A/N: the Fourth update now, I hope you enjoy this one as we continue to step into the beginning of it all for our dear Bella and Edward. And thank you again for all the reviews! I really appreciate it!

Chapter 4- Lab Partners & Truces

April 2017

As the month went on, Bella noticed more and more how Edward would accidentally bump into her in the hallway, or sit next to her in the classes they had together. Bella tried to convince herself that it was all in her head, but in the back of her mind, she hoped. She hoped that he was trying to get close to her. She wanted nothing more than to have even just one conversation with him. But then at the front of her mind, she thought if he was getting closer to her was it because his family wanted him to? Did they want him to get close to her to hurt her and her family? She tried to push those thoughts out of her head; the hope and dread. She just wanted to have one conversation with him.

She got her chance one day in Biology.

Mr. Banner was assigning a new lab that would last for the rest of the semester but had also decided he was going to be switching lab partners for everyone. In his words, everyone had gotten too "comfortable" with one another. In other words, he was tired of the less intelligent students pairing up with the smart ones so that they had an 'easy A'.

"Alright everyone who is sitting on the left side of the lab table, please come forward to the front." Bella looked over at Jessica, her lab partner as she got up grumbling about the switch. Bella, however, was relieved; she was the one doing all the work the whole time, it would be a nice change to have someone at least put in one-third of the work that she has been doing. Mr. Banner smiled as everyone stepped forward. "Very good." He stepped forward and walked to the left of the room calling peoples names meeting them at their new assigned seat. As he approached my table he looked at the list, "Alright Isabella Swan you will be paired with… Edward Cullen."

Bella felt her heart stop in her chest as she looked over to see Edwards shocked face as well. Mr. Banner didn't notice however going on to the next table rattling off the names of the list. She had scooted her chair a little bit more to the right as Edward sat down next to her.

Mr. Banner walked up to the front of the room satisfied with the new set up. All the students who hadn't tried at all, all semester looked pissed and the ones who had were smiling to see someone who would actually challenge them. "Alright everyone, so the new lab project that we will have until the end of the semester will also be entered in the science fair in June. By the end of this week, I want you all to come up with an idea for what you want to enter into the fair. And as each week progresses I want you to develop your idea. Please read of the instructions I have laid out in front of you and begin discussing with your lab partner."

Neither Bella nor Edward moved, confirming to the other that their family fued was holding each of them back. Both of them were holding their breaths not believing the situation that they were being put in.

Bella cautiously looked to her left deciding that this was absolutely silly; they were lab partners and would need to move past this. "Okay look, I really need to get an A in this class, and I don't want what happens outside of this school to affect it." Edward had turned to her giving her a curious look. Bella held out her hand, "So I am willing to put up a truce and forget what our last names are for the sake of this class. Truce?"

Edward looked down at her hand definitely shocked by her words. Bella started to feel the nerves come back up and was about to pull her hand away when he grabbed hers causing a shock to go up to her arm. "Truce."

Bella smiled up at him. "Good. Now to properly introduce myself my name is Bella, what's yours?"

Edward laughed at her antics and played along with her, "Nice to meet you, Bella, I am Edward."

She raised her eyebrow at him, as she let go of his hand, "Just Edward? Not Ed or Eddie?"

He groaned letting his head fall down on the desk, looking over at her from the desk, "Have you been talking to my cousin?" Bella snickered shaking her head no, "No, it is just Edward, thank you for checking though."

"Glad we could clear that up. Now we need to come up with a project that is different then what anyone else is going to do. I don't do anything half-ass." Edward's eyebrows shot up to his hairline at her words. Her eyebrows furrowed at his reaction, "What?"

Edward shook his head smiling softly, "nothing, nothing it's just…I never expected to hear a swear word come out of your mouth." Bella rolled her eyes at him and he just smiled, "But I agree, no stupid volcano or battery powered potatoes. It has to be unique."

They both fell silent as they tried to come up with some ideas that they could do. "We could do something involving plants? I know that's a common topic, but we can make it different. We could study how sound effects the growth of plants? I'm not sure though that we will have enough time to follow the experiment." Bella thought out loud.

Edward smiled at her, "That's actually a really good idea. It will give us data to collect each day. We will be able to have a controlled group and experimental group. One plant will be without sound and the other two plants will be exposed to two different types of genres."

Bella was writing down everything that Edward said taking note of the genre bit. "Yeah we could have one listen to classical music and the other listen scream-o!" Edward laughed nodding along. "We will need headphones for the two plants and they have to be in the same controlled environment being exposed to the same amount of sunlight, amount of dirt and water consumption."

Edward looked at Bella admiring her thought process, she continued on, "Just in case that is not enough time for us for the plant we should come up with a few other ideas to pass by Mr. Banner."

He nodded with her tossing out another idea, " Another idea we could come up with would be studying peoples memory span and retention?"

Bella looked over at him curiously, "How so?"

Edward went on to explain how he had read one of his father's medical journals that talked about the subject. They continued on for the rest of the class discussing how they would be able to create a similar experiment in a smaller manner. Bella was beyond fascinated listening to everything he had to say about the matter bouncing ideas off of each other.

Mr. Banner glanced at the clock notching the hour was almost up, and then he looked around the classroom rolling his eyes at some of the students who had just ignored the assignment and were talking about prom. But then his eyes fell on Bella and Edward and he smiled to himself, knowing he was probably looking at the winners of the science fair. He had made a perfect match with those two. More than he knew.

"Alright everyone, the hour is almost up, by Friday I want a typed up proposal of two different experiment ideas that you are interested in doing. Please look over the packet with the instructions that I have given you all they have the layout of how both proposals will look." The bell rang and everyone began to gather their stuff as he rolled his eyes, "Class dismissed."

Bella felt sad as the bell rang out enjoying her conversation with Edward. She hadn't had a good conversation in a long time with someone who wasn't her family. She looked over at him confused by his expression, she sighed putting her books away in her bag standing up hesitantly as Edward still sat there.

"So I guess I will see you in Italian class?" Edward jumped at her words; he was deep in thought thinking up of a way to speak to her again. He enjoyed their conversation and wanted to see her again.

"Yes, of course." Bella began to turn away to head out the door, "Um, Bella?"

She turned back around looking at him curiously. "Yes, Edward?"

Edward felt his face grow red as he stuttered out the next words, "Well, um I was thinking, I mean if you are okay with it, you know if you have no other plans that we could you know meet up after school – I mean you know after you get out of practice for track and I mean I get out of baseball as well." He gulped, "What I'm trying to get out is-"

Bella put him out of his misery trying to hide her smile, "Hey Edward, do you want to meet up in the library after both of our practices to start working on our proposals?" She raised an eyebrow at him waiting for his response.

He let out the breath he had been holding smiling at her in relief, "Yeah that works me."

Bella bit her lip to hide her smile, "Sounds good, I'll see you later Edward." She waved at him and walked out of the room off to third period.

Edward dropped his head on the desk with a groan at how much he sounded like a moron in front of her. He didn't have any nerves in any other situation even when on the other end of a gun, yet there was something about her that made him lose all his senses. He had had a crush on Isabella Swan since he was five. He didn't think she would ever give him the time of day, and not just because their families were mortal enemies but because she is freaking Bella Swan! She is the all-around popular, beautiful, beyond intelligent girl who is too good for this shit hole of a town.

"Well, that went well." Edward heard his cousin, Jasper snicker behind him. They were both in this class together with Bella. Edward started lightly banging his head on the desk now knowing his cousin/ best friend had heard his humiliation.

"Shut up, Jaz." Edward glared at him while getting up from the table. Both of them got up and started walking out into the hall. Edwards's eyes immediately fell on Bella and her little sister Alice as they closed their lockers.

Jasper shook his head at his cousin. He had that dumbass love-struck face going on. "Man I don't get it. You are insane to try and go after her. Do you know the kind of shit you would cause not only you but also her?" Their families are mortal enemies after all and all though Jasper wanted his cousin to be happy, he also didn't want him dead so there is a fine line.

Edward glared at his cousin reminding him of their situation. "I know, trust me Jazz I know our situation very, very well." He sighed though as he watched Bella disappear down the hall. "But it's just. I don't know man; I can't get her out of my head. Every time she talks to me I feel like my world is brighter and when we touched hands I felt an electric current shock through my body." He smiled remembering their truce back in the biology classroom. His smile faltered a little, "But there's nothing to worry about because she doesn't feel the same."

Jasper snorted at his cousin but didn't say a word knowing that he wouldn't believe him for a second. But he had also been in that biology room watching the two of them. Bella looked at Edward like he was the only person in that room with her. They were both the smartest people probably in the whole damn school, but yet they were stupid as well. Oh well, probably for the best.

Nothing good could come from them knowing the truth of the others feelings.

A/N: Oh if only they knew…hope you guys enjoyed this week's chapter! Until next week! ;)

BellaLaila87