More Than Human Chapter 11: Wrestling, a twilight fanfic

Title: More Than Human

Rating: M for graphic violence, for sexual situations, lemons, hot steamy angsty teenage lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

Premise: Bella is more than human. Renee makes the ultimate sacrifice to hide her with a father she never knew existed. Who can she trust when she finds more kids like her in Forks? Will they fight to help her or betray her to stay hidden? AU OOC ExB & JxB Lemons

Alternate Universe: Mostly all human. No vampires. Enhanced humans with powers and The Shop is hunting them. Pretty much OOC, ExB of course, but some JxB for a twist.

POV: BPOV (Bella) for the most part. POV may shift depending on who is narrating the story in some chapters. Any guest Narrators will be noted. The Prologue is from Charlie's POV.

– – – –

Author Notes:

Please note that this story is rated M for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 11 Wrestling

Friday evening on the end of that first week of school, Forks hosted the first wrestling tournament to start off the season on December second. The whole school had been on the assembly bell schedule to make time for the pep rally at the end of the day. Our sixth period gym class had been excused from gym to help the cheerleaders setup, and the pep rally had gone off without a hitch. All of the girls on the cheerleading squad were introduced and they did the standup cheer routine they'd been practicing while I stood off to the side with Alice and watched. The boys got introduced to the crowd, and they had to line up in front of the student body as each of the varsity wrestlers were called out by weight class, but I wasn't exactly sure what that meant.

Conner was wrestling at one fifty-two, Edward was wrestling at one sixty, Jasper was wrestling at one seventy, and Emmett had the heavy weight class at two eighty-five. Sara's boyfriend, Dean, wanted to wrestle at the one fifty-two weight class, but had wrestled off with Conner and lost. He'd managed to cut enough weight to claim the one Forty-five Class, but it was a struggle for him to make weight.

The wrestling tournament was just plain long, we had some free time between the end of the pep rally and the start of the tournament, but it would go on until at least eleven o'clock tonight if everything went well. It was held in Forks because it was the Forks Invite, and all the other teams had to travel to come to our school. This was one of the three home events of our season. Our guys would have to travel for every other meet or tournament, besides two other meets we'd host at our school.

The other schools must have gotten out early to travel here. School buses started to arrive around four-thirty, and they started weigh-ins at five o'clock. They were ready to start wrestling by six. There were wrestling squads and cheerleaders there from half a dozen different schools and the gym and cafeteria were crowded with kids and parents and onlookers come to cheer on somebody they knew who was participating in the tournament.

A lot of people from Forks came to the tournament whether or not they even had kids in school for cheap Friday night entertainment. There wasn't a lot to do in Forks, and the community was small enough that most of the people in town knew who the wrestlers were and came to cheer them on, regardless of whether or not they were related to them. The girls and boys basketball teams were both traveling and had away games tonight so a lot of the kids I knew at school were gone.

I was hanging out with Alice to help her coordinate the cheerleaders with Esme, but there wasn't really a lot for us to do. Cheerleading coordinator really meant making sure we had snacks and plenty of bottled water and Gatorade in the cooler. It was mainly a waiting game now as we hung out and waited for things to get rolling. The mats had been lowered to the main gym floor and taped down to the floor. The scoring tables were setup and volunteers were arriving and checking in as more and more teams showed up and started warming up.

Even Charlie had gotten into the act and had volunteered to work at one of the scoring tables. I learned that his job was basically running the control for the electronic scoreboard that would list the running results of the match he was scoring. Another person at the table would record the stats for the mat in an official log book to keep track of who was winning and losing. That might have been an interesting job to volunteer for, but I didn't know enough about wrestling yet to be able to do it.

In fact, I knew next to nothing about wrestling in general and trying to help keep score wasn't going to work when I didn't even know how they scored points. Besides, how was I expected to root for a sport I wasn't at all familiar with and cheer our guys on? Edward had tried to explain it to me, and I figured I'd at least be able to tell when our guys were winning, but I wasn't even sure how to tell if they scored points.

Alice and I were sitting in the bleachers, watching the guys warm up. That wasn't so bad as they sparred and exercised and rolled around on the mats practicing moves and holds. Edward was sparring with Jasper, and he wasn't hard on the eyes as he tried to pin Jasper's shoulders to the mat.

"Umm... Alice, I'm pretty sure they'll point out who the winners are, but how exactly does this sport work?" I asked. I knew she had to know a lot about wrestling in general if her boyfriend and two brothers were on the team so she could probably explain the basics of the sport to me too.

"Ok," Alice asked, "How much do you know about Scholastic Wrestling?"

"Umm… I know the guys look really hot in those tight little leotard things they wear, but those things they have on their heads look kind of weird."

Alice laughed. "What do you and Edward spend all you time together doing? I was sure he would have explained this to you by now."

I knew I was blushing. "Edward and I are just friends, Alice. He helps me with my math homework..."

"Yeah, sure. I totally believe that. Not!"

"Really, Alice, how does this work? I want to be able to tell if Edward is winning or losing..."

"Fine, but don't let them catch you calling their uniform a leotard or they'll get mad. It hurts their egos to have you call it that. The one piece wrestling uniform is called a singlet. They're made from Lycra or nylon spandex so they're snug fitting and don't give the opponent anything to grab onto to gain an advantage. In ancient times, men and boys wrestled naked for the same reason, only there were natural hand holds... That might be kind of hot to watch, but they wouldn't get away with it in this day and age. We've gotten too uptight in the modern world."

I laughed. "That might be fun to watch, but I'd turn three shades of red. Those singlets are as close to naked as I can handle for now. So what about those things they wear on their heads? What are those?"

"They wear the headgear to cover their ears and protect the wrestler from injury. There's the potential to develop cauliflower ear, or get your ears torn off if the other guy can grab them. Its mandatory equipment and they're disqualified if they don't have it or it doesn't work and keeps coming off. They also wear mouth guards to protect their teeth, and those special shoes to give them traction on the mat, but they also have no sharp edges or hard soles to injure the opponent and they protect their toes. Some of the guys wear elbow and knee pads too, but they aren't required."

"Ok. Let me get the most basic question out of the way first, I guess. Who are the wrestling coaches? I haven't seen them at the school before except when they show up for wrestling practice, and I know Esme doesn't work at the school, so they aren't teachers, right?"

"No, they aren't teachers. Coach Clapp teaches gym class, health and hygiene and coaches the football team and the basketball team. Mrs. Newhouse coaches cross country and girls basketball, but she isn't really a teacher either, although she works at the school as the girl's gym coach. The big red headed guy works for your dad. He's Mark Chapman. He's a policeman, but he coaches the wrestling team too. The shorter dark haired guy is Brad Tate. He works for the city utility company. Both of them wrestled in high school and college."

"So if they aren't teachers, how come they can coach sports teams? Esme teaches the Aerobics class too, and that counts for gym."

"They have to go to some classes and coaching seminars to get enough hours of training to get a coaching certificate, and then the school can hire them to coach a sports team. They don't get too much for doing it and it barely covers their expenses from what I've heard. They mostly do it to volunteer to teach the kids about the sport they coach because they grew up playing them and know something about them. Esme is a certified personal trainer. She has a bunch of exercise and training certificates, and a coaching certificate. She also does freelance work as an architect and interior designer plus raising five teenaged kids."

"Wow, she must be busy all the time!" I knew she did even more at the school, with the drama and music departments according to Charlie, and she kept her house absolutely spotless besides. It seemed like an impossible workload, but I'd seen the evidence with my own eyes.

"Yeah, pretty much. So what else do you need to know about wrestling?"

"Ok, so they wrestle one on one in individual matches, right?" Some of the guys' were pairing off to spar and practice as we talked.

Alice nodded "Uh huh."

"So how do they decide who wrestles who? Some of those guys are huge, and some of them are almost as skinny as me. Those big guys would kill those little guys if they got a hold of them."

"They're divided up into different weight classes. They have to weigh in at the beginning of the season and submit their weights to the state wrestling commission. Then they're only allowed to lose so much weight each week of the season and they set the lowest weight class they can compete in based on their certification weight at the beginning of the season."

"Ok… Why is losing weight so important?"

"If they can cut weight and go down a weight class, they can wrestle against smaller opponents and theoretically easier competition. Cutting weight has always been a big part of wrestling. It used to be unsafe, and guys would practically kill themselves to try and cut enough weight to go down several weight classes. There are rules now to govern how much weight they can lose, and they're tested for healthy hydration levels and minimum body fat requirements so they don't hurt themselves."

"Ok, so how do these weight classes work?"

"There are fourteen weight classes from one-oh-six through heavy weight at two-eighty-five. They have to be at that weight or less to qualify to wrestle in a weight class. There are weigh-ins at the beginning of every meet or tournament to certify their weight before they can wrestle. Part way through the season, they get a growth allowance of two pounds. So say they were wrestling in the one-forty-five weight class, they could weigh one-forty-seven and still qualify."

"It seems awful complicated for a little bit of advantage."

"It's all about strategy and who they want to wrestle. A kid who might do ok at one-seventy might go to the State finals if he can cut weight and wrestle at one-sixty."

"Huh, ok, I guess that makes sense. So what if they don't make weight, are they disqualified?"

"No, not necessarily, they just have to wrestle at the weight they qualify for. You can always wrestle up in a heavier class, but you have to make weight to wrestle down. Then on top of that, there's competition on the squad for who's going to represent the school. If more than one guy is in the same weight class, then they wrestle-off in practice to see who gets to claim the weight and wrestle for the school in the meets. The other guys can still wrestle on the JV squad, but the varsity squad all have to make weight and be the top wrestler in the school at that weight.

"If a school doesn't have anyone to fill a weight class, or there's only one kid, and he doesn't make weight, then they'd have an open weight class, and they'd have to forfeit all the matches at that weight. It can be a huge point loser for smaller schools that don't fill all their squad weights. Sometimes they'll have a kid wrestle up, just so they don't have to forfeit a match.

We don't have to worry about that, though. We have a pretty big team, and the guys have to wrestle off to claim most of the spots on our squad."

"Ok… I think I get it. So how do you win?"

"There are three two minute periods in a match. The ultimate way to win is a fall or a pin. Basically they have to tackle the other guy to the mat and hold his shoulder blades down to the mat to pin him. That's an automatic win and ends the match if they get a fall and pin the other guy. Beyond that, they score points for being in control and certain moves.

"A takedown is worth two points. That's when they're circling in the neutral position, and one of the wrestlers takes the other wrestler down to the mat and maintains control by being on top and in bounds.

"An escape is worth one point, and it's just what it sounds like. If they have the wrestler down, and he escapes and gets back to his feet, he gets a point.

"A reversal is worth two points, and it's just what it sounds like, turning the table on the opponent and getting him down so you're in control. After that it gets more complicated with a bunch of rules for near fall points and penalties."

"So unless you pin the other guy, the match goes the distance and you win or lose on points?"

"Most of the time. There's a technical fall, where if you're fifteen points ahead, they'll call the match a technical fall if the lower score guy breaks out of a near fall control."

"Ok, so they have to weigh-in to wrestle in a certain weight class. Three two minute periods, they have to pin the other guy to win or score more points. I think I can pick up the rest by watching what happens. Anything else I need to know."

"Umm… At the start of the meet, they'll flip a colored disk to decide whose home and whose visitor if more than two schools are at a meet. Sometimes there are three or even four schools at a dual. They put a colored band around their ankle at the start of the match, green for home and red for visitor. The referee will wear a green and red wrist band and hold up fingers to indicate points he's awarding for the scoring table to record as he referees the match.

"If they go outside the big circle marked on the mat, the referee will stop the clock and re-start the match in the middle."

"Ok, that's good to know."

"There are six other schools here for the tournament tonight, and all of them are competing in each of the fourteen weight classes, so this is going to take a while. We'll be lucky to get out of here by eleven o'clock tonight."

I nodded, and went with Alice to go see the guys. I didn't have anything else planned tonight, and I would have been hanging out with Alice after school anyhow. When I wasn't at school or home, I was usually with Alice somewhere. Charlie had come to expect it, and it was already something of a tradition. I liked Alice, and we were becoming best friends.

Carlisle had just arrived with Rose, and they had stopped to talk to Edward, Jasper and Emmett before Carlisle went to find Esme. She wouldn't be hard to find. The cheerleaders had claimed several rows in the front of the Forks section in the bleachers to setup camp, and Esme was sitting there with the girls going over their cheers.

Edward reached for my hand when I walked up beside him. He wasn't too sweaty yet, and my stomach gave a little flutter from his show of affection. I liked Edward, and I was kind of looking forward to him asking me out on a date. I was ready to say yes if he asked me, now. I could see myself spending more time with him and getting to know him better. I could see myself fall in love with him. I knew I was a good ways down that path already. The world seemed easier to deal with and I felt at peace when I was surrounded by his family. They all acted like they liked me for the most part although Rose was still kind of cold and Jasper tolerated me but still acted as though he held reservations about me for some reason.

I could see this turning into a long term thing and maybe moving on with them when they decided to leave Forks. They were all planning to go to college together, and I wanted to go to college too. It was part of my long term plan if I lived that long. It seemed logical and inevitable that Edward and I would be a couple if I let things keep going the way they were going.

Of course there was one problem with this perfect picture, a fly in the ointment that gave me doubt. There was a lingering uncertainty that made me hesitate. Was I making a mistake? I could be happy with Edward and the Cullens, but couldn't I be just as happy with Jacob Black? He was friends with Charlie, and they already considered each other family. I knew I had feelings for Jacob too, and if I was completely honest with myself, I knew I could fall in love with Jacob just as easily as I could with Edward.

It would be so easy to be with Edward and have everything I'd ever wanted. I knew I had feelings for Edward that grew stronger the more I spent time with him and the longer I knew him, but I had feelings for Jacob too. I liked Jacob too, but I knew I couldn't love them both… That wasn't quite accurate if I was completely honest with myself. I could easily love them both. I couldn't keep them both and eventually I knew I was going to have to make a decision and tell one of them I couldn't see him anymore.

I noticed Jasper looking in my direction, and I pushed those thoughts away. He gave me a strange look like he could see all of my doubts and fears and the dilemma I faced. I was with Edward now, and I focused on my friendship with him while I was with him. That was the fair thing to do. I knew I was going to have to make a decision soon, but it was so very hard to consider giving up either of them.

Edward was free for a while until he got called for his match. I gathered it would be like that a lot tonight. He'd have free time between matches while the other weight classes wrestled until he'd need to start warming up a couple of matches before he was up. Otherwise he was free to do what he wanted and we could spend some time together until his coach called him.

We went to the concession stand and got something to drink. There was a constant buzz of conversation going on around us, but the other people were intent on their own conversations and didn't pay much attention to us, if any.

"So, are you going to win? I asked

Edward shrugged. "I think I have a pretty fair shot. The kid from Bainbridge is pretty good, but I think I can take him. The guy from Montesano cut enough weight to wrestle down at one-sixty, but this early in the season, he probably should have been in this class to begin with if he was in shape."

"Really, is he any good?"

"He's ranked in the top five in the state. It'll be a tough match."

I nodded, "So, can you take him?"

"I'm in pretty good physical condition, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I won't go down without a fight."

He was in much better than pretty good physical condition from my perspective, but he didn't have any sleeves. The muscles on his broad shoulders were well defined under his slightly glistening skin. It was distracting, watching him sit there in his singlet while we sat and sipped our drinks. I tried not to ogle him, but he knew I was looking and smiled back at me.

"How did you do last year? Did you go to state?"

"I was the state champion in my weight class last year."

"Oh… So, you're pretty good at this wrestling stuff then?"

"I'd like to think so. I can show you sometime if you'd like…"

"Umm… Maybe sometime… I'd totally lose though… You've got like sixty pounds on me…"

Wrestling with Edward sounded like fun. I was sure he'd pin me in an instant, but that was kind of the point and I didn't think I'd mind losing if he was doing the pinning.

"It's not always about winning or losing. I could show you some moves. It would be fun."

"Oh, I'm sure you've got some moves and I'm sure it would probably be fun too."

"Are you done with your pop?" Edward asked.

The plastic bottle was still about half full, but I screwed the top back on. "I'm good for now…"

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Sure…"

"C'mon," he said, standing up, reaching for my hand and pulling me to my feet.

We walked down the hallway on the opposite side of the gym than I usually used to go to aerobics class. There were more display cases with trophies in them. Edward showed me his state wrestling trophies and cross country running medals.

I hadn't been in this part of the school before, and I was curious what it was used for. There were doors along the wall away from the main auditorium floor that looked like they led to classrooms. I remembered Alice saying they held music and art classes out here, but I didn't have any classes like that.

"These look like classroom, but I don't have any classes in this building, do you?" I asked Edward.

"Not any classes, but I've taken lessons out here. These are the music and band rooms for the most part. The drama department holds rehearsals, classes and meetings out here too. C'mon, I'll show you…"

Edward led me to the end of the hall. He glanced back over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching, but the hallway behind us was deserted. He pushed open a door and led me into the room. It was a little smaller than a regular classroom. There was an upright piano with a bench in front of it and several chairs with music stands in front of them.

"I took piano lessons here, freshman year, but I was already better than the teacher. I've worked independently since then, or with Rose or Esme. Esme volunteers an accompanist for music recitals, choir and other events where they need somebody to play the piano."

"That's cool. So Rose plays the piano too? That's completely unfair."

Edward had a smirk on his face. "Why do you say that's unfair?"

"She's already too perfect to begin with. She gorgeous, she has a great guy she's in love with, a family who loves her, and she talented and plays the piano too? Is there anything she doesn't do perfectly?"

Edward shrugged. "She's a soloist with the choir too."

"Sure, why not. She sings too."

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Ms. Swan? You're kind of perfect yourself."

"Me? I don't hold a candle to Rose. I'm not so special…"

"I'm not here with Rose, and I think of her as a sister, besides. She's pretty if blonds are your thing. I prefer incredibly beautiful brunettes. You're funny and intelligent and very very stubborn, which is a good thing because you take your time to make up your mind, but once you make a decision you stick to it."

"That's a good thing, really? I thought I was just too afraid to screw up so I take forever to decide."

"Take as long as you like to decide. You have two families who love you, and you're talented too. Charlie raves about your cooking. I'd love to hear you sing if you want to go out for choir, and it's never too late to learn to play an instrument."

"I tried piano lessons when I was a kid, but we couldn't afford it. I had to stop, and we didn't have our own piano, so I never kept up with it."

"I'd love to work with you whenever you like. I could teach you."

"I don't know… I probably wouldn't be any good, and you already do so much for me, Edward…"

"Nonsense, I'd love to teach you. We can make it fun. There's no sense doing it if it isn't fun."

Edward sat down on the piano bench and patted the seat beside him. "C'mon, sit down."

I sat down beside him and he reached his arm around me so I moved closer. Our hips were touching and then he placed his fingers on the keys.

"How much do you remember from your lessons?" Edward asked.

"Well, I know there are eighty-eight keys. The musical alphabet is C, D, E, F, G, A, B. C is the white key to the left of each group of two black keys, and then the keys repeat."

"Excellent. That's fantastic, Bella. How about the black keys?"

Those are the sharps and flats, right? The black key to the right of C is C sharp or D flat. The black keys are the sharp of the key to the left, or the flat of the key to the right."

"That's right. If you know the keyboard, then the rest is just a matter of practice. Do you remember how to read music?"

"Not so much... I could probably pick it up if I worked at it, though. It was a long time ago, and I had trouble matching the notes on the music to which key to play."

"I can help you with that."

"Let's not work on it now... Will you just play something for me?"

"Sure, what would you like to hear?"

"Surprise me."

"Ok..."

Edward's fingers caressed the keyboard, coaxing a wondrous and amazing sound from the instrument that I couldn't imagine duplicating in my wildest imagination. His fingers moved confidently on the keyboard from memory. There was no sheet music in front of us. It was amazing that he was so incredibly talented and excelled at so many varied endeavors while I was simply so ordinary and plain. I couldn't understand what he saw in me or why he wanted to be with me.

I moved closer and lay my head on his shoulder. I loved being close to him like this, and I felt safe and warm as the rich piano sounds surrounded us.

"Debussy?" I mused. I loved this song. Renee had enjoyed the classics. She claimed they helped her migraine headaches, and played these CD's over and over again when the pain got bad.

"You know Debussy?" Edward asked, surprised.

"I love Clair de Lune. Renee used to play this all the time. She said it helped to soothe her migraines. I grew up listening to classical music. I guess most kids think it's old fashioned because it isn't what they hear on the radio, but it's really great if you give it a chance."

"I love the classics. I love that you have an ear for music. How about this piece?"

Edward's fingers flew over the keys, weaving an intricate and complex piece of music. I could feel the raw emotion and power of the music. He was very talented and it amazed me that he was playing this form memory without any sheet music at all. I would have been lost two minutes in. I smiled at him as his long sinuous finger moved over the keyboard.

"I love Bach. This is Piano Concerto number 1."

"Amazing, Bella. I love this concerto."

"Have you listened to it played on the harpsichord? It's even more amazing than the piano version."

"I have a CD at home. You should come over and we could listen to it... Or I could let you borrow it..."

"I'd love to come over sometime to listen to it with you, Edward."

Edward stopped playing and he turned toward me. He reached up and his fingers caressed my cheek. They were warm and soft as they moved on my skin and I felt electricity trace along my cheek at his touch.

I knew I was blushing and I looked down, embarrassed and a little afraid to look into his eyes.

His fingers caught my chin and lifted my head so he could look into my eyes. His mossy green eyes were amazing and seemed to bore directly into my soul.

"Don't look away... You're so pretty. Your eyes are amazing and show me so much."

"I'm a freak... Even my eyes couldn't decide on one color..."

"They make you special and different. I like them and I love looking into them. They're literally windows to the soul and they tell me so much that I have no other means to discover."

"Maybe I should look away if they give away that much..."

My heart was pounding in my chest and I was certain he could hear it hammering against my ribs. His hands were so warm and strong and soft. They caressed my cheeks, and massaged my earlobes befor moving into my hair to cradle my head.

I was moving closer as Edward drew me to him.

"I'm going to kiss you now..." There was the tiniest hesitation, heightening my anticipation. He gave me the chance to say no, but we both wanted this.

"Ok..." I whispered, and then his lips touched mine.

His lips were warm and petal soft as they brushed against mine. The kiss was so perfect and wonderful as his lips moved on mine.

Electricity tingled through my lips and flashed down my spine. I could feel all the tiny hairs on my arms stand on end, and the tingle flashed right through where I was sitting , down my legs all the way to my toes.

His hand moved to the small of my back, supporting me as he cradled my head with his other hand.

I tilted my head just enough so our noses didn't bump and I kissed him back as my hands moved onto the hard planes of his sculpted chest.

His lips moved on mine and I wanted so much more. I needed so much more.

The conscious part of my brain went away and my hands were moving on his body, caressing his broad shoulders. My arms snaked around his neck and my fingers knotted in his hair. I kissed him harder as I moved closer.

Edward pulled me onto his lap and I pressed myself against him as I sucked his lower lip between mine.

I could feel the tip of his tongue swipe across my lip, testing my desire and begging me to want this too. My lips parted and the tip of my tongue touched.

My mouth moved on his, caressing his lips, tasting and touching as we moved together. I'd never felt so alive and his hot musky masculine scent filled my senses as I kissed him and he kissed me back.

Time seemed to slip away and I just wanted to wrap myself up in Edward and taste him and feel him. I never wanted this to end, it felt so incredible to be in his strong arms. He held me and kissed me and I felt so safe and wonderful.

I was jarred back to reality by the sudden sound of my cell phone in my purse. I'd had the purse slung over my shoulder when we went to the concession stand. Now it lay forgotten beside the piano bench. The ring tone indicated a text.

Edward let me go and I slid off his lap. I reached down into my purse for the phone and opened it to read the message.

"Your coach is looking for you. He wants you to warm up for your match..."

"I think I'm kind of warmed up already."

"This was nice..." I stood up and stepped away. I could feel the heat in my face and I knew I was blushing.

"Don't be embarrassed. This was incredible. You are incredible. I like you, Bella. Please tell me this was ok... I don't want to push you away..."

"This was more than ok, Edward..."

"We can continue another time?"

"Ok... Right now, you need to go kick some ass and show me some of those wrestling moves."

Edward nodded and took my hand to lead me back into the main part of the gym. He dropped me off at the bleachers by Alice, and then went to report in to his coach.

"C'mon," Alice said. "Let's go to the restroom and fix your makeup."

"Umm... ok... Is there something wrong with it?"

"Your lipstick is a bit smudged. Edward looks good in that shade. Was it fun?"

"Umm... yes, yes it was."

"Good. I'm happy for you. My brother couldn't have picked a nicer girl."

I didn't know about that, but I had no complaints. I liked kissing Edward, and when I was ready to decide on a boyfriend, he was definitely at the top of the list. It was a very short list though. So far only Edward and Jacob seemed interested, now that Mike had taken himself out of the running.

I wasn't complaining. I was shocked that anyone was even interested in me to begin with, and having limited options meant it might be a bit easier to decide once I knew these guys and had to pick one to date.

Alice took me to the ladies room and we fixed our makeup, and then went back out to watch the guys wrestle.

The officials picked a weight class at random to start off with, and then went in order up through the classes. There were fourteen weight classes, six schools, and it was a double elimination tournament, so each wrestler could lose twice before being eliminated from his weight class. They started at the one-eighty-two class and worked through the weight classes for each bracket before moving on to the next bracket. That gave everyone plenty of time to rest in between matches.

We'd watched Emmett wrestle, and he easily won. I would have said it was a foregone conclusion that he could take the kid, but Emmett seemed ecstatic at his win and picked Rosalie up and spun her around, kissing her before she ordered him to put her down.

It was a long wait until Edward's match, but I didn't mind spending the time with him. We chatted, and he explained some more of the details and strategy of wrestling to me, pointing out techniques and what kids were doing right, and what some of them were doing wrong.

We stayed in the gym, though. I wouldn't have minded going for another walk, but we didn't want to attract attention and get in trouble for fooling around. Besides, Charlie was here tonight, and he might get suspicious if I kept disappearing with Edward.

Edward and I hung out until his coach called him over to start warming up a couple of matches before he'd be called to wrestle. Alice, Rosalie and I found seats close to the mat where Edward was going to wrestle and waited for the match to start.

I looked for Edward's opponent when I heard then called to report to the scoring table. Each wrestler had to check in, ready to wrestle, or forfeit the match. Then they'd move to an on deck holding area to wait for their match to start. This kept the matches rolling in rapid succession so the tournament didn't slow down while they waited for somebody to finish getting ready. There were a lot of matches to get through tonight, and they couldn't afford delays.

I found the kid Edward was supposed to wrestle when he walked into the on deck area to wait for the match ahead of them to finish. He looked huge and mean to me. He wasn't as tall as Edward, but stockier and more heavily muscled. He had a look of intense concentration on his face as he scowled slightly, intent on doing his best to win as he bounced lightly from foot to foot on the balls of his feet to keep his energy up. He was slightly crouched forward, balancing on the balls of his feet as he practiced moves, throwing his hands out to grapple an imaginary opponent as he bobbed and weaved.

I was intimidated just watching him stand there waiting to get called to wrestle, but Edward didn't seem concerned. Edward glanced in my direction and smiled. He nodded, acknowledging me and moved into the on deck holding area to wait for them to be called. He was lightly bouncing in a crouch too and moved his body and arms to stay loose and warmed up.

I was scared for Edward. I didn't want him to get hurt, but this was the sport he wanted to participate in. I knew I shouldn't interfere, but I through a shield around the other kid just to be on the safe side. I didn't want to inhibit Edward and make him think anything strange was going on, so I didn't try to shield him, but if there was an emergency, I could pop a force field around the other kid to get him off Edward if things got out of hand. He might feel it, but if I dropped it right away, he'd probably just shrug it off a coincidence.

Edward froze for a second, as if he was startled. He turned to me then, and gave me the oddest look, but he didn't say anything. He just smiled and nodded again and got back to his warm-up

Alice cheered loudly next to me, and it caught my attention for a second. Conner Johnson was wrestling on the mat in front of us now. He'd scored points for an escape, and now the wrestlers were back in the neutral position again as they circled, searching for a moment of weakness or a tiny advantage.

Suddenly they came together, grappling each other's shoulders, their head together as they each tried to overpower the other and take them down to the mat again, but they were evenly matched in weight and strength. It was the middle of the second period, so there was some time to go. People were shouting encouragement and advice. Somebody was yelling, 'shoot, shoot...' I had no idea what they meant, but I knew weapons weren't allowed...

I leaned into Alice to ask her. "What do they mean, shoot? Isn't that against the rules?"

"He means grab him behind the knee to push him off balance so he can take him down to the mat. You can grab the knee with your hands, or try to hook his ankle with yours to trip him, but if you don't do it just right, or telegraph your move, it makes you vulnerable for the other guy to take you down..."

"Oh..."

"Conner's going to have to do something soon. The other kids got him on points. He's gonna need to pin him or score some points real quick..."

Suddenly Conner's hand shot out like a snake striking, and he caught the other kid's knee, lifting him off balance. I could see why they called it shooting now. There was a flurry of motion too fast to follow as they collapsed onto the mat, scrambling for advantage.

Conner gained control of the situation as the other kid flipped onto his stomach and Conner landed on top of him, scrambling around behind him to cover his back.

The referee's hand with the green wrist band for home shot out, holding up fingers, and the score changed on the score board.

The guys were writhing around on the mat as the guy on the bottom looked for an opportunity to escape, and Conner tried to push his advantage to go for the pin. I could see him forcing his hands in to lock onto the other kids fore arm...

"Why doesn't he just grab him around the neck in a head lock and flip him over, Alice?"

"That's against the rules. It's too dangerous and it's an illegal move. No head locks that cut off the other guys breathing, and no full nelson allowed. You can do a half-nelson though..."

I didn't know what that was, but I figured she could show me later.

I looked back at the wrestling match. Conner had managed to pull the kids opposite arm out from under as it crossed his chest under his body and he had a hold of it with both hands now. He spun around so he was on the kid's side, and started to push forward with his feet as he pulled the kids arm up and around his body.

It looked violent and painful. Both of them were breathing hard, and the other kids face was beet red and constricted in a rictus of agony as he fought through the pain to stay on his belly, but Conner was putting all of his weight into pushing him over, and he had his legs braced on the mat as he drove into him.

The kid had no choice but to roll over, or let Conner rip his arm off. The referees arm shot out again, holding up fingers as the kid flipped onto his back, and Conner landed on his chest.

Conner's arm was across his chest and neck, hooked under the other kids arm, pushing him down as his legs grappled the kid's waist in a leg lock, tangling his legs and knees. He couldn't move his legs to try and kick out and Conner was forcing his shoulders down, under his arm.

Conner rolled the kids hips up and pushed his shoulder down and the referee's hand came down to slap the mat, scoring the pin.

Everyone on our side cheered, and our cheerleaders jumped up from where they sat on the edge of the wrestling mat, kicking in the air and waving their pom-poms to cheer for Conner.

The guys stood up and shook hands, and then the referee raised Conner's hand in the air to declare him the winner.

The match was over and they bent down to remove the colored bands from their ankles. They dropped them on the mat, and then they were walking off of the mat so the next match could start.

I looked up and Edward and the kid he was wrestling were standing at the scoring table to check in. They walked onto the mat, and then reached down to pick up the colored bands and fasten them around their ankles. Edward had the green band, and the other kid was red.

The referee had them shake hands, and then they started in the neutral position, facing off against each other with the toe of their foot on the opposing lines marked on the center of the mat.

The referee's hand came down to start the clock and the match, and then he stepped back as Edward and the other kid started to circle.

Suddenly they came together, grappling each other's shoulders, their heads together as they each tried to overpower the other and drive him down to the mat. I could see them struggling as they tried to move each other off balance and force the other down.

Edward stepped toward the other kid, and his ankle was behind the other boys as he tried to step back to keep his balance.

The kid went down and was on his side as he scrambled and tried to flop onto his stomach in a defensive move, but Edward was too fast. He pounced on his opponent, grappling his neck and shoulder, forcing him to try to spin away without going to his belly on the mat.

Edward's arm was around his neck reaching, and his other arm snaked under the kid's thigh as he squeezed him into a ball, trying to force his head to touch his knee. His hands came together as he rolled the kid back onto his shoulders, and the referee's hand came down to slap the mat.

It was over almost as fast as it had started, and they weren't halfway through the first period.

Everyone on our side cheered, and our cheerleaders jumped up, kicking and jumping and waving their pom-poms to cheer for Edward. The guys stood up to shake hands, and then the referee raised Edward's hand in the air to declare him the winner.

Edward bent down to remove the colored band on his ankle and dropped it on the mat, and then he was walking off of the mat toward me. He seemed excited, and I rose to meet him. He rushed up to me and caught me around the waist, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around in his excitement.

"This is going to be an amazing season!" He exclaimed, excited about his win.

Edward set me back on my feet, and my hands were around his neck. He was hot and sweaty, but it was wonderful and ok and I didn't care as I stared up into his excited green eyes. I was pressed up against his chest, and his hand came up to gently caress my cheek.

"Thank you! This was so incredible for me, having you here," and then he leaned down and very gently kissed my lips. It was brief and chaste as his lips brushed against mine, but it was wonderful and I didn't want him to stop.

I had no idea what had come over him, but I liked it. I wasn't sure what I had done for him that was so special, but I'd keep on doing it if it made him this happy.

He released me almost immediately. We were standing in the middle of the gym and the wrestling meet hadn't stopped while we had an intimate moment. Edward stepped away and went to talk to his coach. Most of the people in the gym hadn't even noticed, or didn't care, but Alice, Rose and Esme were beaming at me as I dreamily sat back down on the bench seat of the bleachers.

The wrestling meet was kind of fun. There were long stretches of nothing to do but watch other kids wrestle. I spent a lot of time together with Edward in between his matches. He was doing pretty good and hadn't been beaten yet. I hung out with Alice and Rose when Edward was off with the guys warming up or running moves with them to help them prepare.

So far I'd shielded all of his opponents for insurance, but I hadn't had to pull one off of him yet. Edward was a pretty awesome wrestler, and I liked watching him kick a little ass, even if it was a highly controlled high school sport.

Right now, there was a mandatory break in the tournament to make sure everyone was rested and didn't over exert themselves. Edward and the other wrestlers from Forks were in the locker room to talk strategy with the coaches. The cheerleaders were getting ready to do their floor routine, and Alice was helping Esme get them ready.

I was sitting in the lobby by the concession stand again, having a snack and drinking a pop before I headed back into the gym to watch the cheerleader's performance. Maybe I didn't want to be one, but I knew they worked hard, and it was still fun to watch.

The front door of the gym opened and a group of guys walked in.

It was late enough that they weren't charging admission to get in anymore. Pretty much everyone that was going to come was already here and it wasn't worth having somebody sit at the table by the door to catch random stragglers this late. I had an activity pass, so I got in for free to all the home events anyhow.

At first I just saw the leather jackets, jeans and boots, and knew trouble was walking through the door. Then the long shiny black hair and russet colored skin registered, and recognition dawned on me as I realized who they were. I knew these guys and they knew me too.

"Hey, Bella," Embry called in greeting as they spotted me.

I sat there like a deer caught in the headlights as I stared back at them. Then Jacob walked through the door and was staring into my eyes.

Author's note:

If you're still with me, sorry about that last chapter. I try to keep a high degree of reality in my writing, despite writing about fantastic circumstances and situations. Stuff like that happens in the real world.

That should be the last really bad James and Victoria chapter. I believe I've established the fact that they're bad people and deserve what happens to them.

I'm also posting chapter 26 of The Darkest Part of the Night. I'll keep posting both stories as long as I'm chapters ahead.

Reviews are always appreciated. I'd love to hear what you think.