He was sitting silently, patiently, waiting. His eyes were fixed upon a young girl's face whose expressions grew weary at his glance. He could tell she grew impatient. His laughter filled the room warmly reaching her in such a subtle way as if to say, "You're next."

"Ey, Eddie, you done with those fries?"

Eddie's smile faded into a serious eye lock with his hungry friend Emmett's face. "Of course you can have them. I can't eat. I'm too excited."

"Can't see why." Emmett replied, shrugging then casting his gaze over to the young girl Eddie was staring at. Her long black hair blew fussily in the wind. She looked like a witch being electrocuted in slow motion.

"She's a keeper," Eddie snorted sarcastically, then continuing to his meal. He shoved it over to Emmett in disgust, and then took it back quickly. "You know, Em, you shouldn't be eating this shit either. What if she runs away? You'll be too slow from this lousy cafeteria food to catch up to her. And you're our fastest runner."

"Oh please? Will you look at her thunder thighs?" Emmett replied hastily, grabbing a load a fries anyways.

"You'll be getting them soon enough." Eddie sighed, looking back at the girl. "She's not even fat."

"You're getting soft."

"Please. She's going to wish she never took that look through Marilyn Manson's closet. I mean look at her? Her eyeliner is just nasty."

Emmett shuddered unenthusiastically-too enticed by his meal to really give in one hundred percent of his importance. Eddie shook his head at him and patted him on the head, ruining half the spikes he had without telling him. He wouldn't care anyways. Emmett's mini-liberty spikes always looked like shit anyways.

"Hey, where'd she go?" Emmett suddenly said.

Eddie tore his gaze away from Emmett's bright green spikes and onto the empty spot where the girl sat just moments ago. Her tray still sat on the table lonely. None of her food was touched.

"Look at that." Eddie griped. His head clouded in anticipation as he stood up off the bench above his best friend. "She didn't eat a thing. She knows were coming to get her, Em. I can just feel it-Emmett, stop eating! I told you not to!"

"Well I can't exactly starve." He muttered.

Eddie shut his eyes for a microsecond longer than usual and ignored what he said. "I think I know where to find her."

"Yippee."

"Don't tempt me, Emmett."

"Whatever, you go get her. Find out her next class. I'll go ahead and see if the lunch lady is giving anymore of those chili-cheese fries."

"Ugh, Em, those fried taste like ass."

"Well ass is good." Emmett got up, towering over Eddie by over half a foot. He snickered as his skinny arm reached over to mock-punch him. "See you later."

"Yea, later." Eddie murmured hastily, walking away with his hands in his jean pockets. They were so tight that he had a bit trouble taking his hands out of them afterwards. No worry though. He knew he looked good in them . . . even though he hadn't washed them in probably a week. His personal hygiene probably had twiddled away into nothing ever since he was fifteen. The only reason why he even brushed his teeth was because he couldn't stand the smell of his breath and because the girl he was dating, Tanya (hottest broad at school) wasn't really that keen towards stinky yellow kissing teeth.

He smiled to himself. Tanya. Every time his mind came across the idea-the very fact that he had kissed her lips, held her hair, groped her thighs, just brings him into ecstasy each time around. He loved the fact that people stared at her as if she were a goddess-because frankly she was. Her short, bob cut hair do stood bright red against her olive-toned, freckly face. Her bright green eyes sent a thousand alarms down his spine-awakening feelings he never knew he had. Tanya was tall-with a wonderful bum and a beautiful complexion. She was so soft and pudgy around her stomach area and he loved it. Literally. Eddie called all of these feelings love.

Tanya says otherwise of course, seeing as all the things that come out of the perfect bee-sting lips make—well-perfect sense.

"You don't love me." She whispers to him over the phone. Each time she calls him, Eddie clings on the telephone as if for dear life. "You love the way I look. You love everything about me. But you don't know they real me."

"I love you." Is all Eddie could utter in her presence. Obviously, they weren't going steady. She didn't really go out on other dates-but she didn't really consider herself tied to him yet. So, saying those three legitimate words, in Eddie's eyes, is the thing that will bring her to him quicker. At least, that's what he hopes every girl wants to hear.

"I'm not a random girl you can just say that to, Edward. You have to really mean it—like really mean it. Like when a drunken person says the truth."

"I love you, I really do. Want to go for a drink?"

Mostly, that's how all of their phone conversations finalize. Well at least on Eddie's end. Tanya usually snickers sensually and then whispers goodbye before he can even say otherwise.

Eddie sighed, walking down the hallway and out into the football field, still fantasying about Tanya. He was so deeply dreaming, that once he reached the back of the bleachers, he didn't even think twice about what he was doing. His hands reached down into his pocket and he pulled out one of his flavored cigarettes. A gift from Tanya. Eddie lit it with the stolen lighter he took from his stepdad and inhaled profoundly, as if he were kissing Tanya's very lips. A small shutter escaped his lips as he exhaled, causing him to close his eyes in satisfaction. If there was one thing better than having a smoke on a warm summer day-he wouldn't even recognize it at first.

Eddie dragged on his cigarette and stared at his watch. Just then, the bell for lunch to end rang.

"Emmett." He whispered as he blew the smoke. He should have been at least making his way down there already. There was no doubt that the lunch lady indeed had some extra chili-cheese fries to spare.

Eddie threw his cigarette to the floor. He had forgotten about the young girl from across the cafeteria. He was supposed to follow her but instead, like usual, he ended up on mars, thinking about Tanya. In an exaggerated movement, he landed on the floor in a crisscross stance. For a moment he heard his pants rip—but frankly he didn't really care. His clothes and appearance were the least of his worries for now. Eddie shut his eyes and rubbed them. As he did, the sun's warm rays ceased to give him warmth. He opened his eyes. A shadow casted over him. At first, his unfocused eyes sought to think that it was Emmett, making his entrance a bit too dramatic for his taste, but it wasn't it.

"Have another cig?"

Eddie knitted his eyebrows. "You smoke?"

"No. I'm just asking out of pure curiosity." The girl answered defensively. Her small hand raked the huge black hair out of her face. Tired, mahogany eyes stood above two purple bags.

He paused. It was the small girl from across the room. It was the emo girl that Emmett and he were planning to jump.

"I didn't know lame-asses like you smoked."

Her eyes flashed. For a moment Eddie's heart leapt at the rejection registering on her face.

"I didn't know punks like you gave a shit." She stated, locking eyes with him.

Eddie felt his smile fade away as she gave him a devious, pessimistic smile herself and she walked away.

He could have ran after her and taken all her money. Eddie could had slit her throat and leave it all behind. Instead, he just watched her go, huge black straight hair and all.

"Ed!" Emmett called, breathlessly from the top of the bleachers. "What are you doing down there?"

Eddie's head snapped up. "What does it look like I'm doing, prick? I'm waiting for you!"
"I thought we were meeting in front of the bleachers! Anyways," Emmett motioned. "Let's get to P.E. I want to pass it this year. Hurry up!"

"Jesus." Eddie spat, running up and throwing his lit cigarette behind him. He would have to deal with her later.

...

Afterschool, Eddie approached his small, lower-middle-class house and dropped himself onto the comfortable, over grown grass. For a few seconds he breathed in heavily, taking in that refreshing grass smell, and then he lifted his head up quickly, picturing a dozen ants being swept into his nose.

"Eddie, baby, is that you?" His mom, Esme, called.

He didn't answer. He just plopped himself backwards and stared at the sky for a bit. He took another deep breath and reached for his pants pocket for a cig.

"Edward Cullen you answer me this instant!"

"Yeah it's me, Mom!" Eddie snapped, growling at the end. Who else would it be? His mom was going completely mental these days.

"Oh okay, great! I need you to do something for me." She appeared onto the porch, wearing a nice tweed suit and black high heels. Her hair was nicely combed back into a bun-showing her high forehead and beautiful skin. Eddie wasn't much of a brag, but he knew his Mom was beautiful. He just didn't mention it to many people (especially his friends) because he knew what type of jokes would follow if he did.

"What is it?" He asked in a muffled monotone.

"I need you to make dinner please because Mama has to go down to the office and help out Mr. Garcia with something. Okay?" Esme let her hands rake her auburn hair and dab her rouged cheeks. "Do I look okay?"

"You look awful."

"Thank you honey." She answered sweetly and continued down the steps near his limp body on the lawn. "Now take care. I'll be back at seven or so. You better not invite those friends of yours and touch my liquor cabinet. Edward! Look at me. Are you listening?"

Eddie opened his eyes, letting the sun into his eyes, and stared at his mother's thin silhouette towering above him. He saw the black outline of her nicely pedicured finger wagging in the air as she talked.

"Yes, Mom." He mumbled, dragging his arm above his face to shield his eyes from the blinding sun and his Mom's weary looking face.

"No alcohol. Behave yourself. Call me. Good bye."

She walked over to her small silver car and drove out silently.

The moment he saw her car disappear beyond the corner, he bolted into the house. Eddie waited a couple of minutes though, looking out the window incase his mom was to come back in case she forgot her cell phone or something, but she never did. In no time, he was already calling up everyone to go over to his house.

Jasper, who lived two houses down got there as soon as he ringed.

"What's the big idea? I have to study." He asked Eddie when he arrived, in his strained New Jersey accent. Jasper was Italian American, brown eyed, curly haired and smart. Eddie wondered why he was still single.

"Listen, we've got a new victim. Nice and fresh. I'll have Emmett clarify as he gets his lazy ass over here."

"Oh Eddie, baby, is your Mothah home? I think she forgot to kiss me goodnight-."

"Shut it, Super Mario." Eddie snapped, letting him into the house and shutting the door behind him right after checking left and right down the side walk. His patience grew thinner and thinner by the minute.

Jasper was busy making himself comfortable in his kitchen though, ignoring the entire fact that Eddie was busy patrolling the phone with one ear and hearing for the front door with the other. He took out a bar of Mayonnaise and commenced his ritual sandwich making.

"If there's one thing I like better than girls, it's making a BLT at your house, Ed."

"Yeah, yeah." Eddie replied impatiently, nearly wanting to clobber Jasper for tearing his attention away from the phone for that useless piece of information. "Have you heard from Tanya lately?"

Now that was one thing Eddie could risk giving his whole one-hundred percent attention to.

"Why the hell-,"

"Because your little sister is Tanya's girlfriend, okay, Jasper? Has she mentioned her? Or brought her home lately . . . ?"

"Now why would Rose kick it with a spaz like Tanya?" Jasper ventured, as he spread the Mayo on one of the bread's sides. He reached for the lettuce before Eddie even had a chance to throw it at him. "I'm joking, kid. I don't know. I don't stalk or eavesdrop. I'm not the one who's obsessed over a broad."

"I am not obsessed. You wouldn't understand love."

"How can you be in love? She's sixteen and you haven't even manipulated her into being your girlfriend."

"I don't need that. We have a bond. It's like a force."

"Is that why you keep check on her through me? What is she a pot roast in the oven or something? Just pop her out already. She is ready. Crisp and golden . . . like the crust on this wonder bread." Jasper stopped talking and took a slow, passionate bite out of the sandwich.

What was it and all of Eddie's friends having an unhealthy relationship with food?

"Well, I do have to keep track on whether or not she's dating another bloke, genius." Eddie sighed, trying to bite back his frustration. Tanya needed to be his by the end of this year.

"Don't worry," Jasper mumbled with a full mouth. "You'll be with her in no time."

Eddie was about to reply to him, when he heard someone's tapping at the door.

"Who the hell did you invite other than Em?" Jasper asked, wiping his mouth with his hand. He scanned the back window, which was where Emmett usually came in through without a warning when he visited Eddie's house. "Emmett hasn't even got here."

Eddie opened up the door. "I'm coming-Jake! For a moment I thought you were Emmett playing a stupid prank on me. Come on in. We have some business."

"You have that bottle of vodka, Ed? I need to get buzzed." Jake nodded, walking into the house and straight to the Liquor Cabinet.

"Sure, help yourself, prick." Eddie rolled his eyes and walked over to the kitchen. "Jazz, let's get going into my living room. Looks like we're going to get started without Emmett."

"Where is Em and Em?" Jake asked, smelling the pink vodka bottle. He made a face and held it away. "Why does it smell so lemony?"

"Esme buys pink lemonade flavored vodka."

"Figures. This is a woman's liquor cabinet. Look at this Margarita Mix? It's pure sugar and flavor."

"That's the point, Jake." Jasper pointed out.

"What a load of shit, Eddie. Really. Where's the gin?"

"We drank it all last week." Eddie lied quickly, even though he had given the remanding liquor to Tanya for the sleepover she was having with her friends. He thought that alcohol offering was a nice thing to do, considering the fact that he was older and responsible, he thought it gave him many points.

"We did?" Jasper asked.

"We did." Eddie repeated.

"Nope. No we didn't," Emmett added, suddenly appearing behind them. "But guess what I've got here?"

"A pack of cigarettes and some Jack Daniel's?" Jasper piped up, expectantly.

"Close! Gentlemen Jack. But guess who spot us?"

Eddie's face snapped up away from the glistening bottle in Em's hand. He was smiling like a devil, wagging his eyebrows up and down like he was demented.

"Who?!" Eddie demanded.

"I did."

There she was. Standing on his mother's rug, with those dirty, ugly tall chuck tennis shoes.

The girl with the straggly black hair & mahogany eyes.

"Belle?" Eddie heard Jake stutter in the background.

He didn't really hear anything.

He was just seeing red.