Hello there to all the new readers and especially to those who've been waiting for about six months for me to start posting this. Hope you like this :)

1. The Power of the Dazzle

"Edward!" Bella shrieked as she stormed into his room and slammed the door. The wooden cross that normally hung on the wall beside it dislodged and fell to the floor. Bella ignored it. Edward merely looked at it for a fraction of a second and then turned to his girlfriend. Something seemed… different… about her, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"What's wrong, my love?"

His love's response was to slap him. Edward recoiled in shock.

"What's wrong is that this—" she thrust a thin plastic case at him "—exists!"

"But, Bella, I thought you wanted to encourage me…" Edward trailed off as he registered the glare she was giving him.

"Yes, but not this way!" said Bella, taking one step forward, and tripping over the cross.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Sure?" Edward reached out a friendly hand to help her up. Bella ignored it. "I said I was fine!"

She stood up, and promptly fell down again. Edward grinned. "I know you're clumsy, love, but even this is beyond belief."

Bella emitted a strangled noise of frustration. "I am. So. Mad. How could you do this to me? It's like you don't even care what I might think about this!"

"I thought you'd like it, of all people," said Edward.

"Happy! Hearing my lullaby on the radio, remixed, of all things!"

"Plenty of people like it—"

"Exactly! It's not my song anymore! It's everybody's song! And then I go out and find that this"—she flourished the plastic cd case in the air—"exists! People can just buy my song! Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You've totally sold out!"

Before Edward could reply, something else happened.

"Woah, woah, woah. Bella, back away from the talent—Edward, I'm going to get you outta here, really quickly. Just move, I've got your back."

Deprived of her wits for a moment, Bella quickly recovered. "Emmett, what—?" Unfortunately for her, she hadn't bargained on the sight of Emmett in a suit and earpiece (and, incongruously, a thick gold chain with a large dollar sign pendant) in all his glory.

"I'm here to protect the talent, baby. And that means him and not you." Emmett jerked a thumb at Edward, and then at Bella.

"Emmett, don't call me b—protect the talent?"

"Haven't you heard?" Emmett thumped Edward on the shoulder. "This baby's in demand. Now, Bella, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Bella just stood there and stared at him.

"Bella, did you hear me?" Emmett came closer and began herding her out of her boyfriend's room. Bella sighed impatiently, turned around to leave for herself, and promptly tripped over nothing.

Emmett started to laugh.

"Edward!" Lying indignantly on the floor, Bella opened and closed her mouth without saying anything for a few seconds, then managed to spit her words out. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders and smiled a smile that, normally, would make Bella's heart melt. Now, however, it had less than no effect, if such a measurement were possible. "What do you want me to say? I think Emmett's got it pretty well in hand."

"Why are you being so mellow about this?" Bella asked in bewildered rage.

"Well, as my stylist, Alice has been giving me tips. She says I get too stressed about things. I need to be more confident, she says." True to Alice's advice, Edward picked up his favourite bucket hat from a nearby table, stuck his index finger inside it, and casually spun it round and round.

Bella got up from the floor and crossed her arms, narrowly missing punching the doorframe. She narrowed her eyes at the vampire she thought was Edward. "You're only just taking her advice now?"

"Uh, Bella?" said Emmett. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Emmett, I'm looking at Edward. Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted, this has changed you!"

"Ah, you'll deal," said Emmett.

"It's a good thing, Bella," said Edward. "Trust me."

"Trust you? Huh."

"Well, it's kinda fun. You could be in my entourage, if you want..."

"Your entourage? I don't believe you!" Bella opened the door and stalked outside.

"Bella, it's just for fun—" Edward's placating had to be completed another time, because he'd just been interrupted by the sounds of Bella falling down the stairs.

"You know, that's really great!" said Emmett, as Edward rushed down to help Bella up from the stairs. "That'd make a great beat for your next song!"

"My next song?" said Edward, stopping in the middle of helping Bella to stare at Emmett and wonder about his callousness. "Bella just fell down the stairs!" He went back to lifting Bella back to solid ground.

"Exactly!" said Emmett, who had somehow entirely misinterpreted the question. "Only it's a bit too Bella-centric. Maybe we could call it 'I'm falling down the stairs (for your love)'. Although that's way too long... And it doesn't quite make sense..."

"Come on, what pop song does?" said Alice, poking her head out of her room.

"Are you okay, Bella?" said Edward gently as he seated Bella on the top step.

Bella pushed him away. "I'm fine."

"Come on, Bella, look at me," said Edward.

("Another great name for a song!" said Emmett.

"Sshh!" said Alice.)

"No," said Bella.

"Come on," said Edward, leaning his face in closer to her and doing his best to dazzle her.

"Fine," said Bella, and looked in his general direction, still scowling. It seemed the dazzle was powerless over Bella today.

That was when Edward realised what was different about her. "Bella?" he asked.

"Yes?" mumbled Bella, who'd turned her head away again.

"Why are you wearing glasses?"

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