The Declassified Date

by Mackenzie Leigh Hauntelle

Bella Swan found the perfect wedding gift for her mom. A Volvo C30 for only 100. There's got to be some sort of beautiful mistake in this. One-shot. Bella-Edward.

THE DECLASSIFIED DATE

By: Mackenzie Leigh Hauntelle

Summary: Bella Swan found the perfect wedding gift for her mom's marriage. A Volvo C30 for only $100. There's got to be some sort of beautiful mistake in this.

Prologue:

"Hey there strange caller whose number I've never seen before."

"Hi. I'm Bella, Bella Swan. Is this Miss Mary Cullen?"

"Yes, speaking. Hey there Bella! Is there something I can do for you?"

"Um. Yes. I was kind of wondering about the Volvo? I found it in the paper this morning and I just had to call."

"I know. A Volvo for only a hundred bucks? Who in the right mind could resist, right?"

"So it's really just a hundred bucks? The ad didn't get some sort of type-o?"

"Nope. The Forks Tribune is probably the world's thinnest daily paper that it only makes sense that it never gets anything wrong."

"Oh wow. Gee. So. The Volvo. Is there um ... something wrong with it?"

"No, no. It's just that it takes up so much space in the garage, you know? It was either expand the garage or get rid of that piece of junk. And fast."

"It makes sense ... a little."

"Well if you're still a little hesitant, I'll be more than happy to meet up with you and maybe you can see the car."

"It's not that I'm hesitant. I believe you, Miss Cullen, really."

"Just call me Alice. Miss Cullen sounds a lot like my Aunt Irina and she's a spinster! Anyway Bella, it's no big deal. People who are planning to purchase cars always get a test drive."

"Thanks, Alice. So um when can we meet up?"

"Are you free today?"

"So soon?"

"Honey, if you have a Volvo for only a hundred, people are bound to mob over it. Tick tock."

"Alright alright. I'm free. It's a Saturday after all. And I guess I can put off unpacking for tomorrow."

"You're new here, right?"

"In Forks? Yeah."

"Well then welcome newbie. I'll give you an even more proper welcome at 1pm. Meet me at the Newton's? You know where it is?"

"Sure I guess."

"I'll be wearing a yellow summer dress. See you later, Bella."

"Bye, Alice."

The Declassified Date

It was already half past 11 by the time I got off the phone.

I wanted a car, but not for me. Charlie already got me a homecoming present, a big red truck with enormous headlights. And it worked great for something straight out of the 50's or 60's for all I care. I wanted a car for my mom. She was remarrying next month-which is probably the only reason why I moved to my most detested place on the planet.

But at least that Mary Cullen or Alice or whatever her name was sounded like a very nice person. And if I were the type who always got my hopes up at a prospective circumstance, I might just think I found myself my first friend in Forks.

Not that I don't consider Charlie as one of my friends. But come on. You get the idea.

I went in the kitchen to fix myself a bowl of mac and cheese for lunch. Afterwards, I took a shower. I overslept today. Probably from the harsh flight I had gotten off last night. The tiny airbus was literally being tossed by the hard rain and the tough winds and I grew pale there. Maybe even sick. I don't really remember.

I got myself into a pair of bleached jeans and a white collared shirt with tiny embroidered bluebells. I tied the thickest jacket I got around my waist, stashed my phone, paper, pen, and wallet in a LeeSportsac sling bag, and left a note to my dad (in case I don't come home before dinner time) before driving my truck over at the Newton's.

It was still 30 minutes before 1 and no sign of a yellow summer dress yet. It was kind of a weird choice of outfit, at least, when you're living in Forks. Which is always wet and cold. But I guess Alice had her reasons. Maybe nobody else would be wearing that sort and then it would be a lot easier for me to identify her.

I decided to park my old truck to the nearest available space. I got out and made up my mind to pass the time by visiting one of the biggest buildings in tiny Forks.

"Welcome to Newton's. May I help you, miss?" a boy with blond spikes, blue eyes, and a baby face who looked about my age smiled from the counter.

It took me about 5 minutes to realize that the Newton's was actually a sports emporium. They were probably the most stocked in terms of camping and hiking and all those sports I sucked too much. It was a wrong idea to come in here. What would I be doing in a place like this? And now this guy, who might end up my classmate in Forks High come Monday morning, is probably thinking I'm a total retard.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "it's just that I'm new here and I got a little curious."

"It's cool. Feel free to check out the store ... or maybe," he added a little hesitantly, "I can give you a little tour?"

He looked so hopeful with those puppy dog eyes that I couldn't say no. I gave a slight nod and a grateful smile and gestured him to lead the way.

Newton's wasn't exactly Walmart big in size. It was kind of like a medium-sized hardware store back in Phoenix with lots of aisles and stocks and big things.

"I'm Mike, by the way," he said with a big smile.

"I'm Bella," I returned the gesture.

Mike began pointing at every single thing on the shelves of each aisle. He tutored me the names, their uses, and the people who bought it. Boy did he have one great memory. Too bad for me.

Before we made rounds to the third aisle, a tiny girl entered the place in a frilly yellow summer dress. She had the palest of skin and her hair was cut like that of a pixie. Short, pointy, and jet black.

"Hi there, Mike!" she waved from the sliding door, "I see you've met Bella."

"Yes. You two know each other?" Mike asked warily.

I don't know why but I thought it was very un-gentlemanly of him. Did they have some sort of history?

"I'm the reason why she's here, silly."

She skipped towards me, the frills of her dress flipping as she passed with an air of genuine charm.

"I knew you were pretty!" she told me.

And I blushed pathetically in response. I even forgot to thank her, whether she was sincere about it or not.

The only person who ever called me pretty was my mom. Everyone else thought I was a nerd, a dork, or someone who wasn't worth their while.

"Come now Bella. Have you had lunch? We could drive by a diner on the way if you haven't yet. None of us cook at home, even mom," she grinned.

"I'm good," I told her.

Alice tried desperately to have a good conversation with Mike. But for some reason, he always shifted his gaze to the banana boats, the thick sweaters, and the rain boots. He never looked at her. He distanced himself socially and physically. I kept having that eerie feeling that he's trying to warn me of some kind of danger with the looks he shot at me.

"Well Mike," Alice finally said, "Bella and I better be going."

" 'Kay Alice. Nice meeting you, Bella," he waved, picked up a clipboard filled with papers, and pretended to busy himself.

"Bye Mike," I said softly before walking out to follow Alice in a cute yellow Beetlemania parked right outside.

"I don't drive fast but it's always a good habit to buckle your seatbelts. My older brother Edward? I would've loved you to see his face when he throws a fit about seatbelts. He's OC. He's away for a trip in the woods. With dad. And my boyfriend, Jasper," Alice prattled on happily.

I was glad that I didn't have to contribute much to the conversation other than a simple nod and an uh-uh and okay in between.

I was starting to really like Alice.

"So I told Edward not to get that stupid Volvo but he never listened. Now the garage has too little space with Rose's Mercedes and Carlisle's other Mercedes, Emmett's Jeep, and Esme's new Vespa. I took the Volvo out as soon as Edward left. He still doesn't know how much exposed his baby is!" she giggled childishly.

She made a turn to the woods, that part of town I'd never been in. At least, as far as I could remember from my childhood summers spent in this place.

"Was that your truck parked outside the Newton's? Are you gonna sell it for the Volvo? It looked pretty decent."

"No. Actually, the Volvo's my biggest bet for the perfect wedding present for my mom," I explained.

"Wedding anniversary?"

"No. It's her second marriage."

"Oh. Um..."

"It's okay," I smiled at her.

It wasn't really that bad. My parents got married too early and the divorce followed soon enough. I don't even think they ever had a wedding anniversary at all.

"We're here," she said after one final turn.

The car wound up to a narrow man-made path with lots of weeping willows on the sides. The leaves brushed the car a little until we reached a clearing showing a spectacular view of the front of the Cullens' mansion. It was white and big and plenty other things but one thing for sure, it was surreal. The building and the location was just perfect.

"Home sweet home," Alice said.

"Make yourself at home inside. I'll just park this thing at the garage, Bella."

I got off the car unsteadily after a long drive. And then I delayed every marble step towards the glass door entrance. I was kind of hoping Alice might have miraculously finished parking and that I didn't have to let myself in. Things were never like this in Phoenix.

I fixed my shirt before turning the elegant knob. The interior of the house was just as glamorous. By now, the clouds have gathered up into a thick dark sheet in the sky. The living room with huge glass-paned windows and sparkling marble floor grew dark, but almost immediately, the diamond chandelier lit up.

"The weather in this town."

A woman with healthy caramel curls came into view. She looked not a day out of 30 but there was a flair in her that expressed maturity beyond her years. I wasn't able to stop myself when I blurted out, "Are you Alice's mother?"

I was sure that if she wasn't, it would be rude. What if she thought that I thought that she looked old. You know how age matters so much these days.

Fortunately, she smiled.

"Yes. Yes, I am. I'm Esme Cullen. But you can call me Esme anytime, dear. You must be Bella, am I correct?"

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen. It's very nice to meet you."

"It's very nice to meet you, too."

After that, we just smiled at each other and I couldn't think of anything else to say. Back home, I was never invited to any of my friends' homes. Heck, I've never even made a single friend in school.

I suppose I could tell Mrs. Cullen how much I loved her home. But beautiful hardly covers anything in that place.

"Mom? Have you seen the new toolbox I just bought? It was blue and green and had butterfly stickers on them," a girl's whiny voice complained from the other room.

She was so tall and so gorgeous. She was just perfect from top to bottom. Like a combination of young Grace Kelly and Liz Taylor. She just had a little oil smudge on her cheeks.

"Oh quit whining Rosalie. It's still probably in those shopping bags you haven't bothered to open up since last Saturday," Alice said, walking breezily in from the other room.

"Oh my god, so now you're telling me that?!" the blond girl Rosalie threw a fit, but tiny Alice stood by bravely, a head shorter.

"Girls, girls," Esme cried desperately, "we have a guest today. Be on your best behavior."

"Who's she?" Rosalie asked, one brow arched coldly.

"She's Bella Swan and she's my friend. She came for a visit in Forks and I decided to invite her to the house while she's at it," Alice said casually.

But she had it all wrong. We hardly knew each other to consider ourselves friends. And I am not over for a visit in Forks, I'm staying in here, permanently. But I'm not dumb enough to open my mouth and contradict. Alice must have her reasons.

So I nodded, a silent confirmation that everything was exactly the way they were that Alice had put them.

"Would you like something to eat, Bella, dear?" Esme asked motherly.

"No thank you, Mrs. Cullen. I'm very good."

"So Bella," Alice made very fast blinks that only I could see (because her back was facing her mom and sister), "why don't I show you the river outside. It's really picturesque."

"S-sure I guess," I said, quietly scolding myself for not being as natural a liar as Alice was.

She took my hand and led me outside the glass entrance door again, down the marble steps, and walked to the back part of the house.

"Okay what was that all about?" I hissed at her.

Her face turned paler than it was already and I would've certainly bombarded her with so many more questions if it weren't for the sight I was not prepared to see. Parked within a hundred yards from the house, hidden in a nice shade of two really old weeping willows, was the Volvo. A Volvo C30 with a handsome silver paint finish.

"The owner was my brother Edward, as mentioned, and he took real good care of it. Used it in less than a year and he probably showed more affection to the thing than to any girl. He's never even had a girlfriend. Anyway ..."

Alice opened the door to the driver's seat and leaned her light frame on the hood of the car as I beheld the grandeur. What a hundred bucks, on some occasion, could get you these days ...

"It's got four generous seats, high performance audio system, first class safety because really, that's what a Volvo guarantees. It's got a distinctive R-Design, and how could I have forgotten? This baby goes really fast, I'm sure your mother will be thrilled with the adrenaline rush it can offer!" Alice clapped her hands excitedly.

"Try it," she insisted.

"Oh no I can't possibly," I shook my head.

"Go on, Bella. I'll only let you pay 50 if you damage anything. No worries," Alice winked.

"Thanks but really. I'll let you drive. I'll just sit it out," I suggested.

Alice puckered her lips and slid in the driver's seat. She made a wild 360-degree turn and opened the passenger door. "Hop in!"

The Beetle took us about 20 minutes to get from the Newton's to the Cullens' home. But the Volvo took less than half that time to get from the mansion to Charlie's house. The ride was awesome. Alice sure could drive. And everything looked in place, as far as I could tell.

"So this is your home? What a nice place to live in,"she gushed, looking outside the car's window.

"Yeah," I smiled.

"So um Bella. Will you take this car ... to be your lawfully wedded transportation?" Alice beamed hopefully.

What was I supposed to do? Upset such a sweet stranger?

I took out my wallet, gave her 10 of 10's and beamed back. "I do."

I parked the car out of sight from anybody who would happen to pass by our neighborhood. I parked it in a drier clearing just a little outside of our backyard. I stashed the keys with the other things in my bag and went inside the house to prepare dinner.

Feeling super happy and lucky, I was singing and dancing as I made a large batch of spaghetti and meat balls. I was still singing to the plate of pasta when Charlie got home. I didn't even hear the sound of the chief's mobile pull in.

"You're in a cheerful mood today," he noticed, quickly picking up the good vibes.

"Dad, you are not going to believe it. I got a car!" I cheered, happiness I probably had never shown him ever before.

"You bought a car? Where did you get the money? Bella, no offense, but you don't know much about mechanical stuffs-unless Renee forgot to tell me about sending you to lessons like that."

"No lessons or summer camps, dad. I got a Volvo C30 parked secretly outside of the house. Really, it runs great. It doesn't take a genius to know that it does," I assured him, feeling so much more confident now.

"Did you win the lottery? And on your first day here? You must be really lucky," Charlie laughed easily.

"Nah. But I'm really lucky ... lucky to have bagged a Volvo for only a hundred bucks!"

"That's smart shopping, Bells, if it were true. Really, how did you get the money?" Charlie persisted lightly.

"I told you. It's only $100, dad. I didn't even bother smooth talking the owner's sister into reducing the price. I felt that it would be too rude. So do you want to see it?"

"To see is to believe," Charlie muttered, mostly to himself.

Our rain boots trudged on the wet stones covered with green moss outside the raining dusk sky. Charlie turned his flash lights on then let out a gasp full of surprise when the Volvo came to his view.

"I know, right? Ain't it a beauty?" I was smug.

"Bells ... how on earth?" he drifted.

"So now we don't have to worry about mom's wedding present," I shrugged and tapped the hood lightly.

Charlie looked at me, if I'm not mistaken, tearily. Or it could have been a stray drop of rain that landed on his cheeks.

"I thought that you sold the truck," he said slowly.

"But you saw that it was still there parked in front."

"Yeah but ... but ..."

"Dad," I said, lingering on the syllables more than one should, "it was your homecoming present for me. Sure the Volvo's a beauty but the truck, it's got more than that. And I love it."

"Thanks, Bells," Charlie sniffed, "now let's get back inside before the pasta gets cold."

I haven't heard of Alice since that fateful Saturday.

When Sunday came, I caught my first cold in Forks. And it made unpacking really uncomfortable.

Come Monday, I was more than nervous than I had ever been during first-day-of-school 's. It was March and the middle of the semester. It spelled trouble. The only people I'd probably recognize here were Alice and Rosalie and Mike. Rosalie wasn't the friendly type. She didn't even seem to like me at all. Mike was okay. But the last time I saw him, he got all weird. Maybe I was right about him thinking I was a retard. I wanted to call Alice. But what was I going to say to her?

Please meet me at the front of the school building? I'm scared to go in by myself?

I couldn't tell her that after selling a luxury car for a mere $100. She gave the price and I paid every cent ... but I felt like a conman. It just didn't feel right. Maybe over the weekend, Alice realized what a big mistake she's made. And somehow, I don't feel like giving up the car even if, worst case scenario, she'd ask for it back.

I dropped by the main office. I got my books, my schedule, and the map of the school. Forks High. A very tiny institution that didn't even feel like an institution. All day long I stuffed my nose on the map. Not that I haven't memorized it-I just wanted to avoid the gazes I was getting.

Ooh, new girl. Wonder why she came here. Phoenix? Arizona? Did she get kicked out? Why is she so damn white?

I might as well die.

Fortunately, there were a few very nice people I'd met. Mike said hi to me and this girl, Jessica, who might be his girlfriend, invited me to have lunch with them and their friends Angela and Ben and ... Taylor? Tanner? I forgot.

There was one more class before lunch. Spanish. I was happy to see that Alice and I were going to be classmates, but disappointed when she hadn't shown any signs of recognition even if we were only a seat away.

Buenos diases, olahs, and corazons droned on and finally, the lunch bell rang. I was just packing up my things when Alice approached me silently. One moment she wasn't there and the next, you know, she was.

"Hi Alice," I greeted, trying to disregard the grim look on her face.

"Listen Bella. I want you to do me a favor," she said, getting right in business, setting nonsense aside.

"Sure. How can I be of assistance?"

"Pretend that you don't know me. Pretend that we two are not friends. Don't ever talk to me ... ever!" she whispered coldly before skipping out of the room gracefully.

I could only comfort myself with the saying "Easy come, easy go" but I wasn't exactly at ease. Alice and I left in good terms last Saturday. I don't remember ever upsetting her. I decided to give the matter a complete rest. If I'm lucky, I'll only have Alice in Spanish and that we wouldn't be classmates in Biology and Gym. That should make it easier for her to ignore me.

"Bella, are you okay?" Jessica asked, her big wild curls bounced as she took her seat across me.

"I'm good," I laughed it off.

But this town was just getting weirder by the minute. After lunch, I walked to the lab with Angela Weber. We're not much of social animals so we kept quiet along the way. She wished me luck as soon as we got in. She already had a lab partner so that meant I would have to find one myself.

"You can sit with Mr. Cullen over there, Ms. Swan," the teacher said.

He was pointing at a boy with red copper hair messed up, but not quite messy. He was so cute with those thick brows furrowed up his forehead. He didn't look like somebody you could have a casual conversation with. At least, not in that mood. He's pale too and it made sense when it finally occured to me that he was a Cullen, Alice's brother maybe.

I walked over to the seat next to him. He didn't introduce himself, he didn't even move the entire hour. No, he just sat there, still as a sculpture. If I trusted my instincts too much, I could've sworn he wasn't breathing!

Mike invited me to hang out with his friends after school when we found ourselves in the same badminton team at Gym. But the creepies I got that day was far more than enough for a lifetime. So I passed.

I got home by 4. It was still too early. Even in the gloomy weather, light still afforded me to polish the car. I really didn't have much to do. I couldn't just stay inside and do nothing. It was still too early to make dinner, and I only had 1 homework to do. I'll do it when mom calls. That way, I could excuse myself-in case I might blurt out the big surprise.

I listened to my Ipod as I worked my way from the windows to the wheels when all of a sudden, I saw a big mossy tree fall inches away, missing me.

I unplugged my earphones and stared in amazement at the damage. It couldn't have been at all natural. Big old trees don't just fall by themselves. There was hardly any wind!

"Give me back my car!" a male voice commanded.

Imagine my surprise when I saw my lab partner crouched in a big tree over my head. He looked angrier than he did in Biology. It almost made him look funny. I fought the urge to laugh.

"Fat chance," I muttered.

"What?"

"You heard me," I was throwing attitude at him now, "I bought this car, I have the registration, I own this. This isn't yours anymore."

"That's funny little girl but I am in no mood for sick jokes."

"You think I'm joking?" I croaked, how embarrassing.

"Yes. I don't remember ever selling my Volvo," he said, as a matter of factly.

"Well you might not, but I do remember seeing an ad at the Forks Tribune last Saturday. Why don't you look at the paper yourself," I challenged.

"Right. But I never paid for any advertisement," he accepted.

I wiped my damp hands on the white rag briefly, then stomped my way to the front porch and into the house. I was already in the kitchen picking up Saturday's paper when I realized that he wasn't following me anymore. I rounded back to the living room then to the door. Turned out, he was still waiting, fuming, outside at the porch.

"You could have at least invited me inside. You know I can't go inside somebody's house if I weren't invited. None of my family can. Is this another of your sick jokes?" he sounded infuriated.

But it didn't make sense.

"Why? You're not a from a family of vampires, are you?" I laughed at my own joke.

His face grew serious. Even without words, I understood that he was, indeed.

He sighed, "You're new here?"

"Yes," I nodded immediately, "I just arrived last Friday night. I had no idea vampires live here."

"No one did, too. We were trying to keep it a secret-for a while. But people here in Forks ... we never gave them enough credit until they found out for themselves. But why am I telling you all this? I need my car back."

I had just remembered the crumpled newspaper held tightly in my hand.

I was too nervous (and clumsy) that I dropped it on the floor.

He picked up the paper that fell on the wooden planks with one swift bend and flipped right through to the Classified ads. Without a word, he stalked out of the house, out of the neighborhood-taking my paper with him.

And I passed out.

"Bella, honey, what happened?" Charlie asked.

I found myself snuggled in a warm blanket in the living room couch. I smelled hot cocoa from the kitchen.

"Dad? How come you never told me we have resident creatures of the night in Forks?"

Charlie looked taken aback. He stared at his shoes for a really long time.

"The Cullens," I added.

"Yes. They seem like harmless ... people though. And I know that telling you vampires exist in this place will not make you feel at home. I didn't want it to be any harder for you," he said apologetically.

So that's why Mike was acting weird the whole time Alice was there at the Newton's last Saturday. It finally made sense to me now. Her brother, whose name must have been Edward, the brother she liked talking about a lot, didn't even have a lab partner in the middle of the semester. He could have worked with a group of 3 but he didn't. These were not just mere coincidences now.

"Did they do something to you?" Charlie sounded alarmed.

"Well," I rubbed my forehead awkwardly, "Edward Cullen came by this afternoon."

My dad's eyes almost popped out of his sockets. "What?! Why?!"

"I'm not sure but here's what I think. I think that I accidentally bought his car."

Charlie snapped his fingers and began hitting his head with his hand. "I knew that Volvo looked all too familiar!"

"I think that his sister Alice sold it without his permission. She did mention about him being absent over the weekend for a hike in the woods with her father and boyfriend," I let my thoughts drift away.

"I can't believe that girl would do such a thing. And put it up for only a hundred bucks? Edmund must have been furious!"

"It's Edward, dad, and yes, he was. He got so mad at me for not giving him back his car. Unlike that family, a hundred dollars means so much more to us."

"Son of a gun, Bella, you should have given it back to him. Nobody messes with the Cullens. They don't mess around with us, either!"

"I didn't mess around with them. They messed around with themselves!" I tried to reason, "some sort of sibling rivalry is happening there."

"So you just fainted in the porch like I found you when I came home? Or did he bite you or hit you?"

"No dad. I was just a bit overwhelmed about vampires being real."

I couldn't eat more than a single slice of cheese pizza that night. Since I passed out for more or less a couple of hours, I wasn't able to prepare dinner anymore. And Charlie certainly couldn't cook a decent meal so he ordered a box of pizza.

After I did my homework and took a bath, I told Charlie to tell Renee, if she ever called that night, that she should just call tomorrow because I wasn't feeling well. Oh my gosh what an understatement.

The next day, I was no longer nervous of going to school. I was terrified. There were vampires in school-what was next? Vampires in the grocery stores? Vampires in the local diners? Vampires in the hospital? I was jittery and paranoid and I considered skipping school today but Charlie lessoned me before heading out for work.

"Remember Bella, you can't run away from your problems. You've got to face them."

I obediently took a shower, toasted and buttered my bread, and left for school with a cross necklace around my neck.

I drove up to the school courtyard. It was very early and I made sure it was. That way, I could go to my first class and not think about bumping into the Cullens, especially Edward and Alice, along the way.

But just as I was jumping out of my truck, Edward Cullen appeared out of nowhere and took my books from me.

"Thanks," I managed.

"No problem."

I decided to linger by my truck ... in case I needed a run from a vampire attack.

"Is-is there something you want?" I asked nervously.

He drew his face nearer to mine and breathed, "You know what I want."

"Um... blood?"

"No!" he shook hard with laughter, "I mean besides that. You know what I want-back."

"Listen, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just thought that it was sheer luck," I explained earnestly.

"Well there's no such thing as that. How about I pay you double the money you paid my crazy sister?" he suggested.

I shook my head.

"Triple? Quadruple?"

I shook my head but spoke before he could go for Fivetruple. "I'm trying my best to have friends in this place. If I can't be friends with vampires, at least not make myself the ideal meal for them. But I just can't give you back the car. It's a wedding present for my mother."

He grew quiet. Nobody could reason when it comes to mothers.

"What a nice gift," he said, after some time.

"Yeah," I agreed.

We just sort of leaned on my truck for a really long time. The weight of my books hardly bothered the vampire. We kept quiet. Stared at the sky until our reverie was disturbed by the cars of the arriving students.

"Where to?" he asked, standing straight now.

"No I got it," I insisted on taking my books back.

"Think of it as some sort of apology. After what I'd done yesterday. How hard did you hit you head?"

"You saw that?"

"I would've helped you up but I was so angry already. I might have crushed you if I tried. When I got back, you were probably inside," he explained.

"Oh. So you're really going to bring my books to English?"

"English? That's your first class. Boy, you have it easy," he mused.

We walked side-by-side as the people in the halls stared back at us. They always distanced themselves from Edward and the rest of his family, for all I know. This was going to be good. People could just leave me alone now if I continue hanging out with vampires.

He placed my books carefully on to my desk.

"I'll see you in Biology," he said before turning to leave.

"Hey!" I called him back.

He made a swift glance. "What?"

"You're getting my Volvo over my dead body!"

He chuckled so hard on his way out.