The Invisible Line

by littlecat358

WRITTEN AS A O/S in 2011 for Fandom Against D/V. CONTINUED as short story in 2014. Edward and Bella, friends since high school, are very close. So close, that the line between friendship and something more is often blurred. Will they ever cross the line or will they always teeter on the edge of what could be?

4. Chapter 4

AN: Here you go. I've taken a creative liberty in this chap. If you don't know what it is, don't worry about it, it's not a big deal. Just want to cover my butt in case someone wants to point it out.

Thank you to my pre-readers, Debi, Lexie, and Mel. Super Duper thank you to my beta jayhawkbb who went over this chap many, many times for me.

With my kids on Spring Break and a bunch of other things going on I didn't have a chance to respond to reviews, but I appreciate every one.

This story is not meant to be angsty, sad, or upsetting. This is about a friendship first and foremost. These are kids discovering themselves both individually and together. They don't know everything, they don't understand everything. And this is entirely in BPOV, so there are going to be unanswered questions. Please don't think too hard about them.

Chapter 4: Five Years Ago: Senior Year

"Happy birthday to you."

Edward laughed.

"Happy birrrrrthday to you," I sang breathily.

"You need to stop."

"Happy birthday. . . Mr. . . Cullen."

Edward yanked me forward so that I fell, laughing, onto his lap. The night had been so much fun. Esme and Carlisle had rented a tent for their backyard and booked a DJ from Seattle. We invited almost one hundred people to celebrate Edward's eighteenth birthday. No alcohol, just good, old-fashioned, clean, teenage craziness. It was just after three in the morning and I was so tired that I was seeing double. Everyone had gone home and Edward's parents had long since gone to bed. It was just the two of us in the backyard. The moon was covered with clouds, leaving only the twinkling of the fairy lights to give us light.

"It's technically not my birthday anymore."

"Whatever. Statistics." I frowned. "Uh, wait. No, that's not right. What's the word?"

"Semantics?" he offered.

"Yeah. Thank you. Semantics. I'm tired." I laughed. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes. Did you?" I grinned at my friend and nodded. "Good." He slipped his arms around my waist and hugged me tightly. "Thank you, Bella."

"It wasn't just me, ya know?"

"I know, but my parents have to do stuff like this for me. You don't."

"Oh!" I jumped up. "I forgot."

"Forgot what? Where are you going?"

Without answering him, I ran inside to Carlisle's office where I had stashed my purse and pulled out the card I'd bought. When I got back to Edward, I handed it to him.

"What's this?"

"What's it look like?" I scoffed playfully. "Open it."

I bounced up and down on the balls of my feet, excited. I watched as he flipped the card over in his hands. He felt the paper, smelled it, and looked at it closely. He glanced up and smirked. He was purposely taking his time.

"Stop teasing me!" I squealed, taking a swipe at him.

Edward chuckled and finally tore open the corner, sliding his finger across the top, ripping open the envelope and pulling the card out. When he opened it, two tickets fell out. He lifted them.

"Holy shit! Really?"

Edward had a secret love affair with indie punk music. I was one of the only people who knew it. His favorite band, Black Lust, was playing a concert in Port Angeles. It had taken me weeks to track down the tickets.

"But you hate them."

"But you love them," I said, shrugging.

He narrowed his eyes. "Are you gonna go with me?"

I smiled and nodded. I really didn't like them – they were loud and violent – but I loved Edward.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like you have to invite me."

"I don't." He looked back down at the tickets. I could see just how excited he was and it made me happy, the warm fuzzies taking over my head and my heart.

"I'm glad you like them," I said quietly. Edward stood up and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, drawing me into a bear hug.

"I love them, B. Thanks." A cool breeze blew over the backyard, making me shiver. "Are you staying here tonight?"

"Yeah," I said, yawning. "I told my parents I probably would. Is that okay?"

"No, you gotta go home," Edward teased. I pushed him away. He turned around and bent down. "Come on, I'll give you ride."

"Awesome," I said, jumping up onto his back. "I'm not sure I could make it all the way inside again."

When we got to his room, Edward dumped me on his bed. He was eighteen, but his parents had made it clear that they still had rules. The door stayed open. We fell asleep within minutes, fully dressed and on top of the covers.

~TIL~

The concert wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. We had a good time, except that the guy at the front stamped our foreheads with gigantic "Under 21" stamps that glowed in the black lights. I felt like a complete tool. After the third hot guy looked at me and said "that's too bad," I found myself getting irritated "Are you that miserable?" Edward asked halfway through.

"No," I answered. "I just feel so stupid with this on my head." I jabbed my finger towards the brand.

Edward laughed. "You're jailbait anyway, B. Come on, let's go mosh." He dragged me forward into a circle of jumping, pulsing bodies. By the time it was over, we were covered in sweat and my make-up was running down my face. Edward and I laughed all the way home.

When he pulled up in front of my house, I turned to face him.

"Thank you for taking me."

"Did you have fun? Even though you hate them?"

I smiled. "Yes, I had fun. They weren't as bad as I thought."

"Good."

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"The guys are coming over to hang out. Wanna come?"

"No," I laughed, shaking my head.

"Fair enough. Go. You need a shower. You look like Robert Smith."

"Thanks a lot!" I laughed and leaned forward, rubbing my cheek against his. "Now you do, too." I opened the door of his car. "Have fun doing stupid boy stuff tomorrow!"

"Goodnight, Bella."

~TIL~

"Shhhh."

"What?"

"I said shut up!" Edward laughed. "You're gonna get us caught."

"There's nobody here." I wobbled on the beam I was crossing and felt Edward's large hand on my elbow, steadying me.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. You're drunk."

"I'm not drunk. I'm just a little ti–ipsy," I hiccupped.

"Okay, but being ti–ipsy up here probably isn't smart."

"Probably?" I laughed, finally reaching the destination platform. Edward and I had been at a party in Port Angeles. On the way back, we passed by a house that looked like it was abandoned. It had an elaborate tree house in the back yard with crude bridges between various platforms. I begged him to pull over so we could explore. He protested at first, but relented after I broke out the batting eyelashes and pouty lip.

I sat down, dangling my feet over the edge. "Come sit." I slapped my hand on the wood. Edward lowered himself down next to me. The night was beautiful, the sky clear. I leaned my head back, looking up at the stars. "How many do you think there are?" I asked.

Edward popped his gum. "I don't know. The ones we can see, billions. The ones we can't. . ."

"Trillions?"

"More."

"What's higher than trillions?" I looked over at my best friend. He wasn't looking up. He was looking at me. He shrugged. "Is that something we'll learn in calculus?"

Edward snorted. "Doubt it."

"Science then," I deduced. I closed my eyes and felt my head swoon. Edward scooted closer to me. Trying to be a brat, I moved over, only to feel a sharp pain. "Ouch. I think I got a splinter in my butt."

"Want me to take a look?" He grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

"No," I giggled.

"Oh, come on, B. Let me see your ass." He poked his finger into my ribs.

They say hindsight is 20/20. Well, that's an understatement.

"Edward!" I squealed, leaning away from him. As I felt my body slipping from the platform, it felt like the alcohol was instantaneously flushed from my body and the sobering reality of what was about to happen hit me hard. I saw the amusement in Edward's face replaced by staggering fear.

I don't remember hitting the ground or the initial pain of my bones shattering. I don't remember Edward screaming my name as he tried to get to me without falling himself. I don't remember the blood seeping out from underneath me, the EMTs trying to stabilize me, or the ambulance screaming through town as it rushed me to the ER.

~TIL~

I watched from my hospital bed as my father and Carlisle tore into Edward in the hallway. They weren't yelling. They didn't need to. I could see his sheet-white face – the expression of pain and guilt.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I heard Carlisle ask.

"You're lucky you didn't kill her!" My father scolded. "Or yourself."

Edward looked down, nodding. "I know. I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously. Do you realize how much trouble you are in?" My father turned towards me, our gazes meeting briefly before he returned his focus to Edward. Their conversation continued in muted tones so that I couldn't hear anymore. I looked down at my casted right arm. I could still smell the fresh plaster.

I tried moving my leg, which was held together by screws, and failed. I couldn't feel anything below the waist because of the pain block. When I'd first woken up, I panicked, terrified that I'd broken my back and was paralyzed. The doctor assured me, however, that it was simply to keep me comfortable.

"I'm so sorry," Edward whispered. I glanced up, meeting his green eyes, bloodshot and apologetic.

"It's okay," I said softly, trying to smile.

He sat down on the edge of my bed. "No, it's not."

"I'm fine, Edward."

"You're broken," he said sadly.

"I'm not Humpty Dumpty. They put me back together."

"Not all of you." He ghosted his hand over the left side of my body, just below my ribcage

"I didn't need that spleen anyway," I teased. Edward didn't laugh. I covered his hand with mine. "It was my fault."

"I shouldn't have taken you up there. I was sober. I should have known better."

"I wanted to go. It was really cool . . . before I fell."

"I should have caught you."

"You're not gonna catch me every time I fall," I tried to soothe.

"I can try."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Edward's nose wrinkled. "You need to brush your teeth."

"You need to get your nose out of my space," I laughed, wincing because it hurt.

Edward sat in the chair next to my hospital bed for the next two days. He slept there, he ate there, he watched TV there. Our mothers and fathers were in and out. Once my block wore off and my catheter was removed, the nurses helped me get to and from the bathroom. Edward offered, but I'd be damned if he was gonna stand there and watch me pee.

"You shouldn't put any weight on your leg for a month, Bella," the nurse warned as she prepared me to be discharged. I yawned, not taking my eyes off my mother, who was packing my stuff. "Use your crutches. Don't try to push yourself. Save that for your PT sessions."

"Don't throw those away!" I yelped as my mother lifted the bouquet of gardenias that Edward had bought for me out of their vase.

"They're half dead," my mom said, looking between me and the wilting flowers.

"Not fully dead. Put them back."

"I can get you more flowers," Edward whispered.

"I don't want any more flowers. I want those."

"They're gonna die in like a day, B."

I craned my neck around to glare at him. "And when they die, I'll throw them away. They're not dead. Please put them back." My voice cracked as I tried to hold back my unexplainable tears. Edward and my mom exchanged confused looks, but my mother put the bouquet back in the vase without any more questions. I never knew why I reacted that way. Maybe it was the drugs in my system. Maybe it was hormones. Maybe it was something else entirely, but even when those flowers died, I kept them. They hung upside down on my wall for years.

Edward pushed my wheelchair out of the hospital to my dad's waiting car. The two of them helped me into the back and Edward slid in beside me. I had to sit with my leg across his lap. I watched him as he tried to figure out where to put his hands. He finally settled on resting one hand on his own knee and the other on the back of the seat.

When we got to my house, I waited awkwardly as Edward and my dad tried to figure out how to get me out of the car. By the time they were done arguing about the best way, I'd painfully shimmied my way to the edge of the seat and stood up on my good leg, bracing myself against the car.

Edward rushed to my side and swooped me up into his arms.

"Ow," I protested.

"Sorry! Sorry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I sighed. "Just take me inside."

~TIL~

"Would you stop apologizing?"

"I can't."

"You're driving me crazy."

"You're driving me crazy, too," Rose grumbled. "It's not like you pushed her, Edward." She tilted her head. "Or did you?"

"I didn't push her," he scoffed.

"Right. So, shut the fuck up already," she said leaning back in her chair. Edward shoved her shoulder making her laugh. "Seriously, though, Eddie, stop groveling. It's not attractive in the slightest." Rose took a bite of her apple.

It had been six weeks since my fall. School was in full swing. My arm cast was off, but I still had a brace on my leg and had to use crutches.

"I have to get to practice," Rose said, tossing her core in the trash and standing up.

"Me, too," Edward added, looking at me with sad, puppy dog eyes. With my leg all busted up, I had to give up my spot on the cheerleading squad to Jessica Stanley. She wasn't very good, but our school wasn't big enough to be picky.

"She'll be good as new for basketball, loverboy," Rose assured. "See ya, sweetie." She hugged me and threw her bag over her shoulder, disappearing towards the locker room.

"I don't play basketball," Edward mumbled under his breath.

I leaned over and put my hand over his. "Go to practice. I'm going to the Homecoming Committee meeting. Come get me when you're done."

"You're my date, right?" he asked, helping me stand and handing me my crutches.

I frowned at him, my lips pursed. "Do you really have to ask that?"

"I just thought. . ."

I put my hand over his mouth. "Stop thinking. I'm fine. I may not be able to dance, but that just means we'll be on equal ground this year." I bit my lip to keep from laughing as his mouth dropped. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

I turned and felt a sharp sting to my butt.

"Brat."

~TIL~

"What happened to your leg?"

"Broke it."

"How?"

"I fell."

"Must have been some fall."

I looked up at the steely grey eyes studying me.

"I fell out of a tree house."

"Jesus. And all you did was break a leg?"

"No." I smiled and shook my head. "I ruptured my spleen, fractured two ribs, and broke my arm, too."

His eyes scanned over me. "You must be a good healer. You look good to me."

I felt my blood heat up and rush to my face. He was flirting with me. It had been a long time since anyone bothered. That's the problem with small towns. You run out of options pretty quickly because you've known everybody their whole lives. You know their bad habits and embarrassing stories. That's part of the reason I could never seriously consider dating Mike Newton. It's not that he wasn't cute. It's just I could remember when he used to pick his nose and eat his boogers. Um, yuck. Eric and Tyler still made their stupid boy comments, but they both had girlfriends and I wasn't interested in them anyway. Not enough brain cells. Edward would have made a great boyfriend, but I had to go and fall in love with him as my best friend. I didn't want to risk losing that. The new boy, Matt Dollinger, was cute with dark hair and freckles. His family had just moved to Forks from Canada because his dad was offered a job working as a manager at one of the lumber mills.

"Ms. Swan, Mr. Dollinger! Am I interrupting your conversation with my teaching?" our calculus teacher, Mr. Schroeder, called.

"No, sir," Matt answered politely. I shook my head.

"Wonderful. I'm so pleased." Mr. Schroeder turned back towards the whiteboard. Matt and I looked at each other and started snickering as quietly as possible.

When the bell rang, I put my book in my backpack and reached for my crutches.

"Let me help," Matt offered, taking my bag. "Where are you going?"

"Thanks," I said, looking up at him. "English. Mrs. Cope."

"Cool."

Matt followed me through the halls. I couldn't help but worry that he was looking at my ass. Normally, I would have been okay with it, but with my crutches, I was sure I was hobbling like a troll. Rose was waiting for me outside of class. Her eyebrow arched when she saw who I was with.

"This is me."

"Okay. Here you go." He handed over my bag.

"Thank you. What class do you have?"

"P.E."

I stared at him. P.E. was all the way back where we'd come from.

"You're a bad boy," I giggled.

He shrugged and smirked. "Sometimes. I'll see you later, Bella."

"Whoa," Rose gaped as he walked away. "New kid."

"His name's Matt."

"I know what his name is. He's still a new kid." She grabbed my bag and led the way into the classroom. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know." I answered, biting my lip as I sat down.

"Ha!" Rose snorted. "You need to work on your tells. No one's gonna believe you when you do that."

Edward suddenly flopped down next to us, startling me. "Who needs to believe what?" he asked.

"Nothing," I rushed out, glaring at Rose. She laughed and held out a hand for the piece of cinnamon gum Edward was offering.

"B?"

"No, thank you," I mumbled.

~TIL~

"Just tell Edward you want to go with Matt."

"I'm not gonna do that."

"Why?"

"Because."

She arched her eyebrow, waiting for some elaboration.

"Because I already told Edward I'd go with him."

"O-kay." She pursed her lips together.

I took a deep breath. "Because the last time I went to a dance with someone other than Edward, there was the expectation of sex. Or something. And I was only fifteen. Now I'm eighteen."

"So?"

"I'm not stupid, Rose. I know what people think. They think Edward and I are friends with benefits. They think I put out."

"Well, the way you guys act, what do you expect?"

"I don't care what they all think."

"Obviously, you do."

"No, I don't. But what if I go out with Matt and he expects me to? I'm not . . . I don't think I'm ready. When we were younger, it was okay; playing hard to get was part of the game. Now, it's foreplay."

"So you go with Edward because it's safe?"

"No!" I scoffed. "I go with Edward because he's one of my best friends and I have fun with him."

"And because it's safe."

I rolled my eyes.

"It's okay to admit, B. Honestly, I think he does the same thing."

"No, he doesn't. Guys are different."

"Yeah, they are. Good looking guys are expected to be sex gods by seventeen. You and I both know he's a virgin, but no one else does. Like you said, they think you two have been fucking like rabbits for the past two years. They don't talk about it around you for obvious reasons, but I've heard them. They're all jealous of you. Katie told them he has a monster dick and they all talk about how amazing it would be to have him; what he could do to them. That's a lot of pressure for a guy."

"I didn't think of it that way," I mumbled.

"I figured. That's what I'm here for." Rose grinned. "You two are both pretty clueless."

"Shut up."

She laughed. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I told Edward I was going with him. If Matt's worth it, he'll wait, right?"

~TIL~

"I guess I should have known," Matt said, smiling when I explained that I already had a date. "I didn't think you had a boyfriend."

"I don't. Edward's my best friend." I said. Matt looked at me skeptically. "Seriously," I insisted. "We've always gone to the dances together."

"Okay."

He didn't believe me. I knew he didn't, but what else could I say? He continued to flirt with me for the next two weeks. I flirted back. I had high hopes that maybe, after the dance, he'd ask me out. But when he showed up at Homecoming with Katie on his arm, my hopes faded. I couldn't compete with her and her . . . skills.

I wasn't the only one who noticed them. I caught Edward glancing in their direction more than once.

"Do you wish you were here with her?" I asked quietly as we swayed to the music.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"If I'd wanted to ask her, I would have," he said flatly.

"She would have had sex with you."

Edward laughed. "I know. Just like she's had sex with Tyler, Eric and about a half a dozen other guys. You think that's all I care about?"

"Ewww."

"Exactly. Besides, I like going to the dances with you."

"Why?" I asked curiously, Rose's theory bouncing around in my head. Edward sighed.

"Because I can talk to you about important things. You're not just a pair of great tits and a good lay."

I looked down at my chest wondering if he'd just complimented me or insulted me.

"You know what I mean," he said. "Your, uh, your boobs are great and I'm sure you'd be . . ." He blushed a little, making me smile. "Nevermind."

"What? You're sure I'd be what, Edward?" I knew what he meant, but this was payback for making me say what I meant when I walked in on Katie giving him a blowjob. But Edward being Edward, shy one minute and cocky as all the hell the next, he wasn't about to let me win this one. He brought me in close, his lips brushing over the shell of my ear.

"I have no doubt in my mind," he started, taking a breath, "that you would be an unforgettable lover." The second the words were out of his mouth, he let me go, waving to someone behind me. I stood there for a minute, my mouth open, my mind kind of wonky.

It was the first time I realized just how complicated our relationship was. I'd known that we could turn each other on, but that's not difficult when you're a hormone-ridden teenager. Someone touches you the right way and things tingle and ache. It happens. This was different. I was suddenly afraid of what I felt.

"You okay?" Rose asked. "You look kind of pale."

I pushed away the emotions that I didn't understand and couldn't explain.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. "Wanna dance with me?"

~TIL~

"What are you doing?" I asked Edward as I entered his kitchen on a cold, rainy Saturday morning in November.

He looked up from his laptop and grinned at me. "Hey. Uh. . ." He pushed forward some papers as I sat down across from him.

"College?" I looked through the stack. "Are you applying to all of these?"

"Yeah. I thought I should increase my chances. Why? Where are you applying?"

I shrugged, frowning. "I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it."

"You should, B. Early consideration deadlines are coming up for a lot of schools." He said it so casually. With such nonchalance. "What?"

"Don't you care where I go?" I stuck my lower lip out and sniffled, disappointment apparent. Edward stared at me, his mouth open.

"Are you on your period or something?" he asked stupidly.

My disappointment turned to anger. "Fuck you!"

"What? What did I do?"

I stood up, limping my way back out the door, unwilling to admit that I was, in fact, on my period. It didn't matter. I would have been just as upset that he hadn't talked to me about college even if I wasn't. I was barely outside before his hand wrapped around my bicep and he pulled me back. My gimpy leg made me stumble.

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever," I grumbled, trying to pull my arm away.

"Come back inside. I'll make you pancakes."

"You can't cook."

"Okay. You can make me pancakes."

I tried not to laugh when I saw his goofy grin appear.

"You're stupid."

"I know. Come back inside with me."

I pretended like I was considering it. He knew me better than that. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the house. He abandoned his applications and sat at the island, watching me as I pulled the pancake mix from the pantry and heated the griddle.

"You really haven't even thought about college yet?" he asked cautiously.

"I've thought about it," I admitted, pouring the mix onto the griddle. "But. . ."

"But what?" he asked when I didn't continue.

"But I don't want to go to college without you." I didn't look at him as I said it. He was quiet, but I heard him stand. And it didn't surprise me when I felt his arms wrap around me, drawing me into a warm hug. His breath fanned across my neck, smelling of cinnamon as usual, and I felt his lips against the shell of my ear.

"I love you, too."

I sniffled and flipped the pancakes.

"Sit down with me and we'll figure out where we're gonna go, okay?"

"Okay."

I didn't care if he was simply making concessions for the sake of my feelings. In the end, I'd encourage him to go to the school he really wanted to go to regardless of whether or not I ended up there, too. But in that moment, I just wanted him to know how much I'd miss him.

I plated up the pancakes, slathered them in butter and syrup and set them down on the table. After a few bites, I looked up to see Edward smiling at me.

"What?"

"You're totally on your period."

~TIL~

Christmas Eve, Edward, Rose and I sat in my living room in front of a crackling fire. It was dark, the twinkle of the lights on the Christmas tree the only thing illuminating the room. Edward was rubbing my leg, focusing on the tiny scars where the pins had been. Although I'd been able to walk with just a slight limp for almost a month, it still ached when the temperatures dipped.

"When do you leave for your dad's?" I asked Rose.

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"You're flying out on Christmas Day?"

She shrugged. "It was the therapist's brilliant solution to my mom and dad fighting about who gets me on Christmas. Plus, tickets are cheaper. Whatever. It's not that big of a deal."

"I'm glad my parents aren't divorced," Edward said quietly.

"Yeah, well, your parents like each other. Mine don't. It's better now that they're divorced. Before, all they did was scream at each other."

Edward and I glanced at each other awkwardly. Rose sucked her teeth and took a deep breath.

"Speaking of, it's time for me to go. Four hours is enough for my mom and her boy toy to eat and fuck, isn't it?"

"Uh. . . I guess?" I answered, unsure what else I was supposed to say. Rose's forty year-old mother had been dating a twenty-five year-old logger for about six weeks. Rose pretended she was okay with it, but we knew it grossed her out. She leaned over, hugging me and planting a kiss on Edward's cheek.

"Be good, lovers," she said, standing up.

"Merry Christmas," Edward said.

"Call me when you get to your dad's."

"I will." Rose kissed her hand, waved and then left. Edward returned his attention to my leg.

"Has she seen Jake since he's been home?"

"Yeah. She said they had sex the other night, but it wasn't the same. She said she's over him."

"Is she?"

I shrugged.

"Probably a good thing. He was bragging at the bonfire that he already has two girls he's banging regular."

I scoffed. "God, he can be such a dick. Sometimes I'm embarrassed to even be related to him."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think he's full of shit."

"It doesn't matter! Just by spouting that crap, he makes her look like a fool."

Edward's hands slid upwards over my thigh and towards my hip. "Calm down, B. Everybody knows she's had Jake pussy whipped for years. Trust me, no one thinks Rose is a fool." He curled into my side and I ran my hands through his hair. The twinkling lights were mesmerizing. I probably could have fallen asleep like that if Edward's phone hadn't startled both of us. "Hi, Mom. Yeah. I know. I'll be home in about twenty minutes. I will. Love you, too."

"You have to go?" I asked, as he hit "end call."

"Yeah. My mom sends her love and says Merry Christmas." Edward stood up and held out his hand to help me up. He grabbed all his things and I walked him to the door, but just as he was about to open it, he stopped.

"What?" I asked, confused.

He pointed towards the ceiling. I glanced up. Mistletoe.

"When did you put that up there?" I laughed.

He shrugged. "Must have been Santa Claus."

"Sure it was." I lifted myself up on my toes and pressed my palm against his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Edward." Leaning in, I pressed my lips against his cheek softly and then backed away.

"Is that all I get?" he teased. I pursed my lips and nodded. "I guess I'll have to make do then." He opened the door and then turned around again. "Merry Christmas," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Edward."

~TIL~

Pulling into the parking lot of First Beach, I squinted my eyes at the group, making out Edward and Jake. I could see the bottles in their hands and when the light flickered in the right direction, I could see the smiles on their faces. When Edward had asked me to pick him up, I'd been a little put out that I hadn't been invited to the party, but looking around, I didn't see any girls either so that made me feel better.

I picked up my phone and texted Edward.

I'm here.

It took a minute, but I saw him reach for his back pocket, pulling out his phone and then glancing in my direction. A few more words, some loud whoops, and he was jogging in my direction.

"Thanks for picking me up," he said, sliding into my passenger's seat.

"No problem. What happened to your car?"

"Transmission went out."

"Oh. So, no girls at this shindig?"

Edward laughed. "Nope."

I nodded. "Are there ever any girls?" I didn't look at him as I asked, but I saw him turn his head towards me.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I was just curious. Do you ever go out with other girls?"

Edward shrugged. "Not really interested in any of them. Why?"

"None of them?"

He shook his head.

"Are you gay?"

"What the fuck?" I glanced over at him. A horrified expression contorted his usually handsome face. "You think I'm gay?"

I shook my head. "No, not really. I mean, if you are, it's totally fine, but I . . . are you?"

"No!" he snapped. He looked back down, scowling. "Jesus Christ." He muttered a few more things, but I didn't hear what it was he was saying.

"I didn't really think you were gay, Edward," I placated. "I kinda figured after the Katie incident."

"Then why are we talking about this?"

"I was just curious," I said quietly. "Rose said there are a lot of girls who like you."

"Why don't you ever date?" he challenged. "There are a lot of guys who like you, too."

"Because I'm scared of sex," I answered honestly. Edward's mouth dropped open.

"What are you scared of?" he asked.

I shrugged lightly. "I don't know. Getting pregnant. Getting a disease. Getting a reputation like Katie's." I let a minute pass and then, "Are you afraid of sex?"

"No," he scoffed. "I just don't want to fuck some skank who's been with half my friends just to say I did. I'm waiting."

"For what? Marriage?"

"No. For someone more important." He tilted his head and smirked. "You want to volunteer?"

I snorted and shook my head.

"Didn't think so," he muttered, looking down at his hands. The tone of his voice caught my attention.

"It's not . . . I didn't mean it like that. It' just . . . that's not what we're like, Edward," I tried. "I mean, I love you, but you're my best friend. It would be weird."

He looked up and smiled. "I was kidding, B. Relax. You're right. It would be weird."

I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road heading back home. "Yeah," I agreed again needlessly. "Weird."

~TIL~

"What do you think they do together?"

Rose snickered. "In real life or in the fantasies of dozens of teenage girls?"

I turned to look at her and frowned. We were perched on a picnic table watching a bunch of the guys, including Edward, laughing and being stupid. Once a week, after school, they all went out and did . . . something. It was like their little secret society.

Rose licked her lips and leaned in to me. "I bet they grease each other's poles on the regular."

"You are so fucking gross!" I squealed, pushing her away.

"They do guy shit, Bella. They talk about pussies and tits like they actually know what to do with them. Then they fart, burp, and throw things at each other."

I laughed loudly, causing the guys to look over at us. Rose and I waved and blew kisses, mocking the little groupies who constantly followed them around hoping to be the next conquest.

Speaking of.

A sophomore named Rita approached the group.

"Well, well, well," Rose said, leaning back onto her hands. "Playing with the upper classmen. Let's see how this works out."

She smiled up at the group of seniors who were all taller than she was. I'm sure they had a pretty good view of her cleavage because she wasn't making any effort to hide it. She said something to Edward, making him smirk. Then he nodded. The exchange went on for another few minutes, but I found something else to focus on. Like . . . the kids smoking across the parking lot just beyond campus limits.

"Dude, she's like a combination of you and me," Rose laughed. "Look at them drool."

Rita had left, returning to her envious posse, and the guys were watching her go. There were a few fist bumps and back slaps and I realized that whatever had just happened was entirely focused on Edward.

"What the fuck?" The screech of a jealous girlfriend filled the air as Jessica Stanley stormed towards them. Jared had about two seconds to brace himself before she was all over his ass.

"Ugh," Rose groaned. "Jealousy's so stupid."

I turned to face her and lifted my eyebrows. Even though she and Jake were officially broken up, Rose was having a hard time letting him go completely.

"What?" she snapped. "I mean publicly. She looks like a crazy, psycho bitch doing that. If I were a guy, I'd run the other way if some chick freaked out every time I looked at another girl."

I glanced back at the group. They were all climbing in their cars to go wherever they were going. Edward peeled out of the parking lot. I sighed and stood up.

"Wanna go get a coffee?" Rose asked as we made our way to her car. My phone chimed. I looked down.

I'll call U ltr

I smiled and shoved it into my purse. "Sure. Let's go."

~TIL~

"Are you going out with Rita?" I asked as Edward was driving me home a couple weeks later.

"Uh," he hesitated, not taking his eyes off the road. "I've hung out with her. Why?"

"Just curious. You know there are rumors."

He just nodded.

"I heard Katie tell Jess that you, um, that you. . . Did you?"

"I don't know what you're asking," Edward laughed.

"Did you get caught having sex in your car?"

"No! Jesus. Who said that?"

"Everybody."

We stopped at the corner and Edward finally looked at me. "Did you have sex with Matt?"

I scoffed. "I spent, like, two seconds with Matt."

"But there were still rumors. I heard them."

"I didn't do anything with Matt. You know that. I told you I was scared of sex."

"And I told you I was waiting for someone important." He started driving again, but we didn't talk about it anymore.

The rumors went on for a few more weeks as Rita hung on him, but then suddenly it was Eric she was after.

"Teenage relationships," Rose said, shrugging when I asked if she'd heard anything. "You blink and they're over."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I guess."

~TIL~

"A big envelope is a good sign, right?"

"Open it."

"Was yours big?" I asked, fingering my sun necklace.

"Mine's very big, B, but that's beside the point."

I looked up from the envelope in my hand to see his half goofy, slightly sexy smile had made an appearance. Leave it to Edward to make me laugh when I was about to shit myself.

"Just open it."

I tore open the corner of the envelope and slid my finger across the top slowly.

"Any day now," Edward groaned.

"Shut up! I'm scared."

"Seriously? What's the worst that can happen?"

"I don't get in. That's what could happen. You'll go to Seattle and leave me here in BFW all by myself. I'll have to get a job working at the diner, marry Mike Newton, pop out a half a dozen of his booger-eating kids, and end up having to prop my sagging boobs up in the child seat of the Thriftway shopping carts like Mrs. Cope."

"BFW?"

"Bum fuck Washington."

"Open the fucking envelope, Bella," Edward demanded, laughing. I did as I was told and pulled out the papers. I read. And read. And read again. "Should I break it to Mike that you're not going to pop out his kids or do you want to do it?"

I propelled myself forward, wrapping my arms around Edward's neck and planting a kiss right on his mouth. It wasn't for very long, but it was enough to cause an awkward moment.

"I'm sorry," I said sheepishly. "I'm just excited."

"It's okay," he answered, smiling. "You're happy. I'm happy for you."

I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. I'd never before apologized for getting too affectionate. That was just part of our relationship . . . wasn't it?

"Uh. . . Hi, kids."

We both turned our heads to see my mom standing in the doorway. Jumping up, I ran over to her, waving the papers in her face and talking so fast I probably made her hair blow back. She hugged me and teared up before congratulating Edward and kissing his cheek. She looked back and forth between us, holding our hands.

"Let's go out for dinner," she said happily. "Edward, I'll call your mother. Let's go celebrate." She left the room – left us standing there. Edward put his arms over my shoulders.

"You heard her," he said, winking at me. "Let's go celebrate."

~TIL~

Senior prom is supposed to be one of those epic nights in your young life that you remember forever. I guess maybe mine was, but not in the way I'd ever thought it would be. I came down with a horrible case of strep throat and a fever of a hundred and two.

"Just go anyway," I rasped over the phone.

"By myself?"

"I'm sure you wouldn't be by yourself for long, Edward," I teased weakly.

"Shut up. I'm not going."

"You rented a tux."

"So?"

"I feel guilty."

"Why?"

"Because I know it cost a lot of money. Don't make me feel guilty, Edward. Please?" I begged.

"Fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'll go."

"Thank you. Have fun." I hung up and buried myself into my pillow.

Six hours later, as I sat in my bed, feeling like crap and looking even worse, my doorbell rang. I didn't think much about it. I was so tired and so miserable that it barely even registered.

Until my bedroom door opened.

Standing in a full tux, holding a corsage in one hand and a Styrofoam bowl in the other, was my best friend.

"What are you doing?" I cried.

He shrugged. "If my date can't go to prom, I'll bring prom to my date."

My mom and dad stood behind him, smiles on their faces.

"But I look like crap," I sniffled. Edward walked over to me and kissed the top of my head.

"You don't smell so great either, but I'm not worried about that. Here." He set the bowl down on the nightstand and reached for my hand, sliding the beautiful gardenia over my wrist.

"At least let me take a shower," I whined.

"Edward, why don't we go heat up that soup and let Bella have a moment," my mom offered. He looked at me and I gave him my best pouty face.

"Fine. Hurry up, though. We're gonna be late." He winked and hopped up, joining my mother.

"You are such a sweet guy," I heard my mom coo.

I did my best to look . . . not sick. I washed my hair and brushed my teeth. I put on a little foundation, but couldn't be bothered with much more. I put on a bra and clean underwear, but after several long minutes of staring at my fitted prom dress, I couldn't bring myself to put it on. Instead, I slipped on a long, soft cotton nightgown my mom had bought me, put the corsage on my wrist and got back into bed.

"You decent?" Edward asked, knocking on my door a few minutes later.

"As I'm gonna get," I said, pushing a strand of still-wet hair behind my ear. He opened the door and grinned at me. Walking forward, he presented me a bowl of soup on a silver platter.

"Bon appétit, ma cherie. Je t'aime beaucoup."

"I got the first part," I laughed.

"Your dinner is served."

"What about you?"

"Mine's still heating up. I'll go get it in a minute."

"You have to go get your own food? The service in this place is horrible."

"Smartass. At least you smell better."

"Gee, thanks," I laughed.

After we ate, Edward pulled out his iPod, set it in my dock and hit play.

"I know you're tired, but you have to dance with me just once to make this our official, unofficial prom."

It was true. I was exhausted and felt horrible, but he looked so cute holding out his hand. I took it and let him hold me as we danced to Lifehouse's 'You and Me.'

"Seriously, Edward. You didn't have to do this," I whispered as the music began to wind down.

"I know," he said, hugging me tightly. "But what would senior prom be without my best friend?"

A week later, Edward came down with strep throat.

~TIL~

Graduation night. Big party at the Crowley Cabin, which sat on six acres of land. Most of the kids coming were camping out on the property, but I managed to score one of the three bedrooms. I think Tyler still had a crush on me, despite the fact that he'd been dating Lauren for the last ten months.

In the tradition of graduating seniors everywhere, the music blared, the booze flowed, and pretty much everyone was hoping to get laid. Rose had brought some meathead from Port Angeles High School whose hands were all over her. Her passive-aggressive attempt to make Jake pay for . . . for just being Jake, I guess. She knew some of the photos would make it onto Facebook. He'd see them, get mad, call her and bitch her out about something completely unrelated, and then eventually he'd tell her he still loved her. It was their stupid game. They both knew they would never work, but neither one was willing to admit it.

I sat on Edward's lap, drinking a bottle of Corona as we belted out a painfully awful rendition of Hotel California. At around four in the morning, we stumbled our way over passed out bodies to the bedroom and closed out the rest of the world. Edward managed to get his boots and shirt off before falling face first onto the bed.

"Shit, I'm wasted," he groaned.

I stripped down to the bikini I was wearing under my clothes and laid down next to him. He rolled over, staring at me for a second before leaning down and sucking my lower lip into his mouth. I was so drunk, I didn't realize where we were headed. But within seconds, our tongues were entwined, pushing and pulling against one another. It felt so, so good. Until it was too much.

"Stop, stop, stop!" I whimpered, pushing at his chest. He flopped backwards.

"Yeah," he breathed. "Probably a good idea. Sorry."

I laughed. "We're so fucking drunk." Propping myself up on my elbow, I grinned at him. "Can you believe we actually graduated?"

"No, not really," he slurred. "Shit, why are your feet so cold?"

"Cold feet, warm. . . uh, I can't remember." I giggled and stuck my toes between his calves.

"Stooop," Edward whined. "B, you're killing me."

"I'm sorry. I'll be good."

Edward wrapped his arm around me. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, seeping out of his pores. Or maybe that was me.

"I love you so much, B," he mumbled.

"Me, too," I think I replied. But he didn't hear me. He was already snoring.

~TIL~

My dad stole Edward away for a huge chunk of the summer. They were working on a project in Spokane that Carlisle had arranged.

It was okay, though. Knowing that Rose was leaving to go to California for school, I wanted to spend as much time as I could with her. We had a lot of sleepovers where we did each other's nails and watched chick flicks. We even did an overnight shopping excursion to Seattle, staying in a swanky hotel and having a spa day.

"Is Edward going to be back before I have to go?" she asked as we sat in my backyard, drinking Diet Coke and eating chocolate-covered popcorn.

"I think so. He said he would."

"I hope so. I'm going to miss my sexy stranger." She waggled her eyebrows at me, making me laugh. "Seriously though, what am I gonna do without you guys?"

"You don't have to go."

Rose had been accepted to UCLA. She was accepted to four other schools, too, including UW, but her dad had begged her to give California a try.

"I know. And if I really don't like it, I'll come back, B. I know he can be a total dick, but he's my dad."

"I get it," I sighed. "I'll miss you, though."

"I'll be back for Christmas. I'll bring you back some sexy California lingerie. Maybe by then you can put it to good use."

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Is California lingerie any different than Washington lingerie?"

"Yeah. They've got, like, porn stars and shit."

I busted out laughing, spitting soda from my mouth and nose. "Oh, my God. I love you, you crazy bitch."

She flipped her hair behind her. "I know you do."

~TIL~

Just as Edward had promised, he was home before most of our friends left for school. There was a big music festival in Port Townsend and we'd agreed to meet up with most of the senior class there as an end of summer thing.

"What is that?" I gaped as he pulled up in front of my house in a huge, shiny, brand new, Ford extended cab.

"My graduation present," he answered, running his hand over the sleek, black paint. "Pretty, isn't she?"

"Oh, my God. It's gorgeous. From who? Your parents?"

"Yep." He grinned. "You want a ride?"

"Um, yeah." I ran towards the truck, but at the last minute diverted and jumped into his arms.

"I was beginning to think you weren't gonna do that," he mumbled into my hair.

"I'm glad you're home."

"Me, too," he said, setting me back down on the ground. "Are you ready?"

I nodded happily. "Yeah. Let's go."

~TIL~

AN: Just going to repeat this for people who don't like to read the top. LOL.

This story is not meant to be angsty, sad, or upsetting. This is about a friendship first and foremost. These are kids discovering themselves both individually and together. They don't know everything, they don't understand everything. And this is entirely in BPOV, so there are going to be unanswered questions. Please don't think too hard about them.