Stephenie Meyer = The Original. Me & this story = just having some fun

Betas do it better - thanks Sarahsumbrella and silentnc!

A big thank you to everyone who is alerting and favoriting - I'm blown away. Huge thanks to those who take the time to let me know what you think of this little story by pressing the review button!

Edward says Game On

CHAPTER 7: Equalizer

I followed Alice in her yellow Porsche into the school parking lot – the show off. To my surprise, Jasper got out of the driver's side after parking, and Alice was in the passenger seat. I hadn't thought she'd let anyone drive her baby; she barely let me sit in it. This was a new development, her picking him up before school. It was true that they didn't live very far from each other, but I knew from my observations that Jasper and Edward usually took turns driving to school together. I guess I had been observing Edward Cullen more than I realized over the past couple of years. Pathetic.

I pulled into the spot next to the Porsche. "Morning, Bella!" Alice called as I got out of my old truck.

She and Jasper walked around the car to me, arms around each other. It was nice to see. Jasper smiled and nodded at me, a man of few words, and I returned the silent greeting.

"You two must be serious. Alice doesn't let anyone touch her car," I commented, falling into step with them as we walked across the student parking lot to the building.

Alice gave Jasper a quick squeeze and grinned. "He's proven himself worthy."

I choked, quickly trying to cover it with a cough. I distinctly remember Alice telling me she wouldn't let anyone drive her car until she knew they could use their hands, and use them well. She had claimed the best way to tell that was to have their hands on her first, kind of like a trial run. I thought she was joking, but I should have known better. Jasper smiled smugly and kissed the top of her head.

Edward was parked in his usual spot up front, leaning against his Volvo and waiting for us. Well, he was probably waiting for Jasper, I'm sure. He looked more rested—the dark circles under his eyes were pretty much gone. I forced my eyes away from his face and took in the rest of him. I did a double take and tried not to stare. I could see a collared shirt and tie peeking out of the neckline of his zipped up letter jacket, and he had on a pair of smooth, amazingly fitted dress pants.

"You look very nice, Mr. Cullen," Alice commented, letting go of Jasper long enough to stand on tip toe and straighten the knot in his tie. "What's the occasion?"

He smirked at her. "We dress up the day of, or in this case, the day before, a game." He shrugged. "Just something Coach has us do. Wear a dress shirt and tie, and then cover it up under our jersey. It's weird, but whatever."

Alice grabbed the zipper on his jacket and lowered it to see for herself. I wanted to slap her hands away, shove her down on the ground, and do it myself. I gripped my book bag tighter.

"Oh." She glowered. The oversize hockey jersey covering the shirt and tie seriously offended her fashion sense. She grabbed his waist and spun him around, and I almost laughed at the shocked expression on his face. He obviously wasn't used to the force of nature that was Alice.

"How do you get that huge jersey all tucked in without it showing?" She was staring at his ass. So was I. Smooth and faultless, not a wrinkle or bunch from the jersey to mar the perfect slope...Holy hell.

He twisted around to look, frowning, with a faint blush on his cheeks. Good, I wasn't the only one always embarrassed. "I have no idea, Alice. I just tuck it in."

"Well, good job." She ran her hand over his butt and gave it a friendly smack. Raging jealousy consumed me, how could she do that so casually and get away with it? I wanted to be the one touching his ass – I could hardly stand it. Of course, I wouldn't want to stop at just a friendly smack, although I could definitely get material to go on from there...

Jasper just shook his head, took her hand, and led her away. Edward was still standing there with a stunned expression. I took pity on him; I knew how it felt to get run over by Alice.

"C'mon, Sport. The best thing to do is just shake it off and forget about it."

He did give his head a slight shake, and then met my gaze. "What the hell was that?"

"Alice," I told him sagely. "Get used to it."

"Did she just grab my ass?"

"Yep. I believe she did."

"Oh." He gave his head another quick shake. "Okay."

"I know, kind of a lot to take in first thing in the morning. I don't think she sleeps. Ever."

He laughed, and we walked side by side toward the school building. "She's, ah, definitely unique."

"She's great." I snuck a look at him. Was he mad? I hoped not. Alice was just...well, Alice.

"Yeah, she is," he replied, and I sighed quietly in relief. "She's great for Jasper. I've never seen him so into a girl before."

"That's so cool. I know she's crazy about him, but that's pretty obvious. She's not the type to be shy and retiring about her feelings."

"No," he agreed, grinning down at me. We had reached the building, and he held the door open for me so I could walk under his arm.

"I'll see you at lunch?" I asked, my voice almost pitifully hopeful.

"Yeah." His grin softened into a genuine smile. "See you, Bella."

-0-

Edward did come with Jasper to sit with us in the cafeteria, and he definitely looked less exhausted. I wondered if he had been getting some nap-time in, which brought an instant image of him standing in front of me, sleepy and acquiescent, as I stripped him down and tucked him to bed…and then burrowed naked under the covers with him. Jesus, would I ever be able to see him and not have indecent thoughts pop into my head? I hoped not. Inner Slut Girl and I had a very copacetic relationship lately.

I was aware of the curious looks we received as he and Jasper made themselves at home at our table, relaxing and chatting. I wondered irritably if everyone's lives were so boring that the smallest change in the usual routine was worthy of such attention, before I realized that probably anything Edward Cullen did was cause for speculation. I felt kind of bad for him, remembering what he said to me outside of Biology class. It would suck to always have people watching everything you did, talking and making things up about you. I was definitely a fly-under-the-radar type of person myself. I thought about some of the rumors I'd heard about him over the past few years and wondered what was actually true. I didn't want to ask him about it, though, for fear it would upset him like it had last week.

"You're being quiet today," he said to me, bringing me out of my reverie. "What are you thinking about?"

"Not much," I said, picking at my sandwich and glancing around the cafeteria.

He narrowed his eyes. "Sometimes, everything you're feeling shows on your face. Most of the time, though, I have no idea what you're thinking. You're very difficult for me to read, you know."

I looked at him, startled. "Why would you want to read me?"

He gave a little half-shrug. "I'm very curious."

"About what? Me?"

"Well, yeah." He didn't drop his eyes.

"I'm not very interesting," I mumbled, breaking his gaze and looking down.

"I think you are." He leaned forward when I refused to look up at him. "Bella." He waited until I shyly raised my eyes to his. "Tell me, what were you thinking when I said you were being quiet."

I looked around the room again. "I was thinking that everyone was staring at us."

He glanced around, too. "Yeah, I guess they are. Does it bother you?"

"Doesn't it bother you?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Sometimes. Can't stop it, though. You kind of get used to it."

I gave a small shudder. "That sucks."

"Yeah," he agreed, sitting back in his chair and watching me. It made me a little self-conscious. "You tend to develop a kind of sense for people. Those who are interested in you for the cheap thrill, for what they think you can do for them or what they can get from you, and those who are really interested in you."

"I guess that's what comes with being a sports star. And...so good looking." I couldn't meet his eyes as I said it.

He was quiet, and his hand reached out to cover mine where it was picking relentlessly at the crust of my sandwich. "I guess. I always thought those should be good things, but sometimes... sometimes they're not."

My eyes focused on the hand covering mine. "Yeah, I would have thought so, too, before I got to know you."

"So, which one are you, Bella?" He was looking at our hands, too, but made no move to pull away.

"Which one, what?"

"The cheap thrill kind, or the really interested?"

"Can't you tell? I thought you said you had a good sense for that."

He smiled and looked up at me. "Yeah, but I also said you were very difficult for me to read. This is...weird." He lifted his hand and gestured between the two of us. "Different, I mean. It just feels..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I don't know how to explain it. Do you know what I'm saying?"

I nodded shakily, not trusting my voice. I couldn't help the buzz that shot through me to think he felt the same curiosity and connection that I did. It seemed impossible, and I needed some time to really examine the prospect in my head. Edward Cullen, interested in me? He was obviously as confused about this weird thing between us as I was, but most likely for different reasons. He was gorgeous and tall, athletic and popular, and I...wasn't.

"So that makes you interested?" he asked, and I was mildly surprised that he seemed to need the assurance. How in the world could he doubt his appeal? Although, from the little lecture he had delivered last week, it sounded like there were few people he felt he could trust. I nodded again with a shy smile.

"Good." He grinned and stood up. I looked around in surprise—the bell had rung and everyone was filing out of the cafeteria to go to class. I hadn't been aware of anything other than him. "I have about a million questions."

"Questions?" I repeated and cleared my throat. My voice was alarmingly high-pitched. I followed him as he tossed the remains of his lunch in the garbage and we headed for Biology class.

"Tons," he assured me, the grin still on his gorgeous face. "And then it can be your turn."

Hmm, that might almost be worth it.

Thank goodness it was a lab day in Biology. We could work on the assigned project and talk freely without having to worry about getting caught by Mr. Banner. It was becoming a habit, the two of us in our own little bubble, almost unaware of everyone around us. Was this how it was supposed to be, this attraction, this exclusive fascination, hanging on every word? I had nothing to reference. I'd never felt anything like it before. The mess of all the emotions was almost nauseating, but in a strangely thrilling way.

He was firing questions at me, starting out easy – favorites, hobbies, interests – before getting into queries that required some consideration. Why I liked the books I did, what kind of music touched me. We discovered we had similar eclectic taste in music. I found out that the symbols he had been scribbling in the margin of his notes the first day of Biology were musical notes…he composed. It amazed me, the ability to do that was so fantastical and foreign. He told me how he bargained for guitar lessons when he was little – like he wanted – if he took piano lessons – like his mom wanted – until he realized how much he enjoyed both. I stared at him in admiration, and he broke off, looking nervous.

"What?"

I shook my head. "Are you for real?"

His face took on that defensive look. "What do you mean?"

I smiled and tipped my head, considering. "You're such a rock star. Athletic, smart, musical, funny, and good looking. It's like you're something someone made up."

His face flushed slightly, but his eyes were almost sad. "Oh, I'm real, all right. And far from perfect."

"What, you have a deformed left kneecap?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"And a third nipple," he smirked. I gulped, willing mine into obedience. It would be too obvious if I had to grab my bag and clutch it to my chest.

Mr. Banner called an end to the lab, and we put the equipment away, finishing just before the bell rang. I was disappointed to bring an end to our time together for the day. Edward cleared his throat as he waited for me to gather my things, standing on the other side of the table and shifting a little. I looked up at him curiously. It was unlike him to fidget.

"Um, Bella, can I ask you something?"

"What, you didn't cover it in the past hour?" I joked.

"No." He put his hand on my arm to keep me from moving past him, and now I was really curious. His hand dropped back to his side. "Actually, I, uh, have more. Questions, I mean. I was wondering...maybe we could cover it later? Like, I don't know, dinner or heading out for ice cream tonight, or something?"

My brain stopped functioning, stunned with the implication. Was he asking me out? On a date? Edward Cullen? I better not screw this up or Alice would kill me, but I didn't want to be pathetically eager and misinterpret, either.

"Bella?" he was watching me nervously.

"Oh, sorry. Yeah. I'd like that. Very much." I peeked up at him, and he grinned, blowing out a breath in relief and exaggeratedly wiping his brow. I laughed. "Oh, yeah, like you didn't know I'd say yes," I teased. I felt a twinge of guilt as I remembered I'd shot him down about the Homecoming dance.

"Bella," he said, leaning down to my ear and walking with me out of the classroom. "I told you, I have no idea what goes on in that pretty little head of yours. It's very frustrating."

I grinned and shook my head at his silliness. "Well, I have to make Charlie dinner. He can't cook at all. Would it be okay if we did something after that?" Oh God, it suddenly occurred to me I would have to explain my date to Charlie. This would take some consideration.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Here, put your number in so I have it." I took it, and punched in my home number. It was an iPhone, of course, and I had no idea how to save it. He took the phone back and played with it for a second. "Okay, what's your cell," he demanded. I gave it to him, and he put that in as well, before hitting the send button. "So you have my number," he explained.

My cell rang in the depths of my bag, and I stopped for a second to find it. I hit "save" and typed in "Edward Cell." "Okay, your home number now," I asked. He gave it to me, and we just stood there, smiling at each other.

"Thanks," I said softly, my heart flying.

"Yeah," he returned, and started walking backward with a grin. "I'll call you later."

He kept walking backwards until he ran into some unfortunate freshman, practically flattening him in the hall. "Sorry, kid," he laughed, ruffling the poor guy's hair and winking at me as disappeared around the corner, whistling cheerfully.

Oh, Bella...

I knew I had to stop overanalyzing every little thing he said, but my mind went back to the whole sex thing and I thought I might hyperventilate.