A/N: That first installment wasn't long enough, so here's some more. I'm going to stick with it and keep posting because I like the story. I hope you do, too.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I found a website that lists all the books ever written about vampires. There's like 80,000. I don't own them, either.

Chapter 2: August 13, 2009

EPOV

"What kind of lame-ass school has a class trip at the beginning of the school year?" Rosalie grumbled, tossing her radiant blonde hair over her shoulder as she repositioned herself on the couch.

"Aw, don't be a poor sport, Rose," Emmett said, leaning into her, rubbing her leg. They did a lot of rubbing, especially in public places.

"I just think it's stupid. It's not like we haven't met these people before," she complained, her voice rising an octave as she whined.

"There's a hot tub, though," Emmett crooned in her ear. I rolled my eyes. Emmett must spend his days in a constant sexual fantasy, rubbing his hands raw on various parts of her anatomy.

I groaned under my breath, catching a glimpse of Alice and the soft smile on her face. She was sitting across from me, her pixie-like hands in her lap, looking at me with her usual sympathetic expression. She and I had some sort of connection, almost like siblings, but we weren't related. I didn't mind that she could read me like a book, though. I never doubted how deeply she cared about the people in her life.

"Actually, I heard there's a new student this year," Jasper interjected, yanking his headphones from his ears and rejoining the world. We were sitting in Emmett's living room on a rainy Thursday afternoon, pissing away the hours before school started. It was a glorious waste of time.

"Really?" Alice asked sweetly, turning to Jasper. She had had a thing for him for years, but she was too much of a softie to do anything about it. Unfortunately, Jasper was too much of a pussy to do anything either. So there they sat, celibate and miserable.

Jasper and I were close, closer now that Emmett occupied all his free time with Rosalie. We had grown up together in this shitty, claustrophobic hell hole, roaming the same halls and seeing the same people we had known in diapers. I could hardly believe I had only one more miserable year to endure in Forks. Then I would get the fuck out of here, move my ass somewhere warm. Maybe my friends would follow. I admitted I would miss Alice and Jasper's little game, especially when they consummated it in a frenzy of hot sex. But not enough to stick around, that was for fucking sure.

"Yeah, she's from Arizona. Or something. I'm not really sure," Jasper mumbled, because he sounded like a gossip and he knew it. He cleared his throat in an effort to regain his withering masculinity.

"Well, one person isn't going to make this stupid trip worthwhile," Rosalie whined, and for once, I had to agree with her.

"You're going, right, Edward?" Alice asked me, her lips glistening with pink lip gloss, her black hair untamed like the free spirit she was.

I wanted to say no, I really did. I wanted to have an exciting life that made weekend excursions inconvenient, maybe because of a demanding job or a raging sex life. I could have had the latter, but the thought of that with the doormats at Forks High School made me ill. College was only twelve months away. It could wait.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," I mumbled. Defeated once again by the misery that is Forks.

"Don't worry, it'll be fun," Alice chirped.

"And how do you know?" Jasper asked, eyebrows raised. She swooned at the attention as Jasper sat there, completely oblivious. I would have to step in one of these days and spare her all this angst, because she deserved it. Alice was the best thing about this town.

"I'm on the planning committee," she admitted softly, dropping her head a bit. If Rosalie had any awareness of her surroundings, she would have apologized. But she only recognized two things, one was herself, the other was Emmett's dick. Shit, I was bitter. I felt like it was getting worse.

"You are?" Emmett prodded incredulously.

"Yes. I am."

"Since when?" he asked.

"Does it really matter, Emmett?" she huffed. She seemed a bit unsettled. I decided to step in.

"What's on the agenda, Alice?" I asked her, turning my emerald eyes on hers.

"Well," she said, her face brightening. "We're going to a little island off the coast, it's like a miniature resort."

"A resort?" Jasper interrupted. The closest any one of us had ever come to a resort was probably the casino out on I-80.

"Well, more like an inn," she conceded. "It's an old hotel on a little island just off Vancouver Island. It's very beautiful."

"Have you been there?" Rosalie asked, suddenly intrigued.

"No, but…I've seen pictures and it looks really nice. And the whole class is going so I know it will be amazing."

"Just the class?" Emmett asked, looking mischievous.

"Well, a few teachers have to go…not everyone is 18," she admitted.

"What are the room assignments?" he asked.

"It's just a little inn, so it depends on the size of the guest houses, but each one has a few rooms that hold two people or so. So it's two girls or two guys to a room, and—"

"Whoa there," Emmett thundered. "Same sex rooms? That's not gonna work for me," he said, smirking at Rosalie.

"Well, I am on the planning committee," Alice said, smiling slyly. "And I'm doing the room assignments."

"Nice," Emmett said. And the rubbing began in earnest once again.

Jasper looked a bit bored by the whole thing, but I had a feeling Alice had something up her sleeve. At least, I sincerely hoped she did. I could see this trip turning into a major fuck fest, and for her sake, I wanted her to be a part of it. And Jasper definitely needed to get laid. He had lost interest in all other girls once he had a sex dream about Alice and realized they belonged together. Unfortunately he hadn't shared that with her yet.

"Sounds good, Alice," I said, mustering a smile. And the countdown to the fuck fest, of which I would not be a part, began.

***

The next two weeks passed in a similar fashion: pissing away my time in Emmett's living room, giving Carlisle shit about various things, and watching Alice and Jasper do their elaborate dance of sexual frustration. I stayed up late as usual, consuming books and making good use of the grand piano. I wondered how Carlisle could stand the sound of it at 4 am, enduring my moods through music. He never said anything, though. Maybe he understood my psyche better than I did.

On Friday the 13th, I rolled out of bed after a solid two-hour night's sleep, stepping onto the sheets that had fallen onto the floor. I twisted and turned and writhed in my sleep, apparently. But I never dreamed. I was blessed—or cursed, not sure which—with a black, dreamless sleep that left me groggy and disoriented. I spent my mornings glaring at people, especially Carlisle, who looked so fucking perky in the mornings even after twelve hours on the wards. Maybe medicine was a worthwhile career path after all. Or maybe he was helping himself to that narcotics stash under lock and key in his office. I'd find out later if I got especially bored.

I headed outside in a sheet of rain, which was really getting old. I couldn't believe we lived in a fucking rainforest. Literally. According to wikipedia, Forks is some kind of non-tropical rainforest or some shit. As a result, I always started my mornings soaking wet, which contributed to the "sex hair" or whatever it was that made every female in Forks horny as hell. Even Rosalie studied my hair with this strange lusty look in her eyes. I didn't necessarily mind the attention, but I didn't seek it out, either.

I opened the door to my silver Volvo and climbed in, turning the wipers on at full speed. Dirt reared up behind me as I shifted into first gear, racing through Fork's muddy roads until I reached the school parking lot. I saw Alice standing by a big tour bus, counting heads and shouting out directions with as much gusto as she could manage. It came out sounding all high and pixie-like, and the throng of seniors almost completely ignored her. She probably noticed, but she didn't care. Alice had a good sense of who she was, and she couldn't care less what people thought about her.

"Edward!" she called when she saw me emerge, still dripping wet, from my car. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked slowly over to the crowd of gossiping, giggling teenagers and a few anxious looking teachers. This was going to be fun. I groaned.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said breathlessly, clutching a completely illegible list of names to her chest.

"Hey, man," Emmett said, leaning idly against the bumper of the bus. He had on his usual attire—a T-shirt from some old sports team and faded, ragged jeans. His hair was a mess, like mine, and he looked half-asleep.

"Hey," I replied. "Where's Rosalie?"

"In the bathroom," he said. Then he leaned toward me, and started talking in this bizarre voice that sounded like Emmett's attempt at a whisper. "We're taking a boat to this place. Did you know that?"

"Uh, yeah…Alice said it's on an island. This bus isn't the Splash Duck," I said, referring to the totally fucked up tourist contraption that doubles as a tour bus and a tour boat. I think Jasper owned a T-shirt with its logo, just to spite me.

"Shit, I hate boats," he muttered.

"Where did Forks High get the money to transport us anywhere?" I said, almost to myself.

"I don't know, man. This is fucked up. I don't think I can go now." He actually seemed concerned about the impending boat ride.

"I think you'll be fine, Em. Don't be a pussy," Jasper retorted.

"Shut up, douche," he said, but I could hear fear in his voice. I chuckled.

"Dude," Emmett whispered to me, just under his breath. "Do not tell Rosalie about this."

"About what?"

"You know what. I don't want her…doubting my manliness. If you know what I mean."

"Sure," I said, still laughing as I walked to the side of the bus and threw my shit in there with a collection of pink suitcases and sweaty duffle bags. At least I would have the pleasure of watching Emmett clutch Rosalie's hand all the way from here to wherever the hell we were going.

I climbed into the bus and headed toward an empty seat in the back, next to Jasper. Alice's role as coordinator meant she had to sit next to Mr. Banner, who had already started rambling about amoebas when I passed her by. I smiled sympathetically at her, and she smiled politely back, making sure that Mr. Banner knew how utterly enthralled she was. Evidently he dictated the activities of this trip—at least, the ones he knew of.

"For you," Jasper said to me, as he pulled his backpack off the seat next to him.

"Great choice, Jazz," I replied. "Right next to the fucking bathroom. Do you have any idea how long those shits have festered in there?"

"Hey, if you want to sit next to Stanley, feel free. She's up there giving you her O-face."

I sat down, shoving my seat back as far as it would go. Jasper snickered.

"You're the pussy here, not me," I said, closing my eyes as I leaned back. "Alice is the only quality girl in this school, and you're watching from the sidelines. It's pathetic."

"Hey, I'm working on it. All is going according to plan," he said.

"Right."

I vaguely heard the sound of Alice's voice as she called out names and checked them off her list. She was going in reverse alphabetical order by first name, which was so…her. Alice sought out quirkiness.

"Bella Swan?" she called, and my ears buzzed. I hadn't heard that name before.

"Bella Swan!" she yelled, but it came out like a squeak.

Just then, the bus door opened with a mechanical sigh and a slender, unfamiliar brunette stumbled onto the bus. Literally. She tripped over the top step and her backpack went sailing over her head, taking her with it. A few people laughed, but I just stared at her, watching her porcelain cheeks flush a deep pink.

"I'm here," she mumbled, searching frantically for a free seat. There was only one left, and it was the one seat closer to the toilet than mine was. She stared at the floor as she walked carefully down the middle aisle, willing herself not to fall. I studied her delicate features, her soft brown eyes and rich chestnut hair. It fell to her back in soft, lazy curls, and she brushed a few wayward strands from her face. She was small and slender, her figure hidden by a bulky jacket that reached to the top of her knees. She had a striking, radiant face, even as she struggled to suppress the pink hue that colored her cheeks. It was so fucking adorable.

Her eyes darted nervously across the aisles as she scanned the bus for an empty seat. I quickly darted my eyes away from her, annoyed and kind of surprised to realize that I'd been staring. She was getting closer, her cheeks reddening under the intense stares of 50 other high schoolers. Finally she seemed to resign herself to the fact that she, too, would be sitting in dangerous proximity to a moving toilet.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked me, still breathing quickly with embarrassment.

"No," I said, meeting her eyes, feeling the fire in her gaze. "It's all yours."

"Thanks," she said, lingering on my eyes just a moment too long, maybe wondering what the hell I was up to. I had no idea what the hell I was up to. I just couldn't stop looking at her.

In sharp contrast to her entrance onto the bus, she sat down gracefully and slipped her bag beneath the seat. She turned toward the window, leaning so close to it that I could see her breath on the glass. She sighed, and I almost felt sorry for her. Almost—because this girl was fucking magnetic. She had some kind of freaky power over me and it was starting to piss me off.

"You're looking kind of hot and bothered over there, man. You okay?" Jasper teased. "Taken by the new girl?"

"What?" I asked, doing my best to sound like I didn't give a shit.

"Uh huh. I saw your face."

"Can you lower your voice? She's sitting like five feet away."

"Relax, she's got her earphones in. She's probably blasting The Fray loud enough to fry her brain."

"I doubt it," I said, but caught myself. It sounded for a second there like I was defending this person I didn't even know.

"Hey, Bella," Jasper called, reaching over me to nudge her elbow. She turned when she felt the pressure on her arm. At least Jasper had been right about the volume of the music.

"What the—" I muttered as he pulled his arm back and managed to elbow me in the gut. I groaned in pain as he sat back up, looking at her, and at me, and back at her again.

"Um. Yeah?" she said in a soft, musical voice that sounded like rain.

"Edward here wants to know what kind of music you're listening to," he paused, registering the panicked, surprised look on her face. "This is Edward by the way. And I'm Jasper. It's nice to meet you."

"You too," she said, managing a weak smile. I glared at Jasper as a big grin lit up his goofy face.

"So then?" he asked. "What's the song of choice?"

"Oh," she said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She blushed again, but this time it spread from her beautiful face all the way down to her collarbone. It was furiously intoxicating.

"Just some D'Angelo," she said, so quietly that the slow rumble of the bus almost drowned her out completely.

I sat in silence, feigning utter disinterest. Shit, this girl liked D'Angelo? I was willing to put money on the fact that I was the only person in Forks who had even heard of him. He was a fucking god. Not only that, but his music was sexy as all hell.

Jasper waited for me to say something, but I let the silence linger. I refused to say anything, to play a part in this weird experiment of his. He was a genuinely nice guy, and I didn't think he was trying to torture her. He was sure as fuck torturing me, though.

"Nice," he said, realizing then that I had won this particular battle. I stole a glance at Bella, who smiled shyly at us both, and then turned back to the window, studying at the rain as it slid across the glass. My gaze lingered on her back, but just for a second, just to see her breathe deeply, releasing the tension from her slender frame. I leaned back in my seat and willed myself to close my eyes.

"You can thank me later," Jasper said, and I heard him pull out a book of some sort and turn the pages.

I said nothing, still reeling from my first interaction with the antisocial new girl and Jasper's eagerness to make me uncomfortable. And what the hell did he mean by "you can thank me later"? I'd be thankful when this fucking bus ride ended, and I could pretend that certain people—namely the other 50 people on this bus, and especially the brooding one across the aisle—didn't exist.

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More angsty bad moods to come...please review!