The sway of her hips. The swing of her hair. The glean of sweat on her arms. She tossed her head back and laughed, the disco ball's silver light causing her to shine more than she already was. I took a sip from my water bottle, watching as she danced with her friends.

Alice, the short, black-haired girl giggled, dancing like there was no tomorrow. Her pale skin looked white in the gloom of the gym. She leaped onto Angela, the quiet one's, back. Angela laughed, but then they were surrounded again, and I was left in the hallway, sipping my water slowly, hesitant to enter the dance again. I scratched the back of my neck, but I slipped the bottle into my coat pocket close by and stepped back into the heated, sweaty gym.

The basketball hoops were raised so they wouldn't interfere with anything, and the floor was covered with the white dust that was common in the school. I made my way through the crowd until I found a spot close by, so I could watch her still. My eyes closed, imagining the way it would feel if her hips were in front of mine, rubbing gently against mine.

The dream was interrupted by Jasper and Tanya, her arm slinking around my waist as she twisted around to dance in front of me, her smile radiating in front of me. Her green eyes stared into my own, and Jasper stood with a bottle water - which wasn't permitted in the gym - in his hand. Rosalie came up beside him, hands on her hips. But my eyes didn't leave her for long. They strayed from the beauty in front of me to the angel not far away.

And my heart crashed. There he was, swaying with her, his hips grinding into hers, and her smile was larger than it was. His russet skin in blinding contrast to her own porcelain skin. Her black dress made her stand out even more, and the royal blue tights underneath complimented her…everything. I couldn't take my eyes away, regardless of the fact that her boyfriend was nuzzling her neck.

"Edward!" Tanya whined, taking her cold hands and forcing me to look at her. My eyes darted back to her, now peppering his cheek with little kisses. "Look at me!" I forced my eyes to watch as she grinned at me, stretching to kiss me. She slipped her tongue into my mouth, grasping at the back of my neck. To create room, I slid my own into hers, tasting the peppermint of her toothpaste. She always brushed her teeth before a possible make-out - meaning she brushed them every time she was going to be around me.

I pulled away, slipping out of her grasp, and colliding into a hard chest behind me. The song, Kiss Me Through The Phone by Soulja Boy, blasted through the DJ's speakers as I looked up into the black eyes of Jacob.

"Edward…what are you doing here? You said you weren't gonna be here." I shrugged, feeling Tanya slip her arm through mine. I wanted to shake her, but I couldn't. I itched to glance at her, but Jacob hated it when people didn't look him in the eye.

I nodded as Jasper came up beside Jacob. "I know…I decided 'what the hell?' First dance of the year, might as well come."

"But you hate dances," Jasper spoke up, glancing over at Rosalie, who was dancing alone, glaring at Tanya - her supposed best friend. Tanya sighed, going to dance with her friend. I glared at Jasper, but smiled at Jacob.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It'll probably be the only one I come to. Don't get your hopes up. Anybody up for a cigarette?" I wanted to get the attention off my attendance to the dance. The music was still blasting and my brain felt as if it had been fried. I needed escape. I snatched the pack out of my pocket. "No? Alright, I'll go by myself." I began walking away, but turned back to speak to Jacob once more. He smiled more genuinely at me - after all, he was one of my best friends. "By the way, tell your cousin that grinding is strictly prohibited. I think I might be sick." I turned again and noticed she was gone, though he was still dancing, and Alice and Angela were twirling each other around. Jessica, the ejected friend of the three - recent four - sat on the bleachers, watching them longingly.

I smiled at her, sympathetic, but I continued on, without speaking. I stepped out of the crowded area, out of the front doors, into the cool air of October. And there she was, in all her glory, sipping a Gatorade, and I swear my heart stuttered. Her hair blew slightly with the breeze, and the thin layer of sweat covering her arms and shoulders was breathtaking. I took a deep breath before going up beside her.

"Hi!" she greeted, startled. "I didn't hear you come out. 'Course, with the volume of the music in there, it's unbelievable that I can still hear at all. It's pretty loud, right?" I nodded, digging around for a lighter in my pocket.

"Want one?" My voice, muffled slightly by the cigarette in between my lips, was quiet and breathy, much to my embarrassment. She shook her head, and I lit the tip of the cancer-stick, as Rosalie called it, sucking in a drag.

"You're…Edward, right?" I nodded, blowing out a puff of smoke. I could already taste the tobacco on my teeth, and I smiled. It was comforting in a way. "I'm Bella, though you probably already know that. You're in my…English class, right?" I nodded again, taking another drag of my cigarette. Smoke billowed out through my nose as I let it out. She nodded as well, moving her whole body. I fought back a groan.

"Bella!" We both turned, the cigarette between my lips, her Gatorade up to hers. He walked toward us, towering above her, but her eyes were lit with pleasure. His arms, muscular and shining, opened up for her, and she reached over to give him a hug. "Umm…who's the person?" He looked at me, but wasn't speaking to me. I was right there. Right in front of him. What a douche.

She laughed, slipping out of the hug to face me as well. "That's rude. Be nice. This is Edward, he's in my English class. Edward, this is Paul." I smiled at him, holding the cigarette away from my face with one hand and shaking his with the other. Of course, I already knew who he was. I knew everything about her, and that included Paul Harrison, born January 23, 1991. He played the drums and had a tattoo on the back of his left shoulder. He had two older brothers and a younger sister, and his older sister died of pneumonia when he was six. And the most important of all? He was dating the girl I was in love with.

I know...I should be working on OMWIWY, but I'm at a bit of a writer's block here, and this was killing me. I had to do it. I think it'll be fun. Really. So...review. I mean it.

I put a little thing in there for my best friend, Hanna. AKA, Lewygirl123. Check her out. She's UH-MAZ-ING. Love you!

xX A Strange and Beautiful Rose Xx