PEOPLE! chapter 8! i had sooo much ufn writing this chapter. i was like grinning. sriously. but its probably not even as great as i THINK it is. but o well, SOMETHING happens. better someting than nothing, right? note: once again, sorry if its corny. tried to not make it corny. but yeah. anyway. yeah. and the beginning is kinda filler, but you cna read it still. xD

thnaks for your reviews for my story, thank you thank you thank you!! :D

now, read please. AND REVIEW!

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CHAPTER 8 – You Bet Your Girlfriend, I'll Just Go Stand over There

I looked at my cell phone screen, and the time shown was only nine. I'd already watched two movies and devoured one bowl of popcorn. I snuck a peek at Wuthering Heights and sighed, not really having the vibe to read.

My thoughts drifted to the things we'd bought from Christmas shopping, and I realized I still needed to wrap those up. Standing up, I trudged into Alice's room and picked up the shopping bags and wrapping paper, which was piled neatly in the corner of her room. Bringing the items to the floor of the living room, I sat down and began wrapping the things I'd bought. Alice had specifically said she wanted to wrap the things she'd bought on her own, so I put everything she'd purchased back into the shopping bag and returned them to their proper spot.

All too soon, I was done wrapping the gifts, and I stared around at my work smugly. Picking up the boxes, I set them on the floor of my bedroom beside the wall, knowing full well that I wouldn't forget them there. Then I sat down on my bed and stared around. Hmm…my eyes locked on the messenger bag tossed carelessly beside my nightstand. I could study; two finals in the upcoming week. But on a Saturday night? Really, Bella?

I pursed my lips and exited my bedroom, wandering around to the kitchen. After downing a plate of lasagna, a bag of Doritos, three Oreos, and two cups of water, I found myself standing in the middle of the living room again, right back where I started. Glancing at the clock, I grimaced - 9:37; apparently, I wrap gifts too quickly, and I shouldn't starve myself. I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed angrily, pacing around the room.

I sauntered over to my bedroom and pulled out my iPod. At first I listened to Taylor Swift songs, getting more irritated at how, even through shuffle, her lovey-dovey songs like "Our Song" and "Love Story" kept popping up. With a low growl, I switched to Lifehouse, only to see that the first song at the top of the list was "You and Me." Beyond agitated, I switched to Motion City Soundtrack and jammed "Lgfuad" as high as it could go. I fell back onto my pillow and closed my eyes, repeating the song over and over until I memorized the lyrics. I was slightly annoyed by how happy the guy sounded when he sang it, though.

Looking at the clock next to my bed, I was plain frustrated – 9:59. I flipped onto my stomach, pulled out my earphones, and narrowed my eyes at the bright numbers on the alarm clock, willing them to change into one ten and two zeroes. If the clock had eyes, I would have been absolutely sure we were engrossed in some sort of staring contest. After what seemed like eternity, it was finally 10 PM. Hmm. An hour, not bad.

I hurried into the bathroom and changed into pajamas, taking out my contacts and brushing my teeth and all. After tossing my clothes into a laundry basket, I walked back into my room and sat down on the bed, staring around with an unhappy expression. I crossed my legs and sighed, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. I considered calling Alice for the sake of boredom, but I didn't want to interrupt her date with Jasper. Rosalie wouldn't be too happy if I disrupted her time, and she probably wasn't even with her purse at the moment.

I fell back onto my pillow again and threw my arm over my eyes, groaning very loudly.

After about ten minutes of just laying there, I started humming "Lgfuad" quietly, although I sounded like dead cat that got run over by a monster truck playing polka/hippie music.

Eventually, I stopped humming and stared up at the ceiling, feeling extremely bored. And eventually, I must've dozed off sometime, because when I gained consciousness again, I glanced at the clock and saw that it was around nine in the morning.

After taking a long, soothing shower, and I pulled on grey skinny jeans – courtesy of Alice – and pulled a black sweatshirt over my white tank. I carried on with my morning necessities, like putting on contacts and brushing my hair and doing light tabs of make-up, that sort of stuff.

It was around ten-thirty when Alice exited her bedroom with Jasper following lightly behind, both of them dressed and ready for the day. I was sitting in the kitchen surfing YouTube, and looked up when they appeared.

"Good morning," I said calmly, moving my gaze back to the song cover for "Bubbly" I was watching. "I made some waffles."

"Morning Bells," Alice said as Jasper smiled serenely and waved. I caught her smiling up at him out of the corner of my eye, and then I watched as he smiled back, leaned down, and gently kissed her forehead, then her nose, and then her…lips.

I cleared my throat after a couple more minutes of their kissing.

Alice giggled while I rolled my eyes. "Go eat breakfast you two," I scolded playfully.

Alice looked at Jasper for a moment, and they shared a silent conversation through their eyes, which I tried to comprehend, but couldn't. So instead, I started surfing YouTube again.

Before I knew it, Alice was kissing Jasper good-bye and walking him out the door of the dorm, and then she was right next to me, propped lightly up on the table, her feet swinging back and forth blissfully.

Her cheeks were stained a bright red as she squealed, "I like Jasper so much!"

"Gee, there's a shock," I laughed sarcastically. "Glad to see it's working out for you."

Alice grinned excitedly. "Want to know what we did yesterday?"

"Sure," I answered, looking up from my laptop.

Alice dismissed my not-so-interested expression and spoke cheerfully while nibbling on the corner of a waffle. "Okay, so he first stopped by our dorm, and you know, you were out somewhere while I was busy sewing Rosalie's dress. And then, I opened the door and was all like 'oh my God, Jasper!' right? So anyway, he's all like, 'Surprise, Alice!' and he holds up this huge bouquet of a dozen roses! Attached to it is this adorable card that says, 'Twelve roses for twelve reasons why I adore you.' And then he starts listing them off! So first, he said, it was because I was beautiful, and then he said I had an amazing smile. I was totally and completely flattered by that. Next he was all like, 'I like how bubbly you are.' Or was it quirky that he used? I don't remember, but anyway it was something along those lines. He continued on to say…"

She continued on and on about her night, pacing around the room and doing a bunch of hand motions to be more vivid on her experience. She buzzed about the first kiss they shared, explaining her thoughts and feelings while describing what the kiss was like, her cheeks bright red and adorable. All the while, a wide, happy smile was plastered onto her face that I was afraid it might be stuck there forever. Her blue-green eyes remained sparkly and bright the entire time she spoke, and I, being the supportive best friend, nodded and cooed every time it was necessary. Eventually, after about two hours of gushing and dishing, she left to go finish the rest of Rosalie's Winterfest dress with a huge grin on her face, and I was left, once again, with nothing to do.

-------o-------

"You look awfully tired," I commented lightly as Edward plopped down on the bleachers next to me. Purple shadows were under his eyes, and his hair was even messier than usual.

"Don't remind me," he sighed as he rested his elbows on his knees and brought his head to his hands.

"Mmm," I replied casually.

We sat speechlessly next to each other for three minutes before I spoke.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Nope."

"Hmm," I responded. I thought for a moment before continuing. "Well, my night was perfect."

He peeked up at me through his fingers. "Really?"

"Sure. I did nothing while my best friend and sister went out with their boyfriends," I spat grumpily.

Edward didn't say anything, so I kept going.

"Yeah, and then Alice got the kiss she wanted while Rosalie enjoyed Italian breadsticks. You know, for being Jacob's date to the dance, I still feel like a nitwit," I muttered sourly.

"Whoa wait," Edward said, straightening up and staring at me. "You're going to the dance with Jacob?"

I shrugged. "Yeah."

"Jacob Black?" he confirmed.

I looked down and then back up at him again. "Well yeah. Do you know any other Jacobs?" I muttered with a sigh. "I might cancel though."

"Why is that?"

"Dunno. He and I never talk, and it's not like we hung out before," I mumbled, but then a frown creased my forehead. "Hmm…maybe canceling wouldn't be such a good idea though. If I cancel," I ranted to myself, "then I might actually end up having to eat caviar all by myself," I said logically, a pout forming on my face. "Not good…not good…"

Edward coughed beside me, and I looked up at him to find that he had his lips pressed into a tight line, the corners twitching in an effort to hide the smile.

I glared at him, and he just smirked.

"Bella, they don't even have caviar at the dance," he said as if that was the moral of life. His smile widened.

I rolled my eyes and exhaled heavily. "The only reason why I'm going with him is because of Alice."

"Alice?" Edward asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah. She's going with Jasper, Rosalie's going with Emmett; Alice wants me to come too. Besides, I already spent one Saturday night alone. I don't plan on being alone Christmas Eve. That would just be stupid," I muttered.

Something flashed in his eyes.

"So you're spending Christmas Eve with Jake?"

"Looks like it," I sighed, running a hand through my hair as a heavy wind picked up.

When he didn't respond, I moved my gaze to his face and saw him scrutinizing my expression, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he was deeply focused.

"What?" I asked, feeling self-cautious under his penetrating stare.

His green eyes were hard, his jaw rigid. "I don't think that's a very good idea," he said disapprovingly.

I frowned. "What's not a very good idea?"

"You spending the night with Jacob Black."

"What's it to you?" I questioned, unable to keep the annoyed tone out of my voice. Besides, who said I was spending the night with him anyway? It's not anything ever happened between us. And I was still left to wonder what Lauren was going to do when and if she were to find out…it would happen eventually.

Edward pursed his lips. "Well, I honestly don't think he's good enough for you," he said matter-of-factly.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not dating him, don't worry." I patted his arm in reassurance. "Just going to the dance with him."

"Bella, he can be very demanding, and is not a good boyfriend," Edward said sternly. "Besides, he's been known to seduce every girl he's dated! Sorry to say, but he's triple your size and triple your weight. There is no way in hell you can stop him."

I sighed, rolling my eyes at his obnoxious exaggerative manner. "First of all, I'm not dating him," I muttered, rolling my eyes again. "Secondly, not to worry." I smacked his shoulder wholeheartedly. "If anyone is injuring anyone, it's going to be me landing him in the ER with two broken feet 'cause of my horrible dancing skills," I said, trying to brighten up the situation. It didn't work. "Edward, he's the only guy that asked me" – with the exception of Mike, I added silently – "and besides, Alice's sake, remember?" I protested with a pout.

His lips twitched in amusement, but it was quickly masked with disapproval. "And Lauren?"

I pursed my lips; I hadn't really thought that part over in detail… "I could deal with her." Pssh, yeah right. "It's just Lauren," I added rather weakly.

"'It's just Lauren,'" he quoted incredulously, raising his eyebrows at me. "Bella, seriously. He's not good enough for you," Edward retorted.

I glared at him. "I'm flattered that you think so highly of me."

"Hmm," he responded calmly, although his eyes were fierce. His expression was anxious while he said, "Bella, remember that conversation we had about pure and kindhearted people?"

"Yep," I answered, refusing to look at him.

"And remember the people we named off?"

"Sure," I said simply. "Angela Weber. Luke Norman."

Edward waited a couple seconds to see if I would continue, but when I didn't, he sighed. "You're forgetting someone rather important," he said, his silky voice edgy and impatient.

I didn't reply, just glared at the field of grass.

I jumped when I felt his index finger under my chin, turning my head to face him. And when I looked at him again, I noticed his eyes seemed concerned, angry, and confused all at once. When he was absolutely sure I wouldn't avert my gaze from his, he moved his finger quickly, although his eyes were still glued to mine.

"You, Bella," he murmured. "Three people. Of the entire school. I don't want you getting sucked into my world," he said meekly.

My brow furrowed. "I'm already in your world…" I said, confused by his analogies or metaphors or whatever he was doing to me. These damn Cullens.

He exhaled slowly, momentarily moving his gaze to the side before bringing his emerald eyes back to mine. "No, Bella," he breathed sadly, shaking his head so that a lock of bronze fell into his eyes. "Lauren is in my world. Tanya. Emmett. Your sister. Rosalie, is in my world…" He paused, as if deciding what to say next, and then he breathed, "And I don't want you in it."

I blankly stared at him for the longest moment, repeating his words over and over in my head. In the end, I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to feel thankful, scared, or hurt. I had opened my mouth a couple times to try and say something in response to his ultimatum, but simply nothing came out. Really, what could - or should - I say to that? Maybe an "okay" or a "you're stupid?" But I was at a lost for words.

Edward noticed that, for he gave a nervous laugh, averting his eyes from me and moving them to the cloudy sky. "You know, I did the same thing to Alice," he murmured with a bitter laugh "Told her to stay away from me. From Emmett, Jacob, and Jasper. But did she listen? No." His voice had an unmistakable edge to it.

I refrained from glaring at him. "Your sister likes Jasper a lot."

"It'll pass," he said in a sure voice.

"No, it won't," I replied confidently, surprised at how belligerent I was in defending her relationship and on the sudden change of topic. "I know he likes her back."

"Highly doubt it," he said instantly.

I didn't bother to conceal the glare this time, crossing my arms over my chest. "And why is that?" I growled.

Edward shrugged. "Alice is getting lost in one of those dim-witted fantasies of hers, and they happen to involve Jasper. He's going to toss her away like he did with Cassidy. And then I can go up to her face and tell her 'I told you so,'" he said matter-of-factly. "But that's not on topic. Back to –"

"You freak," I interrupted breathlessly, full out glaring. "You have her whole life planned out, don't you? Last time I checked, you were her brother. Let the girl date who she wants."

He glowered at me, too. "I'm older than her, Bella." ("By a couple of months!") "And since Carlisle and Esme aren't here, I think I have full authority over her."

"Let the girl date who she wants," I repeated, rolling my eyes.

"She's going to get hurt if she and Jasper keep together."

"I don't believe he'll hurt her," I retorted.

"I do," he immediately replied.

"Well then obviously you haven't seen the two of them together," I snapped.

"No, I haven't," he admitted. "But –"

"They are totally and completely absorbed in each other," I said assertively. "I don't doubt that at all."

"That doesn't mean Jasper will be ready to be with her in a real, stable relationship."

"So good to see how highly you think of your own friend."

Edward rolled his eyes. "I've seen it before," he said. "Cassidy wasn't happy; she was devastated. I don't want Alice like that, but it seems to me that the situation isn't in my hands anymore."

"Well, duh, it isn't!" I said. "Edward, she's seventeen now. You've been there for her as her protector – even though you're her age" – I narrowed my eyes at him, daring for him to challenge me –"for a while. But she's different now." My thoughts traveled back to earlier this morning while Alice bounced happily around describing her night. Her happiness was clearly there, and I had no skepticism in their relationship, at least not anymore.

His hands clenched into fists. "Bella, how can you say that? Two months ago, you're mind never came across the name Alice Cullen, now did it?" I didn't respond. "Yeah, I thought so," he scoffed.

"Well, two weeks ago you never noticed how happy she was after meeting with him, now did you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He just glared at me, and I responded with a smug, "I thought so."

We glared at each other for a full minute.

"Jasper likes her," I said, annunciating every word.

He leaned towards me, our faces just six inches apart.

"Wanna bet?" he asked, raising a sculpted eyebrow.

"I don't bet," I said. "Unlike you."

He grimaced, but otherwise kept his scowl, which turned into a cocky grin. "Bet my relationship on it," he said, completely ignoring my earlier response. "If you win, I break up with Tanya. If I win…" He paused, thinking, and then he looked up at me with a devious smile. "I get to kiss you wherever I want to for fifteen seconds."

My heart immediately stopped beating, and then it took off full speed. I involuntarily moved my gaze down to his mouth again, where his full lips were undeniably tempting. Then I had my moment of hysteria – wherever he wanted? I was speechless for a couple seconds before I was able to strike a comeback, my heart still fluttering uncontrollably. "Why should I care about your relationship with Tanya?"

"Because, Bella, you're always so irritated at how I do my relationships. This time around, I don't have to cheat on anyone, I know you hate that. All you have to do is win the bet." His voice was immediately alluring and seductive.

"But that would make me such a hypocrite," I sighed dramatically, pretending to be uncertain.

Edward smirked and leaned back. Then, he stood up and gracefully stepped down the bleachers again, landing on the grass with a soft thud. He turned to look at me, an arrogant expression on his face. "Suit yourself. I'm perfectly content with flirting with other girls while having a girlfriend." He started off towards the buildings.

I glowered at his figure, having the sudden intense urge to wipe that stupid, conceited grin off of his face. Without thinking, I carefully trudged down after him, landing clumsily on my stomach on the ground. I scrambled onto my feet and took off after him. Edward turned around, a smirk evident on his lips.

Devoid of hesitation, I said, "I'm in."

His smirk widened, and he leaned towards me again, his green eyes piercing.

"Bella Swan," he murmured, his eyes highly amused. "You're on." He held out his hand for me to shake, and I instantly shook it.

"All you have to do is get Alice and Jasper to say 'I love you,' to each other, and Tanya and I are over," Edward smirked. There is that stupid smirk again.

"And all you have to do" – I swallowed nervously – "to kiss me is to get them to separate," I said. "Got it? And no stupid tricks like sending some BS rumor around school."

"Yes, Miss Swan," he teased with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm still going to the dance with Jacob," I murmured haughtily, drawing my hand back.

Edward's lips turned down in disapproval while I smirked with satisfaction at his unhappiness – rude, but true.

He stared at me thoughtfully for a moment, and then said slowly and alluringly, "Alright, Bella, but if he happens to let you down, just know that I'll be there on the sidelines, waiting for you to crawl back to me so we can enjoy a beautiful dance under the moonlight while Jacob, Tanya, and Lauren all sulk in the background."

His voice was unmistakably stuck-up.

And did he just ask me to the dance?

Well, I'll be damned. This dude rendered me speechless. And confused. Yet again.

The corners of Edward's lips turned up into a triumphant grin. He leaned even closer to me, so that now our lips were a mere two inches apart, and tilted his head to the side slightly, as if he was about to kiss me. I was amazed by the electricity and desire that tugged at my heart.

"By the way," he stated softly, his sweet breath reaching the tip of my tongue, "…I happen to be a very good kisser."

My heart was beating so loudly I was almost absolutely sure he could hear it. I involuntarily leaned up towards him, desperate to destroy that static buzz that pulsed through my lips. And then Edward Cullen, being the cheat that he is, quickly leaned away from me, that same conceited grin on his lips.

"You have until January first," he said. "The deal is off immediately after one of the things occurs. Whoever wins the bet gets control of where and when they want the reward to happen, within a reasonable time period, of course. If for some reason, by January first, neither event happens, the deal is off completely. No winner, no loser."

I nodded. "Deal."

"And Bella, you have to make sure they mean it," he said gently.

"Oh, I will," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "And you have to make sure they break up for a real reason, not some lame excuse you make up, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am."

I scrutinized his expression. "Alright."

Edward grinned. "We're good then. Best of luck, young grasshopper." He attempted to hide a smile, but failed.

I glowered at him and scoffed, "Good-bye."

I stalked passed him, tripped over my own two feet, and felt his arms encircle around my waist. I muttered a profanity at my obvious disability, and at the fact that he had to keep me from falling face-first another two feet.

Edward's lips were right by my head, his breath tickling my ear, ready to say an ultimatum.

"Remember, love, I'm an amazing kisser," he whispered seductively.

"All the practice does you good," I mumbled, although inside, I was completely pumped.

Bring it on, Edward Cullen.

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jasper and alice are sooo cutey ptootie xD

HAHAH! the bet is on. DUN DUN DUN! o.o im having some weird moment. anyway, i hope you guys get it. basically, edwards like "if jacob is too much for you, or hes being some freako perdon you dont like, you can come hang with me,." kinda thing to bella.

but anyway, i REALLY REALLY hope you guys liked htis chapter, and that its not corny like all that stuffs. and edward is such an arrogant dude. x.x

ALSO, i am happpyy to annoucne that chapter 9 is going to have HUGE background on edward and alice, so prepare! and i might change the date for the end of the bet. maybe, mybae not. anyway,

ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE BET? i sure hope so. lol. do, in fact, wonder how things will work out....

reviews please :D