Posted: June 28, 2014

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the Twilight characters.

The poem is a form of texting... it's the original text. It's a perfecting of a feeling in language - it's a way of saying more with less, just as texting is. -Carol Ann Duffy

Prologue – The Art of Texting

BPOV

"Mike, stop it!" I giggled. Mike was inconspicuously trying to look at my phone's screen. I extended my left hand out with my phone so he wouldn't be able to read it. He didn't need to know who I was texting.

Mike was one of my best friends since the beginning of middle school. People questioned how we meshed, him being the altogether popular and good looking kid from school while I was quiet, not so popular girl who looked decent. Soon enough we wouldn't have to deal with other people's crap as we were in our final year of high school. For now, I was the one dealing with his crap.

"Oh come on, Bells! Who is so important that you have to keep texting them?" he questioned while throwing his massive body over my tiny frame, desperately trying to reach my phone from my arm that was flailing.

Although I loved Mike in the friendship kind of way, I just wanted to knee him in his balls to get him off of me. While he wrestled against me, I couldn't help myself from letting out some giggles until I heard a throat clear.

Mike immediately got off of me and we both saw my father, Charlie. He never really saw the appeal in Mike, but he encouraged me to have a friendship with him when I first moved here in middle school. Charlie narrowed his eyes at both of us while I saw his mustache twitch. Although he was a quiet man overall, when it came to me and boys he was protective like any other father, but he had advantages no other father had.

"Newton," he mumbled, continuing to stare at us.

"Chief Swan."

"Newton, if you intend to stay in this house on this dreary Friday night without my supervision, I suggest you keep yourself off of Bella," Charlie suggested, stepping closer to where we were in the living room, but inching closer to the kitchen likely to get a beer.

"Yes, sir." Mike surrendered to my father like always while I wanted to kill my father. He always did this to Mike whenever we hung out at my place or when he caught Mike touching me in any way.

Charlie mumbled something on his way to the kitchen that I couldn't hear, but I was going to eventually. I gave Mike the clicker to our TV to pick something on TV for us to watch. However, I got up while he did that, putting my phone in my pocket and excusing myself to get something to drink. Really I was going to let my dad have a piece of my mind.

"Charlie, I thought you weren't supposed to be home tonight?" I questioned, leaning against the counter.

"I came home to grab a quick bit to eat, but I guess I also came home to stop a hormonal teenage boy from man handling my daughter," he grumbled while making a sandwich.

"Dad, I'm eighteen years old-"

"Bells, you've been eighteen for a week and a half."

"Nevertheless, I'm eighteen. I'm a legal adult and next year at college you're not going to always be there to stop all the boys. I know better, Charlie. You and Mom both raised me better," I spoke, feeling a bit guilty about saying that while I felt my phone vibrate against my thigh.

"Bella," he started then took a bite out of his sandwich, "it doesn't matter. You'll always be my one and only baby girl. It's my job to keep them away from you."

"I get that, Charlie. Just stop it with all the gun threats and I'm a virgin unlike a lot of the girls at my school."

"Bella, I don't need to know that! Just don't let those guys manhandle you." He quickly finished up the rest of his sandwich and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"I'll see you later, Bells."

I watched my father exit the kitchen then heard the closing of the front door to signal that he left the house. A loud yell from Mike about someone being out on a baseball game filled the silent house once he left. Once again my phone vibrated against my thigh and I knew exactly who it was as it was routine since it was almost eight.

I took my phone out knowing exactly what the most recent text was.

I'm sorry we couldn't chat today, but school kicked my ass today x

Well I'm going to bed as it's almost 4 in the morning here. Goodnight Bella x

I smiled at the text. He thought I was mad at him, but I wasn't anywhere near it. I just wished sometimes that I could actually talk to him.

It's no problem. The time difference just sucks sometimes, but someday maybe. Goodnight Edward -B

No one would understand that other than the two of us as it was our little secret.

*Dirty Little Secret*

Mike and I ended up watching some baseball on that night. Nothing that special, but I was content with doing it with him. The thing I didn't plan on was both of us falling asleep in my living room. I guess we were both more tired than we thought.

I woke up at around six to find myself sprawled upon my couch with a blanket draped over me and Mike was on the chair snoring away rather loudly. I wiped my eyes with my left hand when I heard my phone vibrate. I retrieved it from underneath the coffee table to find the text I knew I was going to find as routine.

Good morning Bella x. Can I call you yet?;) -E

He always did this despite the fact that he knew I was going to say no to him as I had been for the past month. I didn't mind it, I was just wondering when he was going to give up on it. I looked over to Mike to find him soundly asleep so I decided it was safe to text him.

Good afternoon to you. The answer is still no. -B

I shoved my phone into my pocket while I got up off the couch and stretched. I walked upstairs to the bathroom to get ready for the morning as I didn't see the point in going back to sleep since Mike and I were going up to Port Angeles with some other friends in a few hours. I quickly showered and did my other morning routines when I heard my phone's ringer go off. I only rolled my eyes off at his attempt.

Once I was cleaned up and dressed, I headed to the kitchen to make Mike and me something to eat, but not without looking at my phone along the way.

Boo! You're no fun Bella! Someday Bella. Someday x. Anyway, what's the lady doing up at six? -E

I guess I shouldn't have tried texting him back while I was heading to the kitchen. I stubbed my toe on the leg of a table and I yelled out some profanities that caused Mike to come a running. I was leaning against the wall rubbing my damn toe when he found me.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he questioned, acting like there was a serial killer somewhere.

"Nothing. I just stubbed my toe," I grumbled, rubbing my toe a bit more before moving along to the kitchen with Mike following me.

I was getting out a pan to make some eggs and other breakfast crap when Mike came up behind me and slapped my ass rather harshly, making me flinch. I turned around and gave him my bitch face. No one was permitted to slap my ass.

"Stop with the face, Swan. You woke me up at six in the morning on the weekend. The least I can get is to slap your ass." He smirked.

I walked up to Mike and slapped the back of his head while grumbling to him that he was just a perverted boy like all the guys my age were. Nevertheless, I made us both breakfast and we talked about our plans later that day. We were going to a mall in Port Angeles, but I was going to be dragged to some clothing store against my will because of my friend, Alice Brandon. Gosh, I loved the girl, but she was so energetic when it came to the mall.

Once breakfast was done with, Mike went upstairs to clean himself up before we left. I sat on the couch and watched some local news. I wasn't quite sure going out was the best idea when I should've been doing some school stuff, but my friends insisted on it. I heard something on the TV about the UK and that's when I realized that I forgot to text back Edward.

I woke up at six because my friends and I were going to the mall in a few hours. Sorry, I stubbed my toe when I was beginning to text you and I completely forgot until now. –B

His response came almost immediately.

Poor toe. I'd kiss you to make you forget the pain x –E

We'd been flirting over the phone ever since we began texting each other, and I can't say that it bothered me at all. In a way, this was all making me feel guilty and wanted at the same time. I never met this person yet I was flirting with him and telling him some personal stuff about me.

I'd let you;) And I'm not going to be able to text you as much today. My friends don't know about you and I'd prefer it stay that way… -B

My friends were already suspicious of why I was on my phone so often and I didn't need to support their case by texting him while we were at the mall. Sadly, I never got a text back from him for a while. Mike eventually came back down and we were on our way to the mall in Port Angeles. As I closed the door to my home, I couldn't shake the feeling that I might've sent my last text to Edward.

*Dirty Little Secret*

Why? Are you ashamed of me or something? Now, I'm not one to brag, but my brother and some of my other friends know about you. –E

I received that text while I was waiting outside the changing room for Alice. It took him almost four hours to respond to that, but I could read the poison within that text. He knew that I had never done something like this before. Plus I didn't want my girlfriends freaking out about him.

It took about an hour and five more outfits for Alice to try on before I finally responded to him.

No, I'm not ashamed or anything. I just live in a small town and I don't need my dad hearing through the grapevine that I'm texting a guy from the UK that I've never met. Remember he's a cop. I've never done something like this before. You know that… -B

After Alice bought like ten outfits, we headed to the food court to grab something to eat and to wait for the rest of our friends to meet us there. I grabbed a sub while Alice got a salad. We were chatting amongst school about the teachers and classes we hated and loved then she got into talking about some of the cute guys at school.

I kind of tuned her out once she started talking about the guys on the football team. My phone vibrated and I tried as discreetly as possible to drag it out of my pocket and look at the screen.

I know….Can I be your dirty little secret then?;) x –E

And there was the Edward I knew. I smiled and giggled a little when I read the text, but Alice seemed to notice that too. She threw a small tomato at my head to get my attention. I looked up at her to see her smirking at me.

"What got Bella all giggly and smiling?" she asked, smirking. I knew that smirk. She wasn't going to let this go.

"Nothing," I spoke, discreetly slipping my phone under my right thigh.

"Bella, we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way. I know for a fact that you have your phone under your thigh. Now, I can come over there and throw your scrawny ass on the filthy mall floor and read your text messages or you can explain it to me and giving me all the dirty details. Preference, Swan?"

I knew she wasn't bluffing as she had done that in another situation. Either I could embarrass the hell out of me or I could look like an idiot in front of a bunch of strangers. When I was pondering the pros and cons of each, Alice slyly slipped her small hand under my thigh to reach my phone. I realized that too late as Alice walked to her side of the table.

"Bella, you dirty girl!" Alice shrieked.

"Alice, give me my damn phone!" I reached over to seize my phone from her, but she turned her back to me while I got up from my seat to get my phone from me. When I finally took it from her after some fighting, it was too late as she had seen some of the messages we had sent.

"My, my, my, I didn't see little Isabella Swan here being a dirty girl," she said in a jokingly voice, but I knew she was being serious. "Here I thought you were an innocent girl. Yet, I find out your sexting pictures to some British guy."

"I did not sext him! I sent him one picture of what I looked like. That's it!" I argued, holding my phone rather tightly in my right hand.

"Well, you picked a picture where you're wearing a tank top and short shorts. Now, that doesn't sound like the Bella I know. What's this dude look like even?"

"I'm not telling you that, Alice."

"Oh come on! At least give me some details about him!" she squealed, making some people in the food court turn their heads at us while I covered my face with my hands.

I had two choices: tell her something to get her to shut up and make everyone in the food court stop looking at the squealing people or risk her pestering me about him for the rest of our trip at the mall and then have my other friends possibly know about him because of her. I didn't want to do either, but the first one seemed like a better choice.

"Okay, I'll give you the basics. However, you can't tell the others," I proposed, looking her dead in the eyes.

"I can agree to that, if I get to do your outfit and appearance for homecoming again," she counter proposed with her smirk.

I had skipped homecoming the first two years of high school, but when I finally went in my junior year, I let Alice assist me in my outfit and I can say it was hell. Now, the outfit and everything was beautiful, but it was the hell of Alice that I had to go through. I gritted my teeth together before letting out a sigh of defeat.

"You win, Brandon," I sighed, reaching my hand over the table to shake hers in agreement. I knew I was going to regret telling her about my UK guy and when homecoming came.

"You're just weak, Swan. Get on about your man now, Swany," she urged with a hand gesture.

I shoved my phone that was still in my hand into my pocket so she wouldn't get any good ideas while I told her about "my man" as she proclaimed. I thought about where to start for a moment, but then just decided to begin when I first started texting Edward.

"It was about three months ago. I got a text one from an unknown number that just said 'hi' so I thought I gave my number to someone and I forgot. So we started talking and he admitted to me that his brother made him text thirty random girls and that I was number twenty-eight. He said I was the most interesting girl that he had talked to so far and then we just started texting and continue to text to this day," I informed, hoping that was enough to satisfy Alice's craving.

"Go on, Bella," Alice said. I frowned, hoping I wouldn't have to say anything else.

"Fine, he lives in England with his mom, dad, and brother. He's twenty-one and he's in college hoping to either start his own business one day or take over his family owned one. That's all you're getting out of me, Alice," I stopped, crossing my arms over my chest to wait for her protest that never came.

Instead, Alice stood up from her seat and clapped her hands several times. That was definitely not the response I was excepting from her. I was waiting for her high, chirpy voice or something.

"Geez, Bella's getting a college man and she's not even out of high school," she announced, shaking her head and smirking.

"You can't tell anyone. I don't need Charlie learning that I'm texting a twenty-one year old."

"Please, I won't. It can be our dirty little secret, Bella," she laughed while I threw my head onto the table. "But I need to know. This is so uncharacteristic of you. What made you do this?"

I raised my head from the table and thought back to why I did it. In a way, I still wondered if what I was doing was a good idea, but I knew why I did it.

"I did it because that bitch, Tanya something, told me to get a backbone last year and take risks. She called me spineless and a bitch that didn't know how to keep a guy's attention. You know, you were there when she said that then punched her and gave her a bloody nose. Anyway, when he texted me, I was cautious at first, but then I remembered what she said and I went for it. I know, I know, it was stupid, but nothing bad happened yet so," I shrugged, wondering if that made any sense.

"Bella, it's not stupid. Tanya was a retard for calling you that last year, and you didn't have to do anything to prove her right. Maybe this British dude will be a good friend in the future…maybe have a cute, hunky man for some phone sex," she hinted, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I shook my head at Alice and we finished our lunch. The rest of our friends came shortly afterwards and we went to go see a movie. The whole time I was worried that Alice was going to say something about Edward, but thankfully she didn't. During the movie, I realized I had forgotten to text him back and silently cursed at myself for forgetting to do that again. When the movie was over, I excused myself to the bathroom, but really I was texting Edward.

Sorry, but I can't call you my dirty little secret anymore:( My one friend forced me to tell her about you a little. Haha, she said we could have dirty phone sex eventually though;) -B

After I hit send, I couldn't believe I texted the last part of that text message, but the damage to me was done. Since it was close to midnight in England, I hoped that maybe he'd read the text when he was half asleep. I walked out of the bathroom after enough time passed to make it seem like I went to the bathroom and we all went our respective ways back home.

I drove Mike back home to my place for him to get his car. He mindlessly spoke about the movie and about his upcoming football season while I drove. My phone buzzed a few times while I was driving and I knew I dug myself into a phone sex hole. When we finally arrived back at home, my dad still wasn't home, but a note was stuck to the door.

Will be back home between 6 and 7. There's some fish in the fridge that you can cook for dinner. –Charlie

What a way for my dad to be subtle that he wanted me to cook fish for him. Mike honked his car's horn a few times and I turned around to see him with his head out the window.

"I forgot to ask if you were coming to Jess's party tonight at nine. Are you? First big party of the year. I know you're not fond of parties, but we're seniors now. We need to rule this year!" he shouted, smiling at me.

I wasn't planning on going to her party, but I didn't keep it out of my thoughts either. The party sounded fun, but I wasn't sure I wanted to go. I didn't need my dad arresting me.

"I'm not sure, Mike. I'll text you later if I'll be going."

Mike frowned at me then waved at me and left. I went inside my house and checked my phone to find three messages from Edward.

I think I like this friend of yours. Although I think I'd rather talk to you than have phone sex x –E

I need to get to know a lady's voice before knowing what I can except to come out of it and know what I can get out of that beautiful mouth during any sex;) x –E

And you're still my dirty little secret no matter what x –E

Edward brought a smile to my face no matter how perverted he was in his texts. He always seemed to make even the most perverted things seem perfect. He broke through me within the first month we started texting each other and to be honest it scared the hell out of me since no other boy could do that in this kind of way.

You just say the most perfect things. Even if they're perverted –B

I walked to the kitchen and placed my phone on the counter while getting out some pans to start cooking the fish as it was a little after four o'clock. Every now and then I would look over at my phone, wondering when he'd text me back, but it never came.

The fish was close to being done cooking when my phone started to ring. I picked it up off the counter to find out that Edward was calling me. I stared at it for a while seriously considering answering it. I looked over at the clock to see that it was almost five and I had at least one hour before my dad came home. My phone stopped vibrating, but then it began again and his name popped up again. I took a breath before answering it.

"Hi," he greeted. He had a thick accent that was sexy as hell with just that one word.

"Hi, you have one hour before Charlie comes home, and you better not be calling just for phone sex," I addressed, not quite sure how I kept a stern voice.

"I wouldn't think of it, Bella," he laughed. With that laugh and sexy accent I was done for.

As of right now, this is only going to be a one-shot. Whether or not I continue this will depend on if I have the time and what the general public's opinion is of it probably. I don't even have an outline for this, but I know the general next few chapters' main points. If this is to continue, the next chapter would take place about eight years in the future as this would be the prologue.

So, give me your opinion of the story. Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you thought of it. I haven't written anything in forever and it would greatly help me out in what I need to improve.

So…for now, I hope to see you through the screen with any future works or continuations. Have a great rest of the day/night:)