AN: Hello all. This idea has been bouncing around in my head for quite some time now, so I'd thought I'd get it out before I go mad. The sequel to FN should be up... eventually. Promise. ; )

So, this story is an AU... Bella moved back to Forks at the end of eighth grade, and was therefore there before the Cullens. Edward had been in one of her classes when he came, but was able to trasfer out fairly easily. Ryan is Bella's boyfriend. I'm not sure whose POV this will end up being in. I know it's semi-confusing now, but bear with me, and it will get better. Any questions asked will be answered, if I know the answer that is!!

Enjoy, and as always, REVIEW!!!

Disclaimer: All recongnizable characters and settings are property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm only playing with them. : ).

Bella sat with her back to the wall, visibly shaken by Ryan's most recent verbal attack. She shed no tears, but the expression on her face conveyed her pain more clearly then any other display of emotion ever could.

Bella had always been sensitive to shouting, insults, or criticism. It hurt her even more so when all three were combined, and she was forced to deal with them together.

Now she sat, staring into the distance, her eyes confused and solemn. She was obviously unaware of her surroundings, completely lost in her thoughts. Passers-by were wary of disturbing her; her obvious grief made them shy away.

Edward's first thought upon seeing her was that she could rival a vampire with her stillness. He shook his head, annoyed at himself and her and despairing once again that he couldn't hear her thoughts.

In the two years that they had attended the same school, he had nearly grown used to the unusual silence coming from the space she occupied. It rarely presented a problem, as he avoided her presence like the plague more often than not. On those few occasions that he did wish to hear what she was thinking, however, her strange capability irritated him to no end.

Now as he approached her, he pursed his lips. He had no idea how to handle the present situation, and her frozen state was starting to concern him. If she had showed just a hint of alertness, he may have let her be. On the other hand, it would be cruel to let any creature suffer that apparent agony alone.

Bella's thoughts were in turmoil. She knew what she should do, and what she wanted to do; the only problem was that they were two completely different things.

Never one to bring her concerns down on others, she had said nothing of Ryan's increasingly abusive outbursts. Her goal had been to help him, but it was clear that he was beyond her assistance, now more than ever. He hadn't struck her, yet, but she had no doubt that he would if by some chance she made him angry enough. If she wasn't so… infatuated with him, she might have been able to leave him earlier. Now she was experiencing increasing feelings of doom, as though it would be too late if she tried to reach out now.

Edward crouched down in front of her resting-place on the damp sidewalk and attempted to make eye contact. He thought he had succeeded until he realized that, although she was looking straight at him, she wasn't seeing him at all. The feeling of being ignored on top of his gift telling him that there shouldn't be someone in front of him unsettled him. He was uneasy and off-balance. Edward's brow furrowed, and he reached out to touch her arm in an attempt to bring her back to this world.

The shock of his icy skin meeting her warm flesh jarred them both. Bella jumped, a panicked look coming into her eyes. Edward jolted backward, his eyes becoming black as pitch. The sensation of such warmth, combined with the almost irresistible pull of her scent nearly broke down his defenses against the monster inside. He had never been this close to his singer, and never even considered until that moment that touching her would be remotely possible.

When Bella saw who had brushed her arm, the frightened look immediately left her eyes. Edward nearly laughed out loud. The one whose blood attracted him the most, who he had dreamed about committing murder to simply taste, was serene in his company. The irony was comical.

He was not relaxed in the least.

"Are you all right?" Bella asked him, brown eyes distressed, when he didn't give a reason for his summons.

This time, he could not restrain his chuckle. That she should be worried for him was more amusing than words could convey. She stared at him, looking concerned for his mental health now as well.

"Are you alright?" He turned the question on her so he could avoid the inevitable lie.

Her face immediately became shuttered. Her answer was hesitant, and the blush on her cheeks immediately gave away her lie.

"I'm just tired, really. I'll be fine."

It had taken all of Bella's self-control to keep up the façade that she had worked so hard at perfecting. The intensity of his eyes, and the concern she could feel radiating off of him had nearly made her spill out her problems. And to Edward Cullen, nonetheless!

From the time Edward had come to the small town of Forks, he had hated her. She had no idea what she had done to deserve his animosity, but his opinion of her was clear: he couldn't stand her company. He had transferred out of the one class they had together, offering to take it online at home. He avoided her whenever possible and she rarely saw him on the campus outside the lunchroom. Bella hadn't wanted to bother him, so out of respect for his apparent feelings, she avoided him as well. This conversation was literally the first time they had spoken civilly.

It was also the first time that she had seen his eyes up close.

Edward looked frustrated at her answer, as though he knew that she was lying, but couldn't understand why. She wondered idly what his problem was, and why he was concerned for her now after ignoring her for so long.

"I wish you wouldn't lie to me," he said. Bella looked down, blushing once again.

Edward rose from his crouch in front of her. She looked up at him, blinking away the rain that fell in her eyes. His face was irritated, disappointed, and a number of other inexplicable emotions. Bella wondered once again why he had taken such a sudden interest in her.

"If you ever feel like telling me, this is my cell phone number." He held out a square of paper with his name and number written on it in an elegant script. She hesitantly reached up to take it from him, keeping her eyes on his.

"Thanks," she said. His eyes softened.

"Call me. Please." He looked at her for a moment longer before turning and striding though the rain toward his car. Her eyes followed his motions until the drizzle, which was soon becoming a downpour, obscured him from her view. She then committed his number to memory before regretfully shredding the scrap of paper it was written on.

She stood and walked over to the gutter, where she let the shreds fall into the stream of water heading for the storm drain. She remained there, hunched forward, watching until the paper was fully swallowed by the current. It was awhile before she turned away to walk slowly to her next class, contemplating the bronze haired, stranger-turned-friend and his appearance in her life. Could it change anything? Would she let it?

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