Please do not kill me. I am so sorry. So many things have happened to keep me from this, but I'm not going to bore you with details.

If it has been so long, that you cannot even remember the story, go ahead and read it—I'll wait…

So, Edward's decided he's not going to talk to Bella. Huh. Do we remember that working in Twilight/ Midnight Sun?

The conversation with Carlisle and Edward (in italics) is a flashback, just in case you get confused. I wanted this chapter to be different, so it doesn't look like I'm just copying from Twilight.

Because I don't own it. Just to let you know.

No copyright infringement intended. Now, you can finally enjoy!

I'm not going to talk to her. I'm not going to talk to her. I'm not even going to look at her…

This had become Edward's mantra while driving to school on Monday. Bella, as promised, was not at school on Friday, leaving Edward alone with his thoughts. He couldn't talk himself out of his seat in Biology so he would just ignore her. After all, they didn't exactly end on good terms at the hospital, so not speaking would be understandable. So, it was decided. Edward would not speak to Isabella Swan.

Why did his dead heart ache every time he thought that?

You're an idiot, Edward. Alice hissed in her head. You're messing up the future even more than Bella was already. Why are you trying to deny this??

Edward parked swiftly into a space outside the school and threw himself out of the door muttering under his breath. Rosalie got out next; huffing about idiotic loved up vampires and stormed off, Emmett following her. Jasper frowned at Edward, still unable to understand Edward's emotions. Edward had comfort in the fact that Jasper was not going to attack Bella, as she supposedly would mean so much to Alice. Edward growled quietly before walking off to his next lesson, trying to ignore the Audi a few spaces away from him. However, his mind took him back to his conversation with Carlisle, a discussion that made him wonder what Bella really was.

Edward raised the Debussy track to the highest volume, but Carlisle's persistent knocking wouldn't cease. He didn't care if he was acting like a pubescent 17 year old, he didn't want to talk to him.

"Edward, I mean it son. I will knock this door down if I have to."

Edward almost snorted until he heard Carlisle calculating how much force he should use on the door without completely destroying it. He didn't need Alice to tell him it would not end well so he sighed, turned off his music and unlocked the door, sitting on his sofa two seconds later. Carlisle sighed, closing the door and perching on the chair opposite Edward.

"Edward, I know how you feel…"

Edward's head shot up, his eyes narrowing. "Do you?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Yes, Edward I do. I know what it's like to love someone who…"

"I do not love Isabella Swan."

Soon Edward was back in a regular routine. Go through school life as normal, portraying the illusion once more. High school had truly become hell but Edward reasoned that the first day would surely be the hardest. That clinging on to that cliff, trying not to fall, would be tough. He was wrong though.

Isabella made it difficult. She spoke to him in Biology, her calm voice breaking his focus on the lab table, luring him to fall.

"Hello Edward."

"Edward, I cannot know for sure who Isabella is… But I know that she is special. If you are willing to fight your own family…"

"It was the right thing to do." Edward interrupted. "You would do the same thing." Carlisle nodded once and stood up to leave.

"Wait…"

"Edward? Is something wrong?" Edward could hear the concern in Bella's voice. He could imagine that small frown that appears in between her eyebrows, the way her lips pursed with worry. Almost breaking his resolve, his head turned to her, before Edward stopped it mid air and nodded once, before turning back to the front of the class.

She did not speak again.

"Who was that vampire, Carlisle? The one you were thinking about at the hospital?"

Carlisle sat back down, a small smile on his face. "Ah, Charles."

Edward frowned. "You've never mentioned him before. You haven't even thought about him."

"Charles' gift… makes it hard to keep track of him. I guess that same concept continues in the thought process."

Edward raised an eyebrow, signalling for Carlisle to continue.

"I do not know Charles' history; expect he was a faithful member of the Volturi. Aro was fascinated by him. His gift. Charles was a shield, except more powerful. No gift worked on him or anyone if he was in the same room. He's one of the Volturi's most powerful guards. Yet evasive… He hardly spoke, except to me…"

As the weeks past the distance between the two grew. Edward thought it would get easier, but every day was harder. Without even realising he had become attuned to her heartbeat, that hummingbird-like hum. He would instantly go still if he heard her light footsteps. Her laugh would bounce off the walls in the cafeteria, and ignoring her became just that little bit harder.

And then there was Mike Newton, hoping to pick up from where Edward apparently left off. Having worried about their relationship, he was happy about the distance between Edward and Bella and spoke to her every chance he got. Edward was surprised at the anger that swelled inside him every time he made her laugh, every time she spoke to him. And yet, she never talked to Edward. He missed that.

But that was good. He could be in pain—it was for his family, for her.

Alice believed he was insane, saying that the relationship between Bella and Edward was the only way Alice could have the concrete friendship she saw between her and Bella. Edward would roll his eyes, reminding her that all she saw was flashes of Bella and it did not mean he loved her.

When the day was over, Edward ran. He never ran anywhere in particular, he just ran to escape- from the day, from his family. He would curse what he was, who he was and then take it out on the nearest mountain lion.

Then the day came that Edward knew was going to be the hardest. Mike Newton was asking Bella on a date.

Newton had a dilemma – Edward had no sympathy – because Jessica had asked her to the girl's choice ball. Jessica was a slightly irritating being although only due to her friendship with Lauren, a truly vile creature, who thoughts were besotted to Mike. Mike however was clueless and under the illusion that Bella was waiting in the wings for him. Edward knew that wasn't going to happen.

But that's just the thing. He didn't.

Edward couldn't believe that he was holding his breath in Biology when Bella and Mike walked in.

OK, Mike, you can do this. She wants you, it's obvious. Just lower the bait, she'll soon bite… Edward tuned out as soon as Mike started to imagine where she could bite.

Now Edward, you're over a hundred years old. Resist. Resist the urge to rip Newton's head off…

Edward blinked when he heard Bella chuckle quietly, before sitting next to him.

"So, Jessica asked me to the dance…"

"That's great!" came Bella's chipper reply. Edward smirked slightly when he noticed Newton had heard her tone. "You guys will have a great time."

"Oh, well… I was hoping, maybe, sometime…"

"Mike Newton, did you say no to Jessica?" Bella's tone was coloured with disapproval.

"Well, no but…" Mike was becoming confused.

"Because she's crazy about you." Bella now sounded slightly smug.

Mike frowned. "Well, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you… want to go to the dance? With me?"

Bella mouth snapped shut, and she hesitated.

In those few seconds, Edward saw life more clearly than he had in a long time.

Bella, even with her super strength and unexpected ways, was beautiful. And she would find someone. It might not be Mike, but one day it would be someone. Someone able to be with her without threats to her life, without suspicious vampires. And she would be happy. And Edward would be miserable.

And that feeling, that feeling that coursed through him every time Mike Newton was near Bella… was jealousy.

Edward was jealous.

He heard Bella sigh. "Mike, I honestly think you should say yes. Even if," she said quickly as Mike started to speak, "I wanted to, I can't. My parents are having huge get together. Can't miss it. But, seriously, ask Jessica. You won't regret it."

Mike shot a glare at Edward, whose head had turned slightly in the direction of the conversation, before nodding slightly. "OK, see you in gym." He walked back to his seat.

Bella placed her head on the lab table, muttering quietly to herself. Edward could no longer take it. After over a month, he wanted to see Isabella Swan with his own eyes.

He turned his body towards her, just as she lifted herself from the table, and his breath was taken away.

Her hair was longer, once again, falling down past her shoulders. She had curled it slightly, not to the extent of Jessica's wild hairsprayed head, but enough to frame her face. Her pale porcelain skin was covered in a deep red blush. She wore a thin white blouse which fitted well on her small frame. Edward was drawn to the deep brown of her eyes, completely different to the pitch black he saw at the hospital, and lost himself in them. He realised that he was slowly falling. And he welcomed it.

Oooh! Well, he's starting to "fall", so we're getting close! So school's out for me in a week and a half, so my writing should come more frequently. And I have the next chapter pretty sorted, so let's hope.

So I've written an awful lot this chapter. I'm hoping for 10 reviews here! You see? Setting the bar low… let's beat my goal shall we?

Review!!