AN:- Here's another chapter for you. I'm sorry it took so long or me to update this story. I got discouraged as no one seemed to be reading it. So thank you to the one person who added it to their story alert this month. Thanks for helping me continue. Here's chapter four.

Edward Cullen

January 2009

The house was empty when I turned up that evening around six. I was pretty grateful for that. Relaxing the tension from my shoulders with a quick shake of my arms, I made a beeline for the kitchen and refrigerator. The fridge door required a little elbow grease to get it open but the cold beer on the shelf was worth it. The can of Bud cracked open with a small fizzing noise, frothing over a little and a tiny bead of beer dripped onto my finger. As was customary when I was home alone, I sat down in the leather armchair, furthest from the television, sipping at the Bud until I had finished half of it to turn on the television and watch some anime in Spanish.

"You speak Spanish now?" I froze, my knuckles growing white around the can.

"No. I just like to watch the artwork."

"Oh, ok. I didn't know you drank, Edward," Carlisle sneered, tapping his forefinger against the top of the can, "but then again, you are almost seventeen after all. One can of beer won't kill you. Mind if I join you?"

"No. Would you like me to get you a can?"

Carlisle cocked an eyebrow at me. "No. Pour me a glass of Jack on the rocks."

"Ok." I got up unsteadily, resting my Bud on the kitchen counter as I fixed him his drink. A beating was coming, I just knew it. He was never this nice or accepting. I was not allowed to drink under any condition; my mother had never liked it and he was adamant about keeping me away from alcohol, what a hypocrite he was. With my Bud in my left hand and his Jack in my right, I went back into the living room. He was seated in the armchair I had vacated watching the priest from Trinity Blood go apeshit on some other vampire with bored eyes and a cruel smirk on his face.

"This is what my son watches in his spare time?" he spat, looking up at me with a wrinkled nose, "How…" I knew the words were on his tongue but he just chose to prolong my tension. "…delightful." He took the drink from my loose hand and began sipping on it, rolling his eyes back into his head as the bitter liquid hit the back of his throat. "Go to bed, Edward, I really am not in the mood to deal with you tonight. I've had enough of adolescent fuckheads for the day."

Feeling insulted but greatly relieved, I scrambled from the room, draining my beer and binning it before heading up to turn in for the night. I knew I had just gotten lucky - very lucky - and I also knew that the chances of it happening again ranged from paper thin to zero.

January 2007

"I'm really not in the mood to deal with you today, so just go up to your room." I looked at him warily but complying with dragging steps. Once I my room, I felt hot tears running down my cheeks and broken, ragged sobs sawing in and out of my mouth. I'd gotten away. I felt my body for good measure, making sure it was all real. My knees buckled and I collapsed onto the floor, staring vacuously ahead before, decidedly, scrambling to my feet and jumping out of the window. My landing onto the arbour roof was rough and the flimsy wood shook a bit, fresh petals falling from the jostling motion. With practiced movements, I scurried down the side and landed heavily on the lawn. I looked up at my bedroom window and bolted, heading straight for Bella's.


My fist thumped away at the door for all its worth and I was about a few seconds away from screaming for her. Grumbling was heard for a while before the door was yanked out of the way. I fell into the house with the swinging motion of my fist and landed with a whoosh at Charlie's boots.

"Edward?" He righted me, dusting off my shirt. "Are you looking for Bella?" I nodded. "Well, I'm sorry son, she's not here. She went over to Angela's house for 'girl time'." He looked incredibly uncomfortable as he said this. "How about I tell her you stopped by?"

I couldn't tell him that I needed to see her, that I had to make everything ok. "Uh, sure, ok." I took off, running even further away from my house and straight over to Angela's, not even bothering to wonder whether Angela and Bella would be upset with my sudden appearance. Everything flew by in blobs as I ran, looking smeared; nothing seemed real. "I need you," I whimpered almost breathlessly to Bella, "Please." It couldn't have been much further. I turned another corner, picking up my pace, my breath burning my lungs. A mailbox marked 'Weber' caught my eye and I skidded to a stop at the end of the walk. "Bella!" I screamed, falling onto my knees and gasping for breath. I think I was hyperventilating. "I can't let her see me like this," I muttered to myself, pulling myself up to my feet and breathing heavily. "Bella!" I called, wiping furiously at my damp eyes.

"Oh my God, Edward!" I heard her scream from inside before she burst through the door, darting down the walk to me. "Tony, are you ok?" she asked frantically.

"My mum…" I whispered, those words seeming to be the only reason I could come up with. "My mum…"

"It's okay," she soothed, taking my arm and leading me into the house. I felt older than my fourteen years.

"Hey, Edward," Angela said happily, trying to lighten all of us up. I smiled crookedly at her. "We were just about to play Halo and Bella was boasting about how good you are" Bella mumbled next to me, "Well, he is." Angela and I both laughed. "So you wanna play with Bella? I don't mind watching 'cause I always get my butt whopped." She was such a nice girl and I found my mood getting lighter and brighter, things becoming a bit more solid. I looked around at Bella who smiled angelically up at me. My throat tighten and her fingers were hot on my arm.

"Sure," I grinned.

January 2009

I wasn't about to go running to Bella tonight but I still needed the contact. Fishing my laptop from beneath my bed, I booted p and signed in on Messenger. Not even a few second after I signed in, I got an IM.

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: hey! I thought you'd never sign in. q_q

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: hey. I was jus watchin sm tv. Chillaxin.

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: kk. Kl. You looked really nice today. =)

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: you already said that this morning. Lol

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: I knw bt ima emphasizin. Lol. You should dress like that more often. It suits u not to mention sm of da things the girls were saying in da locker-room. wink, wink, nudge, nudge

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: u nt exactly givin me mre reason to dress like da again. O_O

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: for once in your life, stop being a cockblock.

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: -_-

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: I knw I said abt not getting a gf for my benefit but some of the girls genuinely like you…I'm just sayin da maybe u should giv sm of them a chance…

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: Can I confess?

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: Sure. =).

I laughed a her encouragement.

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: I don't think I want a girlfriend…

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: Why not? O_O

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: I have you. There's nothing missing in my life. Even though I have no romantic connections, I'm still complete because of you.

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: =')

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: You're crying???

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: happy tears. =')

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: =) ok. But if you want me to try dating, I don't mind…

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: Just go out with Ang once please.

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: Ang as in ANGELA WEBER??? O_O

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: yup. Lol. She's had a crush on you for the past two years. Since the Halo thing.

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: Uh…I only see her as a frend…=

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: hmmm…u cud still take her out. U knw Ben Cheney has a thing for her? Put in a gd wrd for ol' Benny-boy.

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: Nice. =)

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: I knw. =D

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: Maybe you and Ben can double with us.

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: Yeah! And we can fill Ben in so he won't feel left out or want to bash your brains in with his light saber. XD

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: -_- yeah. Lol. You know, I really should start hanign with boys. You're turning me into a pussy. =/

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: srry kid. U were born da way. :P

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: psssh..Whaeva!

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: lol. Yo, battery about to die and I'm too lazy to plug it in so I'll see you tomorrow.

Tony_ima-get-free_Cullen: kk. Night. Sweeet dreams. Love you. Bye.

Chez_Marie_à_Paris: =) nighty-night. Sweety dreams to you too. Love you too! Byebye.

'Chez_Marie_à_Paris is now offline'. I shook my head and shut down, storing it back under my bed. Bella…was something. I'd never been confused about Bella before but now I was. The lines of our friendship weren't blurring, no, not at all but the lines that kept my secrets at bay were. I wanted to tell her; everything. She was the only one who deserved to know that truth. I just wanted to know how she'd react to it. With a sigh, I rolled off the bed and stripped down to my boxer briefs, shuffling over to the full length mirror to look at what I'd become. Slowly, one by one, I felt my piercing; was I any better for hurting myself? Even if it was for her? Was I right for letting her hurt herself when she was already so beautiful? I was suppose to be her guardian angel, there to take away the pain, not help it along.

"Chez Marie à Paris," I said sadly, "mais chez moi à Marie. Je t'ai adoré hier. Je t'adore aujoud'hui, Je t'adorerai demain." Even as I said it, I knew it wouldn't be enough to buffer the hurt of my lies.

AN: ok, I've finally updated this story. PLEASE - I beg you! - review me!!!!! Please don't make me go to an extreme length to NOT UPDATE ANY OF MY OTHER STORIES until I get a review for this!