The weekend passed slowly, uneventfully. I was still down about Edward's bizarre behaviour, but when Jake came over, he helped cheer me up by taking me to a movie and then staying at my house for a few hours on Sunday.

I couldn't get Edward Cullen out of my head.

I found I was obsessing frequently over his behaviour and wondered if he ignored everyone like that. When I dreamt, I found that mauve eyes were staring at me feverishly, and I woke up panting, unable to remove the image of the intense irises from behind my own lids.

I didn't tell Jake this, because frankly, he wouldn't understand. He would start to fear that he was losing me to Edward, which was not the case. So I spent all weekend simmering in my thoughts, even when I was with Jake, waiting for Monday. It was exquisite torture.

When I got to Biology on Monday morning, Mr Banner was already there, setting up his books and equipment. Today he was showing us a practice experiment that we would do tomorrow.

I headed to my desk and sat down, wanting to be seated and ready when Edward walked through the door.

I pulled out my iPod and plugged it in, reminiscent of Edward Cullen's first day at Forks High. He appeared a few seconds later, walking slowly through the classroom, his gaze averted from mine. He slid fluidly into his seat like a panther, full of power, grace and agility.

I could see him in my peripheral vision. He seemed to be thinking hard, if his creased face was anything to go by. He was ignoring Mr Banner, as usual. Edward seemed to hold contempt for our Biology teacher, just like Alice was contemptuous of Coach Clapp.

The Cullen siblings seemed to disregard the authority figures here, treating them like a joke. I empathized. Some of the teachers who worked at Forks High were idiots.

I watched as he snapped out of whatever thoughts he was having, and started to draw with precision. I slightly tilted my head to the left to make out what it was that he was drawing with such concentration.

Everything he did interested me.

At first, I could only make out the shape of a body, which was a decidedly feminine one, with an hourglass figure and beautiful curve. Then, in front of it, he drew a table that was shaped oddly like our Biology lab table. Then he drew a head, with long black tresses of hair that fell down around the girl's shoulders, and earphones plugged out of the ears …

I snapped my head up to look at him, but he only regarded the drawing, continuing to sketch with his long, nimble fingers. I turned back to the front and watched the drawing through my peripheral vision again. A picture was beginning to form. I couldn't look away; I was captivated.

He drew almond shaped eyes, and a heart shaped face that held a dreamy expression. He drew a perfect nose and full lips that puckered out into a pout.

When he finished the drawing, he wrote a quick note on it that I couldn't read, and then slid the notebook over to me.

I gasped quietly.

The drawing was absolutely realistic. He had captured everything from the lines of my face to my hair, and the earphones plugged in my ears. He had even caught the expression in my eyes – dreamy, faraway, and longing – as I listened to the music. The detail was exquisite.

And written at the bottom, in beautiful, elegant loopy script that I couldn't believe belonged to a boy in high school –

Listening to your ipod again? Infra-Red, huh?

I hope you like the drawing.

-Edward Cullen.

I blushed deeply, from the roots of my hair to my chest. I didn't realize that he heard the song I was listening to. I hastily reached for the volume and turned it down, realizing simultaneously that he had also put a name to the song I couldn't remember.

I was also overwhelmed by the fact that he was finally talking to me. I wondered why he had changed his mind and decided to give in, and then the thought quickly crossed my mind that it didn't matter. Most likely, he had gotten sick of my relentless greetings. I blushed again involuntarily.

When I turned and smiled nervously at him, he was grinning at me. Again, I noticed the abnormal violet colour of his eyes; they were amethyst, a mix of blue and violet, like a mix of colours would turn out on a paint pallet...

I stayed mesmerized by his gaze, him looking steadily back at me, until the bell rang. I blinked and looked around; many kids were packing up and chatting, some were out the door already. I turned back to him, but the spell had been broken.

He was still looking at me, though. I trembled under his gaze, much like his first day here. The sensation was exactly the same...

"Did you like the drawing? I tried to make it as realistic as I could." Edward stated, intensity shining in his wine coloured eyes.

"Yes, thank you. Your detail was excellent. You know, you're really good at drawing."

I wasn't just heaping on the praise, I was telling him the truth. He was excellent at drawing. My words hardly covered it.

He nodded his head, arrogantly acknowledging my compliments. "I suppose. I'm Edward Cullen. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself last week, I was a bit sullen. I apologise for my rudeness, especially when you were talking to me," he explained, thoughtfully looking up at the ceiling.

"Bella Swan, and don't worry, I totally get it." I answered understandingly. My full name was Isabella, but I hated it, so to everyone I met, my name was Bella. Besides, Edward would never know.

He grinned widely, showing his teeth. They were blindingly white, and I blinked, a bit stunned by his perfection. It was like looking into the sun.

"Thank you. Nice to meet you, Bella."

"Likewise." It was much more than nice, if I was being truthful.

"What class do you have next?" I got the impression that he was vitally interested in my answer, though I had no idea why. My schedule wasn't that interesting.

"Umm, this year I have...Gym." I groaned, temporarily distracted from him. Just my luck.

I hated Gym, because I was extremely uncoordinated doing any type of sport and would probably injure myself or anyone near me.

His eyes danced with something I couldn't read. "In Building Five?"

"Yeah."

I shifted my weight uncomfortably. Why was he still talking to me? He was an Adonis, and I was uncomfortably aware that we weren't in the same league. Contrasting with last week's desire for him to say anything to me, today I wanted him to leave me alone, so that I could be pulled out of this bizarre delusion.

"My sister – adoptive sister," he corrected himself quickly. I was touched that he apparently considered Alice his blood relation. "She's in that class."

"Really?" I said it, because, hell, I knew that already, but I had to be polite.

He smiled at me like he knew what I was thinking. "Yes, really."

"Oh." I had nothing else to say, nothing interesting at least. Edward Cullen somehow had a special way of making me tongue-tied.

"I'm sure she would love to meet you," he continued smoothly. "Alice likes making new friends. She collects them, rather."

"Oh. Well, I'll have to introduce myself then," I answered. I didn't know Alice, but if she was as friendly as she supposedly was, then I was sure I could be her friend - if she was willing to reciprocate, of course.

"Good." His stare was penetrating, and I found I could hardly breathe.

"Right. Well, I better get to class," I hinted, but not really wanting to leave this enigmatic boy. He smiled a terribly handsome smile. It made my heart stutter, and I swallowed heavily. What was it about him?

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow, Bella," Edward told me. I silently nodded and gathered up my books, not being able to help taking in his clothes as I moved.

He was wearing a black sweater that clung to his body, showing off his muscled chest, and faded blue jeans. His clothes hinted at designer threads subtly. I ogled him until he picked up his own books and held them to his chest, looking at me.

I brought myself out of my stupor. Noticing these things was dangerous. I shouldn't be having these thoughts. Edward was the most gorgeous boy I had ever seen, of course, but he was untouchable.

I forced myself to meet his gaze and got lost in those strange eyes again. "Let's go to class, shall we?" I found myself saying. I wanted to stay with him as much as possible, even though I knew that was strange. I hardly knew him, and yet I didn't want to leave his side.

"Yeah. Let's go. Have fun in gym," he told me with a smirk that was almost a sneer. I held back my grimace. Edward certainly didn't need to know about my problem in abilities. His smirk grew.

Forty-five minutes later, I was panting and sitting on a bench at the side of the Gym, out of breath. I had given up after injuring two of my classmates.

After a while, Alice Cullen walked fluidly over and sat beside me. I shifted over to give her more room, and I turned to look at her. She was staring ahead intently, though, watching the basketball game.

"Hello," I said awkwardly. It was much harder starting a conversation with her than it was with him.

"Hello, Bella," she returned without looking at me. Her voice was like the ringing of church bells, and I revelled in it, savouring the immensely musical tone long after her words had drifted off into the air. There was also some remnant of an accent in her voice, but I couldn't place it.

I didn't speak and she didn't either. It was a silent few minutes of awkward.

Just when I was wondering whether I should get up and go and get changed back into my clothes, because surely the lesson was going to end soon, she spoke.

"So, what do people do for fun here, Bella?"

I snorted. Fun? In Forks? You were just as likely to find a unicorn frolicking around here.

"I guess that means there isn't much in the way of entertainment, huh?"

I half-turned and Alice was looking at me, for once her attention not on the game. I swallowed nervously. Alice and Edward both had the gift of being able to intimidate someone just by looking at them with that blue piercing gaze.

"That's an understatement," I muttered so low that I was pretty sure there was no way she could've heard me, but she seemed to. She nodded once quickly, like that confirmed whatever thoughts she was thinking.

Alice's face seemed to tighten - still absurdly beautiful - before she leaned back and sighed, closing her eyes. "Sit with us tomorrow at lunch, Bella. It would be nice to make new friends here."

"Sure." Only Jessica and Mike would be curious about my whereabouts, and honestly, who gave a damn about them? I was excited to have the opportunity to get to know more about the Cullens.

She smiled and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Then she was gone, pushing the gym doors open and daintily walking through them. With the doors open, I could clearly hear the rain pounding against the cement of the sidewalk, like the heavy beating of drums.

I was left staring after her, wondering why she had just walked out of gym class without permission before class ended, not to mention straight into the downpour of rain.

A second later the bell went.