.

The next day at school, I basically spied on Edward from my locker. He stood down the hall with his brother - the big one with curly hair - and it looked like they were talking about something serious. I had to stop this - this stupid obsessive thing I had for Edward and Eddie Masen.

Suddenly he turned away from Edward, and his eyes caught mine.

"Aw crap," I muttered, jamming my whole head into my locker. I was ending it now - no more stalking - not even an inkling of a thought about Eddie Masen.

I was too chicken to see if he was still looking at me, so I was going to run for it. I pulled away from locker, slamming it shut and turned on my heel for first period - except that I rammed my face into someone's chest.

Someone being Edward's brother.

"Sorry!" I shrieked.

"Whoa," he leaned back on his heels before steadying me.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, are you?" I looked up at Edward's brother, praying my face wasn't a burgundy color.

"Ppptchyeah, I'm okay," he smiled. "I'm like a brick wall – like a top NFL linebacker - like a giant grizzly-"

"Physically, he's okay," Edward cut him off. "Mentally? ...He's always been a little eh…"

"I'm Emmett," he elbowed Edward.

"Emmett?" I frowned, knowing that Jessica had mentioned it in her list of wrong names.

"Why does everyone keep doing that?" he pouted. "It's not as weird as Jasper and no one says anything to him."

"It's not you…" I called out to him as he left us.

"Why does everyone keep doing that?" Edward asked.

"Probably because no one believed Jessica on the first day of school when she told them your names – she gave us the wrong names, like Alice was Allison…"

"What was mine?"

"Richard."

"Richard? Do I look like a Richard Cullen to you?"

"No," I replied quickly looking him over.

"You're very…" he paused and I panicked. He was staring intently at me making me nervous that he seemed like he was about to say something sweet to me – especially when I had to tell him I couldn't go to the dance.

"Do you wear colored contacts?"

"What? No!" he scowled.

"Sorry, your eyes seemed bluer today…"

"No, I wear contacts, but my eyes are green…"

"Alright," I cleared my throat. "I'll see you later."

"Later…"

I felt awful for the rest of the morning because it was obvious that the contact question made him upset. And I still had to come up with an excuse. Maybe he'll become so annoyed with me that he'll change his mind and cancel… I think that would make feel even worse.

Before lunch, I caught up with Angela and she told me about her evening with Ben.

"He didn't even mention the poster, but he liked that I had the twins' art on the wall. Can he be any sweeter?"

"Edward asked me to the dance," I blurted out.

"What? When? Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Because I've been trying to find a way out of it since yesterday when he asked me."

"Then why'd you say yes? Why don't you want to go with him?"

"The him part is what I said yes to. I can't actually go Ange. I don't know how to dance and I don't want to know how."

"Then tell him that," she suggested as I frowned at her. "Or I can push you down some stairs. Break your ankle – does that sound pleasant?"

"It sounds perfect right now," I huffed leaving her for the lunch line.

I spotted Edward easily as he stood five people ahead of me in the line, and as if he knew I was right there, he turned around and let the people in between us in front of him.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Hi." I turned into mush.

"So I was thinking," he started as I panicked. Had he been rethinking about the dance? "I feel like I'm monopolizing your lunch time, so if you want we could sit with your friends… "

"Oh… you haven't been monopolizing my time." Only just my thoughts. "You don't want to sit with your family?"

"Please don't subject me or yourself to that," he whined.

"Alright, but we might get the death stare from Ben. I think he's been trying to ask out Angela."

"Hmm maybe we could help with that?"

"What do you mean?" I asked as we paid for our food.

"You'll see, come on," he led us to my old table.

Apparently Ben and Edward were good friends because as soon as we sat down they started talking about basketball and the Chicago Bulls. Angela and I exchanged looks and ate quietly. It wasn't long before Jessica popped over to our table.

"Hey guys are you excited for the dance?"

"Nah, it's like two weeks away," Ben shook his head as Angela stared down at her lunch.

"I am," Edward cleared his throat. "I've asked Bella to go with me…"

My face burned as Jessica gaped at me.

"Oh that's… cool," Ben glanced at Angela.

"Yeah, it should be fun. You're on the dance committee right, Jess?" I urged her to speak and to stop staring.

"Yeah, it's going to be totally awesome. We're doing a throwback theme with the music like Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, and Eddie Masen. It's gonna rock," she clapped her hands in excitement.

As I noticed Angela perk up, I also saw Edward tense. He kept his head down and only spoke when Ben asked him a question throughout the rest of lunch.

"Are you okay?" I couldn't keep myself from asking.

"Yes… no," Edward turned his head at me as we walked toward bio. "The one thing I – what does – I don't … that's what she calls throwback music? Five years is throwing it back to the good ole times?"

He was really cute when he was flustered, and it was really impressive as he talked with his hands, finger quoting and carry his books at the same time. Good coordination was apparently attractive to me – I hoped that my clumsiness seemed a little endearing.

"Oh you don't like Gwen Stefani and Eddie Masen?" I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek, trying not to seem like my question was so obvious.

"Gwen Stefani is the sweetest lady in the world, but that's not the point. The point is that throwback is at least 90's. Are you kidding me? I'll never be able to take Jessica seriously ever," he huffed. "Now Gwen in No Doubt - that's throwback."

"So I need to go home and toss out some CD's then," I frowned at what he'd just said. He spoke of Gwen Stefani as if he knew her…

"No, everyone's entitled to their own opinion. I try not to judge people on their stupidity – oh I mean taste," he grinned.

"Ah I finally found it. One bad thing about you – you're a music snob."

"I'll wear that title proudly," he smirked.

Mr. Banner started the lesson before I could respond, and I spent the rest of the lesson pushing Eddie Masen out of my mind.

And I didn't think about him until Alice walked up to me in the parking lot after school. Under her dark green cardigan was a black Eddie Masen t shirt. I recognized it because Angela had the same one in her closet. It was completely discreet, but I couldn't stop staring.

"Hey Bella!" she smiled brightly at me.

"Hi... Alice..." I attempted a smile, but the shirt caught me off guard.

"Listen, so Rose and I are going shopping this weekend for the dance. Will you come with us?"

"Oh okay..."

"Awesome! See ya later!" she scampered off before I could correct myself.

Crap what just happened? Now I had to go to this stupid dance. And go shopping with Alice and Rosalie. Crap. I didn't know how to go shopping. I knew the basics - find the something you need, try it on, buy it if it fits. But this was girl shopping, and even my mom couldn't drag me off to do that. She eventually bought me stuff and forced me to wear it.

I was gonna need help.

By the time I got home, I'd narrowed it down to Jessica or my mom. I'd ask Angela, but I didn't want to rub in the fact that I had a date to the dance and she didn't. Jessica would help, but she had a big mouth, and I didn't want to endure anymore gossip. My mom... might be worse than Jessica.

Maybe I could break my leg. It wouldn't take me long to twist my ankle. No I was gonna have to go – I'd probably end up regretting it if I didn't.

"Bella?"

"Huh?" I blinked up at Dad. "What? What are you doing here this early?"

"Are you deaf? I got you a cell phone. Here's the number for it – we've got 500 minutes a month but unlimited texting..."

"Unlimited texting? Who am I going to unlimited text to?" I looked down at the table to see all the paper work spread out.

"I already put in my number and the station's, and you shouldn't be getting any of those calls, but let me know if you do..."

"Thanks Dad, this is great," I cupped the little flip phone in my hands.

"Alright well... Do you feel like cooking? I can order pizza?"

"Okay - Oh!" I remembered about the shopping trip when I saw the cash in his hand.

"Um... Is it okay if I go shopping in Port Angeles this weekend?"

"With who?" he frowned.

"Alice Cullen and her sister - the dance is coming up..." I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't ask about Edward.

"Oh Dr. Cullen' kids? They're a nice family. You thinking of going to the dance?"

"Um," I hesitated, thinking about lying. "I'd rather not go."

"But you want to go shopping for the dance?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not buying anything - I don't know. It's something girls my age do apparently..."

"Alright, you can go. Just take your phone and let me know where you are," he shrugged before pulling out his own phone to order our food.

...

The next day at school I jumped out of my skin every time a teacher looked at me. I was so paranoid and very aware of the tiny phone in my book bag. It wasn't like I would get in serious trouble for having it - everyone had a cell phone now and even texted in class. It was a silent rule that we could have our phones but they needed to be off, but that didn't keep me from panicking.

"Who is Mini Moe supposed to be?" I looked up at Ben and Angela as they skipped through their phones looking for 9957.

"I don't have the last one – what's the last four digits for that one?" Angela asked propping up her arm on the table.

I made the mistake of passing Angela a note in the hall which garnered Jessica's attention, and she was ridiculously excited as she read off my number, plugging it into her own phone. Then she did some crazy techno magic and all these strange numbers appeared on my phone.

Some of them I could figure out like Benji was Ben and Angles was Angela. Others like Hotpants, Mini Moe, and Tea Sniffer were harder to figure out.

"I think it's Lauren..."

"Sorry Bella, I give up," Ben shoved his phone into his pocket before taking a bite of his pizza.

"S'okay, thanks for helping," I sighed at my lunch. "I'm just gonna delete them."

"Sawmmfph napchins," he stood up, waving his hands with a mouthful of food.

"Pssss," Angela slid around the table and waved me over to the chair next to her.

I gave her a What! look, scooting over to the other side of the table.

"Read this," she whispered holding her phone in her lap.

The New Eddie Masen! I frowned at the small screen reading about this Bustin Jeiber kid and how he just signed exclusively with Aro - the same producer who helped Eddie Masen become a star.

"I don't want another one. I like mine now," she pouted in my ear.

"Sorry, I forgot napkins," Ben returned to the table – his face a little pink.

"Why did Jessica have you under Benji anyways?" Angela changed the subject.

I zoned out of their conversation like I used to before Edward sat with us. He wasn't here today - probably had the flu or something because the rest of his family was here. I was in big trouble if I was this depressed when he wasn't around.

I felt like that for the rest of the day until after school when I literally ran into Edward in the parking lot. He didn't look sick or wasn't dressed like it. He wasn't wearing his jeans/t-shirt ensemble but fitted black slacks and a gray pea coat.

"Edward! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," he smiled as he steadied me. "I'm glad I ran into you. How was class today?"

"The usual, you know," I shrugged, trying to not let on how extremely bored I'd been. "You look like you're feeling better..."

"Oh... yeah, um actually, I had business to take care of in Seattle," he looked down at his shoes.

"Oh… well I hope it went… well," I offered.

"It… did," he nodded.

"Good…"

"I'm sorry it sounds all really cryptic. I promise I'll explain it one day," he winced, scratching the back of his neck.

"No rush, I-"

"Why won't you answer me? This is your cell phone!" The screaming came from pocket, startling me.

"Ahh, what?"

"Why won't you answer me? I'm not going to ring forever pal!"

"Sorry!" I yelled at it. Why was it so loud? Why was this happening to me? The phone stopped ringing before I could answer it. "What the hell?"

"Is that not your phone?" Edward looked down at me, amused.

"Well it is, but I just got it yesterday and Jessica put all these numbers in and they all have weird names, and I guess she changed the ringtone too. But I don't think I know how to change it!" I panicked, feeling stupid and foolish.

"May I?" he held his hand.

I was happy to hand it over as he started mashing buttons.

"You'll get used to it eventually. Here's the ringtone menu, and you can pick one," he moved to stand next to me, showing me what he was doing. But I wasn't paying attention because I was too aware that he was leaning over my shoulder – standing way too close.

"Ringer 1 sounds good to me."

"Oh Bella, you didn't even listened to it. There're so many to choose from, you can't just pick the first one."

"You're right. This is an important decision…" I bit my lip.

"Alright, fine. Make fun of me. Get a crappy ringtone," he stuck up his nose, before grinning down at me.

"Okay. I'll work on it…"

"No, no. Take your Ringer 1. It's a great choice."

I grinned up at him, catching a steely gaze from the parking lot. "Oh… it looks like you better get going."

"Right," he looked over to see Rosalie still glaring at us. I noticed she does that a lot – glare. Specifically at me. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you…" I gape as he swiftly pulled me into a one-arm hung and kissed my forehead.

"Um…" he pulled away with wide eyes. But he turned on his heel and hurried away before saying anything else.


AN: I hate it when you read a FF update and nothing happens plot-wise, but it's 10,000 words long. Damn, I don't need a EPOV/BPOV over each exact moment from the previous chapter. Get on with it already. Geez…

Haha But I do find it annoying and I think I tend to make mine the opposite – with a lot happening in 2000 words so anyways, rant over...

Happy Holidays!

Thanks for Reading!

ps. do you guys know his secret? yes? no?