A/N: This is something a little different for me. . .it's a story that starts off in drabbles as I navigate through some key moments in how ExB's relationship evolved over the years. The chapters get lengthier as they get older and life becomes more complicated.

This story has been completely written and I will post a chapter each day until they are all up. Initially, there will be an ExB POV in each chapter. The POV's will take place 2-3 years apart.

Hope you enjoy it! Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for reading!

(Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters.)

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Eight

Bella

I stared out of the window and watched the rain as it poured from the sky. There was a big puddle of water between the two trees in our front yard. I wondered if it was deep enough to drown in.

"Bella, sweetie- I just got off the phone with Mrs. Stanley, Jessica's not going to make it,"

I closed my eyes and focused harder on the sound of the rain.

"Honey, it's a thunderstorm- some of the roads are washed out- we'll reschedule your party for another day,"

My mother sat down on the couch next to me and rubbed my back. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes and stared at her.

"My birthday is today," I cried as big fat crocodile tears fell from my face.

"Just because your friends can't make it doesn't mean we can't have a party," My father came into the living room wearing a party hat. He blew a party horn and did a silly dance.

My mom smiled sadly at me. I sighed and turned my attention back to the front yard and that's when I saw the lights from a car coming down the street.

As it got closer I could tell it wasn't really a car. It was a truck- a big truck with big wheels covered in mud and it stopped in front of our house.

"Oh my word," my mother said next to me.

I wiped my tears, jumped off the couch and ran to the door. I stepped on to the porch just as the passenger door of the truck opened and two small legs wearing a pair of rain boots landed into a large puddle of water with a splash. I watched wide-eyed as a kid I knew very well sloshed his way over to me on to the front porch. He wore a yellow rain slicker with a hood and he carried a black garbage bag in his hands.

He ran up the steps and stopped directly in front of me. He removed the hood and extended the bag towards me with a smile.

"Happy birthday, Bella," he grinned.

I took the bag and realized there was a present inside.

"Thanks Edward. You want some cake," I smiled so big I felt like my face would split in half.

He nodded and followed me inside. I overheard his dad tell my dad, that Edward threw a fit and half about missing my birthday party, so they came over to give me my present.

My mom, dad, Edward and Edward's dad sang happy birthday to me and we all ate cake before Edward and his dad had to leave. I fell asleep listening to the pretty song on the Barbie music box Edward Cullen gave me for my eighth birthday.

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Stupid

Edward

I flopped around in my bed and tried to get comfortable. Stupid cast kept getting in my way. I sat up and was about to yell for my mom when somebody knocked on my door. I hoped it wasn't my stupid brother trying to cheer me up with his stupid jokes.

"Come in,"

I wished I would've asked who it was before I invited her in.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"What do you want?" I asked rudely.

"I um- I came to see if you needed any help with your homework," she stared down at her feet.

"I don't need your help, I'm plenty smart on my own," I frowned.

She raised her head and looked at me. "I didn't mean to like help you do it or whatever- you can't write so maybe, I thought- my mom sent me over here, okay," she huffed.

"I don't want you helping me do anything,"

She sighed. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Yes. I'm never forgiving you," I wanted to cross my arms to prove my point but I forgot I couldn't. So I just made a fist with my good hand.

All of a sudden she looked like she was about to cry.

"Well fine, who cares? You're just a stupid boy anyway! You shouldn't have been jumping from the roof of your house on to the trampoline!" she yelled at me.

I jumped up from my bed and stood to face her.

"And you're a stupid girl who needs to mind her own business!"

"You wanted me to lie to your parents?" she asked wide-eyed.

I shrugged. I guess I didn't really want her to lie. Well, maybe just a little.

"You could have told them you didn't see me or you didn't know what happened. I thought we were friends but I see I was wrong,"

I turned away from her and flipped through a book on my desk. I thought she'd get so mad she'd leave but Bella Swan never ever did what you thought she was supposed to do.

She came over and stood next to me.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I thought you were going to die or something," she said softly.

I looked at her and rolled my eyes. "It's just a broken arm,"

"I am your friend- I mean if you still want to be friends," she said sadly.

I ignored her and walked to the door and turned back and looked at her. She played with the sleeves on her sweater.

"Well come on, I guess we should get a snack before we start on homework," I said.

She smiled all big and goofy and skipped over to the door.

"I probably would have told your parents that you were abducted by aliens and when they realized your brain was broken they just dropped you from their spaceship while it was floating in the sky and that's how you landed on the ground with a broken arm and dislocated shoulder," I said taking a deep breath because that was a mouth full.

She just stared at me before she busted out laughing. "That is so stupid. They would have never believed that. I mean aliens can land their spaceships on the ground," she grinned as she played along with my ridiculous story.

"Well, I would've said something else and not ratted you out. Because that's the kinda stuff friends do,"

She dropped her head. "So, we're friends again?"

"I guess. I mean you are the only girl in fifth grade that can really play dodge ball. That has to mean something," I teased her.

She bumped my shoulder and I pretended it really hurt. But then I felt bad because she looked like she was going to cry again.

"I'm joking," I admitted.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Stupid boy! It's not funny!" she screeched as she stomped down the hallway.

I laughed quietly as I followed her to the kitchen.

End Notes: Aw, those darn kids! :-) Thanks for reading and reviewing!