**A/N** Hiya guys! :) Here's chapter four! I hope you guys like it:)

Disclaimer; not mine….and I blame fate

Polyvore: http :/ww w.p / cgi/set?id=40 695522

Set In Stone

Chapter four: Change is on the way

Previously

"Hey." He said.

"Hey." I repeated, smiling at him.

"Long time no talk."He said, sounding kind of, upset. It made me want to comfort him, which was an entirely new response, I wasn't like that with people, but I guess it was just because we had a lot of history.

"We talked like ten minutes ago." I said, confused. Weren't we passing notes in math?

"No I mean…since we really talked." He said, his emerald green eyes looking deep into mine.

BPOV

I sighed out loud. I know it had been a long time, five years time. So why was everything changing? Why did it feel like everything was changing?

"I know." I whispered, keep my head down. I could feel my cheeks heating up. "Why….do you think…that...is….why…..haven't we?"

I finally took my eyes off my book long enough to look up at him, he was looking at me. His mouth opened like he was going to say something but he closed it again quickly after. This happened a couple times before I started to get upset. I shoved my book roughly in my bag, leaning back from Edward and standing up to walk past him.

"Look Edward," I felt a thrill go through me as I said his name and I hated it. "If you don't want to tell me why you suddenly started hating me or whatever fine, but don't bug me about it or bring it up if you aren't even going to say anything."

I stormed away from the library. Great, now he was pushing me away from my one safe haven at school- it was my place and now he'd pretty much ruined it for me. And the worst part? I wanted to know what he would have said, for years it has been killing me….why'd he stop talking to me? What did I do wrong? I mean I understood that people grew apart, and in a way I guess we did just that but still.

When we were nine Edward started to hang out more with Emmett and less with Alice and I, and as we got older I stuck with Alice and he stuck with Emmett. I mean we were still friends then, but then high school came and we just….stopped talking. It was kind of weird because I was at his house more than my own most days and we never said more than ten words to each other. I sighed and made my way to Alice's art class and waited for her to be finished. She came out a few minutes after I got there, smiled brightly when she saw me and linked her arm with mine.

I used to be scared of Alice, I was still scared of Alice most of the time, but she was Alice. My best friend. I smiled as we walked to the office together. Principal Greene was letting Alice use one of the small offices for her party planning and stuff, so by extension- as Alice told me- it was my office as well.

We both sat at her desk as I pulled out my sandwich and started nibbling on the corners when Alice pulled out a large piece of paper. It looked like a large blue print, I swallowed my fear slightly, Alice may have been the best party planner I knew but she tended to go overboard, and even that was an understatement.

"SO," Alice smiled hugely. "These are my plans for the welcome back dance! We are having a masquerade ball!" She squealed.

Yeah, she did that a lot.

"Wow, Ali, that actually sounds really great." I smiled honestly, dances here always sucked.

I liked dances, and dancing, but I had to be with the right people and it had to be nice…not just some sleazy, half ass decked out gym event.

"You don't need to sound so shocked Bella." She laughed, teasing. "This is going to be the best dance ever!"

Alice then proceeded to use the rest of our lunch period to tell me about her plans for the dance. She wanted it to be like a fairy tale, she was going to send invitations…..like you would get at a ball….to each person's address with a ribbon on top. You had to wear a mask, and if you didn't have one, you weren't allowed inside. The most important aspect was that she planned to have it at her house. In Carlisle and Esme's ballroom…..I know, it was weird to have a ballroom in your house but I love it, next to Alice's room, the music room or the indoor pool it was my favourite.

The entire back wall was glass and there was an entrance to it outside the house, which was nice because then no one would have to walk through the house to get there, she just had to convince her parents. This wouldn't be impossible. Damn Alice and her puppy dog look. The first bell rang telling us to head to our classes when she told me to just leave my stuff in her office. Looks like I wasn't going to be using my locker much.

We said bye as I walked to biology and Alice danced her way to gym. I refused to take gym….and they ignored me. I had it next semester. I hated gym, why did you need to prove to people you were athletic? I could walk up and down three flights of stairs without getting winded. The end.

I pulled my books to my chest as I walked it. In the front row sat Tanya and Jessica doing their makeup, I rolled my eyes as I went to find a lab bench on the left side of the classroom, right next to the window and the snowy owl. Mr. Molina walked in whistling, the man was strange.

Mike walked in a few minutes later and grinned when he saw me, coming to sit next to me.

"Hiya Bella!" He smiled.

"Hi Mike." I smiled a little back at him.

"How was your summer?" he asked.

"Pretty good," I responded coolly, Mike was easy to talk to. "I went to Phoenix for a little while to visit my cousins, they just started in Seattle U with Emmett, and so we're going to get together soon."

"Cool cool." He said dipping his head. "So you wanna go out this weekend? We can go see that new movie; Love spelled backwards is love…..dumb title I know."

I hated being put on the spot, there goes easy conversation, I just didn't like Mike that way- at all.

"Gee, uh Mike I don't know…." I trailed off looked for an excuse to say now, then I remembered Alice talking about a What Not to Wear session. "I can't Alice had planned some sort of Bella Barbie fest all weekend."

"Oh, well maybe some other time then…" he said dipping his head.

"Sure." I bit my lip; I didn't want him to take that too seriously.

The final bell rang again and Edward came running in, shooting apologetic glances to Mr. Molina and he took a seat with Lee in the back of the right side.

"Alright class, I have a seating plan, so once I've said your name you can move to your seats. These seats are final and you will stay in them all semester long, so play nice."

And he started to call out pairs, Edward was my partner. I should have been mad, I should have been embarrassed or something, but I should not have felt….whatever I was feeling, happy? That couldn't be right. What had changed today that never happened over five years?

I heard his chair scraping across the floor and I looked up silently at him, smiling a bit. He was staring straight ahead with his lips pressed into a hard line, not even glancing in my direction. I put my eyes back on the table and sighed inwardly.

I guess I deserved that.

I opened up my books and looked up at the board, scribbling down some of the phases of mitosis Mr. Molina wrote on the board. I had four classes: Math, Spare, Biology and English. Edward was in all of my classes except for English….and we sat together…..in our classes, and we didn't even talk. The worst part? I didn't even know why. I felt a piece of paper slip under my hand and even though I still felt mad at him…..I smiled inwardly, just knowing that he was making an effort to talk to me.

Did you mean it? He wrote.

Mean what? I replied.

"Cullen! Swan!" Mr. Molina barked. "Can you at least pretend to pay attention?"

"Sorry Mr. Molina." I replied, dipping my head.

After his lesson was finished -I mean what teacher gives you a lesson on the first day- I discretely ripped out a piece of blank paper out of my books.

Did I mean what? What are you talking to me about? I scribbled on the paper.

I slid it towards him and he took it wordlessly, Mr. Molina was too busy focusing on whatever was on his desk.

Now isn't the time or place to talk about it.

Stop that! Stop bringing the subject and then just…stop talking. Do you have any idea what it's been like to lose your best friend? To see him nearly every day and not even say two words to him? I…..we….we made promises Edward….It's killed me not knowing why we stopped being friends, and I could honestly get past that….I just want to be Edward and Bella again….I miss you, I miss us. What's stopping us from growing back together? It's stupid. I miss you Edward, really I do. I miss my husband. I don't expect you to be the same person. I'm not even sure if I expect you to keep your promises, but I just….I miss you.

I poured my heart out into our little note.

And then I crumpled it up, creating a tight little ball in my fist, as if I could crush my words and make them disappear. I wasn't actually going to give him the note…..but it made me feel better pretending for a few minutes. The bell rang and I released the crumpled paper to get my books from under my desk.

Edward took off and I stood up to leave when I realized my crumpled ball was nowhere to be found, naturally I started freaking out. Where was the note? Did Edward take it? Would he read it? If he took it he is obviously going to read it. I scolded myself. I huffed and made it to English just in time, Alice was bouncing in her seat.

"BELLA!" Alice shouted, drawing the class's attention towards us. I glared at her while joining her table, she quieted down. "Mom and Dad said we could use the ballroom for the dance! I want to do it Saturday."

"Saturday!"I exclaimed, drawing attention again. "Ali, you are insane. That's in five days!"

"Six if you count tonight!" She beamed. "So here's what we are going to do. Tonight you're going to come over right away after school and we are going to make and deliver all the invitations. I know you have to write that speech with Edward so you can do that Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday we are going to go shopping for decorations and such and we can start decorating. You are staying for the weekend like usual….so Friday we are taking the afternoon off….I already talked to Mr. Greene so chill….and we are going to do your what not to wear session and get you all sexed up. Saturday morning we can finish the final touches and still have enough time to get dressed and ready. Oh, and your cousins can stay at our place too, we have those extra rooms. Oh! And Emmett is coming to!"

I stared at her blankly.

"Alice I only left you for an hour and a bit, how did you come up with all this? And make these connections? You've got my whole week planned, as I said, you're insane." I laughed.

"I'm actually excited." I grinned, before I shivered. "I'm becoming too much like you."

We laughed as Mr. Berty began our class, telling us we had to read Romeo and Juliet for next Wednesday. I smiled…..I had that book memorized. He dismissed us a few minutes before the bell so Alice and I made our way to her office- weird saying that- before we met Edward out at his car.

I started worrying again, did Edward read my note? He smiled at us, looking at me, when we reached his door. The backpacks were already in the back seat so when Alice climbed in I had to sit in the front again. Damn pixie.

"Hey Bella." He said smoothly, flashing me a crooked smile.

I could feel my head beating faster and my cheeks heat up.

The beginning of the car ride was slightly awkward but then Alice began babbling about the masquerade ball and I relaxed against my seat. Hearing Edwards's laughter made me smile. I felt like I could get my best friend back.

Alice and I went straight to the living room leaving the television on some news channel and muting it; Alice brought over her laptop and told me to write the invitations. I finished after ten minutes.

Welcome Back

Masquerade Ball

420 Woodcroft Ave

You are formally invited to the

Forks high school masquerade ball

The evening will be semi formal

with one special twist. Each

individual must wear a mask.

If you do not have one, your

admittance will be denied.

Ten dollars at the door per person.

Keep it classy and

See you there.

"Looks great Bell! Now let's go hand them out! We need 182, so when they're finished we leave….I have already cut the ribbon so we can add it as we go." She bounced, standing over the printer as they began to come out.

We attached the ribbon to each corner of the invitations and they looked great, they had a 'magical' – as Alice put it- background and they were printed on something a little stronger than just regular paper. It actually didn't take as long as I thought it would of to hand deliver each of the invitations. It was just quarter to seven and we met my Mom and Dad for dinner at the Cullen's house.

Alice dragged me up to her room before dinner we sat down on her bed for a few minutes.

"SOOOOOOOOO," She said drastically. "How were your classes with Edward?"

"Fine," I sighed, not wanting to think about the note.

"You really shouldn't lie….you're a horrible liar. And this is me you're talking to, come on Bella!"

"We passed notes in both of our classes." I mumbled. "And on the last one, he was really bugging me, so I basically poured my heart and soul out….not meaning to give it to him, so I crumpled it up…..and I think he read it anyway."

"You told him you loved him!" Alice gasped.

"No! Would you keep your voice down! I just said I missed him."

I looked down and Alice wrapped her tiny arms around my shoulders.

"It will be okay, now get changed it's time for dinner." She turned around and handed me a new outfit.

"Alice, its dinner with our parents, why do we need to get changed? Do you have clothes for me all week or something?" I asked her suspiciously.

"Maybe." She hummed. "But in my defence we are trying to get Edward's attention here remember? And we can't sexify you until Friday, so just…hush and do what I say."

I sighed and pulled on my new outfit. Tomorrow I was just going to show up here in my pyjamas….if she was going to change me, might as well. She tried to get me to put on some pink thing but I don't do pink…it just, doesn't work well on me; she settled for putting me in a snake print sweater dress and some blue leggings. I loved it. I sighed again…..I really was becoming too much like her.

We walked downstairs and Alice hugged Edward at the bottom, it was something they did before dinner. He was standing in some black pants and a white button up shirt, typical attire for Edward but be sure made the basics look hot. Alice danced off to the table and I faintly heard her say something about Emmett being at Seattle U by now but I was lost in two emerald green eyes. I looked into his eyes like I was locked in the eyes of a snake, he moved slowly towards me before he wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

I loved it. Like earlier with the music I felt a hum of electricity flowing through me, sparks. He smelt like an odd honey smell….mixed with something else I just couldn't place. It was intoxicating. I found myself wrapping my arms around his waist and hugging myself even closer to him, I settled my head against his chest and closed my eyes sighing, before I let him go.

Ex- friends, or non friends, or the best-friends-of-a-brothers-sister or whatever we were…..they didn't hug like that. I walked towards the table without looking back up at his face before I did something really stupid.

Throughout all of dinner I could feel everything. I felt Esme's hands on my shoulders as she walked past me. I could feel the heated blush on my cheeks. I felt the guys rumbling laughter through the floor boards. But most of all, and most importantly, I could feel the atmosphere changing, and…..I could feel Edward's eyes on me.

**A/N** Well what did you think? Leave a review?
See you guys soon :)

~Ashleigh