Okay, so, here's a fanfic, right? They're all merry and happy humans. Yay.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or its characters, or pretty much anything else that is awesome.

Chapter One: The Plan

Bella's Point of View:

Summer is pretty much upon us and the tension is almost tangible. I'm just waiting for someone to flip out and run out of the classroom screaming, "Summer break!". Sadly, it hasn't happened yet. So, to relieve the stress of school, my friend's and I have decided that it's now or never—road trip time. The friends in question being: Alice (the best friend), Edward (the perfect friend), Jasper (the calm friend), Emmett (the... big friend), Rosalie (the beautiful friend), Angela (the shy friend), Ben (the geeky friend), Mike (the dumb friend), and Jessica (the annoying one). Truth be told, the last two really invited themselves.

The 'I' in question is me. Bella Swan. I would consider myself to be the friend that really just happens to be there. No matter what Alice tries to convince me of.

So, it was lunch on the last "official" day of school and everyone at our table of ten was clamoring about last minute reminders and plans. Like who would ride with who, and choice destinations. This trip would quite literally be the best.

We would be getting out of Forks, Washington for a week to explore all of California. No adult supervision. No real time limits. Just us friends. Of course, I have ulterior motives for coming on this trip. I would be riding with my 'crush' and best 'guy-friend' Edward Cullen along with his sister (and my best friend) Alice Cullen. Oh, and Jasper, Alice's boyfriend, I guess.

Ben would be driving Angela, Mike, and Jessica. Emmett would be taking Rosalie—no one would dare interrupt their love-fest.

So, it was really a win-win situation for us all. Except Edward and Mike.

Edward had once told that he liked someone, but he wouldn't elaborate. If he would have just told me, I might have—grudgingly– dragged her along to make him happy. Might have.

And, Mike wasn't happy because he like—and wanted to ride with— me. Unlike most of the female student body, I didn't feel the same way. The poor guy still hasn't gotten over me. I let out a low sigh at the thought of seven days alone with Mike—not pretty.

"Something wrong, Bella?" a familiar voice dragged me out of my deep thought. I looked up to find a pair of brilliant green eyes staring at me, full of worry. Their color was so soft and warming. I felt like I could easily stare forever, but, as usual, I didn't.

I quickly looked back down at the lunch table and mumbled out, "Nothing."

"Bella," the voice sighed. I looked up again to see the gorgeous owner of the voice shaking his head, warily. "You know I can read you like a book. Tell me what's wrong. Really."

I was really tempted to blurt out "You're so pretty, you know that?" and promptly make a run for it, but I settled for, "It's nothing. I promise."

Edward continued to shake his head slowly, his messy bronze locks falling into deeper disarray, "It's never nothing. You know you can tell me."

And, I really knew that I could, I just never would. So, I voiced that without really thinking my words through. "Oh, I know Edward. I just really don't think I will."

At this he raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Mentally, I face palmed. "You won't, will you?" His voice was so sweet, so perfect. "That's a first. And, why is that?"

How I direly wanted to tell him, but my cowardice won out, as usual. "Because it is private," I emphasized the word with a low hiss, locking my eyes with his own. "Besides, I might end up telling you, one of these days." Yeah, right. When pigs fly.

Edward's Point of View:

Finally, it was lunch and the last day of school. Next year we would all be seniors and go our separate ways to college afterward. It was really no surprise to any of us when my sister—Alice—started to orchestrate a road trip. We'd been talking about it for years, really. After all, most of us has known each other since we were little. This would be our special way to celebrate the years we've had together.

I sat there, pretty much reliving the past few years, all the time I had spent with the best of friends I had. I have to say, I couldn't have asked for a better life.

There's Alice, my sister and partner in mischief. I really couldn't ever live without her. Then there was Bella... words really can't describe her. She's unlike anyone I've ever met. And, Emmett, the jester, I guess. All the excitement comes from him, let me tell you... Jasper is sort of like the calm one that I can always count on. But when you get him started, better hope that you don't need him to stop anytime soon. These four people, well, they're basically my life. Importance varying daily, and such. Today, only Bella was on my mind.

My eyes peered over to her, permitting myself one of those furtive glances. What I say made me unable to take my eyes off of her, not that I wanted to. Her deep, chocolate brown eyes gazed longingly at the empty table in front of her. She shifted her arms to be folded in front of her, every movement of hers being silently cataloged in my mind. Not a single brown tuft would shift without my eyes taking notice of it. Her jaw suddenly set and her eyes hardened.

Huh? I was so tempted to reach out to touch her, snap her out of her reverie. But then her eyes softened considerably and an audible sigh was let out of her perfectly plump lips. "Something wrong, Bella?" I immediately wished I hadn't said that. Would she think I was watching her?

As soon as the words had left my mouth, her eyes snapped up to mine, locking with them for a moment before shifting back to the table. "Nothing," she muttered, rather quietly.

"Bella," I began, sighing. I shook my head, thinking back. I knew how she was when she got like this. How badly I wanted to reach over and comfort her. "You know I can read you like a book. Tell me what's wrong. Really."

"It's nothing. I promise."

I knew that it was never nothing. And so I voiced my opinion. "It's never nothing. You know you can tell me."

"Oh, I know Edward. I just really don't think I will."

What now? I rose an eyebrow at this. Since when did she not tell me things? "You won't, will you? That's a first. And, why is that?" I could feel the curiosity burning behind my words, and prayed that she did not sense it.

"Because it is private," her voice was low and urgent, her eyes finally rising to meet my own, some emotion behind them that I couldn't decipher. "Besides, I might end up telling you, one of these days." Her voice trailed off as she drifted back into thought. Typical Bella.

Yet, I found myself unable to pull my eyes away from her face. Something about her features was so soft, and warm... I quickly banished the thought from my mind. It was bad enough that I had let slip not too long ago that I liked someone. I really hoped she wasn't catching on to me already.

"Earth to Edward!" I heard Emmett's booming voice somewhere behind me and pried my eyes off Bella reluctantly. My head snapped around to face him.

"What?" I snapped with accidental impatience in my tone.

"Woah, there! No need to be so on edge, man," Emmett broke into a deep throaty laughter. "It's just you and Bella have kind of been spaced out for a few minutes there." Minutes? Really?

I could feel my face flush as my eyes flickered to Bella's and down again. "Oh" was all I could mutter out. In that brief second I had seen her face, it was as red as my own. Hm... how adorable that blush was.

I mentally swore that during the road trip, I would never miss a single blush that came off her cheeks. The road trip. Seven days with my friends. More importantly, seven days with Bella. How I looked forward to that. Only a few more days, and I would gladly drive her to where ever she wished.