Hello, everyone!

A huge thanks to blueheart93, WeFallForever, rosaliehale1994, chritbella, VampLover109 and cheshirekat516 for reviewing the prologue. Also a massive thanks to everyone who favorited and alerted.

So, on with the next chapter. Rather than move the plot along, this chapter sort of explains Edward and Bella's relationship, which was alluded to in the prologue. I need to explore their relationship and let you know how things are between them before I can move on with the rest of the story. I hope you all enjoy it. As ever, let me know what you think.

There's also a banner been made for this story, as well as my other stories. They can be found on my profile. I also aim to create a playlist for this story, which I will post on my profile soon.

This chapter is named after "Just Friends" by the Jonas Brothers. Now, I understand that I am a 20-year-old woman, but the J-Bros are sort of my guilty pleasure. I can't help it, and I was even sad enough to see them in concert last year. I am ready to take all insults now, but be gentle!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. But neither do you, so there!

Bella Swan's Point of View

I was pissed. No, I was beyond pissed. I was fucking seething.

And why was I seething? Because it was raining… yet again.

I had put on my brand new converse today - which I had got on sale, by the way - thinking it would be safe to finally unleash those babies after keeping them in the box for a month, when the rain had to fall down and fuck them up! Great. No more pristine white converse for me to show off, they were now completely mashed.

I was pissed.

"But that's how converse are supposed to be, Bella," said my best friend, Edward, as he drove my truck home that afternoon. His bright and cheery attitude was annoying me. How can someone be so optimistic when my chucks are so ruined? I swear he is brain-dead sometimes. "You buy them, you mash them, you wear them. It's like the law or something."

"Fuck off, Edward," I muttered with my arms folded across my chest. I was in no mood for his bullshit. I had saved them for an entire month, and the rain had ruined them in a matter of seconds. I was so pissed off that I didn't even want to drive my bright orange Chevy truck home from town, and that never happens. That truck is my baby. Only I drive the Chevy.

Edward just chuckled at my words, pissing me off even more. I freakin' loved the ass off that guy, but right now he was laughing at my messed up chucks, and I wasn't having that.

"No need for language," he grinned. He could talk. Edward swears like there's no tomorrow, he's the biggest potty-mouth I know! "Besides, it could be worse."

"How can this possibly be worse?" I asked. "How can anything possibly be worse than the ruined shoes on my feet, huh?"

"It could be the truck that's mashed up instead."

I glared at him, my eyes morphing into narrow slits, shooting deathly daggers his way. "Don't even think about something like that," I said.

"It's raining… Think of all the mud along the wheels, all the dirt damaging the paint, all those little shards of rock scratching the body work…" He was enjoying this far too much. His smirk was too cocky.

"Edward, stop it!" I yelled, almost ready to hit him. I would have if he hadn't been driving. Crashing my truck and killing Edward and I in the process was not on my to-do list today. So he got lucky that I managed to keep my fists to myself. Fucker.

But nothing could happen to my truck, nothing. I didn't even want to consider how I'd live without the thing. My dad had brought it me for my 17th birthday, right after I had passed my driving test, and it had literally been love at first sight. That truck was like my child, like my husband. I even think I'd sacrifice Edward before I'd sacrifice the truck... Well, no, maybe I wouldn't go that far, but the truck was still pretty damn fucking special to me. Ruined shoes were bad, but a ruined truck was catastrophic.

"The converse don't seem so bad when you think about the what ifs, do they?" he smiled as he finally broke me. He was right. The converse didn't seem as bad after he discussed what could happen to my baby. I supposed they did look a little better with some dirt and wear-and-tare. As Edward said, it was the law for them to look like that.

"No, I suppose they don't," I agreed, the faintest smile grazing my lips. I hated it when he was right, it always made him seem smug and full of himself. But most of the time when he acted that way, he was right, and it always cheered me up. I loved him for that.

Edward and I had been best friends for the past seventeen years. At 21, he was a year older than I was, but he was the best damn friend a girl could ever ask for. We were inseparable, the two of us constantly joined at the hip, we had been since day one. I'd be nothing without Edward. We had been through everything together. The good, the bad, the rough, the smooth, boyfriends, girlfriends, fights, everything. But through it all, we had remained strong and together.

He was my Eddy-Bear and I was his Bellsy-Boo, and we'd be together till the end of time.

I suppose being next-door neighbors helped this friendship develop, something we didn't even know about until after we had initially met. I used to live in Phoenix, Arizona, but my dad, Charlie, got a job as Chief of Police in the dreary little town of Forks, which meant me, my mom, my dad and my elder brother, Emmett, had to pack up and move to Washington.

It wasn't too bad, I was only 3 years old at the time, so it made no real difference to me where we lived as I hadn't really had time to appreciate Phoenix enough to miss it. But the sudden cold and rain of Washington was a fucking shock to the system. None of us were ready for that shit!

Still, after the big move, mom took Emmett and I to the local park to give us a chance to let some steam off and know the area better. It went well at first. I went on the swings, the slide, the round-a-bout, Emmett helped me over the monkey bars, the park was great… until the big kids showed up. Well, I say big, they were 6, Emmett's age, but to a 3 year old, the 6 year olds were the big kids.

There were three of them, all boys, and only two of us, so we were out numbered from the start. Basically, they wanted my swing, and Emmett, being the protective big brother, said no. Well, they didn't exactly take too kindly to the new kids saying that, so a fight broke out. Emmett was pretty big for his age, still is, so he took one of them down straight away. The little toe-rag ran straight to his mommy, crying and screaming like a pussy. Emmett was just starting on the second one when the third went for me, pushing me from the swing and knocking me flat on my ass, causing me to cry. Kids can be mean, sometimes.

That's when I met Edward.

In a flash, a little 4 year old Edward showed up and chased the third guy away, saving me whilst Emmett finished off the second. I didn't know where Edward had come from, but his smiling face was there to greet me as he offered me a hand and helped me up.

And the rest, as they say, was history.

His mom met my mom, they got talking, found out we were neighbors. Small world, huh? Edward and I have been inseparable ever since.

I really don't know what I'd do without Edward, I really don't. He's… special. He's more than my best friend, he's my lifeline, my other half, my buddy, my pal, my everything. He's the yin to my yang, the Laurel to my Hardy, the Chuck to my Norris. Life would suck without him in it, it just wouldn't be worth living. Edward is simply perfect in every possible way, and he is the only essential to my life. I don't need food, water is nothing, and air is over-rated. All I need to survive is Edward, and life without him isn't a life at all.

He is my hero, always has been, always will be.

And he was being my hero now, cheering me up when I felt my worst. As I said, he always knew how to make me feel better.

"Thanks, Edward," I smiled as I shuffled closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder, his vanilla and musky scent calming me instantly.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. "No problem, Bellsy-Boo. You know I hate to see you sad."

"They are only converse, I suppose. They do look better when mashed."

"See? I told ya," he smiled. "Trust me, those things look fucking amazing with a bit of dirt and mud on them."

I lifted my foot up for us both to see and wriggled my ankle. "They do, don't they?"

And then things fell back into their regular pattern, the cold and upsetting air disappearing as quickly as I could click my fingers. The atmosphere suddenly became warm and tolerable again. I didn't want to lash out and kick the living daylights out of Edward for teasing me, I wanted to remain in his hug for helping me.

We drove in a comfortable silence after that, my head far too comfy to remove itself from Edward's padded shoulder. We shouldn't be wearing coats in the summer, but Forks didn't exactly stick to those rules. Nope, everywhere else had glittering sunshine and we got stuck with pouring rain, 365 days a year. The weather here had always been fucked up. It was the middle of June, and there wasn't a ray of sunshine in sight.

It didn't bother us, though, at least not as much as it should. We were finally home again after months of waiting, so even the weather could not stop us.

Edward and I attended Seattle University, me studying English and Edward studying music. Edward, bless his cotton socks, even took a year out so that he could wait for me and we could go to university together. Like I said, I freakin' love that guy. We even shared an apartment in Seattle, sharing the rent and the food bills… even though Edward was the one who ate the most food. I swear, he could eat and eat and eat, and he wouldn't put on a bit of weight. I only had to look at a cake and I'd put on ten pounds. The guy was just physically blessed.

But now that summer had arrived, we had come home, back to Forks, and we couldn't be happier.

I love my best friend, but I also missed my family… mom, dad, Emmett, my 10-year-old younger sister, Bree. Seeing them at only Christmases and birthdays could make you homesick, so Edward and I had decided from the very beginning that we would come home every summer instead of staying in Seattle. We had been home for 3 weeks now, and were currently on the way back from our shopping trip into town.

"Mom's cooking chicken for dinner, if you want to come over," I said to Edward as he turned down our road.

"I'm there," he grinned without hesitation. "I fucking adore your mother's cooking."

And that he did. Even if Edward and I hated the sight of each other and decided never to see each other again, he'd still show up at my house everyday purely to sample my mother's cooking.

She was an odd one, my mother, and when I say odd, I mean ridiculously so. Whereas Charlie is very quiet and reserved, my mother, Renee, is as in your face as a woman could get. She is loud, cheery, funny and hyperactive to the extreme. It's clear to see where Emmett gets his crazy side from. But no matter how odd she is, her cooking is insane. The woman could be a world famous chef, Edward would vouch for that.

We finally reached home and Edward pulled my truck onto the drive and cut the engine. I reluctantly pulled away from my comfy spot on his shoulder and unbuckled my seatbelt, the pair of us getting out of the car, grabbing our few shopping bags on the way. Edward threw me my keys as I lifted them up to unlock the front door, the two of us hurrying indoors to get out of the rain. The scent of dinner filled the house.

Edward sighed as he took off his coat and hung it up. "Seriously, Bells. How does your mother do it? My mom's cooking isn't a patch on your's."

He was right. Elizabeth Cullen was one of the most sweetest and kindest and beautiful women in the world. She was so prim and proper and perfect in everyway… but her cooking was fucking awful! And I mean truly god-damn awful. She could probably find a way to burn soup! I had to wonder sometimes whether my own mother's cooking was really that good, or whether it just seemed amazing next to Elizabeth's.

"Is that you home, Bella?" I heard my mom call from the kitchen.

"Sure is," I replied as I hung my own jacket up, slipping my muddy converse off by the front door. "Is it okay if Edward stays for dinner, too?"

"Of course, honey," she said as we walked into the kitchen. She was just peeling the vegetables. "How are you, Edward?"

"I'm good, Mrs. S," Edward grinned, his nostrils flaring at the smell of the chicken. I could practically see the drool rolling down his chin. I merely rolled my eyes.

"Come on," I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him away. "I've got shopping bags to sort through."

I knew he was upset to leave the delightful smell coming from the kitchen, but he came anyway. He always did, we were never one without the other.

We ran up the stairs, my voice screaming and laughing all the way as Edward tried to grab my legs from behind me and trip me up. He always did that, it was one of the many games we liked to play, and you'd think I'd have learnt my lesson by now. He wasn't as bad as he used to be, he used to grab me and throw me around to beat me in our races up the stairs. Then one night, when I was 13 and he was 14, I accidentally kicked him in the balls out of mere retaliation. He spent the rest of the night sitting down in pain, yelling how he'd never have children because of me. I wanted to feel sorry for him, I really did, but his high-pitched voice was fucking hilarious and the giggles just wouldn't stop. He never tried it again. I would now win the race every time, and this instance was no different.

We walked along the hallway once we reached the top of the stairs, heading for my room.

"Bellaaaaaaa," sang Emmett's voice from behind the door of his room. My brother was 23 years old and the biggest kid I knew.

"Yes?" I asked as I opened his door and stuck my head around, looking inside. He was sitting on his bed, his best friend, Jacob, on the floor, x-box controllers in both their hands.

"Did you get me my cigarettes?" he asked, pausing his game and giving me a huge goofy grin.

"Here," I said throwing them at him. "And don't let dad see you with them." Last time dad caught Emmett smoking, he threw his ass out of the house for 4 days. Poor guy ended up crashing at Jacob's with nothing but the clothes on his back and the twelve dollars that was in his pocket.

"I'll bare that in mind. Tell Edward I said hello."

"Will do. Hey, Jake," I quickly added, trying not to seem rude.

I'd known Jacob for years. He and Emmett had met in high school whilst playing on the school's football team, and they still remained close friends, even to this day. Emmett still coached the team in his spare time, when he wasn't at work in the construction yard. Jake was a mechanic, owned his own shop and everything.

Jake was six-feet tall with dark russet skin and short black hair. I didn't exactly have a crush on my brother's best friend, but I did think he was ridiculously handsome. Not as handsome as Edward is, but still enough to make your panties wet and your legs turn to jelly. He was no stranger to a female admirer or two, trust me. I was one of them!

"Hey, Bella," Jake grinned as I quickly waved and left the room before I could blush, closing the door behind me.

I entered my own room, soon finding Edward already lounging across my bed, flicking through the channels on my television.

"Why don't you just make yourself comfy, Edward?" I joked as I began sorting through the shopping bags Edward had brought into the room for me.

"Already have," he said smugly, winking as I walked past him to my wardrobe.

"Bastard," I muttered under my breath as I began putting my newly brought clothes away. I'd brought a few tops, a new pair of jeans and a dress for Jessica Stanley's birthday party two weeks from now. She was an old school friend and her 21st was coming up.

"You know it," he chuckled as he finally settled on some shitty game show.

Once my clothes were put away, I quickly popped to the bathroom to put away the strawberry shampoo I'd brought. Then I ran back to my room and put away the last few bits and bobs before my bags were finally empty.

"Done," I smiled as Edward opened his arms up to me.

I literally ran over to him and jumped into his arms, lying at his side, resting my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. There was nothing sexual about this position, we'd been doing this since we started having sleepovers at the ages of 6 and 7. It was just us, it was simply the way we were. We liked each other's company, we liked to touch, we liked the connection that both of us had from being near each other.

Edward and I have always been… complicated. It wasn't in a bad way, but people often think that our friendship is an unhealthy one. It's as if we're obsessed with each other, like we cant spend a single second away from each other without getting withdrawal symptoms. I needed Edward and he needed me. The only focus in my life for the past 17 years has been my friendship with Edward and his has been his friendship with me. We are so inseparable that we often border on the possessive. He is my addiction, I am nothing without Edward. People think we see too much of each other, but I don't think we see enough.

And yet through all these years, we have never dated. Sure, I've dated other guys and he's dated other girls - or whores as I like to call them - but we've never dated each other. It's strange, really, because everyone usually thinks we're a couple. We hold hands, we hug, we kiss - not on the lips, of course - but we don't date. He is my best friend, and we are close enough that neither of us finds that kind of shit weird. I love Edward, and even I have to admit that I'm attracted to him.

Edward is a fucking good-looking guy, probably the best-looking guy I know. He is hot! If our friendship wasn't as close as it is, I wouldn't hesitate for a second in tapping that. But he is my best friend, so a lot of the time, his looks don't even register with me. To me, he is still my Edward, the little kid with the braces and the bronze hair that he hated as a child.

I began to doze off as I lay on him, his warmth and softness relaxing me. A person should not be this comfortable, but Edward and I knew each other so well that I could relax into him without a second thought. His shaking chest is what finally woke me up. He was laughing. I lifted my head to look up at him with my tired eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You fell asleep again, Bellsy-Boo," he laughed, running his hands through my hair. "Only you can have the ability to fall asleep no matter where you are."

"So?" I shrugged, settling down and closing my eyes again. "You're comfy." And the television was showing some real shit!

He ran his hands up and down my arms. "The game show really that boring?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded against his chest. "Very much so."

He lifted the remote, turning the television off. "Well, we could talk if you want. Or maybe I'm too boring, as well." He laughed.

"You aren't boring," I smiled.

"You only want me to fall asleep on," he said, mocking sadness and rejection. "That's all I am to you, a bed!"

I giggled. "And a chauffeur. I don't just let anybody drive my baby."

He looked down at me, a glint of cheekiness in his bright green eyes. He loved our pretend arguments, he always got a kick out of them. So did I. "I might just crash her next time, fuck her up a bit. See how you like that."

I slapped his chest, my eyes widening, turning serious all of a sudden. "Don't talk about my baby like that, Edward." I said, sitting up and glaring down at him. He laughed again, so I turned my back to him and folded my arms, ignoring him.

Nobody jokes about my baby…

He sat up with me and smiled as he shuffled to my side so that I could see him, jutting his bottom lip out and giving me those puppy dog eyes. I hated it when he did that, I could never say no to those eyes. I'd only have to look at them for a split second and bang! I was a goner. Edward Cullen would get his way and I'd be sitting there, wondering how he'd managed it yet again.

But this time, I wasn't having it. He had joked about hurting my truck, and that had crossed the line. I turned further away and stuck my nose up in the air, knowing this would get a reaction out of him.

"Bella," he tried, but I blanked him.

There was a heavy silence for a while until he suddenly grabbed me from behind and pulled me into his lap.

Now, a strange thing always happens when Edward touches me, especially when he touches me so intimately. I don't want it to happen, my body just does it… and it feels amazing. It's like everything just comes together and works. The goose bumps appear, my skin shivers and, no matter how fucked up my day has been, it suddenly fixes itself. It's almost as if the world just seems… right.

This happened right now. The puppy dog eyes didn't work, but his touch did, and all anger over my precious truck was forgotten.

"Talk to me, Bellsy-Boo," he whispered in my ear as he kissed along my cheek. "I didn't mean to bad-mouth the truck. Promise."

I sighed as I instantly forgave him, turning in his lap to look at him. A smirk appeared on my lips. "Fine, you're forgiven, but don't say those things about the truck again. You know I can beat up your ass, Cullen, and if I don't, Emmett will."

"I swear," he said, drawing a cross over his heart. "I will never say anything discriminating about the truck again."

I smiled as I kissed his cheek. "Then you're forgiven, Eddy-Bear."

Nothing could change what we were. We were Edward and Bella, best friends to the very end. If he was happy, I was happy. If he was sad, I was sad. We were so connected it was like were two halves of the same whole. Edward was my everything, and nothing on this earth would ever change how much I cared for him.

Nothing…

"But she is a shit color," he quickly added. "I mean, orange?"

"You promised, you bastard!" I yelled as we both got up from the bed and I chased him downstairs, the two of us laughing all the way.

By the way, I'm on twitter if anyone is interested. Whether you want any info on my stories, want to hear my daily musings, or are just a general stalker, my twitter feed is open for viewing. I'm rachydoodle03. The link is on my profile :)