I woke up dazed and disorientated, struggling to remember where I was, and why the window was in the wrong place. As I sat up, everything came flooding back to me, including all the fears I had yesterday about the day ahead. I groaned and sat up, stretching hugely. I shuddered violently as I realized that it was freezing, as I had been sleeping in my skirt and t-shirt with no covers on. Plus the fact that it looked about 10 degrees outside.

Sleepily, I dragged myself off the bed and headed to the wardrobe, which made me jump as I caught sight of myself in the front of it, which was a floor to ceiling mirror. The girl in my reflection started back at me, looking very confused and unkempt. Her hair was long, limp and messy as though she had been tossing and turning half the night; and her skin was olive, yet pale from the bitter cold that surrounded her.

I shook my head to dispel the illusion, and then headed off to my en-suite bathroom to get a shower before school started. I closed my eyes and breathed in the familiar peach smell of my shampoo; it was relaxing, and made me feel like I was still at home, still with the same life that had kept me on my toes for the past 16 years. It took all my willpower to get me from the warm confinement of the shower and out into the freezing cold bathroom. I never knew that it could be so cold here. It's true that New York had bitterly cold winters, but this was the middle of March for crying out loud.

I quickly wrapped my towel around me, and then headed into my bedroom to get dressed. I opened the wardrobe doors with a little difficulty, and spent 10 minutes trying to decide what to wear. In the end I chose my black and red Paramore t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and my black converses. Glancing at the clock, I saw that I had 20 minutes to have breakfast, get my hair and make-up done, get to school and then try and find my way around.

Panicking, I ran to the wardrobe and brushed my hair so that it was incredibly straight, and applied heavy make-up to my eyes. I grabbed my bag from the table, and my hoodie that was draped over the back of the chair, and ran downstairs.

'Where's the fire?' Caroline made a tasteless joke as I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a few pop-tarts from the toaster, whilst Brian chortled in the corner. I paid scarce attention, but when I was in the doorway, I shouted back.

'Caroline, what does consistency mean?' I ran out of the door laughing my head off. Sure, I was going to get hell for that later, but at that moment, it seemed like the most appropriate thing to do.

Now that I was outside, it began to dawn on me again what I was about to do. I fumbled around in my hoodie top for my car keys, and, hands shaking, I climbed inside, throwing my bag into the passenger seat as I did so. I gunned the engine and pressed hard on the accelerator, breathing out as I heard the familiar purr of my engine.

Driving to school wasn't hard, as the school was the second biggest building in the town – after the hospital – it loomed ominously over my car, casting more shadow into the already dark car. I groaned and gulped as everyone stared as I pulled into the student lot. They're staring at the car, not you. But I couldn't reassure myself. It was maddening, not being afraid of a madman with a gun, but being scared stiff of a school with a student body of 500!

I put my iPod in my ears as I stepped put of the car, nervously looking around at the faces which were now fixated on my face. I turned away from them to lock up, but felt that same nervous feeling as I looked around to see where the main entrance was. I had barely taken 2 steps when a deep voice made me gasp and spin around.

'Bella?' the voice asked uncertainly, but loud enough to get over the volume of My Chemical Romance.

As I turned around, I saw a large boy - or was it a man? – looking straight at me. His eyes were deep amber, and were full of uncertainty and anxiousness; his hair was a familiar black, and curled over itself, with one just to the side of his forehead. He was seriously toned and muscled-up, I wondered if he was a boxer or weightlifter or something. He was wearing a black hoodie, which had a warrior logo on the right-hand side, dark blue jeans, and black sneakers. Emmett Swan.

'Emmett?' I breathed just as uncertainly, I didn't want him to think I had been waiting for this moment for my life, or whatever crap they say on the movies. However, I couldn't get over his eyes; they were like nothing I had ever seen before. Plus the fact that my mom had always been proud of her "Green-eyed boy".

'Little sis!' he laughed, and I squealed as he pulled me into a vice-tight hug and spun me around in a circle, which lifted me several feet off the ground. It made me forget what I had just been fretting about.

'How are you, I mean how've you been?' he asked excitedly, taking my hand as he walked me up to the school. It was like we had never been apart.

'Great, what about you, I see Charlie hasn't poisoned you yet.' I laughed, my mom had told me plenty of stories about Charlie, one of them being how totally useless he was in the kitchen.

'Yeah, yeah I'm fine.' He bit his lip in worry 'you're sure you're alright?' what a strange question.

'I'm definitely sure, why?'

'It's just that... well...'

'Go on...'

'Well, we haven't heard from you after mom died, and I was just wondering how you were getting on with her fella. If you're still living with him that is' he rushed, looking down to see how I would react.

'Yeah, I'm still with him, but he's got a new lady now, so he doesn't need me anymore' it was my turn to bite my lip and look down; Caroline had taken over Brian's life so much, that I was expecting him to kick me out any day now.

'Don't worry about a thing, if it gets too much, you can always move in with me and dad. You know, he sure would love that.'

'Hmmm.'

I didn't answer properly, I was sure that Emmett was just saying that to make me feel better. I mean, why Charlie would suddenly want me to live with him, when I had been parentless for almost a year now, was beyond me. I barely noticed that we were walking, and only looked up when I felt a door close behind me.

The main hallway of the school was bustling; teenagers of all colors, religions, ages and sizes were walking around. Two girls were sat in the corner, reading a manuscript and singing quietly to themselves; a couple were leaning against a locker making out, and only stopped when Emmett nudged them and said 'cut it out children'.

'Shut it Emmett, or I'll get Jazz and Ed to ambush you again.' A dark-haired, pixie-like girl laughed, glancing up at me in curiosity.

'Yeah Emmett, besides, this aint half as bad as what you and Rose get up to.' The blonde boy next to her glanced at me and winked. 'You're Bella right?' Before I had a chance to answer, Emmett cut in.

'I'll introduce you all later; Bella only has like 2 minutes to get to her first class.'

'Alright, see you later Em, Bella' the pixie girl smiled at me before Emmett whisked me away down the corridor and towards a classroom were about 20 students were already sat down.

'This is your first class, English. I got your timetable last week' he looked away, embarrassed, and handed me a small piece of folded paper which had little square boxes on it, presumably containing my new timetable.

'Thanks Emmett, I appreciate it' I got on my tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. He grinned and ushered me in; a small wave goodbye, and then he was gone. I looked around the dimly lit classroom, and groaned internally as I saw that everyone was staring at me again. The walls were a dull cream, yet filled with monologues from Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth and other plays. It was quite quirky, as each corner of the room had its own theme, such as plays, descriptive writing, novels, and vocabulary.

I sidled over to the only seat left, which was at the back. The chair next to it was already occupied by a dark-skinned boy, who grinned at me as I took my seat. The name on the front of his book told me he was called Jacob.

'Hey, you're Bella right?' he asked, still grinning as I took my seat.

'Yeah, you're Jacob?' he looked startled, and I grinned, pointing at the cover on his worn-out book.

'Right. So, you know Emmett Swan?' he looked at me in curiosity, probably wondering if I was a relative, or a new girlfriend. I could tell he had been burning to ask this as soon as he saw Emmett drop me off.

'Oh yeah, he's my big brother' I watched in amusement as his face went from shock, to anger and then back to calm.

'Do you know him?'

'Not personally, but not many people like him, or his friends.'

'Why?' I asked in shock, I couldn't imagine anyone more likeable than Emmett. How on Earth could people find themselves not liking someone as gentle as him?

'Well, he and his friends are like a gang or something, and the lot of them turn their noses up at everyone else, like they're superior.'

I was about to argue that maybe if they got to know him, then they would realize what a decent person he was, but the teacher began the lesson. I couldn't believe that anyone's voice could be so boring, yet, this man managed. He was really short, littler than me perhaps; he had grey hair which looked as though it used to be a dark brown, possibly black; he wore clothes that were from the 1950's or something.

A whole half hour passed with the teacher – Mr. Phelps – droning on about verbs and adverbs; I had taken to laying my head down on my bag, and counting the stitches than ran up the side.

Down to you

You're pushing and pulling me down to you

But I don't know what I

The whole class turned to look at me as my phone went off at full blast. I laughed quietly as I went to stop it; Mr. Phelps hadn't noticed a thing, and was still going on about something! Instead of ending the call, I answered it, whilst everyone else laughed with me.

'Hello?' if it was Caroline I was going to ring her neck. Actually, I hope it is Caroline.

'Bella, where are you? You're needed at work!' It was Weaver, and obviously, she had no idea that 16-year olds were normally in school at 9:30 on a Monday morning.

'I'm at school, where the hell did you think I was?!'

'Well, sneak out. I need you to get over here and get your new mission!' she screeched so loud that I had to hold the phone away from my ear.

'Alright, alright, I'll be there in an hour!'

'Good' she hung up, leaving me dumbfounded and staring out into space. I looked around the classroom, and then at the teacher, who was still droning on, but he was no reading from a very old, very worn-out leather bound book.

'Hey Jake, do you think he'll notice if I sneak out of here?'

'No, we always do it' he grinned at me, exposing his gleaming white teeth; his grin was infectious, I just had to grin back.

'Alright, maybe I'll see you later.'

'I hope so'

He winked at me one last time before I gathered up my bag and snuck out of the door, whilst one student actually fell asleep on his desk. It was just too easy, as Mr. Phelps didn't even look up, even though the door made a loud creak when it opened and a large bang when it shut.

As I stood in the hallway, I thought about what Jacob said. "I hope so" after I told him I would see him later. What did that mean, did he have the hot's for me? True, he was very cute, but Weaver had warned me – don't get too close to lots of people. In other words, the more loved ones you have, the more likely the fact that someone is going to hold them against you – possibly killing them in the process.

I shook my head to clear away the grim thoughts, and then half-ran back to my car, constantly looking over my shoulder to see if anyone had noticed my absence and was now coming after me. Not very likely. When I was in, I gunned the engine again and pulled out of the lot, narrowly missing a shiny silver Volvo in my haste to get out of this hell-hole.

The streets were mainly empty; I guessed that everyone was at work, or else didn't want to be out in the cold wind that had picked up whilst I was in the classroom. It was eerie, as there was never an empty street in New York, and actually seeing one seemed like something from "The Day After Tomorrow".

Even though I didn't know my way, I got to Seattle pretty quickly, under an hour in fact. The sky was darker here, and it looked as though it was about to start pouring buckets, as well as thunder and lightening. However I felt more comfortable here, as the towering skyscrapers, bustling sidewalks and congested roads made me feel as though I was back home. I smiled as I saw a large building with the name "Zeiracorp" along the side, written in huge black lettering – Weaver never did things by halves.

I pulled into the lot, as a spotty security guard looked at my face, and somehow recognized it. Weaver must have described me to him, or given him my index number or something. He waved me on bored-like, and I felt pity for him; hardly anyone came into this car park during the day. I grinned as I saw a space with my name on it. I was glad, it was right next to the entrance, and was written in my favourite copperplate writing. I had to hand it to her; the woman knows what I like.

Still grinning, I stepped out oft the car and headed up to the pristine glass doors, which had large Z's on each side and opened when I pressed my fingertips on it.

The main entrance was a grand business façade; long, golden chandeliers hung from the high, sky-blue ceiling; the carpet was a deep red, with black Z's dotted all over it; a large, cherry-wood desk was placed in the middle of the room, where a young woman was stood. Her hair was long and blonde, but was tied into an elegant knot at the back of her head; her eyes were a unnatural shade of blue, so bright and sparkling that they didn't look human; she was wearing a black suit top with pinstripes, and a matching skirt. On her feet, just visible in the gap below the desk, was a pair of navy blue heels, which had a thin layer of brown at the bottom, and showed off her red-painted toenails.

'Good morning and welcome to Zeiracorp, how may I assist you?' the woman looked at me very carefully, like I was a bomb waiting to go off. But then again, looking down, I do look like some kind of teenage rebel. Good.

'Hey, uhmm, I work here, or didn't you know that? Oh sorry, guess you don't know my name, uhmm I'm Bella. Swan, Bella Swan.' I rushed, stumbling over my words, as I concentrated on what she was doing. Sure enough, she reached under the desk. I knew exactly what she was going for, the red button which called security.

'Oh my,' she said, her eyes popping as she obviously remembered my name. 'I do apologize, can't be too careful can we?' she laughed nervously. 'My name is Kelly, Ms. Weaver told me to send you straight to her office as soon as you got here. Sorry, was there anything you wanted, a drink perhaps?' she looked extremely nervous, like she had made a grave mistake which would get her head chopped off or something.

I smiled in reassurance; I had been just like her before. Cept I was never an assistant.

'Yeah, bottle of Coke or something, I'm really thirsty.' She looked horrified, like this was somehow her fault. I was beginning to get amused; I could tell I was going to enjoy having her around...

'Well, I will show you to your office'

She smiled and led me forward; I didn't have the heart to tell her that she had made a mistake, and that I never had an office, and I never would.

We walked up to a glass elevator, which opened as soon as we stepped in front of it. The whole inside matched the hallway I had just come from, right down to the golden chandelier which looked like it was suspended in mid-air. Kelly leaned over and placed a key into where the buttons should've been. Instantly, a large black panel appeared which was covered in tiny buttons as big as my little finger. She pressed the top one and the elevator jerked upwards, which made me feel as though I had left my stomach back in the lobby.

'Here we are' she said pleasantly, as the elevator came to a smooth but sudden stop. She led me into another hallway, which was decorated in gold and silver. By the colours, I knew exactly who worked in one of the two offices that were located up here. Catherine Weaver. The first door was black with red stars painted here and there; I guessed it was a playroom for Savannah, Weavers 7 year old daughter. Across and a little down the hallway from it, there was another door; this one was a rich gold, with large pools of silver swirls decorated lavishly on the front. A nameplate read "Catherine Weaver, CEO". Kelly ushered me inside, and I had half a mind to turn around and punch her lights out. Her hand was on the small of my back, and her long red fingernails often scratched my skin.

'Ms. Weaver, Miss Swan is here.' she called out importantly, after she had knocked on the door 3 times and gently prised it open.

'Good, good come in Bella.' Weaver's familiar Scottish voice broke through, making me feel as though nothing had changed, even though my subconscious was reliving my morning with grim horror.

'I'll be right up with your drink' Kelly said quickly, before turning on her heel and marching back down the corridor. I stood in the entrance awkwardly for a moment – Weaver told me to always wait before everyone had left before I spoke to her.

When I was sure Kelly had gone I began

'Weaver'

'Bella'

Catherine Weaver was a unique and somewhat strange woman, yet, at the same time, she was utterly brilliant. She sat at a similar desk to Kelly's, but hers was nowhere near as neat. There were papers strewn about the desk, surrounding a laptop which had been closed in front of her; wires from the telephone and internet led off from it, making her look as though she was trapped. Her hair was the colour of flames, and was left to hang down her back, twisting this was and that in natural ringlets, which contrasted with the dark grey coming from the window perfectly. Her eyes were a slate gray, usually hard and cold, yet they sparkled, giving a feeling of hope and trust – to those who didn't know her at least; she was wearing the same suit as Kelly, except that hers was a brilliant shade of white; on her feet were a pair of white stiletto heels, which made her pale skin look even more so.

'So what did you want me for Cathy?'

I took a seat at the front of her desk, and relaxed as she passed me a bottle of Coke.

'Thanks, anyway, do I have a mission or something?'

'Yes, I want you to check out this computer lab that has just been built in the town centre.' She handed me a manilla file which held several photos, pin numbers, and lot of other important and vital information that I would need. 'We're very concerned about what kind of work they're doing; they may not be entirely on the level.'

I nodded somberly and went through the file. One stood out from the rest - Jason Clements, 35, white Caucasian male, wanted for assault and robbery. I frowned at that, it didn't fit in at all with the business front that this high-tech computer company had, which seemed nothing but on the level.

'I don't understand, why is this guy in with the company file?' for a second I thought she had made a mistake, but then I came to my senses – Weaver never made mistakes.

'Because, he's the new security guard, which is why I want to check this place out; if he's been hired to keep the place safe, you can see why it may look suspicious to us.'

I nodded in agreement, still staring at the mug-shot. It shouldn't be too hard, climb in a window somewhere, avoid or turn off security, have a quick look around and before I know it I'll be back in bed and ready for the next day of school.

Oh crud. Emmett will be wondering where I got to. He always was very protective of me; I'll bet he panicked when I didn't come out of my English class; plus, an even bigger panic when he found out my car wasn't there.

'Bella?'

'Sorry, sorry, I'm just thinking about Emmett; I mean, I left without any explanation.'

I bit my lip in worry, what did Emmett think had happened to me? He had a habit of over-reacting, I remember that much.

'You can explain later, you really need to focus on what you're about to do. You do want to go home alive, and not in a box don't you?'

'Of course, but I can't help it though.'

'I know, I know, but there's nothing I can do'

'Moooommmmyyyy!'

The doors burst open, and little Savannah Weaver ran in, flinging herself onto Cathy's lap before turning to face me. She had long, flame red hair just like her mother; her eyes were a vivid green, so clear that you could get lost in them; she wore an embroidered white dress, which was sparkling clean, that surprised me very much, as she was always messing around and getting filthy.

'Bella!'

'Hey Savannah'

I picked her up and swung her over my shoulder, whilst she screamed in delight. Nevertheless, Cathy was not best pleased.

'Bella can we please try to concentrate? There's something I want to show you before you have to go.'

'Bella is leaving?!' Savannah shrieked, making me put her down on the floor.

'A mission dear, a mission.'

Savannah fell silent, I knew that she had been told to keep her mouth shut whenever she heard the word mission; but, I suppose you can't have a 7 year old telling people about the missions her mother and godmother do.

'Come Bella, I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised' she had a huge grin plastered all over her face. At that point, I didn't know whether to feel excited or terrified; she was not the sort of woman to be dishing out pleasant surprises, or even compliments for that matter. Yet at that moment, I saw that she had something in store for me that I would thoroughly appreciate, as I hadn't seen her eyes sparkle that way since she brought Savannah home for the first time.

She led me back out of the golden door and then along the elaborate hallway, coming to a sudden stop outside the other black office, which I had assumed was Savannahs playroom.

'Well, have a look and tell me what you think'

She was practically bouncing with anticipation as she pushed open the door and let me look inside properly. All I could do was gasp. The room was similar to Weavers, yet completely different. The walls were painted black with blood-red and white lines placed randomly everywhere; the carpet was red too, but it had large black stars covering it; the walls were covered in small gothic artifacts like the ones back in my room. Also there were photographs and articles from my previous successful missions, obviously trying to show that everyone was proud of my accomplishment; the large, mahogany desk on the centre had a large black laptop, and had a small tray that was full to the brim of papers; in the corner there was another door, matching the one I had just came through; I was too astounded to ask where it led.

'What do you think?'

'Oh. My. God.'

'Well I thought you deserved a reward, and so I ordered for you to have your own office, and a little promotion...'

'Promotion?!'

I stared at her in shock – had I somehow misheard her? She looked down at me in great amusement, clearly enjoying my moment of uncertainty and dumbfoundment. But surely I wouldn't have my own office, let alone a promotion; this was too good to be true. Maybe if I pinch myself I'll wake up back in New York...

'Ouch!'

'What on Earth did you do that for?' Savannah and Weaver laughing at the same time was not a good idea, especially since they both had that same loud, piercing laugh that made anyone within 10 feet of them go temporarily deaf.

'Seeing if this is true – are you actually giving me a promotion?!'

'Duh. You are now my partner, I took half your wages so now you half-own Zeiracorp!'

I stood there shock-still. I half-owned one of the most famous businesses in the world; maybe I hadn't pinched myself hard enough. Ha! Wait until Emmett hears about this!

'Anyway, I think you should be on your way.' She gestured to the door behind me, whilst holding out a pair of motorbike keys in her outstretched hands.

'Yeah okay so it's just a little down the road right?'

'Yes, even you can't miss it! Remember, Clements is extremely violent – don't look at me like that! – And he will kill you if he gets the chance. Oh, and the security if very good, so you'll have to watch out; never let your guard down, I'm warning you.'

She was looking at me full of concern, like an over-protective mother; but in truth, Catherine Weaver was the best friend I ever had, and possibly the best friend I ever would have. As she looked at me, I knew that she honestly believed that this mission was dangerous. I felt like telling her I'd been on much worse, but I liked my face the way it was.

'Sure, right okay. Guess I better get going then.'

I turned around, grabbed the keys and headed off towards the elevator, still in a daze from my new promotion and title. I barely thought of my new mission, even as the tires flew beneath me, and I got ever closer.

*

I hate crawling through windows, I always get something stuck. This time, it happened to be the bag of mysterious items I had stolen from one of the managers many desks.

It had been almost too easy to get inside and get to one of the offices. I had no idea what Weaver was fretting about; I mean I had hardly come across any form of security! Well except one close shave when I had to hide behind a conveniently located pillar, and, thankfully, the guard walked past without noticing I was there.

I managed to pull the bag out of the way but, to my horror, one of the delicate glass bottles inside it slipped and plummeted to the ground; it landed on the wooden floor with an echoing crash.

'Shit'

I heard footsteps running heavily towards where I was perched on the window, and from what I had seen they were heavily armed. I mean I'm fast, but I'm not that fast! The guards were getting closer, I could hear it. There was no other option - I was going to have to jump for it.

I looked down at the ground beneath the window, which seemed pretty high up, as I was on the 6th floor. But if I don't jump, I'm going to be shot and/or captured. I made my decision in 3 quick seconds; I jumped from the window and landed in a patch of exceptionally soft grass, even though I had landed on my feet I was glad it had been there.

'Over here, they musta escaped outta the window!'

A croaky male voice drifted down from the window I had just escaped from, and I knew now was the time to make my seemingly impossible escape. Looking around, I saw a forest just to my right. Thanking my lucky stars, I ran in frantically, not caring where I was headed, just focusing on getting as far away as I could. Thin twigs and branches scratched my face, leaving small cuts all over and tearing my clothes; my breath came more raggedly as I got faster and faster, making sure I got out of this mess alive.

After a few minutes I stopped, crouching down behind a large oak tree and peering out into the darkness. There was nothing here, yet I jumped when a small insect brushed past my leg. For goodness sake! I've run away from missions plenty of times, and those times were much worse!

'Hey, Avery, I think I saw the little bitch running over this way. Get over here and help me flush her out!'

My heart skipped a beat – there was nowhere left to run. I backed away slowly, trying not to make my presence known, but it was too late; they were going to find me at any minute. There's only one thing for it; I'm just going to have to fight my way outta here. I approached the first guy from behind and struck him clean around the head. He fell straight to the floor with a muted thud. Now for the second – what the hell was that? Something ran past me at an alarming speed. The next thing I knew the remaining guards were shouting and screaming, trying to get away from whatever had come past me so quickly, yet left me here. Alive.

The screaming stopped as suddenly as it had started, as I peered over, I saw their lifeless bodies on the ground; I would've thought they were dead, except there was a steady rising of their chests which proved they were barely alive.

'Are you alright?'

An urgent voice behind me made me gasp and whirl around. There stood the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life. His hair was an untidy mess, coloured bronze and waving in the slight breeze; his eyes were familiar rich amber, but they were so clear and hypnotizing that I didn't have a chance to work out where I had seen them before; his skin was pale, unnaturally so, yet it was a thing of beauty, something I couldn't tear my eyes away from; he was wearing deep blue jeans which fitted him in all the right places, a thin, plain black t-shirt and black converse trainers.

'Uhh yeah I guess, who are you, and what are you doing out here? It's really dangerous.'

I shook my head at him, if that thing – whatever it was – hadn't come by and attacked those guys, we both would've been done for. The thought of putting this man – or is he a boy? – In danger hurt me badly, very badly. To my surprise and somewhat annoyance, he simply laughed at me.

'Okay answer 1 – I'm Edward Cullen, very nice to meet you by the way.' He grinned at me nervously; I gave him one back in return. 'Answer 2 – I'm out camping for the weekend, thought it would be fun. Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of danger is there?' I opened my mouth to retaliate, but he got in there first. 'So who are you? I mean, I know what you were doing; you were stealing from that computer company. Oh don't worry I won't tell!' he said quickly, seeing my horror-struck face. He was kind, yet he hadn't met me before in his life! But my heart sank once more when I thought of the dilemma I could have gotten him into.

'What's wrong?'

'Nothing, nothing. Look, we have to get out of here, I don't know what hurt those other guards, but we want to get away before it gets back.' I took an anxious look around me, just in case it decided to come back.

'Yeah, yeah sure.' He looked around shiftily, obviously terrified, but trying to be a brave man in the situation. I gave him a warm smile and beckoned for him to follow me. Instead of following me as I walked forward, he took my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction. His hand was bitterly cold, but extremely smooth; now there was another dilemma – how on Earth was I going to make myself let go?!

'Where are we going, I came in that way?'

'You want to go back past the building you were just caught stealing from?' He looked back and gave me a sly grin, which made me feel extremely warm as well as embarrassed.

'Good thinking. Oh, and I wouldn't camp out here tonight, not if they're out looking for me.' He was not going to get dragged into my sordid affairs; he seemed much too good for that. I mean, how many boys do you know that rescue girls from getting arrested form armed guards? The answer – hardly any. Yet, I had found one.

'No I won't. And you shouldn't break into any more computer labs – a least for a little while anyway' his laugh echoed off the trees, sending a few birds flying away in terror.

'Shh!' I said half-heartedly as I was laughing. This boy knew what he was doing.

'Did you bring a car or something? Just so I know where to lead you'

'Motorbike. It should be somewhere around here ...'

The place we were now stood seemed oddly familiar, hopefully because I had parked my bike somewhere close by.

'Yeah, it's over there look.' He ushered me forward and pointed towards a clearing just in front of us. Sure enough, there was my bike, glossy black and shimmering under the moonlight. I turned back to Edward and sighed – this was probably the last time I would ever see him again. Yet, I knew that I couldn't let that happen.

'Do you want a ride somewhere?' I tried to make my face sound calm, trying not to show the hope that burned inside me, threatening to send him running back the way he came.

'Sure.' He smiled and lifted me off the floor and into his arms so fast that I gave a small scream, he simply grinned at me again. 'You know, you still haven't told me your name' he said casually, placing me on the bike and sitting behind me, clasping me around the waist tightly.

'Bella Swan.' I heard the slight smugness in my voice as I looked down at his hands, which tightened slightly as I revved the engine.

'Swan?'

'Yeah, why?'

'Nothing, it's just ... unusual.' The tone of his voice made me feel as though he was lying, but I didn't persist, I was far too happy. Okay, maybe I was too happy about this, for a guy that I was never going to see again in my life.

'Anyway, where are you headed?'

'You know the way to Green acres? Well, it's on one of the back road's leading down to there.'

'You're gonna have to help me, I'm sorta new around here.'

He nodded, and I accelerated as fast as I could go, trying to put as many miles between me and the company which had just tried to kill me. The road flew underneath me, and I felt the same exhilarated feeling I always had when I experienced things with speed.

'Shouldn't you be wearing a helmet or something? I mean you're going pretty fucking fast.' Edwards voice was full of panic, but I notice how he never said "we should be wearing helmets" it was just me he worried about.

'Please don't insult me' I laughed loudly, the motorbike was almost silent, and didn't drown my voice out at all. He laughed and shook his head with me, but I noticed him arms get tighter, like he was getting a firmer grip. 'Are you scared?' I asked softly. I did this often, but maybe he hadn't, I didn't want him to feel scared.

'Not for myself'

'What do you mean?' I asked, he didn't answer; instead he released his grip on my waist and leaned closer. My heart beat faster as I felt his perfect body pressed against mine. He prised my hands off the handlebars and took control himself. All the while he came ever closer, leaning his head on my shoulder as he drove the motorbike. 'Hey!' I laughed, trying to get control back.

'You don't know where you're going remember? And I don't want you to crash or something, you seemed a little distracted.' He looked away from the road to wink at me, whilst I stared at him in horror.

'I'm perfectly capable of driving a motorbike. Perhaps even more than you are' I said coldly, glaring at him. He didn't relinquish control; it just made him grin even more. 'What's so funny?'

'You're adorable when you're angry' he laughed loudly, steering into a long road that seemed mainly filled with trees and branches, but looking closer, I saw it was a long driveway. I looked back at him in confusion. Where on Earth had he led me?

'Where are we?' I asked, trying to sound annoyed, but I'm sure he heard the happy tone in my voice. I was still indulging over the fact that he had called me adorable.

'This is my driveway; I know it's a little extravagant.' He pulled up to a large, well, mansion at the end of the overgrown driveway. He turned the engine off and I turned around to face him. 'Do you want to come inside?' he asked, looking a little hopeful.

'Yes-' I began, but one look at my watch told me I was very late, and Brian and Caroline were bound to ask plenty of questions when I got in. 'I can't, the step-losers will be wondering where I am' I sighed, would this be the last time I ever saw him?

'Oh, I understand' he looked down at the floor, maybe he had been thinking along the same lines as me. 'Maybe we'll see each other again.' He said half-hopefully, looking back up at me.

'Maybe' I took a chance – perhaps my last chance. I leaned my head up and kissed him gently on his lips 'thankyou Edward, I'll never forget you' I whispered whilst his eyes were still closed. He took this as I had meant it to, and he climbed off the bike, kissing me on the cheek before he made his way up to the house.

I didn't give myself one last look at his perfect face before I gunned the engine and accelerated back down the overgrown driveway, battling tears the whole way. The perfect boy I had ever met, and probably ever would meet, and he was gone. I didn't dare hope that I would see him again for the knowing that it would never happen.

The journey home took less time than I had expected, and I was surprised to find that I remembered my way back. The living room light was still on, even though it was 11 0 clock on a Monday night. Hopefully Caroline and Brian were so used to me getting home late that they wouldn't even bother asking where I had been.

I pulled into the driveway behind my Lamborghini - Weaver had someone drop it off earlier – and headed up to the front door, pausing before I actually entered it. The house looked exactly same as when I had left this morning, as no-one had bothered to clear up the mascara that dippy Caroline had spilled this morning. It made a huge black stain which looked very out of place in the pristine hallway.

'Bella? Is that you honey?' I groaned as she called me from the living room. I felt a little annoyed, who else would it be?

'Yeah, I'm just going up to bed.'

'Okay then, night angel.' I pretended to puke as I mounted the stairs, Brian had a nasty habit of calling me angel, and it did not work well with me. I ran the last few stairs as I thought of Edward, afraid that I would burst into tears right there in the hallway.

I ran to my room, slamming the door behind me and flinging myself onto my bed, sobbing my heart out into my pillow. Edward was the most decent guy I had ever met, I knew I was never going to find anyone who made me feel the way he did, or made me like them as quickly as he had.

I don't know how long the tears flowed, it could have been years, I felt that lousy. I hadn't cried this much since my mom died, and even then I knew that I would get over it and get on with my life. I know it sounds so trivial and teenage-like, but I will never love anyone properly, not after tonight. The tears eventually ran out, and I sank into a deep and dreamless sleep for the second time this week.