a/n: hello, dear readers! this chapter is a filler (sorry) and nothing of great consequence happens. i hope you still enjoy it. i typed this one pretty fast so it probably has a few typos and such, sorry in advance. review!!

"Did you all have a good time this weekend?" Bella asked at lunch. She and Edward were sitting with the rest of the Cullens today.

"You should have been there, Bella!" Emmett exclaimed. "I had this bear--"

"Let's not get too carried away with details, Emmett," Edward interrupted, taking Bella's hand under the table.

"Fine. Suck all the fun out of telling a story," Emmett grumbled.

"So, Bella," Alice started, changing the subject, "has Mrs. Milhouse chosen the artist of the week for this week?"

"Not that I know of," she answered. "I think she usually waits until the end of the day to display a new piece."

"I hope that anonymous artist is picked again. Whoever they are does amazing work."

"Come on, Alice. I'm sure you could draw anything you wanted perfectly."

"I can draw, sure, but that person is a true artist. The pieces always have such depth. I love the portraits the best. It's like you can see every emotion in their eyes. It's amazing to be a drawing."

"Well, maybe something of Bella's will be chosen. Maybe the teacher will mistaken it for something abstract," Emmett teased.

"Shut up, Emmett," Bella threw a cardboard tasting French fry playfully at him.

"Yeah, Emmett, you've never even seen anything of hers. Maybe it can't even be mistaken as abstract," Rosalie put in, smirking evilly at Bella.

"Do you want to come over tonight?" Edward quickly changed the subject.

"Um, I have a Literature test tomorrow that I need to study for," Bella said, chewing on her lip. She really wanted to spend time with Edward since he just got back, but she needed to study as well. "Plus I'll need to make sure it's ok with Charlie."

"I'll help you study. As for Charlie...Alice?"

Alice became still for a few moments. Bella figured Charlie must have said yes, because Edward smiled at her. "Your dad is working late, then going to look at fishing supplies at the Newton's store. From the looks of it, he's going to take a while and be out later then usual. So you can come over right after school since there is not need for you to go home," Alice gladly informed them.

"See?" Edward looked at her hopefully.

"Of course, I'll come," Bella smiled at his face.

"Excellent," he replied and kissed her cheek. By this time the cafeteria was almost empty. They stood, Edward grabbed Bella's tray to throw it away, and they all began to walk to class.

Bella and Edward branched off from the others to walk to Biology. The teacher still wasn't in there when they walked in. As they sat down at their table, one of the guidance counselors poked his head in the door.

"Mr. Cullen," Mr. Stewart called. "May I see you for a moment?"

"Certainly," Edward stood. "Be right back," he whispered to Bella. He walked to the door then disappeared with Mr. Stewart.

When Edward got up, Mike sauntered over to Bella's table and sat on the edge. "Hey, Bella. What's up?"

"Hey, Mike. Nothing really," Bella said, glancing toward the door for a sign of Edward...or the teacher for that matter. Anyone to get Mike away from her. Bella didn't elaborate, hoping he would get the hint. He didn't.

"I saw your dad at the store a couple of days ago. Buying fishing stuff I think. My dad is trying to talk him into going fishing sometime soon."

"I'm sure he will probably take him up on that offer. Charlie loves to fish. Plus he and your dad seem like pretty good friends." Bella looked at the door just as Edward was coming back.

Mike noticed as well and got off the table. "Talk to you later, Bella," Mike said, giving her a wink.

Bella was grateful when Edward sat back down. "What was that about?" Bella questioned.

"Oh, just something about a change in my schedule that is no longer needed," he answered smiling at her.

"Ah," Bella said knowingly. There was no reason for him to change out of Biology now that he didn't have a compulsive need to kill her.

"What was Newton doing?" Edward asked in return.

"He told me he saw Charlie at his parents' store. Trying to make small talk, I guess. I wish he wouldn't. His constant flirting is starting to get on the creepy side."

"Not to mention annoying," Edward grumbled, looking in Mike's direction. "At least you can't hear what he's thinking."

"I don't even want to know," Bella replied, holding her hands up in front of her.

"Good. I'm too much of a gentleman to tell you anyway."

"I know, and I love you for it. Thank you." She leaned over and kissed him lightly.

After gym Bella was more than ready to spend some time with Edward and his vampire family. She couldn't help but still smile when she walked out of the locker room (or any class for that matter) and saw Edward standing there waiting for her.

"Hello," she said when she reached him.

"Hello," he returned with a smile. Then he held out his hand expectantly towards her.

"What?" she asked, puzzled.

"Keys, please. I'm letting Alice drive the others home in my car so I can take you."

"But, Edward," Bella complained, "you hate driving my truck."

"I know. The things I sacrifice for love." He composed his face into a martyred expression and held his hand out closer to her. She reluctantly dropped her keys into his upturned palm.

"Fine. Let's go."

"Not yet. I told Alice we'd meet her by the art room to give her my keys. She's obsessed with seeing the new piece."

"Oh, ok," Bella answered. She leaned into Edward as he put his arm around her waist, careful not to stiffen or wince to give him any reason to worry, as they walked to the art room. Bella was curious to see who it was also. She knew it couldn't be her, because she wasn't finished with the latest assignment yet. When they turned the corner onto the hall with the art room, they saw Alice standing in front of the case that housed the 'Artist of the Week' piece.

"Come look at this! It's absolutely amazing!" Alice called.

"Wow. That is amazing," Edward muttered as he saw the piece inside Alice's mind.

When Bella was finally near enough to see what it was, she stopped dead in her tracks. Edward didn't notice she had stopped until he felt his arm tug around her waist as he kept walking. "No," she whispered. She was staring at a drawing of a beautiful girl in a long, flowing gown sitting at a long table alone. Her drawing. Her drawing full of so much meaning and emotion for her that she wasn't going to show it to anyone.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked anxiously. Her reaction to the drawing startled him.

"Yeah, Bella. Wha-" Alice started, but became still for the second time that day. Bella closed her eyes knowing that Alice was having a vision of Bella telling them she was Anonymous as she had just decided to do. Then she heard the squeal. "Bella! Why didn't you tell us sooner?!"

Bella opened her eyes and Alice was practically dancing around the hall. "Alice, please! Shh!" Bella looked around frantically hoping no one was around to hear.

"Oh, you'll have to show us more of your things when we get home! I have to tell the others!"

"Alice!" Bella called, but she was already turning the corner. Bella sighed and looked at Edward. She began to feel uneasy because he hadn't said anything.

He looked back at her drawing then at her with a small smile playing on his lips. "Come one," he said. "Let's go."

When they were sitting in Bella's truck waiting to pull out of the parking lot, Bella asked, "Are you mad I didn't tell you sooner?"

Edward pulled her across the seat so she was sitting beside him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, while keeping one hand on the wheel. He kissed the top of her head before answering. "Of course I'm not mad. I realize there are things you want to keep to yourself. I also understand that if you want to share them with me, then you will when you want to. It just makes you that much more interesting. You're like some puzzle I'm trying to figure out, and each new thing I learn about you is just another piece of the wonderfully abstract image that is you."

Bella just stared at him as he smiled down at her with his heart-stopping grin. He had such a wonderful way of putting things. It was hard not to fall in love with him over and over again.

When the Cullen house come into view, Bella could see Alice waiting on the porch. She looked like she was trying her hardest not to bound off the porch and yank Bella out of the truck while it was still moving. Bella turned toward Edward when she felt the truck slow considerably even though they hadn't reached the house yet. She saw a sly smile sneak across his face. She looked at Alice again and saw she looked livid.

"You love torturing her, don't you?" Bella asked him.

"I'm just trying to buy you some time before she puts you on display for the entire family."

Bella groaned.

:: Edward, if you don't hurry up, I'm coming to get her myself ::, Edward heard Alice think.

"You wouldn't." Edward narrowed his eyes at Alice.

"What?" Bella asked, as she couldn't hear Alice. She looked in Alice's direction again, but when she blinked, Alice was gone from the porch and Bella was being pulled from the truck and raced to the house.

"ALICE!" They heard Edward roar as Alice put Bella on her feet in the house. Edward was beside them a split second later, shooting daggers at his sister.

"I warned you," Alice stated innocently. She turned to Bella, "Now, come on, Bella. Show us your stuff."

"Oh, do I really have to?" Bella tried to look at the others for help, but could tell they were all rather curious. Even Rosalie looked interested. :: She probably wants to see if a lowly human can actually do anything ::, Bella thought to herself. She didn't want to disappoint them, so she sighed and said, "Alright, but stay here, and no peeking, Alice." Of course, by 'peeking' Bella meant no looking into the future to see what she was going to do. She walked into the dining room, and sat her book back in one of the chairs surrounding the barely-used table. She opened the bag and pulled out her art folder. She wanted to surprise the Cullens with the portraits she had done of them. Alice did say the portraits were her favorite. She flipped to the back of the folder and pulled out the many sheets with their faces on them. She arranged them on the table, making sure they looked perfect. She left the ones of Edward looking angry in the folder and only took out the ones where he was laughing or smiling. When she was satisfied she walked to the dining room door and beckoned them in.

a/n: there you go. like i said it was a filler, so i hope you aren't too disappointed. the next chapter will be another filler but slightly more interesting than this one, if you didn't find this one up to your satisfaction. Ch. 12 is when things really get interesting so i hope you stick with me. review please and let me know what you think. it really does give me motivation to know you guys really want it. oh and if you are wondering why Edward hasn't questioned Bella yet, it's because he is really hoping she will come to him and tell him and he doesn't want to push her away, but when the time comes to know, what will he do? read and find out in the next couple of chapters :D love!