Disclaimer: We do not own Twilight in any shape way or form. We're not Stephenie Meyer. Nor do we own any piece of musical lyrics that may be mentioned.

Authors' Note: Happy Gin Wednesday! :D Bemylullaby here…bringing you the goods. I'm alive and I officially survived my first Vegas experience after I turned twenty-one, because let's face it…Vegas is hella boring when you're not twenty-one.

Something I wanted to address though. The question about the living arrangements and how is it possible that six people can cohabitate in a dorm together. Well this chapter describes the dorm a little more, but if any of you have ever seen Saved By The Bell: The College Years that's what I envisioned the dorm like.

With that said, let's get this Gin Wednesday kicked off!


"Getting to know you,Getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you,Getting to hope you like me."

-"Getting to Know You"

from Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I


Four days had passed since I'd arrived in La Jolla. I spent the first two settling into the door and adjusting to my surroundings. The past two were spent in class and working. Because unlike my roommates I have to work to help pay off my school tuition and to basically live. So, not only am I taking a full course load of classes but I'm working at the café on campus four day out of the week and my weekend would soon be filled with some job I needed to find.

Needless to say, things were going to get crazy. I was going to get busy.

"Dammit, Emmett! Hurry up! I have class in fifteen minutes and you've been in there for almost an hour!" Alice yelled as she banging her fists against the innocent bystander that was the bathroom door.

If there was one thing I learned in the four days I lived with the five people known as the Cullen-Hales, it was that as wonderful as their bright idea to live together was, giving them the "Jack and Jill" bathroom was stupid. Plus, Alice and Rosalie wouldn't be caught dead in the community shower area, I don't blame them.

I looked up from the book I was reading for my English class and glanced at Alice.

"Alice, you know he's just sitting in there right? He's doing it to get a rise out of you," I stated.

Alice's head whipped back.

"What?! Are you kidding me?" her eyes grew wide and she turned back to the door. "Emmett Cullen I swear to God that if you're just sitting in there I will get rid of all Rose's lingerie!"

"Little sister, it takes time to make me beautiful. Don't listen to Iz, she doesn't know what she's talking about," Emmett's voice said from behind the door.

I smiled at the mention of "Iz" my new nickname from Emmett. Apparently Bella wasn't good enough for him. Although he promised that "Iz" was just a temporary one until he gave me my German name.

"For Christ's sake Alice, just go around to the boy's room. I'm sure he didn't lock that door," Rosalie hissed quietly as she threw the covers over her head.

If there was something I learned about Rosalie Hale in the past four days it was that she…well…she wasn't a morning person, she didn't say too much either. Frankly, it almost seemed like she had some impending grudge on me.

The banging stopped and Alice turned to me.

"Come on, Bella. Let Rosalie get her beauty sleep. Operation Bathroom Take Over is in affect," Alice exclaimed pulling me off the bed and dragging me across the living area and straight to the boy's room.

She knocked a few times.

"Boys, Bella and I are coming in. Cover yourselves up," she giggled, "for Bella's sake."

She waited a few moments before throwing the door open. Jasper was sitting on his bed quietly strumming on his guitar. He smiled up at Alice when she walked through the door.

If there was one thing I learned about Jasper and Alice it was that they had this connection between each other. It was heart warming, yet I always felt like I was intruding on a moment.

"Hey Jazzy, is Emmett really just sitting in the bathroom?" Alice asked Jasper as she planted a kiss on his lips.

Jasper didn't respond. He just smirked and returned back to his guitar. Looking around the room I was really surprised at how clean and organized it was. Aren't guys supposed to be dirty and messy?

Alice stalked over to the bathroom door and paused, contemplating her next move.

"Alice, really? Do you have to do this, here?" Edward groaned from behind me.

I didn't even notice he was there. I turned around and the world stopped.

Edward Cullen.

His bronze locks were sticking up in twenty different directions, his green eyes bright and beautiful. His chest. Holy hell, the boy slept without a shirt on. His muscles flexed as he rested on his arms. What I wouldn't give to run my hands across the planes of his chest, to kiss every groove…

Bella, snap out of it! You have a boyfriend. A good boyfriend that's just as equally beautiful.

Edward Cullen.

Who am I kidding? Edward Cullen is in a league of his own.

"Bella?" he asked snapping me out of my Edward Cullen induced universe.

"Yea-what?"

"Are you okay? You spaced out there for a second," he questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine sorry. I was just thinking."

"Okay," he responded flashing me a smile. But not just any smile, that smile he gave me the first day I met him. The one where the corner of his lips curve up on the side in a crooked manner. The smile I dubbed "the crooked smile".

God, I was pathetic.

"Emmett Cullen! So help me God, I'm coming in. Cover yourself big brother!" Alice screamed as she flung the bathroom door open.

Edward chuckled, Jasper just shook his head.

"Ugh! Emmett really?" Alice spat as she stormed into the bathroom. I ran over to the doorway to see what was going on.

There was Emmett, sitting in the bathtub, fully clothed, doing his homework, and a mischievous grin on his face.

"Emmett, I have class to get ready for and you're sitting in here doing your homework! What the hell Em?" Alice yelled. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her perfectly pedicured foot tapping against the tile.

"I get inspired in here Ali, you know that," Emmett exclaimed standing up. "I feel like I do my best work in here."

He got up out of the shower and smiled down at Alice.

"So help me Emmett. Ah! Out! I have to get ready for class," Alice said as she ushered Emmett out of the bathroom slamming the door behind him.

Emmett paused for a second as he passed me.

"Morning, Iz," he boomed pulling me into a bone crushing hug.

"Morn..Emme…" I muttered against his chest.

He let go, smiled right before flinging himself on his bed.

"Well, I'll let you boys get back to what you were doing. I need to get ready for class myself," I noted as I started to walk out the room.

"Wait, Bella," Edward exclaimed.

"Yeah, Edward?" I sighed as I turned towards him.

"Your first class is English right, in the Meyer Hall? Just like the other day?"

"Yeah it is, why?"

"You want some company walking to class?" he asked.

"Um…"

"We can stop by the café and grab some coffee. I know you probably don't want to step foot in there knowing how much time you're going to spend in there, but everyone needs a coffee fix in the morning. My treat," he offered, again flashing me that crooked smile.

"Sure, um, that's, I mean, yeah, I guess so," I stuttered, "I need to leave in fif-"

"Bella! You're phone is ringing!" Rosalie yelled cutting me off. "I think it's Jacob."

I glanced over at the clock on the wall next to the doorway.

Seven o'clock.

Crap!

I looked back over at Edward. He was staring at me, running his fingers through his hair with a smile. He looked a bit disappointed at the mention of Jacob, but then again it could've been me. I just need to stop reading into it. I need to stop doing whatever it was I am doing and get over it. I have Jacob. He's all I need.

"You better go answer that, Bella," Edward chuckled.

"Fifteen minutes Cullen," I spat running across the living room. I could hear some laughter and arguing come from the boy's room. It sounded like Jasper and Emmett were picking on Edward.

I rushed to the night stand where my phone was vibrating and making noise to pick it up. Sure enough "Jake" flashed across the caller ID screen.

"Hello," I blurted out trying to catch my breath.

"Morning Bells," he chimed, "you sound out of breath, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, babe. I just ran across the dorm to answer my phone."

"Oh, I see," he said, "Are you ready for class?"

"Um, I'm just getting ready now. There was a slight issue with the bathroom this morning," I laughed.

"Oh? What happened?"

"Well, Alice needed to get ready for school and well Emmett-" I stopped.

Crap! He doesn't know about the coed dorm thing.

"Emmett?" he asked.

"Yeah, um, he, Emmett, um, you see, it's," I stuttered.

"Bella, what's going on? Who's Emmett?" he asked, his voice starting to get a little upset and angry. I could only imagine him sitting there his eyebrows scrunched, his fists clenched.

"Emmett is, well, he's Alice's brother, Rosalie's boyfriend," I answered. It was true. I wasn't lying. Just like I told myself I wasn't lying when I didn't tell him about the coed issue.

"He's there? That early in the morning Bells? I thought there were rules about that?" he asked, his voice starting raising in volume. It was getting irritated.

Great.

"There is, but Emmett and Rosalie have class together this morning," I paused, "he came by to pick her up."

I think that would work, I hoped it would work. There was no need for Jacob to know about the other half of my roommates. We had the roommate conversation the other day and I just happened to leave out the fact there were three gorgeous men living across the common room. I pretty much told him I didn't get a chance to really talk to my other roommates because they were always gone. So, Jacob only got to learn about Alice and Rosalie, my legit roommates.

"Oh…" his voice stammered as if he was trying to calm down.

Yeah that's right Jacob Black, calm down. No need to worry.

"Yeah, Emmett's a good guy. A real character," I chuckled stuffing random books and papers back into my bag.

"I'm sure," he said sarcastically. If I knew him like I thought I did, he was sitting there in his car outside of the garage. His fingers drumming along his center console and at that moment his eyes were rolling, a stupid grin on his face. What I wouldn't give to slap that stupid grin of his face. "Hey, Bella?"

"Yeah, Jacob?"

"I miss you," he whispered into the phone. His voice was heartbreaking. He was one of the hardest things to leave.

"I miss you too," I managed to choke out.

Just then my bedroom door flung up startling me.

"Bella, you ready to go?" Edward asked leaning against the door jam. His hands tucked into the pockets of his dark blue jeans, the muscles in his arms tense and contained within the fibers of cotton in his green button down shirt.

There should be a new rule. Edward Cullen should always wear green.

I just stood there admiring like a stalker when she first laid eyes on her big brother's high school friends. I didn't even realize Jacob calling my name.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" his voice rang through the phone receiver, echoing through my head.

"What, oh sorry, Jake. What were you saying?" I mumbled into the phone trying to regain any composure that I could muster up.

"Who is that?"

"Oh that's, that's just…" I paused.

What was I supposed to do?

I covered myself very nicely over the Emmett slip up and I couldn't very well use Emmett as the excuse again. He was supposed to be meeting Rosalie, not me.

Could I do it?

Should I do it?

Should I just tell him the truth? Tell him that while I wasn't lying to him, I wasn't being exactly truthful.

Could I tell him that all his concerns of me meeting some California boy to frolic into the sunset with would be heightened because I was living in a coed dorm? Not to mention the jealous tone he got when Edward was mentioned that first day. How would Jacob feel when he found out that Edward Cullen and all his bronze hair, green eyes, crooked smile glory was sleeping just across the room from me?

I couldn't do it.

I can't do that to him.

"Nothing, listen Jacob I've got to get going," I said looking up at Edward who was still leaning against my door jam. A mischievous smile appeared on my face as my eyes trailed down his body. When our eyes met a smirk appeared on his face.

I was caught.

Caught ogling the goods. But what was I supposed to do? Innocently turn away as he licked his lips, smiled, then ran his hands through his hair all while managing to make my heart stop.

I think not.

"Um, I guess. Is everything okay, Bella?" Jacob asked his voice a little shaky, "I mean you sound a little out of it."

"Yeah, I'm fine, really. I'm just trying to adjust to everything. I'm starting to get into the groove of my classes then with working at the café on campus," I muttered rolling my eyes.

"Oh well I honestly think there's something wrong with, with this Emmett being at your place so damned early, Bells," Jacob huffed a little bit more irritated.

This again? Why won't he just drop it?

"It's fine, it's not a problem. I don't care," I said getting a little defensive, my voice raising.

"God dammit, Bella! First Alice this morning, now you! Can't a girl get some sleep around here?" Rosalie yelled as she hobbled out of bed pulling her blankets around her body. "I'm going to sleep with Emmett."

She huffed out of the room pushing Edward out of the way.

"Touchy," Edward chuckled.

I laughed.

"Listen, Jake, I've got to get going," I paused almost about to say 'Edward', "People are waiting for me."

"Oh," his voice sounded disappointed, "okay I guess. Call me later?"

"Of course. I'll text you if I can."

"Alright," he paused taking a deep breath, "I love you, Bella. God do I love you. I feel lost without you and it's only been a few days. Bella-"

"Jake please don't make this harder then it already is," I glanced over at Edward who was still waiting patiently at my door. Looking gorgeous as ever, "I love you, Jacob Black"

"I'll talk to you later, bye," he whispered.

"Bye."

I hung the phone up. It was hard to be away from him. It was hard to wake up in the morning and not see his smiling face to not hear his voice.

I looked up at Edward. I noticed his eyes were bright and comforting.

"Everything okay, Bella?" he inquired taking a step forward towards me.

"Um, yeah," I sighed picking up my bag.

"You sure?" one more step closer to me, his body flush up against mine. "I'm here if you need to talk. We're friends, right?"

His hand ran up and down my arm in a comforting manner.

Friends.

Friends talked. Friends made friends feel better when they were down. Friends didn't fantasize about each other.

Wait what? Where did that come from?

"Friends," I sighed.

"Come on, Bella, let's get you that coffee. You seem like you could use it," he said throwing his arm around my shoulder pulling me close to his body. The smell of his scent filled my senses. The feeling of his body next to mine was comforting.

Without thinking I rested my head on his shoulder.

"You miss him, don't you," he whispered as he navigated us out of the dorm and down the hallway, "I can tell."

"Yeah I do. It's hard, you know? He's my best friend. I grew up with him. Life with Jacob is all I know," I sighed, "That and my dad. I'm really worried about him."

"Wow you two seem really close. That's amazing," he replied with a heavy sigh. Almost like he felt defeated.

Defeated.

Why would he feel defeated?

Don't read too much into it, Bella. It's nothing.

"Listen, let's not talk about it anymore," Edward demanded, his voice happier, "Chin up and smile. There's no room in this party for a grumpy Bella."

"Alright, no grumpy Bella here today," I chuckled lifting my head off his shoulder.

I looked over at him and he smiled, the crooked smile.

"You know what I said about earlier about being here if you need to talk? It's true, I'm here, Bella. I'm not sure how much advice I can give you on being separated from your best friend, but I've always been told I'm good listener," he smirked.

"Oh shush!" I exclaimed giving him a playful slap on the arm.

"You love it," he smiled, "Come on, Bella Swan. You need some morning java. What's your poison?"

"White Chocolate Mocha, extra shot, extra white chocolate, low fat milk," I said with a smile.

"Done deal. White Chocolate Mocha with an extra kick of everything and low fat moo juice."

Step.

Step.

Step.

God damned stairs!

My feet hurt, my back hurt, my head hurt and for some weird reason my heart hurt. I had a brief conversation with Jacob at lunch. He brought up the Emmett situation again and again I defended it. I wasn't ready to tell him the truth. I just kept telling myself, I'm not lying, I'm just not telling him everything.

Horrible?

Yeah I know, but there was just something he didn't need to know. It's like they say "what momma doesn't know won't hurt her".

I stopped in front of my door, unlocking it. I pushed the door open with my foot and stepped into the room. The soft glow of the TV lit up the room. I could make out a figure sitting on the couch, but I couldn't quick figure out who it was.

"Hello?" I called out.

The figure turned around and I saw him. The colors of the TV bounced off his skin lighting up his face.

Edward Cullen.

"Bella, you're home."

"I am. Where is everybody?"

"Well…" his voiced trailed and he turned his attention to the TV again.

Okay.

I walked toward my bedroom door.

"It's locked," Edward's voice stated just as I put my hand on the doorknob.

I gave it a quick turn. Sure enough, locked.

"How'd you-"

"Jasper and Alice," he sighed then glanced over at the shut door to his room, "Emmett and Rosalie."

"Oh…" I exclaimed finally realizing what he meant.

"You're more than welcome to join me on the couch. I'll take the floor so you can sleep on the couch," he offered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Edward. The couch has a pull out right? We're both adults, we can be big kids about this," I said plopping down next to him.

"Right, it's just I don't want to make things worse between you and Jacob," he said turning to look at me.

Jacob, right.

"Don't worry about him. He's really not all that bad once you get to know him."

"I'm sure," Edward chuckled, "Oh by the way my sister left that for you. Said to make sure you got it." he pointed to a pink bag sitting on the coffee table.

Leaning over to grab it and placed it on my lap. I pulled the piece of paper that was folded up, sitting on top out first.

Bella-

Sorry for the, um inconvenience.

I told Edward he can sleep on the floor and give you the couch.

I hope you understand, I promise I'll make it up to you.

Thanks!

-Alice

I shook my head and dumped the rest of the contents out of the bag.

"Pajamas, how thoughtful," I exclaimed out loud.

"That's my sister for you," Edward laughed.

"Does it ever get annoying? Being with the four of them all the time?"

"At first it did, but I got over it. They're happy, that's all that matters. My time will come eventually."

"Got it. So what are we watching?" I asked curiously as I pulled my feet up onto the couch wrapping my arms around my knees.

"Saved By the Bell," he said glancing over at me, "before you even say a thing, it's a great show."

"Oh Edward, you surprise me every time," I chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've been living with you for four days and I realize I know nothing about you guys except for the day to day things I learn. For example, yesterday I learned that Emmett likes Count Chocula cereal," Edward started to laugh, "Hey he's your brother. Oh and the day before that I learned that Alice and Jasper take dance lessons every Monday night."

"That they do. They've been doing that for awhile."

"That's the thing I live with you guys and I know nothing about you. Except for the stupid little things."

"Oh but Bella, it's the stupid little things that let you really know who that person really is. What is that you want to know?" he asked turning the volume down on the TV.

"I don't know," I exclaimed shaking my head, "Where are you guys from? Did you guys always be friends? What's your most favorite thing in the world? What's your favorite color? Your favorite movie? Did you ever have any pets growing up?"

Edward smiled at my questions.

"Our parents were friends in college-"

"I knew that!" I exclaimed interrupting him.

"Listen to me," he pleaded his green eyes perked with interest, "they were friends in college and kept in touch over the years. After college my parents moved up to Seattle where they started their family."

"Wait, you guys are from Washington?" I exclaimed.

"Are you the one asking questions?"

"Shut up!" I exclaimed throwing a pillow at him.

"Hey now, no violence is needed. But yes, we're from Seattle. The Hales are from Texas, born and raised, well sort of. Rosalie moved here to California to go to some fancy performing arts school. Which is where she lost her southern-Texas charm." he started to explain.

"Well her senior, Alice and I's junior year the Hales moved up to Seattle. I still remember the first day it rained and Rosalie got stuck out in it. She came home livid that her brand new Louboutin boots were ruined. Serves her right," Edward scoffed, "Anyways, When Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie graduated they came down here for college, leaving Alice and I behind. Then my mother got the bright idea to move out to some small town on the coast. So, we packed up and moved out to Forks."

"Forks?!?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah Forks," he sighed, "small ass town on the Olympic Peninsula. Always raining, always. We lived on the outskirts of town, my dad drove the forty-five minutes back and forth to Port Angeles to work every day. It was horrendous."

"Forks, Washington," I breathed.

Edward Cullen was in my backyard for an entire year and I had no idea.

"You okay, Bella?"

"Edward, I grew up in La Push."

"La Push, you mean down by the Quiluete Reservation?"

"Yeah, my dad's the Chief of Police for Forks."

Edward looked confused, but then after a few seconds his face lit up.

"Holy crap, you're Chief Swan's daughter! Why the hell didn't I put two and two together?" Edward exclaimed hitting his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"No need to beat yourself up over it," I laughed, "I feel just as stupid. We lived just twenty minutes away from each other and we didn't even run into each other. Jacob and I used to go into Forks all the time. We used to spend hours at Sully's.

"That place is amazing!"

"Isn't it?"

"Wow, this really is fate. We were destined to meet each other, Bella," Edward admitted, his face lighting up with that crooked smile that made my knees week. He brought his hand to brush some hair out of my face. Slowly he his hand trailed down the side of my face, down my neck, to my shoulder. His touch gave me goose bumps.

This is wrong. I shouldn't be feeling like this. I have Jacob, Jacob is my everything.

"I guess we were," I whispered looking into his eyes.

We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. His hand occasionally brushing against my skin, his fingers twirling stray pieces of my hair. I wanted to stay like this. I just wanted to exist, here, with Edward. Now that I knew something about his family, I felt slightly more comfortable around him, not that I didn't before. It's just sometimes difficult to be thrown into the mix where you're the new girl. It was tough, but Edward made the experience less painful. We just sat and enjoyed each other's presence.

"So tell me, Bella, what's the one thing you want to do? If you had to pick one thing to do, what would it be?" Edward asked breaking the silence quickly pulling his hand away.

"Um, go backpacking through Europe," I admitted, defeated.

"Europe?"

"Europe," I stated nodding my head, "I've always wanted to visit all the sights. Go to Paris, Italy, Germany, Spain, Prague, England. All the history, the culture."

"Well Bella Swan that's one big dream you've got there."

"Well it's a dream that I don't picture coming true," I admitted.

"Don't think like that, Bella. You need to think positive," he said with a smile on his face.

"When you come from a small town where your dad's the police chief and you have to work two jobs to survive through college, backpacking through Europe is a little farfetched."

"Oh," he whispered, "I guess if you put it that way." His attention wandered back towards the TV.

"It's fine Edward, it's something that I realized would never happen. Just like the dream I have of actually watching the sunrise."

"Wait, what?" he exclaimed whipping his head towards me, "You mean to tell me you've never seen the sun rise?"

"Well, not really. I've always sat out and waited for it, but the waiting always takes too long and I end up falling asleep. You don't know how many times Jacob and I have tried to watch it."

"Well, Bella Swan if it's the last thing I do, you will see the sunrise. I know these amazing beaches down here. The cliffs are amazing, just like the ones in La Push. The view will be amazing."

"Right Edward," I scoffed rolling my eyes. Who does he think he is? "You do that. Good luck."

"I'm serious Bella. That's my mission now," he smiled, "Oh and don't give up your dream on Europe. Maybe not backpacking, cause that's a whole lot of traveling, but maybe something smaller. Paris perhaps?"

"Paris," I stated, "I guess."

"You guess? Paris, as a graduation celebration. You can save up money for the next four years and go. If that's what you want to do, you should do it."

"Alright," I chuckled.

If I did everything I wanted to do I wouldn't be sitting here on the couch. I'd be doing other things with this god-like man sitting in front of me. Things that would definitely make the relationship I have with Jacob and bit more complicated.

"God, what time is it?" Edward yawned stretching his arms out.

I glanced over to the clock on the wall.

"Two forty-five," I said not listening to what I was exactly saying, "Wait! Two forty-five?!?"

"Dang, I'm sorry Bella. I didn't realize it was so late or early," Edward chuckled.

"It's alright, Edward. I had fun with you tonight," I admitted.

It was true. I spent the past couple of hours just laughing with Edward. Talking about anything and everything under the sun. The full moon was creating a glowing light in the room.

"So did I, Bella," he smirked, "We need to stick together. Those four," he motioned to the two closed doors on either side of us, "can be pretty sickening. If we stick together we can endure it together."

"An alliance," I said, extending my hand out towards him. He smiled as placed his hand in mine.

"An alliance," he agreed, "This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

A beautiful friendship indeed, Edward.

It was in those last few seconds before drifting off to sleep I realized something. I was drawn to Edward Cullen like a moth to a flame, not only because he was beautiful. And let's be honest, he was beautiful. But I was drawn to Edward Cullen because in the few short days I'd known him he was slowly, but surely, filling the void in my life.

The void that was filled by Jacob, my best friend.

I didn't know if should be scared or happy. I didn't want to replace Jacob, there was no way I could ever replace Jacob. But there was just something about Edward that made him unique. I could have both, right?

Jacob was my boyfriend, my everything, my life. He would understand. I could have Edward in my life as my best friend. A girl needs a best friend.

I could have my cake and eat it too.

Right?

Hope you guys liked it! Next week is Katie's turn. We'll see what she has planned up her sleves. :D Maybe one these days we'll actually get to post together...maybe.

You know the drill guys...

review, review, review!

They make the world go round!