AN: Wow I got a good turnout. Thanks to my reviewers. Seriously I hope you like this. Let me know. Again, I apologize to those who read the story before and find it changed. I'm only trying to make it better.

Don't own Twilight. Never did. Probably never will.

Ch 2-Just Friends

A little more than a week later, Edward missed seeing Bella. She was one of the first people he interacted with and her absence made an impression. Hoping to remedy the situation, he waited outside her dormitory building one morning. When she came out, he walked up to her and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I realize I must be the last person you ever want to see, but I considered you my friend."

Bella didn't know what to say. "Just friends?" He nodded. She thought it over. Edward seemed like a nice guy. He was new and needed to make friends. It wasn't his fault he reminded her of Mike. "Okay, but keep your hands to yourself," she warned.

He lowered his eyes with the memory of her flinch. "No problem."

Bella yawned.

"Tired?"

"Yeah. I've been up late studying calculus. Truthfully, I'm not going to be much company."

"If you're having trouble with calculus, then—"

"Don't tell me you know calculus?" Bella interrupted.

"No." He smiled. "I was going to say you could go to the tutoring center."

Bella yawned and then smiled back. "Ironically, I work there now. I was trying to get one of the tutors to help, but they don't have the time," she frowned. "It's fine. I'm not in dire need—at least not yet."

"I have to get to class, but I'll see you for lunch?" he casually asked.

Bella paused. "I don't know."

"It's lunch in the cafeteria. If it was a date, it would be dinner in a restaurant. Just friends, I promise."

"Okay." She yawned again.

Later in the cafeteria, Bella put her head down to take a nap. The end of the lunch hour was fast approaching and Edward didn't want her to be sore at him if she missed her class.

"Bella, wake up," he urged. "You're going to be late for class." Edward stepped out of his chair and leaned over her. Her scent seemed enticing. He whispered in her ear the most annoying thing he's ever heard, "Wakie, wakie. Rise and shine."

Bella jerked awake. He quickly flinched back.

"Are you okay?" Edward chuckled, "because I have to get to class."

"Yeah." She glanced at her watch and freaked out. "Oh my, I got to go!"

"Bye!" he shouted as she grabbed her things and sprinted for the exit.

The next morning Edward waited for Bella outside with an extra café latte in hand. She saw him and smiled. "You read my mind!"

"What are friends for?" he smiled back. He was glad to have her friendship even though with females he was used to having more.

She took the coffee and began sipping it as he walked her to her first class. They parted with a sincere, "See you at lunch."

Edward made it to the cafeteria first and as a reflex got a booth. He liked the privacy it entailed when on a date, but he wasn't courting Bella—or at least trying not to. Bella joined him shortly after. He was done eating and took out his homework to staple it. The sound made her remember something.

"So, who are you taking tomorrow?" she uttered without looking at him.

"Excuse me?"

"The Benefit Dinner, who's your date?"

Edward honestly forgot all about it. "I don't know." He hesitated. "I got so whipped up in finding the mystery girl that I forgot the reason for the search in the first place." Edward looked down at his papers. "I guess no one." He slowly lifted his eyes without moving his head and glanced at Bella meaningfully.

"No! No way. It's a dinner and we're supposed to be just friends," she declared.

"Right, right. I'm not even going to bother. To tell the truth, I don't even want to go anymore," Edward stated.

"Why?"

He frowned. "I almost lost my friend."

Bella looked down at her lunch. "If you're going to say stuff like that, I'm going to feel bad."

Edward wrung his fingers under the table. He wanted to lift her chin. "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I meant that trying to find another girl to take, and my last search didn't end well. It's just easier to skip it and leave all females intact."

Bella lifted her eyes. She grinned at his odd logic.

"I know," she commented excitedly, "I have the day off from work and no classes on Fridays. Do you want to go bike riding tomorrow morning, since you don't have to get ready for the Benefit?"

Edward thought about this alternative. "Bike riding?"

"What's wrong with bike riding?"

"I can't ride a two-wheeler," he mumbled.

"What? How could that be?" she questioned.

"I didn't have a normal childhood," he admitted. "I spent most of the time indoors with my dad at work."

"Oh you definitely need to go riding with me. Speeding on a two-wheeler is the best feeling in the world!" she insisted. The look in her eyes of the thrill made Edward curious.

"But I'm going to fall and you're going to have to stop, which will ruin your fun. Maybe you should go with someone else," he suggested.

"No way! You're coming and that is it. As your friend, it is my duty to teach you to ride a two-wheeler," she implored.

Edward began putting his homework away. "Time for class."

"So?" Bella queried.

"Okay, fine," he huffed.

At 10:00am he nervously waited outside for Bella. He couldn't stop pacing. His cell phone rang and it brought him to a halt. He glanced at the number.

"Mr. Jay how are things planning out?"

"Edward everything is going according to schedule here. Did you pick up the suit I ordered for you at Fine Menswear?

"No, I'm not going tonight. Sorry."

"But Edward the clients are flying in," Mr. Jay flustered.

"There are other people there, Mr. Tracer and Mr. Hale. The Volturi Associates don't actually need to see me," Edward assured. Bella came out and walked slowly behind him, trying to listen to his conversation.

"You are the company. Seeing you instills confidence in us," Mr. Jay pleaded.

"Well I'm flattered, but I've made other plans."

"Break them," Mr. Jay practically ordered.

"No, they're important. Just tell them I'm sick or something." And he snapped his phone shut. Edward was a little miffed. Mr. Jay was his assistant and shouldn't be telling him what to do.

He turned around unexpectedly and jumped back.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Bella apologized. "If the Benefit is that important, maybe you should go."

"No. They could handle things without me. You got me hyped up about riding. Let's go," he said trying to add the right amount of enthusiasm. They got into his silver Volvo and she stuffed a big backpack onto the back seat.

"First-aid kit?" Edward claimed.

"Among other things," she responded.

With Bella navigating he drove to Sports Outdoor Plaza where they rented bikes and gear. Parked in the lot behind the Plaza, they walked the bikes to the nearby grassy park. Edward got onto the bike and instantly lost his balance. He hit the floor and Bella brutally laughed.

"You know that made up for peeping on me!"

"I'm glad you get so much pleasure from my pain! I thought you said the peeping didn't bother you?" he said while rubbing his leg.

"It didn't. Let me help you up." She pulled the bike up and steadied it for him. He got on again, but kept his feet on the ground.

"The trick to riding a bike is confidence. You have to believe you could, because you need to keep pedaling to keep your balance. If you're unsure and go slowly, then you'll lose your balance and fall over," she instructed. She got on her bike and showed him how to kick off and start pedaling. She rode back and held his bike seat to give him a chance to try. She steadied the bike and once he said ready she gave him a shove. He quickly put his feet on the pedals and pushed. He wobbled a bit, but kept on going. She was impressed that he did it so quickly.

"You really are a prodigy, aren't you?"

"How do I stop?" he yelled as he turned his head to look at her. Suddenly he was on the ground. "Never mind."

Bella was laughing again. This time Edward laughed too.

After a few more tries and several cuts and scrapes later, they were both riding side by side.

"The real thrill is going downhill, but I doubt you have enough control for that. We'll just have to do this again another time. Are you hungry? It must be lunch time by now." Bella looked at her watch. It was 1:00pm. They rode back to the Plaza and returned the bikes.

"Is there a place to eat out here?" Edward wondered.

"Picnic," Bella stated.

"Excuse me?"

"I brought sandwiches and drinks for a picnic." She started walking back to the park. Edward followed. She stopped by a tree and took a flat sheet out of her backpack. They laid it out and sat. She gave him a few sandwiches and juice boxes. She took one sandwich and took out a novel from her bag.

"PB and J, my favorite," Edward joked.

Bella pursed her lips. "It's the only thing I had that would keep without ice."

"No, it's fine. I really do like peanut butter and jelly. Thanks." He leaned back against the tree. She pointed at the book.

"Do you mind? I didn't know what to bring you."

"It's fine. I could glance around this oasis in Phoenix. What are you reading?"

"Tartuffe for English Lit class."

"We are covering that in my Lit class too. Who do you have, Johnson?" She nodded. "Do you mind if I read over your shoulder?"

"Ah. . ." She looked at him warily. It sounded like an innocent question. "No, go ahead." She opened to where her bookmark held her place and he leaned over. He caught a glimpse at her exposed neck as he peered down at the book. He had already read past this chapter. He took a deep breath absorbing her aroma. His eyes closed as he slowly exhaled.

The close proximity was beginning to unnerve Bella. She turned to him and stared, "What are you doing?"

Edward recovered quickly. "Being patient. I already read past this part."

"Oh. We could finish eating and just go home to read."

"No, continue reading. I'll just wait."

"I don't want you to be bored staring at nothing."

"I'm not staring at nothing. There is plenty to see." He leaned back again and looked up into the tree.

"I have a better idea," Bella suddenly said. "There is a movie I need to see for my theater class."

"A movie at night? That sounds like a date to me," Edward wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

"It's an assignment," she corrected.

"Sure. What is the name of the movie?"

"Documentary of Eve. We'll meet at the movies, so It's Not A Date," she insisted.

At Bella's dorm room, she was changing to go to the movies, when Angela came in to retouch her make-up.

"I'm going out to dinner with Eric," she stated.

"Why am I not surprised," Bella mumbled.

Angela noticed Bella seemed distracted. "So where have you been all day?" she asked.

"I was bike riding with Edward."

"Edward Masen? Wow. You have been spending a lot of time with him. Are you going out with him now?"

"It's not like that. We are just friends. I need to see Documentary of Eve for class and he's going to accompany me."

"That's not a movie guys like. Why are you forcing him to unwilling torture? Did you even warn him?"

"You didn't want to go and I didn't want to see that movie alone. Besides he's my friend. I hope it's still playing."

"When is he picking you up?"

"He's not. We are meeting there at 7:15."

Edward was already waiting at the movie theater when Bella arrived. "What was the name of the movie again? I can't seem to find it."

Bella walked up to the ticket booth, worried. "Two for Documentary of Eve."

"That's not playing anymore," the ticket agent said. "Is there something else you would like to see?"

Bella gazed at Edward. He asked the ticket agent if Documentary of Eve could be found elsewhere.

"Not likely since it has been gone for more than a week."

"You know so we don't waste the trip we could stay and see what's playing now," Bella said to Edward.

"Phantom's Revenge is about to begin," the agent chimed in.

"Do you like scary movies?" Bella asked.

"I love them, but are you sure?" Edward questioned.

"I'm willing to stay, but if it gets too scary, could we go?" she anxiously asked.

"Of course, I don't want you to have nightmares."

They took their seats in the middle of the row and the lights dimmed. For about twenty minutes there were nonstop screams and flinches from the audience. Bella couldn't take it anymore. She just turned toward Edward and kept her eyes closed. Her pulse went so fast from the horrific movie that the closeness to him had no added affect. A bit uncomfortable with the weight on his shoulder, he put his arm around her. That's when he caught her scent again. He just stared at her under his arm. He couldn't hold on to his urges any longer. He lifted her chin and went for a kiss.

She was frozen in shock for a split second, but then pulled away. She got up and mumbled "excuse me's" to the other occupants of the row. It sounded like she was crying.

"Bella," he whispered before following her out. He spotted her sitting on a bench. Tears were rolling down her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he kept repeating.

He kneeled down in front of her to see her face. It was blank. "I know we are following a hands-off friendship policy. I don't know what came over me," he pleaded.

Bella just got up and walked out the exit without looking back. He got up and paced back and forth, rubbing his hand to his forehead. "I'm so dumb," he cursed himself.

AN: So what do you all think? Send me your reviews.