A/N: Thanks for reviews amysmith2328 and matthias4ever :)
Hope you like this next chapter and reviews always make my day ;)

Chapter 3

Bella's PoV

It was Saturday evening and I felt strangely hovering just completely out of place in this crazy world. I was like a balloon, floating in the sky, just a little too high for anyone to reach, but still clear for everyone to see.

We were at the beach Sue and Charlie had taken me on my first night here. Jasper and I were sitting a little away from the loud crowd, where everyone seemed to be laughing and having good time. It was already late and everyone was getting more or less drunk, except me and Jasper. I had ended up sitting here alone tired of the loud music and drunk people I didn't even know and that's when Jasper had found me and sat beside me, even though I didn't really mind being alone.

"Don't you enjoy the party?" Jasper asked smirking a little.

"No I do", I assured him. "I'm just not used to this."

"Yeah, me neither", Jasper said.

"Then why did you come?" I asked.

Jasper was quiet for a while. "Why did you come?"

"No I'm serious", I said. "You don't even seem to like these people." It was true. Jasper didn't seem to have any interest in Edward and Emmett and their gang, unlike the other guys who tried their best to act cool to get their approval. It was almost ridiculous.

"I don't not like them all", Jasper said.

"So you like someone?" I asked interested.

"Maybe."

I didn't ask anything more. I had the feeling that even if I would have, he wouldn't have answered, not yet anyway.

We sat there, silent, for a while and then Jasper rose up. "You wanna come and get drunk with me, to see if these people make any more sense if we're not sober either", he suggested and I wasn't sure if he was joking or not so I just stood up too and went with him.

It seemed like the party had grown while we were away. Everyone seemed to have a bottle or a glass in their hands and everyone was dancing or laughing or kissing in some distant corner. Someone was throwing up in the middle of everything.

"Charming", Jasper said dryly.

Then all of a sudden Edward seemed to appear out of nowhere like he so often did and suddenly he was standing in front of me, holding a half empty scotch bottle in his hand. The first buttons of his dark blue shirt was open and his bronze hair was messy and even half-drunk he managed to look stunning. I hated the effect his presence had in my body. Why he always had my stupid heart pounding a little faster simply by looking at me. That if anything was ridiculous.

"Hi darling."

I raised one of my eyebrows. Since when did he call me darling?

"Is it really that much fun? Drinking your head off and then throwing up in the middle of the dance floor?" I asked pointing to the guy who had now passed out.

"You've never tried it?" Edward asked curious.

"Not really."

"Then maybe you should", he suggested.

"Or maybe not."

"Why not?" he asked, now looking at me seriously. "Would it be so horrible. For once not think so reasonable and loosen up a bit. Come on, don't be boring."

"So you think I'm boring?" I asked annoyed, "for being the one of us who doesn't act like an idiot."

"So you think I'm an idiot?" Edward asked, not looking annoyed at all. Only amused, and slightly interested. And it made me even more irritated, like I didn't have any effect on him at all.

"Yeah", I said, "for thinking that the only way to have a good time is drinking."

"I don't think that's the only way to have a good time", Edward said winking at me.

I just snorted, ignoring his suggestive comment.

"I take it's a negative answer", Edward said more to himself, "too bad."

"I didn't take it as a question", I said.

Edward didn't say anything for a while, until someone changed the song to a slower one.

"You wanna dance?" he asked smiling at me politely. I wasn't stupid enough to trust his smile as friendly as it was.

"No."

"Good", Edward said, tossed his bottle to Emmett who was walking past and took my hand leading me to the dance floor.

"I said I didn't want to dance", I pointed out sharply, trying my best to ignore my hand in his warm palm.

"Oh, I'm sorry", he said mischievously grinning. "I thought you said that you wanted to."

I tried to say something clever to get him to let go of me, but he had already wrapped his arms around my waist and was spinning me slowly around. He was pulling me against his chest and suddenly I forgot what I was about to say.

He smelled like scotch and soap and something else. I could feel his muscular chest through his thin shirt and I could hear his heavy breathing against my ear. I was sure he could feel my heart bouncing in my chest and it made me blush a little.

"This isn't so bad after all, is it?" he whispered in ear.

No, no it wasn't. It wasn't at all that bad. But there was no way I was going to admit it to him.

I knew it was dangerous. Dancing with that guy at Saturday night and feeling a little bit drunk myself, even though I hadn't drunk anything.

So I wasn't sure was I glad or not, when suddenly Alice pulled me away from Edward. "Hi Bella, there you are, I've been looking for you for ages", she screamed joyfully.

"Hi Alice", Edward said, looking more than a little annoyed.

"Hi Eddie", Alice said pretending she didn't notice that she had interrupted something.

"And don't call me Eddie", Edward said.

"Why not, Eddie?" Alice asked like a sulking child.

"She only calls me Eddie when she wants to annoy me", Edward told me.

"I do not", Alice giggled.

"Well anyway, see you later, Bella", Edward said and walked away leaving me alone with Alice in the middle of music and people.

"So are you having fun?" Alice asked pretending that she hadn't just dragged me away from Edward on purpose.

"Yeah, sure, it's a good party", I said.

"Of course it is, it's my party", Alice said winking at me. I smiled back at her, still thinking about Edward's hands around me.

"Well anyway, come on. Let's find Emmett and Rosalie."

Around 3 a.m. the party had broken up and people had left all heading in different destinations, leaving only couple of drunken people hanging out in the beach. I drove Alice to her home with her yellow Porsche. She had picked me up earlier that evening, but she wasn't in any condition for driving anymore. I had never driven such an expensive car before, so it was kind of scary, but luckily Alice didn't live far away from the beach, so I managed to see that she got home all right.

"You know that Jasper guy is kinda cute", Alice giggled sleepily when I pulled up in their front yard.

"Sure and you're kinda drunk", I replied.

"Am I?" Alice asked finding something endlessly amusing in my words.

"Yeah, you are", I said.

"Now get inside and go to sleep."

"Okay", Alice giggled. "Good night."

After I'd seen that Alice go inside, I drove to my house. After all, the party had been quite fun. I had hung out with Alice and Jasper, even Emmett and Rosalie for a while. And danced with Edward of course… So, I think I had quite a pleasant time, but still I was glad to finally get home.

When I got inside Sue was still awake sipping a glass of wine and reading some fashion magazine in the living room.

"Hi", I said stepping inside of the room. "Where's Charlie?"

"Oh, you came home already", Sue said smiling at me. I wondered what she was doing awake at this time of the night. "He went to sleep already. Though he would have wanted to wait 'till you got home safe, but I told him that he needed to chill out, you'd be all right."

"Yeah", I said. Actually I was surprised, that since I moved here, he had let me do everything that I'd wanted. Before he wouldn't have allowed me to be out all night, he had changed so much. And I had a hunch that Sue had more than a little to do with it.

"I mean you're a teenage girl", Sue went on; "he can't keep guarding you like you were five. This is important time in your life; you need to have fun, experience new things."

I didn't think that Charlie was guarding me like I was five. But I guess that in this world he was. And when it came to experiencing; coming home after 3 am from a beach party was surely something new to me. And so was dancing with Edward. Something I would quite gladly experience again.

"You're probably right", I said to Sue absent-mindedly. "But now I'm going to sleep. See you in the morning."

"Sleep well, sweetie", Sue said and turned the page of her magazine.

I fell asleep the second I finally got to my bed and the next time I opened my eyes the sun was already shining brightly.

"Uh", I groaned closing my eyes from the too-bright sunlight, which penetrated through my eyelids. After a while, when my eyes had got more used to the sun, I slowly opened them again. I reached for my cell to see what time it was. 11.30. I couldn't remember last time I had slept so long.

I rose up to sit on the edge of my bed. After a while I stood up and looked at my closet which was filled with the new clothes Alice had picked me. I ignored all the new expensive clothes and picked up my old jeans and a green t-shirt.

I brushed up my teeth and pulled a hairbrush through my hair a few times before bonding it up in a ponytail. Then I went downstairs. The house seemed quiet and empty. In the kitchen I found a note :

Morning Bella! Your father and I went to do some shopping and after that we have a charity lunch. Get yourself something to eat. Have nice day!

Sue

P.S. The housekeeper comes at 1p.m., don't mind her.

I stared at the note surprised. They had a housekeeper? I didn't even know they had a housekeeper. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though, Sue didn't exactly seem the type of wife to get on her knees and scrub the floors.

Anyway, the emptiness of the house was nice. It was good to be alone for a while, I didn't feel very sociable right now.

I opened the fridge to get myself some breakfast, when I heard my phone ringing upstairs. I sighed and hurried to pick it up.

"Hello?" I answered walking back to kitchen.

"Hi Bella", I heard Alice's voice in my ear.

"Oh hi, Alice", I said and opened the kitchen cabinet again to get myself something to eat. I was pretty hungry already. "How are you?"

"I've been better", Alice said sounding a little nauseous.

"Well, at least you had fun yesterday, didn't you?" I tried to cheer her up.

"Did I?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, you did", I assured her, remembering, how giggly and cheery she had been last night.

"Okay good", Alice said. "But Bella, listen, can I drop by later today. I could pick up my car at the same time?"

"Yeah, sure", I said pouring some cereal in a bowl and tried to find a spoon somewhere. "Charlie and Sue are out, so come whenever you want to."

Okay, see you later then", Alice said. "Gosh, I have to get some painkillers. Bye."

"Bye", I smiled hanging up.

After I had finished my breakfast I picked up a book and went to the back yard in one of the chairs besides the swimming pool. Since I came here, I hadn't had much time for reading. It felt like before I was doing it all the time. It also felt like it was ages since before. Even thought I had been here just for only a week.

I tried to concentrate on the pages I was reading, but soon my eyelids started to drop close. I didn't remember it, but apparently I had fallen asleep, because the next thing I noticed was Alice shaking me awake.

"Oh", I said opening my eyes puzzled. "Alice? Sorry, I must have fallen asleep."

"Yeah, I can see that", Alice said rolling her eyes and sitting on the edge of my chair. "That's okay."

I put the book that was lying on my stomach on the ground and rose up to more sitting position when suddenly Alice threw me an offended look.

"Bella!" Alice said disapproving. "What the heck are you wearing? You have a closet full of new, pretty, expensive clothes and you're wearing and old jeans and a tee!"

"I'm sorry but I wasn't even going anywhere", I said trying to keep my face serious looking at Alice's shocked expression. She was the only one I knew who could get so upset about clothes.

"But that's not the point, Bella! Make sure you'll never do this to me again", Alice said.

"Yeah, well anyway, how did you get here?" I changed the subject, remembering, that her car was still in our front yard.

"Oh, Edward brought me", Alice said calming down again.

"He left already?" I asked, feeling a little disappointed, though I didn't have any reason for that. I didn't even want to see Edward; I didn't like him, I reminded myself.

"What's with you and Edward, anyway?" Alice asked me frowning. "I saw you dancing yesterday."

"Yeah, we both noticed that you saw us", I said wryly, remembering how she had pulled me away from Edward the minute she saw us together.

"You said that you weren't going to fall in love with him", Alice reminded me.

"And I'm not going to!" I said and it was true. I wasn't going to fall in love with him, because even I could see that it wouldn't be anything else than a disaster. A guy like Edward and a girl like me… We were just so different, we wanted different things from life.

"It's just that Edward would break your heart", Alice explained once again. "Because that's what always happens. I love Edward, I really do. We've known each other pretty much our whole lives and he's much like a brother to me, but he can be such an asshole."

I sneered at her description, which I guess was true.

"I mean, yesterday he left from the party with Lauren, and I don't have any doubt where they went. And last week he was with Jessica, who still thinks Edward actually likes her", Alice said. "He's not mean, or anything. Sometimes he just doesn't get it."

"He left with Lauren Mallory yesterday?" I said trying to sound only slightly interested.

"Yeah", Alice said laughing. "But honestly, that's probably because of all that scotch, I mean come on, Lauren Mallory."

"Yeah", I said without laughing, "That's funny."

"Well anyway, let's talk about something else", Alice said walking to the swimming pool and after kicking her flip-flops off immersed her feet in the water. "Did you have fun at the party?"

"Yeah, I did actually", I said.

"You sound surprised?" Alice said splashing the water.

"I don't usually have fun at parties. I don't usually do parties in fact", I said. "But you at least seemed to have fun. You talked something about Jasper being cute", I reminded her flashing her a teasing smile.

"That's because I was drunk", Alice said blushing. It kind of surprised me. Alice didn't seem to be the kind of girl who blushed easily.

"Well I think he likes you", I said. I'd been thinking it some time. Jasper acted kind of weird around Alice anyway.

"No he doesn't", Alice said laughing.

I didn't argue with her. She would find it out on her own. Then we were both quiet. I closed my eyes and felt the sun on my face. Maybe I could get used to it. Actually I think I already had a bit. Alice kept splashing the water with her feet and it made a comforting sound.

"Alice?" I said keeping my eyes shut.

"Yes?"

"Why did you become friends with me?" I asked. It was something I had wondered for a while. "I mean, you're the rich and cool people and I'm neither of those things. So why did you decide to hang out with me?"

"Bella", Alice said turning to look at me. "We may be rich, shallow and arrogant, but we don't choose our friends like that. We don't hang out with the 'coolest' guys just because we want to fit in. If we would, we would spend all our time with Jessica, Lauren and Mike, but we're not like that. I'm not like that. I spent my time with people I care and like. Even if they dress as unfashionably as you."

I smiled at her. "I don't think you're shallow or arrogant."

"Thanks Bella", Alice said cheerfully. "So what do you want to do today?"

"Um... Homework?" I suggested. I think it was time to do something for school for a change.

"Haha, that's a good one", Alice laughed.

"I was serious. You may all be natural talents and learn everything without even opening the books, but I have to study, if I'm going to pass high school", I explained to Alice like she was a little child.

"Fine, you can do that some other time", Alice said. "Don't be boring."

Edward's PoV

When I woke up the familiar headache and nausea was the first thing I felt. Great. I was surely going to throw up soon, but I didn't have any idea in which direction the toilet was. And the light was hurting my eyes even with my eyelids closed, so there was no way I was going to open them. So I just groaned and tried to swallow the sickness, after all I was pretty much used to this.

After a while, I decided, that I had to open up my eyes. I mean, I couldn't just lay there, eyes closed the whole day. Even thought I had the feeling that most of the day was already gone. I opened my left eye slightly and then slowly opened the other eye too.

And realized I didn't have any idea where I was.

It all started to kind of get back to me, when I saw Lauren Mallory stepping into the room, wearing only a small towel that hardly covered all the critical places, her hair still wet from shower. Really? I asked myself. Lauren Mallory? How much had I drunk last night?

I had the feeling that I had screwed up somehow and it was odd. After all I hadn't done anything but drunk my head off and found myself next morning in Lauren Mallory's place.

I still didn't remember much about last night. There was one thing though, that I remembered clearly. Dancing with Bella. It was funny, how that was the only part of the evening that was clear to me, it didn't make any sense.

Lauren sat on the edge of the bed, so close to me; that I could smell the soap from her wet skin.

"Morning", Lauren said bending closer to me. "I had fun last night", she whispered in my ear and then placed her lips gently against my throat.

I rolled away from her to the other side of the bed. "Well that's nice", I said picking up my clothes from the floor. "I'm sure I had a good time too if I could just remembered any of it."

I got dressed quickly trying to ignore the excruciating headache.

"You're leaving already?" Lauren said biting her lower lip disappointed. She made a pretty picture, I had to admit. Looking all innocent and fresh, but it didn't affect me.

I had always thought that Lauren Mallory was kind of annoying; now that I had accidentally slept with her I was relieved to notice that it hadn't changed anything.

"So I guess I see you around then", I said heading to the door.

"Really?" Lauren said starting to look a bit annoyed herself. "That's it? See you around?"

"Yeah", I said frowning. "What did you expect?"

She opened her mouth and then closed it and then opened it again, clearly not knowing what to say. "We had sex together", she finally said.

"Yeah I guessed that much", I pointed out.

She just stared at me so I continued. "Honestly Lauren? It was one night, we had fun, that's it. You expected me to get on one knee and express my never-dying love to you or something like that?" I said chuckling. I didn't want to hurt her but now she was just being silly and emotional.

"No", she said a little angry, "Of course not. But something more than 'see you around'. Asking me out for example?"

"You know me Lauren", I said flashing her my most charming smile. "I'm not really like that."

"Yeah I guess not", she said, now sounding mostly just hurt. "So see you around then."

"Bye", I said silently and left.

When I got out of the house to the fresh air I felt myself kind of melancholic and didn't know exactly why. Yesterday jumping into bed with Lauren Mallory had felt much better idea that it felt now. But after all it didn't even matter. I had probably slept with half of Huntington Beach High School's female students, like Alice so nicely put it every time she was annoyed with me and wanted to show me what an asshole I was, so it wasn't a big thing. Actually I wasn't even thinking of her anymore. I was thinking of someone entirely different.

Bella Swan.

I probably felt interested about her just because she didn't seem to be interested about me at all. That was just like me. But whatever I felt for her, I would figure it all out. After all it wasn't a big thing. It wasn't.

I took my cell out of my pocket and dialed the number by heart, not even thinking about it. It took two rings before he answered.

"Hi Em, where are you?" I asked.

"Uh, just woke up", Emmett said in a rough voice. "How about you?"

"I'm just outside Lauren Mallory's house. Can you pick me up?" I asked.

"Sure. Be there in a minute", Emmett said and hung up. I sat in the sidewalk waiting for him. I really hoped that when he came he had something for the headache.

I didn't have to wait long. Emmett pulled his car up in front of me and hopped out handing me a half empty bottle.

"For the headache", he said grinning at me.

"Honestly, can you read my thoughts?" I asked taking a little gulp from the bottle. I had thought about something like painkillers but this was fine as well.

"Of course", Emmett said getting back to his car. I hopped on the passenger seat and took another small gulp from the bottle. I felt a bit better already.

"Where am I driving?" Emmett asked.

"Wherever", I sighed. "Just drive."

And so we drove. Not really paying any attention where we were going. I turned the radio on. Neither of us felt like talking, so mostly we were just quiet, I drank from the bottle a couple of more times, until I'd gotten rid of the melancholic feeling and the horrible headache.

After all, it certainly wasn't the worst way to spend a Sunday afternoon, on the passenger seat of your best friend's car, not worrying about the past and not thinking about the future because the present was just fine.

Bella's PoV

Monday at lunch break everyone was kind of silent, but it was not a surprise, it was Monday after all. Alice was reading the newest Vogue, Emmett and Rosalie were whispering into each other's ears looking almost too in love and Edward was poking his food with his fork deeply in his thoughts.

The lunch break was already ending, so we took our trays away and left for our next classes.

I and Edward had biology.

"Come on, we're almost late", I said to him when we got to the lobby.

"I don't think I'm coming", Edward said.

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"You know, it's good to skip a class every once in a while", he said to me smiling his crooked smile that still made my heart beat faster. Actually it was kind of irritating. Why my stupid heart had to be so stubborn. It just didn't seem to get it, that even if Edward was breathtakingly handsome when he smiled, I did not like him.

"Really? Not if you want to pass high school", I said.

"But yes if you want to stay sane. Too much work is not good for anyone", Edward said in a slightly amused tone, like he was mocking me. He always spoke to me like that, it was really infuriating.

"When have I ever seen you do any work?" I pointed out.

"Oh come on, don't be so boring", Edward said. "Come with me."

"No", I said. "I have to go to the class."

"No you don't actually", Edward said. "I'll show you something."

"Show me what?" I asked suspicious now.

He smiled a little and I found it harder and harder to refuse him. "Come and you'll see."

"Now you're only trying to trick me to ditch with you", I pointed out.

He winked at me. "So what if I am?"

"That's unfair."

"Why? Because I know that you'll agree?" Edward asked holding out his hand for me.

I sighed and grabbed his hand. "Yeah."

Edward flashed me a very smug smiled and pulled me with him towards the front door.

"So where are you taking me?" I asked when we were outside.

"You'll find out soon", Edward said. "Trust me."

That was the problem, I thought myself. I shouldn't.

A/N: please leave a review and tell me what you think!