Chapter 1

Digits

BPOV

I hurried down the hall beside Edward and Jasper to our after school strings class. We called it strings simply because at one time, we had had all four stringed instruments. Now, not so much. Over the years we had slowly lost the cellos and the violas. Now we were down to seven violins. So what there were only seven of us? We were the advanced string group, so automatically we were cool.

"I still can't believe you turned down a perfectly good deal." Edward shook his head, gesturing boldly with his hands. "Just like the natives when the amazing country of England was trying to."

Edward suddenly stopped and I nearly ran into him head on in my haste.

Edward placed his hand on his forehead. "Goodness! I forgot to check my stocks. I need to see how much profit I've made."

I furrowed my brows in confusion as Edward stopped, placed his case on the ground, and pulled out his iPhone.

"Dude, it's almost 4:37 and we were supposed to be up there already," I said, reminding Edward that it was his fault we were late in the first place. His expensive violin had gotten accidentally locked away in his homeroom. I'd wanted to go ahead, but Edward had begged me to go with them so I'd grudgingly agreed. Luckily, the late stay teacher had a key.

"Oh who cares?" Edward waved his hand dismissively. "Stop pretending that Mr. Banner would even start on time. We all know he wouldn't regardless." Edward continued shuffling through his 'stocks'. He began showing Jasper how much money he had made.

I sighed.

Who was this kid? Obsessed with the stock market, history and caffeine? Before today, we had barely exchanged more than a few words from common conversations in our strings class.

I glanced briefly at Jasper, Edward's best friend since seventh grade, all tall and leonine. Jasper was extremely quiet and rather quirky too, but he was practically a violin prodigy. Rumors said he'd playing since he was two, but I wasn't convinced that was true. However, I really did want to know two things about the elusive character that was Jasper Hale. One, how was he so good at everything? And two, how the hell did he put up with Edward Cullen 24/7?

I could feel the minutes ticking by as the three of us stood in the middle of the hall. I ran out of patience and started making my way to the stairs.

"And where do you think you're going?" Edward said, sounding bewildered. He placed his hand on his hip.

"Umm, going to class." I said, as if it should have been obvious. And it should've been. Because it was now 4:40, and we were all ten minutes late.

Edward threw his arms into the air, exasperated.

"What? You were taking forever." I said, shrugging.

Edward picked up his violin and followed me to the staircase. "You are so impatient." He tsked at me. Jasper just silently mused as we climbed the three flights of stairs that made my thighs feel like they had just run a marathon to the the music room.

"I'm impatient?" I scoffed. "You wouldn't know patience if it hit you upside the head." I muttered too low for him to hear.

"What was that?" Edward's eyes seemed to dare me to repeat my words. So of course I did the only logical thing.

I repeated them.

Edward started and flustered. "Well, I never."

"I'm sure you haven't." I agreed, grinning and showing my teeth as we reached the top landing.

"Definitely on the list." Edward told Jasper again. His voice had a playful undertone.

"You don't really have a murder list do you?" I laughed, reaching the music room door. Edward didn't answer and Jasper just shrugged. Obviously, he was going to be no help.

I was distracted from our argument by music flooding through the hall. The rest of the gang had already started. The three of us walked in and Mr. Banner told everyone to stop.

"You're late." He grumbled, attempting to look all strict, but failing horribly. The man was late most of the time anyways.

"Sorry." We mumbled. I slid into my third chair spot, while Jasper took first and Edward took first in the second section.

Alice waved at me from the second section as I sat down. Mr. Banner grimaced, but I just grinned in response before pulling my long brown hair into a tight pony tail.

We all knew Mr. Banner never really got mad at us. He always ended up smiling, no matter how hard he tried to act displeased. We were his best class after all. He wouldn't admit it, but we knew deep down we were the closet to his heart.

"Alright, you've wasted enough time." He chuckled and we settled into our normal pattern.

"Hey, will you come with me to my locker?" Edward said to me as we walked down the hall after class. "I left my jacket and it looked really windy."

I turned to Alice who walked next to me. An entire day at school from 7:30 to 6:30 and she didn't even have a hair out of place.

"I have to go, my dad's already outside waiting." She apologized, before waving.

I checked my phone and saw my dad hadn't texted me letting me know he was here.

"Sure, just let me drop my violin off in the cafeteria," I said. Despite the fact that the violin wasn't a big instrument, my case felt like it had ten bricks inside. I guess it was heavy for extra protection. At least that's how I justified it in my mind.

I agreed to go with Edward, simply because I had nothing else to do and perhaps the added time would help me understand him a bit better.

So, after depositing my fifty pound case in the cafeteria, the three of us made our way through the deserted halls of our elite prep school. Jasper, Edward and then me. The school colors of Forks were plastered on the walls as a constant reminder of school spirit.

"Wouldn't it be nice to have a hedge fund?" Edward asked, suddenly breaking the comfortable silence. I was beginning to regret my decision to accompany him to the second floor of the high school all ready.

I didn't know how to respond because I didn't know what a hedge fund was, or why it would even be considered nice to have one. My family wasn't really into the whole stocks and bonds thing. Or if they were they never talked about it.

I got lucky because Jasper spoke up instead. "Yes, that would be nice wouldn't it." I nodded and pretended I understood half the words they were throwing out. While they discussed how many points the stock market had dropped, I pondered the possibilities of what a hedge fund was.

We retrieved Edward's jacket and headed back to the cafeteria. One glance at the logo told me that jacket was probably worth more than was in my savings account at this point. Although, I didn't have much so I guess that wasn't really saying much.

When I glanced out the cafeteria window I saw my dad and my phone beeped with his formulated text message of: here.

"Are you doing anything this weekend?" Edward turned to me. Edward and Jasper had plans to go to dinner with their families. From the sounds of it, to some swanky restaurant that I couldn't afford.

"Not sure." I shrugged.

"Oh well, I guess I'll see you later?" Edward said, noticing I had gathered my stuff.

"Sure." I smiled and turned to leave through the blue doors.

I pushed through the double doors that led outside and was met with a fierce wind. I shuddered and wrapped my jacket tighter around me.

"Hey! Wait, what's your number?" Edward said, coming through the doors after me. I was surprised, but both Edward and Jasper had their phones out waiting for my response.

So, I gave them my digits.

"Okay, I'll text you tonight." Edward told me. I nodded, thinking he probably wouldn't. I almost said 'for what?' but I held my tongue.

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye Bella." They both called.

Once safely in my car, I allowed myself to relax. I hadn't realized I'd even been tense. The source of my stress came as a picture in my head clear as if standing in front of me.

Tall and strong with reddish brown hair, white polo shirt and sweater. Khaki pants and brown loafers. And of course the commanding look that he naturally possessed. Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen and Jasper Hale now had my number.

I didn't think Edward was interested in me in a romantic way, but he was making an effort to be friendly. The only thing was, Edward was foreign to me. He was an a elite prep boy. His clothes reeked expensive, his parents drove BMWs and he could afford to buy coffee every day. Starbucks coffee, I'm talking grandes here. 5$ a pop. His dad, Dr. Cullen was a successful pharmacist and his mother Esme was a news reporter. They had money galore.

I, on the other hand. I was just Isabella Swan. My shoes were worn on the bottom from constant wear. Most of my uniform, had been from the used uniform sale and weren't quite the right size. I liked coffee, but I didn't earn an allowance. Or have a hedge fund whatever that might have been. I had my purple chucks and my Vera Bradley purse. Those were my solid investments. I was not in the same league as Edward or even Jasper, who's dad was a successful engineer.

They lived in a different world and I had no idea why Edward or Jasper wanted to talk to me outside of strings. We had never really chatted previously. A small hello here and there, but I supposed maybe this had been their first time in late stay before class started. Even so, it was still weird.

"So, how was strings?" My dad said, after I'd mumbled hello. He put the car in reverse and made his way out of the parking lot.

"Not bad..." I said. "Not bad at all."

Hello there!

To clear up a point, Edward and Jasper kind of have a bromance, but aren't gay lol. And Bella is now friends with the two of them so they're technically a trio. But, the focus is more on Edward and Bella. So, no. There is not anything more going on between the three of them other than just being friends.

So please let me know what you think!

-Marie