Ch.1
There's a fire starting in my heart

BPOV:

I glared at Cullen's back as he cut in line. I resisted punching his shoulder and focused on digging out some change from my pocket for my water bottle. Nerves knotted in my stomach as the try-out poster caught my eye. Today was the day. I would launch my career as a pianist. I was so sure that this would be the one.

Mrs. Hunter made a play every year. This year, I would finally have the courage to try-out and show my colors. I was going to shine and shut up the school's doubts of me. They would realize my mad skills. Boy would I laugh at how they would gape at my talent…

That was if I gathered the guts to try out.

I finally gathered a dollar in change and stepped forward to pay it when the lunch lady shook her head with a small smile. "Don't worry; the young man in front of you paid your bottle and also some…strawberries." She put them forward and my mind froze.

Then it clicked. The idiot had seen me struggling and went out of his way to make it all for nothing. I grunted at the lunch lady and walked over to my truck where I had left my wallet and been forced to scavenge dimes and quarters. I pulled out a couple of ones and threw the strawberries and water on the seat.

I got my money and as I marched down the hallway, I saw him come out of the cafeteria. I spotted Lauren in a corner near him and I sprinted in order to catch him before he submerged into that slut's world.

"HEY CULLEN!" I called out as I struck the brakes before I crashed into him.

"Swan" He muttered uncomfortably.

"Here" I shoved the bills into his hand and turned to walk out. I heard him scoff under his breath and walk the other way from me. I was tempted to throw away the strawberries, but they were in season down in California…I betted that they were juicy and my grumbling stomach insisted we give them a try.

I ate them all. I know I have no sense of pride. I rinsed out the traitor (delicious) taste from my mouth with the water as I went down to my Biology class. Today we would be dissecting frogs. Sure enough I was already green by the time I smelled them. The teacher excused me and sent me to the library to write a paper on the anatomy of frogs.

I jammed out to Adele as I worked on it. Pretty soon my shoulders and hands were moving to the beat of her voice and drums. I was mouthing an epic solo when I felt a tap on my shoulder. My cheeks went red and I pulled out my headphones.

Edward and the librarian were gaping at me as I slowly turned. My face was so hot I thought EPA would burst in and say I was causing global warming. Edward suppressed a smile.

"Mr. Banner sent me to tell you class was over." He turned to the librarian. "Thank you Mrs. Rochelle for helping me find her."

She nodded and walked away. I wrapped my headphones and put them into my backpack. I grabbed my sheets of paper with research and proceeded to walk in silence to Banner's class for my other things.

Edward silently glided next to me.

"Swan-"

"Don't."

"What?"

"You know what"

"No" He paused. "Swan-"

"If you say it, I will punch you." I threatened.

"Oh, touchy" He sneered. I glared forward and at approaching lockers. Cullen will have the whole school on about what happened.

"Swan why-"

I sent him a dirty look. "Don't"

"Were you-"

"I will punch you."

"Dancing"

"If you value life and offspring, you won't finish that."

"And lip-synching"

"Cullen" I moaned, a bit desperate. He stopped for a moment and I saw his eyes darken. I raised an eyebrow and he snapped out of it.

"In the library like if you were in concert" He finished. I stopped and swung my hand at him. He dodged and I stumbled forward. I caught my balance and huffed off. I speed-walked and turned in my paper. I grasped my things and ran out to the gym. I was so embarrassed and humiliated when a voice came into my mind.

Hm, maybe this day is trying to warn us not to even bother at the try-outs…

I shook my head. No, this was my day. I stripped down in the locker room and got out. Today we would begin volleyball. We had spent the past week with notes and the day before yesterday landed us a test (I had aced). I watched Alice wink at me as she stood some meters away from me. I sent her a sheepish smile.

Alice was a total goddess at sports that involve coordination and speed. She could come out of nowhere and was willing to get bruises and burns from the gym floor and girls.

I stayed out of her way and she looked out for me and my physical grade of gym. I let her copy my test and pass the written part of gym. Today, Tanya wasn't that focused on hitting me, so I survived the class. Mrs. Johnson even smiled at me. Sometimes she could be very scary…

"Your brother is an ass" I commented as Alice pulled her sports bra off. I pushed down my gym shorts and made way to my bag.

"I know he is" Alice smirked. "I think that's what you dig the most."

"Oh, yeah, my vagina calls out to him because of that."

She shrugged. "To each her own"

I raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be disgusted by a girl seeing your brother like that?"

"The way you do?" She asked. "Wanting to jump his bones and practically panting like a dog in heat? No, not at all" She grinned. I smacked her arm and laughed at her comment.

"Alice I see your brother as the lowest form of life."

"Like I said, you seem to be hot for that." She pulled out bobby pins from her hair and changed the subject. "Bella, will you be auditioning?"

I gulped and sent her a fearful look. "I dunno. Should I?"

She grabbed my hand. "You should. You're amazing on that piano, Bella. Best I've seen since Rose and Edward."

"Yeah well, I learned from them" I muttered, remembering those forced lessons because our moms liked each other. I didn't really regret it because I had met Alice and Rose that way and Edward never spoke a word to me besides the lessons.

"Try out." She urged. "That way when you look back you'll never regret an amazing chance you could've had."

"What if they say no?" I retorted.

"Than you'll know there was nothing more you could've done" She smiled. She hugged me and grabbed her things. "Make me proud, Bella niña."

I grinned at her nickname as she walked out. Tanya scoffed from behind me.

"As if Swan," She sneered. "I'm totally getting the part as Juliet."

I sniggered. "Don't worry Denali." I shrugged. "I'm going for pianist, not actress."

"Oh, like always, you'll be background music while I amaze the crowd with my solo." She sighed, flipping her hair. My fingers twitched to punch her. "Don't feel bad. People like me need people like you to worship us."

My eyes narrowed. "I'd rather drown in my own puke than say a positive comment about your slutty ass." I grabbed my things and marched out. I walked straight across the lot and to the auditorium.

Mrs. Hunter automatically offered me the pianist audition sign-up sheets and I refused it.

"I'm here to try out for Juliet Capulet."I said, confidently. I wasn't quite sure what was going through my mind when I did that…

Oh, yeah; that I was going to make Denali regret those words for the rest of senior year.