AN: Thanks to chapter eight's reviewers! Sorry I didn't mention you guys last time! Eeyore-ft-tigger, Jazzys Mistress, Dreamer208, dancingwhilefalling, twilightlvr4vr, the twilight nerd, and memmi . moo :)

ANDD thanks to the chapter 9 reviewers! babyCullen060596, twilightfang66, twilight saga nerd, and OwlinAMinor :)

DISCLAIMER: ALL TWILIGHT CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER BECAUSE THEY'RE PISSED OFF AT ME FOR MAKING THEIR LIVES TOTAL BULLCRAP. THEIR WORDS NOT MINE. (And didn't Stephenie do that, too? I don't know…)

Bella POV

I was flabbergasted. I knew Jess and Lauren had planned to spread the word that Edward and I had been kissing, but I hadn't known they were going to project huge pictures of it on screen and show the whole cafeteria when we were sitting right there. Those girls had some serious nerve, but I guess it was a little easier for them considering my knack of shrugging things off.

After I'd gotten over the shock of that, I was just plain embarrassed. Everyone had seen Edward become a hit with the prettier girls of the school. And now Senna, out of all people, had gotten up to stand up for our nonexistent relationship. What if he didn't want to be with me? He hadn't talked to me all day. The entire school of Forks High was trying to push us together. Where were they when we actually wanted their help?

I guess I wanted it, but I didn't know about Edward. After the whole cafeteria fiasco, he'd zoomed out of there as fast as he could. I knew he was embarrassed too. He'd never talk to me again. Dang it. Dang Senna. I used to like her. Dang Stanley and Mallory.

Right now, I was in my room, watching people come home from school. I was pretty much being a coward. I didn't want to face him yet, so I faked being sick to my mom and stayed home. I heard a knock on the door.

"Bella. Open the door."

I groaned. "Leave, Rose."

"I won't."

I sighed and said, "Come in."

She walked in and gave me the look I knew she was going to give.

"I don't want to listen to you if you're going to tell me how stupid I'm being, 'cause I already know."

"I'm not going to tell you that," she said, biting her lip. "But I am going to tell you that Edward is worried about you. He was asking me where you were all day."

"What?" I said, alarmed. "What did you tell him?"

She bit her lip again.

"Rose, I'm the one who bites my lip. It doesn't suit you. What did you say to him?"

"Well…" she hesitated.

"You didn't tell him the truth," I countered as my eyes widened, "did you?"

"Not exactly," she said. "I just told him that you were deciding…things."

I raised an eyebrow. "You couldn't have just told him I was sick?"

She shook her head. "That's not a very exciting reason."

I threw my hands up. "So now you're trying to spice up my life since it's so boring for you when I'm having problems?"

"No," she defended. "It's not like that. It's…" She paused, taking a breath. "I told you. He was worried. I didn't want him to worry about unnecessary things. I mean, it's not like you don't like him. You just think he doesn't like you, and I've been trying to tell you he likes you, but you won't listen, so I didn't want to give him a false reason on why you were gone. That's the ultimate romance sin. Bad karma."

I just sat there staring at her incredulously. "I'm going to school tomorrow," I finally said. "But don't expect me to talk to him. I just don't want to miss any more homework."

"Bella!" It was Rosalie's turn to be exasperated. "Why won't you listen to me?"

I bit my lip. "I feel like you're just trying to boost my confidence. Why would Edward like me? I don't understand it. So I won't try. End of discussion."

"Not end of discussion," she insisted. Her blue eyes were almost blazing. "Come on, Bella. If you really want something in life, you have to get up and get it."

"Save the lecture, Rose," I retorted. "I'm not a little girl anymore. And who are you, my friend or my mother?"

She just glared at me and turned to leave. "I hope you know what you're doing."

After she left, I felt kind of alone. I knew we hadn't really had a falling out. Rosalie and I had argued like this many times. Usually, though, Alice was there to be on my side.

Not this time, I thought. God, I missed her. I was afraid for her, too. I didn't want her to be influenced badly. Hanging out with Jessica and Lauren had to have a bad effect.

I just sat there and kept looking out the window. I saw a couple. The girl had brown hair that turned kind of red in the sun. The guy was carrying a Webster's dictionary in his hands and had on a sweater vest.

School nerd, I thought.

But when he turned to smile at her, I noticed his features. He was gorgeous. His eyes reminded me of someone. He put his arms around the girl and she laughed; a wind chime kind of sound. They walked away, arm in arm, like a scene from a movie. I hadn't ever seen them before, and I was pretty sure they didn't go to my school. If they did, they'd probably see me in the window and wave in recognition or something.

I looked back at the spot where they'd been, and they weren't there anymore. There was just my busted up truck and a Webster's dictionary on the ground in front of it. I need to stop dreaming, I told myself as I realized I'd been thinking about me and Edward together. I sighed and pulled out Wuthering Heights. A distraction would be nice. Somewhere in the corner of my mind, though, I knew I hadn't dropped that dictionary.

Edward POV

"Crap," I thought as I noticed my favorite dictionary was missing. I thought back to what I'd done today. I'd freaked out about Bella possibly knowing what I was, blabbed to Tanya about it, Samantha had tried to make a move on me…again, and I'd walked the long way to my house from school, which took me right past Bella's place. Crap, I thought as I realized two things.

One was that I'd walked past Bella's house and was pretty sure my backpack had been open. I don't know how I didn't notice it fall out, being a vampire and all, but the dictionary probably had. Now I needed to go back and get it and chances were that Bella would see me. How would I explain my presence? Ugh. High school drama.

The second was that Samantha Stevens had tried to ask me out...again. So had a lot of other girls. The first day me and my brothers had shown up at school without "costume," Samantha had flirted with me in my foods class right in front of Bella. I'd failed to realize this before. Was this what Tanya was trying to do- get Bella jealous? Anger surged through me and I found myself automatically dialing her phone number.

"Hey, Edward! Any progress?"

"No, Tanya. There's been no progress. And it's probably because you're going about this all the wrong way. Seriously, Tanya? I told you Bella wasn't like other girls, and yet you thought she'd fall into this ridiculous scheme? I-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Edward! Just what exactly do you think I'm doing?"

A spark of irritation went through me. "You're trying to make Bella jealous."

She snorted. "No, I'm not, Edward. It might seem that way, but no, that's not what I'm trying to do. Bella will come and talk to you herself if she loves you. And trust me; she's head over heels over you. If I can guess this just by listening to you talk about what you've done together the two or three times you've hung out, it's probably true, don't you think?"

I thought for a moment and exhaled. "You're right, I guess. I can see it from that view point. But I'm not so positive about her loving me that much. Not right now, anyway."

"She does. She'll talk to you in time."

"But she hasn't been at school."

"Edward. Give her time."

"But-'

"EDWARD."

"Sorry."

"No problem. Talk to you later," she laughed and hung up.

Now. How am I going to get that dictionary? ...FML…

AN: heheh I think it's funny when Edward uses text abbreviations :) Ooh, things are going to be good next chapter! See you then! :D