Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I also don't own Dracula, by Steven Dietz, adapted from Bram Stoker's novel.

"Fuck."

I hid my smirk at Edward's curse as I began the long climb to the grid. I loved putting stuck up actors in their place. I couldn't believe he had the audacity to come in here, breaking the rules, not reading safety signs, and then spout off this "you people" crap. I was starting to understand why Alice's smile disappeared earlier when I asked about her brother.

When I finally reached the catwalk at the top of the ladder, I turned to look down at the stage. Edward was frozen in the same spot, staring up at me with a look of shock and frustration. Jake shook his head, grabbing Edward's arm to lead him offstage. When several minutes had passed before Jake reappeared.

"CLEAR PINRAIL." I called down.

"PINRAIL CLEAR." Jake replied.

"Fucking finally! Weighting second electric."

Thirty minutes later, I was finish re-weighting and back on the ground. Sam was giving directions to all of us, telling us which platforms to bring in and where to put them. I was still fuming from earlier, and glad that I could take some of my attitude out on the defenseless wooden structures. I carried in a 2x3, slamming it on the ground. Embry, being right behind me, laughed.

"Okay guys, I think it's time for some Rehab!"

Jake jogged over to the stereo, replacing my ipod with his, and scrolling to what the guys lovingly referred to as "Bella's Pissed Playlist". Sadly, it had gotten a lot of use over the years, mostly after my conversations with Renee, or when Lauren was being particularly bitchy at school.

I rolled my eyes as soon as I heard the guitar. This song was perfect today. Jake had cranked the volume all the way up, and as the bass kicked in, I could feel it. I pretended to be pissed still, but really I was thankful that my friends knew me well enough to pick the perfect song. I made a show of ignoring the guys as they sang out the first verse, but by the chorus I was fighting a smile.

World full of crazy people and I guess I'm one in the same
And I tell you man it's evil, but I don't know no other game
How did I get so dirty, you can see it on my face
But I ain't killed nobody today, just yet
So ya'll better give me some praise

I started singing too, by the end of the chorus. The guys continued bringing in platforms as Sam and I started placing them on the stage. I couldn't help but dance along to the song. I was singing at the top of my lungs now, letting the angry music pull the emotion from my chest. I turned to flip Jake off as I sang:

I'm mood swingin' like a wreckin' ball
Knockin out a wall and I don't got a gun
So I'm shootin' birds at ya'll
And it piss me off more that you don't fall
I oughta take a ball of C4 to the mall

By the end of the song, I couldn't be pissed anymore. That is, until my dancing happened to turn me towards the house, where I saw Edward, the very asshole that put me in my bad mood, standing at the back of the house watching me. He had a slight smile on his beautiful fucking face and my anger was back with a vengeance. I turned, shooting him a very evil smile as I sang the last few words of the song directly to him:

But I ain't killed nobody today, just yet
So ya'll better give me some praise

His small smile faded away and he looked embarrassed that he'd been caught spying on our impromptu dance party. His eyes flashed apologetic just before he walked out the door.

Charlie called my cell phone just before 5:30, letting me know that one of his officers called in sick and he would be working late to cover. Normally work in the shop ended at 5, but we had stayed later today since we'd lost time, both to the production meeting and to my showdown with the new prima donna. I assured Charlie that it was fine; I would just get dinner with the guys before the read-through.

Everyone left to pick up food, leaving Sam and I to sweep up the stage and set up chairs and tables for the read-through. When the guys got back from the diner, we all tucked into our meals with gusto. When I'd first started coming around the theatre, I was appalled at the guys' eating habits, the way they shoveled food into their mouths so quickly, the shear amount of food that they could consume. Now it seemed normal. I still ate at a normal rate, but with the larger amount of food the guys ate, we all finished at the same time. We were leaned back from the table talking and laughing when the actors started to trickle in.

Banner came over to me, apologizing for not getting me Angela's phone number, but he apparently had caught her coming out of class and she'd agreed to be props mistress. Turning to my clipboard, I crossed off "Contact Angela about props" off my to-do list. As soon as my pen left the paper, Quil snatched the clipboard out from under my hands.

"How in the hell do you already have…" he trailed off as he counted, "sixteen things on your to-do list? Rehearsals haven't even started."

"Okay, now I need to add one more thing." I held out my hand for the clipboard, which Quil relinquished grudgingly. I spoke as I wrote, "Remind Quil that I'm the stage manager, and that he can no longer question my authority."

The table broke out in loud guffaws, and I turned as I heard another booming laugh coming from behind my chair. I looked up to see the mountain known as Emmett.

"Hell yes! This is totally where I need to sit!" He grabbed the chair next to me, swinging it around so he could straddle it, leaning against the table. "Emmett McCarty. How you doin', beautiful?" He was addressing me, but I was so stunned that I couldn't reply. Fortunately Embry opened his big fucking mouth and dragged me out of my stupor.

"Bells? Beautiful? That girl's got the biggest dick at this table!"

"Wow, Embry. Thank you. But I'm pretty sure the biggest dick at this table is you." I shifted in my seat so that I was facing Emmett, turning my back on the assholes I once called friends. I usually liked that they saw me as one of the guys, but to call me out on that shit in front of a complete stranger – a gorgeous stranger who wanted to call me "Beautiful" – was out of line. "Hi Emmett, I'm Bella. And apparently I'm a man, so you may want to re-think your seating arrangements." I rolled my eyes to cement the sarcasm.

"Nope. I think I'll try switch hitting if guys start looking like you." Emmett finished off his statement with a friendly wink and I couldn't help the smile that overtook my face. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered that Jake's warm smile hardened and his eyes narrowed at Emmett's flattery.

"Thanks Emmett, but I saw your audition and I already know what a good actor you are. No need to lay it on so thick," I snarked back at him. Emmett's eyes laughed back at me, but his face held a serious expression.

"Bella, there is no acting here! I want you, I need you…"

"Oh baby, oh baby!" We finished the line together before cracking up. Everyone else at the table looked completely perplexed, which made us laugh even harder.

Emmett suddenly snapped his head towards the stage left door and watched as Rosalie and Tanya entered together. I watched his eyes grow wide and serious and I heard his breathing speed up a bit. "Bella, don't take this the wrong way, but I think you have just been demoted to little sister status." His eyes never left Rosalie as he addressed me.

"Emmett, we just met. Plus, I'm pretty sure I always held "little sister" status." I tried not to sound dejected, but Emmett snapped his head back to meet my eyes, letting me know that I'd failed.

"You really are beautiful, you know that right?" I tried not to roll my eyes. "You are. And now that you're officially my little sister, I get the duty of beating off all the unwashed miscreants."

I couldn't help but smile at yet another quote from one of my favorite movies. "Thanks Emmett."

"So, what's the deal with my new girlfriend?" With that, he slung and arm around me and fixed his eyes on Rosalie, who sat across the stage, and listened with rapt attention as I told him everything I knew, which wasn't much.

I smiled at Alice as she entered the room and squeezed a chair in between me and Jake, even though there was an empty chair by Quil. Guess she learned that lesson.

I was still greeting the pixie when Emmett scared the living crap out of me with his sudden whoop. "Yo! Eddie Boy! Over here! Saved you a seat!"

Alice looked incredulously towards her brother, who was crossing the stage to sit by Emmett, and I continued watching her face, unable to look at Edward after this afternoon's debacle. Alice's expression quickly changed to shock as Edward took the seat next to Emmett. She looked back and forth from her brother to Emmett. "You know Edward?" she asked.

"Yep. Me and Eddie here go way back."

"Eddie…?" Alice slowly drawled. "Right." She looked to Edward questioningly.

"We, uh, met this morning when the cast list went up." Edward's voice held none of the bravado from earlier. He sounded almost embarrassed. I finally turned around to look at him and found that he was blushing slightly. I think the pretty gay boy has a crush on my new brother. Cute! Too bad Emmett only has eyes for Rosalie. And pretty gay boy is an asshole.

"I see," was Alice's only response before she busied herself with the design book in front of her.

"Eddie, meet Bella, my little sister." I couldn't help but laugh at Emmett's quick adoption of me.

"Your little… fuck me." Edward trailed off, closing his eyes as he mumbled the last words under his breath.

"What was that Eds?" Jake, Embry and Quil were all trying desperately not to laugh, but they were all failing miserably. Emmett looked amused, quirking his eyebrow at me for explanation. I couldn't speak or I would laugh, so I just forced my face into what I hoped was a blank expression and shook my head.

"We've met." Edward flushed at his own admission.

At this, Quil could no longer hold in his guffaws. "Met? You've met? More like my girl here tore you a new one and you limped off to change your tampon."

I dropped my head on the table, embarrassed for Edward, embarrassed for myself, and mostly embarrassed for the perfect set-up that had just occurred. I knew that Embry would never let that go to waste.

With a completely straight face, Embry mused "I guess it's a good thing he has a vag to go with Bella's cock. Sounds like a match made in heaven."

With that, the entire table, with the exception of the Cullens, burst into laughter. I simply couldn't hold it in any longer.

I recovered just in time to see Alice looking at me like I'd grown a new head. Pun intended, bitches. "Just laugh. I'll explain later."

She smiled a little, still looking confused, but before she could ask any more, Banner called us all to attention to start the read through.

Try as I may to ignore it, Edward's voice as he read Dracula's monologues went straight through me. I had expected the stereotypical slow, creepy Transylvanian accent. I couldn't have been more surprised when the lines started, with the barest hint of an accent. His voice was smooth and seductive, hypnotizing and engaging. Exactly how I always wished Dracula would sound in the movies. I could feel the lines reverberating deep in my bones, my heart, my stomach, and slightly lower.

Edward's perfect voice, combined with Emmett's amazing characterization, made me realize just how good this production would be. Even Rosalie and Tanya looked impressed, which said a lot. When the read-through was over, once Jasper had finished Renfield's final monologue, we all sat silently in the theatre. For several minutes, no one spoke, shifted, breathed. It was as if the world had come to an end, simply because there were no more words scripted.

It was Emmett who finally broke the stillness. "Holy fuck," he breathed. This caused Jake to release a small chuckle, which seemed to break the spell we had been under.

After the fact, the whole ending seemed super dramatic, but at the time, it was just so surreal. There were honestly no words. Even Banner was struck speechless. "Thank you. Check the callboards tomorrow and we'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow night. Call is at 6." With that, Banner left the room.

I was used to the cast getting together after the first rehearsal, drinks and food to get to know each other. Tonight, everyone simply packed up and said hushed goodbyes before walking out in quiet contemplation.

I sat at the table, filling out my rehearsal report as the rest of the crew, along with Emmett, cleaned up all the tables and chairs. I forced myself not to notice when Edward left the table, but did a horrible job of it, especially when he leaned over Alice's shoulder to whisper that he would wait for her in the car. I couldn't stop myself from glancing over, just in time to see yet another apologetic look in Edward's eyes before he swiftly left the room.

Alice sat quietly by me as I finished my paperwork, and followed me to the office so I could make copies. "So, want to fill me in on what the hell happened with you and Edward earlier? And how the hell does he know this Emmett guy?"

Crap. I really didn't want to explain to Alice why her brother and I hated each other. "Um, we just had a small misunderstanding earlier when he came to get his script. And I have no idea how he knows Emmett."

"Really, a small misunderstanding? You're really gonna stick with that explanation?"

"Yes, Alice, I am. Look, I like you, I don't want this to be weird. Just know that Edward and I started off on the wrong foot. I'm trying really hard not to focus on his asshole-ish tendencies, but it's… it's…" I paused trying to figure out where I was going with this. "I just need to be around him when he's not being a giant douchbag. Hopefully that happens." I finally glanced up from the copier to see Alice's face. It wasn't angry, which confused me. Her inevitable anger was most of the reason I didn't want to talk about this but her face held… compassion? Maybe her brother really is that big of an asshole? I mentally shrugged.

"I'm sorry for whatever he did. He's just been through a lot recently and he-" She cut off suddenly, searching through her giant purse for something. She finally came up with a cell phone clenched in her tiny hand, pressing the button and huffing, "What Edward? … Yeah, I'll be there in a minute… We'll talk about it when I get out there. Hold your damn horses!" Hanging up and throwing her phone back in her giant bag, Alice looked up at me apologetically. I was getting sick of seeing apologetic green eyes. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow? You'll be backstage at 3?"

"Yep. Have a good night, Alice."

"You too! Oh, and we'll be talking tomorrow about that fuckhot Renfield!" With that, Alice turned on her heel, practically skipping out the door.

After depositing my copies in the appropriate boxes in the office, I was finally finished for the day. I flicked off the lights and locked the office door behind me. I rolled the ghost light to center stage and flicked it on as Jake turned off the overhead lights. Jake said goodbye to the crew, and I walked back onstage to grab my bag.

Looking out over the dark theatre, I felt all the hairs on my body stand at attention. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. More like when you hear a beautiful piece of music and you get goosebumps. I pushed a huge breath out of my lungs, turning back towards Jake and giving him a small smile as he held the door open for me to exit.

I couldn't help but smile at how Jake always waited to make sure my truck would start before leaving. I waved goodbye and as I pulled out of my parking space, I saw Jake's face fall. It was then that I remembered his expression going to the same dark place when I was "flirting" with Emmett. It confused me, because Jake was one of my boys, one of my brothers. What the hell was that about? And why the hell should he care who I flirt with?

Thanks so much for reading!

Also, thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter! It's so great to know that you like it!

The song they listen to in the shop is Rehab's "Crazy People".

I apologize for the long wait on this chapter, but real life got in the way. I also had some struggles deciding if I wanted to put an EPOV in here. I have one chapter of EPOV written, but I decided to stick with Bells for now. I'll probably post the EPOV as an outtake at some point. Let me know if you want that, or if you think it should go in the main story.

Review and let me know what you think so far! Also, let me know if there are any terms I need to define for you… this stuff is so second nature to me, I don't even realize that non-theatre kids won't know what I'm talking about!