweetie, I don’t want you to freak out or anything… But umm… there had been an accident…” his voice was quiet, and I could sense the nerves behind the calm voice. My hand was trembling as I waited for him to continue,

“Renee got in a car accident. I just received a call from Phil. She was hit by a truck while driving…” “Oh no! Is she okay?” I shrieked. “I don’t know honey. She’s in the hospital right now, unconscious. But she will be, I know she will. She’s a good person, Bella…” Then Charlie’s voice went dead since I dropped my phone. My mother. Was unconscious. In the hospital.

“Bella?” Alice ran up to me, picking up the cell. “What happened?” My lips were quivering and my whole body was shaking with fear when Alice handed my phone back to me. A sob escaped and then I ran, ran as fast as I could out of the room. My mom. Was hit by a truck. Unconscious in the Hospital.

Chapter Thirty It was raining outside, not that I cared since I was already soaked with my tears. Charlie’s word kept flooding back to me. God… I just wish that this was all a nightmare. I didn’t know where I was going, I just ran mindlessly around the campus, fighting through the wind and rain. My mother. Was unconscious. In the hospital. Even if I got on the first flight back to New York, I wouldn’t make it on time. That made me sob even harder. My whole body was still shaking. Not because I was cold, since I was numb from head to toe, but because I was scared. My mother had been the closet person to me since I was born. She was my best friend, my wall… but now, with her out cold in the hospital… Not knowing if she’d wake up… I was more frightened then I had ever been.

“Damn it!” I screamed, throwing my hands exasperatedly behind my head. I started to sob again, thinking what I had done, or what my mother, the kindest, most caring person had done to deserve this. Tears were running down rapidly like a water hose, my knees were weak and I couldn't feel any strength in my body.

“Bella?! Bella?!” I heard a worried, desperate voice calling my name. “Bella!” I broke down; I sunk down to my knees, my fingers sprawling on the muddy ground. I continued sobbing; I couldn’t let the tears stop, no matter how hard I tried not to be like this in front of Edward. He ran hurriedly to my side, gripping me with his arms, dropping the umbrella that he had in his hand.

“My mom… She’s…” I managed to choke out between the gasping and the crying. He got me up and I sobbed against his chest, like the rain didn’t completely soak him already. All this time, he held me tightly but he didn’t say anything.

“Let’s go somewhere dry. It’s going to turn into a storm out here, and you’re going to get sick. I’m pretty sure that’s the last thing that your mom would want. Come on, my room’s closer,” he said comfortingly with his hands around my waist, guiding me to his dorm since I was still a little wobbly. A lightning struck with a booming thunder, he picked up his umbrella and closed it since it was pretty pointless to use it, considering we were both drenched with rain. My breath was still heavy, and I had been crying so much that it even hurt to breathe. I stood silently beside him while he tried to get the door open, shaking because it was so cold with the air-conditioning running in the hallway. When he finally got it open, he sat me on the couch, while digging for something in the closet.

“Here, why don’t you change into this?” he handed me one of his shirts; “Maybe you’d like a shower?” “Yeah, that’d be nice. Thank you,” I said, my voice hoarse and throaty. If it weren’t for the fact that I was still so upset about what happened to my mother, I knew I would be embarrassed.

“Well, everything’s in the bathroom. There are extra towels in the cabinet,” he said kindly, while I nodded my head. My clung on to his shirt and walked to the shower, sniffling the while way. I let the water run; it was steamy and hot enough to warm me, but not so hot that it would burn my skin. The moment that I was alone, I was devastated again. I pictured the worst scenerio in my head; I saw it. I saw my mother, her eyes closed peacefully while I cried on her bedside… I saw her funeral, with me weeping on the grave. Damn it Bella! Stop that! I scolded myself with a tear running down. It wasn’t over yet. It wasn’t. She would be okay. And it wouldn’t be long till we go shopping with each other again. I tried desperately to calm myself; but how do you expect that to work when your mother was still showing no signs of consciousness? I got out of the shower and opened the cabinet like Edward said. I grabbed one of the long towels that he had and dried myself. I picked up the shirt that he borrowed me, which was long enough to be a dress, and slipped it on along with my wet bra and panties. I put my dirty clothes in the corner and walked back to the room. He already changed into dry clothes while I was showering. His hair was still wet, messy and tousled like always.

“Here, have something to drink,” he said, handing me a Bulldog mug with hot chocolate inside. “Thanks,” I took it and sat beside him and placed the mug on the table, gripping my legs and rocking myself back and forth. I closed my eyes and leaned back, praying silently for my mother. Dear god, I know it’s been a while since I’ve talked to you. But please… please let my mom go through this. Please don’t let her die. Please let her be okay. I don’t care if you take her years off my life, but please, let her survive. To my dismay, a tear rolled down again. Edward caught it with his finger, and kissed my hair without saying anything. He held my hand firmly in his, and I gripped on it so tightly that I thought that I would break it. Thank heavens that he was strong. The wind was blowing so hard that the windows were shaking, as if they were going to break any second. Edward was right; it was turning into a storm outside. A pretty heavy one, I might add. Aside from the whooshing sound of the wind and

the rain hitting the window, the room was hushed. Then, I heard my cell phone breaking the silence. I didn’t even know that I brought it with me, and after getting soaked by the rain, it was a miracle that it was still working. I ran to the bathroom since it was still in my jeans, and picked up the phone.

“Hello?” I said breathlessly. Then I heard my father on the other side of the line, “Bella! Sweetie, I just received some great news from Phil. Your mother is awake, and she’s going to be just fine, except with some bone fractures… but she’s going to live…” I felt my heart stop. I gasped loudly, hyperventilating, “Oh my gosh… Oh my gosh!! Thank god.”

“Well, I was thinking maybe we could go and visit her for a couple of days, just to make sure she’s alright. What do you say?”

“Yes, dad. I would love that,” I said, full of appreciation. “Great. Tomorrow, I’ll go over there and pick you up in the evening. The weather channel said that the storm will hopefully be gone in the morning, but we'll see and keep in touch."

“Sure. Thanks dad.” I walked back to the room slowly, still processing what had just happened, “She’s going to be okay,” I croaked. Edward smiled and embraced me into a hug, “That’s wonderful.” Then I started crying again, but this time… because I was happy. My mother was going to live. And I was going to see her. Edward sat there and just let me ruin his shirt, staining it with salt water.

“How did you know where I was?” I asked between my sniffling, staring into his eyes with my red, puffy ones. “Alice called me,” he said, smoothing my hair. Then something hit me, I felt like murdering myself, “Oh crap, Edward! I’m so stupid! There I was crying about my mom, completely forgetting what happened to your parents! Oh jeez, now I feel even more stupid bringing it up!” I groaned, annoyed and mad at myself for being so insensitive.

“Don’t worry about it. I know how you felt… I’d be scared too, of losing someone that I love…” his voice was just a soft murmur. I pursed my lips and thought of different ways to show him how bad I felt, but his cell buzzed, and he answered it.

“Hey…Yeah, she’s here. Okay… Hold on,” he rolled his eyes and handed me the phone, “Alice wants to talk to you.” “Hi Alice,” I said weakly to the phone. “Bella! You scared the hell out of me! I didn’t know what to do, so I called Edward! God, so is everything okay? What happened? And why didn’t you answer your cell, I got a busy signal!”

“Alice, calm down… please. I’m fine now. I just got a call from my dad earlier; my mom was in an accident. But she’s going to be fine. I’m so sorry for scaring you, I wasn’t thinking… I was frightened,” I said sheepishly. She sighed, “Okay… that’s good. Now let me talk to Edward,” she demanded, sounding parent-like. I gave Edward back his cell.

“Yeah… yeah… I know! Of course not, Alice! I’m not having her walk through that storm! Are you insane? Of course not!” I heard him say, impatient, while pacing around the room. “She wants to talk you again,” Edward grimaced. I chuckled, “Alice?”

“Listen Bella, stay over at Edward’s tonight okay? It’s getting pretty bad outside, and in case you haven’t heard, classes are canceled tomorrow.”

“Alright. I’m sorry, for the scare,” I apologized again. “It’s fine. I’m glad he found you. Well, I’ll let you go now. You’re probably exhausted.” “Okay… Wait, are you alone?” “No, Jasper’s with me. Rosalie and Emmett are in her room. They came back a few minutes after you stormed out of the

room, completely wet, I might add,” I could see her grinning from the other side of the line.

“That’s good. Just checking… Well, thanks again,” I said, then we hung up. Edward was leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets, “So… are you hungry?” he asked.

“Uh…” I was about to lie, but my stomach growled. He chuckled at my embarrassment. “I’ll go find us something to eat,” he winked and grabbed his keys off his desk, walking out of the door. I got up from the couch and walked around the room, examining it for the first time since I was only thinking about my mother when I first came in. It was neat and tidy, certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. There were books and CD cases orderly categorized on the shelves at the west side of the room, a plasma screen TV with a library full of DVDs beside it, and a NBA poster right above his desk. The couch that I was sitting on was made of black leather, and it matched the room perfectly with it’s modern, up-to-the-minute style. Conclusion: it was very five-star hotel like. He had a picture frame on his bedside. It was a photo of me and him, taken by Alice of course, with us smiling and leaning against each other in the courtyard. I sat down on the edge of his bed and stared down at the picture that I was holding securely in my hands. Who would ever thought, me, Bella Swan, would get herself someone as amazing and attractive like Edward as a boyfriend before I started going here? Even now, I have trouble believing it.

“There wasn’t much to choose from. I hogged all of the M&Ms and Doritos,” Edward came in with a sheepish grin, tossing the junk food on the table and grabbing two cans of Cokes from the mini-fridge. I got up from his bed quickly, putting the photo back in to its place.

“Are you cold?” he asked, as concerned and sweet as always. “No, I’m fine.” He popped open a bag of chips while I rested my head against his chest. He turned on the TV, and the first scene that we saw was a car flying in the air and banging against a tree on the News channel. I had got to start paying attention to the news from now on. There was a storm out there, and I didn’t even know. And there I was running straight into it… I cringed in horror when I tried to imagine what would have happened to me if Edward hadn’t show up. Edward turned off the TV and said with much concern,

“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes studying me very carefully. “Yes. I just umm… realized what would have happened if you weren’t there,” I gulped. “You scared me, you know,” he whispered, “I was so worried when Alice told me that you ran out to the shielding rain. She had no idea what happened, but she said that you were crying. I was so afraid that I wasn’t going to find you, with the storm going on and you hidden in some corner of the campus.” I buried my face in his chest, “Edward, I’m so sorry.” I felt terrible; I wanted to slap myself for making him worried, for making Alice worried. I didn’t deserve such great friends. Then something banged on the window, making me jump in his arms.

“It’s okay… everything’s going to be fine now,” he said soothingly, wrapping his arms strongly around me in a protective stance. I wish I could believe him that easily; even though my mother was surviving, but she was still too weak to talk on the phone. And I knew I wouldn’t be relieved until I heard her voice.

“So… how long are you going to be gone for?” he asked casually. “Charlie, my dad, said that he was going to pick me up tomorrow. Probably for a couple of days, to make sure Mom’s okay…” then I stopped, “Edward?”

“Yes, Bella?” “Thank you,” I said meaningfully while gazing sincerely into his eyes, “If it weren’t for you, I’d still be out there somewhere. Thank you,” I whispered and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“You’re welcome. I’ll always be here for you. Remember that,” he whispered. It was impossible to doubt his sincerity. Tears started bottling up, but I was determined not to cry in front of him again. I had done enough of that today. For the rest of the evening, Edward held me in his arms with some soft music playing in the background and a dim light. He brought a quilt to the couch for me so I wouldn’t be cold. Sweet and thoughtful like always, he was so caring. The

atmosphere was very romantic and peaceful, and we stayed contently on the couch for I didn’t know how long.

“What are you thinking?” he whispered, pulling me from my train of thoughts. “Nothing,” I lied, not wanting to worry him. He had enough on his hands, and I wasn’t about to gain his burden. But the good mind-reader that he was, he didn’t buy it. He knew me too well.

“She’s going to be fine, Bella. Isn’t that what your dad said?” “I know. I just… I won’t feel safe until I see her,” I confessed, “I know that sounds a little paranoid.” “No,” he said quickly, “You worry about your mom. It’s perfectly normal,” he caressed my cheek. Then he asked me more about my mom; and I told him what we used to do together when I was younger, how I could talk about everything with her. To my surprise, I felt better after telling Edward all those things instead of feeling depressed. He listened to me patiently, no sense of boredom shown on his face.

“She’s sounds really nice,” he commented, twisting my hair in his fingers softly. “She is,” I said, feeling grateful that I would get to see her. I yawned; even though it was only nine thirty on Edward’s digital clock, which was hanging right above his plasma TV.

“Sleepy?” he chuckled. “You should go to bed, you had a rough day,” he said caringly, stroking my fingers tenderly with his own.

“You know, the storm really isn’t a problem. It’s not that bad,” I said, then another bang on the window, proving me wrong. Pretending that I didn’t notice, I kept talking with the stern tone, “I can walk home.” Edward narrowed his eyes at me, “Humor me.” Then I saw my favorite smile in the world, which made me forget what I was telling him a few seconds ago. It took me a few seconds to bring myself back to the present.

“You can have the bed, I’ll take the couch,” he smiled brilliantly at me. I shook my head, “No… I’ll take the couch. It’s bad enough that I’m intruding, I’m not kicking you out of your own bed!” I protested. He hushed me with his fingers,

“Bella, don’t be difficult, please?” he whispered, leaning closer, “Did you honestly think I was going to make you sleep on the couch? Seriously, what kind of boyfriend would I be?” a mocking smirk appeared on his face, “Take the bed… okay? Let me have my way, just for tonight.” Why was I such a helpless push-over? I sighed, “You always get your way.” He chuckled lightheartedly and picked me up from the floor with his muscular arms effortlessly as if I weighed nothing. I twined one of my arms around his neck, studying his face and admiring his astounding beauty as we walked across the room. He then dropped me gently on his neatly made bed, pulling the covers for me to slip in. He laid my head gently on his soft, featherly pillow.

“Goodnight, Bella,” he kissed my forehead and walked around to the other side of the bed to get the other pillow. I sat up, propping myself up with my hands on the bed. Just get it over with, Bella… what was the worst that he can do? Turn you down?

“Edward… “ I bit my lip and breathed unevenly, “The bed is big enough for the both of us; you don’t have to hit the couch…” I said nervously. His eyebrow quirked up, as if unsure that was what I wanted, “Are you sure?” I nodded my head and scooted over with a smile to make room for him. He sat down beside me and lowered his face to my ear,

“Is this really what you want?” “It’s really what I want.” There was no hesitation. I blushed and hoped that I didn’t sound too desperate. He slipped his body under the covers, like I did, and kept one of his arms around me. I moved closer to him so that my cheek was pressed against his chest, feeling him inhaling and exhaling.

“Get some rest Bella,” he whispered softly, in that lullaby-like, pacifying voice of his, “Goodnight.” My eyes were saggy and droopy, “Goodnight… Edward…” Then the night closed before me.

Chapter Thirty-One Some birds were chirping outside of the window the next morning, and it woke me up. It was no longer storming; the sun had gone out from behind the grayish clouds, making the outside world look bright and warm. Like California. I stretched, then I realized that my fingers were still clinging tightly to the front of Edward’s shirt. With embarrassment, I let go and muttered a sorry. Edward was dazzling me with his astoundingly beautiful, emerald green eyes. I smiled back automatically.

“Good morning.” “Good morning… really sorry about that,” I pursed my lips. He chuckled; and it was the most wonderful thing to hear in the morning.

“It’s okay. So… did you sleep well?” he asked, stroking my face with his fingers. Like it was possible not to sleep well with you next to me, I wanted to say, but instead,

“Yes. I did, thank you. How about you?” He pulled me closer to him, his cheek resting against my hair, “I was too excited… I mean, what kind of guy wouldn’t be when they have the most beautiful girl on campus spending the night with them?” I laughed, “Hope I wasn’t a disappointment, because I heard that people are really boring when they’re asleep,” I teased.

“Apparently not you,” he chuckled and leaned down to whisper in my ear, “You talk in your sleep.” My face was cringed up with horror. For a second there, I thought I was going to faint. What a convenience that I was already on a bed.

“No!” I shrieked. But of course it was true. I knew from my mother that I always said things in my sleep, but most of the time, they didn’t make any sense. I stared up at Edward, completely terrorized, “What did I say?”

“Relax Bella,” he chuckled, “You worry about your mother,” he stroked my hair very gently, but that wasn’t the part that I was afraid of him hearing. I continued pressing,

“Anything else?” He looked into my eyes, and his eyes softened, “You did say my name.” I sighed, “A lot?”

“I can assure you it was under a hundred,” he said humorously. I nudged him in the stomach and he laughed. Then his thoughts seemed to be else where.

“Edward?” “Hmm?” he turned his gaze back to me. “You okay?” “Yeah…” he smiled and kissed my hair, “Never been better.” We got up from bed and took care of our morning needs. After exiting the bathroom with my teeth brushed, Edward wrapped his arms around me and spun me around to face him,

“You know, I never got the chance to tell you how much I love it when you're in my clothes. You should wear them more often, you look beautiful,” he said alluringly. I rolled my eyes, but he shook his head,

“Seriously.” “Whatever Edward. Hey, it just occurred to me that I have nothing to wear on the way back to my room. Since you know, my clothes are…”

“Dripping wet with mud?” he finished, his eyebrow raised. “Yeah, thanks,” I said sarcastically.

He laughed, “I’ll call Alice to bring something over.”

“Alice to the rescue,” I hummed under my breath, “Or I could just walk back in this, since you said I look good in it.” I motioned my body with my hands from top to bottom, teasing him on his words. He eyed me for a second,

“No way.” “So I look that bad, huh?” He snorted, “It’s not that. It’s just… I don’t know if I can control myself if the guys eye you lustfully when you walk by. I mean, technically, you aren’t really wearing pants, and the shirt will be see-through under the sunlight. I swear, any whistling, I’m pouncing on them,” he said threateningly while I looked at him, amazed.

“Geez. I’m rambling. And I know I shouldn’t blame them for having trouble keeping their hands to themselves, because I’m having that problem myself,” he smirked, running his hands along my sides, “I’m calling Alice.” He kissed my forehead and went to his desk for his phone. I laughed and flopped backwards on the bed. Half an hour later, Alice came with my clothes, or at least I thought they were my old clothes, with Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie following behind her. They all took their chances hugging me, “I’m sorry. We heard.”

“It’s okay. She’s going to be fine.” They made themselves comfortable on the carpet and couch, like they had been here a million times.

“Nice look, Bella. I always knew Edward’s shirts would work on you,” Emmett joked before sitting down. I shot him a dead look.

“Alice, I thought Edward told you to bring some of my clothes." “They are your clothes,” she replied sheepishly. “They why do they have price-tags on them?” “Well, they are yours now,” she beamed. I sighed, I should have known. I went in the bathroom to change, then it was suddenly silent in the living room expect for some unintelligible murmurs. I took a deep breath and joined my friends in the living room. They acted like they had been in some light conversation,

“Looks like they canceled the classes for nothing today, not that I’m complaining,” Rosalie said, gazing out of the window. “A three-day weekend,” Jasper nodded approvingly. Emmett got up from the couch and went in the kitchenette to throw something in the trashcan,

“Whoa. Look at all this junk food! Is that what you guys ate last night?” he asked, excited and envious, “The vending machine was out in the girl’s dorms! You guys were totally lucky!”

“Hey, have you guys gotten the chance to see the campus? It’s really messed up, the trees… the stores…” “Umm Alice? If I couldn’t walk back to the room, what makes you think I would go wandering around the campus in Edward’s shirt?” I chuckled.

“Good point. Well, you’re dressed now, LET’S GO!” She grabbed her purse and dragged me out of the door. Later in the afternoon, Charlie called to say that he’d be picking me up at five-thirty so that we could have dinner together on the plane. It wasn’t the most exciting idea, but I figured that was the best that he could plan to spend more time with me. Alice was right about the campus, it wasn’t in a complete ruin, but it was a mess. There were trees falling down everywhere, the tables flipped over… it was disastrous. But the school had promised to get things back to normal by the beginning of next week.

“We’re going to miss you, only if it’s only for a couple of days. Call if you need anything, okay? I know you’d call Edward if there’s any kind of emergency, but I’m here for you,” Alice hugged me tightly after I finished packing my clothes and was about to leave the room.

“Thank you, Alice.” The others hugged me too,

“You have all of us on speed dial. And hey, if any guys try to hit on you at the hospital, I’ll be there faster than you can say my name,” Emmett said, winking.

“Have a safe flight Bella, and just… relax, don’t stress yourself,” Jasper smiled. “I’ll skip the speech,” Rosalie said, smirking, “I’ll miss you, friend.” “I'll miss all of you guys too! See you in a couple of days,” I waved and walked out of the room. Edward took my bags and flung them over his shoulder, as if they were weightless, “Ready?”

“Yes. Thanks.” I told my dad that I’d meet him in front of the administration office. Edward and I sat on the steps, waiting. Funny to think how three weeks ago my dad dropped me off at the exact same place, only the last time when I set my foot on the ground, I didn’t know anyone here. I was a stranger to the school. But now, I had four best friends and a boyfriend that everyone dreamed of having. Three weeks, that was all it took for everything to go in a drastic change. I was fidgeting with Edward’s hand in mine, holding it as tightly as I could. Whenever a car passed by, I would squeeze Edward’s hand tighter, thinking it was Charlie. Edward noticed my tenseness, he raised his eyebrow at me and his lips twitched, amused.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, “The thought of seeing my mother was nice… but now, that I’m actually going to see her… I’m nervous. I don’t know if I can stand it, seeing her in tubes and IVs…” I leaned against his shoulder.

“It’ll be fine, trust me. Both of you will feel better after seeing each other,” he murmured. “I hope so.” A black, shiny BMW pulled up a few seconds later, and I knew it was Charlie’s. Edward gave me one reassuring handsqueeze and helped me up.

“This is it,” I breathed. My dad was wearing a pair of sunglasses, but he quickly took them off when he stepped outside of the car. He smiled, but frowned a little when he saw Edward standing next to me. Nevertheless, he regained his composure when he walked up to us.

“Hey dad,” I smiled. “It’s good to see you, Bells,” he hugged me, and it was the ‘awkward-one-arm-hug’ that I was used to receiving from him. “Dad, this is…” “Edward Cullen, sir. Very nice to meet you,” Edward extended his hand politely, taking Charlie by complete surprise. “It’s good to meet you, too,” he said, evaluating him, accepting the handshake. Charlie opened the door to the trunk, and was about to take the bags from Edward, but Edward said that he got them. After putting the luggage in its place, Charlie looked at us and smiled, “Well, I’m going to sign you out in the Administration office. I’ll be back in a seconds.” Now it was just me and Edward, facing each other at the back of the car. I looked into his green eyes, and they were filled with worry and concern.

“You’re going to be alright,” he said, more to himself than me. He took a step closer and wrapped one of his arms lightly around my waist while I laid my head against chest.

“Edward, thank you. I don’t know what I could have done without you,” I said appreciatively, smiling up at him after

placing a kiss on his chest. He smiled back,

“You’re welcome. I hope things go smoothly, and I’ll be here when you get back.” It was a seal of promise. Someone cleared their throat a few yards away, my dad stood there awkwardly, watching us.

“Err… Bells, we need to head out or we’ll miss the flight. I’ll be waiting in the car.” I gave Edward a tight hug, “I guess this is goodbye,” the words upset me more than it should. I breathed in the scent of his neck, getting it in my head for the days that I was going to be without him.

“As much as I would like for you to stay longer, I don’t think your father would like it much if we keep him waiting,” he grinned. He was right. I looked over to my father, who was checking his watch anxiously.

“Have a safe flight. Remember, if you need anything, I’m here. Always,” he whispered, giving me a delicate kiss on my forehead. I nodded and thanked him; I held his hand tightly for one last time in mine and made my way to the car.

“All set?” Charlie asked. “All set,” I said, slamming the door behind me. I waved at Edward as my dad pulled out of the parking space. From the rearview mirror, I saw him waving back. A couple of days. No big deal. The Bella Swan that I used to know lived without a guy for her whole life. And she survived, not to mention this is just going to be for a few days. But I wasn’t who I used to be. And that certainly was before I met Edward Cullen. I was going to miss him. A lot. The car ride was pretty silent. We made up small talks about the school… my friends, and of course, it led to Edward.

“So… is that Edward guy a boyfriend of yours?” he asked, trying to play it cool. “Yeah… he is,” I swallowed, turning scarlet red. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to let Charlie know about Edward, but being a teenage girl, discussing the person you’re dating with your dad wouldn’t exactly be your best interest.

“He seems like a good guy. Very polite,” he added thoughtfully, as if admitting a weakness. I smiled, “He is, dad.”

“Good-looking too. Is that what drew you to him?” he joked. “Yes, he is very good-looking, but there’s more to him than that,” I rolled my eyes, “He’s very nice and understanding. He knows what I’m thinking.”

“That’s good… just be careful, okay? I know that he’s probably a good guy…” “He is a good guy,” I interrupted, defending Edward with all of my heart. “Okay… But as your father, I have a right to be picky and alarmed when it comes to the boyfriend for my daughter,” he sighed, “Don’t do anything that you might regret later, ‘kay?”

“Sure dad,” I sighed, too. Edward had been nothing but a gentleman in the past weeks, always there at my time of needs… giving me his shoulder to cry on when I was upset…If Charlie had known Edward, he would know that all of his worries were pointless. Charlie reached his hand out to ruffle my hair, “My little girl is really growing up. I was just thinking… before I dropped you off in the Academy, you showed no interest in any guy. Three weeks later, BAM! She meets me with a boyfriend…” he muttered, shaking his head,

“Promise me something, Bella.” “What is it, dad?” “Promise me the next time that I see you, you wouldn’t be wearing a wedding ring, telling me that you got married.” I scoffed at his tease and he laughed. A few seconds later, I started laughing too. It took us half and hour to arrive at the Airport. Charlie bought us First class tickets, which wasn’t at all necessary. After

dinner, I slept the whole way to New York until he shook my shoulders to wake me up. The hospital was close to the JFK Airport. The nurse led us to room #605, and smiled at us with a good luck. I took a deep breath and opened the door…

“Mom!” I gasped and ran to her bed with tears pouring out when I saw her lying there weakly with scars on her cheeks and plastic tubes over her body.

“Bella, it’s so good to see you sweetie,” she smiled faintly at me and held my hand while I sat on the plastic chair beside her bed.

“How are you doing, Renee?” Charlie asked, sounding just as worried as I was. “Much better, Charlie. Thank you. It’s nice of you to come with Bella.” “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’d come,” he scoffed slightly, as if offended. “Are you okay, mom? I mean, are you hurting?” I asked. She chuckled and shook her head, “No sweetie. I’m just a little worn out from all the medication that they gave me. I keep telling them that I’m fine, but did they listen? No!”

“Don’t be so difficult, Renee. They are only doing their job,” I heard Phil’s chuckle, entering through the door. “Hi Bella, Charlie,” he said, friendly, while exchanging a handshake with my dad.

“Hey Phil,” I greeted him, smiling slightly. Then my mom tried to sit up, I looked frantically at her and she smiled, “It’s fine. The doctor said I was allowed,” she assured me and I sighed in relief. I looked over to Phil, and he nodded with approval. Dad asked if the hospital was keeping up with her needs, and how she was holding up with the pain. She said she was doing ‘great’ of course, the usual Renee Enthusiasm. During the questioning, I excused myself quickly and decided to call Edward to let him know that I got here safely, while letting the adults have a few words with each other. After three rings, he picked up, “Bella?” Hearing his voice made my heart warm, “Edward! She’s okay… I’m in the hospital right now, and she’s well enough to sit up!” I croaked happily to the phone, and I heard him sighing with relief.

“That’s great, Bella. I was worried that you weren’t going to react well in the hospital, but I’m glad it’s the opposite. I hope she gets better,” he said genuinely, as if wishing luck to an old friend. I thanked him and apologized that I had to cut the call short. He told me to go to my mother understandingly, like the gentleman that he always was.

“I really miss you,” I whispered, looking out of the window, which has a view of the speeding cars on the Highway. He sighed, “Not nearly as much as I miss you. Relax, alright? Don’t get too stressed out over anything,” he said thoughtfully. I nodded my head, and then finally remembered that he wasn’t here to see my nod, so I said to the phone,

“Sure. I’ll do that. And you need to do the same thing and stop worrying about me, okay?” He chuckled, “I’ll try my best. I’ll let you go to your mother now; I’ll see you in a few days.” The men didn’t look suspicious or curious about my phone call. My mom, however, raised her eyebrow at me and smirked. Phil made an excuse to leave my mother and I alone to talk. He offered to take my father to a donut store nearby, which was totally obvious. I mean, what kind of guy goes out for donut when their wife, or ex wife, was in the hospital? But nevertheless, I appreciated the thought. You might think it is weird, Charlie and Phil being all “buddy-buddy” with each other, but they truly get along. There was no awkwardness between them, even though… you know, Dad being Mom’s ex and all. There were even times when Charlie would stop by our home in New York during a business trip for dinner. Throughout the night, he had more to talk about with Phil than me. Both of them being huge baseball fans, they got into a conversation quickly about the American baseball teams. The Yankees or whatever.

“You look taller now, and it’s only been a few months since I last saw you,” my mom said, squeezing my hand tightly for someone who had just been in an accident.

“That’s because you haven’t been standing up mom, it’s natural to feel smaller compare to the others,” I murmured softly,

keeping my tone as gentle as possible. She laughed and patted my head.

“So kiddo, tell me about that school of yours. Your friends, your life,” she demanded, her eyes full of wonder. I gave her some more details about Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and of course, Edward. I explained their confusing relation with each other since I was pretty sure that she didn’t understand it through E-mail. I mean, I couldn’t even understand what I was writing myself. Like expected, she did catch that there was something different with Edward from all of the other names that I had spoken of. Maybe because I blushed, or she was just a good mind reader. I didn’t tell her that I was dating him, but my mother was a smart woman.

“So… who were you talking to on the phone?” she asked casually, as if not really caring. But I knew that deep down inside, she was dying for some information. I figured there was no use trying to lie, I mean, she'd know sooner or later, might as well as just get it over with.

“Oh, umm… Edward. I just called him to tell him that I got here safely,” I said sheepishly, ducking my head a little so she wouldn’t notice my face redden. She smiled brightly, “And you’re dating this Edward guy?”

“Kind of. Well, yeah,” I admitted finally. The smile on her face grew wider, I swear, any wider her lips would have torn. “That’s wonderful, sweetie! So, tell me about him,” she said excitedly. “He’s on the basketball team, Captain, actually,” I chuckled, “He’s doing the play with me, as Romeo.” “How adorable! Romeo and Juliet!” she sighed contently. I grinned at her and continued, “He’s really just… perfect in every way. We share many same interests, and he gets me.” My mom gripped on my shoulder tightly, “That’s so good to hear, Bella. I’m really glad that you have finally found someone. I was a little worried, that maybe my divorce with Charlie had set things the wrong way for you… I used to think that maybe you were insecure, and that was why you didn’t go out with anyone back home…” her face was solemn.

“Mom,” I said quickly, “It’s because I hadn’t met Edward back then. The guys in New York, I don’t know… They just weren’t my type. But with Edward, we can talk about everything. And I can count on him to be there for me…” An image of Edward’s crooked smile popped in my mind, “Plus he’s incredibly cute…” I added that part to lighten up the mood. My mom laughed, “Charlie said that he is very good looking and very nice. I’m kind of hurt, that you discussed this with him first,” she joked. I groaned, “He told you about that? Jeez, I was only on the phone for about what? Five seconds?”

“It was long enough to see that bright glow on your face when you spoke his name. And I swear, you were smiling wider than I have ever seen you smile before,” she smirked. You’d think that we were chatting at home instead of the hospital by the direction that our conversation was leading to. I decided to change the topic, after all, I had been saying all those unimportant stuff about my life when my mother, was the one that we needed to discuss.

“So when are you getting out of the hospital, Mom?” She sighed, “The doctors want to make sure that I’m completely on the right path of recovering, so they want me to stay for at least a week. But don’t worry, Phil’s taking the week off to stay with me, so I have company.”

“Oh… okay…” Then I heard my father and my stepfather’s voice echoing in the hallway. “Man dad, you guys are so loud. It’s a hospital, remember?” I hushed them when they stepped in the room. A little too late, I know.

“Oops,” he said, grinning. “So did you ladies have a nice chat?” Mom squeezed my hand, “Oh yeah. A really nice one,” she winked at me.

“Well, we better get going. We do want you to get your rest. We’ll be back tomorrow,” Charlie said as I stood up from my chair, pecking my mom’s cheek lightly,

“Love you, Mom.” “Love you too, kiddo. See you tomorrow.” Dad drove us to a Sheraton Hotel not too far away from the hospital in a rented SUV. It was too fancy for my taste, but I’m not complaining. I mean, a two-bedroom suite? That suits me. After taking a warm, bubbly bath, I said goodnight to my dad and went back to my room. I looked over to the phone that was sitting on my bed side, and for some reason, my heart was doing the dance. Was he asleep too? I wondered. Then a beep made me fall out of the bed with surprise. I reached for my cell from the floor and flipped the lid open… To: Bella From: Edward Goodnight, beautiful... It was so like Edward to do something sweet like this. Before I clicked for the reply button, another message came in the inbox: Have fun dreaming about me tonight. I giggled. Oh yeah. That was so Edward. Chapter Thirty-Two I went back to the hospital the next day, and the next to say goodbye.

“Be safe, Sweetie,” Mom hugged me and kissed my cheek. My dad gave her a squeeze before leaving, “Feel better, Renee.”

“Thank you, Charlie. I mean it,” she looked appreciatively at her former lover, grasping my hand at the same time, “I’m glad you came. It’s good to see you.” Phil came over and gave me a hug, and a handshake for Charlie, "You guys have a safe flight."

“Bye Mom! Bye Phil!” I was feeling a little sad when I closed the door behind me. Who knew when was the next time that I was going to see my mother? But the thought that reminded me that I had another family waiting for me, back in the Academy, made me feel a lot happier. At first, Charlie booked a later flight that was supposed to get us back in California by 9:48 p.m. But my mom told him to get an earlier flight so I won’t be jet-lagged Monday morning. Of course, I had told my friends that I wasn’t arriving till late at night, since it’s another half hour drive to the Academy. But I figured a surprise could never do any harm, right? As I boarded the plane, my heart felt lighter than it was before, after seeing my mother and knowing that she was doing great on recovering. Dad and I walked to his BMW after we got off and claimed our luggage. It was parked securely in the lot of the Airport while we were away.

“Well, it was certainly good to see Renee. I must say it wasn’t under the best circumstances, but a nice visit, just the same,” Charlie said relaxingly once we drove away from the airport, breaking the awkward silence.

“Sure,” I replied, agreeing wholeheartedly with him. “Are you looking forward to going back to the Academy?” he asked. I considered that for a moment, “Yeah. I think I am,” a smile spread across my face.

“Good.” Then the rest of the ride was quiet, which was totally expected. Charlie was nice enough to let me take control of the radio, I settled on a classic station, which for the corner of my eye I saw him looking relieved since I didn’t go for some loud, pop song stations.

The guard opened the gate for us when we stopped in front of the entrance of the Academy. I looked around at the familiar surroundings and saw that most of the campus had been cleaned up. Trees were standing up, and the buildings were as clean as before. I saw kids tossing footballs around on the grass, girls talking animatedly while walking on the sidewalk with friends. It was twilight; the pretty color of the sky was a mixture of red and orange. Dad signed me in at the office, and took my bags out of his trunk after he filled in the forms .

“You want me to take these up to your room for you?” he offered, though looking nervously at his watch. I overheard him talking on the phone with Carmen a while ago, promising her that he’d be home by eight and it was almost six.

“No dad, I got them. They’re not that heavy,” I smiled. “Okay then. Be good, Bella.” “Aren’t I always?” I put on the innocent face like I was hurt that he even brought that up. He laughed and pulled me into a hug. After our farewells, he left. I dragged my bag across the campus to my dorm. I met some people on the way that greeted me and went, “Hey! Where’d you go?” I told them that I was visiting family, which was most definitely true. I was a little out of breath by the time I got to the front of the building. Thank god that we had elevators at our school. I don’t think that I would have enjoyed climbing up the stairs while hauling heavy bags behind me.

“Jasper! Have you seen my…” Alice was cut off, mid-sentenced by the rustling of my keys. I pushed the door opened, “Hey Roomie, hey roomie’s boyfriend,” I greeted them jokingly and she flung her arms over my body, “Bella! I thought you weren’t coming back until later on tonight!” Forgetting that I had a hefty (okay… at least for me) bag in my hand, Alice held on to me longer than I had hoped for.

“Umm… Alice? I think Bella’s dying,” Jasper said humorously from the couch, his lips twitching up to a grin. Alice gasped and dropped her arms at the same time I let the bags hit the floor with a loud thud.

“Sorry,” she giggled. “No problem,” I chuckled and gave her another hug, Jasper too. They asked me all about my mother, and I told them about how she was doing with distractions messing with my head.

“Where’s umm…” “Looking for boyfriend dearest? I heard that he was going to shoot some hoops,” Jasper replied, smirking. I turned into a shade of red, embarrassed.

“Go for it, my friend,” Alice winked and motioned me the door, giving Jasper a meaningful look. Got to love my friends. I practically ran for the basketball court that we usually went to. Our basketball court. There weren’t many kids on the sidewalks now, considering it was dinner time, so the court was empty, with the exception of Edward, who was there just like Jasper said he would be. I watched him from a few yards away as he jumped up gracefully to make a shot from behind the free-throw line. It didn’t go in; it bounced off the rim and hit the floor. It surprised me since Edward didn’t just simply miss shots. I mean, he was Edward Cullen. He was wearing a black muscle shirt with navy blue shorts. The outlines of his muscles were perfectly visible under the orange-ish rays of light from the sky, and just as I started the swooning, I watched him miss another shot. Okay... that was totally unexpected.

“Losing your touch, Captain?” I walked quietly up to him, and he didn’t notice me coming since he was facing me with his back. He froze and turned around with an incredulous look, but smiling,

“Bella?”

I ran to him and leaped into his arms; he picked me up and spun me around in circles, joyous.

“But I thought…” he shook his head. I giggled, “Change of plans.” He didn’t say anything else because his lips were down to mine; kissing me fiercely with enthusiasm. I realized how we must have looked like from other’s eyes, kissing under the sunset; in each other’s arms… it was like a scene from the movies, no doubt. Only the leading male character in my movie was a lot hotter than the other ones.

“I missed you,” I whispered when we pulled away. His emerald eyes were sparkling with joy, “I’d say ‘miss’ is an understatement for me.” I reached up and pulled his face down to mine again, “Show me how much you missed me then,” I said, hoping that it had the alluringness that I was going for. Apparently, it had since Edward’s lips started moving against mine in the same urgent excitement that I had felt in our last kiss.

“So…” I said; breathless and panting form his kissing expertise, “Mind telling me how you missed that shot?” He chuckled, music to my ears, and grinned, “I just lost my concentration.”

“Huh,” I smiled and picked up the ball from the ground that he dropped a moment ago to embrace me, and made a swift shot through the basket, “Still got it.” He took the ball and started dribbling it, smirking, “I was just humoring you with it, you know… I’m still better,” he joked slyly, making another free throw from the three-point line. Only this time, it went in. “And he scores!” he said triumphantly. I rolled my eyes, “Whatever, Edward.” "Are you doubting my ability at playing basketball?" his tone was teasing and light. I shrugged, "Those were your words, not mine." "I'm going to make you regret even thinking that," he laughed and ruffled my hair while I screamed. "Ah! Stop!" To my dismay, he continued laughing and messing up my hair. I did what I do best, I ran, shrieking the way. But it wasn’t long till he caught me and I started laughing with him. We stared in each others' eyes for a while, a smile spreading on both of our faces,

“It’s good to have you back,” he said finally, smiling genuinely at me. “It’s good to be home,” I replied gleefully and tip-toed up to kiss him again. It was getting darker outside now, the lights to the basketball court turned on automatically, just as we were about to leave.

“So… are you hungry? Or are you still tired from the time difference?” “Like I’m ever too tired for food,” I joked, rolling my eyes. His lips twitched, “My apologies. You sound like Emmett, by the way,” he snickered, while I scoffed at him and hit him playfully on the shoulder. Comparing me to Emmett was definitely meant to be an insult.

“Now, I’m sure that Alice and Rosalie won’t like me very much after this, but I want to spend the evening alone with you, if that’s okay,” he said, gazing in to my eyes with his infamous crooked smile. The smile that made girls of all ages melt. Including myself.

“Of course it’s okay. I prefer to spend my first evening back in California with my boyfriend, too,” I said sweetly, returning the smile. He grinned, “Perfect.” We ordered some takeouts and sat on the grass to enjoy our dinner. It was like a picnic; and there really weren’t any one around since we picked the less crowded section of the campus. In front of us was the artificial pond, the same place that we talked in after the whole Mike Incident; and it looked even more beautiful at night, with the moonlight reflecting on the surface. It was absolutely romantic.

“Here’s to your mom, for surviving, and here’s to you, for coming back,” Edward smiled. “Cheers.” We weren't having wine or anything, since we were both underage, but Mountain Dew was just as nice.

“My god, this is so good,” I said, my voice sounding like a mumble after taking a bite out of the hamburgers since I hadn’t swallowed completely yet. I gulped, “You have no idea what I ate in New York. My dad is a fan of sea foods,” I cringed with horror, remembering that oyster thing that Charlie ordered last night. I could have sworn it was still alive. He laughed, “So of all the things that you could have missed, you missed a hamburger?” his tone was mocking now, incredulous.

“And you,” I added, “Of course, you place after the hamburger,” I joked. “Thanks for wounding my ego. My girlfriend puts me on the second of the list, and I place after a piece of meat with buns. I’m hurt, Bella, really,” he feigned an aching look but it was soon replaced with a witty smirk that came across his face, “So… did you hit on any fast food workers while you were there? Since you know, they practically work with hamburgers twenty-four seven?”

“Shut up,” I threw a piece of fry at him and instantly regretted it, since I only had three more. Make that two now. He laughed and took out some more stuff from the big, plastic bag that was given to us by the clerk with our purchase. Our dessert- chocolate sundae, was now melted.

“I should have asked for ice,” he murmured. I shrugged, “Well, just think. At least we were conserving water.” He gaped at me with a smug smile, “I never knew you were such an environmentalist.” In the middle of our chocolate sundae, or shall I say chocolate shake, a janitor, the same one that warned us afterwards about the sprinklers the last time, appeared. He looked at us, no glare or smile.

“Man, the last time that I checked, you guys don’t water the grass on Sunday nights,” Edward said defensively. The man actually cracked a smile,

“Relax. I’m just here to get things ready for tomorrow morning.” With that, he went away. I snickered, and Edward’s face turned a little pink.

“Enough laughing at my expense. I actually saved you from the chances of getting soaked, you know,” he scoffed. “The last time wasn’t so bad,” I reminded him. He thought about it and grinned, “True.” We lied on the grass and stared up at the beautiful night in front of us after finishing all of the food. The moon wasn’t clear, it was smeared and foggy, but in a romantic, beautiful kind of way. The night was gorgeous, the weather wasn’t muggy and there were light breezes every now and then that blew against my skin very gently. Then something flashy shot across the sky. Before I had the chance to exclaim, it disappeared into the darkness.

“Oh my gosh! Did you see that? A shooting star!” I beamed, pointing. I know I probably sounded like a fool... but back in New York the only glistening objects that we see up on the sky were planes.

“Did you make a wish?” he asked, titling his head to me with a heartwarming smile. It was absurd, I mean, I had spent the whole evening with him, but his smile still gave me this fluttery and tickling feeling in my stomach. This guy was surreal, lying there gloriously on the grass like a Greek god with his hands behind his head. After admiring his inhuman, captivating beauty, I smiled,

“No,” I said unhesitatingly, “I don’t need a wish. I have everything that I want right here." "That makes two of us," he whispered, then his lips pressed softly against mine. Chapter Thirty-Three Flyers, flyers, and flyers. They were posted everywhere among the campus along with blue and yellow ribbons, reminding

us that there was a game tonight. As if anyone would not know… I mean, come on! Nobody misses the games, not unless they were on their death beds. I didn’t see Edward at all after Biology on Tuesday. He disappeared right after school with the rest of the basketball team. From what I heard, the whole team was going to get dinner somewhere together with the Coach, for “bonding”. It's not like they needed to bond.

“What are we wearing to the game?” Rosalie asked while checking her nails, examining them under the sunlight. “Umm… hate to burst your bubble, but we still have hours, Missy,” I said, teasing. Alice gasped mockingly, “You mean… only hours? We have to get ready right now then!” I scoffed and rolled my eyes at my best friends. They were sometimes so obsessed.

“Okay… let’s focus on something more important. What are we eating for dinner?” I said when I felt my empty stomach growl.

“Girls? Let hit the food court!” Rosalie announced enthusiastically. I knew there was a reason that we were friends. We grabbed some Chinese and headed back afterwards to our room to change. I had on a sleeveless top, navy blue of course, with Bulldogs written at the front. After each of us applied some lip gloss, we walked excitedly out of the door. I don’t know what got to us; everyone was exceptionally cheerful on Tuesdays due to the game. We heard the loud booming music echoing around us as we made our way to the gymnasium. There were souvenirs sold outside in the stands, like banners with Bulldogs or Edward’s Jersey number. You can kind of picture which line held more girls, that was definitely a no-brainer.

“Hey, there’s the fan club,” Alice snickered, pointing at the sophomores and freshmen who were holding posters with Edward’s name on. Oh yeah, did I mention that it was surrounded by big, red, puffy hearts?

“Looks like Bella has some competition,” Rosalie joked, elbowing me. Childishly, I stuck my tongue out at her. We took our seats at the front of the gym. We still had a good amount of time until the game, so I decided to excuse myself to the bathroom. You’d be surprised what two cups of strawberry slurpees could do to you.

“I’ll be right back,” I said to my friends, “Restroom alert.” “Oh,” Rosalie said, “Want me to tag along?” “No, it’s fine…” "Okay, if any bimbos attack you, you know our cell..." Alice sang. I laughed, "I think I'll survive, Alice." I went in the bathroom and took care of my needs. When I came out from the stalls, I saw Angela in front of the mirror, brushing her hair.

“Hey Bella,” she greeted me with a smile, surprised to see me on the reflection of the mirror. “Hi Angela,” I smiled back. “I had never seen you in the basketball games before.” She blushed, and I mean blushed, “Well yeah. Usually I stay in my room and prepare for upcoming tests, but Ben convinced me to come.”

“Ben Cheney? That’s wonderful, Angela! He’s a great guy!” She sighed, “He is. I mean, he’s just so… nice. And he’s shy like me too, so we really get along,” she said while I washed my hands.

“Well, you’re going to have fun tonight," I promised her encouragingly, tearing some paper towels to dry my hands. “Yeah, I think I am going to enjoy it.” We walked out together and told each other goodbye since she had to return to her date. When I opened the door that gets me to the other side of the gym, I was more than surprised to see who I found at the opposite side of the door, staring at his teammates who were already warming up on the basketball court.

“Edward?” I questioned, startled. He smiled, “Hey…” taking a step closer to me, “I saw that you weren’t with Rose and Alice, so I figured you’d be in the ladies’ room…” then he extended his arms and pulled me into them, “I just had to see you before the game.” I smiled with my face buried in his chest. Could he be any sweeter? When we pulled away, I found myself lost again… in his perfect, dazzling green eyes.

“Well, good luck with the game. Not that you need it,” I added. Then to my astonishment, my voice was coming out of the speakers. I looked up with amusement and saw that Edward and I, with our confused gazes, appeared on the huge screen above, the one that showed the replay of the game.

“Oh my god,” I managed to say when I saw every pair of eyes in the gym, looking at us and the screen, back and forth… like they were deciding which one had the better view.

“Uh… I better go,” I blurted out and was about to walk back to where my friends were sitting. Unexpectedly, he caught my wrist and turned me around to kiss me fully and passionately on the lips. The gym was reverberating with “awes”, but I had too much on my mind to care. All I could think was the sweetness of his lips…

“BEEEP!!” the timer rung loudly, and it was time for the game. I tore my face away from his and gave him a light peck on the cheek,

“Meet me after the game,” I whispered. He nodded at me and winked, running to his teammates while I made my way, blushing furiously the whole way I might add, back to my friends. There were lots of murmurings when I passed by to get to my seat, but I wasn’t really thinking about them since my heart was still throbbing from Edward’s kisses.

“Oh my gosh! How lucky is she? She’s only been here for what? Three weeks? And she managed to get Edward Cullen to fall head over heels for her. Talk about unfair!” I heard one of the girls sitting behind us say, invidious.

“Swan is so lucky. I mean, dude, come on! Edward’s like… so hot,” I heard someone else say, from another direction. Rosalie and Alice wiggled their eyebrows at me, as if to say, ‘way to go’; and fortunately for me, the game quickly started after the second ring. -

“Whoo! Go Edward! Go Bulldogs!” Those girls, whoever, seemed to recover themselves really quickly after the game started. Our team got the ball first, and the first point was made in seconds, thanks to our Captain. I couldn’t really pay full attention to the game, but I knew for sure that I had my eyes locked on Edward the whole time, with a hammering heart inside my chest.

“Yes!” Alice high-fived me and Rosalie when Jasper made a shot after getting by this really heavy dude from the other team. Basketball is what we do, and we'll cheer it just for you. Shake it high and shake it low, in the hoop the ball will go. Jasper and Jamie extended fists and got to the other side of the court, looking all happy and out of breath at the same time. The hoops are open, The net is hot, So come on Bulldogs, make that shot! Cody passed the ball to Edward as soon as the ball was checked. Edward, like a ghost, traveled down the court without getting held by those bulky guys from the other team and scored with an excellent slam dunk. They looked pretty dumbfounded, with a big old question mark above their heads. However, the Captain, who looked like a senior and looked like he had way more experience than the rest of his team, scowled at Edward and gave him a menacing glare. Edward returned with a not-so-friendly glance in the guy’s direction. This is not good….

After the ball was checked, neither of the Captain seemed to have their eyes on the ball, but instead, fixed in each others’.

“Yo!” Emmett threw the ball to Edward, who was open when he finally broke the glaring contest, and dribbled it fluently, making his way down to the hoop again. Only this time, they ganged up on him. The biggest guys from the other team, two of them, practically lunged themselves at Edward and the ball, taking him by complete surprise. I mean, imagine this: you're about to shoot, but then these guys jump on your back to bring you down. I gasped, along with the rest of the crowd, and stood up from my seat.

“Edward!” I cried, and I heard that I was not alone. The referee blew the whistle and got someone to pull those assholes off him.

“Man, are you okay?” Emmett asked, frowning with the rest of the team. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he turned his murderous gaze to those two and snarled at them. They snarled back, still sending glares in Edward's direction. "Em, it's alright. I'm perfectly fine,” he said, holding up his hands with a smile that sent waves of relieves to the crowd. He didn't look bothered, almost amazed and flattered that he had someone on the other team hating him that much.

“Son of a bitch! Those… those….” Rosalie gritted through her teeth. Alice looked angry as well, silently cursing under her breath.

“Boo!! Boo!!” Those boys made a huge, huge mistake. I mean, them pouncing on someone was bad, but pouncing on Edward? That’s just suicidal. They’d get tackled by Edward’s fan club after the game. Edward cleared his throat,

“Um… Let’s just get back to the game. No harm done,” he shrugged. I couldn’t believe my ears. He just got ganged up on and he wanted to continue the game and pretended that nothing happened? I saw his teammates looking at him with admiration, myself too. Alice clapped her hands and was quickly joined by the rest of us, who were cheering for Edward and sneering at the opposing team. The two morons were benched much to their protests, and we won the game smoothly after that, no more interruptions. Victory Victory That's our cry Victory Victory That's our pride Split that V Dot that I Curve that C-T-O-R-Y

“Congratulations, Bulldogs! Once again undefeated! Now ladies, this Friday is our annual Bulldog People Auction! So get those money ready!” the announcer said with so much enthusiasm.

“People auction?” I repeated. “Our bad, Bella. Sometimes we forget that you’re new,” Rosalie said sheepishly. “It’s tradition, and it’s been done like every year since the school was founded. You bid on one of the basketball players, and you spend the evening with them,” Alice explained.

“You guys sure have a lot of traditions in this school,” I murmured. Suddenly, I heard some squealing coming from all around us.

“Oh my gosh! Did you hear? The people auction! I’m SO going to win the bid this year! I mean, how cool would that be? To have a special night with Edward!” From the corner of my eyes, I saw the girls hopping up and down on the bleachers, fantasying.

“Poor Edward,” Rosalie snickered. “By the way, shouldn’t you go rescue a certain boyfriend of yours from his fans?” I chuckled, “Bye guys.” Just as suspected, he was surrounded by a bunch of people. I stood with my arms crossed away from the crowd, smiling. And a few seconds later, he saw me with a look that said that he was looking for me as well.

“Excuse me, ladies,” he said politely, squeezing through them while his fans sighed behind him contently and longingly. “Good game, Cullen,” I said, smiling. He grinned, “That’s all I get? Good game? I must say I’m disappointed.” I stepped closer to him and tilted my head up so that I could feel his breath on my face, “What were you expecting then?” I snaked my arms around his neck and whispered. Without giving him a chance to reply, I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him, despite the viewers that were standing a few yards away. He was a bit breathless when we pulled away, “Something like this,” he smiled, his white teeth gleaming under the flashy gym lights. Someone cleared their throat. I quickly recognized him as the Captain from the other team, his face embarrassed, "Congratulations. That was a nice game." "It was a close one," Edward said modestly. "I uh... need to apologize for my teammates. I'm more than ashamed about what happened." "Hey, no blood, no foul," Edward flashed his brilliant smile. "Thanks. I really am sorry," the guy cleared his throat again, his face turning redder. "No prob, man." They smacked fists; the guy acknowledged me with a nod and went back to where his teammates were. "I was half expecting him to leave without an apology," I said, staring after him. He chuckled, "Not all basketball captains are jerks." "I already knew that," I smirked at him, giving him a meaningful look. He leaned down again, and I thought I was going to feel those wonderful lips of his on mine again...

“Yo Cap!” Cody yelled, waving while jogging to us, “Newspaper staff wants a picture. You coming?” “Give me a sec,” he sighed, looking annoyed. Cody rolled his eyes; “As soon as you’re done with the gooey stuff…” he murmured and walked away.

“Well go,” I prompted him. “I could just bail…” he suggested smugly, his eyebrow quirked up and his hands started pulling me close to him again. “Sure. Like they won’t notice that Mr. All-Star is not in the picture,” I replied sarcastically, With one reluctant sigh, “Fine. I’m going, I’m going…” I laughed, “Good boy.” Alice, Rosalie and I decided to meet the guys outside the gym, since it was so crowded and loud in the building.

“I swear, another minute in that… jungle, I’m going eternally deaf,” Alice said, shaking her head. “Nah, Alice, your shopping squeal makes us eternally deaf, those noises are nothing compare to that,” Rosalie chuckled, while Alice shot her a dirty look.

“Did you have fun, guys?” A sickly high-pitch voice asked with a smirk that matched up to her tone. Lauren crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking all proud in her cheerleading uniform when we saw her at the exit of the gym.

“Oh yeah, big fun…” Alice said, sarcastic. Lauren snorted at her and turned her glance to me, “Just what kind of girlfriend,” she sneered at the word, “Are you? You’re not even wearing his jersey number.” “I cheer for the whole team, not just for Edward,” I replied, giving her a deal-with-it look. She rolled her eyes, “Whatever. I need to talk to you,” she said, sending glares in my friends’ direction, “Alone.”

“We’ll meet you later Bella,” Rosalie said quickly, “I can’t stand another minute looking at that… that thing,” she pointed at Lauren, awfully disgusted. I tried to stifle a giggle as Lauren’s eyes widened at Rosalie’s comment.

“Just walk away, Bitch,” she spat when Rosalie was out of hearing distance. Chicken. “So what do you want? Did you just come to criticize my wardrobe?” I asked, irritated. “I’m here to warn you,” she said, her face serious but emotionless. “Warn me?” I wanted to laugh. “Yes. To warn you before you make a fool out of yourself,” she sneered. “What the hell are you talking about?” “Listen. The head cheerleader, that’s me,” she said slowly, placing her hand on her chest. “Yeah, I’m not retarded,” I cut in, impatient. She glared at me, “Now you listen to me very clearly. Ever since the Academy was founded, the head cheerleader and the basketball captain were always the ‘it’ couple of the school. It’s been this way every year, and there will be no exception this year,” she poked me with her finger and continued,

“You know Edward and I will end up together in the end. It’s only a matter of time… before he realizes that we are made for each other. Head cheerleader, basketball captain. Get it? So I’m suggesting you to back out now, before you embarrass yourself in front of the whole freaking school.”

“Lauren,” I tried my best to keep a straight face, “Edward had more than two years to ask you out before I came.” Her face flustered, “Whatever Swan. You don’t want my advice? That’s fine. Just don’t go running to your mommy when you get hurt because that’s what will happen. Edward and I will end up together; I know that for sure,” she spat, her face three inches from mine with her lips curled up. “And if you don’t believe me about the whole head cheerleader and basketball captain thing, it’s in the yearbook.”

“No… I believe you. Gee... look at the time, I would stay and chat; but I have more important stuff to do, like spending time with my boyfriend,” I smiled at her.

“You’re making a huge mistake,” her eyes were dark and cold. I had never seen her so furious before. But I wasn’t about to be taken back.

“Then it’s a mistake that I will be making then…” I said to her very coolly. Then from the corner of my eye, I saw Edward walking up to us, frowning.

“Is there a problem here?” he stood behind me and looked sharply at Lauren, who still had her fixated stare on me. Lauren gave him a sly smile “Nothing. Nothing at all.” Then she walked away. When she finally left, Edward looked at me with an unhappy expression, “Was she bothering you?”

“No. We were just having a nice chat,” I chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood. Edward gave me an unbelieving look and narrowed his eyes at me. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to put it; since we both knew that the chances of that happening were almost as slight as Emmett not eating. I kissed his lips, “Trust me. It’s all cool.” He shrugged, “If you say so. You’d tell me, right? If she’s bothering you?” he looked deep into my eyes to prevent me from giving him a half hearted answer.

“Of course. So… are you hungry? Or did the Coach feed you guys well?” He chuckled, “He only gave each of us a hamburger and a bowl of salad. And no soda,” he shuddered, “He said we didn’t need the sugar before the game, so we had to drink water. To tell you the truth, I’m starving.” I smiled, “If you want to get something to eat, I’ll come with you.”

“Thanks,” he wrapped his arms around my shoulder and asked me how my afternoon and evening was- since we didn’t get

to spend it together- while we walked to the nearest pizza place. He was being a perfect gentleman, listening to my rant politely. I still had that problem sometimes; like when he stares at me, my heart would accelerate and I would start babbling about some unimportant stuff, thanks to the nerves. But he didn’t seem to mind though; the whole time, he just looked at me with an amused expression and a smile. He walked me back to my room and pulled me into a kiss before leaving.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” he said, when he was nuzzling my neck. “Sure. Tomorrow,” I said with my shaking voice. He chuckled and pulled away. I wanted to pout; it seemed like he knew how hopeful I was for an intense make-out session. And he just had to pull away to tease me. Like he couldn’t see the desperation on my face. He jogged back to his room; I swear I saw his lips twitched up under the streetlight as he moved. It took some time for my heart to beat normally again. The light in my room was on, so I figured Alice was already back. Was it already that late? I felt like I had only spent no more than twenty minutes with Edward; but I looked at my watch and it was ten till ten.

“You’re back!” Alice smiled when I entered the room. “Hey Alice. Nice time with Jasper?” She laughed, “I should ask you the same question. Just where did you go with my brother, young lady? Go take a shower, it’s late,” she demanded, her face humorous.

“Yes ma’am,” I grinned and rolled my eyes . While the cool water ran down my body, I thought of how protective Edward was when he thought Lauren was harassing me. It made me smile, to see how much he cared for me. And how much I cared for him. I quickly thought back to those two nights that I had to spend in New York with my mom. Even though we texted each other at night, but I so wanted to see his face… to feel his touch… to feel his warm, soft lips on mine. I knew my feelings for him were growing stronger by day, and it freaked me out a little to see how I couldn't be without him. Alice was sitting up against her bed when I got out from the shower, watching a re-run of One Tree Hill. She clicked off the remote,

“Seen it already,” she sang, turning to smile at me. “Hey, what’s up?” I swallowed, “Can I talk to you Alice? I really need a girl opinion on this.” She got up from bed and hopped excitedly to my bed, sitting cross-legged in front of me, “Of course. Spill the problem, Bella.” I took a long, deep breath, “You know how I feel about Edward. I like him, a lot. But now, I think it’s more than just a crush…” I said nervously, fidgeting then groaned, “You know what, forget that I brought it up. This is ridiculous.”

“You’re in love with Edward,” she smiled, her tone gentle and smooth. My heart flipped at the sound of the word; my stomach was full of butterflies. I mean, come on… Love?

“But that’s impossible, right? I mean, I don’t even know him for that long,” Even though it feels like forever…I sounded strangled in that squeaky voice of mine.

“It’s not impossible, Bella,” she said softly, “I was going to bring it up sooner, but I figured I should let you figure it out on your own. You are in love with him; at least that’s what I think. But of course, trust your own feelings on this. I can’t tell you what you feel, or how you should feel. Only you can…” she smiled.

“How can you tell Alice, what makes you think I’m in love with him?” I whispered. She chuckled, “These kinds of things are obvious. You two talk to each other like you’re totally oblivious to the world revolving around you. And the way you look into each other’s eyes… how you smile around each other more than you have smiled all day… If this isn’t love, what it?” I started to let all of this process in my brain. Now to think of it, I wondered how many times I had blanked out on my friends in Edward’s presence. They always teased me that they had to call my name at least three times to get my attention.

And how I laughed and smiled more around him… How he could make me calm by wrapping his arms around me when I was feeling insecure or upset… How his velvet voice was the first thing that I wanted to hear in the morning… how he was the last image in my mind that I saw before falling asleep. Alice was right. Just like she always was. I was in love with Edward.

“Oh… god…” I let out an uneven gasp silently. Alice chuckled, “I thought so. Alright, why don’t you sleep on it? It’s late…”

“Yeah,” I responded, still a little out of breath. Alice hopped down from my bed and went to turn off the lights. In some ways, she was like the big sister I never had. She always gave me the most wonderful advice, stuck up for me and there for me to talk to anytime I needed her.

“Hey Alice?” I called to the darkness. “Yes?” “Would you do me a favor?” “Sure. What is it?” “Can you umm… not tell Edward about the conversation that we had?” She chuckled and said in a promising voice, “Don’t worry. This will be our little secret.”

“Thanks.” Chapter Thirty- Four I know I should have told him the next day, but I didn’t. I had a pretty good reason of why I didn't though. I wasn’t to confess my love for him in front of a classroom full of students or in the hallway, with everyone capable of hearing our conversation. Excuses, I know. Okay, I admit. I know the real reason: it was my lack of courage. Every time I looked at him, instead of speaking the words that I had been practicing in my head, I just made up some lame conversation instead. Which is totally pathetic of me. I walked to lunch with Edward after fourth period, we sat down in the middle of one of Emmett’s wild tales, about-wouldn't have to be surprised- himself.

“And then BAM! While I was riding my bike, this dude hit me from behind with a motorcycle. I cussed at him, and he got off his bike and tried to throw me a punch! And the man was about in his twenties or so, but you know what? I totally took him! I threw him on the ground, and left him bleeding there!” he was motioning his hands excitedly in the air. Jasper let out a snort, choking on his Pepsi,

“Nah Emmett, what I remember was you fell on the ground from the dude’s first punch, but you got up and tried to charge at him again. But he threw you to his motorcycle accidentally, and you gave him a punch while he was shrieking, ‘my baby!’” Jasper laughed. We all joined him while Emmett turned as red as a tomato.

“But it was a very manly punch, right Emmett?” Rosalie said sweetly, tugging at his arms while coming to his rescue. This caused Emmett to cheer up, “Thank you Rosalie. I love you,” he kissed her lips. I love you… I gulped. Alice giggled at me after watching my expression and I kicked her from underneath the table, blushing. Thankfully Edward was still laughing at what happened, not noticing Alice and I. Friday. The day that I had been dreading for. The “People Auction”. The girls weren’t bidding on Jasper and Emmett, surprisingly.

“Waste of money,” they said, “When we can just have them for free.” They sounded so confident; so assured that Jasper and Emmett weren’t even going to have fun without them. I wish I could be more like them; have more faith in my relationship with Edward. I suppose it was natural for them to be more secure in their relationship than since they had been dating Jasper

and Emmett for a longer time. And it’s not that I didn’t trust Edward, I did. But still…

“What do people usual do for the evening?” I asked casually. “Totally boring. We watch a movie, hang out… that’s all,” Emmett shrugged. “At least boring for us guys. But I know that the girls had a blast. I mean, they were going out with me for god’s sake,” he said, sighing proudly while Rosalie smacked his head.

“Can you at least attempt not to sound like Edward? Seriously, one of him is bad enough,” she scolded him. “Harsh, Rosalie. What have I ever done to you?” Edward chuckled. "No offense Edward," she added quickly, chuckling. "Oh yeah, none taken," he replied, sarcastic while rolling his eyes. Okay. Movie. That didn’t sound too bad. But what if the girl ends up leaning against Edward’s shoulder in the end? I shuddered at the image in my head, secretly praying that it wouldn't turn out like that.

“What about you Bella, you aren’t bidding on Edward, are you?” Jasper asked. I decided to play it cool, “No way. Edward’s pricey, isn’t he?” They laughed, Edward included. I was surprised how I could even make a joke at a time like this. Then he squeezed my hand,

“Tonight is going to suck. I’ll be thinking about what I’m going to do with you tomorrow while watching some stupid chick flick with whomever it is that wins the bid,” Edward leaned in and whispered in my ear. I smiled; simple words, but they brought so much comfort to me. For the rest of the day, I tried not to let the thoughts bother me too much. There was no use fussing over it anyway, what good would it do? The people auction started at seven thirty sharp. The announcer was Dylan, since he wasn’t participating in the auction. Loud music was playing from the speakers on stage, pumping up the atmosphere. And the base keep runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin' Even though Alice, Rosalie and I were not bidding, but we were curious to see who wins. We stayed in the back, so we wouldn’t get stomped on when the girls run on stage to claim their prizes.

“Yo dudes and dudettes! Welcome to this year’s people auction. Yes, I know that you all are disappointed to see that I, instead of being available for the bidding, am the announcer instead. But have no fear, Dylan’s still here!” The crowd reacted well to his enthusiasm. Alice, Rosalie and I shook our heads at him, laughing at his silliness. The Coach cleared his throat, “Get on with it, well you?” I realized that it was the first time that I had ever heard him speak. His voice was deep, deep and husky.

“Sorry. Just making sure people know my greatness, that’s all. Anyway, this year, we have eleven Bulldog players up for the bidding! Let me explain the rules to the newcomers. A: Keep it friendly. Just because you paid for them, doesn’t mean they’re your slaves. B: No sexual harassing…” Before he could continue, the Coach scowled at him, “Dylan!”

“What? I know that from experience,” he muttered into the microphone, “And C: Don’t come begging for a refund, because it ain’t happening. Anyway, you have until midnight with them. So make up your mind ladies, before throwing the cash into our pockets. I mean,” he added quickly, after noticing the Coach glaring at him again, “The school’s pocket.” Rosalie, Alice and I stifled a giggle. Excited murmurs were coming from the crowd again, too anxious for it to begin already.

“Alright! Are you ready?” he held the microphone out to them. “Yes!” they cried out energetically. “Awesome!Then let's beeegin! For our first bachelor," he made some beats with his mouth, "We have #3, Jamie Peterson!” On cue, Jamie walked out, looking totally relaxed. He threw his hand up in the air and then whistled with the other one.

“Okay, Jamie here is one of the funniest guys on our team. He’s a total helpless push over…” Dylan said teasingly. “HEY!” Jamie yelled. “Kidding bro. As I was saying, this dude’s a pretty cool guy. So… do I hear fifty?” “Fifty!” I heard a girl shout. “Come on, people. This is for our school. Do have hear a seventy?” “Seventy right here!” a girl waved her hand. “Obviously you guys have never seen him dance. Trust me, the money’s worth it if you want some laughs!” Dylan nudged Jamie who rolled his eyes at him.

“Eighty five!” another girl shouted. “Okay! Eighty five going once, going twice... SOLD!” Jamie announced while the others applauded and cheered. “Pay the money over there and he’s yours!” He pointed to a small table next to the stage, where Miss. Loughlin, the secretary was sitting. The girl passed walked through the crowd shyly and went to the table, just as she was told. She looked like one of those quiet, Angela types, who probably secretly had a huge crush on Jamie for a long time. It must have taken her a lot of courage to do something like this. Emmett and Jasper got a high bid, too. Both managed to go pass two hundred dollars. Alice and Rosalie high-fived each other.

“That’s our boyfriends," Alice sang proudly, completely cool about the whole thing. “So… shall we start the spying?” Rosalie asked, smirking. “You guys!” I cried, scoffing. “Kidding Bella. We have more constructive things to do. Now that they aren’t around, we can comment on the hot male models and movie stars on T.V.,” Alice winked. I chuckled, for a second there I thought they were serious about the spying. Finally, there was only one player left that hadn’t been auctioned. Not just any player, but the Captain himself. I took a deep breath, here it goes...

“Last, but not least… definitely not least,” Dylan chuckled, “We have #16…” he was interrupted by the squealing girls. “Edward! Edward! Edward!” He sighed into the microphone, “No introductions needed right? But just to make it official, #16, Edward Cullen… the Captain of the East Coast Academy Bulldogs!” Looking as gorgeous and stunning as always, Edward came out from behind the curtains through the white puff of smoke with his hands tucked handsomely in his pockets. They girls were screaming their lungs off; my friends and I winced with the pain in our ears.

“It’s stupid to start with a twenty. I should just start with two hundred,” Dylan murmured. “Two hundred!!” A bunch of girls cried, waving their hands up in the air excitedly. “Sheesh. That was quick. What’s two hundred plus fifty?” “Two fifty! Two fifty over here!” “Two seventy five!” “Three hundred!” “Three twenty five!” Suddenly, no host was needed. The girls started running the bidding themselves, leaving Edward on stage looking awkward and mortified.

“Three fifty!” “Five hundred dollars!” A voice shouted loudly from behind. I knew that voice… that obnoxious, sickening voice. It was suddenly quiet, they all turned around to see who jumped from the number three to four, and we weren’t talking about the ones or the tens on the place value table. This was in the hundreds. Lauren was satisfied with the attention that she was getting. She smiled while flicking the credit cards in her hands, showing off. The other girls murmured quietly, still too intimidated by Lauren to talk in front of her in person. Rosalie rolled her eyes, “It’s so like her to make a grand entrance.” Lauren walked up to Dylan with a smile, while shoving the girls and removing them out of her way,

“So… where do I claim my prize?” Suddenly, there was this rage inside of me that I had never experienced before. There was jealousy, there was anger. Without thinking it through…

“Five hundred and twenty five!” I blurted out loudly. Lauren froze on the middle of the stairs after stepping on stage. Everyone, too, had their gazes on me, surprised. A crooked smile appeared on Edward’s beautiful face. Great! He was smirking!

“Bella! Are you crazy?” Rosalie hissed, nudging me. Crazy? Oh yeah. Definitely. Lauren gave a dry laugh, “Fine. Five fifty.”

“Five seventy five,” I said. Damn it, Bella! What are you doing? “Seven hundred dollars,” she said every word slowly, pronouncing them through her teeth. There was a loud gasp coming from the crowd, and Edward’s face was quickly emotionless. My heart sank; what was I thinking? I couldn’t go any higher than that. Seven hundred bucks? Even if I bid higher, she wasn’t going to budge. And how high were we going to go? A thousand? Two thousand? Maybe she could afford that, but I couldn’t. A smirk played across her face when she saw my silence.

“Bella?” Dylan called softly through the microphone. I shook my head without saying another word. I lost. Dylan cleared his throat, “Then I guess sold… to Lauren, for seven hundred dollars,” he stuttered, frowning. There weren’t cheering or applauding, just… murmurings. The other girls were still too stunned to say anything else, and Edward looked almost disappointed, standing there as immobile as a statue. Lauren skipped up the payment table gleefully, dumping her cards on it, rushing the secretary. I saw Dylan patting Edward's shoulder, wishing him good luck. I saw Edward shaking his head helplessly, horrified.

“Well, ladies, thank you all for participating this year’s Bulldog People Auction. We appreciate your cash, and your participation. The money will be put to good use. We will repaint the older buildings; add some more flat screens to the student lounges; and of course, host some more parties, hell yes!” The girls whooped, recovering from the incident that happened a while ago. While Dylan went on talking, Lauren was still at the table, but her face wasn’t so cheerful looking anymore. It was as white as her shirt as she dug frantically through her purse, searching for something. Then Miss Loughlin came up stage to whisper something in Dylan’s ear.

“Huh… I see…” he said, nodding his head. “Well, due to some problems, Lauren won’t be spending the evening with Edward after all. He’s auctioned to the next highest bidder, Bella Swan.” Alice gasped and pushed me forward toward the stage. I was still staring at Dylan with wide eyes, completely outraged with what he had just said. I am imagining things. What were the chances of Lauren's credit cards not working? I thought.

“Go girl!” Rosalie prompted. Apparently the chances were great. With unsteady and slow footsteps, I walked to the table and saw Lauren standing there fuming, not noticing my presence. A first, I might add.

“AGH! I don’t believe this! Check it again! It can’t not be working! Daddy just got them all for me two months ago! This stupid freaking machine! Stupid freaking school!” she bellowed, throwing her cards at the lady again, “Check again!” she shrieked. Mrs. Loughlin looked frustrated.

“Young lady, do not use that tone with me. I told you already, your cards had all been declined. If you want to complain, discuss this with your father. Now move out of the way so the next person can pay!” Miss Loughlin was usually patient and nice, but nobody had the patience when it came to Lauren. Lauren scowled at her and let out another shriek, throwing her hand lividly in the air and running the other one furiously through her hair. It was funny to watch, but no one dared to laugh.

“But… but…” tears were goggling inside her eyes; I almost felt sorry for her at the moment. Then she ran off, after cussing at me with the f words. I felt stupid even pitying her in the first place.

“It’s nice to see you again, Bella. Well, if I have the numbers right, it’s five seventy five, isn’t it?” Miss Loughlin smiled. “Yeah,” I handed the card to her and waited patiently. While it went through the machine, I thought of how long I had been saving all that money. It was from all the summers that I babysat and worked in the past couple of years… And you wasted them all for one night, just because you were jealous. God. What was I thinking? Too late to regret it now.

“Here sweetie… If I can just get you to sign this...” she handed me form. I got the credit card back and sighed before putting it back in my purse. Way to go, Bella. Five hundred and seventy bucks. Gone. When I turned back around, I found Adonis standing there casually with his arms crossed in front of his chest, propping his leg against the wooden board of the stage, smirking smugly.

“Ready to take your claim, Miss Swan?” he quirked up his eyebrow. I narrowed my eyes at him, already knowing what was coming, “Don’t start. Please.” He laughed again, finding every part of this humorous and funny,

“My lips are sealed,” then he threw his arms around my shoulder. We walked back to his room to get away from the unbearable heat. He kept his promise the whole way by not mentioning a word about what happened; he smiled instead. When we got inside his room, he passed me a Coke and took the seat next to me pompously,

“So… am I allowed to talk now?” he asked as he flung one of his arms over the couch. I giggled, “Yeah. Thanks for the Coke by the way.”

“No problem,” he said, smiling. He gazed at me, not in an intense way, but enough to make me self-conscious. My cheeks were turning flaming pink,

“I’m sorry, Edward.” He sounded so surprised that he almost choked on his drink. He placed the Coke can on the table,

“Sorry? What for?” “For acting like one of those jealous girlfriends on T.V. Honestly, I don’t know what came over me. When the other girls bid on you, I wasn’t happy, but at least I wasn’t angry about it. But when Lauren came, this part of me… I don’t know, this part of me just wanted to wrap my arms around you and tell her to get lost. That you were mine… God, I feel like a fool,” I groaned while staring at his shoulders, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes.

“Bella,” he pulled me into his chest, “You don’t have to apologize. Stop being so absurd,” he murmured into my hair, “You have no idea how glad I was to see you bid. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not thrilled that you had to pay almost six hundred bucks, but… to see you jealous, that part was kind of fun,” he teased and I nudged him in the stomach.

“Hey, you should be thanking me… I just saved you from an attack of a bimbo,” I stuck my tongue out at him childishly. He laughed and kissed my forehead,

“You’re right. Thank you, for saving me from Lauren.” “You’re welcome… and I really am sorry,” I bit my lip. “Stop apologizing,” he said with a frustrated chuckle, trying to keep a straight face, “Besides, you are awfully cute when you’re jealous. I’d like to see that more often,” he smirked and touched my nose with his fingertip. I blushed, of course.

“So… what do you want to do now?” he smiled, “I don’t want you to go off telling people that I slacked off on my part. After all, you did pay five hundred and seventy five bucks for this.”

“I don’t know what I want to do,” I shrugged. “Well, until you make up your mind,” he smiled, his lips curling up to a smile. Right then, I knew what I wanted to do. Oh, I totally knew what I wanted to do. I leaned in closer to him, “Kiss me?” I whispered.

“That, I’d be more than happy to oblige,” he chuckled. His mouth was on mine, moving gently and slowly when our lips glued themselves together. He didn’t kiss me as fiercely as I hope he would. Then in the middle of it, he pulled away and placed his hand on my right shoulder. His eyes were locked intensely in mine; there was no trace of humor.

“Bella,” he whispered, “I love you.” My heart stopped beating. I love you… his soft, gentle voice rang in my ear. He loves me… This was no hallucination, this… was real. Do not hyperventilate, Isabella Swan. Do. Not. Hyperventilate. He must have taken my silence the wrong way, before I could say anything else; he started speaking again with a faint smile,

“I understand if you don’t feel the same way yet, it’s totally fine. Nothing will change between us, and you don’t have to say it back until you’re ready. Don’t be pressured…” his voice was so velvet… so gentle while tracing my thumb with his long fingers. Without letting him finished, I pulled his face to mine again and kissed him.

“I love you Edward, I love you. I had been trying to tell you these couple of days, but there was never a right time and I always ended up chickening out at the end…” I looked back into his eyes, into those green, deep eyes that attracted me from the moment that I met him. As soon as I spoke the words, his eyes were mixed with different kinds of emotions. There was surprise, bewilderment, contentment, happiness… He cupped my cheek, “You are the most important thing in my life now, Bella. The most important thing to me ever,” he said, his voice promising and serene. I sighed ecstatically and placed my cheek against his hard chest.

“Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me, Edward,” I whispered. We leaned back against the leathered couch, with me still snuggling against him.

“I wonder if I should tell you this,” he muttered quietly. “Tell me. Please?” I begged pathetically. “Last week, when you slept over, remember when you asked me what you said in your sleep, I told you that you only said my name?”

“Yeah, what about it?” “I lied,” he chuckled, “You said… you said you loved me after mumbling my name. You weren’t conscious when you said it of course, but hearing those words coming out from your lips... It was the second happiest moment of my life. But I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want things to go all awkward between us, I would never want that." When the words that he said sunk in, all I could think was how brainless I had been. I. Was. An. Idiot. How could I have been so slow? Even my heart… it knew before I knew that I was in love with him. I really, really had a lot to learn when it came down to this kind of things. Wait. He said second?

“What’s the happiest moment of your life then?” I asked suddenly, curious.

His green eyes softened, “When you said that you loved me a while ago. Hearing it in your sleep was amazing… but hearing you say it in person was incredibility heartwarming. I would trade anything in the word for that.”

“I love you,” I said it again, my hand on his cheek, “Very, very much.” “Me too. So much,” then he crashed his lips on mine again. This time, not so gently as the last time. The kiss, it felt nothing like any of the other kisses that we shared before.

“Bella?” he whispered, his breath tickling against my arm, sending chills up and down my spine. “Yes?” I answered in this trembling, quivering voice. He pressed his cheek against my hair, “Spend the night with me. Don’t go back,” he whispered, hugging my body closer to his. Like I would ever reject...

“I will. There’s no where else I’d rather be,” I smiled and reached up to tangle my fingers in his hair, kissing him fiercely with my chest pressed against his. I love people auctions. Of course, except for the part that Rosalie, Alice, Jasper and Emmett were totally going to tease me about it later on. But at that moment, I didn’t care. None of that mattered. Because there I was, lying on top of the most amazing, perfect guy ever existed. And he loved me. Chapter Thirty-Five It was chilly when I woke up the next morning. I pulled the sheet further up to my body and stretched. Edward lied next to me with his chest rising and falling visibly under the thin sheets, still asleep. He looked so innocent with his cheek pressed against the white pillow; one of his arms draped over his stomach while the other one was placed behind his head. I smiled at the picture; the last time that I slept over, he woke up first so I didn’t get a chance to see how he looked when he wasn’t awake. Mr. Drop-dead-gorgeous is also drop dead gorgeous when he’s asleep. I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and touched his hair with the lightest touch that I could mange to use. He stirred and opened his green eyes... Oops...

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” I whispered. “Morning to you too, Sleeping Beauty,” he smiled, stretching, “No. It was time to get up anyways.” His eyes were at the same level as mine and he smiled crookedly. The breeze from the air-conditioning made me shiver, and it didn’t escape his notice.

“Cold?” he chuckled, smoothing my hair with his long fingers. “A little,” I admitted sheepishly, “Mind if I snuggle against you?” He laughed; and trust me, it was the most heavenly sound to hear in the morning. I just smiled at him like an imbecile, swooning over his beauty. Finally remembering what I requested of him, I scooted over to get closer to him. He wrapped his long, strong arms around my waist securely; I pressed my cheek against his chest as he pressed his against my hair. I closed my eyes to enjoy this enchanting moment.

“I thought I was dreaming when I woke up this morning to find you next to me,” he whispered, his voice unintentionally seductive. I giggled; it was like as if he was reading my mind.

“Are you kidding? That’s what I was thinking.” “Hmm…” he tapped his head, “Great minds think alike.” I laughed, and it was nothing melodic compared to his.

“I think I’m in a dream. You know, ever since I met you, all these stuff that happened between us… I think I’m dreaming all this up…” I grinned meekly.

“Huh. Apparently, we’re stuck in the same dream. Not that I’m complaining, because last night was the best night of my life. First, you told me that you loved me… and then… well, you know the rest,” he grinned back. I blushed at his comment; he chuckled and hugged me tighter. He closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss me; I wrapped my arms around him and allowed myself to melt in him his body. And yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm a lot to handle, If you don't know trouble, I'm a hell of a scandal, me, I'm a scene, I'm a drama queen, I'm the best damn thing that your eyes have ever seen! We groaned; at first, we tried to ignore it. But it didn’t sound like it was going to stop ringing anytime soon, so I had no choice but to pick it up.

“Good morning, Alice. How may I help you?” I said politely, hiding all traces of annoyance. “Hi! What’s up with the business tone? Anyway, Rosalie and I are going to the pool with the guys this afternoon. Are you and Edward in?”

“The pool?” I repeated while Edward started tracing my collarbone with his fingers, as if I wasn’t breathless enough already. Alice giggled; probably at the trembling of my voice,

“Yes, Miss Juliet. You guys in?” “Umm… sure.” “Great! Well, meet us in there at two. That leaves plenty of time for you to continue doing whatever kind of activity you and Edward are doing in his room right now…” she caroled. I turned scarlet blush, “Alice!”

“Bye bye!” she hung up in that same singing tone. Edward was playing with my hair, “So… what did she want?”

“For us to go swimming with them this afternoon. I kind of told her yes, you know, since we didn’t really have a choice. You know your sister, she doesn’t take no for an answer.” His lips twitched up in a mischief smirk, “Swimming… And that involves you in your swimsuit…” he chuckled, “We totally have to go.” I rolled my eyes at him, “Maybe you just want to go to check out the blonde, perky girls,” I said, joking.

“That’s the most absurd thing I have ever heard. You know other girls hold no interests for me at all,” he said softly, kissing my forehead.

“I know,” I grinned. “So… shall we get up or stay in bed a little bit longer?” he asked suggestively. We looked at each other and answered in unison,

“Let’s stay in bed.” “Edward?” I murmured. “Yes?” I smiled, “The five hundred and seventy five dollars was totally worth it.” It was getting close to noon; Edward ordered some Italian takeouts while I headed to the shower. When I came back out, Edward was wearing a fresh tee, setting the table.

“Wow! This looks good,” I beamed, sitting cross-legged on the couch, holding the place that he gave me. “It only takes about three minutes for me to cook all this,” he joked, smirking. “Huh. And since when do you collect greasy Pastaio boxes?” I quirked up my eyebrow. He rolled his eyes and grinned, “Just eat and go along with it, Bella.” After lunch, I went back to my room to change into bathing suits. Edward said that he’d drop by my room after he took a shower, leaving me with more than enough time to freak over the fact that I was going to be wearing a bikini in front of

him. I picked the black string bikini that I packed with me from New York. I looked for some cover-ups for me to wear on our way there, I mean, hello? No way am I walking across the campus in a set of swimsuit. I couldn’t recall the last time that I went to the pool. Honestly, I had no idea whether people put their hair up or down. Rosalie would know, since she had long hair like me… but she didn’t pick up the phone when I tried calling her. At the end, I decided to put it up in a ponytail. I grabbed a towel and stuffed it in my bag. I threw on a pair of khaki shorts and a red striped beach cover-up that I found in my closet. I sat on my bed and waited. On my bedside, a copy of Gone With the Wind was just lying there, screaming my name for me to open it. With a sigh, I picked it up and started reading from where I left off to kill time until Edward came. I was so caught up in the story that I didn't even hear Edward coming in.

“Umm… Bella? Hello?” Edward walked in, watching me with a smiling expression, “I knocked, but I guess you didn’t hear… and then the door was unlocked so I came in.”

“Oh, I was reading. Sorry about that,” I said apologetically while snapping the book shut. “Ready to go?” “Of course,” I slipped on my flip flops and linked my arm with his. He was wearing a lime green shirt over his navy blue swimming trucks, and I must say, it brought out his eyes.

“What are you staring at?” he asked, noticing my fixated gaze on him. “Nothing,” I hid a smile. From the corner of my eye, I saw that he, too, was smiling. -

“Edward! Bella!” Our friends waved at us from where they were sitting. The pool was in the outdoors, and it was a huge rectangular pool with hot tubs beside it. You know, the kind you’d expect to see in a hotel in those summer movies. There were coconut trees surrounding the pool, making it look all tropical like. Emmett and Jasper were sitting on the plastic chair, shirtless, while Rosalie and Alice lied on the beach comforters with their statuesque body, all of them wearing sunglasses. They all looked gorgeous in their swimsuits of course, Rosalie wearing a blue bikini and Alice wearing a light purple one.

“Hey man,” the guys extended fists while the girls smiled, “Did you guys have fun?” My face turned pink, and I knew it wasn’t because of the heat.

“Oh yeah, so did Bella really pay almost six hundred bucks on you? Because you know, you really aren't worth that much.” “Emmett, we promised the girls that we weren’t going to ask about that,” Jasper hissed. Rosalie glared at Emmett, “It’s my and Alice’s job to pry. You guys corner Edward when you all are alone.”

“Deal,” Emmett chuckled nervously, looking over to the water, “So… shall we hit the pool or what?” “You know Bella, in order to do that, you’d have to take off the cover-ups and the shorts,” Alice giggled. I sighed, “I know.” Edward removed his shirt and threw it on the chair; some girls whistled from afar and giggled. I could understand why; Edward looked totally dazzling under the radiant sunlight with his shirtless body. If you said he looked like one of the male models that was modeling for a swimsuit company, it would be an understatement.

“Bella?” he called softly, smiling. “Well, I’m not taking them off with you all staring at me,” I said embarrassingly. Rosalie grabbed Emmett’s hand as Alice grabbed Jasper’s,

“We’ll meet you in the pool!” “Do I l have to leave, too? Or am I allowed to stay?” Edward smirked, his hand crossed in front of his chest to emphasize

the perfect structure of his abs.

“You can stay,” I said shyly. He got closer, and his shadows blocked the sun that reflected on my face, I unbuckled my shorts and threw them on the chair, like Edward, and shrugged out of my beach cover-up. He kissed my neck,

“It really suits you. You look stunningly breathtaking.” He wrapped his arms around my bare stomach and whispered in my ear in his velvet voice. I blushed, “Thanks.” The others were already in the pool, splashing water around.

“Hey!” Emmett said optimistically, “You guys match!” I didn’t realize that until Emmett pointed out. It was true; my black bikini did go with his dark, navy blue trunks.

“Totally coincidental,” Edward grinned. Then he jumped into the pool and pulled me down with him, taking me by surprise. “Edward!” I screamed, spitting out water, “I wasn’t ready!” “Too bad. You’re all wet now,” he laughed and sunk into the water and swam sway. I scowled at him and he started cracking up again. Emmett came next to me, with all the major water movement it had to be Emmett, “Bella, you should have seen your face when he pulled you in. It was hilarious!”

“Shut up, Emmett!” I splashed water at his face. “Alright, what do you say if I revenge for you?” he winked. Jasper’s eyes twinkled, “Did you say revenge? Count me in!” Then they went away cheerfully, singing Edward’s name while hitting him with one of those floaties that they borrowed from the freshmen.

“Man! That’s not cool! It’s two against one!” Edward complained while ducking and splattering water at Emmett and Jasper’s face.

“Here Bella, take one of these and enjoy the show!” Alice threw me a floaty that was big enough to sit on. The girls and I drifted relaxingly on the water, watching the guys make a fool out of themselves.

“This is life,” Rosalie sighed. “Ditto,” Alice and I giggled. We closed our eyes and put over our sunglasses to enjoy the peaceful warmth. From a distance, I heard some rap songs playing, and of course, lots of giggling and laughing from the others that were in the hot tub. Then all of a sudden, I heard Rosalie scream. My eyes snapped open, then I found the reason of her hysteria. She was shaking off the water in her ears and spitting out the chlorine that got in her mouth. Her expression looked murderous,

“You are so dead, Emmett Cullen,” she pronounced each word with so much venom that it even freaked me out. “Hey, is Emmett high or something?” Jasper asked Edward, who was standing behind me, watching, “I didn’t know he was suicidal.”

“Me either,” Edward murmured, incredulous. “Rosie, baby, lighten up and have some fun!” Emmett said enthusiastically, trying to cover up the fear. Rosalie smiled darkly while cracking her knuckles, “I’ll show you fun.” The next thing that I know, Emmett got up from the pool and started running.

“Man, Emmett is such an idiot. He knew better than to mess with my sister like that,” Jasper laughed, shaking his head. “That’s Emmett,” Alice snickered.

“So… want to join me in the hot tub?” Edward asked sweetly, his gaze turning to the tub that was left vacant by some seniors.

“Sure,” I smiled and hopped off the board. He took me hand and we got in the Jacuzzi. “God it’s warm in here,” he breathed. “There’s a reason why it’s called a hot tub and not a cold tub, Edward,” I teased. “Thanks,” he shot me a sarcastic look. He moved closer to me, “Have I told you how beautiful you look?” he said, his lips touching my ear.

“Yes, I believe so…” I replied smilingly. Then his hands were on my back, pulling me into a kiss. “Whew! Is it hot here or what? Oh wait a minute; it’s just Bella and Edward in some intense make-out session,” Alice laughed, getting in the tub with Jasper. “Sorry for the interruption, you guys.” Edward snorted, “You know you don’t really mean that. Or otherwise you wouldn’t have interrupted in the first place.” Alice grinned, “You know me too well, my dearest brother.”

“So is Emmett still in one piece?” I asked humorously. “Well, I heard him screaming a while ago. I guess those were signs of him being alive,” Jasper joked. Then Rosalie and Emmett finally showed up again, walking toward us.

“You guys made up?” Edward asked, rolling his eyes. “Of course little bro. I’m a natural smooth-over,” Emmett grinned proudly. Rosalie glared at him, so he added quickly, “But most definitely, I couldn't have done it without Rosalie’s super forgiving, kind heart.”

“Thank you, Emmett,” she smiled sarcastically at him and took the seat next to me. “So what should we do tonight?” “I dunno. We can go to the movies or something,” Jasper shrugged. “Agh! I’m so tired of hitting the theaters. I mean, we can’t even criticize the film without disturbing the others,” Alice said, annoyed.

“Don’t forget that every time when we watch a horror film, we always end up nearly thrown out of the theater because Emmett keeps laughing at the scary parts,” Edward added thoughtfully. Jasper and Alice grimaced, remembering the last time.

“You can’t blame me. Some of those movies are really, really pathetic,” Emmett protested. “Then let’s rent a movie!” I suggested. They nodded in agreement.

“Let’s watch a horror film!” Emmett said, snapping his finger. He was totally doing that to annoy us girls. He knew how much we despised scary films because we always ended up having nightmares, no matter how badly they were made.

“Sure, and we, the girls, will be talking about how hot the actors are when they’re doing their hero roles,” Alice teased wittily. Emmett’s face changed colors; Jasper and Edward glared at him.

“You know what? Why don’t we stick with romance or comedy?” he chuckled nervously. We laughed and nodded our heads. Edward, Emmett and Jasper seemed relaxed. I guess listening to their girlfriends complimenting some actor wasn’t exactly their favorite thing to do.

“Too bad, you know… Maybe if I got really scared, I would have held on to your shirt very tightly,” I whispered to Edward when the others were talking about the movie options.

“Girls are cruel. Especially you,” he chuckled, shaking his head. I giggled, “Why, thank you very much for your compliment.”

Chapter Thirty-Six It had been more than two months since I started attending East Coast Academy. With the play coming up this Sunday, Mrs. Coughman was more nervous and uptight than ever. I was pretty freaked about it, too, since I wasn’t exactly Miss Broadway, if you know what I mean. The last time that I performed something in front of the whole class, was… oh yeah, kindergarten. And it wasn’t even in front of whole the class this time, it was the whole school. This was going to be a piece of cake. Not. I wasn’t exactly feeling bad for myself. In fact, I was more concerned for Edward. He had the play coming up, like me, but he was also having a basketball tournament the week after. The basketball tournament, the one that the whole team had been training for. The previous games were just warm-ups for them. This was the real deal. And you know how East Coast Academy is all about basketball; they had won the Championships every year in the past, and this year, it was up to Edward to lead his teammates to live up the tradition. Lots of pressure, if you ask me. He had apologized a numerous of times for spending less time with me and not being able to walk me back to my room after rehearsal. The coach had extended their practice- it was now from three-thirty to seven. So Edward had to run over to the gym at five right after rehearsal ended, and go to basketball practice for another two hours. I seriously don’t know where he got that energy of his from; because most of the time after rehearsing, my body would be numb from head to toe. My throat would be so dry that you’d think I just walked through a desert. But he hadn’t complained about his tight schedule, not once.

“People, please go over your lines when you get home. The performance is taking place in two days! Please, please memorize your lines! Parents, teachers, students, and the principal will be there! And I want to have a good show; after all, we haven’t been practicing for nothing. I know we can do this! I want to wish you all good luck!” It was Friday, the last of our rehearsal. When the clock ticked to five o’clock, most of us let out a desperate sigh with relief. Relief that this was over, forever, but horror because we were performing in front of the whole school this Sunday. Just as I was about to pick up my backpack, my favorite voice in the world called my name.

“Edward! Why aren’t you going to basketball practice?” He chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, “That anxious to get rid of me, huh? I’m hurt.” I rolled my eyes, “You know that’s not what I meant. What’s up, really?” He cupped my chin then placed both of his hands around my waist,

“The Coach allowed us to get an evening off. But of course, in exchange, we have to get up early in the morning tomorrow to make it up. It’s going to last all the way till the afternoon. And I don’t know if you remember this… but,” he reached for my hand and held it firmly in his, “Tomorrow is our two-month anniversary, if you count from the day of the dance. So I want to do something special tomorrow night, just the two of us,” he smiled angelically, “It seems like I don’t have enough time to be alone with you lately.” My eyes brightened up; I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his lips, “Edward! That sounds great!” His smile grew broader and was about to kiss me again until he saw Jamie walking up to us. Jamie, who obviously didn’t know that he was interrupting something, groaned at us.

“Dude! Thank god this is finally over! We’ve been practicing for so long that I dreamed of Romeo and Juliet last night! Can you believe it? And that’s not the worst part. I dreamed of being Jessica Stanley’s character, Lady Capulet. I mean, come on! A woman?” Jamie exclaimed. We snickered.

“Yeah, you and Eric Yorkey will make a great couple,” Edward joked, and I bursted out laughing. Jamie glared at us, “Oh yeah. Ha ha. Just because you got the lead part opposing your dream girl, Edward,” he sneered, “Doesn’t mean the rest of us are as lucky as you. I mean, look at me, I’m a friar. Do I get to make out with girls onstage? No,” he snorted.

“I’m so sorry, Jamie,” Edward smirked, not looking apologetic at all. “Yeah, yeah… whatever. My life sucks,” he sighed. “Well, I gotta go. Oh by the way, Captain, if I were you, I wouldn’t go that way,” he titled his head to the front doors of the auditorium, “Bunch of girls outside waiting to wish you luck,” he chuckled.

Edward winced and shuddered, “Thanks for the warning. I owe you, J.”

“You owe me for a life time,” he laughed, “Later man. See you around, Bella.” He waved at us and walked out of our sight. Edward picked out my hand, “Ready to go?”

“Yep,” I smiled. It was just as hot as it was before when we exited the auditorium. I told Edward that I’d meet him back at his room after I drop by my room and grab the CDs that he lent me. He said he could shower in the meantime to cool down from the excruciating heat. Edward introduced me to some bands that I found myself to be enjoying. Some of them I had never heard of before, but instantly loved after listening to Edward’s recommendations. We learned a lot from each other; whether in the music or novel category. We were also a help to each other on our academic performances. We studied together after school whenever there was an exam. Yes, kissing and chatting weren’t the only things that we did; the other girls found that utterly unbelievable that we studied together. He had grown into the perfect best friend slash boyfriend that anyone could have wished for. You know how parents discourage their children to date because they’re worried that they might drop their grades? Well, clearly, it didn’t work in our case since Edward and I still remained at the top of the grade. Anyway, I took the CDs out from my stereo and put it back in the cases. Friday nights were usually movie nights for us since I insisted that we should just relax, since he must be worn out from the rehearsals and basketball practices. Just like the stubborn man that he was, he always said that I worried too much. But he gave up in the end, so on Fridays, we chill. It was just sheer bad luck. When I was about to take the elevator up to Edward’s room, the door opened to reveal one of my least favorite guys in this school- Mike Newton.

“Hey Bella,” he said optimistically. I grimaced and was about to head for the stairs, but he had the nerve to grab my wrist. Suddenly, his hand jerked from mine after it was slapped away.

“Hey, keep your hands to yourself,” Cody glowered at him and poked him in the chest. “Look dude, I just wanted to talk to her,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes. Cody’s expression did not ease up, “You listen, dude. Bella has made it clear that she doesn’t want to talk to you. You don’t deserve to talk to her. Hell, you don’t even deserve breathing in the same room as her. Just because Edward isn’t here to break your neck at this moment, doesn’t mean I can’t do him the favor. And when he hears about this, you know you’re in it for a round two,” he cracked his knuckles after finishing his long speech, “Now get lost, freak.” Mike scoffed, “Whatever.” Cody snarled after him and turned back to me with a disgusted look, “I swear, that guy gets creepier every time I see him.”

“Probably dropped on the head a few times when he was a baby,” I grinned. He laughed. “Thanks Cody, for saving me the strength to cuss at him for him to leave me alone,” I smiled gratefully. “No problem. It’s our responsibility to look after our Captain’s girl. Our whole team’s got your back,” he grinned, “Oh yeah. Good luck this Sunday. You and Edward are going onstage, right?” I sighed, “Unfortunately.”

“Well, break a leg!” he bumped my shoulder playfully, “Not literally… but you know…” “Yeah, thanks...” The elevator reopened, and I pressed for the third floor after thanking Cody for the last time. I looked at myself in the mirror and laughed. Since when do you care how you look? The door opened, and I walked down to Edward’s room- which was at the end of the hall, where all the single bedrooms were. I was about to knock, but I froze after hearing that he wasn’t alone.

“Edward, come on! She never has to find out about this… I won’t tell her…” “Damn it! Get the hell out of my bed!” “Edward! I don’t get what the problem is! You and I are both attracted to each other.”

“The hell we are. Look Lauren, I don’t like you that way. I don’t even like you as a friend. The only girl that I will ever like, the only girl that I will ever love is Bella. And not you. Now get out, or I’m calling the security. I’m going to say this again, get your ass out of my bed and stay out!” The door threw open, leaving me facing a shocked Edward at the other side of the door, holding it for Lauren to get out. From the looks of it, he just got out from the shower since he was wearing only a pair of shorts, shirtless. His wet hair was dripping, and there was a towel on his shoulder.

“Bella,” he breathed, wide-eyed. His intense gaze was in mine, and I just stood there, frozen in the doorway, “I swear, this isn’t what it looks like.” A feminine voice giggled, “This is exactly what it looks like.” Lauren was half-lying on Edward’s bed, with her hand propped up behind her head, trying to reveal more of her cleavage. As if her clothes weren’t slutty enough. Edward’s eyebrows were suddenly curled up with rage and disgust,

“You know what? If you want to be a bitch or a whore, that’s fine. But go do it somewhere else,” he said acidly, his eyes as cold as stone, “Now, you better get the hell out of my bed, or I swear, I won't be responsible for whatever happens to your face,” Edward bellowed at her angrily. Lauren smirked.

“Sure, Edward. Call me if you ever want some real fun,” she shrugged and hopped out of the bed. “And I can see why the girls in this school are totally in love with you. You look even hotter without your shirt,” she winked at him.

“Just get out!” we yelled at her in unison, pointing our fingers in the elevator’s direction. She gave us one last sickly sweet smile and swayed her butt while walking down the hallway. Edward scoffed and turned his head away from her, disgusted. Then he took a deep breath and returned his gaze to my eyes,

“Bella…” I didn’t realize that my hands were clenched tightly the whole time by my sides until I had them unclenched when Lauren disappeared. My breathing was uneven.

“Can we please talk?” he asked softly. His eyes were… afraid. I was still too shocked to say anything. After a few seconds ticked by, I nodded my head. He held the door open and closed it after I got inside his room. I saw him running his hand through his hair, frustrated and nervous. I sat on the edge of his bed, since it was closer than the couch. He knelt down in front of me on one knee, “Please allow me to explain. I had no idea… no idea that she was in my room. She must have snuck in while I was showering. When I came out from the bathroom, she was just lying on my bed. I yelled at her to get out… but she wouldn’t. Then you came…” he closed his eyes but re-opened them again,

“You have to believe me. You know I hate Lauren more than anyone else in the world, maybe even more than Newton, if that's possible. I would never hurt you like that. I would never consider hurting you like that…” His eyes were swimming with fear, with irritation. I opened my mouth slowly to speak,

“I believe you, Edward…” “I can understand if you don’t… I mean, you have no reason to force yourself into believing me… wait,” he stopped with a frown, “What did you say?” I chuckled weakly, “I said I believe you. I heard you yelling at her outside of the door. I was just… shocked. I thought that she had given up on you, I honestly did, from what she said last time”

“What did she say?” he asked, frowning. That reminded me that he never did find out what she told me that night at the basketball game.

“She uh… told me that we didn’t belong together. She said she was better for you, both of you being captains and all. Then she warned me that she’d get you in the end… and I just thought she gave up after two months of peace. I had no idea that she had this stored in mind… I was… blanked out a while ago, I was confused. But I didn’t doubt you, Edward. Not for a second.” To my surprise, he suddenly pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.

“Thank you. God…. You have no idea how worried I was. I was so afraid that you were going to misunderstand… I can’t

lose you, I love you. Please grasp that,” he whispered. I held on to him tighter,

“I will. I love you, too,” I whispered back. When he pulled away, his eyes were suddenly fierce, “Bella, next time if she ever bothers you with something like this or threatens you, you have to tell me, okay? And I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay. I promise." “So… we’re cool?” he asked, smiling. “Definitely,” then I chuckled, “Lauren is going to be so disappointed.” “You can say that again. Do you have the feeling that every time she tries to break us apart, she only brings us closer?” he asked, getting up from the floor and sitting beside me on the edge of his bed. I smiled, “Yeah. And if it wasn’t for her, we would have never gone out that quickly, thanks to our stubbornness.” He laughed at that, “My, we really are made for each other.” He squeezed my shoulder and kissed the top of my head,

“Thank you. For having so much faith in me,” his voice was filled with sincerity and gratitude. I twined my fingers in his, “Don’t thank me. You earned them, Edward.” We watched White Chicks that night, figuring that some laugh was what we needed to relax. I fell asleep on the couch, so Edward had to carry me to his bed. I yawned and opened my eyes when I reached the bed, “Edward?” He soothed me, “I’m here, Bella. You’re tired. Get some rest,” he planted a kiss on my forehead, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I yawned again; he chuckled, “Good night.” When I woke up the next morning, Edward was just about to slip on his T-shirt. He smiled when he saw me staring at him, he walked up to my side.

“Good morning,” he was kneeling down on the floor, his eyes and mine at the same level. “Hi,” I tried to get up, but he held me down. “Stay in bed, you still look pretty tired. Well, I have to go to practice. Help yourself to whatever you need while I’m gone, alright?” he said sweetly, kissing my fingers.

“Okay. See you later,” I said sleepily, my voice raspy. “Bye love,” he kissed the top of my head and flung his gym bag over his shoulder. With a wink, he closed the door behind him. I checked on the alarm clock; it was only seven thirty in the morning. So I decided to sleep for a few more hours, just so I wouldn’t be worn out again tonight. I borrowed Edward’s laptop and e-mail my parents to tell them how I was doing. My dad had wanted to know what time the play was starting, insisting that he had to be here. My mom, of course, was ecstatic about the play, but with her being in New York, it wasn’t possible for her to come.

“I asked Charlie to video-tape it,” she beamed on the phone, “So I’ll still get to see it.” I gave her an unenthusiastic “great”, not exactly chirpy about the whole video-taping thing. I mean, if I messed up, it would be on tape, an evident to my utter embarrassment. I headed back to my room to change into something more appropriate for a restaurant. Rosalie and Alice were there, reading the newest issue of Glamorous.

“Hi girls,” I greeted them. “Hey! So have you figured out what you’re wearing tonight? Because we are here to help," they said excitedly, snapping their magazines shut.

“How did you guys know?” I raised my eyebrow.

Alice giggled, “Nothing gets pass us. Especially if it involves dressing up.”

“You can call us fashion police, if you like,” Rosalie joked. I didn’t want to pick something over the top, so I settled with a lacy, shoulder-baring, purple top that went with a delicate white skirt. Rosalie and Alice ordered them for me a few weeks ago when we were “internet shopping”, saying that I needed skirts and dresses for date nights or future events. Even though I told them that I’d be perfectly fine in a pair of jeans.

“I’m not doing it for you, Bella,” Alice said that day, “I’m doing it for my brother. Imagine how happy he’d be to see you dress up, looking more stunningly beautiful than usual. You love Edward, don’t you? Well, do it for him.” What was I suppose to say? And you know there was no chance of me winning an argument when my opponent was Alice. So I gave up. I let them pick out some clothing while I crammed on my History exam. And they didn’t even bother to ask me for my size, since they already knew from all the previous shopping trips. A big plus to internet shopping: I didn’t have to try the clothes on. Anyway, Alice and Rosalie approved of my outfit- since they were the one who bought them in the first place- and insisted that they had to do something with my hair. When I reminded them that we still had hours, they looked disappointed. Edward called at five and informed me that he just got out from practice. He said that he’d meet me in front of the dorms at six for our date. I asked Alice if she knew where we were going since Edward was being so mysterious about it, but she just smiled and mouthed “it’s-a-secret.” The girls were going somewhere too with their boyfriends. Dinner and movie, they said.

“You look gorgeous!” Rosalie nodded proudly after applying my makeup. “Thanks,” I hugged them, “You guys are the best.” They grinned, “We know. Have fun, Bella!” Then I headed out of the door with my tote bag. Edward was already at the gate when I walked out of the building. He stood there handsomely with a dark blue button-up shirt, greeting me with a dazzling smile.

“You look stunning,” he whispered, his lips touching my hair. I blushed, “Thank you. You look really good yourself, too.” He was about to kiss me, but Alice suddenly emerged from the bedroom window and shouted from the patio,

“Don’t mess up her lip-gloss, Edward!” Edward rolled his eyes at his sister and murmured in my ear, “That’s fine. There’s plenty of time for kissing later,” he chuckled. My heart was somersaulting in my chest. He held out his hand and I took it without hesitating,

“Where are we going, exactly?” He smiled mysteriously, “You’ll see.” I thought we’d be going to the food court, but instead, he led me to the opposite direction. We stopped in front of Winston Hall, the building where all the parties and dances were held.

“Edward… what…” “Shhh…” he placed his finger over my lip. “Just trust me, alright?” he purred. We walked through the dark hallway then stopped in front of a door that I later realized as the room that the dance was held. He opened it with a smile, still gripping my hand in his other one…

“Oh Edward!” I gasped. Chapter Thirty-Seven The ballroom had been transformed into an enchanting, romantic place with scented candles lighting up the room. There were rose pedals on the red carpet that led to the center of the room, which was a table for two with a silky red table cloth spread over and a bouquet of rose, sitting prettily on the top of it in an elegant vase.

Oh, the vase wasn’t the only place that held roses. Did I mention that the whole place was packed with fresh, red roses in gorgeous bouquets? There must have been more than a dozen bouquets. It was… crazy! With a soft spotlight shining down at the table… the whole place just looked like a scene in a fairy tale.

“Edward… this is…” I stuttered, speechless. He chuckled, “Come on, dinner awaits,” he took my hand and led me to the table. “Thank you,” I said when he pulled my chair out for me. “Anything for you,” he replied curtly while taking the seat in front of me. Soft music was playing in the background. Claire De Lune, I recognized.

“How… how… how did you manage to do all this?” I whispered, incredulous while taking in the surroundings once again. “I thought the ballroom was only allowed for school events.” He laughed and grinned at me,

“You’d be surprised how many strings you can pull when you’re student body president,” he said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes at him and smiled.

“So are you hungry?” Then Dylan emerged from the doors, pushing a cart full of food toward us. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Dylan?” I exclaimed, shocked. He was wearing a uniform, but it was too dark for me to make out the logo.

“What’s up, Bella?” he winked at me. “What... what are you doing here?” “Well, I’m working at Buca Di Beppo now. I needed the extra cash for the game ticket that I’m trying to get, and it ain’t exactly cheap, if you know what I mean,” he said while setting the plates in front of us, “Well, I know you would hate an audience, so I’ll be out of your way…” he bowed at us and disappeared behind the doors. I turned to Edward, and he shrugged with a smile, “You said that you loved the food there the last time that we went, so I decided maybe it was the best choice for tonight. So I called Dylan up with the arrangements, see if he could get someone to bring the food here.” My eyes sparkled with adoration for him, “Well, thank you. This is amazing,” I reached for his hand. He looked down, slightly embarrassed,

“Let’s eat.” The food was delicious, of course. I knew there was a reason why Buca Di Beppo was one of my favorite restaurants. Edward ordered all of my preferred dishes, so I was completely stuffed before we even reached desert. After dinner, Edward pulled me on to the dance floor and we started slow dancing. His hands snaked around my waist as mine wrapped around his neck, like it was the most natural thing to do. It brought back so many memories of the dance, but only the pleasant ones. "What are you thinking about?"

“This must of have cost a fortune. You know I really don’t need any of this… The dinner, the flowers… and speaking of this, a dozen? Are you out of your mind?” I exclaimed. He smiled, “Two to be exact. A dozen bouquets of roses for each month that we’ve been dating,” he chuckled, “And I knew that. That’s the thing about you. Unlike the other girls, you don’t care about fancy dates or expensive flowers,” he caressed my cheek with his hand, “But I’m doing this because I want to. I love you, and I want tonight to be special.”

“Every night with you is special to me,” I muttered. “Fine. I want it to be extra special then,” he kissed the top of my head. We spun relaxingly under the heavenly atmosphere. His eyes were locked in mine, dazzling me while I mesmerized his face. His lips brushed against mine softly then traveled up and down my face. He pulled away with a sigh; then stared back into my eyes, smiling.

“Edward?” “Yes, love?” “When did you realize that you were in love with me?” I looked down at my feet. My face was flushed; I was hoping that maybe looking down would hide the embarrassment that my question brought. He chuckled, and then his eyes were soft, “The day that your dad called you for your mom's accident."

“How did you know it was love?” I whispered. We stopped spinning.

“It killed me, Bella, to see how much pain you were in. That was when I realized that this was more, so much more than just an average high school crush. Plus,” he reached for my hand to place it over his heart, “Do you feel how fast it’s beating? This is how I knew.” His gaze was so intense in mine that I couldn’t look away. I croaked a laugh and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist to bury my face in his chest so that he wouldn’t see the tears that were rolling down my cheeks.

“Are you crying?” he murmured, sounding amused. “No,” I said weakly with my voice breaking into a soft sob. “Bella,” he sighed, “What am I going to do with you?” “I’m sorry,” I picked my head back up, wiping the tears with my hands, “I’m just very emotional these days. Don’t worry, I’m not PMSing or anything.” He laughed; it was as soothing as a lullaby. I don’t know how long we stayed there, slow dancing. Edward cracked some jokes while be danced, so I had to hit him or step on him a couple of times. But that’s the way it always was with him; it was easygoing and wonderful. At the end of the night, he walked me back to my room. He placed his jacket over me; the same sweet gesture that he made before we started dating.

“So, are you spending the night?” I asked when we reached the gate. Please say yes… please say yes… “I don’t know,” a mocking smile spread across his face, “Do you want me to?” he whispered, brushing my hair out of my face.

“What kind of idiotic question is that?” He chuckled, “I guess I’m staying then. And Bella, would you do me a favor?”

“Anything, Edward,” I promised sincerely. “Well, you know those flowers that I ordered had to be placed somewhere else, right? I mean, they can’t just stay in the ballroom forever,” he smirked smugly.

“Right…” I said suspiciously. “Just promise me that you won’t scream when you find two dozen bouquets of roses in your bedroom tonight.” At first, horror sank in and I guess it must have shown on my face since Edward started laughing. Then I couldn’t help but laugh along with him,

“Fine. I promise. Oh and, thank you…” I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. I flipped the lights on when we got to my room. And I thought I was going to pass out. The whole room was filled with roses: on the shelves, on my bedside, on my desk…. There was barely room for walking. Was there this many in the ballroom? Or did it just look like there was more because my room was smaller?

“Bella, breathe!” Edward looked concerned, his hand on my back. I let a breath out and sucked in another one. “That’s… a lot of flowers,” I said slowly. He sighed in relief then smirked, proud of himself.

“So are you going to stand at the door all night? Or are you actually planning on going in?” he teased. “Are you sure that we could both fit in the room?” “Let’s see then…” Then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me on to the bed, tickling me. I shrieked and tried to kick him away, but he was way better at it than I was. My bed was flopping by our weights, making squeaky sounds every time I tried turning my body against him.

“Edward!” I choked between the gasping and the laughing. “Stop it!” “See, I told you there’d be enough room.” “Okay… Okay… I believe you!” I giggled when his hands started tickling my stomach again. He got off me and gave me a smile,

“Good.” I pouted when I sat up, “You don’t play fair.” He touched my cheek with the back of his hand, “All’s fair in love and war,” he grinned. I glared at him playfully while he quirked his eyebrows at me.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a shower,” I announced, bouncing off the bed and heading to my closet. “I’ll sit tight.” With one last look at him, making sure that this godlike creature was really there in my room with me, that I wasn’t hallucinating, I hopped cheerfully to the bathroom like a child. I made sure that my hair and my body smelled good before leaving the bathroom. I put on my usual pajamas, a solid color tank top with a pair of gym shorts. I blew-dry my hair first, because I knew there’d be cuddling later and I didn’t want to get Edward wet. Edward was still sitting on my bed when I got out; flipping through the channels on my TV.

“Hey,” he said, making room for me under his arms. I joined him and snuggled against his chest, “Hi.” “You smell really good. Makes it harder for me to resist myself from kissing you,” he said, his lips touching my hair. “Stop resisting then,” I challenged, smiling. “Oh hey… they’re playing Romeo and Juliet,” I said, staring at the TV screen. Edward grinned,

“How ironic, seeing that we’re having the play tomorrow.” I groaned, “Which totally reminds me, we’re SO going to get fried by Mrs. C since we haven’t done any memorizing like she told us to.”

“It doesn’t apply to us; we already know it by heart,” he pointed out. “Yeah… but what if I get really nervous onstage, and I forget all of my lines? Then I’d be the laughingstock of ECA…” I was ranting.

“Bella, you’ll be fine,” he linked his fingers in mine, “Trust me.” “Okay…” I sighed and looked around the room. “You know, the flowers aren’t that bad to have around. Kind of nice, actually,” I admitted.

“Really?” he smiled. “But don’t you ever do anything like this again. I’m serious,” I warned him. He laughed,

“Yes ma’am.” I heard voices the next morning. At first, I thought I was imaging it, but I found them too familiar. I tried to ignore them, but it wasn't going anywhere.

“Man! Look at all these roses! This is crazy!” “You know Em, as much as I hate to say this, when it comes to impressing a girl, Edward’s better at it. I mean, when have you ever sent me flowers for our anniversary?”

“I have given you flowers, Rose. Remember? In the eighth grade?” There was a snort.

“Yeah… picked from the neighbor’s backyard. Very romantic.” I started to stir and was conscious enough to make out who were the ones talking. I heard a hiss from Jasper,

“Quiet down, ya’ll. She’s waking up.” I opened my eyes slowly and was blinded at first by the brightness of the room. When I had them opened all the way, I screamed. Emmett’s face was a few inches away from mine, watching me with pure curiosity, wide-eyed, and grinning madly like an idiot at the same time.

“Sorry Bella, did I scare you?” Emmett snickered. I was breathing unevenly, my heart thumping at the unexpected surprise, “No Emmett. I always start my morning with a vocal practice,” I scowled while sitting up. He seemed amused and thoughtful for a moment, “Really? Does screaming help?” Jasper elbowed him, “She was being sarcastic, dumbass.” Realization hit Emmett’s face, “Oh.” Edward, finally waking up, rubbed his eyes and stretched, “Bella?” He must have been deeply asleep. When he opened his eyes, he sat up confused and frustrated, “What the hell is everyone doing here?” At least he took it better than I did. Alice answered, “Well, I was just coming in to get some clothes. I honestly thought that you guys would have slept at your place, and then they followed me in,” she said innocently. Emmett snorted, “Don’t try to put the blame on us, sis. If I do recall correctly, you were the one saying, ‘Oh guys! Look at this! They’re cuddling together, how cute!’” Emmett did a perfect imitation of Alice, which pissed her off.

“Thanks Emmett,” Alice glowered at him, “I hate you.” “Okay,” Edward frowned, “So why was Bella screaming?” “Did you really have to ask?” Rosalie shot a glance in Emmett’s direction, who was still crouching down next to the bed. “Figures,” Edward rolled his eyes. “So, did you get your stuff, Alice?” She grinned, “Yep. Right here.”

“Good. Now get out! We need to get dressed,” Edward demanded, irritated. They mumbled and walked out of the door. I could hear Emmett bellowing in the hallway,

“All I can say is thank god they aren’t naked… Ouch! That hurts! Stop that!” “I swear, Emmett just took some years off my life. What a great way to start a morning, right?” I muttered. He replied sarcastically, “Oh yeah, the greatest.” He headed to the bathroom while I changed into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

“You guys done yet? You’re taking forever!” Alice was rushing us at the other side of the door, pounding her fists at the door, “I’m starving!” With a sigh, Edward led me to the door.

“So much for privacy,” he muttered. The play was starting at seven, but Edward and I, along with the rest of the cast, had to be there at six to change in our costumes and set up the stage. Alice and the rest of the gang wished us luck, which was exactly what I needed. We walked in the auditorium and found that most of the cast were already there. Coincidentally, Lauren walked in a few seconds after we got in. Edward smirked darkly,

“Let’s have a little fun with her.” Before I could respond, he pressed me against the wall, trapping my face between arms and began kissing me. We pulled away to see Lauren’s reaction after the long kiss, and it was priceless. She gaped at us with her jaws hanging open, confused and appalled. Edward and I grinned satisfyingly at each other, impressed with our work.

“How… how?” she choked when Edward took my hand and walked up to her since she was too shocked to move. “Don’t be so naïve. Did you really think that we’d break up over something as pathetic as you?” he snorted. Lauren sank back against the wall behind her, “I don’t understand,” she said powerlessly, her face pale, “I did everything that I could to break you up…”

“Well don’t!” Edward snapped acidly, sudden no sense of humor traced in his tone. “And consider this a warning- you mess with Bella, I mess with you; you give her crap, I give you crap,” his voice was fierce, and his grip on my hand tightened. I looked up and saw that his gaze was cold, unlike the soft, gentle expressions that he showed toward me earlier.

“I better not see you bothering her again. You’ve done enough. You got that?” he yelled at her. “Okay…” her voice croaked and her eyes were flooding with tears. I could tell she was trying very hard to hold them back, but she wasn’t successful. Droplets of tears rolled down her cheek, but she wiped them away quickly. Edward’s expression did not soften either did he show any sympathy toward her.

“Come on Bella, Mrs. Caughman’s calling us.” With one last withering glare at her, Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me along with him.

“Do you think… maybe we were being a little harsh?” I asked mutely. He gave me an incredulous look, “Bella… Lauren’s been nothing to you but a total bitch since you got here and you’re talking for her?” he shook his head, “I know you’re kind, but she’s not worth speaking for.”

“Edward… I know how she is. But she really likes you..." “That's too bad since my heart is already taken,” he said, smiling faintly. I blushed and put my hand over the one that he had around me. We reached the intersection of the Men and Women’s dressing rooms. People were starting to dress up already. I saw some women getting pass us and pushing in makeup carts. I gulped. Edward kissed my cheek,

“I’ll see you later. Good luck with… err… that…” He eyed the dressing room with a sympathetic smile before walking into his.

“Thanks a lot, Edward…” I muttered as I pushed the door open. The girl’s dressing room felt like a mini salon, with the mirrors, the chairs, and the smell of hair products. Mrs. Caughman was in the room, dressed more formally than I had ever seen her.

“There you are, Bella. I was just about to call you,” She was wearing a brown suit with her blonde hair in a clip, smiling at me. “Get dressed and meet the rest of us outside.” The red dress that I saw more than a month ago was hanging there along with the rest of Juliet’s clothes. I grabbed the other dress for my first scene and headed to the back of the room where private changing areas were located. The other girls were nervous and excited at the same time, talking animatedly to each other while waiting for the line. This is a nightmare…I locked the doors behind me and shrugged out of my clothes. I didn’t have any problems with the

zippers this time- thank god- so it didn’t take me that long. I spotted Angela when I came out. Relief brushed through mefinally someone friendly… I thought. It wasn’t that the other girls were devilish or anything. They just didn’t really like me, especially the ones that cheers loudly at Edward’s basketball games. But some of them were nice; we'd say hello when we see each other in the bathrooms or if we sit next to each other in class. The ones that were the most unfriendly, needless to say, were still Lauren and her wannabes. On the other hand, I had become pretty close with Edward’s friends. Jamie, Cody and Dylan hung out with us a lot and would sit with us during lunch sometimes. It was kind of sad that I made more male friends than females, but I was perfectly grateful since I had Rosalie and Alice.

“Bella! You look nice!” Angela had just come out from the changing areas herself. She was wearing a long, tan color dress than draped down below her knees. It was plain, but it suited her.

“Thank you, you do too…” “Are you nervous?” she asked. “Really, really nervous,” I admitted. “Hurry, ladies…” Mrs. C knocked on the door, and I knew that was my cue to get out. I looked up at the clock and saw that it was now twenty minutes to seven.

“Let’s get this over with,” I sighed, “Ready, Ang?” “No… but I’m right behind you.” I laughed; she was right. We were so not ready for this. Edward wasn’t anywhere in sight when I came out. I sat on one of the chairs close to the curtains while Angela went chatting with Ben. I buried my face in my hand and sank against the chair. What was I thinking? Agreeing to this in the first place? I must have lost it.

“Bella? Are you alright?” Mrs. C asked, her face concerned. “I’m fine,” I lied, unconvincingly. She gave me a pitying smile and went back to the dressing rooms. I breathed in and out- I was told that it would help. But it didn’t.

“Hey.” A gentle pat on my shoulder startled me. But the hand lingered, and I felt the familiarity coming to me.

“Edward…” I sighed in relief. “Sorry,” he apologized while taking the empty chair next to me, “Jamie had some trouble with his costume. His hair got stuck in the zippers, so all of us were back there helping him pull his head out. It was a miracle that the fabric didn’t tear,” he grinned. I tried to picture it in my head. I laughed, because the idea of Jamie’s head stuck seemed ridiculously funny to me. Despite that I was worrying my head off a second ago; Edward’s presence brought more comfort than I could wish for.

“Alright people! We have five minutes till the opening. Gather around and get ready!” Edward helped me up and we walked to where everyone else was standing at, their back to the curtains. Lauren was sulking at the corner away from the rest of us, with her faithful follower Jessica beside her. Applauds were given when Mrs. Caughman walked to the center of the stage.

“It is such an honor to have all of you here tonight. These kids have worked every hard to get where they are today and as a tradition in East Coast Academy…” The other students murmured to each other while I grimaced. Was I the only one feeling the butterflies in my stomach?

“I can’t do it, Edward…” I whispered. “Bella, you’re going to be fine. Don’t worry,” he smiled down at me, holding my hand tighter in his. I shook my head, “I can’t do it with people staring at me,” I whispered cowardly. He let go of my hand and placed both of his hands firmly on either side of my face. I didn’t realize that I was trembling.

“Bella,” he breathed on my face, “Bella, don’t think about anyone else when we get onstage. Just think about me,” His thumbs caressed my cheeks, “And you. No one else. Just the two of us, alright?” I nodded my head in apprehension. I just wished for it to be as easy as he made it to be.

“Now, I am proud to present you our production for this year- Romeo and Juliet!” Another round of applause, and it almost made me hurl.

“Okay guys… I need the people playing the first scene up front over there,” Janet instructed, pointing to the opening of the curtains that was used for entering the other side of the stage, “The rest of you relax in the meantime. I will call on you when you’re up next.” I grasped Edward’s hand more tightly at first, but unwillingly, I had to let it go. He cupped my cheeks before leaving me, “Remember… Look in to my eyes, Bella. Just the two of us,” he whispered. I smiled, “Okay.” I relied in a whisper too. He kissed my cheek and followed Daniel and Mitchell to wait for the play to begin. Mrs. C emerged from the curtains and said in an enthusiastic voice,

“Alright people! It’s show time!" Chapter Thirty-Eight All of us were wearing tiny, clip-on microphones that day; Daniel and Mitchell’s voice were perfectly audible, even from the backstage. Tyler and Ben were on next and Ben didn’t go without giving Angela another goo-goo eye look. She smiled back shyly, her cheeks turning red. They made such a good couple. After the first scene, Jessica and Eric walked to the other side of the stage, followed by Lauren and Henry soon after. Lauren’s voice was shaky as she spoke; I wondered if it was because she was nervous or because she was still peeved about what happened before the play. Edward’s voice finally came out from the speakers. His voice was just as irresistible and velvety as always, I could picture the females in the audience just looking at him with adoration. In fact, I was sure half of the student body came for him today , instead of the play.

“Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first create! O heavy lightness! Serious vanity! Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Dost thou not laugh?” There was a screen in the backstage that showed us what was happening on the other side of the curtain. The girls around me sighed and held on to each other like they were having trouble breathing as they stared into the screen with their eyes glued on Edward. As expected, he read his lines fluently with perfection. He was absolutely right; he didn’t need to prepare for this.

“Hey Bella,” Jamie panted, crouching down next to me. “Jamie, are you alright?” I asked, patting his back. “Yeah. Do me a favor, check and make sure that I’m not missing any hair,” he said, still out of breath. I inspected his blonde hair and smiled,

“You’re safe, Jamie.” “Whew. Thanks. The guys made it worse, you know. The more they tried to help, the more tangled it got,” he grimaced, “It hurt.” I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing; it wasn’t polite to laugh.

“Bella! You’re up!” Janet said, with a clipboard in her hand, looking professional. “Good luck,” Jamie clicked his tongue. There were only Jessica, Angela and I in this scene. Angela and I smiled at each other, and to our astonishment, Jessica didn’t throw any comment at us before going onstage. That was a first. I paused at the curtain before walking through it. With a long, deep breath, I picked up my feet and walked to my nightmare. Mrs. Caughman was sitting in the front row, next to the Principal. I took my eyes off the crowd and reminded myself to focus.

“Marry, that 'marry' is the very theme I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands your disposition to be married?” Jessica had improved quite a lot this month. At least she managed to pronounce all of the words right, and she actually picked her pace up on speaking. Of course, sometimes the urge to hit her for dragging our rehearsal was still here, but it wasn’t as strong as before.

“It is an honor that I dream not of,” my voice was surprisingly even. “An honor! Were not I thine only nurse, I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat,” Angela said. “Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers: by my count, I was your mother much upon these years. That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief: The valiant Paris seeks you for his love,” Jessica said as an image of Mike popped into my head. It wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.” As soon as Angela finished the last line, the lights faded and people were moving the props for the next scene. Edward’s skin and mine touched briefly when we passed each other in the darkness. I knew it was him since no one else could have smelled that good or felt that good. I went back to the dressing room to change into the red dress for the masquerade ball. The room was empty since the other girls playing as extras had already put on their costumes while I was onstage. I smoothed my hair after getting into the red dress. I thought of how a couple of months ago I was telling myself that I still had plenty of time until the play; but now, it was already happening.

“Bella? Bella? You need to hurry!” Janet knocked the door and peeked in, “Oh good, you’re ready. You’re on in about two minutes.”

“Okay,” I sighed. I put on my mask and followed her out the doors. The masquerade ball scene had already started. Since Juliet appears in the middle of it, I waited behind the curtains with my fingers crossed. Edward’s voice was echoing in the auditorium while he talked to Tyler. In the background, the extras were chatting and giggling to one another, part of the instructions.

“Alright Bella! Go!” Janet hissed, pointing to the stage. I walked slowly through the curtains and tried to blend in with the scene, just as practiced. I could feel people’s stares boring on my back.

“What lady is that, which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight?” he said. Even though I had my back to Edward, I could feel his gaze fixed on me. The guy playing the servant replied, “I do not know, sir.” Then Tyler came on with Henry, who is supposedly my father, and read off their lines. Tyler was tongue-tied in the middle of his sentence; he looked frantically to the cardboard girl who was mouthing him the words. Thankfully he quickly recovered after that. Now, it was my scene with Edward. I gulped. Despite the girls in the background were still chatty, I was still as nervous as a

turkey on thanksgiving. He looked amazingly stunning. I have to admit, not a lot of guys could look great in tights, but Edward totally pulled it off. His white shirt was cut low enough to reveal some part of his abs, and his not-too-tight-fitting black pants went nicely with his mask and shirt. His eyes caught mine and his lips parted. He looked stunned for a second or two, but he quickly composed himself as his lips curled up into a smile. With slow, steady footsteps, he walked up to me.

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand, this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand. To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss,” he quoted. His eyes were soft enough to melt honey, and it reminded me of one of our first rehearsals together.

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much. Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch. And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.” He took a step closer and smiled, “Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?”

“Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer,” I smiled back. My heart was still hammering inside my chest; I tried to let myself forget that I was standing in front of hundreds of people with them watching my every move. Or as for some of them, waiting for me to mess up.

“O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.” “Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake,” I tilted my head up to him. It wasn’t a part of the instructions that Mrs. C had given me, but it was just… a voluntarily response from my body. He leaned in closer and whispered into the mic, “Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.” Then he kissed me. His hands caught my face gently while he brushed his lips over mine. It was a quick kiss, and how I longed for it to last longer. He was so much better at acting; at least he had his emotions under control. My bare shoulder shuddered when his hands touched me; the dress was sleeveless but I knew it wasn’t the cold that made me shiver. When he pulled away, my eyes snapped open, “Then have my lips the sin that they have took,” I said breathlessly.

“Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again,” he leaned down and was about to kiss me again. “You kiss by the book,” I said smugly, mimicking the expression that he had given me when he wanted to tease me about something. Edward picked his head back up and quirked his eyebrow at me. I almost forgot that we were supposed to be acting.

“Madam, your mother craves a word with you,” Angela appeared from Edward’s back. I smiled at him and walked off the stage. They pushed the ladder to the center of the stage as soon as the lights went off. I climbed on it quickly to make myself look like I was standing on a patio. Mrs. Coughman changed the scene a little. Instead of having Romeo speaking to Juliet from below, she wanted him to climb up to the patio. Edward pushed himself up the fake tree and swung his foot over the wood that was supposed to be the fence for the patio. In a flash, he was in front of me.

“She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art. As glorious to this night, being o'er my head. As is a winged messenger of heaven… Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes. Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him. When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds. And sails upon the bosom of the air!” he murmured. Suddenly, a wave of nervousness washed through me. I didn’t feel it in our masquerade scene, but now, I was freaking out. Sure. The last scene I had to speak in front of the same people. But now… it was just Edward and I alone on the stage. It was silent, without the chitchatting and music in the background. Dead silent. I felt my hands shaking. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I heard my loud breathing coming out from the speaker. Talk about embarrassing. The clock ticked by with the silence; my lips were left parted. Edward’s eyes gazed into mine while I stared back at him with franticness.

“It’s okay…” he mouthed. “Just think about me and you. Nobody else. Just the two of us…” his words before the play flooded back in my mind. I scolded myself silently; I didn’t waste all of my time rehearsing just to mess this up for everybody. I was better than this.

Instantly, I felt a little more courageous. Edward’s with me; I’m not alone. I thought of how good his lips felt against mine a while ago… how his arms felt around my waist last night while we were dancing…

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love. And I'll no longer be a Capulet!” He smiled when he saw that I had recovered, “Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?” "'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part. Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself!" When I finished my lines, he cupped my cheek and kissed me again. That was… unexpected. This wasn’t a part of the play. But it was just a brief kiss on the lips; it was like as if he was trying to torture me. He continued quoting the play,

“I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.” “What man art thou that thus be screened in night. So stumblest on my counsel?” I reached to put my hand on his cheek. I didn’t mess up again throughout the night. I focused on Edward, and Edward alone. He would give me encouraging, secret smiles that were meant just for me, and then my lines would just come naturally. As much as I hate to admit this, Lauren and Jessica did surprising well for Lauren and Jessica. Much better than rehearsal. They actually got all the words right, even though there wasn’t much emotion shown on their faces. But they improved; and I’m sure it was such a relief to Mrs. Coughman. They must have gone over their lines this weekend; they wouldn’t dare to embarrass themselves in front of the school. Appearance and image were everything to them. The fight scene between Mike and Edward was interesting to watch. Edward was actually glaring at Mike the entire time, and I knew it didn’t require acting at all. When he said his lines, he gritted them through his teeth and stabbed the pretend sword at Mike a lot harder than necessary. Mike wasn’t budging either. At first, he spat the lines back just as fiercely as Edward, only he broke into cold sweats at the end when he almost tripped over one of props. Some laughs escaped from the audience when he let out an unmanly scream. I was half expecting Emmett and Jasper to stand up from their seats and hug each other. At the end of the performance, all of us stood together hand-in-hand and bowed at the audience. The crowd went wild. Most of them stood up, applauding, while Mrs. C thanked them again proudly.

“Thank you all very much for being here tonight! I hope you enjoyed the show and please come again next week for another play performed by my other classes- The Hamlet…” While Mrs. C went on talking, Edward picked up my hand and kissed it. The people who caught that chuckled- mostly parents- while my face turned as redder than ever. Some students whistled, and I saw some girls holding up signs for Edward, screaming and smiling hugely at the same time. Emmett, Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper waved at us from the middle aisle. Sitting next to Alice, was a very attractive looking couple. I couldn’t find my dad since there were a lot of people there. But mostly, I was picturing and preparing for his reaction after seeing Edward and I kiss. Sure, it was for the play, but you know dads. They have to make a big deal out of everything. We bowed one last time and exited to the backstage to change into regular clothes. Edward wrapped his arms around my shoulder while we made our way to the dressing room,

“Great job.” “Thanks. But you were better,” I grinned at him. “I couldn’t have done it without you. In fact, if it weren’t for you, I would never consider doing this in the first place,” he replied casually. I stopped walking and stared up at his face,

“What?” He laughed, “Well, I saw how you were all into classics. So I figured maybe you were into Shakespeare as well. I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to impress you. Of course, I wasn’t considering doing it for real; I was only trying to impress you, like I said. But after you got the part as Juliet,” he shrugged, “I told myself I had to be Romeo in order to get closer to you.”

“You were trying to impress me?” I asked, flattered. The idea of this marvelous creature would want to impress me. Me. “Is that so hard to believe?” he chuckled. I nodded my head. “You don’t see yourself very clearly…” he muttered. I rolled my eyes. "I'll meet you outside," he kissed my cheek. Edward was leaning against one of the pillars when I finished changing. He was back in his faded jeans, black polo-shirt. The other students told us what a wonderful job we did when they strode by, we replied with a polite thank you and tried to get through the backstage exit. I said tried because at the other side of the auditorium, a bunch of giddy freshmen and sophomores were waiting there to bombard Edward with compliments. He sighed and pursed his lips.

“Edward! Oh my gosh, you were like totally awesome up there!” a girl screamed, her hands on her cheeks. “Thanks, excuse us ladies,” he tried to lead us away from the crowd. “You did great, Edward!” a few of them were yelling. Even though the auditorium was filled with the chatters of parents, teachers, and other students, their screaming was still loud enough for some people to turn around and stare at us.

“Oh jeez,” Edward grimaced at the attention. “Bella?” I heard my father’s voice from my back, away from the crowd. I turned around and saw him waving at me with his arms wrapped around Carmen, walking up to us while we squeezed through the cheery girls.

“Dad!” I greeted him, “Hey Carmen.” I tried to hide the unwillingness in my voice. My dad hugged me, "You did great, Bells. Who would have ever thought you had that in you?" I grinned, "I didn't know I did, either." Carmen was dressed up just like a Carmen. She was wearing a blue sleeveless dress with her strawberry blonde hair up in perfect little curls. She stood there awkwardly, her hands on her side.

“Nice to see you again, Edward. This is my wife, Carmen.” I sighed in relief when my father got his name right. In the previous phone calls, he had referred to Edward as “Edwin” or “Edmund”.

“Good to see you, too, Mr. Swan, Mrs. Swan,” Edward replied politely while exchanging handshake with the both of them. Mrs. Swan… the sound of it made me sick to my core.

“It was a great performance!” she beamed, “You looked very beautiful up there, Bella.” “Thanks.” I didn’t like it when she complimented me. She was just saying that to butter me up; and I wasn’t that easy to manipulate.

“Well, we better get going. I have a flight to catch in two hours and a half to Florida,” my dad patted my shoulder, “Take good care of her, Edward.”

“I will, sir,” Edward said sincerely. I wished Charlie luck and we went looking for our friends. Then I saw Emmett waving at us a few rows back with the lovely couple that I noticed a while ago, along with Rosalie, Jasper and Alice. They were all smiling at us now, and I saw Alice whisper something in the women’s ear. They giggled as we waved back. The beautiful women had a kind, heart-shaped face. She had caramel, dark brown hair and a slender body. The man next to her was also handsome. His hair was blonde, and he had this movie-star smile on his face.

“Bella, let me introduce you to my parents. Mom, Dad… this is Bella. Bella, my parents,” Edward did the quick introduction. I attempted not to let the surprise show on my face. They looked so young. In their late thirties, tops, and yet… their children were already teenagers, soon to be adults. Edward’s mom pulled me into a hug, “It’s so good to finally meet you, Bella. We’ve been hearing so many wonderful things about you,” she said, chuckling, “Oh I’m sorry sweetie. I tend to get ahead of myself. It’s just that we’ve heard so much about you from our children that we feel like we already know you,” she smiled warmly at me.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen,” I said shyly.

“Call me Esme, dear.” Then Dr. Cullen extended his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bella,” I took it with a smile, “Same here, Dr. Cullen.” Edward had told me about his adopted father being a surgeon before so I remembered to address him by the right title. He chuckled,

“Just Carlisle. No need to be so formal.” I grinned, “Carlisle.”

“You guys did awesome!” Emmett high-fived us and pulled both Edward and I into a bone-crushing hug. Alice and Rosalie were excited over the red dress that I was wearing, while Jasper just stood there, grinning at all of us quietly like his usual self.

“Hey, who’s up for ice cream?” Alice asked all of a sudden. “This calls for a celebration! Mom and Dad rarely come down to the campus!” We laughed at her enthusiasm while following her out of the door. We walked to Haagen Dazs in pairs, Emmett and Edward with their father, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, then Esme and I. It wasn’t awkward; like I was afraid it would be when meeting my boyfriend’s parents. They were both such kind people, it was easy to make conversation with them.

“So Bella, I heard Alice say that you recently moved here from New York,” Esme said conversationally. “Yes, I used to live there with my mom.” “Is it hard for you to get used to California? I moved around when I was your age, and it wasn’t easy,” she gave me a smile. “It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Your children were all very friendly and nice, it was them who made High School bearable,” I chuckled. “They accepted me right away. I’m really lucky to have befriended them.” She laughed, “You don’t know how fond they are of you. In all of their emails, phone calls… they mention you in every one of them. Edward especially,” she eyed her son with a smile, watching he and Emmett joking around with her husband ahead of us. I felt my cheeks creep red as she continued,

“I’m really glad he found you, dear. Edward looks so much happier now, there’s like this glow that radiates from his smile. I’m sure you know about Edward’s birth parents…” she said grievously.

“I have,” I murmured. “Ever since they passed away, Edward was nothing like the cheerful kid that used to smile and play around all the time. He wouldn’t open up to anyone, not even me and Carlisle. We tried counselors, therapists… but none of them worked. It got better when he came here and started playing on the Varsity team. But he still wasn’t whole,” Esme sighed, “He wasn’t happy on the inside. It was almost as if he was trying to show us that he’s happy to make everyone else happy.”

“That sounds like something Edward would do. He’s so considerate…” I said softly, “He really appreciates everything that you’ve done for him," I smiled.

“Carlisle and I both love him very, very much. He's a bright and talented young man. Anyone would be proud to call him a son,” she smiled. Then Edward jogged up to us, grinning.

“Having fun filling Bella in on all the bad things about me, Mom?” he teased. “If we were discussing bad things about you, we wouldn’t be done until tomorrow morning,” Esme joked back. Edward rolled his eyes and wrapped one of his arms around my waist. Esme looked at the two of us while I blushed with embarrassment under Edward’s arms. With another heartwarming smile, she picked up her foot pace and joined her daughter in front of us.

“Nice talk?” he asked casually. “Very nice. You’re parents are so kind,” I replied enviously. His grin grew broader as he leaned in closer,

“They like you, you know?” he whispered. “They’re kind, like I said.” He chuckled, “What’s not to like then?” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Hey Edward! Great job up there! You were fantastic!” A girl from the cheerleading squad, Crystal, I think her name was, said excitedly as she and some other cheerleaders walked by. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Edward’s arms, “You too, Bella,” she added unwillingly.

“Thank you,” we replied. Giving Edward a smile, she walked off with her friends to the other direction, gossiping, no doubt. I wrapped my arms around Edward waist tightly as we walked and I heard his velvet chuckle,

“Feeling a little territorial?” “Maybe…” I admitted quietly. He chuckled again and kissed the top of my hand, “It’s nice not to be the jealous one for change,” he sighed. “Who do you ever have to be jealous of?” “Are you kidding? Have you not noticed where the guys’ glances go when you walk in the room?” “Says the man who is number one, at the top of the Hottest Bulldog list,” I muttered. He frowned, “Hottest Bulldog list? What the heck is that?” “Oh right, you don't know about that... It’s just this stupid list that the cheerleaders came up with. It’s written on the girl's bathroom wall in whiteout. And honestly, you’re jealous? I have to deal with the fact that all the girls in this school want you. Sometimes I just feel like they’re waiting for me to screw things up with you so they can take over.” He laughed, “It’s not our fault that we’re both irresistibly attractive, huh?” I scoffed, “Arrogant.” He pulled me closer to him, “Maybe I’m arrogant…”

“Maybe?” I repeated scornfully with a snort. “Okay,” he grinned sheepishly, “I am arrogant. But you love me,” he finished proudly. “It's not like I can help it,” I mumbled into his shirt. “What?” “It's not like I can help it,” I picked my face up from his shirt and spoke a little louder. “Sorry Bella, my ears are kind of deaf from the shrieking girls a while ago. What can't you help doing?” he taunted, smirking.

“I said I can’t help that I’m in love with you!” I practically yelled it out. I instantly regretted it. Emmett, along with the rest of the Cullens and Hales froze and turned their heels to look at us, confused. Edward and I stopped too, while I started stuttering like an imbecile to make up some lame explanation.

“I… uh…” My not-much-of-a-sentence was interrupted by Emmett’s booming laugh. A few seconds later, the others joined him, although not laughing as rudely. I buried my face in Edward’s chest,

“Thanks so much,” I mumbled. I felt Edward shaking while chuckling quietly. “See Mom? See Dad? What did I tell you of those two love birds’ daily quarrels and flirting sessions?” Emmett laughed again. Edward glared at his brother while Esme smacked him on the shoulder,

“I raised you to be a gentleman, Emmett Cullen.”

“Sorry Mom,” he grinned goofily. Then they all went back to their conversations, trying to save me from being more embarrassed. But they still threw sly glances in our direction every now and then; Esme and Carlisle, especially. I often found them whispered to each other while looking at us from the corner of their eyes, smiling. I sighed, “Just when I thought I couldn’t be more embarrassed, Emmett had to prove me wrong.” Edward laughed, “That’s life, Bella.” Chapter Thirty-Nine With the play out of the way, it felt like as if a huge load of things were taken off my chest. I could finally breathe normally. I hardly saw Edward at all after Sunday. Right after school, he, Emmett and Jasper had to race right to the gym for practice. So during school time, lunch and dinner, I treasured my time with him even more. I decided to go jogging this afternoon. When I was about to leave the room, I couldn't find my jacket. I realized that I must have left it in the locker room since I remembered taking it off. With a sigh at my lack of ability to keep track at things, I ran to the gym and walked as silently as I could to the locker room. I didn’t want to disturb their practice, especially when they were so close to the game. It wasn’t in the girl's locker room. I figured it was in the lost-and-found. I knocked on the Coach’s door, “Excuse me? Coach Reynolds?” It was already open, but I stopped at the doorway nevertheless. He picked his head up from a bunch of documents, “Yes?”

“Umm… I left my jacket in the locker room… and I was wondering if someone picked it up and brought it here?” “Lost and found box is over there. If it’s not in the box, then check in the office,” he said, his eyes glued to the paper again. I felt bad for bothering him at a time like this, but that jacket was important to me. My mom got it for me before I came to California. I opened the box and saw a yellow fabric in it. My jacket, I sighed in relief.

“Thank you,” I said before exiting. He was so concentrated on whatever he was doing that he didn’t even hear me. When I got back in the gym, the guys were doing suicides. There were some girls sitting at the top of the bleachers, watching the guys practice. I stood in the corner and watched; I didn’t want to draw attention to myself and distract Edward. I’ll stay only for a little while… then I’ll leave, I told myself.

“Three more guys,” Edward said, a little breathless, while bending down to touch the line on the court. They girls giggled when the other guys groaned.

“Okay! Catch your breath, grab a basketball and start shooting!” he instructed, jogging to the rail of basketballs. His cheeks were pink, along with the rest of the team who had sweats dripping down their faces. He made a shot effortlessly from the free-throw line, and did swift shots over and over again from different angels. The team divided themselves up in different baskets and followed. Edward walked around the gym and helped his teammates on whatever they were having trouble with.

“A little more work on the wrist, Cod… try that,” he said, “Nice shot, Jasper. You too, Jamie…” “Hey Edward, can I get some water?” Conner panted, his legs unsteady. “Sure man. You don’t look so good. How’s the leg?” Edward asked, frowning. “It’s alright. A little sore, no big deal,” Conner shrugged and winced. “Tell you what. Get some water; sit out for five minutes, alright? I don’t want you messing up your recovery.” “Thanks man,” Conner pounded his fist with Edward and walked limply to the bench, gulping down a bottle of water. He made a loud “Ah!” sound when he finished, then he saw me. He grinned wildly,

“Yo Captain…” he sang, “Your girlfriend’s here!” All the guys on the team darted their eyes in my direction and smiled while I blushed with embarrassment. There was a

reason why I stood in the corner. It was to prevent this from happening. Some of them were whistling and elbowing Edward, who was telling them to shut up.

“Go fool! What are you waiting for? An invitation? ” Dylan scolded him, nudging him in the stomach. Edward nodded his head and ran up to me with a brilliant smile, “Hey!”

“Hi. I didn’t mean to interrupt practice. I just came back to get my jacket,” I showed it to him to prove that I wasn’t making it up, “Umm… I’ll go now," I said, embarrassed.

“Wait,” he caught my wrist, “You can stay if you want. You’re not interrupting anything. But if it’s boring…” “It’s not boring. I think it’s kind of interesting to watch,” I smiled. “Great. Then stay. None of us mind you watching,” he smiled back, “It’s up to you.” “Okay,” I sat down on the bleachers. He smiled and bent down to kiss me on the lips, “Cool. I have to get back to work. See you later.” I grinned after him, watching him jog back to his team. They weren’t making it easy on him by making kissy faces at him and whistling. Edward rolled his eyes and smacked them on the shoulder,

“Alright. Show’s over. Concentrate now.” He jumped up and dunked the ball in the hoop. A perfect dunk smash. The girls squealed with excitement while the guys started pushing him for “showing off in front of his girlfriend.”

“Ya’ll. Coach is coming!” Jamie hissed. Then they shook off the laughter and started dribbling and shooting, like they were doing it all along. I suppressed a smile; such good actors.

“Found your jacket?” a deep voice said beside me. I gasped, completely startled and saw the Coach standing next to me, his eyes glued to his team.

“Oh yeah, umm… I was just...” I stuttered. “You sprained your ankle and somehow landed on the bench, watching Cullen and the rest play?” He actually cracked a smile. Surprised that he was being so humorous about this, I played along, “Yes Coach. Well, my ankle is all better now. Thanks for showing me the lost-and-found box,” I got up from the bench and walked to the door. Edward watched me carefully from the corner of his eye, pretending to angle a shot. I winked at him before going through the doors and I saw him hiding a smile.

“Bella! Hurry up and change! The bus is leaving in forty minutes!” Alice called, her tone annoyed. “Okay… okay… chill out Alice,” I rolled my eyes. Rosalie chuckled, sitting relaxingly on the couch, “I can’t believe you had to pick a Saturday to go to the library. I mean, most of us don’t even go there on school days, and you go there on weekends?”

“My project is due Monday!” I protested. “Hello? There’s a day after Saturday called Sunday,” Rosalie teased, throwing a couch pillow at me. “You know how I hate finishing homework at the last minute,” I muttered, throwing it back at her. “Okay girls. More work, less talk! Hurry Bella! Change into your spirit shirt and I’ll help you with your hair! Chop chop, let’s go!” Alice clapped her hands and placed them on her hips, glaring at me with wide eyes. "Yes ma'am," I chuckled and skipped to the bathroom. Finally, I was spirity enough to leave the room. Alice had my hair up in a high pony tail in one of those blue ribbons that she brought the store. We were all wearing the same blue spirit shirts, but Alice did some work on them to make each of them look different. With a pair of tight-fitting jeans and tennis shoes, we grabbed our totes and headed out the door. There were many buses parked in the parking lot, doors opened, ready for students to load. The sight of them blinded me;

all those yellow with the sunlight reflecting on them weren’t exactly easy on the eyes.

“Which bus are we assigned to?” I asked, looking around. “We get on whichever we want. Just not the ‘elite’ bus though- it’s cheerleaders and basketball players only,” Rosalie rolled her eyes, pointing her finger at the one parked away from the others, closest to the gym.

“Let’s go wish the guys luck before we get on the bus! We might not have time before the game,” Alice suggested. “Great idea!” Rosalie and I smiled. As if on cue, the basketball team emerged through the back door of the gym in their uniforms with a gym bag flung over their shoulders. I spotted Edward, who was walking with Emmett and Jasper at the front of the crowd and waved at him.

“Hey,” we greeted them. “What’s up ladies? Damn Rose, you look hot in that shirt,” Emmett licked his lips. Jasper made a gagging sound. “You look really pretty Bella,” Edward said sweetly, taking my hand. “Thank you,” I tiptoed and kissed him lightly on the lips, “Nervous?” “Hell yes,” Edward sighed. “I’d tell you that it’s just you and me, but I won’t really be there playing with you…” I grinned, “You’ll do great. I promise,” I gave him a hug.

“Thanks,” he smiled, “I really hope so.” “Alright students! Get seated on the bus! Let’s get moving!” the bus drivers said, clapping his hands, “Come on!” “Sounds like we have to go,” I kissed Edward quickly on his cheeks. When I took about three steps away, he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“Where are you going, pretty girl?” he velvet voice rang in my ear as his breath blew against my skin. Even though we had been together for a while now, his appealing, attractive voice still took my breath away. His words were melting me; it took all of my strength to reply.

“I’m getting on the bus,” I said, confused, as my heart thumped inside my chest. “You’re going the wrong way, Beautiful. This,” he spun me around, “Is your bus.” “Huh?” Rosalie, Alice and I frowned. The guys chuckled while Rosalie tapped her foot with annoyance. Emmett decided to play the good guy by explaining,

“Well, you know we cut back some players before this season started. So now there are actually extra seats. So earlier, my little brother here,” he ruffled Edward’s hair who scowled at him with a glare and tried smoothing it out quickly with his hands; I laughed. Edward and Emmett were so funny together. “Asked Reynolds if we can invite others to sit with us on the bus, and he said yes.”

“Oh,” we said, surprised. "That was nice of him," Rosalie said. "I told you he's actually a pretty cool guy. You just can't get on his bad side," Jasper shrugged.

“Come on, I reserved a spot for us on the bus,” Edward whispered seductively in my ear. My heart was beating so quickly that it was almost embarrassing. He caught my head in his hands and pressed my back to the bus, kissing me passionately. His hands moved down to the pockets of my jeans and he dug his hands in them. "Oh come on guys. Enough with the PDA already. Let's go!" Emmett whined. When we pulled away, I saw him rolling his eyes. I laughed and took Edward's hand. The basketball players had taken their seats while we were talking. In fact, Emmett, Jasper and Edward were the last ones to get on the bus. The cheerleaders hadn’t arrived yet, so the bus wasn't crowded. Edward steered me to the backseat and sat

down. Since the equipments were placed on the seat next to us, Emmett and Rosalie took the seat in front of us as Jasper and Alice sat next to them.

“Why didn’t anyone sit here?” I asked, dumping my bag on the floor. Emmett turned around and grinned at me, “Are you kidding? Edward always sits in the back row for away games. It sort of became his seat since no one tried stealing it away from him,” he said, rolling his eyes, “You big baby.”

“I’m not being a baby, Emmett. I’m being smart. This seat is the farthest one away from the cheerleaders,” Edward tapped his head smugly. Emmett gave him an irritated look and muttered ‘damn’ under his breath.

“Speaking of cheerleaders,” Rosalie grimaced with disgust. The squad walked in, their loud, giddy voices filling up the small space. Lauren was the first to step on the bus. She paused on the steps and posed a very disgusting look that hiked up her skirt farther more. Some guys whistled.

“Sunscreen, Kelsey. Hurry up!” she demanded. Frantically, Kelsey handed it to her. Seriously, you’d think she was the queen or something by the way the other cheerleaders treat her. After running her hands over her legs, very slowly, I might add, she stood up and walked in that same disgusting, butt-swaying pattern down the aisle.

“Looking hot, Lauren!” some guy commented. She smirked, “Tell me something I don’t already know. Jessica! What the hell?” she shouted when she saw Jessica lingering around the guys at the first row, chatting with them.

“Slut,” someone faked a cough. Jessica became furious, “Excuse me? What did you just say?” she spat at the boy and gave him shove. The boy stood up and shoved her back, “Don’t touch me!” Jessica shoved him again, “What are you going to do about it?”

“Enough! Get over yourself, Jess, you are a slut!” Lauren shouted, “Now get your ass over here! My magazines are in your bag!” Jessica’s face turned bright red and the others snickered. Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice and I, however, found nothing funny in this situation at all. To be honest, I felt bad for Jessica. Sure, she may be a slut. But coming out from her best friend in front of the whole bus… that was just too harsh.

“Just what kind of a friend are you, Lauren?” I blurted out with anger. The laughing and the snickering stopped. The bus was suddenly quiet. She didn’t acknowledge me at first, but she followed the sound of my voice and turned around to face me. Her eyes narrowed and she scowled.

“This bus is for jocks and cheerleaders only, Swan. You and your little friends need to get out,” she clicked her tongue. “They have permission,” Dylan said, glaring at her. She scoffed, “This is the elite bus. They don’t belong here!” Edward tensed up and spoke for the first time, “Ugh! The elite bus? Don’t flatter yourself, Mallory. If this is the elite bus, you wouldn’t be on it.” A few guys laughed, but no one dared to speak since the atmosphere was still intense. Lauren’s face flushed while Emmett turned around and extended his fist at his brother. Edward didn’t smack it.

“If you have a problem with them on the bus, why don’t you get off?” Jamie suggested, his face unfriendly. Murmurs were coming from all directions, agreeing with him. But everyone quickly silenced when we saw Coach Reynolds exiting the gym. He looked suspicious when he got on the bus,

“Is there a problem here?” his deep voice echoed through the silence. “Coach! They’re on the wrong bus,” Lauren said, pointing her finger in our direction. “We have a few extra seats this year. I gave the okay,” he said, “Now sit down, Miss Mallory.”

Lauren fumed and pouted. She sent Jessica- who was sitting two rows behind her next to Crystal- a dirty look and took her seat next to Kelsey. The driver started the bus and told all of us to close the windows for air conditioning. I didn’t realize that Edward’s fists were clenched tightly in balls. I ran my hand along his muscular arm and his fists unfastened.

“You okay?” I whispered. His eyes were easy to read; there was anger, there was frustration. “Yeah,” he sighed. “Jeez. The elite bus? That’s the most ridiculous thing that I’ve ever heard!” he hissed. “It’s Lauren. What did you expect?” I teased, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. He sighed again reluctantly, “True.” I clapped my hands, “Okay. Don’t let her get to you before the big game. Today is supposed to be exciting!”

“Do you think it’s an omen? Having to talk to her before the tournament?” he asked, frowning. I laughed and brushed my lips against his. He kissed me back, confused, but willing at the same time. When I pulled away, he still had the puzzled expression.

“Why did you kiss me all of a sudden? Not that I mind what you just did. I love what you just did, but…” he stammered then hit himself on the forehead, "Nice going, Cullen..." he murmured to himself. It was so much fun to watch him squirm for words. I giggled.

“I was trying to distract you. Did it work?” I bit my lip. “You bet it worked,” he smirked and leaned down to kiss me again. But this time, I put my hand in front of my face so he kissed my fingers instead. His eyes opened with confusion.

“The Coach is definitely not going to be happy to see you making out with someone before the big game. I’m doing this for your sake.”

“Thanks for being so thoughtful,” he said sarcastically. I grinned at him. “So... When we get off the bus?’ he whispered sweetly in my ear, twirling my hair with his finger. “Okay,” I smiled and put on the headphones to my Ipod as he did the same. For the rest of the ride, I sat there comfortably in the arms of the man that I love with my face pressed against his chest. Edward was right; this was the best seat on the bus. Chapter Forty

“Bella? Bella, sweetheart, we’re here." “Sorry, did I fall asleep?” I opened my eyes to find myself still in Edward's arms. Some of the seats in front of us were empty, including Emmett and Rosalie’s. The others that were left were putting stuff back into their bags.

“It’s okay. It actually distracted me from thinking about the game,” he chuckled, “You say really funny stuff in your sleep. ‘You idiot, Emmett!’” he mimicked perfectly and snickered. I turned bright red. Then something sunk in.

“Oh my god! I fell asleep in front of Emmett!” I started checking my hair, my clothes, my shoes… Thank god everything was still in place. I remembered the last time...

“Bella?” Edward pursed his lips from laughing, “What are you doing?” “Trying to see if I’m missing anything.” “I had my eyes and arms on you the whole time. You were extremely safe,” he grinned. “Well,” I quirked my eyebrow at him, “I guess I should thank my caring, strong protector, huh?” I said suggesting, tilting my head up. He knew what I was after; he leaned down and kissed me fully on the lips. It was a long kiss, not deep, but enough to make my heart fly. I sighed in satisfaction when he pulled away.

“So… awake now?” he smiled. “Most definitely,” I grinned and twined my finger in his hand, “Where did Emmett and Rosalie go?” At that moment, I realized that Alice and Jasper were still on the bus. They had been so quiet.

“Emmett had to pee. He was the first one off the bus. I warned him about the Gatorade, but he wouldn’t listen! Rosalie went to the restroom to apply some makeup,” Alice said smugly.

“Did you see Edward and I…” I trialed off apologetically. “Yeah, we didn’t miss the make out session,” Alice replied sarcastically. I blushed while Edward, on the other hand, was doing the opposite. He smirked, “No one said you had to watch.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Edward. How could we not see it? We tried to look away, then we ended up seeing you make out through the reflections on the window. If we faced the front, we’d see it from the mirror!” Alice protested.

“I am so sorry,” I said guiltily. I knew how awkward it was to see your best friend, in this case brother, to make out with your other best friend. Trust me, I know- we hang out with Emmett and Rosalie.

“And seriously man, I’m going to agree with Emmett on this whole PDA thing,” Jasper joked while joining Alice on the laughing.

“You guys done?” Edward asked, annoyed. “Alright, let’s get out of here!” Alice said cheerfully. The placed was unbelievably huge. It was at least two or three times bigger than the gym in ECA. Despite we still had almost an hour until the first game, the place was already packed with students and parents, wearing their school's color to support their team. From what I’d heard from Edward on the bus, there were six teams competing against each other today. The best ones in the district.

“That’s a lot of people,” I murmured. “Oh yeah. But it’s okay. We have lots of blue shirts here cheering for the Bulldogs,” Alice said gleefully. "Edward, we better go. I have no desire to get yelled at for being late," Jasper said, giving him a knowing look.

“Good luck!” We shouted over the speaker as they walked away. They waved at us and winked.

“Do they look nervous to you?” Alice asked, incredulous. “Not really,” I replied, grinning. “They are way too confident for their own good. I think Edward is starting to rub off on the team,” she teased. I sighed, if she only knew. Edward might have looked relaxed, but he was only putting on this brave face for his teammates, his school. I knew he was under a lot of stress just by that look in his eyes, but he always masked it with a smile to keep everyone from seeing how he really felt, to keep us from worrying about him. That was just typical Edward behavior. I just wished there was something that I could do for him, anything at all.

“Edward?” I called loudly to him. He and Jasper stopped where they were while I ran up to him, “I know how important today is to you, but please don’t push yourself too far,” I pleaded with him. He smiled at me and touched my cheek with the back of his hand, “Thank you, Bella. I love you.” Then they continued walking as Alice caught up to me.

“What was all that?” she asked curiously. “I just… wanted to make sure he takes it easy,” I smiled, watching the back of his figure. Alice patted my shoulder, “He’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go look for Rosalie. I need to use the toilets myself." I pretended to gasp with horror,

“Emmett the Second!” She smacked my arm playfully, “Shut up, Bella!”

“Just kidding, Alice. You know you’re my best friend, right roomie?” I hugged her. “Of course, bff. I love you to death,” she squeezed me. We smiled at each other and started looking for the ladies room. I stood outside and waited for her while she took care of her restroom needs. The doors opened, and I was expecting Alice to be the one coming out.

“That was quick…” I stopped when I saw that it wasn’t Alice. Definitely not Alice. Jessica smiled awkwardly, “Hi Bella.”

“Hey…” I was completely stunned. It was the first time she had ever addressed by my first name. She looked down at her feet, “Listen… I just want to say thanks for sticking up for me on the bus. No one has ever done that for me before. Thank you."

“It’s no problem. I would have done it for anyone. And I’m sure you would have too,” I tried to encourage her, but she shook her head remorsefully.

“No. I wouldn’t have done it. I’m not as brave as you. And I just want to let you know that I’m done being Lauren’s dog. I know people think I’m dumb, letting Lauren step all over me… but I really thought she was my friend. And what you said this morning kind of woke me up. The truth is…” she sighed,

“I don’t know how I’m going to fit in without her. It was easy to be by her side; people saw me as cheerleader, one of the populars, and Lauren Mallory’s best friend. And today, I just realized… I don’t want to be known as her slave, I want to be remembered as me.” That was probably the longest speech that I had heard from her. It was usually Lauren doing all the talking. I placed my hand on her shoulder, “You will fit in. I did, and I’m not a cheerleader or Lauren’s friend,” I smiled.

“But I’m not like you, Bella. Ever since you came to this school, everyone loved you. The Cullens, the Hales… the whole basketball team. I mean, did you see the ay they stood up for you? That’s something that will never happen for Lauren. And you want to know why she hates you so much? Aside from the fact that you’re dating the hottest guy in school?” I stared at her.

“It’s because she’s threatened. She’s scared of losing her place to you. You’re like the only non-cheerleader that’s popular in the history of ECA,” she grinned.

“Well, you can tell her I have no interest in becoming head-cheerleader. I can’t even do a cartwheel,” I laughed. She joined me.

“I’m really sorry for being a bitch to you in the past. But I’m not going to be that girl anymore, I promise,” she said sincerely.

“Sure. I think everyone’s going to like the new Jessica, including me,” I smiled. I meant what I said; everyone deserves a second chance.

“Thanks. For everything. I’ll see you around,” she waved at me and ran to the locker room. As soon as she walked away, Alice stepped out smugly.

“Took you long enough,” I joked. She grinned, “Oh, I was eavesdropping at the door.”

“Of course you were. So… did you hear everything clearly? Or do I need to repeat the whole conversation?” I asked teasingly.

“Clear enough. But oh my god, Jessica Stanley?” she exclaimed, “Are you sure she wasn’t on crack? Wait till Rosalie and the guys hear that one!” I smiled, “Well, people change, Alice…” I knew someone who would be a great proof to that statement. She seemed

thoughtful for a minute, and I wondered if her thoughts flickered to Edward just as mine did.

“I guess you’re right…” she murmured smilingly. Rosalie was waving at us from the concession stands when we saw her. She handed both of us a bottle of lemonade and led us to our seats. They were great; not too far back or to the sides and coincidently, we were sitting at the center of all the blues.

“We’re saving two seats for my parents,” Alice said when I asked her why she was placing her purse on the empty seat next to her. Rosalie said her parents couldn't make it since they were in Europe.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the annual California State Basketball Tournament. Each year, we invite only the best teams of the state to join us. And we are proud to announce the teams that were chosen…” As the announcer continued speaking over the intercom, I saw Carlisle and Esme walking up the stairs.

“It’s so nice to see you, girls!” Esme hugged and kissed the three of us on our cheeks. “It’s good to see you too, Esme, Carlisle.” “When’s the game starting?” Carlisle asked, his voice warm and friendly like always. “In another twenty minutes or so…” Alice replied, “Man. I really hope they win the tournament again.” “Sweetie, even if they don’t win, they’ll still be champions…” Esme said motherly. “Oh honey, you know you want them to win just as much as Alice does,” Carlisle chuckled. Esme gave him a look and turned her gaze to the crowd. We chatted while we waited for the tournament to begin. The gym was packed without an empty seat in sight. Posters and banners were held and the cheering never seemed to cease.

“Alright ladies and gentlemen! Starting our tournament this year are the Crawford High Yellowjackets and the Beaumont High Huskies!” I watched as a team with bright, red jersey came into view; another team wearing green jerseys came from the opposite direction. The game ended quickly; Beaumont won and they advanced to the next round. The next match was between Buena Vista Academy and Richmond High. I was getting anxious to see our school play, but I reminded myself to be patient. Throughout the game, I was only paying half attention. I was thinking of how Edward and his teammates were doing. Were they just as nervous as I was for themselves? Or were they really as relaxed as they seemed?

“Jasper’s up next!” Alice squealed when the match was over. “And Emmett,” Rosalie’s eyes twinkled excitedly as she said her lover’s name. “And Edward,” I beamed as I imagined Edward’s glorious smile in my head. “Now, we give you last year’s State Champion… East Coast Academy Bulldogs!” The Bulldogs got down from the bleachers and ran speedily to the court. They looked so… energetic, so excited, and so… happy. Their cheerful attitude and their enthusiasm brightened up the smiles on their fans’ faces. Rosalie, Alice, and I cheered at the top of our lungs and applauded until our hands started hurting. The others started chanting the name of our school and we joined them with as much energy as we could summon.

“ECA! ECA! ECA!” The other team’s cheering sounded like a background buzz compared to ours. Or at least that’s what it sounded like to me. Cheerleaders from both sides were competing as well, each doing catchy cheers and spectacular moves. Being in the crowd was such an exhilarating experience. I don’t think I’d ever been so enthusiastic and active in my life; I could feel my heart thump heavily against my chest. The sound of the buzzer turned down the volume of our cheers down a little. As the players took their spot on the court, Alice, Rosalie and I squeezed each other’s hands.

“We are definitely going to win this,” Rosalie said surely, “And the tournament too.”

I remembered seeing Edward and the other Captain jump for the ball, and the rest was blurry. Both team traveled so quickly that it was hard to keep track of who got the ball. Emmett got us off to a great start by doing many powerful dunk smashes at the beginning of the game as Edward made in numerous amount of three-point throws. By half time, we were already leading by twenty two points. The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. I watched as our school advanced its way to the top of the ladder with excitement after winning every single one of their games.

“They’re doing great,” I shouted over the cheering of the previous game. “What?” Alice shouted back. I inhaled a deep breath, “THEY ARE DOING GREAT!”

“YEAH!” When the cheering died down a little, Alice reminded me that there was another set of teams playing in the other gym. I had totally forgotten about that. It had been a while since I’d attended a basketball tournament. Rosalie suggested that we go see the winning teams for the other gym when she saw we still had another nine minutes till our final game for today. Carlisle and Esme said they’d watch our stuff and reminded us not to linger since this place was so full of people that it would take some time to find our seats. The Wolves, like the Bulldogs, had one more game to win in order to get into the finals.

“Oh no… This is like a repetition of last year,” Rosalie groaned. “What?” Alice swallowed, “You know that both Horizon High and ECA advanced to the finals last years, right? Even though we won the state title, they were only down by nine points. It was such a close game and Jasper said they got some great players this year… it worries me.” We stared at the chart in front of us until Rosalie reminded us that we had better head back. We made it just in time. Esme handed each one of us a bottle of Coke; that was nice- caffeine usually calms me down. We watched the ball being passed around swiftly and kept our eyes glued to the players. Edward started the game with a spectacular circus shot that brought awes from almost everyone in the gym. Jasper nodded in Edward’s direction with a smile and they started communicating without speaking but just by reading each other’s facial expressions. I couldn’t see Edward’s face since he had his back to us, but Jasper nodded again with acknowledgement a few seconds later and ran after the ball. A tall guy from the other team was about to head over to our side of the court. Jasper jumped up for the ball at the exact moment that the guy was going to shoot. He practically lunged at the ball and threw it to Cody, who was waiting for the ball at mid-court. Then Cody passed it to Jamie and the ball went in after circling around the rim. Edward gave a pat on his shoulder and checked the ball. When he was about to head off to the basket, this big dude from the opposing team nudged him in the shoulder.

“Foul!” Edward stood behind the line and made effortless free throws; the game continued. Emmett and Dylan were great at defense; the other team had trouble getting by either one of them. In the end, we won with flying scores when Edward ended the game with an excellent slam dunk. Alice and I hugged each other with joy and cheered loudly. The cheerleaders’ voices were barely audible thanks to the crowd. The chanting for ECA started again while the other team slumped their shoulders in defeat. I overheard the guys sitting in front of us saying that this was the first time the Sharks made it this far. But they still had another chance for third place.

“Give it up for the East Coast Academy Bulldogs! This is our final game for today, and tomorrow morning, we will see which team is the first, second, or third. Who will win the State Title? Come join us at one o’clock tomorrow afternoon in this gym. Have a wonderful evening, ladies and gentlemen. Best of luck to all teams!” The girls and I squeezed our way out and ran to the boys who had huge smiles on their faces. I threw my arms around Edward and kissed him on the lips. He chuckled and returned my kiss enthusiastically while digging his hands to the back pockets of my jeans.

“That was awesome!” I exclaimed when we broke apart.

“The game or my kissing expertise?” he said teasingly, his eyes dazzling. “Both…” I grinned and pulled his face down to mine again. I hugged Emmett and Jasper and told them what a great job they did. Esme and Carlisle escaped through the crowd and finally reached us to congratulate the boys.

“You all did amazing,” Esme said proudly, hugging and kissing each of them on the cheek. “Of course we did amazing. They had me on the team,” Emmett joked. We laughed and rolled our eyes. “What do they teach you in this school, son?” Carlisle shook his head. After Edward, Jasper and Emmett changed and got their stuff from the locker room, we got on the bus and rode to the hotel that we were staying at.

“Who’s your roommate?” I asked Edward when we walked hand-in-hand into the lobby. Some of the cheerleaders were asking the basketball players to carry their luggage for them. It was ridiculous; they were only spending one night here and almost every one of them had more than one bag. Dylan replied with a rude “Go screw yourself” and left them standing there watching his back, completely bewildered. Of course, the less popular guys, the ones that were not on the team, took this as a chance to suck up to them. They ran to their sides like some love-struck puppies and started fighting over whose bags they wanted to carry. Pathetic.

“Jasper’s bunking with Emmett, Cody’s bunking with Dylan, so I’m stuck with Jamie…” he rolled his eyes. “But you know, that can always be re-arranged. Spend the night in my room, roommate?” he whispered sweetly in my ear while his hands slithered around my waist. I breathed unevenly when his lips started traveling around my neck,

“You smell so nice,” he whispered. “Again with the PDA!” Emmett threw his arms up in the air dramatically; I blushed when I saw many pairs of eyes staring in our direction with curiosity. Edward laughed gently and told me to ignore Emmett.

“Room 602,” Edward read when we got the keys. Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice and Jasper had disappeared so we rode up the elevator alone with some other kids that I didn’t know. Edward inserted the card in the lock when we reached our room. He slid my bag off my shoulder and dumped his on the floor without looking.

“I like this bed,” he smiled. I laughed softly, “Me too.” He leaned down and began kissing me. I brought my hands up and began running them through his hair. Then, I heard a click from the door and Jamie’s voice echoed excitedly around the room,

“Awesome Edward! We’re roommates!” I heard a loud thump on the floor and saw that he had dumped his bag right by Edward’s foot. Edward sighed reluctantly and threw Jamie’s bag at him, “Bye Jamie.”

“What?!” Jamie’s voice reminded me of little kids arguing with their parents for candy. “Oh hi Bella! I didn’t see you with Edward on top of you! What’s up?” Edward got off the bed and started shoving Jamie out of the room, "That's it. Out."

“But where am I going to sleep?” he whined. “Get a cot or something from the front desk,” Edward suggested, opening the door. “What if they don’t offer cots?” “Don’t worry; I’m sure they have them here.” I suppressed a laugh. They were hilarious. It was as if I ordered entertainment from room service. I decided to sit up and lean against the wall to enjoy the show.

“But I don’t like cots!” Jamie whined childishly

“Well, there’re always bathtubs. Bye Jamie,” Edward shut the door in Jamie’s face and I could still hear his muffled protests in the hallway.

“Jeez,” Edward breathed when he walked back in. He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated, and muttered, “What does a guy need to do to get some peace and quiet around here?” I giggled and patted the empty spot next to me. He sat down and leaned back against the wooden board. I leaned my head against his shoulder and played with his long fingers.

“You played really well today,” I said conversationally. His lips twitched up into a cocky smirk, “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I grinned. “So… do I get an award for playing well?” he asked suggestively, curling his fingers around mine. “Of course,” I tilted my head up and brushed my lips against his. He chuckled and responded eagerly to me. Just like always, we were interrupted.

“Dude! You guys have a nice view!” Emmett ran in and practically flew to the windows. Despite us frowning at him, he made himself comfortable on the couch after checking out the view. Edward scowled,

“What’s up with everyone just barging into our room?” he asked, throwing his arms dramatically up in the air. “How did you know which room we were staying at, anyway? How did you get in?” Emmett grinned sheepishly, “Well, I heard from Dylan, who heard from Cody, who heard from Jamie, that you kicked him out of the room. Something was caught at the door, so it was open. How convenient, right?" Edward was getting impatient, “So why are you here?”

“Oh yeah. Totally forgot about my purpose here after seeing the view,” he grinned again, “Mom and Dad want us to have dinner with them. Of course, Bella should come too.”

“I should stay here… it sounds like a family dinner and I don’t want to intrude,” I said awkwardly. Emmett laughed, “Are you kidding? My parents love you! They’d probably adopt you if they can. In fact, they probably love you more than they love me,” he joked. Edward chuckled, “Come on, Bella. The sooner we get Emmett out of here, the better. We don’t want him getting too attached to our room.”

“True. This room rocks! At least you have the city view. We get to watch old people swim in the pool,” he said as we walked out of the door, “Not a very attractive sight.” I giggled and smacked his shoulder playfully,

“You’re so rude, Emmett!” Rosalie was waiting at the end of the hallway, in front of the elevators.

“What did he do, Bella?” she smiled when she saw us coming. “He was making remarks about the old people in the pool,” Edward answered smilingly. Rosalie’s face wrinkled with disgust, “He’s right. A while ago, there were like these two couples in their sixties or so, making out. It was gross.” I muffled a laugh, “Rosalie!”

“You know, I can totally picture Edward doing that in his late years,” Emmett teased, elbowing his brother. Edward’s face became dark and murderous, “You better run, Emmett.” "Oh shit." Chapter Forty-One

When I opened my eyes the next morning, Edward was smiling down at me with a beautiful, breathtaking smile, his head propped on his hand. The sight of him made my heart fly. It was as if I was staring at a beautiful Greek god, who happened to be staring back. He chuckled softly while I stared at him like an imbecile. A blush crept on my face.

“Good morning,” I said finally, hoping he didn't catch that my voice shook. “Good morning,” he kissed my head, still smiling, “Did you sleep well?” “Very well. Did you?” He chuckled, “With you in my arms, how could I not?” I sighed relaxingly and buried my face in his chest while he pulled me closer with one of his arms. He rubbed circles on my back; it was very soothing. I loved the way he smelled, the way his velvet chuckle sounded... I loved everything about him.

“What are you thinking?” he whispered, pressing his lips into my hair. I was going to tell him the truth, but I didn't want him to think that I was obsessed or anything. So I said the first thing that popped into my mind.

“Is it true that they have free breakfast buffet in this place?” Edward laughed. Ah, his musical, perfect laugh…

“Yes, Bella. I take it that you’re hungry?” “Maybe,” I admitted to my embarrassment. He laughed again, amused,

“I’m hungry too. Let’s get dressed.” Just as he was about to get off the bed, his cell phone rang. He answered as I studied his face; it turned from a faint smile, on my account, to a frown.

“Yeah. I’ll be right there.” He snapped his phone shut and started putting on a fresh shirt, his face alarmed.

“Edward… what’s the matter?” I asked. “Emmett didn’t say, but it sounded pretty urgent. It was something about the dinning room… we better get there quickly.” “Sure. Let me just change…” I put on my outfits quickly and half-ran out of the door with Edward. When the elevator opened, we ran to where the buffet was held and saw a bunch of people circling around someone next to the chocolate fountain. When we got closer, we realized it was Conner. He was on the floor, clutching on to his ankle; it was bleeding. Oh no… blood.

“Edward’s here,” I heard someone say. They cleared a way for Edward to walk through. “Dad’s getting something to stop the bleeding,” Emmett said, “Thank god we had a doctor around here.” Edward sighed with disapproval as he looked down at his teammate, “Conner, please tell me you didn’t overly push yourself. I told you to take it easy.”

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to slow down the team… I know I missed a lot of practice because of my leg and today’s really important... I'm sorry..." Then Carlisle squeezed into the circle with the Coach right behind him. He examined his ankle and bandaged it up after putting on some medicine,

“I’m sorry but you're not going to be playing today. It’ll get worse if you do.” Carlisle had two boys carry Conner to a table and he left to get some painkillers. The Coach went to the corner of the room to call his parents, leaving the rest of the players staring wide-eyed at each other.

“This is bad,” Cody sighed, “Milo and Ralph left early this morning because they had a family emergency. Their greatgrandfather died or something like that. Dalton, Travis, and Brandon aren’t even here since they were suspended. Dylan’s arm isn’t up for it because this doofus shoved him to the ground yesterday during the game so his cut re-opened, now Conner can’t play. This is bad.” He was right; now that I looked around, they were missing five players. That’s why they had extra seats on the bus, I finally

realized. The other guys frowned and started murmuring to each other. Edward took a deep breath before speaking,

“Okay… but we still have five players. The only way that this is going to work is if the five of us play the entire game.” Jamie interrupted, “Cody can’t play for that long, remember? He has asthma and he forgot to bring his inhaler.” Emmett groaned, “Man, this is just getting better and better. We are so out of luck today!”

“Or…” Jasper spoke for the first time, “We can get someone to play for Cody while he takes his breaks.” ‘Yeah,” Cody said, annoyed, “But who?” We all stared at each other without a word. All of a sudden, Jamie’s face lit up to a bright smile after he saw my face, “I know- Bella!” All the guys turned to look at me, surprised. Jamie continued speaking,

“I mean, she has played with us before a numerous times. She knows the game, and she’s great at it. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier!” Smiles slowly spread on their faces. Edward seemed thoughtful, but his face, too, was smiling.

“Oh my god, Jamie… you’re a genius! I’d kiss you, but you’re not a girl and you are definitely not my type!” Emmett laughed, pulling him into a hug. Jamie smiled sheepishly at the rest of the team, who were extending fists with him.

“Well Bella, what do you say?” Edward asked, his eyes excited yet leaving the choice up to me. I choked and started coughing, “Are you guys serious?”

“Sure. Cody and you will take turns playing each quarter…” Edward trailed off. “And it’d be a total surprise for the Wolves,” Dylan added smugly. The other guys agreed enthusiastically, all traces of worries from before disappeared.

“I don’t know… I haven’t played a real match since eighth grade,” I murmured deliberatedly. Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder, “Bella… you’ve been to every single one of our games.”

“And we have all seen you play. With you and Edward teamed up, we’ll be unstoppable!” Cody encouraged. “But…” “Bella,” Dylan looked at me straight in the eyes, “You’re our last and only hope for winning this tournament. You’re the only one who’s good enough to fill in for the rest of the team.”

“Yeah Bella! We believe in you!” Jamie said loyally. Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder, “Guys… guys… don’t force her into doing this. Let her make her choice.” He was such a gentleman. I studied the faces that were surrounding me; I had become the center of the spotlight. Their innocent, wide eyes were filled with so much hope… I couldn’t let my friends down. I saved Edward’s eyes for last; he gave me an encouraging smile, still leaving the decision up to me. A huge part of me really wanted to play. I loved basketball, and I knew I would never get another opportunity like this. But I didn’t want to disappoint the team by not playing up to their expectations. I told myself I had to try; for my friends. For Edward.

“Okay… Count me in team,” I smiled sheepishly. Having seven muscular basketball players hugging you at the same time could be really suffocating. Emmett was practically choking me with his firm, right grip.

“What’s the plan?” the Coach said, puzzled at the sight in front of him. The guys let go of me to announce the news. “Coach! Coach! We just got this brilliant idea! Guess who can fill in for Conner!” “I’m in no time for games, Mr. Peterson,” he said, irritated.

“Bella!” Emmett, Cody and Dylan exclaimed proudly in unison. Suddenly, the wide smiles on their faces disappeared after seeing that Coach Reynolds’ face still remained emotionless. I bit my lip; we were too naïve to think he was going to agree to this. Did he really trust me enough to let me play the final match for the state tournament? In the end, the Coach spoke in his deep voice,

“Get her the smallest jersey that you can find, Cullen.” "Yes sir!" Edward saluted teasingly. The guys cheered and squeezed me again. Edward smiled and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. It was really flattering to see that they all believed in me and how happy they were to know that I would be playing with them.

“We are so going to kick ass,” Dylan chuckled confidently before we parted from the circle to our tables. "Hell yes," Emmett laughed. After the chaos that we caused at the restaurant, Edward took me to the bus and pulled out a heavy looking bag in the backseat where all the equipments were stored. He said they always brought extra jerseys with them just in case someone threw up or bled. He handed me one with number fifteen on it, his smile apologetic,

“This is the smallest one that we have.” It was ridiculously huge on me. When I tried it on in the bathroom, my bra was visible from the sides and my arms looked extra scrawny.

“Bella?” Rosalie's melodious voice sang as I heard her enter our room . She knocked on the bathroom door, “I brought you an undershirt. Do you need it?” I opened the door with appreciation, “Rosalie! Thank you so much!” She chuckled, “I thought so. You better hurry; we’re getting ready to leave. Edward had to take care of something so he called me. Alice is waiting for us at the lobby,” she explained while I put on the black, tight, sleeveless undershirt and pulled the jersey over it. I quickly put my hair up to a ponytail,

“Where are my stuff?” I asked when I saw the room empty. “Edward’s got them. Let’s go!” She grabbed my hand and we flew out of the room. We ran to the lobby to find most of the student body already in the parking lot. It seems like I’d been doing a lot of running that day.

“Nice Bella,” Alice restrained a laugh as we walked up to her, “Very Bulldog-ish." “I’m not good with the whole fashion stuff, and even I know it looks hideous on me.” Both of them snickered as we walked to our bus.

“Still! I can’t believe you’re playing though!” Alice exclaimed, “This is so cool!” The guys and the cheerleading squad were loading their luggage on the bus; the bus driver told them to stay put outside so it’d be more convenient to move the luggage around while they try to make them fit under the seats. The guys burst into laughter when they saw me,

“Awesome!” “Welcome to the team, teammate!” Dylan winked. I blushed and looked down at my feet, ignoring the glares from the cheerleaders. Then I felt Edward wrapping his arms around my waist from behind,

“I like it,” he praised, actually sounding sincere. "I love you for trying to make me feel better, but you don't have to lie," I grimaced. He smirked, “I’m serious. I think it looks... sexy on you,” he murmured alluringly in my ear. I laughed, “Sexy?” I had many words for how that jersey looked on me and sexy was definitely not one of them. He nodded his head with a mischievous smile,

“Very sexy,” he said, “And thanks for doing this. It means a lot to the team, to me.” Before I could say your welcome, a breeze made me shiver. It wasn’t smart of me to wear a sleeveless jersey in mid November- not that I had a choice. I wasn’t built like the guys on the basketball team. Edward caught that and rubbed my arm with his hands,

“You have goose bumps…” he muttered. Then he ran in the bus and was back with the blue leather jacket that he always wore on game days.

“Here…” He placed the jacket over me while I shrugged my arms into the too-long sleeves. His thoughtfulness and attention made me wonder that I had done to deserve someone as caring and wonderful as him. He was always putting me before of himself. Always looking after me... I looked up at him with sincerity and gratitude,

“Thank you,” I prayed that my voice wouldn’t break in the middle of those two words. My eyes were getting watery, but he probably thought it was because of the wind. He smiled and touched my cheek, “I like having my name on you. It’s easier to claim you as mine…” It confused me at first. But I remembered that the jacket had his jersey number and his last name around the picture of our mascot. A broad smile appeared on my face when I realized I had Cullen spelled on my back.

“What’s taking so long?” Rosalie was pacing around, impatient. “They’re having trouble getting the bags under the seats. Apparently, some of the cheerleaders did some souvenir shopping in the lobby before leaving this morning. As if their bags weren’t huge and full enough in the first place,” Edward rolled his eyes, sending irritated glances in Lauren’s direction. Lauren didn't notice since she was in a deep conversation with Crystal, who had taken Jessica's spot at being her faithful slave. Jessica, on the other hand, was standing as far away from Lauren as she could manage. She smiled weakly when she caught me looking at her and I smiled back. Alice swallowed, “Umm… guilty.” Edward sighed, “I should have expected that.” For the entire ride there, I sat silently on the seat and leaned against Edward’s chest. I was too nervous to talk. Edward must have known what I was feeling; he rubbed circles on my back soothingly and held my hand in his. I appreciated the comfort. When we got there, there were lots of reporters waiting at the entrance of the gym, talking speedily into the microphone. Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kept a low profile when he passed them; the rest of the guys were surrounding us, with Edward and me at the heart of the circle. Since I was wearing the same jersey and shorts, and the other guys were almost a foot taller, I didn’t stand out from the crowd. That was great; I shuddered to think what the reporters would make out if they knew a girl was playing for ECA this year. The boy’s locker room… great, I thought to myself sarcastically when I realized where we were going. We were greeted by none other than the Wolves at the door before entering, this made me frown. I recognized the flirty Captain, Jacob, from the last time. There were at least seven of them, standing there with their arms crossed. Edward let go of me and walked to the front to face him.

“Forfeiting already?” he said smugly. Jacob snorted, “As if. I heard about your players, that must really suck, just like your team,” he retorted, “Let’s see… three of them suspended, two of them left, and the other two are hurt. I was expecting more from you guys... it’s going to be an easy win,” he whistled. Then his eyebrow puckered when he noticed me in the back; he started laughing.

“Oh my god! Please tell me this is not what I’m seeing. You’re getting a girl to replace the guys on your team? Aren't there any other basketball players in that rich, snotty boarding school that you go to?” His teammates started laughing hysterically. Rude, immature, prejudiced babies.

“What’s wrong with girls?” I asked while walking up to stand beside Edward and glaring at him in the eye. Jacob smiled, actually looking sincere,

“Don’t take it the wrong way, honey. I’m just saying… pretty girls like you shouldn’t be involved in serious stuff like this. I don’t know if my heart can take it if one of my teammates accidentally knocks you down and damages your pretty, little

face,” he reached out to touch my cheek. I quickly slapped it away. Edward snarled, “Touch her again one more time, and I’ll make sure you get your face damaged.”

“So protective, are we? I take it that you’re together now? How cute,” he mocked, “You know, Bella. I always thought you could do better. Perhaps with someone like me,” he winked, smirking. Edward took a step forward, his fist clenched and ready to punch Jacob in the face; I wrapped my arms around his while Emmett restrained him from the back.

“He’s not worth it,” Jasper said calmly, "Let it go, Edward." Then we heard someone clearing their throat from behind us.

“You boys have no business here,” Coach Reynolds said, his voice full of authority. Jacob didn't look away from Edward, neither did he wipe off that toothy grin from his face.

“Oh, we’re done, Coach. We’re just here to wish you guys luck, because you’re going to need it. By the way, Cullen, thought you should know- we have nine players on our team. Nine good players,” he emphasized, “I was stupid to be looking forward to this game. I already smell victory in the air,” he laughed.

“Get out of here,” Coach said angrily. “Gladly. See you on the court,” Jacob smiled and winked at me, "And I'll definitely be seeing more of you." Then they walked away, laughing as they went.

“All of you. In the locker room… NOW!” Coach shouted. We followed his instructions obediently and took a seat on the bench when we got in. I was stuck between Edward and Dylan, who was fidgeting with his cast.

“I want you to know that I’m very proud of you for making to the finals. I know all of you have the desire to win- so do I. But I want you to remember, win or lose, you are all champions. It’s not the score on the board that defines who you are; it’s what’s inside of you…” It was interesting to see how attentive the guys were being to his words. They never pay that much attention in class.

“Coach, what about me? And Conner?” Dylan asked. “You two can sit on the bench, be a part of a team, and look pretty like young ladies ought to…” he joked. We laughed; I liked how Coach Reynolds wasn’t pressuring his team but lightening up the mood.

“Nice way to put it, Coach,” Dylan muttered unhappily. The Coach continued in a lighter tone, “Now… go out there, play a good game, and beat those Wolves’ butt. We didn’t come here to lose to them!”

“Yeah!” the guys threw their fists in the air and chanted. Then they stormed out of the locker room in a line, excited and anxious.

“Bella,” he stopped me before I was about to exit. “Yes Coach?” “Never let the opponent intimidate you. Basketball is never about gender, it’s about your love for the game. The guys believe in you, so do I…” "Coach? I appreciate you allowing me to play. But I don't really understand..."

“I saw you playing Edward one evening before leaving the campus. And I had heard many praise from your gym teacher; he was very impressed. Just do your best,” he smiled.

“Thank you,” I ran out and found my team waiting in the hallway for me. “Aww! You guys waited?” I said, touched, placing my hand over my heart teasingly. They grinned, “Of course. We’re not letting you go out there along. Plus, Edward kind of told us to.” I laughed while Edward looked away with embarrassment. We jogged to the court and heard thunderous applauses and

deafening cheers. I looked up at the crowd and felt my heart thump heavier by the second; I had never played in front of this many people before.

“ECA! ECA! ECA! ECA!” the chanting began immediately. The opposing team saw what they were doing and started crying ‘Horizon Wolves! Horizon Wolves!’ The Wolves looked intimidating with their large sizes and fierce expressions. They made loud thumps with their feet when they came on the court, their eyes darting dark looks in our directions. Both team rounded up into two separate circles. The cheering didn’t die down, so it was difficult to make out what the Coach was saying,

“Okay… Cody, you will play the first quarter. Bella will fill in for you in the second, and the pattern continues. Alright… from all of you, I want to see some hustling; go after the ball, keep your eyes on your goal. And do not, I repeat, do not pick a fight with the other team. Now, Bulldogs on three…” We extended our hands, “One! Two! Three! Bulldogs!” I tried to tune out what the announcer was saying over the intercome. I could hear puzzled murmurs floating around the room, staring at me with pure curiosity. Then finally, the dreadful wait was over. The loud buzz rang around the room and I took my seat on the bench next to Conner, who gave me a thumbs up. The second buzz was heard, and the game began. Edward and Jacob jumped for the ball. Edward was a split second faster than Jacob, so our team got the advantage to score the first basket. If I thought the games that they played yesterday were blurry, boy was I wrong. This game was unbelievably edgy and intense- you could almost see the tension between the two teams. They were all so fast; one minute they were there, the next minute they were on the opposite side. Edward was like a cheetah while he ran, traveling back and forth on the court, dribbling the ball in his hand. His face hardened ever since the game started, and he had this look on his face that said “nothing can stop me”. Edward made in a three-pointer from the corner; I watched with excitement as the ball went in the hoop with a swish without touching the backboard. The Wolves were great as well. They kept up with us, only trailing behind by a couple of points. It seemed like Jacob had told his teammates that he’d be the one guarding Edward. They locked their eyes in each others' belligerently while Jacob played defense. The other team made in some pretty good shots as well; they had improved since the last time that we played them. Alice was right to be nervous. First quarter was over; the Bulldogs were leading by seven points. The guys gulped down a huge bottle of water and wiped off their sweats with the towels on the bench. I watched silently as the clock ticked; I was breaking off cold sweats.

“Bella? Are you okay? You’re pale,” Edward said, his voice full of concern. “Yeah… just freaking out. Give me a second,” I breathed. Emmett patted my back, “I heard slapping usually brings someone out from their state of shock…” he said knowingly. “You’re not slapping her, Emmett,” Edward snapped impatiently. “I’m fine. Really,” I tried to force a smile. Jasper looked at me sympathetically, “It’s okay. I was the same way on my first game. It gets better when you set your feet on the court, trust me.” It was time to continue the match. Dylan and Conner wished me luck and I got up timidly with my fingers crossed. Murmurs escaped from the crowd when I took Cody’s place; I inhaled a deep breath and prayed that I wouldn’t let my team down. This time, the other team got the ball first. I was terrible in the first two minutes of the game; the crowd and the opposing team got to me and I was absolutely horrified and clueless on what to do. My mind just blanked out on me. This guy from the other team gave me a taunting smile while I blocked him. Jacob’s words from earlier suddenly made me aggressivePretty girls like you shouldn’t be involved in serious stuff like this. I was going to prove him wrong. I would show him how absurd he was to discriminate someone’s ability at play basketball by her gender. I ran after the ball and caught the person dribbling it by surprise. He had caught an eyeful of Emmett, since he was the biggest player on our team, so he was expecting Emmett to be the one to guard him. I took the ball from him and threw it to Edward. Two guys from the opposing team quickly gained up on him, but Edward was always a step ahead. He threw the ball back to me, when I was just a little behind the free point line. Jamie and Jasper were well guarded at that time; Emmett was trying to get open, but one of the Wolves was in front of him, refusing to give in. So I threw the ball… and it went in!

I’m sure I took a lot of people by surprise since I heard many exclamations from the crowd. I even took myself by surprise. The Wolves scoffed incredulously.

“Sorry Jacob. Sitting at the sidelines isn’t really my thing,” I grinned. Edward winked in my direction while Jacob scowled, “Looks like I underestimated you.” I smiled at him and skipped gleeful back to my position for the game to continue. I passed the ball to Jamie this time, but Jacob jumped up and lunged for it before it reached Jamie. He ran to the other side of the court to make a shot. Emmett was close to getting it back, but he was a second too late.

“You don’t know what you got yourself into, little girl,” said a huge kid from the other team when the ball landed into the hoop. He clicked his tongue and smirked at me in a way that made me uncomfortable; he finally jogged away. We were now two points behind; but that only lasted for about five seconds. I made another shot from the corner and Edward ended the first half of the game with his infamous circus shot. It was good to be ahead; it gave us more confidence. We get a ten minute break for half time; I ran to the bench and drank one and a half bottle of water. Who knew basketball could be so tiresome?

“That was awesome, Bella...” Edward said sweetly, swinging my ponytail. I laughed and thanked him.

“Man! You were totally cool up there! Did you see that dude’s face when you stole the ball from him? It was priceless!” Dylan exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

“Man, they’re going down,” Conner chuckled darkly. Cody smacked my fist, “We make a good team, you and I.” I grinned. We rested on the bench for a few minutes. Edward was thoughtful; he seemed to be calculating something, but I didn’t ask. The Coach called us up before the second half started,

“Alright… You all are doing great. Keep this up, and the victory is ours…” “Let’s kick ass on three,” Edward smirked. We snickered and bellowed, “One! Two! Three! Let’s kick ass!” Emmett threw his muscular arms in the air and caught the ball, interrupting a pass made from Jacob to his teammate. He threw it to Edward, who made a spectacular jump shot from the sides.

“How was it? Playing the game, I mean,” Dylan asked. “It was so much fun. A lot of pressure at first, but I seem to forget the stress when I touch the ball,” I shrugged, “I’m sorry you didn’t get to play, Dylan. It must be hard for you to sit out for the last match.” He smiled, “It’s alright. I had my time yesterday. I’m feeling pumped up just by watching…” In the middle of third quarter, Coach had me substituting Cody since he looked out of breath and his cheeks were in an unnatural pink color. Cody looked at me apologetically before sitting on the bench; I smiled at him and nodded with acknowledgement. The other team sneered when they saw me stepping on the court. Some of them laughed and shook their heads. Those were exactly the people that I needed to prove myself to; the ones who think girls should be wearing miniskirts, waving their pom-poms around to cheer for them. The game continued. Edward passed me the ball but just as I was about to run to the hoop, Jacob smirked and waved his arms out to block me.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, gorgeous,” he said, his voice taunting. I looked nervously for someone to pass it to, but none of them were open. It would be foolish to jump; Jacob could stop me with one hand effortlessly. There was only one choice for tough situations like this- the circus shot. What if you miss? The truth was, I hadn’t been using the circus shot for I didn’t know how long. It was only needed when I played tall players like Edward, but Edward had been practicing so the only time that I played basketball was the forty minutes in gym everyday- with Ryan and the rest of my classmates. But I didn’t need to use it when I played them; they weren’t much taller that I was.

It wasn’t like I had a choice. Either I take a chance and attempt to throw it at the basket or Jacob gets it. I contorted my body, twisted my waist and threw the ball up from under his arms; it was good that we weren’t too far away from the basket. I watched, my knuckles buckled tightly, as the ball spun in an unfamiliar way. It flew to the left side at first, and I thought I was going to miss like the time in Edward’s private lesson. But to my surprise, and everyone else’s, it hit the backboard and landed in the hoop right before third quarter ended.

“Did she just…” I heard one of the Wolves stutter. At first, there were murmurs from the audience. But it was only a matter of time before I heard the loud, joyous cheers from our school. I loved the feeling. The feeling that you get after you accomplish something that you thought couldn’t be done. And to feel the crowd roar… it was incredible.

“You know how to do the circus shot,” Jacob said calmly, all traces of humor gone. I shrugged.

“That was luck, Bella. That was luck…” he muttered. Edward approached me and gave me a high five, chuckling,

“Nice shot, teammate!” “I learned from the best,” I hinted. He laughed and ruffled my hair while pulling me to the bench to get a sip of water. “Dude! That was awesome! I thought Edward was the only one who could do the circus shot in our school!” Conner said when we went on our one minute break, “Did you see the ball spin? It was crazy!”

“You’re high today, Conner,” Dylan chuckled, “And that’s usually Jamie.” The one minute break was too short. After taking three sips of water, the final quarter of the final match began. I became very edgy; this was it. I told myself I had to do my best no matter what; they made it this far, and I wasn’t about to let them down. I thought of the parents, the students in the crowd, cheering. My teammates, Edward… He made in a lot of corner shots- one of the hardest shots in my opinion- and received a great reaction from the crowd. It was amazing how he seemed to get all the angles right and the ball would go straight into the hoop without touching the rim or the backboard. Jamie looked tired compared to the others; but he still kept up with determination filled in his blue eyes. Jasper passed me the ball and I dribbled it to the other side of the court after sliding by those heavy looking guards from Horizon. I passed it to Jamie, who was right there by the hoop, and he made it in with a simple lay-up. I told myself to ignoring the clock; I didn’t have time for distractions or fears. Jacob was yelling at his teammate for not blocking him; the atmosphere for the Wolves was terrible. The Wolves were keeping up to my dismay. I watched nervously as the scores for both teams went up. Edward and Jasper shot some excellent three-pointers to keep us ahead, but just when I thought we were safe, the Wolves would surprise me by a spectacular shot of their own. I was trying to get away from the guy that was supposed to be guarding me. He was more than a foot taller than I was, so I gave up on jumping. Jasper was looking for someone open to pass it to since he was too far away from the basket. I looked at the big dude’s figure in front of me and an idea came to me while he waved his long arms up in the air. I pointed at the opening of his legs; Jasper smiled and bounced the ball beneath the big guy so that I could catch it.

“Yes!” I yelled and made my way to the hoop. I made a shot from the side and heard cheers from my teammates and the audience. A few seconds later, I was trying to stop the ball when it was being passed from Jacob to one of his teammates. I leaped for the ball carelessly, thinking I would be fast enough, and collided with a big guy from the other team who was also going after the ball from the opposite direction. Our head smashed against each others’ with a loud bang and we both fell backwards on the floor, with him on top of me. He practically landed on my left leg- I felt a sharp ache from my knee when he struggled to get up.

“Foul!” the ref called after he blew the whistle. The Coach looked anxiously in my direction as Edward ran quickly to my side,

“Bella? Are you alright?” his eyes were frantic as he knelt down next to me to examine my knee. He didn’t dare to touch me, but it looked like he wanted to.

“I’m fine.” I winced when I tried standing up. I didn't suceed, but instead, I ended back on my butt- how embarrassing. “Don’t move…” he instructed. Then two guys from the medical center helped me up and led me to the office. It was a bright room with a small cot at the center; posters were hung neatly on the four walls. They checked for head injuries and examined my leg. In the end, the nurse wrapped a bandage around my head since she said there was a small cut and got something to brace my nearly-broken leg. She asked me how I was feeling; I answered that I was perfectly okay and that I really wanted to watch the rest of the game so quickly that it was almost rude. She hesitated at first; but after reading my face, she escorted me back to the bench with a sigh. Conner and Dylan asked me if I was alright; I told them it was no big deal. It only looked a lot worse because of the bandage. I saw Edward catching glimpses of me from the cornor of his eye. The boys were doing an incredible job. Maybe I was imagining it, but Edward seemed more motivated and aggressive as he continued the rest of the game. And somewhat… frustrated? He slipped away from all the blockers so quickly and fiercely that it made the game more intense than it already was. The Wolves’ Coach was bellowing angrily at his team for letting Edward make in so many baskets; his team looked irritated.I don't blame them; I wasn’t even on his team and he was beginning to bug me. The Wolves were now tailing behind with a good thirteen points. With less than a minute left in the game, the Wolves were growing more nervous and anxious as the clock ticked down.

“Sorry Jacob. It looks like we’re still going to win this year…” The ball flew impressively into the hoop at the sound of the last buzzer. It was over. Chapter Forty-Two The ball landed into the hoop and the crowd went crazy. The cheerleaders were jumping up and down joyously; the crowds were on their feet, hugging each other while screaming spiritedly for our victory. Some of the students threw their spirit foam-fingers in the air and whistled. Their loud, exultant cheers roared in the madness while on the opposite side of the gym, Jacob and his teammates sunk weakly to the floor on their knees, their eyes wide as they accepted their defeat. He stared at Edward, not with hatred… but with envy. Their Coach threw his arms up in the air dramatically while shaking his head with fury.

“I can’t believe it… Another loss!” he bellowed while stomping his foot. The squad and basketball players were running over to meet with their prodigy-like captain who, to their surprise and confusion, was jogging away from them toward the opposite direction. Dylan ran to join his teammates while Conner followed limply behind, but they both stopped halfway when they saw Edward approaching the nearly empty bench instead of celebrating with his team over their marvelous victory.

“Cap?” Dylan scratched his head, “Where are you going?” he asked when Edward passed him. Edward didn’t seem to hear him. Jamie, along with the rest of the team and the cheerleading squad, shrugged and followed Edward with proud smiles on their faces. It didn’t seem like they knew where he was heading, but it didn’t look like they cared. Realization hit their faces as they saw him drawing nearer to me and stopping about a yard away. Jamie looked puzzled and was about to take another step forward to ask Edward what he was doing, but Emmett stopped him with his arm out, blocking him. He whispered something in his ear that made Jamie nod with apprehension. Edward’s eyes were unfathomable. I smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. I then realized that he hadn’t smiled at all after we won the game, not once. He took another step forward and before I even got a chance to say anything, he pulled me into his embrace.

“Bella, I’m so sorry.” I puckered my eyebrows, “Edward, why are you apologizing?” He let go of me and sighed while eyeing my leg and my forehead bleakly. He crouched down and touched my cheek,

“I shouldn’t have agreed to this. What the hell was I thinking, letting you play against those guys who were twice your size? I’m so sorry… I was supposed to be protecting you… and yet, look at yourself. You’re wrapped up in bandages, you’re hurt…” his voice was full of remorse. My heart ached at the sight of guilt that was masked on his beautiful face.

“Edward,” I murmured, bringing his hand down from my cheek to hold it firmly in mine, “Stop it. You’re being ridiculously absurd...” I murmured,

“I wanted to play, Edward. I wanted to do it. And I don’t regret it at all, not even a bit. These injuries, they’re nothing,” I shrugged with a smile, “Please don’t agonize yourself over something unnecessary. This is not your fault; it was on one’s fault.”

“I know,” he sighed, “I just wish… there was some way for me to be there for you to prevent all of this from happening in the first place. I felt helpless, seeing you wincing on the floor with pain and knowing there was nothing that I could do. I hate seeing you hurt. I don’t care how minor the injury is… I don’t like it,” he said grimly, his lips pressing into a hard line.

“I’m perfectly okay,” I whispered, “Don’t worry.” I brought his hand to my lips and kissed it. He smiled back in response,

“You’re an amazing girl, you know that, Isabella Marie Swan?” it was my favorite, light-hearted crooked smile. I grinned, “Of course I do. Why else would you love me?” I teased, lightening up his clouded mood. He laughed earnestly, his expression no longer strained and pained, “Would it be inappropriate for me to kiss you right now?”

“Kiss me,” I whispered. He chuckled softly and crashed his lips to mine. There was nothing in the world that could compare to his delicate, breathtaking kisses. He cupped my face, being careful not to touch my bulky-bandaged leg with his body, and linked my fingers in his left hand.

“I love you,” he breathed when he pulled away, resting his forehead against mine. His face was still slightly flushed from the game and his cheeks were in a light shade of pink; he looked adorable.

“I love you more,” I said, even more breathless than he was. He smiled again and tightened his grip around my fingers. Forgetting the audience behind us, we heard “aww” coming from Edward's behind. He turned to look, and we found grins from our teammates who were standing a few yards back. The cheerleaders looked envious, but none of them were glaring, with the exception of Lauren, of course. I noticed that parents and students, in their seats, were also watching us with intent gazes. I caught Alice in the crowd, giving me a thumbs-up. I chuckled. Edward stood up and grinned at them, “You know one of these days, we’re going to have to charge you guys.” Our teammates laughed and ran up to us. They managed to summon up a group hug with me sitting down at the center; it felt wonderful to be a part of the circle. Emmett ruffled my hair, “You did great, Bella. If you want me to kick that dude’s ass, all you have to do is ask.”

“Umm… No thank you. I’ll pass…” I gulped. He laughed loudly, as if I just said something hilarious.

“Hey! We haven’t done the victory dance!” Jamie burst out suddenly. “What victory dance?” Edward frowned. Dylan chuckled loudly and gave Emmett and Jasper a meaningful look, “The victory dance.” The next thing I knew, it all happened so quickly, Edward was picked up from the floor to be seated on Emmett and Jasper’s shoulder. I laughed while Edward still looked shocked by what had just happened.

“What is this?” “The victory dance! Didn’t you know it’s an ECA tradition?” Jamie beamed at him innocently, winking secretly in my direction.

“Since when?” Edward scoffed. “Since now!” Emmett declared laughingly as the rest of the team followed Edward and them to the center of the court, chanting “ECA” triumphantly the whole time. It wasn’t long until the fans did the same.

“Victory! Victory! That's our cry! Victory! Victory! That's our pride! Split that V, Dot that I, Curve that C-T-O-R-Y” I would have gotten up from the bench, but my leg was still hurting and I wouldn’t risk falling down at the Bulldogs’ victorious moment. Another reason of my immobility was Edward’s breathtaking, dazzling smile. My breath was caught in my throat when I saw how triumphed and jubilant he looked sitting on Emmett and Jasper's broad shoulders with the other guys and cheerleaders surrounding him. He looked… god-like. The little kids were staring at him with admiration- like he was a hero. The student body was chanting his name along with our school’s… the atmosphere was bizarrely spiritful. It was announced through the intercom that it was time to present the trophies. The crowd sat back down and the teams came back to take their seats on the bleachers. Edward threw one of his arms around my shoulder and held my hand in his other one. He winked at me and I blushed. It was impossible to get over how beautiful he looked. I still couldn’t look away when he turned his gaze to the court. He caught me gaping at him from the corner of his eye and smirked. I turned quickly away with embarrassment, flustered. A man in black business suit, the athletic director, I assumed, stepped up to the middle of the basketball court with a microphone in his hand. Two men moved a table carefully beside the athletic director and placed the trophies delicately on top of the red table cloth. The gym silenced and everyone stared anxiously at him while he tested the sound system. He paced around to look at every direction before he started speaking,

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Now, as most of you now, I’ve been the sport director of this district for many years. And this year’s tournament has got to be one of the bests that I have ever watched,” he smiled,

“Just by sitting down, watching, I could feel the boys’ determination on winning the competition. And most important of all, I could sense their love for the game. I saw many spectacular teams out there today. Winners or not, I would like to acknowledge them on all the hard work that they put had themselves through. You boys should be proud of yourselves, all of you. Now, the moment that you’ve been waiting for… it is time to present the winners of the 2008 basketball tournament… In third place, we have a new team that will now go down in the wall of fame for the first time- Lincoln High Huskies!” The Huskies yelled happily and ran across the gym floor as their supporters cheered enthusiastically for their achievement. Photographers took various pictures of the team holding the cup as the rest of the gym waited impatiently for the next announcement.

“In second place, we have our fierce fighters, the Horizon Wolves!” The Wolves didn’t seem to look pleased. Neither one of them were that aggressive while running to take the cup. The Coach wasn’t smiling at all- but instead, glowering at his team with distaste. My fury resurfaced as I stared at the over-demanding man. The Bulldogs were so lucky to have Coach Reynolds as their Coach. Compare to the Horizon Coach, Coach Reynolds was a saint. Jacob took the cup with a reluctant, tentative smile for the camera. The crowd whistled and smiles finally cracked from their lips. Edward, along with the rest of us, cheered for them too. Now all tensions were gone. They were looking at the Wolves in a different way from before- not like their enemy, but like their comrades. I wondered if the Wolves would do the same if the situation was reversed. I wondered if they would offer the same grace to ECA. Jacob met Edward's eyes briefly. He smiled indifferently, the same smile for the camera, and patted one of his teammates on his shoulder.

“Finally, it is time to proclaim our winner for the competition. These boys… and this year, girl,” he threw a glance in my direction with a chuckle,

“Have continued to surprise us with their outstanding performance. At first, I’m sure all of us had quite the heart attack to see them playing with only half of the team. Nevertheless, they managed to take the state title again with their splendid plays. Ladies and gents, I give you last year’s champion, and for many years before,” he said, earning chuckles from the audience,

“The East Coast Academy Bulldogs!” Abrupt, frenzied cheers escaped loudly from the over-excited crowd. Edward helped me up from the bench and pulled me

along gently toward the center of the gymnasium to claim our golden, striking trophy. The rest of the team had arrived before we did, jumping up and down, hitting each other’s chest with their own or extending fists, all smiles, of course. Edward had to drop my hand to accept the gigantic, radiant cup from the director. Flashes blinded our sights as we huddled together to take one picture for the entire team. The feeling was indescribably satisfying. I felt so proud, not of myself, but of the entire team. They definitely deserved it. They might have made winning look easy and effortless with their superior skills, but they had put so much hard work, so much sweat and blood into the game. Edward let go of the trophy to let our teammates have the chance to hold it. Emmett held it up mightily in the air as roaring, frenetic cheers echoed madly in the gymnasium once again, pumping up the atmosphere further more with their enthusiasm.

“Go Bulldogs!” “ECA… Number one always!” “Love you, Edward!” Edward grinned and rolled his eyes at the last statement. I nudged him in the elbow playfully with a snicker.

“Congratulations Captain,” I smiled at him, grinning. With his eyes as ecstatic as before, he bent down to kiss my cheeks. I beamed up at him with adoration; without deliberation, I jumped up, completely forgotten about my leg injury, and threw my arms around his neck to give him a passionate kiss. The volume of the cheering increased as well as the whistling. I didn’t care that there were hundreds, possibly thousands, of people watching. I didn’t care at all because there was nothing else that I’d rather do than to share the sweet victory with the man that I loved. When we broke away from each other’s embrace, I saw blue, white ribbons flying gloriously in the air. The cheerleaders joined us on the court, all of them just as excited as we were. You’d think the fans had killed their lungs from screaming so much, but the cheering never ceased. I didn’t get a clear view of them though because I was too busy feeling Edward's lips on mine. Then the audience came down from their seats to congratulate the players. Alice and Rosalie kissed Emmett and Jasper deeply, ignoring the surroundings. It was hard not to get lost, but Edward held my hand tightly the whole time to make sure we stayed together. At last, we finally found Edward’s parents. Esme pulled her son into her embrace then wrapped her arms around me,

“Bella! Are you still hurting, sweetie?” “No, not at all… I’m absolutely feeling pain-free at the moment.” Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and Alice joined us. Rosalie chuckled, “You almost gave Esme a heart attack. You looked half-dead under that giant.”

“Well, here I am,” I grinned. “Isn’t this cool? We have the majority of the team here with us,” Emmett reminded us with a smirk. Carlisle smiled warmly at all of us, “I’m very proud of all of you. You guys did a spectacular job.” "I am so happy for the four of you. I promised myself that I wouldn't cry, but my boys are growing up," Esme's eyes watered as she pulled Emmett and Edward into another hug. Edward and Emmett rolled their eyes at each other teasingly, patting Esme on the back while murmuring, "It's okay, mom." After saying goodbye to Edward’s parents, we grabbed our stuff from the locker room without changing back into our normal clothes. It felt honorable to be wearing one of those jerseys; none one of us had any desire to take it off. I let my hair drape over my shoulder and tried combing it out with my fingers. It was careless of me not to bring a brush. A pair of arms snaked around my waist, “Ready?” Edward breathed against my neck.

“Yes,” I whispered unevenly. He laughed. He seemed so carefree, so relaxed now. It was as if the boulder that was pressuring him before was lifted off his body. He took my hand and we exited the locker room with a very animate crowd of boys behind us. They were still talking

about the game. The last shot… the last buzzer…

“How’s your leg?” Edward asked when the cool breeze hit against our skin. He had put the jacket back on me to keep me warm.

“It’s painless,” I assured him. As we were about to set our foot on the bus, a husky voice called from behind. “Cul… Edward!” The voice was fimiliar. We both turned around and instantly, both of us became alarmed when we saw Jacob leaning against the streetlight, his face unreadable. Jacob smiled a friendly smile and walked up to us with his hand held out,

“Congratulations. You guys played a great game.” Edward smiled back and shook it modestly, “You guys were pretty awesome as well.” Jacob grinned, “We were, weren’t we?” his voice was teasing, not in a bad, taunting way. Then he sighed, “But you guys were better… You had fewer players, but you still manage to beat us. With an unexpected substitution,” Jacob smiled sheepishly in my direction,

“You were amazing back there, Bella. Honestly. I’m sorry about my… behavior a while ago. I was just really nervous about the game… and that brings out the bad side of me,” he said, looking serene, "I'm usually better than this."

“Don’t worry about it, Jacob," I said. “You’re lucky, you know, Cul… I mean, Edward. Next year, there’d be scouts watching you and showering you with college opportunities…” Jacob sighed enviously.

“Actually, I won’t be playing basketball in college..." Edward's voice was casual and indifferent. Jacob and I gaped at him with surprise.

“What?” His face was carefully masked, “I’m not going to play ball in college. My senior year will be my last year as a basketball player…”

“Jacob!” the Coach hissed at him angrily when he saw him talking to us, “We’re leaving!” Edward looked away with disgust, “What is that guy’s problem? You should tell the school board or something.”

“Yeah. He’s beginning to piss me off too. I think your Coach was a rival of his back in their days… that’s why he’s so freaking upset,” Jacob frowned, “Total ass, that man.”

“Jacob Black!” “Coming!” Jacob snapped back impatiently and muttered a cuss word under his breath. He threw us a sly smile, “Be thankful of everything you have, Edward. You have a beautiful girlfriend, supportive parents and teachers, and the chance to have what every guy in that gym dreamed of having. I know it sounds strange coming from your worst enemy,” Jacob and Edward both grinned, “But just never take it for granted.”

“I won’t.” Edward gave my hand a tight squeeze. “You know, Jacob, if you aren't my sport rival or constantly hitting on the girl that I love… I might actually like you,” Edward laughed. Jacob snickered, “Even if you aren't the basketball captain of ECA, even if you don’t have everything that I’m envious of… no, not even then.” I laughed while Edward rolled his eyes.

“Well, I better go or that moron’s going to start taking it out on the rest of the team. So,” Jacob untucked his hands from his pocket, “I’ll see you next year. And consider this a warning, Mr. Big Shot: if you want to look good in your last year of basketball, you better work hard or we’ll be creaming your ass out there,” his tone was teasing. Edward snorted, “Don’t worry, Black. We won’t be the ones getting creamed out there, trust me.” Jacob smirked, “You’re confident.”

“With a good reason,” Edward replied jokingly. A guy from Jacob’s team came running down to us. “Hi, sorry to interrupt. You’re Bella, right?” he asked nervously. “Yeah. What’s up?” “I’m so sorry about your leg. I didn’t fall on you on purpose, I swear. I was concentrating on the ball and…” he ranted, his hands moving speedily in the air as if he was demonstrating.

“It’s okay…I know it was an accident. I’m fine, my leg’s not even broken,” I assured him. He sighed in relief, “Good. I almost thought I crushed your bones.” “You didn’t succeed, don’t worry,” I grinned. “What are you two doing?!” Jacob rolled his eyes in annoyance when he heard the Coach bellowing at him again. “Come on, Embry. Let’s go. Catch you guys later,” they both gave us a nod and ran on their bus. I felt bad for them knowing that they would be stuck on the tiny bus with the nasty Coach in the hour long drive. "That was a surprise," I said when we turned around to face the bus. "Yes it was... maybe this is all just a dream." Edward lifted me off the ground, stepped on the bus, and carried me down the aisle against my protest.

“I could walk, you know,” I narrowed my eyes at him when he set me down on my seat. His teeth flashed in the darkness, “Oh, I know.” The bus ride back to school was unbelievably loud and nauseating, but also fun to the extreme. It didn’t seem like the guys were sober, since one of them suggested that we sing “the wheels on the bus”. At first, only Emmett and Jamie went along with it. Then Dylan joined them, and so did Jasper and Cody. The cheerleaders joined the craziness; the bus was filled with off-key singing. They might have been great athletics or gymnasts, but singing was definitely not their thing.

“Bella, let’s sing!” Alice gasped out between her giggles. Rosalie and I rolled our eyes, “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round…” I laughed giddily when we finished a verse. It was surprising entertaining.

“Round and Round…” “Come on, Edward!” I nudged him lightly. He sighed, “What the hell? It makes me look like the crazy one, being the only sane person on the bus,” he said humorously, “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town.” I snickered, “I don’t think I’ve done anything this childish since the second grade.”

“Everybody sing! The Bulldogs on the bus say we kicked ass, we kicked ass, we kicked ass…” Emmett’s voice rang in the darkness. Edward and I threw back our heads and laughed; he was right, this wasn’t something a sane person would do. After we got tired of kiddy songs, we moved on to “We Are the Champions.” Jamie sank down to the floor dramatically, borrowing Dylan’s water bottle to pretend as a microphone. The bus halted to a stop suddenly. He was thrown back against his seat and he banged his head. The rest of us burst into laughter. The Coach merely sat there and ignored us crazy kids with his ear-plugs on. We had a reason to be high, right? After all, it wasn’t not everyday that we win the state championship. We stopped by McDonald’s for dinner since the Coach claimed that it was the only place that he could take us to without feeling embarrassed about our “hyperness”. He said we might as well as just hop into the playground and play with the three year-olds while we were being so childish. It was late when we got back to our school. Nevertheless, most of the students were as energetic and cheerful as ever. You’d think we were going to a picnic or something in the middle of the afternoon.

“I’m going to take a shower. I’ll meet you back in your room,” Edward said when we got off the bus, kissing my cheek.

“Okay,” I smiled. He took off with Jamie and the rest of the guys. Rosalie and Alice looked cautiously at me, ready to prevent my face from hitting the floor the moment that I started walking.

“Seriously, I’m not going to fall or anything,” I rolled my eyes, secretly touched by their concern. Alice smirked, “Well, we have to be sure. I wouldn’t want my brother to hang a sword above my head for letting you trip.”

“And I wouldn’t want Jasper to point a gun at my head for letting Edward kill Alice. See it not only concerns you, but all of us too?” Rosalie winked. We snickered at our sillyness. Rosalie sighed when our dorm came into view, “I kind of missed this place.”

“Not me. I liked the hotel,” I said smugly, remembering how good it felt to have Edward on top of me, kissing my neck and pressing me against the soft linens. They both elbowed me teasingly, already knowing where my thoughts were leading to.

“You’d better. You had the best view,” Alice pouted. I groaned, “When are you guys ever going to let that go?”

“Never. Just imagine this: while you two were getting all romantically gooey with each other, staring out at the beautiful city ahead of you, we got stuck watching old people doing what old people weren’t suppose to do!” Rosalie shuddered at the memory.

“Here’s a solution: never draw the curtains,” Alice teased. “Very nice, Alice. Why didn’t I think of that earlier?” Rosalie retorted sarcastically. “Besides, it was one of those scenes that burns into your memory for as long as you live, even if you only caught a glimpse of it for about a second or so.”

“Ouch,” we snickered. Alice and I took turns showering after we got in. I got rid of the nasty looking bandages and nearly hurled when I saw what was underneath. The injury had become worse; right below my knee, there was now a dark purple bruise with dry blood lingering around. I winced when I tried to wipe it. No pain, no gain… I breathed. Edward arrived at the same time that Alice was about to head off to Jasper’s.

“Nice timing, Alice. I didn’t even have to knock on the door,” Edward joked. Alice grinned at him, “Have fun kids! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Then she shut the door behind her. Edward wore a T-shirt that hung over his perfect, sculpted chest. I stifled a gasp and tried to keep my emotions under better control. He smiled dazzlingly in my direction while walking over to sit beside me on the bed. He pressed his back against the wooden frame,

“Hey…” “Hi,” I said. “You took off the bandages,” he said. Awkwardly, I tried to hide the bruise. I didn’t want him to make a big deal out of it; he had been so stressed in these past couple of weeks, I wasn’t about to add him another unimportant burden right after the game ended.

“Edward…” I began to protest when he brushed my hands away. My wish was ignored; he gaped at my leg with surprise. “Oh my god, Bella,” he gasped, “You said it didn’t hurt.” “It doesn’t…” I looked away from his eyes, “Not unless I touch it.” I could see the disapproval in his eyes, “Bella…”

“Edward, it’s fine. It’s a bruise, no problem,” I shrugged. “A very serious looking bruise,” he added dryly. I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck, “I’m great. Stop worrying about me, alright? Or I’m kicking you out,” I threatened jokingly. Of course, it'd kill me to be away from him. He hesitated and gave up with a reluctant sigh, “First thing tomorrow, we’re getting you checked out by the nurse.”

“Yes sir,” I grinned. “Come here,” he lifted his arm up and made room for me to snuggle against him. I pulled the blanket over us and closed my eyes to prolong the delightful moment. Then I remembered something I’d been meaning to ask.

“Edward?” “Yes?” “What did you mean when you said you aren’t going to play basketball in college?” He stared down at me, hesitating. What ever he saw must have encouraged him. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and re-opened them as he spoke,

“Coach Reynolds called me to his office a few days ago. He told me how important this tournament and the one next year were if I wanted to impress the scouts. My future was set, he said, in any of those top schools in the country if I continued playing like this in my senior year. He said after college, I might even have a shot in NBA…” he chuckled,

“But I don’t want to play basketball, Bella. Not for a career. I want to do something more… I…” he paused. “This is going to sound insane… but I want to be a doctor, Bella. I want to save people’s lives, children’s lives. I want to be more than just a basketball player. I just... I just want to make a difference in this world.” I watched as his eyes sparkled at the mention of 'saving children's lives'. I looked at him with pure adoration as I threw my arms around his waist. He seemed bewildered, but he tightened his grip around me anyway.

“Don’t you think what I said was absurd?” he whispered. “Absurd? Oh Edward, if it’s possible, I think I just fell in love with you even more!” I beamed. He let out a breath, “Well, that was certainly unexpected. I thought… I thought you were going to tell me that I was crazy to be thinking that,” he chuckled.

“Edward,” I kissed his lips, “I think it’s wonderful that you want to do more with your life. I truly do.” “Thanks,” he whispered then asked, “What about you? What do you plan on doing in the future?” his lips twitched up to a smile.

“What I want to do is nothing in comparison to yours. I want, I want to be a journalist. I love reading, I guess you already knew that,” I grinned, “And I love writing. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do ever since I was little.” He kissed the top of my head, “I think you’d be great at journalism. Let’s face it: you’re the best writer in our grade. And there’s something that you should know: no matter what happens in the future, I’ll always be here for you, Bella Swan.”

“Thanks. You know I’d do exactly the same for you, right? No matter what happens, Edward Cullen,” I whispered. “Thank you,” his voice, too, was a whisper. He turned the dim light on my bedside off, “It’s late. You should get some rest.” “I love you, Edward,” I murmured in the darkness and buried my face into his shirt. Chapter Forty-Three Everyone stared and congratulated us as we walked to our classes the next morning. A huge banner with “Congratulation Bulldogs- champions of the 2008 California State Basketball Tournament!” was hung over the main office, the sparkling gold lettering over the blue fabric, along with the smaller ones that said, “Home of the State Champs…” or “California’s Pride…” Spiritful ribbons were secured on every tree in sight; some of the stores were giving out discounts for the celebration of our victory. Edward didn’t forget about the request that he made last night, the one concerning my leg. First thing in the morning, he brought me to the nurse’s office after we had our breakfast in our room. The lady had to assure him that I was going to be fine for at least ten times. Finally, almost convinced on his part, we walked to the juniors' building. "If it starts hurting in class..." "I'll call an ambulance," I said teasingly, "Chill, Edward. I'm going to be fine," I emphasized the word.

He grinned and rolled his eyes at me as we entered the building. The girls looked at Edward with even more desire than before. They would giggle or sigh when he walked by; some brought their spirit shirts to class for him to sign. The cheerleaders came up and congratulated him; they did not leave without batting their eyelashes or flashing a flirty smile. I watched as waves of disappointment appeared on their perky faces when they saw Edward was not even a bit moved or interested. He replied with a simle thank you indifferently and we strolled away, hand in hand.

“Today’s going to be a long day. It’d be a miracle if my right hand survives,” he muttered, popping his knuckle after signing the twelfth foam finger.

“They should just print your signature on the back of the “Edward Fan Club” tees to save you from all the trouble,” I joked, “Besides… that’s the price you’d have pay for being so irresistibly attractive,” I grinned. His eyebrows cocked up suggestively as a smirk spread across his face, “Irresistible, huh?”

“Very,” I chuckled. A loud cry interrupted whatever he had planned to say. “Yo Edward!” Dylan headed over to where we were with a pen in his hand. He got out a notebook from his backpack and handed it to Edward,

“A signature for your fan.” Edward glared at him, “Funny, Dylan. Ever considered being a comedian in the near future?” He pressed his lips together in a hard line after gritting the words through his teeth. Dylan laughed and shook his head, “Don’t flatter yourself. Why in the world would I want your signature? I like my name a hell lot better,” he said smugly, “It’s for my sister. She went to our game, and now she has the biggest crush on you. Can you believe she went home and took down all the posters on her wall to replace it with a picture of you that she managed to take yesterday?” His voice was incredulous.

“Anyway, her birthday’s next week. I asked her what she wanted, and she told me she wanted your autograph. Framed.” “How old is she, Dylan?” I restraint a laugh. Edward narrowed his eyes at me, silently threatening me not to crack up . He snickered, “Nine.” I couldn’t hold it any longer. Scowling, Edward began scrawling down some words in the pink, fluffly notebook.

“Her name’s Tori,” Dylan added. Edward sighed helplessly and thrust the notebook back to Dylan when he was finished. Dylan pretended to look appalled with a mocking gasp,

“No hearts? She’d be so disappointed!” Edward scowled at Dylan once again while I laughed, holding on to his arm for support.

“Get out of here." “See you in P.E.,” Dylan smiled and winked at me before he walked away. I was still shaking with laughter after seeing Edward glowering at Dylan's back.

“Are we done with the laughing?” he asked, hints of irritation in his voice. “Sorry, that was rude. But funny,” I noted, smirking. He rolled his eyes, “Nothing cracks you up like a little girl asking for my autograph, huh?” “No. I get the whole autograph part. The part that I found funny is that she posted your picture in her room,” I snickered. “You better hope Dylan doesn’t say anything to Emmett about this. He would torture you.” Edward grimaced, “Dylan better not say anything, or he’s going to be a dead man… that is if I don’t die first from the irritation that I would receive from Emmett." He seemed to have returned to his good humor as he walked me to my first class. We reached the classroom and as usual, Edward and I waited outside until the warning bell rang. I remembered how people used to look at me with wide eyes when

they saw me leaning against the wall with Edward holding my hand or his arms around my waist. Now, it was old news that we were together. Sure, we still got curious stares from time to time, but it wasn’t as bad as before. At least now the girls were only watching, not glowering. A few minutes later, Edward kissed me goodbye after being reminded by one of the teachers that he only had seconds until the second bell. A light kiss… but it was enough to send my heart to the frenzy state. After finishing my test in class, I spent the rest of the period doodling in my notebook, thinking about Edward. What he was doing… what he was thinking. Damn it Bella! You’re turning into one of those pathetic love-struck girls. The next thing you know, you’d be doodling his name on your binder and drawing hearts all around it. I released my pen with horror. I was never, never going to be one of those girls that I despised. But still, just because I dropped the dangerous object, it didn’t mean that I could control my thoughts. In gym, the teasing from my classmates was overbearing. They called me everything that they could think of, “Miss All Star” or even “Lady Jordan”. Thanks to my leg, I had to sit out for the whole period. Jessica came up and asked me how my leg was doing. The atmosphere was still awkward, but we were both trying. Angela was stunned when Jessica greeted her with a shy smile. It took her five seconds to respond after recovering from the shock that she had just experienced. After school, Edward waited for me outside my classroom as usual. He smiled,

“Ready to do this, Bella?” I took a deep breath, “Not really.” He chuckled, “It’s okay. I got your back,” he kissed the palm of my hand and led me to the gymnasium. Both of woke up half an hour before the alarm clock buzzed this morning. We stayed in bed and talked until it was time to get up, and I told him about my idea of starting a girl varsity basketball team in ECA. After all, I couldn’t stay on the guy’s basketball team forever. Edward encouraged me to talk to the Coach to get his permission.

“Never mind… this is stupid. I only have one more year left in High School. Where am I going to find twelve girls to make up the team? They all think I’m insane anyway. The only sport that they’re interesting in doing is cheerleading… Forget that I said anything. My head just isn’t clear this early in the morning..." I was ranting.

“Bella,” he cupped my cheek, “It is not stupid, okay? I think it’s time to bring something new into this school for the girls. Basketball is a great idea.”

“But nobody’s going to join anyway…” I mumbled. “You never know unless you try,” he prompted, his face glorious as he smiled, “I tried. If I didn’t go after you that day at the dance… if I chickened out because I was afraid you wouldn’t return the same feelings… things would have been different for us. I know I’d still be in denial about liking you, and you’d be the same. But look at us now,” he chuckled heartily, his lips curling up into a crooked grin. I sighed, “You’re right. I should at least try...”

“That’s my girl,” he winked. “Okay… you need to relax, Bella,” Edward’s velvet voice brought me back to the present. He raised his eyebrow and picked up our twined hands; my nails were digging deeply in to his skin.

“Oh! Sorry,” I blushed and released my grip. I wasn’t used to seeing an empty gym at this hour. The lights were out but there was a source of light coming from the Coach’s office.

“Umm… he’s probably busy. I’ll come back tomorrow,” I blurted out cowardly, ready to bolt. Edward blocked me and wrapped his arm around my waist,

“Not so fast,” he murmured and pushed me toward the office. I was naive to think that I'd be able to get away. I froze on my track in front of the door. Edward had to give me a gentle pat before I came to my senses to knock on the door.

“Come in,” the deep, formal voice echoed from the other side of the door. I stepped in timidly with Edward behind me.

The Coach smiled, “Ah… Miss Bella Swan and Mr. Cullen. What can I do for you? How’s your leg, by the way? Getting better, I hope…”

“Yes… it’s better,” I fidgeted, “Umm… actually, I have something that I’d like to talk to you about… if you're not to busy.” I looked in Edward’s direction and he smiled in encouragement.

“Have a seat then.” Edward pulled one of the chairs out for me. I inhaled again and proceeded to continue after Edward took his seat as well,

“Coach, after playing with Edward and the rest of the guys in the tournament, it made me realize how much I missed playing basketball. I know it’s hard for me to receive a permanent spot on the team, and I’m not asking for it. But I was thinking… maybe… just maybe we could start a girl basketball team in this school…” I trailed off and studied his face. It was nonchalant. This made me incredibly nervous.

“Coach? It’s okay. I know it's a lot to ask…” “No,” he interrupted, “I like the idea. I do. It was just a bit of a shock. In my twelve years of teaching, I’ve never had a young lady approaching me with this idea. I think it’d be great to show the rest of the girls that cheerleading isn’t the only sport appropriate for females," he replied, his face thoughtful.

“But we have a tiny, little problem. You know the girls won’t be as experienced as you are. Most of them are probably new to this, or they only had brief encounter with basketball in the past. It’ll take them some time to learn the game. And if you wish to compete next year, we have to get the practicing to start this year. I suppose I can coach before the boys’ basketball training starts. And hopefully in the mean time, the school will find a suitable coach for you girls. But I’m only available on Mondays and Wednesdays these couple of months. And I highly doubt that any of you would appreciate Friday or weekend practices,” he chuckled, “Two times a week isn’t going to be enough.”

“Oh…” My face dropped in disappointment. I could hear the clock tick in the silence. My hands were fidgetting again. “There’s another way,” Coach Reynolds said finally, smiling faintly, “I know someone who can take my place while I’m not here..." His eyes narrowed to Edward's direction, "What do you say, Edward? How would you like to be the assistant coach?” Edward laughed, “Good one, Coach.” Coach Reynolds stared unsmilingly at him; Edward frowned.

“Wait a minute… you’re serious?” he said slowly, staring back at the Coach incredulously. “I don’t joke about basketball, my boy. Most of these girls are going to be beginners. They’ll need all the help they can get. And you’ve held practices for me before,” he pointed out.

“That’s different,” he mumbled. “I wouldn’t know what to do. I have never taught anyone how to play before.” “It’s your choice, Edward. I’m not going to influence your decision,” Coach shrugged. Edward looked at me and I smiled at him, “It’s okay, Edward. You don’t have to do it…”

“No,” he announced, “I’ll do it. An hour after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, right? I’ll do it,” he smirked. The Coach nodded with approval, “Good. Well, I’m leaving this to the both of you then. Best of luck and tell me how it goes.”

“Thanks Coach!” I said, and it came out almost like a squeal. We walked out of the office and my voice was apologetic as I started speaking,

“I’m sorry, Edward. I didn’t mean to drag you into this. I know you’re probably tired after all those weeks of hard training and you probably want a break from basketball. I’m serious; you don’t have to do this. I’ll figure something out.” The last sentence was a lie. Who was I kidding? There was no other way. But I was going to leave the choice up to him, just like what he did for me at the tournament.

“It’s okay, Bella. I want to do it. Besides, I get to spend more time with you, right?” he winked. I wrapped my arms around him, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Have I mentioned how much I love you?”

“How much do you love me?” “You’ll see… Coach,” I whispered in his ear, placing a kiss on his neck. We heard voices when I tried to get my door open. Edward sighed and bent down to retrieve the key after I dropped it on the floor carelessly. With a swift click, the door opened easily.

“You guys are in this one too!” I heard Alice exclaim. I frowned, confused. "In what?" Edward asked.

“In every newspaper. Some even put you on the front page!” Rosalie said, “Read this. ‘The East Coast Academy Bulldogs, champion of this year’s California tournament, earned another fantastic win with only six players. This year, ECA had Isabella Swan, a junior in East Coast Academy, substituting for their absent and injured players…' God Bella, by the end of the week, every student in this state would know you,” she chuckled, “Look!” And there was a picture of me on the floor in the sport’s section, right beside Edward’s jump shot and the group picture. I was grateful that the print was blurry; at least no one could make out my face that clearly. I groaned anyway.

“It’s almost five!” Emmett snatched the remote from the table and turned the T.V. on to the local news. “Has hell frozen over? When does Emmett watch news?” Jasper joked. “We’re going to be on the five o’clock program,” Emmett sang joyously, “I don't know about you, but I'm anxious to see how good I look on T.V. I hope you don’t get jealous, Rosalie, when all the girls drool over me in front of their screens.” Rosalie laughed and wrapped her arms around him to whisper something in his ear that made his eyes lit up with excitement. Alice was already in Jasper’s arms, her tiny body resting against his broad shoulder.

“Come on, Bella,” Edward pulled me along to the couch. I sat on his lap and linked my arms around his neck. With a heartwarming smile, he snaked his arms around my waist and kissed my hair. Silence took over as we stared anxiously at the screen ahead of us. Emmett’s grin grew more and more noticeable while Edward and Jasper smiled slyly. I let my cheek rest against Edward’s chest as I turned my attention to the reporter. The reporter was very pretty, in her early twenties. They were kids staring curiously behind her; some waved at the camera.

“Good afternoon. I’m Rachelle Cunnings and I’m here at the Annual Boy Basketball Tournament for the Golden StateCalifornia! As you can see, several teams are starting to arrive and the atmosphere is insanely cheerful! So… all of us are desperate to know: Who will take the state title home? Who will be our state champs?... Stay with us, and you'll find out!” We smiled; we already knew who would take the state title home. We already knew who the state champs were. Next, they showed footages of the game; mostly the match between Horizon and East Coast Academy. Emmett was dunking the ball, Jasper was blocking, Edward was doing his infamous circus shot… Then I came into view. They included my first shot and the shocked reaction that I received from the crowd. With embarrassment, I ducked under Edward’s arms when my falling down and nearly breaking my leg came up at the end. He chuckled and leaned in to murmur in my ear,

“You have nothing to be self-conscious about.” I smiled up appreciatively at him and watched the rest of the program. They had an exclusive interview with the Coach and the team after we received our cup. They didn't exclude the cheering and screaming from the background so it made it hard for us to hear what she was saying.

“Coach Reynolds! How do you feel about your team’s magnificent victory?” He cleared his throat, “I’m very proud of them. They’ve worked very hard to get where they are… I can’t ask for a better group of players.” Then a smirking Emmett, Cody, Jamie, and Jasper filled the shaking camera, their faces incredibly radiant. Their lips pulled up into the wildest, creepiest smiles that I had ever seen… except for Jasper, who still managed to maintain his cool.

“Emmett, you looked like a freaking smiling zombie up there,” Rosalie giggled. Instead of feeling offended, he laughed.

“A very hot smiling zombie,” he wiggled his eyebrow suggestively in her direction. She laughed and pressed her lips to his.

“Hell yes! It feels awesome to receive the state title!” The Emmett on T.V. smirked. Edward and I rolled our eyes; that was typical of Emmett.

“Hi mom! Hi dad! Hi Scott! See you at Christmas!” Jamie waved at the camera, grinning. Then to my dismay, a very gleeful, love-struck looking Bella appeared on the screen with her forehead pressed against Edward’s, unaware of the rolling camera a few yards away. I blushed as Emmett snickered. Edward interlaced his fingers with mine and picked up our hands so he could kiss it.

“Oh!” I gasped at the camera at the same time Edward jumped back. Composing ourselves, we stared awkwardly at the guy filming us, smiling edgily.

“Here we have Captain Edward Cullen with the girl substituting for the team, Isabella Swan. Tell me Edward, is this the seventh time in the role that ECA has managed to win first place for the tournament? How does it feel, knowing you were the one leading the Bulldogs to victory?”

“I didn’t lead them to victory at all. I simply played my part, the rest was all them,” Edward replied, smiling crookedly. I could practically picture the girls swooning over him at his noble statement.

“How very modest of you. And Isabella, did you know you would be filling in before you came? Surely it was terrifying playing against people who were twice your size.”

“No, not at. It was totally last minute,” I flustered, turning scarlet, “And yes. It was terrifying.” "So Edward… are you and Isabella an item? I saw how comfortable you two were with each other a while ago,” she winked.

“So did the rest of the state,” Emmett coughed; Edward chucked a pillow and aimed it at his head. The Edward on T.V. ran his hand through his auburn hair with a soft chuckle, his face slightly flushed. A smile flashed across his jubilant face a few seconds later,

“Yes we are. I’m completely in love with her,” he wrapped his arms around my shoulder and pulled me against him. Emmett and Jasper whooped while I turned into a deeper shade of red. Just kill me now… I closed my eyes and leaned back.

“I wish someone would declare their undying love for me on T.V. instead of laughing like a moron off screen,” Rosalie yelled, emphasizing every word for Emmett’s benefit. Emmett looked nervously at her, his face innocent, “Rosie, I just thought we weren't the flaunting type. We're the kind of couple that keeps to ourselves.” The rest of us laughed.

“Right. Says the king of public display of affections," Jasper snickered. Emmett grinned, “Normally, I wouldn’t deny it. But Edward kind of stole the title from me recently,” he sent a belligerent look in Edward's direction and threw his head back, laughing. Edward scowled, “Do you have a butcher knife anywhere, Alice? I’m running out of pillows to throw.”

“You all, check this out,” Jasper pointed to the screen as Lauren emerged, smiling sweetly at the camera. “What do you think of the Bulldogs’ performance? Are you good friends with them?” “Absolutely! They are all very close to me!!” she giggled along with the rest of the cheerleaders. “Have you seen Isabella playing like this before?” Rachelle asked. “She surprised many of us today.” “Of course!” she giggled, “She’s one of my best friends, and I always knew she could do this! I mean, at first, she wasn't sure... but I encouraged her... and there she was! That's what friends do, right?” I wanted to hurl. Fighting against the lump in my throat, I choked out, “Somebody throw me a bucket. I’m going to puke.” Edward tried not to laugh; probably didn't want to upset me.

“Dude! That was classic!” Jasper and Emmett extended fists and muttered something to each other about getting this on

tape. Alice and Rosalie frowned at them with irratation, cussing something under their breaths about Lauren. The interview with the Wolves came up next; none of them were interested in watching. Emmett turned the T.V. off,

“I’m hungry. Who’s up for hamburgers?” he got on his feet, helping Rosalie up. I grinned. Of course- hanging out with Emmett always involved food. Lots and lots of food.

“Me!” Jasper hopped up, strolling Alice along. “My stomach’s filled up… with disgust,” I muttered, shuddering. I felt Edward’s breath against my neck, his body shaking with laughter. Suddenly, his lips were at my ear; the words that escaped from his lips were like melting honey.

“We can’t have that, can we? I thought you were going to show me how much you love me…” he whispered seductively in my ear. I stifled a gasp as I looked around to see if any of our friends had heard him. Thankfully, they were all engrossed in some pretty deep conversations themselves.

“I’m just playing with you, Bella. You don’t have to do anything…” he chuckled, playing with a lock of my hair. He was unintentionally using one of the forbidden- the reverse psychology.

“What if I want to do something nice for you?” I whispered, touching his lips with the tip of my finger. He was breathless. I bit my lip and smiled at him again, a sly, faint smile. Catching his breath, he leaned down,

“I’m a lucky man then.” He pressed his lips to mine and I melted at his touch. Chapter Forty-Four

“Have you seen how many people showed up? Why are they even here, anyway? None of them were interested in basketball before. This isn’t going to work…” I groaned, panic leaking through my voice.

“Calm down, Bella. You need to chill,” Rosalie rolled her eyes, sitting me down on the bench. “Isn’t it easy to guess why they want to join? Look at you. Every since you played the basketball tournament, you became a legend and the most popular girl in school. That’s dream come true for most of them,” she chuckled, biting her lips.

“Dream come true!” I repeated scornfully. “Okay Bella, be a good girl. Go out there and look like a captain,” Alice pushed me out of the doors, her tiny hands powerful and forcing, “You can do this, Bella. You are Bella Swan.” Like that helps? I took a deep breath, “Thanks, you guys. Sorry for the break down. And just for the record, Alice, I’m not the Captain.”

“Oh puh-lease! Wait... Where’s Edward? Isn’t he coaching?” Alice asked, her eyebrows puckering. “Shh! No one’s supposed to know about that. I mean, if they knew, they’d all come here for him, not for basketball. And believe me; I can’t deal with his fan girls right now. I’m already on the edge of losing it,” I muttered. "On the edge? Girl, you're already losing it," Alice rolled her eyes with a flashy smirk. I stuck my tongue out at them playfully and they laughed while watching me squirm.

“Alright. Tell us how it goes later. Good luck, and pass that on to Edward for me. He’s going to need it,” Rosalie shot me a meaningful look, "The girls will be all over him when he comes in. I hope you brought ear plugs, Bella." Last night, Jasper generously offered to help me make the flyers and signup sheets. As soon as we posted them on the bulletin boards, girls were practically fighting for a placed to sign. My jaw was hung open with shock, it was certainly unexpected. I even asked Emmett to pinch me, just to wake me up from the insane madness. It was only a figure of speech but unacknowledged of it, Emmett really did pinch me. And it wasn’t an easy, light one either. The rest of the school day went crazily as well. The girls that never talked to me before came up to me as if we were lifelong friends. I received a bunch of “oh my god! I saw you on T.V. yesterday” and several questions for the basketball tryout. Some of them complimented on my clothes, it was unbearably overwhelming. Just because I managed to show up for a brief second on television and just because I was starting a basketball team, I suddenly gained friends that I didn’t even know I had. Rosalie and Alice spent twenty minutes in the girl’s locker room after school to counsel me. I practically bolted after seeing

how many girls showed up. When I walked in, the girls were all staring at me, expecting me to know what I was doing. And did I know what to do? Not really. It wasn’t like I started varsity teams for a living. Anyhow, I made my escape to the locker room and called Alice, freaking out over the phone. She and Rosalie came to talk some sense into me; thank god I had real friends instead of those that only wanted to get to know me because of my appearance T.V. I walked out, still edgy, to the gymnasium and cleared my throat uncomfortably. I recognized some of the faces in the crowd- Angela, Samantha... It was a comfort to see them- at least I knew not all of the girls here were overly-obsessed with popularity. Before I began speaking, the excitement on their faces were replaced with horror. I turned around to see what had caused their change of expression- I was not surprised to see Lauren walking up to us in her cheerleading uniform, her squad following faithfully behind.

“The gym is reserved for us,” she said coolly, her arms crossed in front of her chest. “Didn’t see your name on the reservation chart,” I replied politely, my face indifferent. She grimaced and took a step closer, “I'm the head of the squad. I don't need reservations. I don’t know what kind of games your trying to play, Swan. If you think this basketball thing is going to work out, you’re wrong. This. Is. A. Joke.”

“I don’t see anything funny about it at all. Besides, there’s another gym. Why don’t you girls go over there?” She glowered at me again, “This. Is. My. Gym. I can stay for as long as I like,” she spat and turned her face to the girls sitting on the bleachers for the tryout, “Don’t you losers have anything else better to do than to put up with this bitch?” I scowled at her, “You don’t want to leave? Fine, suit yourself. But leave us the hell alone. Oh, and if we’re these losers that you speak of, why are you still talking to us? Unless you want to be categorized in out group, you better start walking away or people will make the wrong assumptions,” I chuckled bitterly, my voice sarcastic. She snarled, “Whatever, Swan. Come on, girls. This is our gym. Let’s practice over there,” she tilted her head to the left. The cheerleaders followed her wordlessly while the girls on the bleachers remained silent over her comment. I tried to keep my voice as enthusiastic as I could manage, “Sorry about that and thanks for showing up today. Umm… glad to see most of you already dressed in shorts since we’ll actually be practicing today. I’m still waiting on someone who will be helping us out today… ah, there he is!” Right on cue, Edward emerged through the doors, looking as breathtaking and stunning as always with his tousled, messy hair slightly wet from the rain, his hands casually at his sides. I felt relieved when he smiled at me; everything was going to be okay now that he was here. Everything was always okay with Edward there. Some of the girls squealed and started fixing their hair when they saw him approaching, checking themselves in the mirrors that they had in their purses.

“Since Coach Reynolds is going to be busy, he’s having Edward here filling in for him as the assistant coach,” I smirked. Edward grimaced slightly at the word, aware of the unwanted attention that was coming. The cheerleaders silenced their cheers and erupted a shrill of excitement, “What?! Edward’s coaching? I want to join!” In split seconds, most of the squad ran over, dropping their pompoms on the floor, leaving Lauren wide-eyed and frozen in place. Edward looked uncomfortable with the squealing, but he masked his face and smiled professionally,

“Like Bella said, I’ll be around. Any questions before we start?” The girls grew even more enthusiastic after he spoke. He waited patiently for them to say something.

“How many people get to be on the team?” “We will pick twelve girls for the varsity team. And we need a volunteer for the equipment manager.” “Do we still get to see you if we’re the equipment manager?” a girl asked, her voice giddy. With a reluctant chuckle, Edward shrugged, “Guess so.” The frenzy murmurs started again, filled with giggles and squeals.

“So do we have to buy the bats and the gloves, or does the school buy them for us?” I frowned. Bats? Gloves? What the hell?

“Ciara,” a girl hissed at her friend, “This is basketball, not baseball, you idiot.” Ciara blushed with embarrassment, “Oh. Sorry. I thought it said baseball on the flyers. It’s so confusing. They both start

with b-a-s,” she muttered. I tried not to snicker; Edward coughed to hide his laugh,

“Now that we’re sure of the sport we’ll be playing, any more questions?” “Umm… you said twelve, right? But there’re like thirty something girls in here… how will you be able to pick who gets to play?”

“We won’t pick right away. I know most of you are new at this, so we’re giving you a month before the official selecting starts. Of course, during the month, we expect you to come to every practice and we’ll work on whatever it is that you need. Coach Reynolds will stop by occasionally, to see how things are going. And he’ll be the one deciding who gets to stay on the team at the end.”

“Oh.” “So ladies… how many of you have played basketball before?” A few hands shot up hesitatingly in the air.

“Okay. Can any of you make free throws?” he questioned, his eyebrow quirking. The hands dropped; I took a deep breath. “Seems that we have a lot to work on,” he murmured helplessly, “Alright girls, grab a ball and we’ll start warming up.” The girls got up and ran for the rack. They started making aimless shots; the gym was suddenly dangerous with orange balls flying around in the air. There were lots of squealing and screaming. It reminded me of the day that I spent in the kindergarten class that Renee had taught. Edward and I frowned and my shoulders slumped.

“I’m so sorry,” I said to him while staring at the scene in front of me with horror, “I owe you for a decade.” He chuckled uneasily, “It could have been worse, right?” I gave him a look- how could it possibly be any worse? He sighed, “Okay, maybe it can’t get any worse than this. We probably should get to work then. Oh, and if I don’t survive this, I love you, Bella." He kissed my cheek and with a roll of his eyes, he walked to the middle of the court, ducking his head under his arms the whole way there. A few minutes after the insaneness, Edward whistled and took a deep breath before speaking,

“Okay. That was very… umm…” he paused, uncertain, “Why don’t we start with something easier? Like… dribbling?” The look in their eyes made me believe that these girls would do anything that he suggested. I sighed in relief; at least our lives weren’t going to be in jeopardy. It was dribbling- what was the worst that could happen? I really should stop thinking that. As if proving me wrong, a shriek rang loudly from the right.

“My nails!” Crystal, one of the cheerleaders complained. “Oh no, it’s the end of the world,” he muttered sarcastically and quietly. I laughed; I seemed to be the only one who heard him.

“Do you need to go to the ER?” I asked as I walked up to Crystal, who was on her knees and examining her finger nails under the light warily. She didn’t even realize that I was being sarcastic- she shook her head,

“I'm gonna be okay. I’ll just go back to my room. I’ll be back tomorrow if my hand's alright,” she said sulkily. “Please don’t be,” Samantha rolled her eyes, murmuring under her breath. I snickered. Practice continued. Some of the girls complained because they were sweating or their hair or nails were messed up. Edward and I walked around to help the girls with their stance and throws. I stayed away from the cheerleaders, of course. They were all over Edward, whining and calling his name constantly.

“Edward? Am I doing this right?” Abby asked. “Come help me first, Edward. I’m doing okay, aren’t I?” Kelsey glared at Abby after putting on a fake smile for Edward. “Edward! Edward! Look! I made it in!”

“Edward?! I need you to help me, please?” I really, really wanted to punch someone. With their unceasing cries, irritation crept in my body as I watched them flirt shamelessly with him. Wasn’t he clear enough that he wasn’t interested? I just didn’t get it. Why were they wasting their time when he was clearly untaken with any of them? Didn’t it even bother them that they were flirting with someone’s boyfriend? My boyfriend? Right in front of my face? I snorted. Of course it didn’t bother them. They looked up to Lauren, their heroic role model. I tried to leave all of those unpleasant thoughts behind. They could do all the flirting they wanted, but as long as Edward didn’t return the same feelings, why would it matter? It wasn’t like Edward was enjoying himself. He grimaced the whole time when they were within the yard radius. It was easy to declare who were going to make the team- of course, it was the girls that weren’t drooling over Edward and actually had their mind set on playing. Like Samantha and Angela for example, they were the ones working the hardest out there. Samantha’s actually pretty athletic; from what I heard, she used to play softball. But since there weren’t softball teams here, she decided to go for basketball. Angela wasn’t as strong as Samantha, but she was getting the hang of it. Sure, she still couldn’t make in the free throws, but I knew it was only a matter of time before she got there. I assisted half of the girls, showing them how to work their elbow, how to aim better... Some of them were close to getting the shot in, but it would always end up an inch off. But that was fine; practice makes perfect, right? And basketball wasn’t that easy- especially not for beginners.

“Bella? Am I supposed to throw it like this?” Lana asked, frowning as she tried to keep a ball in her one hand. “Yeah, just don’t dig your nails into the ball. Holding it is fine,” I told her teasingly. She thanked me, laughing, and continued practicing with her friends. The gym had been divided up into two sections; the civil side, and the evil side. Luckily, I got the normal, nice ones. On the other hand, Edward wasn’t looking too blissful…

“Edward? I can’t make the free throw!” Kelsey called, her voice whiny and sickly sweet at the same time. I sighed. Poor Edward. I was pretty surprised that he hadn’t snapped yet. It seemed like forever but finally, it was five. I looked up gratefully at the ceiling- at last! An end to this nightmare. The girls collapsed on the floor, their body glued to the ground. They were all sweating, even the cheerleaders, surprisingly. I mean, what had they done besides self-indulgently torturing Edward with their lame flirtations? I gritted my teeth at the last part. Those shameless, disgusting creatures...

“Okay… we’re stopping here today. That wasn’t…” Edward struggled for words again, which was unusual for him, “That bad. Anything that you’d like to add, Bella?” A few giggled escaped.

“He is so hot,” Kelsey said to her friend, her face absolutely smug. “Especially when he’s sweating,” another cheerleader agreed with a smirk. They winked at him and started giggling crazily again. They didn’t even try to keep their little fantasies to themselves. I saw Edward shifted uncomfortably from where he was standing, his eyes filled with annoyance.

“Actually, there is something. Several things, to be honest,” I narrowed my eyes at Kelsey, “If it’s not the game that you’re interested in, don’t bother coming back tomorrow. We have people here that actually have their mind set on joining, so please don’t waste your time and ours. Second, you are going to sweat in basketball, so if you can’t live with that, I suggest you not come back. And last of all, if you break your nails or anything like that, do not hold any of us responsible. No one’s forcing you to join with a sword hanging above your head, you’re free to walk out of this gym whenever,” I finished fiercely, “There. I’m done, Edward.” I fought against the urge to stick my tongue out at Kelsey, who was looking at me, completely dumbfolded. Suddenly, I heard guffaws from the exit of the gym. Jasper, Emmett along with Dylan and Cody were leaning casually against the door, laughing hysterically.

“You tell them Bella!” Emmett encouraged, his voice boomingly loud. “Yeah! Go Bella!” Dylan whistled while all four of them burst into another round of laughter. I blushed with embarrassment when I realized that they had witnessed my entire rant. I looked up at Edward, horrified, but I

found him grinning at me, amused.

“Okay… that's it for today, you’re free to go now,” Edward dismissed them, his face still smiling. Sighing, the girls stood up unsteadily and walked limply for the locker room.

“He is so hot!” a girl murmured longingly. Edward snickered; not over what she said, but over what I said a while ago.

“Don’t start, please,” I glared at Edward. He made a motion to zip his lips then he smirked. I closed to space between us by burying my face in his chest, already knowing what was coming.

“Ha ha! Bella, that was hilarious! You should have seen Kelsey’s face! She was breaking down cold sweats by the way you were glowering at her!” Emmett cackled again.

“Man, no offense, but those girls really…” Dylan stopped, but Cody finished the sentence for him, “Sucked at basketball?” “Couldn’t have put it in better words bro,” Dylan chuckled, high-fiving him. “Be nice,” I mumbled, “Not all of us can be basketball champs, you know,” I reminded him. They laughed. Dylan picked up a ball from the rack and made a free throw, "Still got it. Come on, Cody. Let's show these newbies how it's done." I walked back to Edward’s room with him since it was closer. I still couldn’t leave my clouded mood behind. It was impossible for the irritation to cease. Instead of being impatient with me, Edward watched my face, half amused, half smug, and left me to my thoughts. His door opened and he went to get a drink from the mini fridge for both of us. He observed me for a few more seconds before he spoke,

“You’re incredibly cute when you pout,” Edward chuckled, pulling me closer to him on the couch. “I am not pouting,” I scowled. “Sorry, my mistake,” he said sarcastically, “But seriously, what you said back there took everyone off guard. My Bella- who would have thought you had it in you to be so straight forward?” he teased.

“I wasn’t being nice,” I answered, my voice not as strong as before, “They were just getting on my nerves. Edward this, Edward that… They couldn’t keep their mouth shut for five. Freaking. Minutes. And now Lauren’s going to start giving me crap again because she thinks I’m stealing her squad. I wish she’d get over herself, who in their right mind would want her squad? I’m not suicidal. A day with them, I’m going to end up going to the mental hospital. Stupid Kelsey, stupid Crystal, stupid... stupid… stupid…” I muttered the last part to myself, but I knew that he could still hear. He chuckled,

“Like I said, you are so cute when you pout,” his voice was low - the next thing I knew, his lips were traveling up and down my jaw; the places that he touched were on fire.

“Edward, I’m really not in the mood,” I breathed, my voice betraying me. “Aren’t you?” he murmured seductively. A shiver went down my spine when his lips caressed my collarbone; my whole body seemed to be aware that he was touching me. I whimpered…he wasn’t being fair with his persuasive kisses. Oh forget about those Bimbos, I said to myself. I clutched my hand to his hair, pulling him closer to me while our lips moved in perfect synchronization. His hands were now on my waist, stroking my back and my thigh. We landed on the floor with a thud, me on top of him. Thank heavens for carpet. We stared at each other for a brief second, our eyes incredulous and outraged. Realizing what had just happened, we laughed.

“Oops,” he breathed, his eyes dancing exultantly while he smirked. I started giggling, “Did… did we just fall out of the couch?” I couldn’t stop the hysteria that followed- it sounded so Emmett and Rosalie.

“I believe so…” he murmured, his lips twitched up to a grin. I locked my arms around his neck, refusing to allow any space between us,

“You need a longer couch, buddy,” I whispered teasingly, my eyebrows raised up suggestively. He winked at me, his eyes passionate, “I’ll keep that in mind." I didn’t allow him to speak again after that. Chapter Forty-Five A month after the basketball tournament

“Alice, I honestly don’t see the point of dressing up. I mean, you buy an expensive dress for one evening, and you’ll probably never wear it again in the future!” I said, exasperated. She giggled, “I know. Isn’t it great?” I sighed. It was pointless to argue with Alice. I swayed to the mirror to examine myself again for the last time- Alice had picked out a silky blue gown that was absolutely extravagant. The shoulder-baring dress hung tightly around my body and it spread out in pretty waves at the bottom. I liked the dress that she selected; I just didn’t like the price that came with it. Together, Rosalie and Alice curled my hair up in tiny little curls that spread nicely down my bare shoulders. They also added some unknown chemical- unknown to me anyway- to make my hair look shinier. They added some mascara to my eyes and some glossy lip gloss that took me a while to get used to. That wasn’t the most terrifying part though. I was okay with the Guinea Barbie makeover. But it was the sparkling high heels that very nearly made me pass out. It matched flawlessly with the earrings that my mom sent me, but how could I possibly not trip in those death traps while wearing a long gown? I had no desire to fall in the middle of a dance. Unfortunately, like I said, there was no point to arguing with Alice and Rosalie when it came down to fashion. My only option was to pray that I don’t break any part of my body this evening. Rosalie and Alice were beyond beautiful. Alice was wearing an elegant, tasteful scarlet dress that emphasized the curves to her tiny body. She was doubtlessly angelic. Rosalie was… well, Rosalie. Her black, glamour and glistening gown was unquestionably made for her. I felt tiny and insignificant just by being in the same room; it was heartbreaking to look at her . It was the winter formal in ECA. More than that, it was the MVP Awards Assembly for the basketball team, one of the most important events of the school year. Everyone was looking forward to it, myself included. I wouldn’t miss the smile that I knew I would on Edward’s face when he was announced the MVP for anything. A knock on the door made me jump. Alice rose gratefully to her feet to open the door.

“Alice, you look stunning,” Jasper wrapped his arm around her and gazed deeply into her eyes. Though Jasper and Alice weren’t as bold and flamboyant at showing their affection as Emmett and Rosalie, it was hard not to feel the love they had for each other. When they looked into each other’s eyes, no words were needed. It was almost as if they knew what each other was thinking. Emmett kissed Rosalie on the lips deeply, “You look gorgeous, Rose. A beauty sent from heaven.” Rosalie giggled and placed her hand on his arm. They walked out of the door, whispering and laughing as they went. Lastly, Adonis himself was smiling at me with an intake of a breath. Edward in black tuxedo was strikingly stunning. The picture of him standing there was so beautiful that it felt unreal; it was a crime that someone could look as breathtaking, as dazzling as him. His green, emerald eyes were intense as they bored into mine. As self-conscious as I was, I couldn’t look away from him. He took a few steps forward while I let my hands drop nervously at my sides.

“I would say you look beautiful, but the word is not good enough to describe how you look right now,” he breathed, his hand raising slowly to caress my cheek. I blushed, my heart accelerating at his touch.

“Thank you. I can’t find the perfect word to describe you either,” I answered timidly, slightly embarrassed. “Oh. These are for you,” he chuckled and handed me a bouquet of roses that he had in his free hand. It was neatly bundled up in a red bow; I smelled it and sighed. He was so thoughtful.

“Thank you, Edward,” I kissed his cheek and went to find a vase for it. I could feel his stare still boring on my back as I

moved. That only made me feel more self-conscious.

“So… off we go then!” Emmett announced excitedly. And we exited in pairs. I wrapped my hand around Edward’s arm and leaned against his shoulder.

“Tonight’s going to be amazing,” I sighed contently. “Of course. I’ll be with you,’ he smiled genuinely. My eyes were filled with adoration as I gazed up at him. Not that he was the most gorgeous looking man on the planet, but also the sweetest ever known. How did a guy like him end up with me? That’s a mystery, isn’t it? The wind was soothing under the pale moonlight. I saw students walking toward the ballroom with their dates, their eyes gauging as they gaped at us with astonishment. We continued walking down on our path, pretending to be unaware of it. The ballroom was different from the last time that I saw it. In the center of the room was an ice sculpture carved into a shape of a reindeer. A huge sleigh stood elegantly at the right corner covered with fake snow and white flowers.

“Wow,” I gasped. I’ve attended winter formals before but it was nothing as magnificent as this. Slow-temple music was playing comfortingly in the background; involuntarily, Edward and I followed our friends to the middle of the dance floor while the other kids moved back to give us room. They stared at us in awe as they kept their distance; it was as if there was an invisible wall between us that kept them from joining us. I swayed along to the music, my arms locked around Edward’s neck for the slow dance. His forehead was pressed against mine; I closed my eyes to prolong the moment as his arms snaked around my waist. I opened my eyes and found myself facing Lauren Mallory, who was looking at me with envy and hatred a few yards away. She looked as if she was in pain, seeing me in Edward’s arms. Cowardly, I looked away from that general direction, afraid of seeing her antagonized eyes again. I didn’t want to feel sorry for her.

“You okay?” Edward murmured. “Yes. I’m fine. I’m great,” I assured him smilingly. “I’m going to take a guess that Alice forced you into this gown?” he laughed softly. I sighed, “Do I look like someone who’d wear something like this in her free will?” He pursed his lips, “I should thank Alice later,” he grinned. I gasped, “Edward Cullen! Do not encourage her!” He laughed, his eyes joyous, “You don’t know how utterly breathtaking you’re looking right now. Do you realize how many hearts you’re breaking as we speak?” I rolled my eyes. He took in my expression and gestured to the west corner, where a bunch of freshmen and sophomores were roaming their eyes over my body.

“Obviously they haven’t see Rosalie yet,” I mumbled. He sighed, cupping my cheek with one of his hands while the other one remained around my waist, “When are you going to see yourself clearly, Bella?” After a song or two, the music halted to a stop. A click made from the microphone was heard through the speakers. Miss Gray, my geography teacher, smiled at us from the stage,

“It is now time to present the ECA Bulldog’s MVP award. Let’s have Coach Reynolds make the announcement, shall we?” I flashed Edward a smile and he grinned at me. He took my hand and we sat down beside Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett around the big, round table. Coach Reynolds stepped up to the stage and cleared his throat to take over. The room grew silent.

“Another great season for the ECA Bulldogs. I’m very proud of all of you for receiving the state title, but most important of all, I’m very proud of the bonds that you’ve formed with your teammates. Basketball was never merely just about winning,

it’s important that you learn as you go, and I’m proud to say that everyone on our varsity team has learned that concept. Now, I have this trophy in my hand waiting to be presented. I think everyone here would be in agreement as to who deserves it the most. Ladies and gentlemen- Edward Cullen, the Most Valuable Player of the East Coast Academy Basketball team.” Everyone applauded abruptly and loud, deafening cheers erupted for him as he stood up. We rose to our feet when he got on the stage to accept the trophy. Coach Reynolds patted his shoulder and pulled him into a one-armed hug. Edward smiled the smile that I’d been longing to see. Instantly, I felt more proud of him than I’d ever felt for myself. It took a while for the cheering to die down. And when it finally did, he spoke into the mic,

“Thank you. I just want to say that I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, my supportive teammates who are like brothers to me rather than friends. Well, technically one of them is my brother,” he smiled playfully, “Unfortunately.” We laughed; Emmett’s guffaw was the loudest.

“So thanks guys and enjoy the rest of your evening,” he raised the trophy and another round of applause rung as he walked down the stage. I pulled him into my embrace, “I’m so proud of you, Edward.”

“Nice man,” Jasper and Emmett extended their fists from across the table. “Way to go, older brother,” Alice beamed, grinning at him. “For an arrogant jerk, you sounded okay up there,” Rosalie teased. Edward rolled his eyes, “Thanks Rosalie. That’s the only thing you’ve said to me that came close as a compliment.” He turned to me with a smile, “Dance with me again, Bella?” I smiled at him, “Thought you’d never ask.” The music turned into something more upbeat. It was too fast for slow dancing, but I couldn’t really dance in my long gown. I managed to move without tripping though, which I was forever grateful. Edward twirled me around in circles; I giggled and gripped on his hands more tightly than ever,

“You better not let me fall, Edward. God, I feel like a little kid!” I laughed. He chuckled, “You don’t look like a little kid. And just for the record, I’ll never let you fall. Ever.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” I shouted over the music, still giggling. We danced around foolishly for hours. Alice, Rosalie and I lip-synced several songs while Emmett did a poor imitation of Britney Spears. The basketball guys joined us, messing around as Emmett’s background dancers. The scene was hilarious.

“Let’s do the disco man!” Dylan joked, shaking his body around. “No way dude! I’m so over the eighties!” Jamie shuddered. We laughed while the boys continued making a moron out of themselves. The other students were laughing along, too. It seemed like we were the center of spotlight once again. Unpleased with the attention on us, Lauren snapped her fingers and took over the dance floor with Kelsey and Crystal behind her when a new song started- Low by Flo Rida. She did some really dirty dance moves, leaving the freshmen and sophomore boys with their jaws hanging open.

“Somebody get that girl a pole,” Rosalie scoffed, looking away with disgust. Edward’s face was wrinkled up with distaste as he shook his head, “I’m going to get a drink.” It wasn’t too long until a teacher came over and put a stop to the dirty dancing. Lauren had the nerve to look unembarrassed.

“Bitch,” she spat when she strolled by us. “Whore,” Rosalie gave her the middle finger and smirked. Alice and I clicked our tongues at her and wiggled our fingers mockingly while she scowled at us.

“Very nice, ladies!” Rosalie high-fived us and we erupted into another round of laughter.

At about a quarter till midnight, the music changed back to something softer, more soothing. It was once again suitable for slow dancing; I kept my arms locked around Edward’s neck while my face pressed against his tux.

“Tired?” he chuckled. “Not at all. I can dance with you forever,” I sighed contently. “Good. Because I don’t think I can take it if you accepted a dance from that vile Mike Newton or that irritating Tyler Crawley,” he shook his head with rage, “You know Crowley actually came up to me yesterday and told me you were staring at him in your math class?’ My lips parted with shock- and with anger, “How could I not look in his direction? He sits right in front of me! I can’t keep my head down for the entire class without looking at the blackboard!” He laughed, “Calm down, love. I know. I told him to keep his fantasies to himself.”

“Good. Because if he doesn’t, he’s going to meet my best friend- my fist,” I gritted through my teeth. “Don’t worry. He’ll meet mine much sooner,” he laughed. Miss Gray turned the microphone on again while Casey, a girl from the dance committee, whispered into her ear. She nodded apprehensively and greeted us with another warm smile.

“Okay… It is almost midnight! Which means it is time to announce our king and queen for this year’s winter formal!” I saw Lauren smoothing her dress not too far away from the stage. Crystal and the other cheerleaders whispered something to her to make her laugh confidently.

“Voted as Winter Formal King, I give you Edward Cullen and our queen… Isabella Swan!” This was impossible. Doubtlessly impossible. I stared wide-eyed at the student body- who were cheering lively for us, smiling- and waited for Miss Gray to say something like, "Oops, sorry. I said the wrong name."

“Go Bella!” Alice nudged me while Edward- with his dazzling, brilliant, bright smile- extended his hand for me to take. My hands were trembling; I couldn’t believe I was voted Winter Formal Queen. We walked onstage, awkward for my part, while the rest of the students continued cheering for us. On a feathery pillow were a crown and a tiara, sparkling under the spotlight. They placed it on the top of our heads; Edward pulled me closer to me and swirled me into his embrace- his lips crashing fiercely on mine. I couldn’t breathe; my desperation for him to kiss me again must have shown clearly on my face since he chuckled and placed another quick kiss on my lips. It was enough to satisfy me- for now.

“No! There must have been some mistake! How the hell did she end up being the queen?” Lauren shrieked while stomping onto the stage, her hands grabbing Casey’s collar,

“Check again, bitch. There must have been some mistake. That tiara is mine. Mine!” “Miss Mallory, take your hands off Miss Seymour’s shirt!” Miss Gray rushed to their sides, prying Lauren’s fingers off Casey. She turned her attention to me, her eyes murderous, “You! What did you do? Blackmail? You don’t deserve it. I was Winter Formal Queen, Homecoming Queen last year. You can’t just waltz in here and steal everything away from me! You and those losers that you call friends…”

“Hey!” I interrupted sharply, taking two steps to her, “You have a problem with me? Fine. But don’t you dare bring my friends into this!”

“Why you little…” Before she got the chance to finish that sentence, someone shrieked. I whipped my head around and saw Casey, tripping over the extension cords, falling in my direction. It was natural reflexes that I took a few steps back. Unaware that Lauren- who still hadn’t register what was happening now inside her head- was behind me, I backed into her unintentionally in the progress.

“I’m so…” I turned around to face her and paused in the middle of my apology, speechless as I gaped at the scene in front of me, my eyes nearly falling out of my sockets. Water gushed out from her chest, marking two easily visible wet spots on her boobs. I stared wide-eyed at her while the others gasped and did the same. It was silent. So silent that I could hear people breathing. That only lasted for about four seconds.

“Oh my god. Lauren Mallory wears a water bra!” a senior guffawed as the other students in the room joined him, laughing hysterically, taking pictures and recording with their phones. Lauren screamed; it was so high-pitched, so sharp that I had to cover my ears. With her hands crossed in front of her chest, she ran out of the room frantically, shrieking as she went. People pointed rudely in the direction of her departure, roaring with laughter. Her friends- or so she called them- were laughing at her too, holding on to each other for support. I saw Edward restraining a laugh, behaving like a gentleman that he always was. Jamie bumped fists with Emmett, “This is so going on Youtube!”

“You got the whole thing?” Emmett grinned. “Hell yes,” Jamie assured him with a wide smile, “Everything.” “Excellent,” Emmett flashed his teeth, looking happier than I had ever seen him before. I didn’t know what I was doing or why I was doing it. I mouthed “one minute” to Edward and took off after her. And I found Lauren, sitting with her face buried in her hands, crying on the bench.

“Are you okay, Lauren?” Her face snapped up at the sound of my voice. She glared at me with so much hatred that I flinched,

“What do you want, Swan? You win! You win, okay? You have Edward, you stole my squad, you have that damn tiara on your head, and you had the entire school laughing at me. You have taken everything away from me, is that enough for you?” she sobbed.

“Do you think I wanted this to happen? For god’s sake, I didn’t mean to bump into you. And as for this stupid thing,” I yanked the piece of metal off my hair, “Keep it. It doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“I don’t need you to pity me,” she said, disgusted, “It’s not fair. I was the “it girl” of the campus before you showed up. Suddenly, you took everything from my grasp,” she swallowed angrily,

“What do you have that I don’t? Why did Edward pick you instead of me? He was supposed to be mine,” her voice was weaker, all the fierceness from before was gone, “All this was supposed to me mine.” I sighed, “I didn’t come here to make you miserable. I ignored you, Lauren. I ignored your crap but you didn’t quit! And this is all my fault? While you were the one who started everything?” She sniffed, speechless for once as she looked away from me. I sat down next to her on the bench, keeping a good amount of space between us. I spoke in a softer tone,

“And I didn’t want to be with Edward just to make you feel bad or jealous. It just happened- I fell in love with him. And your squad- god knows I had no intention of making them join the basketball team. I know you hate me Lauren, and that’s okay. But I just need you to understand that I don’t spend all of my time planning on revenge.” Unlike some people. “Why is your reputation so important to you, anyway? And this Winter Formal?”

“You don’t know my mom,” her lips trembled, instantly sounding more vulnerable than ever, “She went to this school when she was my age. She was everything- cheerleading captain, homecoming queen, prom queen… she expects the same from me. No, she expects more,” she sniffled,

“When she found out that I got held back a year… she was embarrassed to be seen with me. She wouldn’t look at me, talk to me for a month. Appearance meant everything to her, and she said I was jeopardizing her image.” I was still too stunned by the held back a year.

“I’m… sorry, Lauren. I had no idea,” I murmured.

“I wonder why the hell I’m telling you all this. Nobody knows about my mom, not even Kelsey and Jessica,” she breathed, “Oh, and if you ever mention this to anyone…”

“I won’t. I promise.” She nodded her head, “Good.” Neither of us said anything in the next minute. Even though I couldn't relate to her problems, I felt bad for her. It was horrible to have someone controling your life, judging you based on your social status.

“Hey Lauren?” “What?” “Let’s put a stop to all of this madness. I’m so tired of it and I know you are too. So what do you say? I’m willing to put all of this behind us if you are,” I smiled at her, holding out my hand. She studied my face and stared at me hand. Tentatively, she shook on it, “I guess I don’t really have a choice anymore. Wait, you’re not going to hug me, are you?” I puckered my face, “Trust me. No way.” We both laughed; the atmosphere was lighter, more suitable for two girls having a conversation.

“Why did you come? If you’re not here to laugh at me, why did you even bother?” she asked, frowning. “Because I remember how it felt when I was the one storming out of the same room several months ago. It was nice to have someone coming after me,” I smiled, my mind drifting back to that night- my first kiss with Edward. Instantly, she looked guilty and embarrassed. Her thoughts must have led to the terrible truth or dare that she had sprung on me.

“Well, I’m going to head back. My friends are probably wondering where I am. So the plan is that we will both try to be civil to each other next semester, right?” She didn’t say anything for a while. Her posture tensed up and she closed her eyes before she opened her mouth,

“I won’t be here next semester,” she whispered, “My mom wants me back home because I’m flunking my classes. She wants to keep an eye on me, so today’s my last day, that’s why being crowned as the Winter Formal Queen was so important to me.” A surge of pity washed through me as I stared at the girl that used to be my enemy. Even though I did not like Lauren, I understood what she was about to go through. Transferring to a new school wasn’t easy; in fact, I wouldn’t have been able to survive ECA so long if it weren’t for the Cullens and the Hales. A part of me was sad to see her go; we didn’t even get a chance to be friends, and she was leaving. Today was probably the last time that I'd ever see Lauren Mallory.

“I used to be upset about it, but after what happened tonight, it’s actually a relief. Honestly, I don’t think I can show my face again after what happened today,” she laughed dryly. I didn’t know what to say.

“It’s okay; go. I’d rather be alone for a few minutes,” she said, her head tilted up toward the sky. “Um… Do you mind if I ask you something?” She shrugged.

“Why didn’t you go back to your room instead of sitting out here?” She sighed, “I don’t have my keys with me. I left my purse at the dance.”

“Oh. I’ll go get it for you,” I offered, getting up on my feet. “Hey Bella?” she called as I started walking away. “Yeah?” “Thanks,” she said genuinely, “I mean it.”

“Sure,” I smiled at her. I ran into Jessica at the entrance of the building. She was running with a purse in her hand, looking worried, “Hi Bella. Is Lauren…?” I pointed to the direction that I had just come from, “She’s right there.”

“Thanks,” she rushed out of my sight. I smiled to myself; Lauren would be happy to know that some of her friends still cared about her. I didn’t feel like going back to the ballroom. The moon was beautiful outside; it seemed like such a waste to stay indoors while there was gorgeous scenery to enjoy. I sauntered to the courtyard that was adjoined to the ballroom. There was no one out here; aside from the music escaping from the other side of the glass door and thick curtains, it was quiet. I leaned over the balcony railing. The little courtyard, too, was elegantly decorated just like the ballroom- winter-themed. The metal fence that I was resting against was wrapped with pretty, white bows; there were so many flowers surrounding me that I could smell them quite easily when the wind blew. I was so intrigued with what I saw that I didn’t even notice the glass door slide open.

“That was very nice of you,” said a velvety voice. A pair of arms wrapped my waist from behind. If I didn’t recognize that voice or those arms, I would have screamed. But I did. I turned my head sideways to peak at him. My breath was caught in my throat when I caught a glimpse of the flawless looking creature resting against the railing beside me; I couldn’t look away. Staring blankly ahead at the grassland in front of us, he smiled as he placed one of his hands on my bare shoulder and the other one back around my waist. The wind played with his tousled hair; it was heartbreaking to look at him. His eyes met mine with a gentle smile tucked around his lips.

“How do you know I didn’t take off to make fun of her?” I asked. He laughed; his beautiful laugh sounded so addictive to me, “Because I know you,” he traced my nose slowly with his finger, “You would never do that. You have the kindest heart in the world.”

“You think too highly of me,” I smiled. “I’m afraid I have to disagree,” he murmured softly. His lips brushed gently against mine; all too soon, he pulled away. “What were you thinking before I came? You seemed very thoughtful…” he noted, his eyes curious. “I was just thinking about what Lauren said..." I paused, "She asked me how you ended up with me, and I had no idea how to answer because I ask myself the same question everyday. Why me, Edward? There are tons of prettier girls in this school. I just don’t get… why you want to be with me… I…” He cupped my face and looked at me straight in the eye, “Isabella Marie Swan, do you have any idea, any idea at all how special you are? Other girls can never compare to you, not even in the slightest,” he shook his head,

“I can talk to you. You understand me, and I never have to worry that I have to act like somebody else for you. I can be me. I’ve spent half of my life trying to be happy for my parents, my siblings, but let’s be truthful, I was never truly happy. I had no idea why I was living. Why I didn’t die with my parents. When I met you,” he touched my cheek with his palm,

“You give me something to look forward to everyday. I wake up every morning hoping to see your wonderful smile, your beautiful blush… even during the time that we weren’t on good terms in each other, I’m embarrassed to admit that…” he stopped, chuckling,

“I kind of enjoyed it when you snapped at me. It felt good to hear my name coming out from your lips.” I bit my lips, tears forming in my eyes as I threw my arms around him.

“I love you,” I whispered. “As I love you,” he bent down to kiss my hair then added casually, “By the way, you are the most beautiful girl on campus.

Don’t even try denying it, it’s the absolute truth.” I laughed and it was followed by a sniffle. Edward pressed his face to my hair and we stood there in each other’s embrace for I don’t know how long. We gazed up at the moon together silently. I could suddenly see my future- my future with him. I saw myself in his arms, looking up at the sky again, both of us mesmerizing the beautiful night in front of us just like what we’re doing now. At that moment, I knew there was nothing I wouldn’t give for that vision to happen. I wanted him in my future. No, I needed him in my future. My life before I met him seemed so distance; like it was only a dim memory from another life time. I shuddered at the thought of not meeting him, of not coming here to ECA and not finding my other half. I couldn’t picture my life without him.

“What are you thinking now?” he whispered. “I’m thinking of how good it is to have your arms wrapped around me like this. I’m thinking of how good you look in your tux. I’m trying to see how our future would be like,” I murmured.

“I can see it, Bella,” he smiled, looking as glorious as ever, “I can see my future, and it’s with you. I can see myself still very deeply in love with you because my affection for you will never cease. Your hold on me is permanent and unbreakable, Isabella Marie Swan. My heart is yours- only yours- always and forever.” His declaration sent my heart to the frenzies. It was unbearably wonderful to hear that he felt the same way about me. I took his face in my hands and thanks to the high-heels that Alice had forced on me, I didn’t have to tip-toe to reach his face,

“I will always love you, Edward Anthony Cullen. No matter what happens, my heart will always belong to you,” I whispered passionately. My lips met his and he kissed my back eagerly, picking my feet up from the ground without breaking the kiss and sitting me down on the railing so our faces were on the same level. His arms locked securely around my body; I didn’t have to worry about falling backwards at all because Edward could never allow that. He would never let any harm come to me; I was always safe with him.

“Are you cold?” he whispered. I laughed; I was wearing a sleeveless gown in the middle of December. I left my coat in the ballroom because I didn’t think I’d need it. But I was not cold; not with his arms around me, not with his lips moving so fervently against mine like this.

“No,” I told him smilingly, tightening my grip around him, “No, I’m not cold. Not at all.” Greedily, I pulled his face closer to mine so I could kiss him again. I could feel his enthusiasm when our lips came in contact; I didn’t want to stop. Neither did he, it seemed. A moment later, he helped me down and we went for a walk on the grassland. With the beautiful night ahead of us, it was undeniably romantic to walk under the smoldering moon, holding his hand. He took his jacket off to place it over my bare shoulders. And I was thankful that he did; it was kind of cold when the wind hit against my skin.

“Edward? Do you mind if we do some really childish?” I smiled. “I’m in as long as the we part applies,” he grinned. I grinned back, pulling him along as I ran to a huge tree that I noticed a while ago. I bent down to look for a rock; I eliminated the dent ones and found a pointy, sharp stone that just might work. I pressed it into the bark as hard as I could. E+B After retracing it for a couple of times to make sure the mark was deep enough to be noticeable, I bit my lip and smiled satisfyingly at my work.

“A few years later, we’re going to come back here and sit under the same tree, thinking about all of our good memories in high school,” I beamed. I turned to Edward to see his face and to my surprise; he held his hand out for the rock.

“May I?” I nodded, “Of course.” I dropped it in his palm. He flashed a wide smile then stepped closer to the tree. His hands moved against the bark; I couldn’t see what he wrote

exactly since his body blocked most of my view. That only made me more anxious and curious. Patience, Bella. Patience. A few minutes later, he stepped back and smiled the crooked smile that I adored so much. I looked curiously at the bark, and my heart was just about to explode with exultance. Neatly carved below my writing was the word that made tears welling up in my eyes again. FOREVER

“Forever?” I croaked exuberantly, throwing my arms around him. He tightened his grip on me and kissed me softly on the lips, “Forever,” he whispered. -The End