Previously…

I whacked my already sore head for letting me remember a memory I had hidden from myself for so many years. Today had been such a long day, too many bad memories resurfacing, that I felt exhausted. I glanced at the clock, which read almost eleven, and decided to grab a coffee from the late-night cafe around the corner. Sitting around here thinking about the past wasn't going to help anything.

****

I can honestly say you've been on my mind since I woke up today.

I look at your photograph all the time;

These memories come back to life and I don't mind.

-Goodbye, Miley Cyrus

Playing the Part

Chapter 3- Hidden by a Hood

Bella POV:

"Come on!" Alice motioned me forward by tugging my arm.

I gave her a fake grin, before following her towards the door of the club. The only reason in which I was being slow was that we were skipping the massive queue, which had formed for 'Jazz'. I was trying to ignore the glares I knew I was receiving, from the people in the queue who had guessed what we were doing. After all, Alice had promised me that she would get us in easy, but wouldn't explain why.

Eventually we got to the door and were greeted by a very big, scary doorman, who sighed before speaking to us. "Sorry girls, I can do no favors, you have to queue up like everyone else!" He grunted, pointing to the large queue by us.

I sighed and blushed a little, realising that Alice wouldn't be able to get us into the club. I was all set on turning back around and getting laughed at by the other people, when Alice pulled out a note from her tiny black handbag.

"Here," she said, a smile playing on her lips, "from Jasper, himself."

The man made another grunting noise, before looking at the pink piece of paper, which I was pretty sure Alice must have faked and again we would now look like bigger idiots. I felt my heart beat go into overdrive as he read the paper in which felt like hours.

But to my surprise, and the queue's, the doorman started to undo the red velvet which was separating us from the door. "Okay, you can go in," he again grunted, pointing us towards the door.

Alice squealed, oblivious to the boos and moans from the crowd as we walked into the dark nightclub, while I was still in shock to do anything. How did she know Jasper Hale?

With some 'chavy' music being blared out, I followed Alice as she walked down to the bar, in her stilettos- I honestly wondered how she walked in them. She made me wear some once and with my balance… well let's just say that didn't go at all well. I still was able to shudder at the memory.

"What you drinking?" Alice asked me causally, as we both sat down at two bar chairs.

I just stared at her in utter shock, "How.. how did you do that?" I asked, my mouth gaping open into an 'o'.

"Do what?" she asked honestly puzzled. I pointed to the door which we had just walked through. "Oh, that. I got Jazzy, to give us a note to get in!" She chirped.

"But how do you know 'Jazzy'?" I asked, realising Alice had never mentioned him before.

"Just a friend of a contact." Alice winked, making her eye's sparkle in delight. "Now what do you want Bells?"

"Umm.. just a lemonade," I mumbled, knowing that I still had school tomorrow so shouldn't get drunk tonight.

"What?" Alice questioned me, her sparkling blue ocean eye's wide. "Come on Bella! Live a little, per-lease!" she begged, trying to pull her 'famous soppy eyed look'.

"No." I spoke firmly, knowing my job was more important. "I have school tomorrow."

Alice could guess by the tone of my voice that I was being serious, so ordered two lemonades, assuming she didn't want to get drunk by herself.

"So what's this news?" I questioned her, as she handed me my lemonade.

"Oh that!" She smiled, her eyes lightening up and sparkling again. "Well I got a new job today as someone's stylist!" she chirped, leaking out all of her excitement to whoever this 'someone' was.

"Great! Who?" I asked, honestly intrigued.

"Edward Cullen!" Alice nearly screamed, so the people nearby us were all staring.

I stared at her, wide eyed in shock- was this some kind of cruel twist in fate? "Edward..Cullen.." I spoke the words out loud slowly.

"Oh not you as well." Alice sighed, taking a sip out of her drink.

I blushed, only because I realised Alice had no idea that me and Edward used to be best friend's, and she took my reaction the wrong way..

"Well Bella, I won't actually be meeting him that muchyou know; only styling him." Alice winked at me, before taking another sip.

I didn't know what to do or say, so just took a sip out of my drink too, utterly blank and speechless.

"Hmm.. What is it with you two?" Alice mumbled to herself, but loud enough for me to hear.

"What?" I questioned her, having no idea what she was going on about.

"Just this morning.. well Edward saw a picture- a drawing, I did of you, and acted all weird- like you are being now." Did this mean that Edward knew that Alice knew me? What else did he say about?

"He did?" I asked, trying to act confused to get more out of Alice.

"Yeah… but he said he didn't know you." My heart plummeted to the ground, of course he would have forgotten about me or tried to make out he didn't know me. He left me remember, I was nothing to him now. "Why? Do you know him?"

Wouldn't it be easier just to tell her now? Tell her everything. For year's it had been so hard to keep it from Alice, we were best friends; maybe she could help me? "Err well.. No." I sighed, no she would probably interfere if she knew now, make me meet Edward or something, which I definitely did not want.

Alice gave me a weird look and was about to say something when a voice interrupted her. "Alice!" shouted an unfamiliar male voice.

Alice looked at me with bright eyes, sparkling in excitement before taking a deep breath and replying, "Jazz!"

A tall man with 'movie star' blonde curly hair, dressed very smartly in a grey suit walked over to us, with a big smile planted on his face.

"How, are you Alice?" he asked, itching the back of his head and looking shyly down.

"Good thanks. Jasper this is my friend Bella." Jasper looked at me like he had only just realised I was there, before extending his hand to shake mine.

"Nice to meet you Bella," he politely said, while letting go of my hand.

"You too," I replied, though I think him and Alice would both like it more, if I wasn't there.

"Sorry Alice, I need to go, but thanks for coming- it was nice seeing you." He smiled at Alice, before waving us off.

"Another drink?" Alice asked casually, like nothing had just happened- for the second time tonight.

"Ahh, nah I better be going soon actually- school night and all. But you and Jasper, ey?" I smiled, winking slyly at Alice.

"Oh Bella, you bore!" Alice complained. "And what about it?" Though now even she couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

"He seems.. very interested in you." I knew how to play Alice.

"Really?" she asked, losing her disguise and showing her real feelings.

Bingo. "So you do like him?" I asked, getting excited like a school girl.

"Is it that obvious?" she sighed, leaning back into the chair.

"No," I laughed back, "but it's obvious he likes you that much." I winked at her, leaving her speechless, "Anyway Ali, I really need to head home, bye." I said, but she was still immobile. I laughed at her and headed back to the door.

The truth was, I wasn't really tired or needed to go to bed yet- just the loud music in their was giving me a headache, after a day like this.

It felt good as the endless quiet and the cold breeze hit my face as I walked out of the nightclub. It helped me to unwind and relax, and most importantly to forget about Edward. I walked to my old Chevy truck that I had kept since high school, given that teacher's wages couldn't afford anything better, and drove home.

I made myself a cup of tea and sat on my old sofa trying to think of anything but Edward. But it wasn't working, so I let my brain rack through ideas on what to do.

Edward was here in Seattle. Edward was Alice's new employer. Edward knew that I was here in Seattle. Edward also knew that he was employing my best friend. The only thing I wasn't sure he knew was who I actually was. I wondered if he still had the photo album we had made the last time I saw him, and regretted thinking about that instantly, as the pain ripped through me. The same pain that ran through me every time that I remembered him telling me that Tanya meant more to him than I did. Over the eight years we had been apart, the pain had never lessened, but instead I felt as though I had grown to bear it. It never failed to catch me off-guard, though, and now was one of those times. Not for the first time, I wondered what he had wanted to tell me the night before he left. Why he had asked me to meet him at our meadow if I meant so little to him. Why I had meant so little to him, while he meant so much to me.

I looked at the clock, which told me that it was almost eleven o'clock, and grabbed my coat on impulse. Now I regretted not staying at Jazz with Alice. I should have known that coming and moping at home wouldn't do anything for me. So I pulled on my cosy Ugg boots (fake, of course; teacher's salary remember?) and tucked my crappy phone into my pocket before heading out along the street toward the late-night cafe that was within walking distance.

I smiled a little when I stepped inside the warm café, and let the door fall back into place behind me as I padded across the floor to join the end of the small queue behind a tall guy in a coat, hood pulled up over his face. There weren't many people in here – me, the guy with the hood, another guy arguing with the cashier about how his coffee was too strong, and a few teenagers huddled in a corner giggling about something.

It was then that I overheard what they were giggling about. "Of course it's not him," one of the girls hissed. "Edward Cullen in a late-night caf? Get real guys."

The guy in front of me glanced up at that too and I felt my pulse begin to hammer as I realised what these girls thought; hoodie dude was Edward Cullen. I ducked my head and glanced up at him, but I still couldn't see his face. Stop it I berated myself of course Edward wouldn't be here. That girl's right- get real.

After what looked like a little argument, one of the girls grabbed a napkin off of the table and came over slowly, chewing on her lip. She stopped just in front of hoodie dude, who was now fiddling with his iPhone, and cleared her throat.

Hoodie dude glanced up. "Can I help you?"

Oh my God. I turned away quickly. It was the velvet voice that I would never forget. I knew that I should leave, go before I got my heart broken any more than it already had been, but I couldn't help it. I just wanted to see his face for myself one last time; the movies never did him justice.

"Um… would you mind signing an autograph for me?" the girl wondered timidly.

Edward looked at the desk, where the man who had been arguing with the girl had just walked away with his coffee and sighed. "Sure." He took the pen and napkin from the girl and rested it on a nearby table so that he could scrawl on it, all without taking his hood down.

I was so close that I could touch him. And that was why this was a mistake.

The cashier girl looked at me. "Hi there. What would you like?"

I stared at her and then shook my head. "No… nothing…" I muttered, starting to back out of the shop. "Um… thank you." And then I turned and walked as fast as I could down the street without running.

***

I lay in bed, still shaking and shocked. Of all of the bloody places to go, I had to go to the same one as him! What had I been thinking?! I didn't need a coffee; I didn't need to go to a café! I had gone mad, thanks to Alice's revelation. Well, more thanks to Edward Cullen. It was all his fault that I had been a sociopathic psycho for the last eight years, and I was lucky to have acquired a friend like Alice. I would not lose her over something as pathetic as this. It was in the past, for crying out loud! Why was I freaking scared of him?

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep, I fetched some sleeping tablets from the kitchen, knocked them back with a glass of water, and got back into bed, huddling under my duvet. It didn't take long for sleep to find me.

***

I munched on my cornflakes, watching the news one morning as I lounged in Alice and I's dorm room at Uni. Today was a cold January Saturday, a couple of days before the spring term began, and Alice had gone off somewhere with some guy the night before so I was there alone.

"…and in just a few weeks the film that is set to be the film of the year is released… and it's only January!" They were on to the showbiz news now. "Why will this film be so amazing? Well, not only does it star Clara Lewis, who won teen choice female last year, but the leading man is going to be played by new-chip-off-the-block hottie, Edward Cullen."

"What?" I said aloud, my head snapping up to look at the screen. On it was a picture of my old best friend, the one I hadn't spoken to in two years. Edward was gonna be famous? I felt a smile creep on to my face as the newsreader spoke about the plot of the movie; my best friend was gonna be famous. I reached for my phone to call and demand to know why he hadn't told me and what it was like to be the next big thing… but then I remembered; I hadn't spoken to Edward in two years. Plus, I had lost his number when I chucked my old phone at the wall.

Suddenly, the door clicked open and Alice came in. "Hey, Bella."

"Hi," I muttered.

She didn't notice my mood, and glanced at the TV, which still had a photo of Edward up. She wolf-whistled. "Wow wee. What a hottie. We have to keep our eyes on that one, Bella," she laughed.

I hesitated. "Um… well, we were…" I trailed off. What would be the point of telling Alice now? I had lost him, we weren't friends anymore so what did it matter that we used to be?

Alice raised an eyebrow. "We were?"

Then it came to me; a way to see Edward again and appease Alice's instantaneous crush. "We could go and see the premier for that movie!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet.

"Well, I wasn't quite that interested, but what the heck? Sure, let's go! Where is it?" Alice asked.

"I dunno…" I trailed off; my great plan wasn't so great after all.

Alice smiled at me. "We'll figure it out."

***

And that was how three weeks later, Alice and I were stood outside in the freezing cold, pushed up against a barrier in the middle of a heap of screaming teenage girls.

"Remind me again why I agreed to this?" Alice sighed as a girl with seven inches of make up lathered on her face pushed past, shoving us into the hard metal barrier.

"Because you want to see Edward Cullen 'in the flesh'," I quoted with a laugh. In the last few weeks I hadn't told her about our previous friendship, but both Alice and I had got increasingly more obsessed… as had the rest of the planet. Edward Cullen was now on the covers of magazines and being called the most wanted man in the world, despite not having released a movie yet. Now there was a lot of hype, and a lot of people were doubtful as to whether his acting skills would stand up to the expectations, but I knew that they would. Edward had always been good at that, whether it was when we had played pirates or something as a kid, or in the youth theatre productions I had always been in the audience for.

As time wore on and minor celebs came out, I got increasingly more nervous, while Alice got more hyperactive. It was weird, but I was terrified of seeing him again after all this time. Even though I had seen photos so I knew that he hadn't changed, my mind still worried that he had changed beyond recognition, inside and out. Or maybe just the inside.

And then, hours after we had arrived by the barriers, the loudspeaker announced him and Clara whatever-her-name-was, and I felt sick. At least, that was, until I saw him. His beautiful bronze hair, his dazzling green eyes, his gorgeous muscles, wrapped in the sleeves of his suit jacket… God, I loved him… and I had lost him. You know that feeling you get when you've been promised something you really want and it isn't given to you? The feeling of complete disappointment and utter… just an ache? Like when you're promised a snow day and it doesn't happen. Well, that was the feeling I got, just multiplied by a thousand. The heart-wrenching feeling that you've lost something forever, except in my case it was much more than that. I hadn't lost a something , I had lost a someone. A someone who had turned out to be the most wanted man on the planet, and the love of my life.

Girls around me screamed his name as he approached, and he came over to the bunch of girls next to me, taking their pens and signing their posters. I watched, gobsmacked. This was my best friend, and he was a proper celebrity being screamed at by fans.

I hesitated, and then decided to screw being shy. "Edward," I said loudly, trying to catch his attention. Of course, it was useless since pretty much every girl was calling after him too. I tried again. "Edward. Edward! Edward! Edward, it's me!"

Alice shot me a strange look as Edward handed the posters back to the girls and posed for a shot from the paparazzi.

I ignored her. "Edward!" I shrieked. "Edward!" And then I watched as he walked on by, ignoring me as thoroughly as he did almost everyone else. As a last resort, I yelled out his old nickname: "Elmo!"

I watched as he froze for a moment, but then carried on walking. And then I knew that he didn't care anymore. He was a superstar, and I was a pathetic hanger-on; he didn't want to know. And I knew that not telling Alice had been the smartest thing I'd done in years. I turned to her miserably. "Let's get out of here," I muttered.

Alice stared at me. "I want Clara's autograph though!"

"Sure, I'll meet you in the car." And then I walked off, turning my back on Edward as thoroughly as he had turned his on me…

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

This will get more interesting as it goes along ;) Just you lot waitt ;) haha :L

By the Way, Edward's nickname, 'Elmo', will be explained in later chapters ;)

It's a verrrryyyyyy long chapter, so maybe a nice review ? :D & thanks for all the ones so far :D

Also my new ff is up, so please check that out ;)

Thank youu :D Laura x