Sorry I haven't updated in awhile! Usually I'm updating like every day. Well, you know how it is this time of year with graduations and stuff.

I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight characters, settings, etc.

The first bell of school rang loudly as I went down the hallway. Edward walked next to me as we went to our first classes-which were different since he was a year ahead of me-and stares came in my direction. I was surprised they were looking at me; usually it would be Edward they would look at. What wasn't to like about him, anyway? Hey, at least I'm honest. I'm allowed to think he's good-looking.

I knew why they were staring at me, but I didn't like the reason. They'd all heard about my father being somewhere unknown. Maybe they were scared to be near me. He could come any second.

Edward glared back at everyone, but that didn't stop them from looking. We continued walking, Edward looking coldly ahead of him. I guess this bothered him as much as it bothered me.

I said goodbye to Edward and went to homeroom. Mike Newton sat at his desk, and he waved over to me.

"Hey, Bella." He said. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, fine I guess. Why?"

"Well, I just heard about your dad and all…is there anything-"

"You can do to help? No. I doubt you can send him back to jail for me."

"If that's what you want, I could-"

"Just…be quiet. Please. I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, okay. Sorry."

I sat at my desk as the next bell rang and everyone filled in their seats. Mrs. Holmes, my teacher, sat from her desk to begin teaching. She looked at me and smiled kindly before speaking.

"Please finish the worksheet for tomorrow. Don't forget to study for your quiz coming up!" Mrs. Holmes said after the final bell rang. I grabbed my books and went to leave as quickly as possible.

"Bella, can you stay behind for a minute?" she asked.

Damn it, I thought as I walked over to her desk. The classroom was empty by now.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Bella, I heard about your father."

"Everyone has."

"And I just wanted to let you know that everything will be okay. It will all work out." She smiled. "But you probably feel so frightened. You don't need to take the quiz this week if you don't want to."

"It's fine. Really."

"I'm not sure, sweetie. I don't think you'd be prepared. With all this going on, you know?"

"I think I'll be prepared."

"Well, think about it. It's up to you. Okay?"

"All right. Thanks."

"Have a nice day."

"You, too." I quickly left the classroom. I didn't want her to feel bad for me; like how I didn't want Edward feeling bad for me. I just wanted help.

Edward and I paid for our lunches and I led him to the table I sat at with my friends. He seemed pretty uncomfortable with the idea of sitting at the same place as Mike Newton. I knew they would never be friends. But, Edward and I wanted to get to know each other more, and I always wanted him to sit with us. What was the worst that could happen?

I put the idea of my dad's letter in the back of my mind. In school, I just wanted to focus on my work and my friends. After this weekend, it seemed almost impossible to do so.

Edward sat next to me on one side and Angela the other. Eric sat next to Angela, Jessica sat next to me, and Mike Newton was in between them-right across from Edward. Mike Newton looked from Edward to me, a curious look in his eyes.

"Um, Bella…" he said. "Why is he sitting here?"

"You know, I can hear you, Newton." Edward said.

"I know." He said. He turned back to me.

"Because I want him to sit here." I said. "You can leave, if you want."

He glared at Edward and began eating again.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mike Newton spoke yet again. "So, Bella," he said, suddenly more perky, "how long had your dad been in jail before-"

"I told you before, I don't want to talk about that." I said, now even more pissed off.

"I know, but how do you think-"

"Shut up." I said sternly.

"But seriously how-"

Edward stood abruptly, hitting his hands on the table. "Seriously, just shut up, kid. Or I'm going to have to beat the fucking shit out of you." He grabbed my arm, but not in a rough way. "Come on, Bella. We're going to sit somewhere else. So he can't bother you."

I stood, taking my lunch with me as we walked to the table where Edward used to sit at.

"He is such an asshole," Edward mumbled as we sat.

"It's all right." I said. "Sorry you had to sit there."

"We agreed to sit together, remember?"

I smiled while looking down at my lunch. "Right. And here we are." I looked up at his green eyes. They were perfect…

"Your eyes…" I somehow said. I couldn't believe I'd said that. I wanted to slap myself in the face for probably sounding like an idiot.

"What about them?" he asked.

"They're…really nice."

"They're not your chocolate brown ones."

"Please, I love your eyes way more."

"I disagree."

I found ourselves just staring at each other for a moment.

"I think the bell just rang," Edward said, still looking at me, "want to go?"

"Not really."

"C'mon. We can't just sit here. We'd be noticed."

"Then…let's leave."

"Leave…the building? The room?"

I shrugged. "Which would be easier to not be caught?"

He smiled. "I know where we can go."

"Where?" I asked, but he didn't speak. He stood and began walking, and I followed close behind. We went the long way out the building, down one of the usually unused hallways and out the back door of the school. No one had seen us so far. We walked up a hill, with the wet and muddy ground making me almost slip and fall back down. But, when Edward noticed I was about to fall, he took my hand in his and we kept walking next to each other.

We continued walking more into the heart of the woods, where the tallest trees stood, where the flowers all bloomed. Where the meadow was.

We entered a clearing, where flowers came up from the ground everywhere. We walked to the center, and I examined the beauty of these woods. This was a good thing about Forks-the woods.

"It's beautiful." I said, looking around. I ended up looking at Edward and still thought that what I was seeing was beautiful.

"You've never been here?" he asked, sitting down on the grass. I sat as well, across from him, and shook my head.

"Oh." He said. "Well, I come here to think sometimes."

"About what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know…just stuff. Whenever I'd get annoyed by you I'd come here." He gave me a crooked smile.

I had to smile at that. Who wouldn't? "Well…I think it's nice here. It's so peaceful. It makes me forget…"

I did not want to say what it made me forget. That just made me remember more.

"You don't need to worry about that." He told me. "I'll use all my power possible to protect you, Bella. Because…you're…more than a friend, to me. And I don't want to lose you." He pronounced each word importantly, seriously.

I took a deep breath. "You won't."

And then, Edward Cullen and I leaned closer to each other and kissed for the first time.

Please please please review! Thanks so much for reading, alerting, etc.! And does anyone know if poems are put on this site? I don't think they are but just in case maybe one day I'd write one. Oh, well. Just wondering. Please let me know if you know. Thanks!