I ran as fast as I could without tripping over my own feet and landing a mouth full of asphalt. I was so focused on not tripping over the ground that I didn't notice the approaching telephone pole until it hit me in the face and knocked me down. Suddenly I was on the hard, black tar. My head was throbbing, my back felt like it was cut open in a million places, and my leg was like a block of cement. The sight of my crimson blood in the street was all I remembered before the world went black.

I was sure I was dreaming when I woke up, not because of the young girl easily carrying me, but because of the impossible speed we were whipping through the dense, thicketed forest. Her tinkling soprano laughter like silver bells surprised me. She fluidly reached one hand into her pocket, carrying me just as easily with one hand as two. The girl pulled out a small cell phone as it began to ring. She flipped it open, and started muttering extremely fast into it. "Yes Carlisle… just woke up… confused… Please?" was all I could make out of the fast-forwarded conversation. Suddenly it drastically slowed down, almost like she wanted me to hear it. "But Carlisle? Please? She's so cute! She's so fragile and adorable! She will need you to help her, Carlisle. You know you can't resist helping someone, especially someone as young and helpless as her. No, I don't know who she is, only that her name is Bella. No! Not Isabella! Just Bella. Yes. I'm sure. Hmmm… I'm not sure. 6 or 7? Maybe 8? Slightly 9? It's hard to tell with her. Yes. She is… so light… soft…warm…Of course I want to keep her! Fine." Immediately a pout filled her small dainty face. I couldn't help but giggle at the contradiction. "Yes, Carly, that's her now. Of course she can. She's been awake this whole call. I didn't reveal anything! Relax! I haven't even talked to her personally yet. Just third person. Relax! Where's Jazz?" She mused over the call.

I finally mustered enough courage up to speak, "Uhm… Hey? M-M-Miss? Uhm… Lady, c-c-c-c-could you slow d-d-d-down a b-b-b-bit p-p-please?" I couldn't talk properly with wind rushing through my skimpy clothes and hair.

"Oh! Carly! I've got to go, I'll see you there. Yeah. Yes! Of course I won't scare her. You should know better than that, silly Carly-kins!" Another peal of laughter shook her body. I couldn't help but laugh too. "Okay, Jazzy, I miss you too. Yes, Jazz, I love you too. Good-bye, love!" She swiftly closed the phone and dropped it back in her pocket. "Hi sweetie, I'm Alice Cullen! What's your name?"

"M-M-My name's Isabella Swan, Miss Alison Cullen." I stuttered, for until then I never had been able to see her without the wind in my eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful, pretty, and gorgeous. She's the kind of girl I would want to be my big sister. She looks a lot older than me, though not as old as my mommy.

She giggled a little bit, but said, "Isabella. That's a pretty name. Do you prefer Isabella or just Bella? Oh, and call me Alice, not Alison, please. Where do you live, sweetie?"

"I live in Forks, Washington, uhm... Alice…and I like just Bella, if you don't mind. Where are you taking me, and why were you running so fast? Who is Carly? What's Jazz and Jazzy? Whose 'she'? What happened to me? Where's my mommy and daddy? Where's Philly? How were you running so fast? Are you magic? Where did you come from? I didn't see you? Wasn't I bleeding?" Questions streamed out of my mouth before I could process what I was saying. Alice just giggled again.

"Silly girl! I'm taking you to my house, where Carlisle can take a look at you. He's a doctor. Carly is my nickname for Carlisle, and Jazz and Jazzy are my nicknames for my boyfriend, Jasper. I'm 17, and Jasper is my boyfriend. He's 18. I have two brothers, Emmett and Edward. Emmett's girlfriend is Rosalie, my other sister, and Jasper's twin sister. Our parents are Carlisle, or Carly, and Esme. All my siblings are either 17 or 18. Junior or seniors. High school. So, Bella, are you… 9?"

"Uhm… Yeah?"

"Great! We are here!"

She slowed down at an enormous elegant white 3 story house in the dense, dark, green forest. It was gorgeous. I loved it!

"Wow."

"I know, right?" She waltzed in, and set me down gently. I then saw her full stature. She was probably about 5'3" and her black spiky hair stuck out in all directions. A tall blonde guy, probably Jazz or whoever walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and looked down at me. He whispered something I couldn't hear to her and she smiled and nodded. "Bella, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Jasper. You can call him Jazz or Jazzy, just like me, right Jaspy?"

"Of course, darling. Anything for you, honey. Welcome, Bella," he said in a deep southern drawl. I giggled. My peals of laughter were met with a deep booming chuckle coming from behind me. My instincts reigned over me for a moment and I couldn't help but scream.

A beautiful pale blonde girl, probably about 18, walked over, her eyes as cold as ice, and the color a brittle coal black. "Who is this? A human girl? Do I smell her or what? Why is she here? Where is Carlisle? Carlisle! Is he even here? Alice? What are you thinking?" I was so scared of her, cringing and hiding in the flowing shirt of Alice, for she seemed tough enough to keep me safe from the ice princess shooting daggers at me with her mind, it seemed.

A nice looking blonde man walked up holding hands with a short, motherly caramel-haired lady. "Alice, who is this? Oh! You must be Bella. I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen, but you can call me Carlisle. And this is my wife, Esme. These are our children: Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and-"

"Alice, dear, where is my other lovely son this evening?" The one called Esme smoothly cut him off.

"Hmmm…" Alice closed her eyes, and a peaceful look spread across her features. "He is out… hunting…" Esme took a breath as if to speak, but my rescuer Alice interrupted, "He will be back in about 7 hours…" She then continued to mutter something incoherent, and Esme nodded.

"Bella, dear, you must be exhausted from your adventure today. It's only 4, but I think you can sleep now, don't you? Come on love… Rose? Would you be a dear and run to the mall and pick out some new clothes for little Bella?" Esme saw the look on Rosalie's face and looked to Alice instead, "Alice, love, would you please?"

"Of course I will, Esme! I'll be back in a few." She raced off super fast through the back door through which she brought me in. Esme slowly led me up two flights of stairs, and into what looked like a room furnished for a princess. I gasped.

"Is this room for me to stay in? And where do my mom and daddy think I am? Do they think I'm dead? Should I call them? Or what?" I questioned her.

"Dear, I think it's best if you just go to sleep now."

"But, Esme, I'm just not tired!" I protested. We went back and forth arguing a bit, until I heard Carlisle, the dad, yell, "Esme, come down here now. We have an urgent issue to deal with, it's very important!" Esme rushed downstairs after hushing me quiet for the final time. I flopped down on my bed, and minutes after Esme left, Alice rushed in with a nightgown fit for a queen. I stared with wide eyes as she unloaded the shopping bags.

"Belle, here you go. Put this on. Come on, sweetie. You gotta get up to put it on. Alright, fine, if you want to do it the hard way…" Alice immediately picked me up with one hand, stripped off my jacket, shoes, and clothes, and slipped my body into the nightgown in one fluid motion. I stared at her in awe. She only said, "Go to sleep, Bella, you'll need it later," kissed me on the forehead, and waltzed out of my room and down the stairs.

"Isabella… Bella… Bella!" I awoke to Carlisle trying to get me to open my eyes. When he finally did, he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, Bella, sweetie, you're awake. Come downstairs, after you get dressed, of course… we all have something very urgent to tell you. Alice can help you shower, if you wish," he told me. I was confused. What could be so important to wake me up at…? I glanced at the clock…4:37 in the morning? I might as well get up, I guess. I slowly walked my way towards the bathroom, only to be picked up and I was there in an instant. I think I should get used to getting picked up around here.

"Bella, Bella sweetie, come on, out of your nightgown." Alice pulled off my pink frilly nightgown, and set me gently in the warm water she had already filled the bathtub with. She worked hard, vigorously scrubbing me all over, getting the dirt off and dried blood off of my body. "All right, Belle, you're all done, love," the black spiky haired girl said to me as she rubbed my hair dry. "Here, sweetie, let's put this on," she slipped my clothes on, picked me up, and carried me swiftly downstairs to the giant dining table, where the whole family sat. "Drum roll please…" Alice said as she presented me to the family, "Ta-Da! New and improved Bella Swan!" Everyone applauded. I just stood there and giggled. "Belle, sweetie, come sit at the head of the table," she guided me there.

"Okay. I'm dressed, showered, and awake. What's so important that you had to drag me out of bed at 4:37 in the morning?" I questioned them.

Immediately I felt almost waves of calm crashing on me. That's kind of weird. "You see Bella…" The blonde boy started off. How queer. That was the first time I heard him talk. His voice fit the one I created in my head.

"Bella, sweetie, Bella, love, we have some news," Esme continued.

"Munchkin, we have something more important than football to tell you, and that's really saying something," the big, funny, strong one I had come to know as Emmett told me.

"Well, don't just dilly dally, tell me!" I ordered them.

"Isabella Swan, your parents, Charlie and Renee Swan, have died in a tragic car accident that occurred last night at approximately 7:56 pm. I'm sorry to say that you are no longer a Swan, but now you are a Cullen. We have already filled out the adoption papers. Welcome to the family, Isabella Marie Cullen," Carlisle finished. I couldn't understand. Mommy Renee and Daddy Charlie can't be dead. They can't!

Rosalie seemed kind of annoyed with the tears falling from my eyes so she said, "Bella, they aren't dead, they are just gone. They moved away, and left you here with a great family who will care for you and love you forever. They said not to call them, or contact them again, because that would only make it harder. Just accept the fact and get over it, Mortal," Rosalie spat at me. I get it now. They wanted to start over, and rekindle their romance. They had been talking about that for a while now… I guess so.

"Since I'm a Cullen now, do I get to be super fast and super strong?" I asked them.

"No, Bella, hopefully you will never be like us," Carlisle said with a hint of sadness.

"We are vampires, Bella. Either scream and run away, or accept it and you can still live with us. Either way, you are never allowed to tell anyone or else," Rosalie meanly told me. Vampires. Like Dracula? Cool! I don't like Rosalie, the pretty blonde girl. She's really mean and I don't think she likes me. Well, I might as well have some fun with it.

"Or else what?" I challenged her.

"Or else in your bed at night, I will come with an ax. First I will bite you, and my venom will paralyze you. Then, while you can't scream or run away, I will hack you from the ankles up. Hack, hack, hack, hack, hack… Over and over, gashes all over your skin, and I will lock you up in our dungeon for 24 hours, letting you suffer without food, water, sunlight, or warmth, suffering on the cold, dark, damp, cement floor, and then, in the dead of night, when you are burning with fire, I will come in, and chop your head off with my ax. Only it will be a really really dull ax, so it will take so many tries, each one cutting deeper and deeper, though none enough to pierce your skin, and then I will take my nails and scratch up your face, mauling your perfect mortal features, and then, only then, will I painfully, and slowly rip your head off, smiling as I hear the bones crack and the blood flow. That is what I will do to you if you tell anyone." She said confidently.

"So? Someone out there will still know your secret." I stuck my tongue out at her. I think I heard Alice giggle in the background.

"Fine. If that doesn't deter you, I will do the same to anyone you tell," She said triumphantly.

"NOOO! You dare not hurt a soul! You are good vampires! You saved me! You wouldn't hurt another mortal! You couldn't! And if you did, I would haunt you forever! And you would regret every second of it! And I hate you for even thinking it! You can kill me in as many ways as you want, but I will never let you lay a hand, or claw, or whatever you monsters have on any other human being but me! And I mean it!" By the end of the monologue, I was screaming and crying and I bet they couldn't even hear what I was saying. But I could, and I meant it. I ran up to my room, shedding my tears all over the hard, white stairs. I sat on my bed and cried for hours, until it was 8:00 in the morning. At least that's the last time I looked at the clock before I fell asleep from exhaustion. I woke up feeling cold, soothing, marble hands stroking my back, calming me down. I looked up to see which of the evil creatures it was, but I didn't recognize the one next to me. He was gorgeous, like a statue, only he was real, in my room, trying to soothe my tears. I snuggled up to him, and tried to fall back asleep as he wrapped his slender, muscular arms around my tiny, frail body. At one point I felt him trying to free himself from my binds, but I tried to hold onto him. I felt him chuckle a bit, and then settle back down next to me. I smiled, and continued dreaming.

"Bella…Bella, fragile little Bella, please wake up, I need your eyes to be open for this…" I heard an angelic voice talking to me and I slowly opened my eyes to see my statue staring longingly at me. "Bella, I'm Edward. I was the one out hunting yesterday when you arrived in my home. I'm a Cullen too. I'm so sorry for Rosalie's outburst. She's just jealous. She's had the hardest time accepting what we are, so I apologize once again," my statue told me.

"Does that mean you are a-a-a vam-vam-vampire too? Like the rest of them?"

"Yes, pretty little Bella, I am,"

"I see it, but you are different. You are the most human, the most… I can't describe it. It's like a magnetic pull I feel towards you. I kind of like it. I think it means we are supposed to be friends. And you are supposed to protect me from that mean family of yours," I nestled myself closer to him, and shifted myself to sit in his lap.

"I can honestly say, little Bella, that I feel it a bit too. I like it also. And of course I will protect you from that mean family of mine," I could hear in his voice that he smiled when he said it, for it ended on a higher note than his other statement.

"Who are you calling mean?" Alice strode in, ruining my moment with my statue.

"Only Rose, I'm sure. But be wary… She's very observant, and she feels it too. Although she's completely silent to me, I kind of like that about her. I hear nothing. She's as silent as silent is. And I finally know what it needs to finish the bridge and complete the rest of the piece. She's helped me find myself again. Alice, you should probably go now…" My statue completely addressed Alice, not me at all, although I wish I knew what he was talking about… a bridge…?

"I will go, just as soon as I deliver breakfast to Belle," She waltzed over, placed a tray on my nightstand, and danced down the stairs.

"Breakfast? What time is it, my statue?"

"See for yourself…" I sneaked a peek at the clock, and it was already 8:00 am. I slept for so long!

"Edward, how old are you?" I asked him.

"17" he answered.

"How long have you been 17?" I quizzed him once more.

"A while, and how old are you, my little Bella?" he asked me this time.

"I'm 9. Do you go to high school? Do you stay 17 forever? When I'm 17, can I go to high school with you?"

"Of course, my little 9-year-old Bella, I do go to high school, I don't age, and yes, you may come with me to high school when you are even 15."

"Yay!"

"Yay," he mused.

8 Years Later

"Bella, dear, are you ready yet, sweetie?" Esme called.

"Almost, Mom, but I just got out of the shower… a little help please? Ali-son? Will you come help with my hair? And my outfit? Please Please Please Please Please?" She was up, and in a flash, my hair was dry, and I was in an adorable outfit for the first day of my junior year in Forks, Washington. I ran out the door and hopped in the passenger seat of Edward's Volvo, with Alice and Jasper in the back seat. Em and Rose were taking Emmy's Jeep, much to Rosalie's distaste. We arrived at school in record time. Well, I thought, here goes nothing. I slowly opened the door and stepped out. We were in the midst of a mad house. Everyone was staring, and creating an aisle for us six to walk through, and I heard whispers everywhere. During my first class, unfortunately it was English without Edward which equals my misery, a blonde boy probably a senior, walked up to me and said, "You're Isabella, right? I'm Shayne, but you can call me Shay. I'm a senior here, and I was wondering if you wanted to go see a movie this Friday with me?" he confidently asked me. Hmmmm… I could go the easy way, and say yes, or I could say no. If I said no, I would need a reason. Hmmm…

"I'm really sorry, Shayne, but I already have plans," I lied.

"With who? Your boyfriend?"

"Actually, Shayne, I don't have a boyfriend, but my plans are with Edward Cullen, my best friend, not my boyfriend, sorry," I apologized, and defended my statue. I wanted him as a boyfriend, of course, but I'm still the clumsy, scraped up, clingy 9-year-old little Bella he found in a bed 8 years ago to him. Thinking that made me cringe.

"Isabella? Are you alright?" A pretty black haired girl with glasses and kind eyes asked me. "I'm Angela. You are Isabella Swan, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm Bella, not Isabella. And I'm fine, just thinking of unwanted memories. Where do you sit?"

"Over there, in the middle rows. There's an empty spot over there you can take, if you want," she offered.

"Sure, thanks, Angela," we walked over in silence. I could tell she was quiet, which made relationships easy.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are you from? I mean before Forks, and I'm sorry everyone is gossiping about your family. They seem really nice and you guys seem like you are close and love each other a lot. My twin younger brothers, Ethan and Noah, are 9. They fight a lot, but they are fun to play with, and my parents pay me to babysit them when they are out to dinner or a party or something. It beats having a real job, I guess, but I still work at the diner after school some days." Wow. That was a lot of talking. I don't like to talk that much, and with my family, I don't have to.

"Well, my family and I moved here from Alaska, but before they adopted me, the Cullens were from Chicago, and I was from California. And there's always rumors about the new kids. We're used to it." I told Angela.

"Bella, can I honestly ask you something please?" She questioned me. She's so polite. I like her. I think we could be very good friends.

"Sure…" I said hesitantly.

"Well, don't get offended, and I'm sure I'm not the first to ask this… at least I hope I'm not the first to ask, but your brothers and sisters…are they like couples? Like the short dark haired one? Is she dating the quiet blonde guy? And the big black haired one? Is he also dating the pretty blonde one? What about the boy with the bronze hair? Are you…?" Her words trailed off, leaving a question.

"Alice and Jasper? Yes. They are a couple. So are Emmett and Rosalie. But me and Edward? No. We are just best friends. Not boyfriend and girlfriend. Just friends. And if any rumors start about that, which I'm sure they will, would you mind telling me? Just like a heads up?"

"Of course, Bella."

"Thanks, Ang."

"Ang?" I looked back at her sheepishly.

"Well, I was sort of thinking I could call you that, Angela…?" I put emphasis on her name.

"Sure, why not, La?"

"La?"

"Short for Bella?"

"Actually, my real name is Isabella, and Bella is already short for Isabella. To shorten it would be pointless, plus… La?" She started laughing, and so did I.

The bell rang, and class started.

Finally, it was lunch! The glorious time of day when my statue and the rest of our family got to talk freely with no interruptions, and we could talk all together as a family. The rest of my family couldn't eat mortal food, so they always filled up their trays and I got to choose whatever I wanted off of their plates to put on mine. Unfortunately, normally, nothing good was ever served in the cafeteria. "…a piece of ice down her pants and watch her squirm…do to him? …Hmmmm…." Was all I caught of the conversation. Even though I was spacing out, just the words told me it was Em talking. I laughed along with my family. Edward was the only one who didn't laugh. The others also stared at me too, although I didn't really know why.

"What?" I almost screamed at them.

"Shhhhhhh!" was the only reply I got.

"Come on! What's up? Why do you keep looking at me like that?" I grilled them.

"Well, mortal…" Rose said, using the name she picked up for me.

"Alicehadavisionofyou." Edward told me insanely fast.

"Wait. What? One more time please?" I was so confused.

"Bella, Alice had a vision of you. It wasn't a good vision." Jasper cleared it all up for me.

"What did you see?" I almost climbed on top of my sister, trying to get information out of her.

"Shhhhh… Little Bella, calm down. You are going to attract attention." She said, inconspicuously pushing me off of her lap into my seat next to her. "And if you must know, I saw a vision of you and Eddie." She said with a "Hmph."

Edward growled at her, and Emmett's booming laughter could be heard throughout the whole school, none the less the cafeteria. Everyone stared at our table for about 7 seconds, and then went back to eating. "Don't call me that." My marble statue snarled at Alice. I just giggled. It was so funny when Alice called Edward "Eddie," because it got him so mad. I tried to pry him away from Alice, because he was leaning over my food to get to her, because I was sandwiched between my short, insane sister, and my mind-reading, beautiful, bronze-haired brother. In the end, he just leaned back.

"But really, Alice, what did you see of me and Eddie?" I called him that every now and then, just to see if his reaction stays the same. And it always does. He reached over, messed up my hair, much to the dismay of my sisters, and chuckled. Immediately Alice was scrunching me down so she could easily see my hair and fix it to look cute again.
"Bella! Don't mess up anything today. I need Shayne to ask you out for everything to work out right. If he asks, you had better say yes… or else." Alice whispered in my ear with a low voice.

"Oops. He kind of already asked me…and he asked if I was busy with my boyfriend, and I said no, and that I had plans with Edward, my best friend, not my boyfriend, and he wasn't satisfied and walked away…Oops." I whispered back, but I knew everyone at my table could hear what I was saying.

"Hmmm…I guess that's okay, 'cause your future stays the same…maybe he'll ask again…" Suddenly Alice gasped and her face went blank. "Oh yeah, I was right. He's coming over right now. Act natural, vampires. Rose, you and Em talk about something Emmett-ey. Nessie, you, Jake, and Jazz talk about wolves, wizards, and vampires, and which one is superior. Jake, you argue vampires, Ness, you wizards, and Jazz, you wolves. Bella, I need you to be in an intense conversation with me and Edward about something. Edward, use your improve skills!" Alice whisper-shouted at everyone.

"Bella, I'm telling you, Mom and Dad will never let you!" My statue said to me. What was he talking about?
"Say what you want, Edward, but they are going to have to say yes after what I have planned. They won't be able to say no!" Alice argued with him.

"What are you guys talking-"

"Bella, please consider the consequences of your actions! You will never be able to forget this if you go through with it!" Edward interrupted me. Oh! They were doing this to distract Mike so Edward, Em, and Jazz could be protective older brothers! I almost laughed out loud.

"Edward, please! Listen to our side of the story! I have been the angelic little girl in the family for too long! Please! You look 18! You can be my guardian! You can vouch for me and Alice! Please help us out, I'm begging you! I want to be just a little bit of a rebel! Is that so wrong, big brother?" I spewed out an enormous monologue that even I didn't know I had in me. Alice just stared at me for a moment, containing her pride at teaching me to improv like that. I just sat there and beamed.

"Bella! Just listen to yourself! This childish idea of yours is completely absurd! Mom and Dad would not approve. I am ashamed in you." Edward's act was so believable, I just wanted to go home and sob into my bed. I hated it when he talked to me in that disappointing tone.

"Say what you want, Eddie-boy, but I will win this argument. I'm telling you, Mom and Dad will be so absorbed in their surprise, they won't be able to be upset at me and Bella and you for pulling this eensy weensy stunt."

"Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please, Edward?" Alice and I pleaded to Edward in unison, right as Shayne walked in on cue. His white-blonde hair bounced visibly as he showed up to our table.

"Uh…Hey Bella, Uhm… could I talk to you for a second…alone…without your friend…?" It was kind of cute how he tried to form coherent questions with Edward glaring at him protectively.

"Sure…Uhm, Edward? Would you mind letting me go? Please? Edward?" I was struggling against his iron grip, trying to pry his arms from around me. While Shayne was talking, he instinctively shifted my chair silently towards his, so that the legs of my chair were tangled in his. He also pulled me towards him, so I was being held against his chest, my head in the crook of his neck…not that I minded laying there. But I needed to get up. "Edward…please?" But Edward's grip just tightened on me.

Shayne finally got up the nerve to speak again, "Dude, let go of her! She doesn't want your freakin' hands on her, so take 'em off! If she doesn't want you feeling her up, then don't do it!" I stared at him with awe and concern. Edward slid me onto my own chair, and stood up in one fluid motion. He glared at Shay with such anger that I thought Shayne's head might burst into flames.

"Stay. Away. Fro-" But another voice cut him off.

"Stay away from our sister," Emmett and Jasper were suddenly standing right in front of my chair, next to my statue. I peeked around my brothers to see Shayne's face twisted with fear.

I stood up, slowly walked to where I was standing next to Shayne, and grabbed his hand with both of mine. "Guys. Back off. Let me talk to Shay. Go sit back down," I asked them quietly and then added when they didn't budge, "Please?" I stared at them through my lashes with puppy dog eyes; I knew even Jasper couldn't resist giving in then. They smoothly slid back into their seats, with a frown on each of their faces. I sneaked a look at my sisters, both of whom were beaming, giant grins on their pretty pale faces, smiling encouragingly at me. I pulled Shay towards the doors and out of the cafeteria. I smiled coyly at him through my lashes how I learned to from Rose and Alice. "You wanted to talk?" I asked him.

"Yeah. I thought about what you said, and I figured we could go out some other time. Like on a date. With me. Soon. Maybe Saturday?" He smiled at me hopefully.

"Actually, this Friday works for me. I talked to Edward, and it turns out he cancelled our plans to go camping with the boys. Him, Emmett, Jasper, and my dad are going camping up in a place called Goat Rocks Mountain… I think it's up by Mount Rainer…" I continued, hoping to please him.

"Oh. Cool. So wanna go to the movies with me this Friday?" He said to me once again with confidence.

"Yes, Shay, I would love to."

"Well, then, now that I got that over with, do you want to be my girlfriend, Bella? Justsaywhatifyoumeanyes?" He said in a blur of words.

"What?" He did a fist punch that I'm sure I wasn't meant to see.

"Great. So, uhm, want to ditch 6th period with me?" He asked hopefully, with me wondering what he was so ecstatic about.

"Really? Are you sure, Shay? What if we get caught?" I was a bit hesitant in supplying him with an answer.

"Of course, baby. No one will catch us. I promise. No one will catch us ditching, that's for sure, honey," He stressed the ditching part, but I eventually agreed. "Wonderful, babe, wonderful."

The bell to end lunch sounded, and Shay was pretending to walk me to my next class, English, which was across campus from the cafeteria, so we had an excuse to walk towards the edge of campus. "Come on babe, faster," He was pulling me by my arm now, dragging me along side him. We were alongside some tall, big bushes when he abruptly stopped us, and pushed me down into the bushes. He fell next to me, and said, "Ready, honey? Ready for some fun, baby?"

"Wait, what? Shayne, I thought we were ditching class, not playing in the bushes." I was angry at him now.

"Bella, babe, don't be that way. You know you want some." He laid me down in the dirt, and climbed on top of me. I tried to push him off of me, but he wouldn't budge. He began unbuttoning his shirt, and was half-way done when I kicked him in the shin. He whispered-shouted a string of profanities, but stayed on me despite my struggles. I tried to scream but he shoved his hand over my mouth. But I kept trying to scream. I couldn't have my first kiss here, in the bushes by some jerk who probably does this to all the girls in school. I had to have Edward be my first kiss. I really do think I love him. But now he will never know. He can never know I love him after this. Please, Edward, where are you? I mentally cried for help. Now was one of the times I desperately wished I wasn't immune to Edward's mind-reading talent. Help! Edward, I need you. I love you. You are my soul mate. I really think I can't live without you. During my internal monologue, I was only barely aware of the fact that Shayne was pulling down my slightly stretchy v-neck that I stupidly wore today. I only barely registered that important fact because he still had one hand over my face, suffocating me, and cutting off my air, and I knew that soon I would faint if I didn't get air soon. Suddenly I felt Shayne's heavy weight magically lift off of my struggling body. Now I know I can die. Someone found us. I won't have my first kiss here. I sighed, and didn't have enough energy to keep my eyes open to see who my rescuer was. All I heard were Shayne's begs against my rescuer. I just hoped it was one of my brothers, because if it were one of my sisters, that would be a bit conspicuous for a 5'7" or 5'2" skinny girl to lift a full size jock easily off of me. I sighed again, and then everything faded to black.

When I awoke, I was in the cold hard arms of a vampire. It was very comforting to know I was still lacking my first kiss at 17. I listened to see if I could see who was running with me. The arms are a bit skinny. That takes Emmett out of the suspects. I don't feel hair. So it's not Rose. That leaves Edward, Alice, and Jasper. I don't feel very close to the ground. So that means it can't be Alice. It's either Edward, or Jasper. I hope its Edward. If Jasper got to Shayne in that position on me, I don't think Shayne would be alive right now. And Jasper probably would have created a scene, or used super awesome civil war fighting techniques on Shay. Even for a dirty scoundrel like himself, I would hate for anyone, even Shayne, to meet their demise like that. I guessed Edward. I slowly opened my eyes to try to prove my suspicions correct, and I was right! I looked up at his face, and was surprised to see his beautiful topaz eyes staring back at me. I gasped, and he chuckled. I pouted a bit. "It's not fair how your eyes can do that to me. Edward, my beautiful statue, can I tell you something with complete confidence that you will not laugh at me? Or tell anyone until we agree on when to tell them all?" I slowly requested.

"Of course, love. Anything," He agreed.
I hesitantly said, "I love you, Edward Cullen. Do you love me too?"
He gasped. For once, it was my turn to startle him. "Of course, my little mortal friend! How could you be so silly as to not think that I love you, little Bella?"

"That's the problem! You still see me as Little Bella. I'm still the scraped up little girl you found in your house 8 years ago. You don't see me as a junior in high school. Or the girl you love. As in girlfriend love. Romance love. Because that's how I love you. How I have not always loved you, but now I do love you like that. At first, it was brotherly love. I loved you like a brother. As time progressed, I realized you were more than that to me. You were my friend. My very best friend in the world. But later on, our relationship moved on. Since I was 13 or 14, Edward, I have loved you. I've just been afraid to tell you for fear of rejection. I love you, Edward Cullen, and I want you to be my boyfriend. Also, were you the one who saved my from him? Today during 6th period? Was that you?"

"Yes, love, it was. I heard what he was thinking, and it upset me. It wasn't until I found him I realized he wasn't fantasizing about you, he was trying to do it with you. I have something I must admit before you completely commit to loving me forever, Bella. I killed Shayne Dawson. I staged an accident, and all the evidence is there. He is dead, Bella, and I did it. I didn't suck blood or anything, just killed him. I can barely live with myself for that, but what I want to know is…can you? Can you still love me after the murder of a mortal?"
"Yes. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. I will always and forever love you. Nothing can change that."

"Perfect. Isabella Marie Swan Cullen, will you marry me?"
I gasped, "I will."