Rating M

Disclaimer – Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight –
I just like to get weird with her characters.

Much love and thanks to my beta love, Carrie ZM,
for all the edits, the hours, the encouragement, and the laughs we had with this fic.
Writing with you is always a blast – you make this shit fun, Boo.

Many thanks to my wonderful pre-readers, Planetblue and Robsmyyummy
Cabanaboy, for all the time, insight, and commentary you provided on this story.
I greatly admire you both and am so grateful for all of your help on this, pals.

Special thanks to Ceci – Lolypop82 for the awesome banner. Tilt, baby, tilt.


Girl Code – If you have to sneak to do it, lie to cover it up, or delete it to
avoid being seen- then you probably shouldn't be doing it.
#feelsgoodtobebad

Two joined hands are generating a spark that could set fire to this entire fucking town.

"I don't know girls, what do you think?"

I glance up from my phone to see Victoria preening in a tight black dress with strategic cutouts that accentuate her curves.

"I like that one," Rose says excitedly poking her head out of her dressing room.

Victoria looks herself up and down in the three-way mirror. "Bella?"

I give her a great big smile and nod approvingly at her reflection. She doesn't give two shits about my opinion anyway, so I turn my attention back to the most recent text from Edward. Texting with Edward is the only thing that makes spending a Sunday afternoon in a dressing room with two divas bearable.

Working this week, but maybe we can go out to eat next Saturday night.

This is the second time he's mentioned getting together in a more official capacity. It's getting harder and harder to come up with plausible ways to put him off.

"Zip me up, will ya?" Rose lifts her hair, coming out of her dressing room in a stunning, silver gown.

"Oh. My. God! You look UH-MAZ-ING!" Victoria enunciates every syllable at the top of her lungs, and I suspect this is the reaction she was looking for from me.

Rose smiles and starts checking herself out in the mirror. With both of them distracted, I stealthily look down to text Edward.

Sorry – dieting for homecoming.

His reply is instant, and I have to cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

You need your head examined. So no more milkshakes?

"Ugh, I can't decide which one." Victoria whines like she's a foot stomp away from a tantrum. "This one or the sheer one?"

"Well I like them both," Rose says with a hand on her hip while she thoughtfully taps her chin, clearly taking this shit more seriously than I am.

Tuning them out, I go back to my conversation with Edward. Things are starting to get tricky now that this is no longer just a flirtation or a figment of my imagination. Friends don't look at each other the way he looks at me. And friends don't make me feel the way he does. We're something more.

Not quite a couple, but definitely a complication.

Just as I finish typing the words 'milkshake moratorium until further notice', I hear Rose calling my name.

"Hmm?" I hope my expression doesn't look as guilty as I feel. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I was asking which one you like better." Rose tilts her head a bit, eyes narrowing just enough for me to know she's suspicious and motions to my phone. "Who are you texting?"

"My mom." I look down and quickly type that 'I can't talk because I'm dress shopping' and hit send. "Okay so it's between this one and…"

"The sheer one," Victoria answers, running her hand across the cutout just above her chest. "I can't decide which one Edward would like better." My blood boils beneath my skin and I can feel my mean girl come to the surface. "I think this one leaves less to the imagination, but maybe he needs some encouragement." She's oblivious to my piercing glare as she pushes up her cleavage and inspects her chest from all angles. "I don't know," she turns to me, "what do you think?"

Working hard to contort my features back to my normal resting bitch face, I think hard about what I want to say. "Well, I think they're both cute, but…" I trail off, letting her insecurity do the dirty work for me.

"But what?"

Truth is I don't want her to wear either dress. More specifically, I don't want her wearing either dress and grinding her ass on Edward's junk. I can't say 'they're both too sexy' because that's what she's going for. "Well to be honest, they both kind of… wash you out."

"Oh." She sounds disappointed and starts inspecting her skin up close in the mirror, checking to see if I'm right about the pallor. "Well I guess I could go tanning."

"Yeah, that'll work." I give her a big thumbs up. Here's the thing about Victoria. She's a redhead and doesn't tan per se. Does she get darker? Yes, but instead of bronze, she turns varying shades of pink depending on how often she goes. I suspect she'll go enough times to get extra pink, and she'll end up looking like a piece of bologna with eyes. "You'll look UH-MAZ-ING!"


Tuesday night, Rose and I do our evening recap of the day over FaceTime. We cover who said what, who's doing who, then we launch feet first into all things Emmett.

"So what's Em going to do while you're at homecoming?" I blow on my nails and watch her inspect her skin in the camera before scowling.

"I swear to God, I have the ugliest FaceTime face." She presses her chin into her neck. "I look like Mama June."

"Shut up." I roll my eyes at her. Even with a Biore pore strip across her nose and her fresh out of a pony tail mullet, she's still the prettiest person I know.

"Truth Ruth." She runs a finger over her White Strip covered teeth. "Wait, what did you ask me?"

"Emmett. What's he doing while you're being crowned Homecoming Queen, Mama June?"

"I don't know, he and Felix were talking about getting some work done on their sleeves."

"You met his friends?"

She bites her lip and nods. "Yeah, they're nice."

"When do we get to meet him?" Her brow arches incredulously as if to ask 'you're kidding, right?'. "Fine, when do I get to meet him?"

"Soon."

"What about your mom?"

"Like, never." I give her a pointed look. "Why would I?"

"Well you aren't planning on sneaking around forever are you?" Hello pot, this is the kettle…

The screen pans to her ceiling as she sets her phone on the dresser. "I don't know." I hear her huff in annoyance and the distinct sound of her dresser drawers being opened. When she reappears on the screen she has a well-worn, oversize DC Shoes t-shirt that I happen to know she stole from him. She lies down, propping her head on her hand and opens her mouth to speak when Edward's name flashes on the screen.

"Rose, I gotta go," I blurt louder than intended.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I've got another call."

"Who's calling at ten o'clock on a…"

"Talk to you tomorrow. Bye." I cut her off and remove my own White Strip so I don't sound like I have a lisp. "Hello."

"Hey."

"Hi." I slap my hand on my forehead at the sound of my breathy greeting.

"Busy?"

"No, just talking to Rose. What are you up to?"

He hums and I hear his TV in the background. "Nothin'," he clears his throat, "I didn't get a chance to talk to you or text you earlier today so I thought I'd call."

I lean back on my pillow. "Aww...are you missing me, new kid?"

He chuckles in my ear, low and deep, but it's in his words that I hear the unmistakable sound of longing. "I think I am, Sweets."


Friday at lunch I'm barely able to keep up with the conversation due to sheer exhaustion from last night's two hour phone call. I stifle a yawn and notice that Edward doesn't seem to have the same issue, appearing bright-eyed and engaged in the discussion around us despite having stayed up the past few nights on the phone with me. Perhaps that's because he actually goes to sleep after he says 'goodnight'. I don't. I lay there and analyze each and every word, reveling in every new fact, then shut off the light and push away the guilt of not coming clean to Victoria.

And speaking of Victoria, she graces us with her painfully pink presence, carefully sitting in her seat.

"What. The. Fuck?" Alec waves his finger around in her direction in time with his words. "What happened?"

"Ugh, I thought I'd try a new tanning bed."

Rose gives her a pouting, pity look, while Alec laughs. "Oh girl… You are a mess, you know that right?" She flips him off. "You need to embrace your paste, Boo."

"Are you okay?" My head snaps to Edward, who's looking at her worried as she melts into his side.

A small part of me swoons because he's a decent human being, while the majority of me seethes. Why doesn't he just ask her to hop on his lap so he can apply aloe all over her sun-kissed skin?

She pushes his shoulder, "Oh stop, I'm totally fine, silly boy." I don't miss how she lets her fingers linger then slide down his bicep.

I feel the crazy bubble up inside me. I know, in reality, he's just asking about her general well-being. The part that has me utterly irrational is that she's taking this to mean he's into her. Deep inside that crazy, freckled head of hers, she's got a list of evidence supporting her delusion that they are meant to be. In her mind, this is just the confirmation and encouragement she needs to continue her relentless pursuit.

I feel myself nodding at my theory with narrowed eyes and a scowl, watching her turn up the dramatics. She's one wince away from getting a smack. I can't with this shit. "I've gotta go. See you guys."

Annoyed, I gather my shit quietly. My dad says I'm just like my mother in this respect. When she's slamming things around and getting visibly worked up, he knows he's in trouble. However when she's angry, but calm and silent, he knows that there's a good possibility she's plotting his death.

"Well bye." I hear Rose yell at my back from the table. She's probably the only one who noticed I left.

The bell rings overhead and people filter out of classrooms which makes my dramatic stomp off difficult to continue. I manage to make it to my locker just before I hear him over the crowded halls and slamming of lockers all around me.

"Hey," I say warily, afraid my psychotic is still showing.

He leans in. "Look what I got."

My eyes go wide when he pulls out a pad of hall passes from his backpack. "Where did you get those?"

"I was in the guidance counselor's office." He shrugs like it's no big deal. "I pulled a few off a pad I saw under his desk."

"A few?"

He raises the corner of his mouth, smirking at me. "Okay, more than a few." He dips his head until its level with mine, tempting me like the devil himself. "You want to cut class with me this afternoon?"

I glance around the hallway, making sure no one sees him propositioning me. "I don't know. I mean I do, but…"

"You've never cut class before?"

"Nope. Cop's kid, remember?"

He grabs a pen from his bag and pulls the cap off with his teeth before scribbling the word library and a fairly accurate interpretation of Dr. Banner's signature at the bottom. Cool as a cucumber he tears it off and slips it into a side pocket of my backpack. "You've gotta live a little, Sweets."

He knocks twice on the locker next to mine and walks away.


Two hours later, I make my truancy debut, handing the forged pass to Coach Clapp. He doesn't even look up from his newspaper. My nerves kick in when we hit the empty hallways, walking quickly side-by-side. Once we hit the parking lot, I seriously consider commando crawling between cars, certain that someone will see me. Not so much that they'll see me skipping… it's that they'll see me skipping with Edward.

He's completely unfazed, twirling his keys around his finger and opening the passenger door for me.

"So, where to?"

"Where do you want to go?"

He taps his fingers on the steering wheel. "We could go grab a bite to eat." I shake my head. "Movie?"

"Too public, we're skipping remember."

"How 'bout the beach?"

I shake my head knowing my dad's deputies wouldn't hesitate to drag my ass down to the station. "Is anyone home at your house?"

"Nah," he says turning the key in the ignition, "I mean, yeah, no one's home. We can go there if you want."

Oh yes. I want to go there.

I spend the majority of the ride to Edward's house hunched over, convinced that I'm going to be spotted by someone we know. I hear him chuckle when I duck my head down at every stop sign, waiting for my father's cruiser to pull up next to us any second.

He grabs my hand in his over the console and brings it to his lips. "You need to relax, Sweets."

I breathe a little easier when we hit the friendly confines of his empty garage, but less so when we sit in Carlisle and Esme's living room, watching TV and sipping water. Totally unaffected, he flips through channels, just staring without a care in the world at the freaks on the Maury Povich show. Meanwhile, I'm over here trying to remember if Rose has a Student Council meeting and wondering if our absence will rouse suspicion. Or worse, what if Carlisle or Esme come home? Esme will have my parents on the phone so fast, first to rat me out, then to plan our wedding.

He stills my bouncing knee. "You don't wanna watch TV?" I shake my head and he turns it off. "Well what do you want to do?"

Sadly, everything I think of involves defiling Esme's couch. "Can I see your room?"

With a nod, he takes my hand in his and leads me up the stairs.

His room is not what I expected. The gray walls aren't lined with images of chicks draped over Lamborghinis or mafia movie posters like every other guy I know. Other than a tasteful picture of the Chicago skyline and one of Soldier Field, his room is pretty bare. I drop my backpack and walk over to his desk where there's a bulletin board with a few pictures tacked to it.

I hear the door latch click and his footsteps on the hardwood behind me as I look at a photograph of a younger Carlisle sitting on the grass with a beautiful woman. Edward is all Carlisle, apart from the hair and the green eyes he shares with his mother.

"She's beautiful." I run my finger across the bottom of her photo, then point to another one of a young Edward and Carlisle next to a short brunette and another little boy about his age. They're both wearing little league outfits. "Who are they?"

He wraps his arms around my waist from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder. "That's Liam and his mom, Maggie." I feel him press a small kiss to my throat. "They were our next door neighbors back home." Another to my jaw. "He's my best friend."

"Is this him here?" I point to a group picture of Edward and his friends in tuxes.

"Yeah, with our other buddy Diego."

They're surrounded by a few girls in gowns. I'm itching to ask about the pretty blonde tucked under Liam's arm, even though she's desperately clinging to Edward, but I don't. I can't think straight with him this close, nuzzling my neck. I feel the combination of warm breath and soft lips on my skin.

It's too much, but not enough.

I palm his cheek, encouraging the searing open mouth kisses beneath my jaw and the strong hands inching up my rib cage.

"Is the door locked?" I whisper, turning to face him, tracing a finger down his stomach.

His gaze moves from my eyes to my mouth. "Yeah."

"Good."

Dipping his head, he cups my face in his hands, pressing his lips roughly to mine. There's nothing gentle about our kissing today. They're rushed and clumsy and desperate – absolutely perfect. He grips my hips tight as my hands wander. I tug gently on his hair before trailing down his bicep and lightly running my fingertip over the sliver of skin showing beneath the hem of his shirt.

I hear him hiss, and then feel his hands lower, clutching and hoisting me up until my face is level with his. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I whimper into his mouth, feeling him harden against me. The floorboards creak beneath his feet as he walks us backwards, stopping only when the back of his knees hit the bed.

He breaks the kiss with a gentle peck at the corner of my mouth and slowly sets me back on my feet. His eyes are locked to mine when he lowers himself onto the edge of the bed. I watch as his tongue runs across his top lip, and his gaze slips down to my chest while his thumb traces the seam near the hem of my shirt. The look in his eyes sends a shiver up my spine. There's something in his expression that makes me feel bold and desirable. I recognize it because it mirrors my own.

Want.

I pull my shirt over my head and let it drop to the floor. I briefly consider covering myself, but I don't. I think he wants to see me. And I want to be seen.

His shirt follows next and I slip into his bed. Apart from pants and my bra, we're skin to skin. Our lips move against each other slowly and I savor the sweet taste of his tongue sliding with mine. His finger skims over my jaw then down until I feel it hook under my bra strap and drag it over my shoulder. He sucks and nips at my neck, while his fingertip continues to trace the outline of my bra.

I don't trust my voice not to shake, so I encourage him by thrusting my chest into his touch. He's all palms and featherlight fingertips as he moves over my skin. I close my eyes, reveling in the feel of his hands on me then gasping when he takes my lace-covered nipple into his mouth.

My eyes pop open when he pulls his mouth away, watching him gently brush the front clasp of my bra with his thumb. Low and deep, he murmurs against the swell of my cleavage. "Can I see you?"

I panic at his plea, worried that we'll be caught. "Did you lock the door?" He nods. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He pulls the sheet over his head, shielding us both from the threat of exposure. "It's just us."

The sunlight filters through the white fabric and his arm casts a shadow over my stomach as he hovers above me. My heart races when I trace my fingers down the valley of my breasts, seizing the clasp, and consenting with a whispered 'okay'.

Drawing a deep breath, I pull the lace cups from my body. I notice his throat bob as he stares at me. It's like he's memorizing me. Committing this moment to memory.

"Jesus," he mumbles and presses my breasts together in his hands.

My thoughts run wild and the crazy creeps in under the heat of his gaze. Now that I'm not strapped into a push-up bra, are my tits in my armpits? What about my nipples? Dear God, please don't let them look like buttons with braille.

The crazy ceases the moment the tip of his tongue touches my chest. He flicks and teases my nipple, first one then the other before greedily sucking it into his mouth. His movements are maddening, the perfect combination of too hard and too soft and just enough that I need more.

More of everything. More touching, licking, tasting, and pinching. I need friction. I want to feel the weight of him all over me and the length of him against me.

My hands move up and down his back, fingertips ghosting down his spine then dipping below the waist of his track pants. He blows out a breath into the crook of my neck when I hook my fingers into the elastic and slide them down until only a few thin layers separate us.

Hitching my legs around him, he presses into me roughly, grunting into my hair. I whimper into his neck, unable to handle the feel of the friction and heat we're generating with each roll of our hips. Overwhelmed, I clutch at his back and bite down on his shoulder, holding him tightly as he bucks and rocks against me. Eyes closed, I take in the sounds around me. Our skin slaps and slides in time with the headboard thumping against the wall. The sheet drops when he props himself up, and we both inhale harshly, letting the cold air fill our lungs and cool our heated bodies.

"Bella," he grits out from behind clenched teeth. Jaw tight and tense, he lowers himself to me again, placing his lips to mine. He moves faster, harder— tightening his grip on my thighs. His eyes squeeze shut and with one final push, he moans into my mouth, "Fuuuuuuccckkk."

He collapses, crushing me beneath his weight and panting into my hair. I can feel the small trembles in his arms, the rise and fall of his chest against mine as his breathing slows. Lying there in the awkward silence, flushed and topless, I blurt the first questionable thought in my head. "Well that escalated quickly."

He laughs into my neck, loud and deep, and I feel it everywhere. "That it did, Sweets."

Smiling sheepishly, he presses a quick kiss to my temple and heads to the bathroom to clean up. I dress quickly and check my phone, letting a big 'fuck me' fly when I see three missed texts from Alec.

Where r u?

I'm in the parking lot.

I'm leaving in 5 if I don't hear from you.

"Everything okay?"

I nod and look up just in time to get one more glimpse of him shirtless. "Yeah, I just forgot to let Alec know I didn't need a ride."

"That's a rookie mistake, Sweets."

"I know, right? Amateur hour over here."

He snorts and leans against the bathroom doorway. "So listen, you wanna grab dinner tonight? I get off at seven."

I resist the urge to remind him he already got off. "Can't. I'm going to pizza and porn night over at Alice's."

Shaking his head, he steps in front of me, helping me adjust the straps of my backpack onto my shoulders and pulls me closer. "What about tomorrow night?"

"We'll see."

"You ever gonna let me take you out on a date?"

"Sure." I stand on my tiptoes and suck his bottom lip into my mouth before giving him one hell of a goodbye kiss. "I'd like that." He dips down for one more peck. "Thanks for the hall pass."

"Can I at least give you a lift home?" he asks and I turn to him just as I reach his bedroom doorway.

"No thanks. I think I can use some fresh air." He nods, giving me a small wave and a lopsided smirk. "See ya, new kid."

I skip the awkward goodbye entirely by knocking twice on his door.


Hours later, I'm sitting on Alice's bedroom floor, nibbling on a piece of pizza crust and listening as Alec announces the evening's movie selections.

"Okay, so we have Legally Boned, Sorest Rump, and Single Tight Female." He holds the DVDs up like an auctioneer, ready for the bidding to begin. "Which one?"

"Legally Boned," Victoria says, blotting the top of her pizza with a paper towel.

"That's one for Legally Boned. Rose?" Rose gives a thumbs up, then Alec points to me for the yea or nay, to which I nod. "That's three votes for Legally Boned." He makes a pouty face at Alice. "Sorry old gal, no Sorest Rump for you tonight."

Normally on pizza and porn night, I cringe watching the fuckery on the screen. Tonight, however, I'm studying that shit like I'm being tested on it. I wonder if Edward's into this type of thing. The over-the-top moaning and Cirque Du Soleil style positions. Behind me, Victoria is delving out her trade secrets.

"I can only get off when I'm on top." It's funny how she says this so normal, like she's reading a grocery list. "Sometimes with fingers, and almost always when I get kissed like an Aussie."

Rose snorts, but I'm curious. "Like an Aussie?"

Victoria tilts her head and gives me a wink. "When they kiss you down unda'."

"Oh," I say, turning back to the screen, feeling a little embarrassed, "that makes sense."

Rose redirects the conversation, sensing my obvious discomfort. "Fingers only for me. Royce was like a jackhammer."

"Fingers only for me too," Alice pipes up. "Garrett's dick was so small, sometimes I couldn't tell if he was in or not."

Rose and I make eye contact having a Jedi mind shit moment where we both recall when they were in love and Garrett had the biggest dick she'd ever seen. Makes you wonder if love makes you blind or just a liar.

"I'll bet Edward's great in the sack," Victoria muses before taking a small bite of her pizza and chewing 100 times to burn calories.

My hackles rise at the mention of his name, but it's Rose who calls her out. "Stahhpp it! I don't want to think of him in that context, like ever!"

"What?" Victoria asks, genuinely surprised.

I can't listen to anymore. "Alice, do you mind if I go make some popcorn?"

She doesn't even look up from her phone. "Nope, go ahead."

Alice's kitchen is dark, save for the lights from the deck coming in through the window. I toss a bag of popcorn into the microwave and then send a text to Edward.

Bored. How's your night going?

Seconds later, he responds. Meh. It's alright. What are you girls watching?

Legally Boned. Jealous?

The phone beeps. Of course I am. That's a classic.

The popcorn timer goes off, and I type my final message of the evening. Time for the movie to start. I'll call you tomorrow.

I press send and place my phone on the counter just as I hear footsteps behind me. Alice is coming down the hall with her hands full of pizza boxes and plates. "Here let me help you with that."

I grab the plates and place them in the sink when I hear my phone chirp again with an incoming text. When I turn, all I see is the crown of Alice's head. When she looks up, the screen illuminates the fierce expression on her face which is somewhere between a malicious glare and unrestrained glee. I see Edward's name on the screen as she hands the phone to me.

"Someone wants to say goodnight."


A/N: Looks like shit just got real *Lay drops the mic*

*Carrie ZM picks it up, sprays it with Lysol and beat boxes like Biz Markie* Time for another LayZM Old School Rec on the New School Tip. We're going to continue with our high school theme, since we can't get enough of these fics.

The Hood by Lawn Girl - Bella's crush on quiet Edward Cullen seems to be one sided. But when they start hanging out will things change or does it all stay in The Hood?

The Single Game by AwesomeSauce76 -New girl Bella Swan is finally ready to start dating again, but the only boy she's interested in is too shy to even talk to her. Why are her friends convinced that the answer to her problem is some crazy party game… with kissing? AU/AH, BPOV, COMPLETE.

I'm in Lincoln, Nebraska tonight and will be posting from somewhere in Colorado next week. Fingers crossed I can find wi-fi in the mountains to post next Thursday.

Quick birthday shout out to Skent94 – hope you have a great one.

Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, fav'd, rec'd, tweeted or lurked this fic! I'll see you all next Thursday.