AN: So to apologise for not updating for ages, I am going to post 3 chapters today!

Secondly more apologies I havent updated because it was my birthday, I turned 24 – horrifying I am now mid twenties, however I still feel 19 and intend on staying that way.

A big thanks to everyone for reading/adding.

Teri – you are too loyal to me! I heart you. I hope you haven't been flooded. The car park at work nearly flooded, would have been stuck here – awesome!

Lauren – you crack me up seriously. No potter cross over – hahah and if I did she would clearly be married to Ron not Harry haha. I originally wasn't going to have any smexing in here until the end but I have to give the people what they want – so I have included a little just for you but you will have to wait a couple of chapters yet :). I love the day after tomorrow, I am obsessed with storms. After seeing Twister I was going to be a Tornado chaser until I found out that we don't actually have tornados in Australia, it was the death of a dream.

TVObsessed – Small towns always have the best secrets (insert evil smirk)

Jess- as always I heart you – you rock my world.

Ok, I have a few chapters to post, so I will stop blabbering on.

Disclaimer – Don't own Twilight or its characters.


Ch 4 – Family

family
noun, adjective

Two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place.Lineage, especially distinguished lineage.A group of like things; a class.A group of individuals derived from a common stock: the family of human beings.

I completely avoided Edward all day at school which to be honest wasn't difficult, he didn't come into the staff room for lunch and I spent most of the day with Carlisle. At lunch as I read over the book list that I would be teaching I realise that I have read most of the books but I decide to go to Black Books and see if I could buy my own copies.

I am waiting for the last classes to finish so that Carlisle could show me to the classroom that will be mine. As we entered the room panic fills my body, my blood runs cold and a light sweat covers my skin. The realisation hits me like a sledgehammer, that tomorrow I will be teaching high school students, on my own. I can't do this. I fully intend to jump in my car and drive back to New York. I know that there is a fair possibility that I wouldn't make it that far but I would try none the less.

Carlisle left me to become acquainted with the room; I am flipping through some of the kids assignments when the door being opened startles me.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss. I left my homework here, is it ok if I come in a get it?" A bright faced girl with a soft smile is standing stunned at the door way.

"Of course." I smile.

"Are you our new teacher?" She asks picking up her homework and walking towards me.

"Yes, I am. My name is Bella."

"I'm Jane." She smiles brightly. "We are all really looking forward to having you start. We heard that you were young, our last teacher was ancient." I can't help but giggle at her.

"I am looking forward to starting too" As the words left my lips they didn't feel as much like a lie as I had expected.

"I know that it is after hours and that technically you haven't started yet but do you think you would be able to have a look over this for me?" She hands me a sheet of paper with a section of poetry on it that I recognise, Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. I take the paper from her, underneath the poem is her contention for an essay. "I am not sure whether I am reading more into this than necessary."

I read her contention and it is actually very, very good.

"Jane, English isn't like Maths and Science where there is only one right answer. English is all about peoples perceptions and as every single person is different, they see things through different eyes and hear them through different ears and ultimately write with different hands. I think that what you are proposing is excellent and I can't wait to read the finished product." A smile illuminates her face and I am instantly reminded of why I chose this profession all those years ago. I also decided in that moment that I would stay here in Forks.

"Thank you so much Miss Bella. See you tomorrow." She waves as she walks back out into the corridor.

As I pull up to Black Books, I spot a car leaving that is all to familiar, I contemplate ducking so that he wouldn't see me but decide that I am an adult and will act like one, so I look straight ahead and pretend not to see him, a far more mature approach. I can already see Jake smirking through the window as I cross the street.

"Wow, you look really sick." He teases holding the door open for me.

"Don't start, I know he is your friend but it was the worst date ever." I say slumping into one of the chairs. I am not sure what makes me feel so comfortable with Jake, I have never felt this comfortable with anyone. It feels like I have known him my entire life, speaking with him like this is as natural as breathing.

"I thought you said it wasn't a date." He calls over the coffee machine.

"It wasn't!" I shout back. I watch the passing cars as I wait for Jake.

"So tell me, what was so bad about the date that millions of women would die to be on." He hands me a cup and sits opposite me

"I'm sure you already heard all about it." I reply smugly taking a sip, god damn he makes a good coffee.

"Yes I did hear about it but Edward didn't say anything about it being the worst date ever."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, he was hoping to go out with you again, he was really disappointed that you got sick."

"Are you kidding me? Jake, I nearly died of boredom, he said a total of 25 words for the entire night and I had to pry them out of him with my bare hands. It was frustrating and exhausting and painful." Jakes laughter fills the room, "it's so not funny, if you knew he was like that why didn't you warn me, as your new number one customer it was your duty to protect me." Jake continues laughing.

"Firstly, coming once, doesn't quantify being my number one customer, you have to come at least twice a week. Secondly, he isn't like that around me. He talks all the time and is full of life. Thirdly, it's way funnier this way." I reach across the table and slap him on the arm. "It honestly can't have been that bad."

"I can't even explain it. I am sure there are plenty of women out there that would love to go out to dinner with Edward and just stare at him and they would be happy, but that is not enough for me. Not that it was a date or that I am looking for a relationship," I quickly clarify. "I need my friends to have personality too. Like you. See I am trying out this new thing, new town, new Bella. All my friends back home were like Edward, they were beautiful and boring and false, now I want to surround myself with great people, people like you for example."

"Well I am honoured." He mocks.

"I'm not kidding Jake, I know more about you than I did people I had known for 4 years. I need these kinds of friendships in my life. And I now I have lost my shit and freaked you out."

"You haven't freaked me out, I think that by the sounds of it you do need good people in your life now and trust me when I say that Edward is one of those people, he is just shy and takes a while to warm up. Maybe you should give him another chance. Maybe there is something more there between you than you realise."

"Jake, there is not and can not be anything there, I meant what I said about being unavailable." Jake just raises his eyebrow at me.

"So let's change the subject, you have your first day of school tomorrow, that must be exciting for you."

"Or terrifying."

"But you were teaching in Phoenix, it will be the same here just different faces."

"Yeah." If only that were remotely true, I really wanted to tell Jake the truth, get my anxieties out in the open but it just isn't something that I can do.

"You don't sound overly thrilled to be starting." He states taking my empty cup to the sink.

"I felt way worse this morning, I even felt like packing up and running to New York but then I met this girl Jane who is going to be one of my students and she is so smart and so sweet that it changed my mind, I'm still scared though."

"Bella, I don't know much about the kids back at your old school but the kids here are great kids, very down to earth and take school seriously. I guess they realise that if they want out of Forks they need school to do it."

"Yeah I guess."

"What's in New York?" Shit, shit, shit, crap, shit.

"New York?"

"Yeah you said that you were thinking about going to New York."

"Umm, a good friend of mine teachers there, I was originally going to go there."

"What made you choose Forks over New York, they couldn't be more different." I really hate lying to Jake, he seems so honest and open, it's the equivalent of blaspheming in a church.

"Dunno really, I guess I just let fate decide. I heard from Carlisle about the job here first so that's what made my decision." Every time I speak I am waiting for a big light to flash above my hear saying, Liar! Liar! Liar!

"I'm glad you came here, I don't think you would have liked New York, the people there are stuck up and don't care about each other. That doesn't suit you." I can't help but laugh.

"I think you might be right." And the more time I spend in Forks the more I am begging to think that Jake is right, and the less I miss my old life.

Jake helps me get the books I need and this time I make him let me pay.

"Hey Bells," No one has ever called me that before I must say that I really like it. "Just promise me one thing. Promise me you will give him a chance." I turn and open the door before looking back at him over my shoulder.

"I'll think about it."


My first few days of teaching were actually great, I am really glad that I stayed. The kids are just brilliant, so smart, well behaved, awesome. I actually left the classes smiling. I am on my way to Carlisle's to meet his kids, Emmett and Alice. I am actually looking forward to meeting more people, so far everyone I have met, with the exception of Edward, have been really warm and inviting, with a father like Carlisle I would think they would be no different.

Carlisles house is amazing; it is out off town a little and completely hidden from the road, the drive is so long that I actually thought that I had gotten lost. It is one of those ultra-modern lake houses where everything is glass and open. Simply stunning. I ring the doorbell and shift my weight nervously from one foot to the other. I didn't know what to bring so I grabbed a bottle of wine and some flowers.

The door swings open suddenly and Dolph Lundgren is standing before me.

"Hey you must be Bella, I'm Emmett." His voice is as loud as his body is big. I have never seen anything like it before. I thought Jake was big but this guy makes Jake look pre-pubescent, he has muscles on muscles on muscles, his neck is the size of a tree trunk and while he probably isn't as tall as Jake he looks about 10 feet tall. He is however in no way threatening. Accompanying a huge grin are the most adorable set of dimples and his eyes sparkle with mischievousness.

"Hi Emmett, it's lovely to meet you, Carlisle has told me a lot about you."

"We all know a lot about you too. Come in." He motions for me to follow him through the entrance way. The inside of the house is just as stunning as the outside, it is like a museum in here, paintings and artefacts everywhere. "So Bella, how are you enjoying Forks?" He asks as we navigate to the other side of the house.

"I'm liking it so far, everyone I have met has been really great." As I finish my sentence we step into an enormous room. The kitchen is on one side and a large formal dinning on the other. There are a group of people standing in the kitchen.

"Did you hear that Eddie, she reckons that everyone she has met so far has been great." Instantly my face burns bright red.

"Emmett, don't be a jerk." A woman's voice scolded from within the group, I couldn't see her though because I couldn't take my eyes of Edward's. I felt so uncomfortable because I could feel everyone's eyes on me yet strangely I found a little solace in Edward's gaze.

"Bella!" Carlisles voice broke my connection with Edward.

"Hi Carlisle, you have a beautiful home." I compliment.

"Thank you. Bella this is my wife Esme." Esme is just as stunning as Carlisle, no wonder Emmett is so good looking. She is a petite woman, chestnut coloured hair, bright green eyes and a very warm smile.

"Bella, it is lovely to meet you, I have heard a lot about you from Carlisle and Edward."

"Thank you very much for having me in your home. These are for you." I hand Esme the wine and flowers.

"Thank you but you didn't have to do that. Emmett take these for me." Esme hands Emmett the gifts.

"Holy shit! How did you afford this on a teacher's wage?" Emmett asks staring at the bottle of wine. Shit I really need to be more careful about things like that.

"God, could you be ruder?" A drop dead gorgeous blonde says pushing Emmett aside. "Hi, I'm Rosalie, the buffoon's fiancée." I smile warmly at Rosalie. She has that don't talk to me until I talk to you look about her. She is tall; I'd say 5foot 11 or so, long wavy blonde hair, very curvy body and big pouty lips, basically every 14year old boys wet dream.

"Hi I'm Alice." A tiny little girl moves up next to Rosalie and stands beside her father. She looks remarkably like Emmett yet completely different at the same time. They have the same eyes and hair colour but she looks more like Carlisle than Emmett does. "And this is Jasper" Attached to her hand is one of the best looking men I have ever seen and that is saying a lot considering 4 of the best looking men in the world are standing before me. Just by looking at Jasper you can see he is an incredibly cool guy, kind of like Patrick Verona in 10 things I hate about you, very Kelly Slater-esk.

He has longish blonde hair, slightly curled at the end, vivid blue eyes, chiselled jaw and an incredible smile. How can this many good looking people be contained in one house. The group dissipates a little as Esme and Rosalie go back into the kitchen.

"So Bella, how have your first few days been?" Carlisle asks.

"Really great, the kids are incredible, so insightful and imaginative. For example one of the students Jane, is going to be taking a selection of Poe's works and illustrating evidence of Poe's psychosis. I mean she is 14, incredible."

"Yes Jane is one of our most gifted students." Carlisle agrees "She is just as gifted with music, isn't she Edward?" Edward simply nods. What is Jake talking about, even here with this family he is still an awkward mute.

Dinner was incredible, I learnt all about the Cullen family. Esme is an Interior Decorator, Emmett is a Lawyer and his fiancée Rosalie owns a boutique clothing store in Port Angeles. Alice is a Wedding Planner and Jasper is a Fireman. They are a great family, so much love for each other, and a concept that is foreign to me. Emmett poured me two huge glasses of wine with dinner and upon Alice's instance I decided to have a few more drinks and

leaving my car here.

After dinner we retreat to a lounge type area that looks out over the pool and then the creek down at the bottom of the property. Carlisle and Esme excused themselves for the evening leaving the "kids to play" as Carlisle put it.

"Why are you here?" Emmett asks bluntly.

"Em!" Rose and Alice both scold.

"What? Everyone is wondering it."

"Bella, I apologise for Emmett he is what is commonly known as an idiot. He was born without the sensor between his brain and mouth." Alice apologises.

"No it's ok, I'm not offended. I guess my life had become stale and I had lost my passion. I wanted a fresh start." Although that isn't the actual reason I am here, there is still a great amount of truth in it.

"Damn it!" Emmett cussed handing a $20 to Jasper.

"They bet on why you were here. Emmett thought that it was a break up or divorce that drove you here." Rosalie clarified, I laughed. I like Emmett, he is exactly the kind of person that I need to be around, loud, silly and straight to the point.

"You're not offended?" Edward asks genuinely shocked.

"No, not at all. I actually find it amusing. What else did you guys bet on?" The look and Jasper and Emmett's face is priceless.

"Emmett bet me that you would be blonde." Jasper admits.

"What made you think I was blonde?" As soon as Emmett started answering I regretted asking.

"The fact that Edward seems so taken by you, I thought he preferred blondes. Guess I was wrong." Again I burn a brilliant a red.

"Wow, that censor really is missing." I say which makes everyone laugh. Back at home if you asked my friends to describe me in three words, funny wouldn't come up once. Even if they had 50 words, it still wouldn't come up.

"We also bet that you weren't actually sick the other night." Luckily my face still red from the previous comment. "So were you?" Emmett asks. I quickly glance at Edward, I might find him morosely boring but I don't want to humiliate him in front of his family members.

"Yes, I was actually sick." I clarify.

"That's 3 from 3." Jasper celebrates receiving another $20 from Emmett.

"Wow Emmett, you were really wrong about me, huh? Is that all you bet on?"

"For now." He said cheekily, handing me a drink with a whole lot of vodka in it.

For the next few hours, drinks and questions were thrown at me, the drunker I got the harder it was to answer the questions whilst maintaining my story. The best defence is offence, I ask every question I could think of, to keep the focus off me. Edward even spoke a couple of times.

"Jesus, it's 3am." Rosalie yells from behind the bar. "Em we gotta get to bed, I have to be at the store by 9 tomorrow. Bella it was great meeting you, we should organise to go out next week."

"Bella, you're alright, I think we are going to be seeing a lot more of you." Emmett then high fived me, stood and attempted a terrible moonwalk over to where Rosalie was waiting for him.

"I think we are off too." Alice announces as her and Jasper stand. "Bella, there is a spare room for you here or Edward could drive you home." Alice offers. The thought or being in awkward silence with Edward was far more appealing than the awkwardness of having breakfast with my boss in his dressing gown.

"You sure you don't mind taking me home Edward?" I ask, Alice and Jasper have already left the room so it is just the two of us left.

"No, that's fine." I follow Edward out to the garage and we get in his car, I am way too drunk. I should have controlled myself a little more, especially in front of my new boss.

"I absolutely adore your family." I compliment Edward as he pulls out onto the highway.

Silence.

In fact silence all the way to my house.

"Do you need your car tomorrow morning?" He asks as he parks in the drive.

"No, not really."

"Is it ok if I bring it back when I come to Sam and Emily's bbq?"

"You're going to that too?" I blurt out.

"Of course."

"Great! Thanks for the lift; I guess I will be seeing you tomorrow then."


AN: Thanks again for reading – please review let me know what you think?

I know some of you are going to be hating on my version of Edward but this is how he is to me…this is why I team Jacob/Jasper/Emmett/Charlie haha (im indecisive). For me Edward is so awkward and socially inept where as Jacob is the shit, he is warm and funny – haha. But before you all attack me with pitch forks, he wont be this awkward for ever.

Cheers
Court
xox