Hi readers! I want to thank you all so much for your reviews. They mean so much to me. Read on, my friends!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Open Book

"Hmm, this chapter is called Open Book," Alice told us.

The next day was better… and worse.

It was better because it wasn't raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because I knew what to expect of my day. Mike came to sit by me in English, and walked me to my next class, with Chess Club Eric glaring at him all the while; that was flattering. People didn't look at me quite as much as they had yesterday. I sat with a big group at lunch that included Mike, Eric, Jessica, and several other people whose names and faces I now remembered. I began to feel like I was treading water instead of drowning in it.

Emmett laughed loudly, cutting off Alice.

"Can you at least let me finish one page of the chapter before you start interrupting?" she asked irritably. "It's not even that long!"

"Sorry," he said, cringing slightly under her glare. "It's just that…I mean come on! She's got Newton following her around and 'Chess Club Eric' fighting with him. You got to admit, it's pretty funny imaging those two in a real fist fight."

We all pictured it and laughed. Carlisle, Esme, and Alice trying to hide it; Carlisle and Esme out of politeness and Alice because she was still mad.

It was worse because I was tired; I still couldn't sleep with the wind echoing around the house. It was worse because Mr. Varner called on me in Trig when my hand wasn't raised and I had the wrong answer. It was miserable because I had to play volleyball, and the one time I didn't cringe out of the way of the ball, I hit my teammate in the head with it. And it was worse because Edward Cullen wasn't in school at all.

Emmett smirked and was about to make a remark when Rosalie smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow," he whined. "She said to wait until she finished the page and I did! There was no need to get violent Rosie."

"Sorry Em, but I want to get on with the book already!" Rosalie replied, while Jasper laughed at Emmett's pain.

All morning I was dreading lunch, fearing his bizarre glares. Part of me wanted to confront him and demand to know what his problem was. While I was lying sleepless in my bed, I even imagined what I would say. But I knew myself too well to think I would really have the guts to do it. I made the Cowardly Lion look like the terminator.

Alice paused and we all tensed, waiting for Emmett's boisterous laughter. But I was surprised when all we heard were quiet chuckles. I was confused for a second but then grinned and said, "Thanks Jasper."

He smirked. "No problem."

"Hey! Let me laugh, Jasper!" Emmett whined. "I can't fully appreciate the humor of Bella Swan when you keep sending calming waves and stuff to me!"

We all snickered and laughed even louder when Emmett tried and failed to laugh with us. It sounded like a dog was being strangled.

But when I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica - trying to keep my eyes from sweeping the place for him, and failing entirely - I saw that his four siblings of sorts were sitting together at the same table, and he was not with them.

Mike intercepted us and steered us to his table. Jessica seemed elated by the attention, and her friends quickly joined us. But as I tried to listen to their easy chatter, I was terribly uncomfortable, waiting nervously for the moment he would arrive. I hoped that he would simply ignore me when he came, and prove my suspicions false.

He didn't come, and as time passed I grew more and more tense.

I walked to Biology with more confidence when, by the end of lunch, he still hadn't showed. Mike, who was taking on the qualities of a golden retriever, walked faithfully by my side to class.

Esme clapped her hand over her mouth to try and hide her giggles. I knew she was trying to be polite; it was in her nature.

I held my breath at the door, but Edward Cullen wasn't there either. I exhaled and went to my seat. Mike followed, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. He lingered by my desk till the bell rang. Then he smiled at me wistfully and went to sit by a girl with braces and a bad perm. It looked like I was going to have to do something about Mike, and it wouldn't be easy. In a town like this, diplomacy was essential. I had never been enormously tactful; I had no practice in dealing with overly friendly boys.

I was relieved that I had the desk to myself, that Edward was absent. I told myself that repeatedly. But I couldn't get rid of the nagging suspicion that I was the reason he wasn't there. It was ridiculous, and egotistical, to think that I could affect anyone that strongly. It was impossible. And yet I couldn't stop worrying that it was true.

"It most likely is," Carlisle said.

When the school day was finally done, and the blush was fading out of my cheeks from the volleyball incident, I changed quickly back into my jeans and navy blue sweater. I hurried from the girls' locker room, pleased to find that I had successfully evaded my retriever friend for the moment. I walked swiftly out to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students. I got in my truck and dug through my bag to make sure I had what I needed.

Last night I'd discovered that Charlie couldn't cook much besides fried eggs and bacon. So I requested that I be assigned kitchen detail for the duration of my stay. He was willing enough to hand over the keys to the banquet hall. I also found out that he had no food in the house. So I had my shopping list and the cash from in the cupboard labeled FOOD MONEY, and I was on my way to the Thriftway.

"I love her thoughts," Rosalie said while Emmett grinned.

"Banquet hall," he laughed. We all rolled our eyes.

I gunned my deafening engine to life, ignoring the heads that turned in my direction, and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot. As I waited, trying to pretend that the earsplitting rumble was coming from someone else's car, I saw the two Cullens and the Hale twins getting into their car. It was the shiny new Volvo. Of course. I hadn't noticed their clothes before - I'd been too mesmerized by their faces. Now that I looked, it was obvious that they were all dressed exceptionally well; simply, but in clothes that subtly hinted at designer origins. With their remarkable good looks, the style with which they carried themselves, they could have worn dishrags and pulled it off. It seemed excessive for them to have both looks and money. But, as far as I could tell, life worked that way most of the time. It didn't look as if it bought any of them acceptance here.

"Hmm, I wonder why we have such expensive clothes?" Jasper asked teasingly, sending a pointed look at Alice.

"I can't help it," she defended.

"You dress us like celebrities Alice," I said.

"Oh! You know what I've always wanted to do?" Emmett said excitedly. "I've always wanted to walk into a room in slow motion, and have girls swooning as I walk by…" He stared into the distance as he began picturing it.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You'd look ridiculous Emmett."

"No, I'd look cool!"

"Can we continue with the story?" Carlisle asked patiently. We all nodded obediently.

No, I didn't fully believe that. The isolation must be their desire; I couldn't imagine any door that wouldn't be opened by that degree of beauty.

My eyes widened, but I said nothing. This girl was already figuring out so much about us.

They looked at my noisy truck as I passed, just like everyone else.. I kept my eyes straight forward and was relieved when I finally was free of the school grounds.

The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal. I did the shopping at home, and I fell into the pattern of the familiar task gladly. The store was big enough inside that I couldn't hear the tapping of the rain on the roof to remind me where I was.

Esme shook her head sadly at the fact that Bella still felt uncomfortable in Forks. At least she found something to keep her occupied for the time being, she thought, trying to see the bright side.

When I got home, I unloaded all the groceries, stuffing them in wherever I could find an open space. I hoped Charlie wouldn't mind. I wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake, covered a steak in marinade and balanced it on top of a carton of eggs in the fridge.

When I was finished with that, I took my book bag and headed upstairs. Before starting my homework, I changed into a dry pair of sweats, pulled my damp hair up into a ponytail, and checked my e-mail for the first time. I had three messages.

"Bella," my mom wrote…

Write me as soon as you get in. Tell me how your flight was. Is it raining? I miss you already. I'm almost finished packing for Florida, but I can't find my pink blouse. Do you know where I put it? Phil says hi. Mom.

"Wow, her mother seems…lively," Jasper said. "And that's only in her e-mail!"

"I bet that the other two are both from her as well," said Rosalie.

"You're probably right," Carlisle agreed. "Her mother would probably keep sending her messages until she responded."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Alice said as she turned back to the book.

I sighed and went to the next. It was sent eight hours after the first.

"Bella," she wrote…

Why haven't you e-mailed me yet? What are you waiting for? Mom.

The last was from this morning.

Isabella. If I haven't heard from you by 5:30 p.m. today I'm calling Charlie.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows smugly. His expression clearly said "I told you so." Rosalie, on the other hand, flicked her hair back as she said aloud, "I told you so."

I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but my mom was well known for jumping the gun.

Mom.

Calm down. I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash.

Bella.

I sent that and began again.

Mom.

Everything is great. Of course it's raining. I was waiting for something to write about. School isn't bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch.

Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday.

Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for me.

I miss you, too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to be checking my e-mail every five minutes. Relax, breathe. I love you.

Bella.

"I don't really blame her mother for worrying, even if she was overreacting a bit," said Esme.

"At least Bella handled it well," Carlisle said. "You would have thought that she was the adult in their situation just by her e-mail."

"She's very mature for her age," I said.

I decided to read Wuthering Heights - the novel we were currently studying in English - yet again for the fun of it, and that's what I was doing when Charlie came home. I'd lost track of the time, and I hurried downstairs to take the potatoes out and put the steak in to broil.

"Bella?" my father called out when he heard me on the stairs.

Who else? I thought to myself.

"Oh you know, teenage girls there for slumber party, hormonal teenage boys only wanting one thing, hormonal teenage girls who only want one thing, alcoholics, drug dealers, serial killers…you know, the usual," Emmett said casually. But he couldn't stop himself from laughing when he saw the looks on our faces.

Esme chastised him, while the rest of us either laughed, rolled our eyes, or did a combination of the two.

"Hey Dad, welcome home."

"Thanks." He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots as I bustled about the kitchen. As far as I was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready. When I came here as a child, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. I guess he considered me old enough now not to shoot myself by accident, and not depressed enough to shoot myself on purpose.

"What's for dinner?" he asked warily. My mother was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible. I was surprised, and sad, that he seemed to remember that far back.

"Steak and potatoes," I answered, and he looked relieved.

"I feel so bad for her," Alice said. "She obviously hates Forks, and she has to deal with painful memories from when her parents were together."

"So do I," Emmett said sincerely. Then he got a wicked glint in his eyes as he continued. "Plus, she has to deal with all the crap Eddie is putting her though."

"Emmett, language!" Esme scolded as I snapped, "Don't call me Eddie."

He laughed until Rosalie smacked him on the back of the head with a sigh.

"Carry on, Alice," she said sweetly.

He seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while I worked. We were both comfortable that way. I made a salad while the steaks cooked, and set the table.

I called him in when dinner was ready, and he sniffed appreciatively as he walked into the room/

"Smells good, Bell."

"Thanks."

We ate in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable. Neither of us was bothered by the quiet. In some ways, we were well suited for living together.

"So how did you like school?" Have you made any friends?" he asked as he was taking seconds.

"This should be good," Rosalie muttered. Emmett nodded excitedly.

"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." With one outstanding exception.

Emmett snorted trying to fight back his laugh.

"I wonder who the exception is…" Alice said sarcastically. She then threw me a glare.

"Hey, I don't know what's wrong with future me any more than you do," I defended. She rolled her eyes, but she knew I was right.

"That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid- nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here."

"And us," Carlisle added. "Even though we donate the stuff to charities…well they don't need to know that."

"Do you know the Cullen family?" I asked hesitantly.

"This should be good," Rosalie said with a smirk.

"Yay, she's asking about us!" Alice squealed.

"Of course she's asking about us," I said, rolling my eyes. "I practically made her cry and she keeps hearing rumors about us."

"I'm still not happy about that," said Esme. "I can't believe that you could do that to sweet little Bella. You better get your act together."

"I'm sure I will, Esme"

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."

"They … the kids … are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school."

Charlie surprised me by looking angry.

"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him - lucky that his wife wanted to life in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature - I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should - camping trips every other weekend.…Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."

It was the longest speech I'd ever heard Charlie make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying.

"Wow," we all murmured. It was silent for a few seconds until I broke it by saying, "I knew that Charlie didn't mind us…but I never knew that he felt that way."

"He's a great man," Carlisle stated. "He's not as judgmental as some of the other townspeople."

"And he obviously thinks very highly of you, Carlisle," added Esme.

"Remind me to think of something nice for us to do for him," Alice said happily.

"Yeah," the rest of us agreed.

I backpedaled. "They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive," I added, trying to be more complimentary.

"You should see the doctor," Charlie said, laughing. "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of nurses have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."

Carlisle laughed as Esme swatted his arm and said playfully, "See, Carlisle? You need to stop distracting the poor nurses."

"Yeah, Carlisle," Emmett laughed. "That wedding ring can only do so much."

We lapsed back into silence as we finished eating. He cleared the table while I started on the dishes. He went back to the TV, and after I finished washing the dishes by hand - no dishwasher - I went upstairs unwillingly to work on my math homework. I could feel a tradition in the making.

Not your average, everyday routine, Esme thought. But they seem content with it so that's all that matters, I suppose.

That night it was finally quiet. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I got used to the routine of my classes. By Friday I was able to recognize, if not name, almost all the students at school. In Gym, the kids on my team learned not to pass me the ball and to step quickly in front of me of the other team tried to take advantage of my weakness. I happily stayed out of their way.

Too bad I don't have Gym with her in the book, Emmett thought sadly. His thoughts became more optimistic as he began to plan a way to get Gym last period like Bella.

Edward Cullen didn't come back to school.

Every day, I watched anxiously until the rest of the Cullens entered the cafeteria without him. Then I could relax and join in the lunchtime conversation. Mostly it centered around a trip to the La Push Ocean Park in two weeks that Mike was putting together. I was invited, and I had agreed to go, more out of politeness than desire. Beaches should be hot and dry.

By Friday I was perfectly comfortable entering my Biology class, no longer worried that Edward would be there. For all I knew, he had dropped out of school. I tried not to think about him, but I couldn't totally suppress the worry that I was responsible for his continued absence as ridiculous as it seemed.

Esme frowned. "How long do you leave us for, Edward?"

"I'm not sure," I replied. "I should probably be back soon. I don't even know where I went."

"Maybe you went to visit some old friends," Jasper suggested.

"That seems like the most likely answer," Carlisle said. "In fact, you probably just went to visit the Denali clan. That's probably the only other place that you'd feel comfortable enough to go to when you're upset."

I nodded, but said nothing else.

My first weekend in Forks passed without incident. Charlie, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. I cleaned the house, got ahead on my homework, and wrote my mom more bogusly cheerful e-mail. I did drive to the library Saturday, but it was so poorly stocked that I didn't bother to get a card; I would have to make a date to visit Olympia or Seattle soon and find a good bookstore. I wondered idly what kind of gas mileage the truck got …and shuddered at the thought.

As soon as Alice finished that sentence, Rosalie shuddered as well. Even the rest of us couldn't help but cringe at the thought.

The rain stayed soft over the weekend, quiet, so I was able to sleep well.

People greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. I didn't know all their names, but I waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning, but happily not raining. In English, Mike took his accustomed seat by my side. We had a pop quiz on Wuthering Heights. It was straightforward, very easy.

"I bet it wasn't so easy for the other kids," Jasper said with a slight grin.

All in all, I was feeling a lot more comfortable than I had thought I would feel by this point. More comfortable than I had ever expected to feel here.

When we walked out of class, the air was full of swirling bits of white. I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other. The wind bit at my cheeks, my nose.

"Wow," Mike said. "It's snowing."

I looked up at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face.

"Ew." Snow. There went my good day.

He looked surprised. "Don't you like snow?"

"No. That means it's too cold for rain." Obviously.

"Yeah Mike, duh," Emmett said in a poor attempt at a girl voice. Jasper shoved him with a roll of his eyes.

"Besides, I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes - you know, each one unique and all that. These just look like the ends of Q-tips."

"Haven't you ever seen snow fall before?" he asked incredulously.

"Sure I have." I paused. "On TV"

We all burst out laughing at her response.

"I should have expected her to say something cool like that," Emmett managed to say. We agreed, even Rosalie, which slightly surprised me. I decided not to make anything of it, since I was eager to get back to the story.

Mike laughed. And then a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of his head. We both turned to see where it came from. I had my suspicions about Eric, who was walking away, his back toward us - in the wrong direction for his next class.

Jasper snorted. "Real smooth, Eric"

Mike apparently had the same notion. He bent over and began scraper together a pile of the white mush.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I kept walking as I spoke. "Once people start throwing stuff, I go inside."

"Smart idea," Rosalie said.

He just nodded, his eyes on Eric's retreating figure.

Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently it was the first snowfall of the year. I kept my mouth shut. Sure, it was drier than rain - until it melted in your socks.

"She has a point," Esme told us. "She's logical even with things such as trivial as snow."

"Yeah, but snow is just so much fun!" Emmett argued.

"Obviously not for her," Alice piped in.

"Whatever…" he mumbled.

I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Jessica after Spanish. Mush balls were flying everywhere. I kept a binder in my hands, ready to use it as a shield if necessary. Jessica thought I was hilarious, but something in my expression kept her from lobbing a snowball at me herself.

We all laughed.

"I would love to see that," Jasper said with a grin.

Mike caught up to us as we walked in the doors, laughing, with ice melting the spikes in his hair. He and Jessica were talking animatedly about the snow fight as we got in line to buy food. I glanced toward that table in the corner out of habit. And then I froze where I stood. There were five people at the table.

Esme smiled and Rosalie smirked as she said, "This should be good."

Jessica pulled on my arm.

"Hello? Bella? What do you want?"

I looked down; my ears were hot. I had no reason to feel self-conscious, I reminded myself. I hadn't done anything wrong.

"What's with Bella?" Mike asked Jessica.

"Edward Cullen," Emmett responded. "And his gorgeous features and mysterious traits…."

I smacked him on the arm, but not before he let out a mock dreamy sigh.

"Nothing," I answered. "I'll just get a soda today." I caught up to the end of the line.

"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked.

"Actually, I feel a little sick," I said, my eyes still on the floor.

I waited for them to get their food, and then followed then to a table, my eyes still on my feet.

I sipped my soda slowly, my stomach churning. Twice Mike asked, with unnecessary concern, how I was feeling. I told him it was nothing, but I was wondering if I should play it up and escape to the nurse's office for the next hour.

"How in the world does she fall in you, Edward? Right now, she's terrified." said Carlisle.

"I don't know," I responded. "Maybe I apologize to her. We must end up talking at some point."

Carlisle nodded, but didn't say anything else. He knew we would find out soon enough.

Ridiculous. I shouldn't have to run away.

I decided to permit myself one glance at the Cullen family's table. If he was glaring at me, I would skip Biology like the coward I was.

"Sounds like a reasonable compromise," Jasper said with a small chuckle.

I kept my head down and glanced up under my lashes. None of them were looking this way. I lifted my head a little.

They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else - only they looked more like a scene from a movie than the rest of us.

"Alice." we said in unison. Alice grinned unrepentantly.

But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different, and I couldn't quote pinpoint what that difference was. I examined Edward the most carefully. His skin was less pale, I decided - flushed from the snow fight maybe - the circles under his eyes much less noticeable. But there was something more. I pondered, staring, trying to isolate the change.

"At this rate, she'll know that we're vampires by chapter five," Esme murmured quietly. The rest of stayed quiet, silently agreeing with her.

"Bella, what are you staring at?" Jessica intruded, her eyes following my stare.

At that precise moment, his eyes flashed over to meet mine.

I dropped my hair fall to conceal my face. I was sure, though, in the instant our eyes met, that he didn't look harsh or unfriendly as he had the last time I'd seen him. He looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way.

I frowned. I didn't understand why I seemed to be unsatisfied or frustrated every time I looked at her.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled in my ear.

"Of course he is…" Rosalie muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"He doesn't look angry, does he?" I couldn't help asking.

"No," she said, sounding confused by my question. "Should he be?"

"No, he shouldn't," Alice said, glaring at me. "He also shouldn't be scaring away his future love!"

I sighed impatiently and rolled my eyes - we seemed to be doing that a lot today - and said, "Oh calm down, Alice. Yelling at me for what I do in the book doesn't help matters."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I don't think he likes me," I confided. I still felt queasy. I put my head down on my arm.

"She has no idea how wrong she is," said Jasper.

"I hope she finds out soon," Esme hinted.

"The Cullens don't like anybody …well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you."

"Stop looking at him," I hissed.

She snickered, but she looked away. I raised my head enough to make sure that she did, contemplating violence if she resisted.

Emmett laughed loudly. "I'd love to see her try that. From what we know about her, she's probably hurt herself in the process!"

I nodded in agreement, all of us laughing at the image.

Mike interrupted us then - he was planning an epic battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested. I kept silent. I would have to hide in the gym until the parking lot cleared.

For the rest of lunch hour I very carefully kept my eyes at my own table.

"That's no fun," Carlisle joked. Even he was amused by the story so far.

I decided to honor the bargain I'd made with myself. Since he didn't look angry, I would go to Biology. My stomach did frightened little flips at the thought of sitting next to him again.

I didn't really want to walk to class with Mike as usual - he seemed to be a popular target for snowball snipers - but when we went to the door, everyone besides me groaned in unison. It was raining, washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway. I pulled up my hood, secretly pleased. I would be free to go straight home after Gym.

Mike kept up a string of complaints on the way to building four.

Once inside the classroom, I saw with relief that my table was still empty. Mr. Banner was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and box of slides to each table. Class didn't start for a few minutes, and the room buzzed with conversation. I kept my eyes away from the door, doodling idly on the cover of my notebook.

I heard very clearly when the chair next to me moved, but my eyes stayed carefully focused on the pattern I was drawing.

"Hello," said a quiet, musical voice.

"IT SPEAKS!" all of my family cried in mock amazement.

"Oh, be quiet," I told them as they snickered madly. "You all knew it would happen eventually."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, Edward," Jasper said finally beginning to calm down.

I sighed impatiently and motioned for Alice to continue reading. I was actually anxious to see how my first conversation with Bella turns out.

I looked up, stunned that he was speaking to me.

"She's not the only one," Rosalie teased.

He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. His hair was dripping wet, disheveled - even so, he looked like he'd just finished shooting a commercial for hair gel. His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his flawless lips. But his eyes were careful.

Way too perceptive… I thought, once again shocked by how much she seemed to notice.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

My mind was spinning with confusion. Had I made up the whole thing? He was perfectly polite now. I had to speak; he was waiting. But I couldn't think of anything conventional to say.

"H-how do you know my name?" I stammered.

"You're making her flustered, Edward," Esme said with a hint of glee audible in her voice.

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."

I grimaced. I knew it was something like that.

"No," I persisted stupidly. "I meant, why did you call me Bella?"

He seemed confused. "Do you prefer Isabella?"

"No, I like Bella," I said. "But I think Charlie - I mean my dad - must call me Isabella behind my back - that's what everyone here seems to know me as," I tried to explain, feeling like an utter moron.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I can't believe she felt ridiculous pointing that out."

Carlisle nodded. "That was actually a good observation on her part - even if she doesn't know it yet."

"You must have been so used to hearing that she preferred Bella in people's thoughts that you accidentally called her that in person," Emmett told me.

"That makes sense, but that's not a mistake that Edward usually makes," Jasper pointed out.

"Can't you guys see?" Alice asked. "Bella's already changing Edward. It may be a small one but he's definitely changing."

"For the better, I hope," Rosalie added.

"I doubt that she can make me any worse," I said.

Esme sighed. "Go on, Alice, dear."

"Oh." He let it drop. I looked away awkwardly.

Thankfully, Mr. Banner started class at that moment. I tried to concentrate as he explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right.

"Get started," he commanded.

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile so beautiful that I could only stare at him like an idiot.

I bet you're trying to see how smart she is, Alice thought. That's why you're asking her to go first.

I contemplated this for a second and then nodded at her. I ignored Emmett's loud laughter at the image of Bella - whatever she looks like - staring at me dumbly.

"Or I could start, if you wish." The smile faded; he was obviously wondering if I was mentally competent.

"No," I said, flushing. "I'll go ahead."

I was showing off, just a little. I'd already done this lab, and I knew what I was looking for. It should be easy. I snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it briefly to the 40X objective. I studied the slide briefly.

My assessment was confident. "Prophase."

"Haha, she's trying to show off in front of Edward," Jasper laughed. "See what you do to the poor girl? She's trying to show super cool, super mysterious Edward Cullen that she is smart, too."

"Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked as I began to remove the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me, as he asked. His fingers were ice-cold, like he'd been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn't why I jerked my hand away s quickly. When he touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current had passed through us.

Alice and Esme squealed. "That's so cute!"

"What?" I asked, a bit perplexed.

To my surprise, it was Rosalie that answered. "You two had a connection kind of thing. That's the spark the girl in the book is talking about."

"It's so romantic!" Alice gushed.

I rolled my eyes, secretly pleased. If this book was right, then I was going to fall in love with Bella Swan. I've been alone for so long and although I'm happy that the rest of my family has found their other half, it makes me long for something like that.

That spark that Bella mentioned is something I imagined I would have with the love of my life. To feel sparks every time we touch, to have their lips feel like fire against my skin…….

I shook my head. I needed to pay attention to this book. Luckily, Alice seemed to notice that I was lost in my thoughts and didn't start reading again until she had my full attention.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope. I watched him, still staggered, as he examined the slide for an even shorter time than I had.

"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly in the first space on our worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily.

"Anaphase," he murmured, writing it down as he spoke.

I kept my voice indifferent. "May I?"

We all laughed. Of course Bella would want to do that.

He smirked and pushed the microscope to me.

I looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. Dang it, he was right.

"Of course he was," Jasper said.

"Slide three?" I held my hand out without looking at him.

"Ha, she's really disappointed," said Emmett.

He handed it to me; he seemed like he was being careful not to touch my skin again.

Esme frowned at this. "Did you not want to feel the spark again?"

"I don't think that's it," I responded. "I'm probably just worried that the coldness of my skin scared her."

She nodded in understanding, but her brow was still furrowed.

I took the most fleeting look I could manage.

"Interphase." I passed him the microscope before he could he ask for it. He took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. I would have written it while he looked, but his clear, elegant script intimidated me. I didn't spoil the page with my clumsy scrawl.

We were finished before anyone else was close. I could see Mika and his partner comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table.

Which left me with nothing to do but try to not look at him… unsuccessfully. I glanced up, and he was staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes. Suddenly, I identified that subtle difference in his face.

"Oh, of course she did!" Rosalie groaned.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out unthinkingly.

He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question. "No."

"I bet you're just pretending to be confused," Emmett said.

"Nah, Bella probably would have noticed," was Jasper's response.

"He's probably surprised that she noticed the change in his eyes, since most humans don't," Alice offered. "Thus, the confusion."

"Well, let's see." Carlisle said.

"Oh," I mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."

He shrugged, and looked away.

"See? He's avoiding the comment," Alice said smugly.

Rosalie cut in. "Shouldn't we worried that Bella Swan is already noticing too much and it's only the second chapter?"

Carlisle shrugged. "It's only a book that may or may not come true. Although, it seems likely that it will. Either way, we might as well just see what happens before overreacting."

Rosalie nodded, satisfied for now.

In fact, I was sure there was something different. I vividly remembered the flat black color of his eyes the last time he'd glared at me - the color was striking against the background of his pale skin and his auburn hair. Today, his eyes were a completely different color: a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. I didn't understand how that could be, unless he was lying for some reason about the contacts. Or maybe Forks was making me crazy in the literal sense of the word.

Emmett chuckled. "I love how she keeps thinking she's going crazy."

I looked down. His hands were clenched into hard fists again.

"Uh oh," said Alice. "Don't start scaring her away again."

"I won't," I assured her. "I think."

She huffed and kept on reading.

Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.

"So, Edward, didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?" Mr. banner asked.

"Bella," Edward corrected automatically. "Actually, she identified three of the five."

Mr. Banner looked at me now; his expression was skeptical.

"Is it honestly so hard to believe that Bella answered three of the questions correctly?" I asked. I couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed at the teacher's assumptions.

"They're just so used to you kids doing all the work," Esme said.

"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.

I smiled sheepishly. "Not with onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?"

"Yeah."

Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"

"Yes."

"Well," he said after a moment. "I guess it's good you two are lab partners." He mumbled something else as he walked away. After he left, I began doodling on my notebook again.

"Huh, advanced placement program," said Carlisle. "I can't say that I'm surprised."

"I don't think any of us can," I said. "We're only on the second chapter and she's already proven that she's intelligent and observant."

"Very, very observant," Rosalie mumbled.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me. Paranoia swept over me again. It was like he had heard my conversation with Jessica at lunch and was trying to prove me wrong.

"Sheesh, Edward, I'm beginning to think that it would just be easier to tell her you're a vampire," Emmett said, his eyes widened slightly. "Just to save her the time and energy she's going to spend figuring it out on her own. And you know she's going to figure it out."

"Not really," I answered honestly, instead of pretending to be normal like everyone else. I was still trying to dislodge the stupid feeling of suspicion, and I couldn't concentrate.

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.

"Or the wet."

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.

"You have no idea," I muttered darkly.

He looked fascinated by what I said, for some reason I couldn't imagine. His face was such a distraction that I tried not to look at it any more than courtesy absolutely demanded.

"I like her already," Esme declared. "She's polite and - even though she desperately wants to - she tries not to ogle at you."

I nodded in agreement. "It's not often that there's a student, no, a person in general, who doesn't just stare at us."

"Why did you come here then?"

No one had asked me that - not straight out like he did, demanding.

"It's complicated …complicated."

"I think I can keep up," he pressed.

"Getting nosy there, huh Edward?" Emmett teased.

I paused for a long moment, and then the mistake of meeting his gaze. His dark gold eyes confused me, and I answered without thinking.

"My mother got remarried," I said.

"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed, but he was suddenly sympathetic. "When did that happen?"

"Last September." My voice sounded sad, even to me.

"And you don't like him," Edward surmised, his tone still kind.

"No, Phil is fine. Too young, maybe, but nice enough."

"Why didn't you stay with them?"

I couldn't fathom his interest, but he continued to stare at me with penetrating eyes, as if my dull life's story was somehow vitally important.

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "Edward, why are you bothering with all this? I know that you're trying to prove to her that you don't hate her, but why would you go to such lengths?"

"Yeah," Alice agreed, puzzled as well. "You usually just read their minds and be done with it."

"I'm not sure…" I responded.

"I have a theory…" Carlisle began. "But it would be best to discuss it after we're done with the chapter. I don't think we have many pages left, do we Alice?"

"No, only a few more."

"Okay, then let's continue then."

"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." I half-smiled.

"Have I heard of him?" he asked, smiling in response.

"Probably not. He doesn't play well. Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."

"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him." He said it as an assumption again, not a question.

"Of course he did," muttered Emmett.

My chin raised a fraction. "No, she did not send me here. I sent myself."

His eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand," he admitted, and he sounded unnecessarily frustrated by that fact.

"He didn't already understand?" Jasper asked. "Okay, now I'm completely lost."

"Hmm, this fits in with my theory…." Carlisle mused. "Just carry on with the reading, Alice."

"Okay."

I sighed. Why was I explaining this to him? He continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity.

"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy …so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." My voice was glum by the time I finished.

"But now you're unhappy," he pointed out.

"And?" I challenged.

"That doesn't seem fair." He shrugged, but his eyes were still intense.

I laughed without humor. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair."

"I believe I have heard that somewhere before," he agreed dryly.

"Do teenagers always talk about such… melancholy topics?" Esme asked.

"No," Emmett answered. "But Edward and Bella aren't normal."

"Plus, I have a feeling that they'll talk about more serious things in the future," Jasper added.

She sighed.

"So that's all," I insisted, wondering why he was still staring at me that way.

His gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," he said slowly. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

I grimaced at him, resisting the impulse to stick out my tongue at him like a five-year-old, and looked away.

"Ha, I would have loved to see Edward's reaction to that," Alice laughed.

"Am I wrong?"

I tried to ignore him.

"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.

Emmett and Jasper rolled their eyes.

"Why does it matter to you?" I asked, irritated. I kept my eyes away, watching the teacher make his rounds.

"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself. However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get.

I sighed, scowling at the blackboard.

"Am I annoying you?" he asked. He sounded amused.

Rosalie laughed. "It's not often that a human finds one of us annoying. Say yes!"

I scowled at her, but she only smirked in repsonse.

I glanced at him without thinking…and told the truth again. "Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read - my mother always calls me her open book." I frowned.

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that I'd said and he's guessed, he sounded like he meant it.

"You must be a good reader then," I replied.

"Usually." He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra white teeth.

"What's going on?" Alice asked. "How can he find her diff- ohhhh."

"What?" I asked. She was blocking her thoughts.

She ignored me and turned to face Carlisle. "I think I undertsand what you're theory is. And I think it's right."

He nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Will someone please explain what the "theory" is?" I asked, making my irritation known.

"There's only two or three pages left, Edward," Alice pleaded.

I sighed. "Fine."

Mr. Banner called the class to order then, and I turned with relief to listen. I was in disbelief that I'd just explained my dreary life to this bizarre, beautiful boy who may or may not despise me. He'd seemed engrossed in our conversation, but now I could see, from the corner of my eye, that he was leaning away from me again., his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.

"Well, that just ruined the slightly good impression he managed to make on her," Rosalie said.

I tried to appear attentive as Mr. Banner illustrated, with transparencies on the overhead projector, what I had seen without difficulty through the microscope. But my thoughts were unmanageable.

When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday. And, like last Monday, I stared after him in amazement.

Mike skipped quickly to my side and picked up my books for me. I imagined him with a wagging tail.

I couldn't keep the smirk off my face, and looking around the room, I could tell I wasn't the only one.

"That was awful," he groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."

"Again with the assumptions…" Esme muttered.

"I didn't have any trouble with it," I said, stung by his assumption. I regretted the snub instantly. "I've done the lab before, though," I added before he could get his feelings hurt.

No, don't regret it! Rosalie thoughts mirrored my own.

"Cullen seemed friendly enough today," he commented as we shrugged into our raincoats. He didn't seemed pleased about it.

Alice rolled her eyes.

I tried to sound indifferent. "I wonder what was with him last Monday."

I couldn't concentrate on Mike's chatter as we walked to Gym, and P.E. didn't do much to hold my attention, either. Mike was on my team today. He chivalrously covered my position as well as his own, so my woolgathering was only interrupted when it was my turn to serve; my team ducked warily out of the way every time I was up.

We all laughed. "At least they've learned to be extra cautious around her," Carlisle said.

The rain was just a mist as I walked to the parking lot, but I was happier when I was in the dry cab. I got the heater running, for once not caring about the mind-numbing roar of the engine. I unzipped my jacket, put the hood down, and fluffed my damp hair out so the heater

could dry it on the way home.

I looked around me to make sure it was clear. That's when I noticed the still, white figure. Edward Cullen was leaning against the front door of the Volvo, three cars down from me, and staring intently in my direction. I swiftly looked away and threw the truck into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla in my haste. Lucky for the Toyota, I stomped on the brake in time. It was just the sort of car that my trick would make scrap metal of. I took a deep breath, still looking out the other side of my car, and cautiously pulled out again, with greater success. I stared straight ahead as I passed the Volvo, but from a peripheral peek, I would swear I saw him laughing.

I laughed. "I probably was."

"So Carlisle," Emmett said. "are you going to enlighten us now?"

He nodded and adjusted himself so that he was facing us. "This is just a theory, but there doesn't really seem to be any other explanation. I think Edward can't read her mind."

Everyone wore the same shocked expression that I'm sure I did. Looking back, I suppose that it did fit, but how was that possible?

"How?" asked Esme, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Carlisle shook his head. "I'm not sure. It might be that her possible power is so strong that she has it now as a human."

"I've never heard of anything like that," Jasper said.

"Me either," I admitted. I don't think any of us had.

"But that doesn't mean that it can't happen," Emmett pointed out. We all stayed silent for a few moments, our minds processing this new information. Then, I sighed.

"We might as well keep reading to see if Carlisle's right."

Alice nodded. "Who's going to read next?"

We all looked around until Jasper raised his hand. Alice handed the him the book.

So, what did you think? I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, it's just that life's been kind of hectic. Enough with my excuses, please review! Oh, and if you guys get bored waiting for me to update than you should check out my other story. *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*