I'm back.

"Rose, do you really think this is necessary? All we're doing is going out to eat with my brother," I asked as she was applying lip-gloss. I was standing in front of the mirror, scowling at the clothes she made me wear, a plaid skirt that just covered my bottom and a black lace tank that was too short so my bottom of my midriff was showing. The only upside to this outfit was I got to wear flip-flops, a welcomed change from the five-inch heels my lovely best friend forces me to wear. It's not like I didn't like wear skirts and heels and actually dressing like a girl, but give me basketball shorts and a tank, and I'm perfectly content. Growing up with only Charlie and Emmett prevented me from getting into girly stuff. Instead of taking ballet classes, I played basketball. It wasn't until I met Rosalie in seventh grade that I started acting more like the girl I was born to be. She eventually did get me into dance, but hip-hop, not ballet. We've been like family since then, and she'll probably end up part of my family since she's been dating my twin brother since eighth grade.

"You actually look like a girl, Bella. Embrace it," she said while rolling her eyes and walking out of the bathroom. "Come on, Emmett is waiting for us in the car and you know as well as I do that he's bitching and moaning that he hasn't eaten yet."

"Well my darling brother needs to learn to not eat everything in sight. A little starvation never hurt anyone," I said and she laughed.

"Let's go," she said and grabbed her bag. I grabbed my black hoodie off of the back of my chair and followed her out. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going as I put it on and I bumped right into someone and fell right on my butt.

"Ouch," I moaned in pain as I tried to get up. The person I collided with offered their hand to me and I took it. "Thanks, I'm so sorry."

"Its okay," the person said. I looked up for the first time to actually view the person I hit and was shocked to find Edward Cullen standing over me. Edward is the schools "it" boy. Captain of every team he plays for while maintaining his straight A's, plus he's gorgeous so he can have any girl he wants. Sounds like perfection, right? The only downside to all of this is he knows he's God's gift on Earth so he's a smug bastard twenty four-seven. "I'm used to girls falling over themselves once they see me."

"Right Cullen, that was my plan, and then once I got on my knees I could suck you off, but since you're walking out of Vichoria's room I guess she did that for you already. Too bad," I said and sighed as I stood up fully. Victoria, otherwise known has Vichoria, is well known among the male portion of our graduating class, I think even a few girls have been with her.

"I'm always up for more, but next time I'll be sure to come to your room first," he smirked.

"I'll wait up for you tonight since I heard Victoria is going to work, unless you want to find her on the corners or something. I heard she works 82nd and Meyers Avenue, I'm sure she'll give you a discount," I said and winked as I walked past him. Rose was waiting by the elevator for me, smirking and clearly in earshot of what happened so I didn't have to tell her every detail like I normally have to do. "Don't say a word."

"So am I staying over Emmett's tonight so you and Cullen can have some alone time?" she asked, unable to keep the shit-eating grin from forming on her face.

"No, I actually wanted you to stay. Maybe we can have a threesome or something."

"See, now that's where you take a joke too far there, Isabella."

"Who said I was joking?" I said with a straight face. When she turned to me with a shocked expression, I couldn't keep the laughter in.

"You're a sick person, you know that?"

"So I've been told, but you love me anyway."

"Yeah, yeah," she said and linked arms with me. "So, Alice is completely clueless about my cousin coming in this weekend. She has been talking non-stop about him since they hooked up over break."

"Oh I miss Alice. She's convinced they're meant to be," I said and rolled my eyes. "I think true love is a load of bullshit."

"Well I'm extremely satisfied with your brother so I can't say a thing," she said and I shuddered. It was one thing talking about your best friend and your brother's sex life, but to actually hear it in progress, that will scar you for life.

"We all know how satisfied you are, Rosalie," I said and gagged a bit. She smirked at me and walked to Emmett's Hummer so she could sit in front. I took my time getting over there just to piss him off.

"Any day now, Isabella Marie," Emmett huffed angrily as I passed the driver's side of the car. I smiled at him sweetly and finally got in the car. "Because I'm not starving or anything."

"Relax yourself, brother dearest, you're not going to die if you don't have a full meal every five minutes," I told him.

"Anorexic people can."

"Sweetie, you are far from anorexic," Rose said as she patted his cheek. He pulled out of his parking spot and started driving to the restaurant.

"I was trying to make a point," he said and sighed. "Anyway, what's the plan for tonight?"

"Bella's going to be up waiting for Edward tonight," Rose said smugly and I growled at her. Emmett turned around with wide eyes.

"What?! No, not happening there little sister," he said.

"What? Little sister? You came out three minutes before me!"

"The operative word is before, hence I'm older."

"Hence my ass," I mumbled. "Whatever, that still doesn't give you a right to tell me what to do."

"Cullen maybe be my best friend, but he's a dick. Plus, it would make things weird. End of story."

"Right, play the best friend card like a girl, Em. That'll really stop me," I said and rolled my eyes, but he was right. How could I have forgotten that they were best friends? Edward was always around freshman year when I used to spend all my time hanging out with Emmett. I wouldn't want to do anything to their friendship; not like anything would ever happen, but still, it's the principle of the fact. "I'm not doing anything with Edward, Emmett, so relax."

"But then why," he trailed off, obviously confused.

"Rose just likes to bust your balls," I said and glared at her.

"She's right, nothings happening between the two of them. They just had a little encounter in the hallway on the way here and you know how sexual tension and frustration is always the best recipe for great sarcastic remarks."

"Right," Emmett said and nodded in agreement. "I sense that between the two of them."

"What the hell? Just not even a minute ago you said that nothing can happen between me and him because it would make things awkward for the two of you."

"Just because nothing can happen doesn't mean nothing will," he said mysteriously and I stared at him.

"Did that even make sense in your head?" Rose asked.

"Nope, but it sounded really cool!" he exclaimed with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"You are the definition of an asshole," I said. To ignore him the rest of the car ride, I put my iPod in my ears and took out my phone to text Renesmee, my best friend since I was in kindergarten. Her mom was a full-out hippie during the sixties, so I'm guessing whatever she smoked back then affected her name picking skills. Renesmee is too much of a mouthful though, so we call her Nessie.

'Save me, Ness.'

'Sorry, dear pal, I'm a bit pre-occupied at the moment ;-)' she texted back and I mentally cringed. Why is everyone getting some except me? The car finally stopped and we all got out.

"What's with you?" Rose asked.

"Oh nothing, just pondering how my life would be as a nun," I said and sighed.

"Come on Sister Isabella, I'm starving!" Emmett yelled and I rolled my eyes as he made a beeline for the door so he could finally eat.

"I can't with him anymore," I said and shook my head.

"Ignore him, Bella. Listen, you out of all people know that you don't need a guy to make you happy with your life," Rose said as she stepped in front of me so I would stop walking.

"That is true, but that's not helping with the apparent frustration I have going on. Plus, everyone has someone, I'm like the ultimate fifth wheel!"

"Just because you don't have a boyfriend, doesn't mean you can't get someone to scratch that itch, if you get what I'm saying," she said.

"I don't have an itch?" I said confused and she sighed heavily.

"Friends with benefits, Isabella!"

"Oh right, knew that."

"No you didn't, but it's okay. I'm sure there's someone in mind," she said and walked away from me and into the restaurant. I stood out in the parking lot, considering what Rosalie had just said to me. She was right, I don't need a guy to make me happy, but that doesn't mean I don't want one. Sure, I'm the most cynical person when it comes to love, but that's beside the point. Alice fell hard for a guy she met once and instantly had sex with him, bragging about the connection she felt. Rose and my brother have been together for years and their relationship has only gotten stronger. Hell, even Nessie found someone she could be with, so why couldn't I? Suddenly, a name popped into my head and I took out my phone.

"I thought you'd never call."

"I have a proposition for you, interested?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Meet me tonight and we'll discuss."

"So I'm guessing you really were serious about what you said earlier."

"Jackass," I said and hung up on him.

After we ate, Emmett dropped me off back at my dorm since Rose was staying by his tonight. I walked in, took off the skirt and grabbed my favorite pair of basketball shorts that I stole from Emmett years ago. I tied my hair up in a messy bun, letting my side bangs fall out, and put my glasses on. This was the Bella I was most comfortable being, not the made-up one who wears skirts and high heels. I curled up in the corner of my couch and watched cartoons until my phone buzzed.

'Wanna open the door?' I read the text and rolled my eyes. I walked up to the door and saw him standing smugly outside with his arms folded across his chest and a smirk plastered on his face.

"Come in, jackass."

"Let's just get to the point, Bella. As much as I like our usual banter, it's late and I want to get back to my room."

"Well, if you're in so much of a rush, maybe I shouldn't even bother," I said lightly and shrugged.

"Oh no, I want to hear this proposition of yours. So come on, out with it," he said as he plopped down on my bed. I eyed him carefully and made my way over toward him.

"So, I was thinking since you obviously want me," I said and smirked at him. "And since I'm apparently so frustrated that your moron of a best friend, also known as my twin brother, even notices it, that maybe we could help each other out."

"Elaborate more on this idea of yours."

"Well," I said slowly as I walked over to him and straddled his lap. "We could have a friends with benefits thing going on."

"But we hate each other," he said as his hands went to my hips and he started massaging them.

"Okay, enemies with benefits then, whatever you want to call it."

"What's the catch," he asked suspiciously as his hands stopped moving.

"There are rules. One, no jealously; if I want to hook up with someone at a party I can without you stopping me and vice versa. That's where rule two, no commitment, comes into play. Rule three, strictly hook-ups. You don't need to take me on dates or anything of the sort. Rule four, outside communication isn't required. We don't need to act like we like each other at all because that personally might be a difficult thing for me to do. Finally, rule five, no one can know. Agree to the terms?"

"Why can't anyone know? Not that I want people knowing, but it's a strange term," he asked as he started rubbing his hands up and down my sides. I felt a strange tingly sensation in the pit of my stomach, but I ignored it.

"My brother is your best friend. If he found out what was going on between us, you'd be killed. I wouldn't want you to die because of me."

"Aw, Swan actually cares about someone other than herself, shocking."

"You think I care about you? No shot, I just don't want the reason you died to be because of me. Imagine what people would say?"

"Okay, I agree with your terms, but I have a few terms of my own."

"Really now, and these terms would be?"

"Well, it's really only one," he said and leaned closer to me. "We have to kiss before anything. I can't be enemies with benefits with a girl I never kissed."

"But we've kissed before," I said and tilted my head to the side. "Don't you remember?" I know I do …

"Oh I remember, but that was freshman year and too short for me. How about we try it again?"

"Alright," I said and leaned in closer to him, he closed whatever space was between us with his lips. Kissing Edward was amazing, just like the first time. He tasted like mint and chocolate. I wound my fingers into his hair as his hands that were originally on my hips went to my lower back and pushed me closer to him. I ended up pushing him back on my bed so that I was lying on top of him, until he rolled us over. I don't know how long we were kissing, but I felt my lungs burning in need of air, so I broke away first. He lifted his head and we both took in much needed oxygen. Once our breathing got back to normal, he looked down and me and smiled his signature crooked smile.

"Think you can handle all of this," he asked cockily and I rolled my eyes.

"I have once before, if you didn't forget about that too," I shot back as I pushed him off of me and to the door. "Well, that's enough for tonight. Goodbye Edward."

"Try not to dream about me," he said. I slammed the door in his face and then leaned against it to sit down. Why am I putting myself through this again?

How was it? You have NO idea how nervous I am about writing this story because 1.) I haven't written a decent story in the longest time, & 2.) most of the stories I've been starting haven't even gotten past the second chapter. It's depressing, really. With school and everything going on, I haven't had time to really do much, especially read. Most of the time I get my creativity going from reading books & I have not had any time to do that, but now since school & regents are over and done with - I'm a reading machine (: I just finished Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard & OMG .. AMAZING! I have to buy the other books because its a series.

Anyway, back to this story. I'm hoping that I update regularly but I can't promise anything. Once I get back into the flow of writing hopefully I can come up with some type of schedule. If I have parts of the next chapter written as I get reviews, I'll send a preview, but I can't promise them every time.

So, REVIEW please (: Really, they're what keep me wanting to write & I most of the time ALWAYS reply to them when I have time. I really want to thank everyone who reviewed on the prologue. Thirteen reviewers for such a little thing is really good. With the previews, the longer the review, the longer the preview ;D