A/N: Yeah, so. Didn't take me as long as I thought it would to get things up and running, eh?

Disclaimer: OK, so not mine, though I wish...

"Wifey!"

I look towards the site of the commotion and see Emmett, Jasper and Edward leaning against the steps. Emmett and Jasper are in hysterics over their apparent genius, and Edward looks amused, winks and grins at me, and walks into the building. Fuckers.

I try my hardest to ignore the catcalls, and mildly insulting, playful nick-names being thrown my way, and walk to meet my two favourite girls – Rose and Alice.

"Maybe you should stop trying to fight this and just go on a date. You both would be so much happier not having to deal with the heckling", Alice says calmly.

"And...after you get the date out the way, you get onto the fucking. I fail to see how you can't benefit from this, Bella." Ah, Rose. Ever the lady.

"Look, Edward and me...we just wouldn't cut it as a couple. Too similar and we have built quite the nice base for a lifelong friendship. And Rose, if I was interested in the 'fucking', as you so sweetly described it, I would have snatched Mike from his seat during second period and rode him in the bathroom."

Alice looks at me like she understands what I'm saying. I'm sure whatever she's thinking, she's wrong. Please be wrong.

The day I arrived at Forks High School, she ran to me and hugged me, telling me she had waited for me for too long, and she was glad her best friend had finally appeared. I, of course, thought she was bat-shit, but by the end of the day, I honestly don't know how I lived up until this point in my life without Alice Brandon. She introduced me to Rose, and we became three. Simple.

By the end of my first week, I was man-handled more than I thought absolutely necessary, and accosted by more helpless manboys than I needed. It was during one of these, accostings?, that Emmett McCarty took me under his extremely muscled and beefed-up wing. He told me that he always wanted a little sister, and that it looked like I was going to fill that role.

Goody.

I was marched into the cafeteria by my pseudo big brother, and told that I was to sit at his table and wait for his friends to come so he could introduce his "favourite new sibling" to them. Minutes later, two guys walked straight through the cafeteria traffic, parting it like they were fucking Moses. They reached the table, smiling at Emmett, doing the mandatory fist bump and shoulder pat, when I cleared my throat in Emmett's direction.

"Oh yeah...Edward, Jasper, this here, is my new baby sister..."

"Bella", I offer. Some big brother he was turning out to be. Didn't even know my name – douche.

"Bella, yes. I shall call you Babybel." Awesome.

"Hey Bella, I'm Jasper. How did this happen exactly?" My sentiments exactly, Jasper.

I mean, really? Did this look like a normal situation? I'm sitting here, apparently willingly because my legs don't seem to want to move, and have an arm thrown over the back of my chair. My new brother smiles at me, and like the idiot I am, I smile back and he pats my head. Like a fucking dog. Hmm, I quite like it. This school is making me weird.

I must have gotten lost in my thoughts for a while, because Alice and Rose appear at the table, and throw themselves down in the seats surrounding me. I hear voices making conversations, and a throat clear.

"You ok?" Edward, I assume by process of elimination, asks me.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Just daydreaming. I do that a lot. So you're Edward?"

"Yeah, and would you like me to pick up Em's nickname for you or do you prefer Bella? I could think of one of my own I suppose."

"No, Bella's fine. Erm, I dont really know what to do here. I mean is he usually like this? I feel like I've been kidnapped."

Edward laughs, and the sound makes me smile. Actually now that I think of it, I've had a smile on my face since he started talking to me. Ooh, this is new. I mean, yeah, he's attractive – green eyes, hair that's kind of copper, and kind of brown, and kind of bronze, and looks like it takes some amount of handling to get it just...so. I like it. He's tall, and athletic looking, like he works out just right. Oh, who I am kidding? He's fuckhot. I must have been staring at him, because the next thing I hear is Alice.

"You two would make such a cute couple, right guys?" She looks around, and I follow her gaze. Everyone except Emmett has a grin and nods their heads in the affirmative – even Edward. Traitor.

Oh for shit's sake. I have been here a week already, and she's marrying me off. I blush and look at her, hoping I'm conveying to her to Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Shockingly, she doesn't take the hint.

"Rose, don't you think they look cute. They just scream 'it' couple sitting there, looking cosy and coupled and cute." Alice alliterates when she gets excited.

I looked at Edward to see him smirking. Smirking? What's going on? Why isn't he as embarrassed as me? He probably gets this all the time.

"Alice, it's going to take the approval of her big brother, here, before Eddie gets anywhere near Babybel. I normally would not allow any type of courting to go on before a suitable screening process has been put in place, but the more I look, the more I see. Eddie, you have my permission to date Babybel." Emmett recites this like he has been waiting for the perfect moment to whip this little gem out his bag of tricks, and sits back in his chair like he is the ruler of us 'small folks and has offered a reprieve to the village hobo.

Emmett sitting in a red suede throne with his royal crown peaked slightly to the left in an attempt to look 'with it', waving his hand dismissively in the air as if what he's offering isn't really anything of consequence. EXCUSE ME! This is my innocence your giving away King Emmett. Asstard.

Welcome back, daydreams.

Kill. Me. Now

The conversation continues as though I haven't just completely spaced out.

"Emmett, I thank you for your permission", Edward says, with an air of satisfaction.

Wait, what? What is going on here? I look at Edward and he just smiles at me. I think I stop breathing. It's not exactly a smile but more of a grin, or a smirk, maybe? A grirk. Either way it's getting me a bit flustered. Rose takes this as her opportunity to enter the conversation.

"Bella, stop blushing." Thanks for the words of comfort and wisdom Rose. Bitch.

Just as we enter into a fairly normal conversation, pushing past the extremely embarrassing topic of Edward and me, I find that the more time I spend in his company, the more I just really want to be Edward's friend. He hasn't looked at me like he expects anything more to happen, and I am so thankful for this. I mean, yeah, he's hot, and I could totally see myself trying to get into his pants if I'm drunk, or high, or a combination of both– real classy, Bella – but, I think that my desire to be one of his go-to friends seems more appealing to me.

The bell sounds, signalling the end of lunch, and Edward asks where I'm off to next period. I tell him that I have AP Biology and he grins at me, saying that he also has that class. We leave the cafeteria, walking in our group, with no mention of couplings, or courtings, or screening processes. Bliss.

Edward leads me into Biology, and stands me in front of the teacher's desk.

"Mr Molina, this is Isabella. She's new." I look up to Edward to give him a look of displeasure at his piss poor introductions, but he's walking back to his table. Now, before our chats at lunch, I'd be looking at his ass, wondering what it would be like to touch, or grab or bite. However, lunch took me into the friend zone and I am now trying to calculate how I can throw something at him without being caught. He sits down on his stool, and gives me his 'grirk'. Asshole.

"Isabella – "

Let's get this sorted, shall we? "Just Bella."

"Alright. Bella, welcome to Biology. Here are your books, if you need anything, let me know. You'll be sitting next to Edward, here. I'll leave you in his hands."

The class starts and I realise that this isn't going to be as challenging as I thought it would be.

I look to Edward to find him doodling in his textbook. I pass him a note, as discreetly as I can.

Shouldn't you be paying attention? ~ B

Shouldn't you? ~ E

Because of my superior intelligence, I don't need to ~ B

Who knew you were so modest? ~ E

We spent practically the entire period bantering back and forward via our notes. We packed our things as the bell went, and began to walk outside. As I walked past his desk, Mr. Molina asked me how I felt about the class. Edward snickered and I shot him a glare. Turning to Mr Molina, I told him that I thought I would get along just fine but promised to go to him if I had any problems.

Walking out the door, I heard Edward snort.

"What?" I asked him, already feeling defensive.

"You are such a kiss-ass!"

"No, I am not! I was just being polite."

He walks on, and I follow after him. When he sees me beside him, he slows his pace down so I could keep up easily. At this point, I am just walking beside him, not really knowing where I'm heading towards. Luckily, Edward does, and he drops me off in front of the gymnasium. I look up at him in question, before realisation dawns on me. Gym. Shit! I look back and forth the changing areas and Edward, silently begging him to take me away from this hell. In fairness, before he grirks at me, he does look somewhat concerned. Then he walks away. Bastard.

I walk slowly in so I can change, and am greeted by a girl I think is in my History class. Amber? Aimee? Angela? Yes, Angela.

"Hey Bella, are you ok? You look worried." Well that's one way of putting it. More like utterly pissed.

"Oh, hey Angela. No, I'm ok. I just really hate gym."

"I know what you mean, but hey, at least you get Edward Cullen to walk you. That would be enough for me to suddenly like it."

I get the feeling that she thinks Edward and I are more than we are, and at this point I see Jessica Stanley eyeing me, and attempting to hide the fact that she's listening closely. It seems to me that this little piece of information may be important to her, so instead of setting Angela right, and telling her that Edward and I are just friends, I respond with an air of arrogance, "Yeah, he makes a whole lot of things things easier." Bitch, right? Oh well.

Gym was actually pretty painless. We played Basketball, and I discovered pretty quickly that if I 'accidentally' kept passing the ball to the other team, coach would suggest I sit out and observe the rules of the game. Score.

I got changed back into my clothes and exited the gym to see Edward leaning against the wall, one leg bent at the knee, propped up behind him for support. He's pretty. I shake the thoughts away, and look at him curiously. "What's up? Everything ok?"

"What? Can't I escort my new friend to the parking lot?"

I shrug my shoulders and walk in line with him, turning the corner and smacking into Jessica Stanley. She lifts her head, looks at me and who's beside me and her eyes widen. I recall the tid-bit I shared with Angela and giggle to myself inside. Edward looks from her to me, with an expression of sheer confusion.

"Um, are you ok, Jess?" He asks, almost like he's speaking to a toddler.

Me, being the bitch I am, step closer to Edward and repeat his question. Unconsciously, he leans into me, and I take hold of his wrist and play with his fingers. He looks down at me and smiles. Jessica follows his gaze, and if possible, her eyes widen even more. She shakes her head, mumbling something about "quick work", and scurries away. Still allowing me to hold onto him, Edward turns and looks to see where Jessica went. Surprised, he faces me and asks, "Was it just me, or did she seem weird to you?" I shrug my shoulders innocently, whilst my brain starts a cheer. He begins to walk and I follow, still playing with his fingers. He doesn't seem to mind, and I like it, so I figure until he tells me to stop, I'll keep doing it.

We meet Alice and Jasper as we walk to the lot, and almost like magnets, their eyes are drawn to mine and Edward's hands. Not a second after she spots the movements, do her eyes widen and she gleams at me. She fucking gleams. I know what this means. I am going to be assaulted with questions on the ride home, and since it's not enough that Alice knows, she will tell Rose as well. Fucking peachy. I drop Edward's hands and he walks off to meet Emmet and Jasper at the steps. Thankfully, she waits 'til he's out of earshot. She's generous like that, you see.

"So...Bella,"

"Alice, before you start, there's nothing going on between Edward and me. We're friends. I don't have any desire to be more. I don't want to go out on a date. I didn't hold his hand – I played with his fingers, they're pretty and soft, and I did it to make Jessica Stanley's head spin. Got it?"

Okay, so that was maybe a bit harsh, and probably not the best idea on my part. If I want it to look like there's nothing going on with Edward – and there so totally isn't – I have to act like there's nothing going on with Edward. I could do that. Who knows why I feel like I have just told my favourite story-telling, cookie-baking grandmother lies?

"Bella, first of all, thanks for the speech. Secondly, I was going to say that you seemed in a good mood after gym. We know you hate it."

Shit on a stick.

Busted. By my fucking self. Stellar, Swan.

I look between Alice and Rose, trying desperately to think of a reason that would cause me to automatically assume they were talking about Edward and I. Then I remembered, it was their pissing fault that I jumped to that conclusion to begin with. I mean, since they day we got introduced I have to endure nothing but ideas on how we 'look super cute', and how we 'just need to get it over with already'. The more I thought about it, the more I transgressed into being a wee bit annoyed, to full-blown fucked off!

"Is it any wonder that I immediately go on the defensive, Alice? Everyday I have to sit and listen to how perfect a couple we would make and I bite my fucking tongue! I don't need it! I don't need you setting us up; Edward doesn't need you setting us up, so leave it the fuck alone, alright!"

I realised that I haven't taken a breath since I started my little tyranny and inhale as much air as I can manage to soothe my burning lungs. My eyes must look crazy, lined with tears partly because I refused to blink, and partly due to the fact that I am actually a little frustrated over the whole thing. I get it, I really do. For starters, there are six of us, and it looks like Jasper and Alice have got that whole romance thing going on, gazing into each other's eyes and whatnot. Then there's Rose and Emmett, who have created this shit tonne of sexual chemistry, they could bottle it, sell it and retire in like 5 minutes. It would make things a whole lot easier if Edward and I hooked up. Of course I think he's attractive, but I just really enjoy having him as a friend. We have a great dynamic, why ruin it? I should probably explain this to my two besties but it seems I like to think things through after I've handed their asses to them. Oh well, sucks for me.

Rose starts calmly, "Bella, look we know that you and Edward are friends. What we're saying is that you could be more if you both would open you FUCKING EYES!" Yeah, she's full blown screeching by the end, and the tears that were merely lining my eyes earlier, topple over. Shit.

"Do you know how annoying it is sitting with you two at lunch? You have this inside conversation going on, even when neither of you say a fucking word! You haven't even agreed to as much as a group date since you got here, far less one with you and an actual boy and Edward is bypassing any female attention that comes in his vicinity. So excuse us for wanting to speed things along, because you both are so obviously backwards that you can't manage it your-effing-selves!"

I am so dumbstruck by her rant that I fail to see Emmett, Jasper and Edward standing around us. The only thing that snaps me from my state of absolute nothing-ness is Emmett's voice. From what I can vaguely understand, he's telling Rose that she maybe went too far. Jesus, you fucking think?

It's all I can do not to break down and have a full blown sobbing attack in the middle of Forks High School parking lot, so I do all I can do. I grab whatever shit it is I have, and quietly ask Alice if she could take me home now, please. She nods her head, the first useful thing she's done since we got let out, and we head to her car.

I get in, buckle up, turn my body so that it faces away from the driver seat, away from Alice and stare out the window. I let the tears come fast and heavy now. Alice starts the car and drives. We pass my group of friends who are standing in exactly the same position I left them in, all except Edward. His eyes are on mine, and as hard as it is to see him through my tear soaked eyes, I never tear away from his gaze until I physically can't see him anymore.

This day has been pure and utter shit.

A/N: So, whaddaya think? I'm a people pleaser, so should you think this is shit, let me know i suppose. But...if you think it's THEE shit, I want to know more...

Peace out, peeps - L x