I reread Twilight the other day, before going to the press screening of the AWESOME movie, and thought about this scenario. Hope you like!

"Oh wow," Jessica muttered, staring ahead at the godlike boy who had just entered the canteen.

Angela rolled her eyes at her friend. "Seriously, please get over him, Jess. I hate to see you getting upset over one guy you've never even spoken to."

"Yeah," said Lauren. "It's not like he'd ever even look at you. He's way out of your league."

Angela mouthed "ignore her" at Jessica and linked her arm through her friend's. "Why don't we go shopping tomorrow, in Port Angeles? You never know, you might meet some guy there."

"Ooh, yeah, okay!" Jess said, distracted as always by shopping plans.

They began to talk about what they needed to buy on the trip- but Jess's eyes frequently flicked back to the beautiful boy in the corner.

"So I noticed Jess was looking at you again in the canteen…"

"I don't know why you continue to call her "Jess"."

"Her friends call her that," Alice said simply.

"Alice, you're not her friend," Edward said impatiently as they waited in his Volvo for the rest of the Cullens to join them.

Alice refused to be disheartened. "It looks like she wants you to be her friend. In fact, I'd say a little more than friends…"

"Alice."

"What!? I'm just having a bit of fun."

Edward rolled his eyes and began to sort through his CDs.

"Put on something lively," said Alice, fidgeting in her passenger seat.

"I think the word is please."

Alice shrugged. "So does Jessica think about you often?"

"More than."

"You must feel rather flattered."

"And terribly guilty. Because her little fantasies of me turning up at her house with a bouquet and a smile are less likely to happen than Carlisle devouring humans."

This was it. She'd planned it for days, thought about it for weeks- and this was it. This was the day she would ask out Edward Cullen. Hopefully this would be the day Edward Cullen said yes.

She hadn't told Angela or Lauren- hadn't seen the point. Lauren would have made fun of her anyway, and Angela would have tried to dissuade her. It was best, on this occasion, to go it alone.

There he was, leaning gracefully against the wall outside his next class. She took a deep breath, and approached him.

Oh god, she's coming, he thought as he saw her approaching him. He'd heard the monologues of indecision revolving in her head for the entire week, and this was the moment. The moment he would have to let her down gently. He'd been dreading it since the thought ever entered her head that she liked him.

"Edward." She was slightly breathless, with a sigh of relief at his recognition of her.

"Jessica." He knew her name.

"Are you- o- okay?"

"Absolutely fine, and yourself?"

"Oh- fine, fine." She blushed. He winced.

There was a long pause in which Edward listened to her thoughts. She was contemplating leaving it- forgetting it and moving onto someone else. No- no- definitely going for it- in fact-

"Do you want to go out some time?" She'd done it, but she didn't dare breathe another sigh of relief until he'd consented.

Edward breathed in. "Jessica. I'm so, terribly sorry- but I'm afraid that while I'm involved in such rigorous studying I've resolved that it would be simply impossible for me to date. I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings."

She stared at him, leaning into him slightly when she was intoxicated by the smell of his cool breath.

He leaned back with a cough.

"Uh- what?"

Edward read her embarrassed thoughts, knowing he would have to say it again. "I'm sorry, Jessica- I don't date." Short, concise: hopefully effective.

"O-oh." She blushed and looked down at the floor. "Then- I guess I'll be going. I'll see you around." She looked up at him again with a painful smile.

"Sure. See you, Jessica." Hopefully this was a polite enough dismissal.

She was dejected. She had half-known it was coming but had hoped so much for a yes. She was never good enough. And he was so, so beautiful, if only… However- best to get over him now- like Angela said. At least she knew the answer to the question she had pondered for months. She should move on, find someone more- her league.

Edward, listening in, was now at least content that she wouldn't dwell on it. In fact, as he saw Mike enter Jessica's mind- he knew she'd get over him soon enough.

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