CHAPTER 1

Bella's POV

It was always strange to me that people could develop crushes when they barely even knew someone. Love at First Sight, just made no sense. That was, until the day I first saw Edward Cullen. It didn't help that he was a year ahead of me at school, just about to graduate. But what did help was that since moving to Forks I had become best friends with his sister Alice.

Alice and I were complete opposites, honestly I'm not sure how we even became friends. My complete inability to put together a coordinated outfit drove her crazy on a regular basis. On the other hand you would think the fact that she was so obsessed about clothes and fashion and appearance would have sent me running, but there was something about this sweet, luminous girl that drew me to her right from the beginning.

But I digress, Edward Cullen, Alice's older brother by only 12 months. So really, he wasn't that much older than me as I'm a few months older than Alice. So there was practically no age gap whatsoever – just the mere fact that he was a senior and I was not provided the line in the sand.

The first time I saw Edward I wouldn't have guessed he was Alice's brother, there was no family resemblance. She was a tiny little thing with spiky hair and a delicate high pitched voice that would forever make her sound like a child. He was…well, different altogether. I had met Alice on my first day at school. She was the shining beacon in the dreariness that had been my first few hours of hell at Forks High School. What I was thinking coming here I really had no idea, but my mother needed some space with her new husband and so I decided to spend some time with my father.

Alice had met me in Biology and invited me to sit with her at lunch. By the second day I realized I was really enjoying her company so I continued to sit with her. We were sitting eating our meals with several of her friends on the Wednesday when a tall rather breathtaking boy walked towards our table. Jessica, one of the other girls who I really hadn't taken a liking to, immediately dropped her sandwich, picked up her drink and started playing with the straw as seductively as she could. She looked ridiculous. She looked up at him with wide eyes and took a sip, then purred at him, "Hi Edward." It was a little embarrassing really and not at all obvious!

"Oh…..er…Hi Jess." Edward's voice was smooth, but dismissive, I liked that immediately. Jessica was pretty in an obvious cheer leader kind of way. He looked like the type who usually fell for the charms of these vapid girls, so I was impressed when he put his arm on Alice's shoulder and ignored Jessica. At this stage I still had no idea who he was and how he knew Alice.

"I'm leaving early today so are you right to get a lift home or something." He said looking down at Alice. She seemed wholly unaffected by him.

"Oh sure" she chimed, "maybe Jess or Bella could give me a ride." Alice motioned in my direction, he looked at me briefly.

There was a small scowl on his face, I guess as he realized he had no idea who I was. But Jessica jumped in quickly, "I can give you a lift home Alice." She didn't take her eyes off Edward, but he wasn't paying her any attention. His eyes flicked back towards me briefly and then he left the table.

"Oh my god your brother is so hot," Jess breathed. I thought she was going to slide right off her chair.

Alice just looked up at her and smiled. There was a slight note of condescension in that smile that I doubt Jessica noticed. It looked like Jessica's gushing bothered Alice. But I had certainly wanted to turn around and ask a million questions about the tall bronze haired boy with the dazzling green eyes.

And so that's how it had started. I hadn't even met him, exchanged more than one glance with him, even spoken to him. But I was unmistakably drawn to him.

As Alice and I walked out of the cafeteria together she started in on Jessica, "god it's just embarrassing the way she acts around Edward. She's had this ridiculous crush on him for years and he can't stand her. I just wish she'd take the hint and leave him the hell alone instead of always throwing herself at him, it's seriously embarrassing."

I laughed at this while making a mental note not to gush in front of Alice or throw myself at him. It would get me nowhere with either of them.

"Well have fun in English, geek." She was chastising me about taking a senior English class. I had always loved reading and intended on taking an English Literature major should I go to College.

This was the first English class for the week after a special assembly of the students had interrupted our class on Monday afternoon. I was a little nervous as the students in this class would all be new again being that they were seniors. But hey, I was getting used to being the new girl now so one more time this week wouldn't kill me. And Forks high school was so small that I was bound to recognize a few faces anyway.

I figured it best to enter the classroom as late as possible. While I didn't want to make an entrance I didn't want to take someone's seat. It was just easier to hang back and wait a little.

When I finally walked into the classroom there he sat, Edward Cullen, looking just as glorious as he had at lunch. He sat there on his own, listening to his ipod, ignoring the noisy students around him. He didn't look at the door when I entered, although many of the others did. I found my way to the teacher's desk and introduced myself.

As he pointed me in the direction of a spare desk he decided to introduce me to the class.

"Everyone, this is Bella Swan, she has just moved to Forks from Phoenix." I cringed in discomfort as he drew attention to my arrival. Honestly, why did teachers do that shit, at least he didn't point out I was a junior, my cheeks felt warm enough as it was. I was hoping with age my habit of blushing when attention was drawn in my direction would disappear, however in the last week it seemed to have been a lot worse.

I wasn't the last to arrive. Just after I took my seat the most stunning girl I had ever seen sauntered into the classroom after I had sat down. She had strawberry blonde curls that came half way down her back and a sweet angelic face. She confidently walked towards the spare seat next to Edward. Finally he removed the ear phones from his ears. He smiled warmly at her but I got the impression he was trying to apologize for something. I couldn't see the response on her face but I did see her run her fingers slowly across his jawline.

"Glad you could join us Miss Denali" said the teacher, he wasn't looking too pleased that she was late. But I got the impression she wasn't phased by the censure, all she had to do was smile and she would be back in his good graces.

Now I knew why Edward didn't pay any attention to Jessica Stanley. And from the way he looked at her I gathered he wouldn't be paying me any attention either.

Edward's POV

Honestly, Alice's little friends had gotten on my nerves before but Jessica Stanley was really starting to piss me off. She had spent the last three years following me around like a puppy. Actually, puppy didn't quite cut it, bull mastiff was a more appropriate canine reference. She was almost stalker material. It was at the point where I almost couldn't speak to Alice during school for fear that I might get mauled by her. And some of her other friends weren't much better, but at least as they got older a few of them had gained boyfriends of their own so it had become less of an issue.

It was a shame really because I got on really well with Alice, always had. She was great at taking my shit but when I needed to have a serious conversation with her she had an emotional intelligence that was beyond her years. She was always great at giving advice….oh and shit, but that just made her more fun.

She was delighted one Monday afternoon when we had driven home from school sprouting about a new project. Clearly it had involved fashion, otherwise she wouldn't be quite as excited. A new student had started at school and she decided she had no idea about clothing. She was excited because her new friend was an 'angel' as she'd described her and she had a feeling they were going to be fabulous friends.

Her name was Bella Swan, she was of course the police chief's daughter. One or two of my mates from school had mentioned her, but I was yet to see her for myself.

"Seriously Alice, people don't actually do this sort of shit to their friends."

"Edward, seriously you should see this girl. She has no idea how to dress, and I'm pretty sure she has no idea that half of the guys in our year are gawking at her either. She seems so shy it's adorable. You should have seen Mike Newton staring at her with his big puppy eyes."

"Alice, I'm sure if half the guys at school were checking her out she doesn't need your help."

"Whatever Edward…."

Our conversation trailed off but I could see the determined look on Alice's face and I started to feel a little sorry for Bella Swan.

On Wednesday I couldn't avoid having to speak to Alice during lunch. That meant having to be in range of Jessica Stanley. Oh well, if I made it quick perhaps I'd get away unscathed. No such luck, she had me in her sights before I was anywhere near Alice.

"Hi Edward." She said lasciviously. Egh, if only she knew how ridiculous she sounded. Couldn't she tell I had no interest in her whatsoever. Clearly she was stupid. That's what I hated most about some of Alice's friends – they giggled too much, spent far too much time in the toilets doing their hair, or whatever it is girls do in the toilets, and worried far too much about what they fucking looked like to notice that they just looked stupid.

Ignoring her just wasn't an option so I said hello and delivered my message to Alice as swiftly as I could. I wasn't in the habit of looking around the table at Alice's friends, it was easier not to get leered at. But Alice motioned to Jess and another girl's direction when she suggested she could probably get a lift home with either of them. I assumed the other girl must be the new girl, Bella. Knowing what Alice's friends were like I only gave her a rudimentary glance. I should have taken a better look. Fuck. It bothered me that Alice thought she needed to meddle with that.

I could understand why half the boys at school had been checking her out. I was just wondering what the fuck was wrong with the other half. But I knew I couldn't stick around to take a better look so I got out of there as quickly as I could. She was probably in the same vein as Jessica Stanley anyway, an airhead with too much time spent preening in front of a mirror. And besides, I had my own problems to deal with.

Speaking of which I was really going to have to start dealing with them head on. And given that I had my next class with that problem I'd better go.

As I sat down in English I left my head phones in, there was still a few minutes before class officially started so I sat there ignoring everyone around me staring out the window. I vaguely heard the teacher make an announcement of some sort but I was a million miles away. And then Tanya walked in. Late as usual, but her ability to get away with it never ceased to amaze me. I pulled my earphones out sat up and smiled at her. It was the least I could do. She affectionately ran her fingers across my jawline, and sighed heavily before sitting down next to me.

At some point during the class I noticed a strange looking brunette sitting two rows in front of me, long brown hair flowing down her back. I could see her hand running several strands through her fingers, twisting it around, as if nervous. I had been attending this class long enough to know that that head didn't usually belong here. As she turned her head slightly to look at the teacher I realized it was Bella Swan. What the…..

Well, that certainly put the cat among the pigeons. As much as I loved her, I didn't expect one of the girls in Alice's social circle to be taking a Senior English class. Bella Swan was all of a sudden looking very attractive.