EPOV (the night before)

"Ed-weenie! We need some more popcorn, stat!" Emmett roared, chucking the last remnants from the bowl at me.

I rolled my eyes at his new-found nickname for me, and went to pop some more popcorn. "Extra Butter or Super Cheddar?" I called from the kitchen.

"Extra Butter!" Jasper crowed.

"Super Cheddar!" Emmett demanded.

There was a muffled thunk and then an, "Owww!"

"So… What kind of popcorn are we having?"

"Super Cheddar," Jasper mumbled in defeat. Emmett's victory howl shook the whole house, and nearly made me go deaf.

"Yeesh, guys," I groaned as I stumbled into the room under the heavy bowl of popcorn. "The neighbors are gonna think that we're being murdered or something."

"Hey, I don't live here, so you two can deal with that if it comes, kay?" Jasper said cockily, folding his arms behind his head.

"Why are you here again?" Emmett asked, scratching his head in mock confusion.

Jazz rolled his eyes, but answered willingly after a moment. "Because my mom and dad abandoned me and Rose and decided to go to Italy without us. So, we're stuck here, hanging out with you dorks."

I sighed. "Too bad Charlie didn't run away to a foreign country, then Bella could be here too."

Emmett and Jasper looked at each other with evil eyes, and then, before I knew what was happening, I was pinned to the wall. The Extra Cheddar popcorn flew around the snow white room, staining everything a dirty yellow orange color. Jasper had my feet, and Emmett had my shoulders pinned tight against the wall.

"Alright, lil bro," Emmett said with a big goofy grin on his face. "You tell us everything about this whole you and Bella thing and we'll let you go."

I shook my head jerkily from side to side. "Now way, man! I'm not telling you-" I was shut up by a piece of fabric being shoved into my mouth. It took me a minute to realize that it was one of Emmett's dirty gym socks. I began to gag, the taste was so horrible. Not to mention the smell burned your nose.

Jasper's loud guffaws were silenced by one smooth kick to his chest by me. Good thing I kept some of those soccer skills.

Emmett pulled the stinky, and now wet, sock from my mouth and tossed it across the room, where it landed on a pile of Extra Cheddar popcorn. "Now tell us everything, or I'm gonna get my underwear," Emmett threatened.

"Why don't you ask Jasper about his lover?" I asked, squirming against their strong hold.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Jasper and Ali are so last week, we need some new drama!"

"Maybe if you let me go, I'll tell you!" I spat through clenched teeth.

"Maybe?"

"Okay, fine. I will tell you if you let me go," I snapped. Then suddenly, the hands were gone, and I fell forward in to a mess of Extra Cheddar popcorn.

They both laughed loudly, and I scowled angrily at them before sitting up. "Well that was rude," I stated.

"We've never really been polite, have we now?" Emmett asked, shrugging his massive shoulders. Jasper nodded next to him as if that explained everything.

"Okay… I think I'm in love with Bella," I muttered quickly.

That's when the cat-calls and jeers began. I frowned, tears pricking my eyes. Jazz and Em were great, but they sure know how to hurt a guy's feelings.

"No offense, Eddie, but she's wayyy outta your league," Emmett managed to say between laughing fits. "I mean, basically the whole male population of your grade is pining for her, and I'm almost positive that she loves Jacob Black," he stated.

In a lightening quick movement, I was on top of Emmett punching him in the face, chest, gut, anywhere that I could reach. He hit a nerve, making that Jacob comment, and I just snapped. He writhed underneath me, squealing in pain. I was vaguely away of Jasper pulling on my shoulders, but I didn't let that stop my beat down on Em.

After a minute of struggle, Jazz was finally able to pull me away from Emmett. He picked me up, and I flailed my arms and legs, trying to make contact with anyone in my way. He threw me down on the couch and slapped me across the face. A fiery burning covered my cheek, and I stopped moving, touching my cheek numbly.

"What the hell was that for?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"God, Edward. Lookit what you did to Emmett, man." Jasper stepped aside, giving me a full view of a very beat up Emmett.

One of his eyes was already turning black from a well aimed punch by me. His lower lip was bleeding, and there were many cuts and bruises various places on his open skin. "By Gawd, E-wa," Emmett said with a lisp. "Looki wha you di to me, you feak!"

"You know, he wasn't totally unjustified," Jasper said seriously.

"Fuck you, Jasper!" Emmett growled. But it really sounded like, "Suck you, Daspa!"

Jasper rolled his eyes and ignored him. "Are you gonna ask her out?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

BPOV

"Bella, will you go out with me?"

Whoa. I think my mouth fell open, but I can't really feel my body enough to be sure. And my God, just looking at his hopeful emerald eyes made me lose my train of thought! I pinched myself, and definitely felt it. Okay, so I'm not dreaming, I guess…

Breathing became harder as I tried to remember how to talk, and his eyes turned from hopeful to hurt once he saw my bewildered expression. I wish I could move my lips so I could tell him yes, tell him that I've always wanted to go out with him, tell him so many things, but my mind couldn't make that happen.

I've always imagined asking Edward out, but it never happened like this. Normally, I would ask him out, in front of the whole school for some reason, and he'd turn me down, insult me, and walk away. Those make-believe stories never did really help my ego.

But in the few times I'd imagined him asking me out, I tell him yes in an instant, and spare him all of this pain and fear.

So why won't I say yes?

And then it hit me, the only thing that could ever stop me from answering this one, simple question.

Jacob.

EPOV

"Bella, will you go out with me?" I asked hopefully. I analyzed her expression, and saw many emotions flit across her face. First there was shock; that one stayed the longest. Then there was joy, anger, fear, confusion, hurt, and finally, her face settled into her contemplating mask; where she's here, but not really here.

In a desperate attempt to draw her back to reality I stuttered, "Only out to dinner, or a movie, or whatever, and we don't even have to be a 'thing' if you don't want to." Even if I really do, I added silently in my head. She stayed silent. "Or we could just… not. I mean, if you don't want to, just say no. I won't hate you or anything, I swear." More silence. I became irritated. "You know what, never mind. It's fine. Let's go see Carlisle," I snapped, grabbing her wrist to pull her toward the house.

Looks like Emmett was right. Of course he was. Why in the world would Bella, the most perfect person on the planet, want to go out with someone like me? I was zoning out the whole time Carlisle was checking her wound, and I was almost positive she was too.

"Yup, only first degree, but I'm gonna give you some burn ointment and gauze. You'll need to keep it on there until all of the blisters are gone, okay?"

"Kay," she answered feebly. Any other time, I would've hugged her, but right now, I feel like slapping her.

The drive to school was silent, and for once, I was glad I didn't have any morning classes with her.

"Um… I'll see you at lunch right?" she asked in a small voice.

I shrugged, not meeting her nervous, brown eyes.

She sighed softly. "Edward… I-"

I shook my head. "I've got to get to class, Bella. We're already late." And with that, I stormed off, leaving her standing alone in the dreary parking lot.

The morning passed much too quickly, and I found myself absolutely dreading lunch. When the bell rang, I trudged glumly through the pouring rain to the lunch room. Of all days for me to forget my coat, it had to be the day the sky dumped buckets.

I slipped and slid to our lunch table, and collapsed ungracefully on the bench. Everyone else was already there, eating their lunches. I wasn't hungry, so all I had was a Coke. I was shocked to see that Bella only had lemonade. I was about to comment, but then I remembered I wasn't talking to her, so I kept my mouth shut. "Hey," was all I said.

After about five minutes of awkward silence, Alice stood up. "Hey, Bella, will you come with me to the bathroom please?" Alice asked.

Bella looked up at her in confusion. "You don't need me to help you go to the bathroom," she stated in a shaking voice. Alice sighed, and Rosalie rolled her eyes.

Rose stood up too, and they both grabbed one of Bella's arms, and proceeded to drag her out of the room. "Well, that was weird," I mumbled.

"Edward, what's up with you man?" Jasper asked. "You're… depressed."

"No shit Sherlock," I muttered.

"Seriously, Ed," Emmett said. "You're like… not acting all happy go lucky Edward-y like you normally do whenever Bella's in sight. What's up?"

Whoa. Emmett just sounded seriously concerned for me. Wow. "I asked Bella out and she said… well… she didn't say anything," I mumbled brokenly. Tears pricked my eyes, and I rubbed my hand angrily across them to try to make it stop.

"Aw, man. I'm sorry. Maybe Rose and Ali will talk her into it. You know how persuasive they are," Emmett offered.

"I don't wanna go out with her if she doesn't really love me," I snapped, causing more tears to flood my eyes.

"Edward…"

"I have to go." I stood up and ran out of the cafeteria, outside through the pouring rain, and across the slick parking lot before finally reaching my Volvo. I hopped in and grabbed the nearest CD, popping it into the disk drive. Soon, the music was rocking my car, and I just laid back and let the tears fall.

BPOV

Wow. This is wayy awkward. Everyone was quiet, and… and I couldn't even look at Edward. God, I really messed things up didn't I?

Alice stood up, and my eyes followed her warily. Something was up, I could feel it even in my comatose like state. "Hey, Bella, will you come to the bathroom with me, please?"

Uh… no. "You don't need me to help you go to the bathroom," I mumbled as I stared down at my lemonade. I don't really want to talk to Alice right about now. But I guess she missed (or didn't care about) my subtle signs of no talk-i-tude, because on some secret signal I didn't see, Rose was up and grabbing one of my arms with Alice grabbing the other.

I let out a startled squeak as they pulled me away, and wondered what they were going to do to me. Nothing too horrible, I hope. After they dragged me out of the cafeteria, I began to thrash and squeal, trying to break free of their strong grips; even though Rose and Alice are small, my oh my, are they strong!

"C'mon you guys, let me go!" I sniffled after I realized that my jiggles weren't helping. "You're gonna pull my arms out of their sockets!" I wailed at the horrible pain in my shoulder. "And Rose, you're holding on to my burn, and it hurts!"

"Who stuck a stick up your butt today?" Rosalie muttered, moving her hold to my forearm.

"Edward Cullen," I said in a breath so low that I wasn't sure that they could hear me. The next thing I knew, I was falling, and hit the ground hard. I yelped, and looked up at the angry (and menacing) faces of my best friends. My eyes darted nervously between their faces. "Uhm… guys?" I was scared. Alice and Rosalie were not people to tick off and by golly they were definitely pissed at me right about now.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Bella?" Alice wailed, clutching her face in obvious agony.

"Alice?" My voice cracked up an octave as I read the pain there. How could this be my fault?

"Bella, do you have any idea how much pain you're causing him right now?" Rose asked in a gentle, but still fierce, voice.

I felt my heart rip in two at the sight of his face when I couldn't answer him. "Yes," I choked out. My breathing accelerated, and my eyes began to tear. God dammit! Why do I always cry at the worst times!?

Rosalie knelt down besides me, and tried to calm the hysteria that was overtaking me, but Alice still hadn't removed her hand from her face. "I'm a horrible person!" I sobbed. This seemed to break Alice out of her little moment, and she sat on my other side, trying to calm the sobs that were overtaking me. Tears streamed steadily down my cheeks, and I couldn't do anything to stop them.

"Bella, sweetie, just tell us why you didn't say yes. We all know you love him," Rose said in a soothing voice.

I became hysterical then, and my lips started to tingle, making it hard to talk. "He… just…. I… Jacob… and… I WISH I COULD DIE!" I wailed, burying my head in Alice's chest. She stroked my hair gently, but my body wanted a different, stronger set of arms. Choking on my tears, I stood up wobbling, Alice and Rose rising warily next to me.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-where is he?" I stuttered through my teeth.

Alice's eyes glazed out of focus for a moment, before she came back to the present. "In his car. Follow the sound of Muse," she said, pushing me in the direction of the door.

I began to run, and as a result, I slipped multiple times on the wet asphalt. "Edward!" I screamed hysterically, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. "Edward!"

Finally, through the pouring rain, I saw the outline of his Volvo, and my crying escalated. I tried to run faster, and slipped, falling face first into a large puddle. I wiped the mud off my face with my sweatshirt sleeve, and scrambled up to continue my journey. His car was rocking with the volume of the music, and I was afraid he wouldn't notice me.

Of course, I slipped in a puddle, slamming rather ungracefully into his door. I saved myself from falling just by grabbing the side view mirror. I saw his head snap up when I made contact, and pure hatred burned in his eyes, but was replaced with something else, worry maybe, when he took in my appearance.

He turned down the music and opened the door. "Bella-" I didn't let him finish. I jumped into the warmth of his car, and curled up in his lap, laying my head on his chest. I began sobbing, and he sat still for just a moment before wrapping his arms around me and pulling me tighter to him. "Shh, baby, shh. It's okay," he murmured, rocking me gently back and forth.

I sniffled into his chest. "I'm a bad person," I mumbled sullenly once most of the tears had stopped.

"Who told you that, Bella?" he asked softly, pulling me closer still to him.

"No one. I just know. Because if I was a good person, I would've told you right away my answer this morning. If I was a good person, I wouldn't've let Jacob cross my mind at all ever. If I was a good person," I paused, looking up into his bloodshot, tearstained red eyes, "I would've told you right away hold I feel about you." I clenched my teeth, and prepared myself to say something that could hurt me very much. "Edward, I love you."

I closed my eyes, and felt him stiffen next to me. I waited for him to push me away, to tell me that he didn't love me, that it was just a bad bet to ask me out. But instead, he said, "I love you too, Bella. More than you can ever know."

The next thing I did know was that he was kissing me with such fervor that I couldn't quite stand it. His tongue brushed across my lower lip, and I opened my mouth, allowing our tongues to tangle together in a flurry of movement. And, oh my God. He tasted… wow. So good. I pulled back for breath, panting, as he drew from my shoulders to my jaw, and finally, back to my lips.

I straddled him, wrapping my legs around his hips and locking my ankles together. He tried to move us so that we could be more comfortable, but instead, we fell into the backseat in the little section between seats. I was on top of him, and I pulled away, letting out a shaky laugh that turned into full blown hysterical laughter. His emerald eyes sparkled, and his laughter shook me.

"Does this mean you're going out with me?" he asked, totally serious.

It was hard to stop my laughter to answer that one. "No, Edward, I go and randomly assault guys in their car just to dump them," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Yes, I'm going out with you, you fool," I said, giving him a quick peck on the lips. He grabbed the back of my head, holding me to him, our fingers tangling in each other's hair. Finally, we pulled apart, both gasping for breath.

"One thing," I said, holding up a finger. "How the hell are we supposed to get out?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Can you call Emmett and Jasper please?" Edward asked.

"Why can't you?"

"Because, in case you haven't noticed, I'm underneath you which would make it very difficult to hold a phone to my ear."

"Oh. Right." I patted my pockets, searching in vain for my phone. "Crap, I left it at home!" I squealed angrily.

"And mine's in the front seat," Edward mumbled.

After a moment of silence, I said. "We don't have to leave. I mean, your windows are tinted enough that no one could see us right?"

"Yeah, the back ones are really dark, but I don't think anyone would look down here," he pointed.

"Let's just hope that they need a ride home in your car, or else we're screwed," I giggled.

"You're very, very, right."

We spent the rest of the afternoon just talking, and making out occasionally.

"Ugh. Will they be here soon?" I grumbled after what seemed like (and probably was) hours. "I'm starving!" To prove my point, my stomach growled angrily.

There was a knock on the window, and I shrieked, pulling myself closer to Edward's chest.

"Is everything safe for our innocent eyes in there?" Emmett's unmistakable booming voice asked. Edward rolled his eyes, and I sighed in relief.

"Yeah, Emmett. Nothing too bad at all," Edward said.

The door open, and everyone cracked up at our position. I blushed, but Edward stayed completely calm. "Can you please help us?" I begged. "I'm starving!"

Alice and Rose laughed, but opened the door and pulled me out safely. Emmett and Jasper went in to rescue Edward, and we couldn't see much, but we sure did hear a lot of cussing.

We were both free, and I ran into Edward's arms.

"Looks like you two made up," Emmett said, waggling his eyebrows.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Emmett," he said, pulling me closer to him.

"I love you," I whispered quietly in his ear.

"As I love you," he whispered back.

Ta-da! Okay, so since I got this up a day before I was going to, and because I know you all love me, please review! You guys totally rock last chapter, and I swear that if you give me 7 reviews, I will update next Sunday!

Gimmee your input please, and I'll give you a mini Edward figurine! :D Best gift ever right? Right. So press that green (as one of my readers kindly reminded me) button and REVIEW! :)