Prologue

Bella's POV

"Alice," I heard myself say, drawing my best friends attention away from the mirror in her locker and her flawless lip gloss application for a brief moment.

"Yes?" she asked.

"What are the chances of you stabbing me with your nail file in the next..." I trailed off and theatrically looked at my watch. "...Seven minutes?" I finished.

In reply she just smiled at me and went back to her mirror and make-up.

"It won't be that bad," she eventually said in what she must have assumed was a comforting tone, and anyone but me would probably have bought it. I knew she just liked to see me suffer.

"You're just looking forward to me making a fool of myself again," I grumbled and leaned my forehead against the cool metal of my closed locker.

"Look," said Alice, slamming her locker door suddenly and making me jump. "You need to think positive. If you go in thinking you're gonna screw up, then it's bound to happen. Your head is your own worst enemy Bella."

"Yeah well it's not my head I'm worried about," I mumbled quietly as she threaded her arm through mine and practically frog marched me to gym class.

Edwards POV

"C'mon man," I told Emmett, getting up from my usual seat in the cafeteria.

"What?" he asked me through a mouth full of food.

"If you think I'm gonna put up with that algebra shit today then you're stupider than you look," I told him as he shovelled more of what I thought may have been cake of some sort. Most of the cafeteria food was unidentifiable.

"Well, as much as I appreciate that insult, I won't be joining you today," he informed me with a lopsided grin.

"What?" I half yelled. I was more than slightly shocked. We always ditched together. That way, the one who went to class didn't get asked awkward questions about why the other one wasn't there.

"I have to turn up for class this week. Coach say's less than perfect attendance will mean being benched of Friday's game and the scouts are coming," he told me, serious for a moment. "Plus Rosalie's in that class, I spend the whole ninety minutes just hoping she'll drop a pencil on the floor," he added, seriousness lost in an instant. "One of these days those hopes will be realised."

I groaned weighing up my options. I could ditch alone but I'd be bored senseless. Or I could go to class and be bored senseless. I didn't see the point of even taking that class. I could pass by turning up once a month to take the test, which is basically what I did.

"Whatever man," I said nonchalantly in Emmett's direction before pushing back my chair and heading for the parking lot and my car. I could waste the next hour and a half listening to music.

Bella's POV

"I'm really sorry Bella, but I just can't pass you. You put in the effort but there's been no improvement in any of your skills this semester," Coach Clapp told me what I already knew with a sympathetic smile.

"There has to be something I can do. I'll do anything," I pleaded. I couldn't fail gym. That would wreck my GPA months before college applications went out.

I must have said something that triggered something for Coach C because she smiled, which is a rare occurrence. The effect it had on her was quite startling. She looked calm, approachable... human.

"I suppose there is something I do need help with and I could give you extra credit for it. Depending on how well you do I could raise your grade to a C or even a B." Coach told me.

"That sounds perfect," I said grateful for anything that meant my GPA would be unharmed and I wouldn't have to take gym next semester.

"Good, you'll be needed in the gym at four thirty today for about an hour. Is that okay?" she asked.

"Sure," I said, wanting to go now and change out of my sweaty gym clothes.

"Then I'll see you later Bella," she said and headed off in the direction of her office and I walked in the direction of the changing room, itching to tell Alice of my good fortune.

Edwards POV

I had been in my car for almost two hours. I had decided that Spanish would be a waste of my time as well and remained in my car well past the end of Algebra. Unfortunately I hadn't had the foresight to park my car further from the main school building and happened to be playing music, rather loudly, with the windows down at the exact time that Coach Clapp was walking from the gym to the faculty office.

Of course, the old shrew wouldn't just mind her own business; she had to come over to investigate.

"Mr Cullen, don't you have a class you should be in?" she asked rhetorically.

"Yes Coach." I said in a monotone voice, turning off the CD and grabbing my keys. I would gladly take mind numbness over an extended conversation with this woman any day of the week.

"Well, Mr Cullen. I hope you'll be getting to it now and I'll make sure you receive your detention slip later today along with a phone call to your parents. I happen to know you're on the 'to watch' list for truanting.

Now she had my full attention. Detention I could handle but informing my parents. That could absolutely NOT happen. They had told me in no uncertain terms that one more misdemeanour at school and I could kiss my car goodbye for a month and I was not getting on the bus.

"Come on coach, there has to be some way we can settle this without getting my parents involved," I said trying, in what I honestly thought was a useless attempt, to convince her to be reasonable.

I swear it was like a fucking light bulb went on over the top of her head. Like in a cartoon or something. If that expression hadn't been followed by the creepiest smile I'd ever seen I might have actually found it funny.

"Actually there is something you can do. I have something I need some help with if you think you're up for the job," she told me

"What's the job?" I asked; suddenly weary of the offer she was making.

"Turn up at the gym at four thirty today to find out. If you don't show, I'll be on the phone to your parents first thing tomorrow morning. Now off to class before I change my mind," she barked at me.

I didn't need telling twice. I had no idea what her mysterious task was but it couldn't be any worse than taking the flee ridden school bus for a month. Could it?

Coach Clapp POV

I am a freaking genius. Seriously! Move over Einstein there's a new girl in town.

The morning had started terribly. I had received a call from the board running the sectionals for the High School Ballroom Dancing competition telling me that unless I had a third couple to enter in the competition I was wasting my time because we couldn't enter.

I had resolved to tell Katie and Garret and Tanya and Jasper that unless they knew of a willing and able couple to enter then they weren't going to be able to enter the competition tonight at practice. But then, by some twist of fate, two students had needed a little help from me and I needed a little help from them.

They didn't have to be brilliant dancer's, and in Bella Swan's case that was a given. They just had to be able to stand upright, wear acceptable costumes and smile. Then we could enter the competition, Bella would pass Gym, Cullen's parents would be oblivious to his truancy and everyone was a winner.

So you didn't have to wait long did you? I hadn't planned to start another story so soon but boredom being what it is this worked its way onto my laptop. It's going to be a pretty short story, I have a longer one in the works as well as a sequel to Parent Teacher Meetings though. As always let me know what you think...