Here is the first new chapter for a lot of you. I'm thinking one more tonight, but remember, the updates will be sporadic. Thanks in advance for your patience and for giving this little story a shot!

Never-ending gratitude to my lovely pre-readers/betas: Sulliedsoles, Sophiacorgi, and Lella's sister fic-wife, Twilly. ;) They are amazeballs!

SM owns all things Twilight. All mistakes are mine.

Chapter 2 - Cute

"Go on ahead," Billy says, walking over to us after hearing me ask Edward to split a sundae. "The spraying can wait." There's a twinkle in his eye that's not lost on me.

"Are you certain?" Edward asks, looking from his spray can to the skates in front of him. "You said to be thorough."

"You're right." He nods, letting out a soft chuckle. "I did. And you do an excellent job at that. But yes, I'm sure."

Edward shrugs. "Okay."

Giving Billy a grateful smile, I wait for Edward to come around the counter, and then we walk side by side to the concession area. He hasn't looked at me again since our conversation, but I figure he will once we sit down with our sundae.

I'm wrong.

Edward has tunnel vision and focuses on getting as much of the soft-serve and fudge into his mouth as possible with each bite. I try not to laugh at him, but he's just so cute with the little drop of chocolate on the edge of his mouth. If it was any other boy, I would think it was disgusting. But not him.

A giggle finally escapes me, and he slowly puts his spoon down, sheepishly wiping his lips with a napkin.

"Please don't laugh at me," he whispers, barely loud enough for me to hear, staring at his red plastic spoon.

The hurt in his voice is unmistakable, and I blanch, feeling a knot form in my chest. "Oh, I'm not. I'm sorry. Please don't be upset. You just looked so cute. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

Edward's thick eyebrows draw together, and his forehead wrinkles. "Cute?"

"Yes," I whisper, suddenly feeling shy. I'm not normally shy around boys, but this one does a number on me. He makes my skin feel tingly-hot and my heart gallop at an unnatural pace.

"I think you're cute too," he whispers back, blushing sweetly, and the knot in my chest dissolves away, comforting warmth taking its place.

He doesn't see my answering smile.

Angela and Jessica went back to skating while I stole about three bites of the hot fudge sundae Edward and I "shared". I make a beeline for Angela, pulling her to stand at the back wall of the rink that's covered in ugly shag carpet once Edward is back behind his counter.

"Oh, my God, Angela! He said he thinks I'm cute!"

"Oh, my God!"

"I know!"

"What else did you talk about?"

My eyes go to my plain beige rental skates, dingy from years of use by God only knows how many people. When Edward started working at Skagit Skate, I packed away my awesome black ones with purple laces and wheels and started renting as an excuse to talk to him.

"Um, not much. But I did find out that he's starting at our school this fall. And he's a senior."

"Oh, he's not going to Burlington?"

"Nope." A huge smile takes over my face. "Mt. Vernon."

"That's so great, Bella."

"What's so great?" Jessica asks, skating to a stop beside us.

I turn my beaming smile on her. "Edward's gonna be at our school this fall, in our grade."

She doesn't even try to hide the distaste that crosses her face. "Oh."

"What the fuck's your problem?" I ask, indignant on Edward's behalf.

"It's just… I don't know." She tilts her curly head. "Why would his parents make him start at a new school his senior year? And with his… problems, I just don't see how he'll fit in. And you're not gonna like, adopt him and bring him into our group, are you? He's just so weird."

My eyes narrowed more and more during her little speech, and now I can barely see her through the thin slits between my eyelids. My nostrils flare as I grind my teeth. Why am I friends with this girl again?

"First of all, he's not a puppy. So, no. I'm not going to 'adopt' him. If I want to spend time with him, though, which I do, then I will. If you can't fucking deal with it, then you don't have to be around us. But for the record, I think you're being ridiculous." I can read the shock on her face. I don't call her out on her shit nearly often enough, but she's seriously pissing me off. "I mean, what? Do you think your property value's gonna go down just because he's nearby? How in the world does this even affect you?"

Jessica's mouth opens and closes like a fish before she decides she doesn't have an answer and skates away. That's what I thought. It doesn't affect her at all, but she's so selfish, she can't see past her own boobs.

"Wow," Angela finally says from beside me. "I didn't think you had it in you to tell Jessica off like that. I mean, yeah. She's a bitch, but… Wow."

"It felt good," I whisper just loud enough for her to hear over the people rolling by us.

I glance over to the rental counter and catch Edward's eyes on me just before he looks away. There's no way he could have heard our conversation, but I wonder, as I have a hundred times before, just what is going on in that enigmatic head of his.

Thanks so much for reading! xoxo

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