ArPOV

"Did you hear?" Stacie ran up to me in the parking lot, breathless with excitement.

"All I can hear is you panting! Calm down, what's the big news?"

"The school board as agreed to hold an autumn ball! They just announced it, it's in three weeks! Everybody's talking about it. It's the biggest event apart from the prom!" she gasped.

And suddenly, the excitement died down in her eyes.

"But you can only go if you have a date," she mumbled dejectedly.

"So? We'll find you a date. You will definitely go to this ball, and you will enjoy yourself." I promised her.

"Yeah, we'll see," she added in a non-committal fashion as we made our way to the days classes.

"But anyway, you most certainly have to go and let me in on all the fun things you do! Promise me you'll snap lots of pictures and tell me all about it!" she begged.

"What are you talking about? I most certainly am not going to this infernal ball. I mean, why in the world would I want to spend an evening on a crowded dance floor where people do everything but dance?" I asked, mystified.

Stacie looked horrified at the suggestion that I might not go to the ball.

"But you must!" she shrieked. "You must, you must, you must go! Edward will ask you to go and I'll help you pick out a dress and you're going to look so beautiful together and it'll be perfect! You can't ruin a perfect evening like that! Promise me, promise me you'll go. I am going to enjoy the dance vicariously through you. You have to go!" she was close to hyperventilating by the time she finished.

I decided that now was not the time to correct all her assumptions and enlighten her about my hatred of crowded places so I decided to call a truce.

"Look Stacie, why don't we discuss all this during lunch? We're both going to be late if we don't give this up right now," I reasoned.

"OK, but we will discuss this during lunch", she threatened as she turned away towards her Spanish class as I moved towards American History.

I enjoyed the on going lessons on the civil war and listened with rapt attention as the teacher went into the intricacies of the political scenario during that time. I had always enjoyed history, especially stories of wars and revolutions. When I had gotten caught with a book on the First World War, I had been given a stern talking to by my grandfather, telling me wars and such uncouthevents were not meant to studied by ladies.

I had managed to keep up with algebra and physical chemistry when it was time for lunch again and I was faced with the dilemma of facing Stacie's enthusiasm again. As I entered the lunchroom, I noticed a rowdy group of boys suddenly grow quiet as they eyed me curiously. I decided to ignore them.

Stacie was already sitting at our regular table, for once, completely uninterested in her food as she bounced in her seat. I took extra time in picking my lunch and reluctantly made my way to the lunch table.

"Took you long enough!" she hissed as I sat down. "Do you have any idea what has happened today since that announcement of the dance in the morning?"

"No, I have no idea, though I do know you will enlighten me soon enough," I stated dryly as I bit off a piece of my sandwich.

"You are the most ignorant girl I know of," she huffed before she continued. "I need to warn you about what's to come," she began ominously.

"Fiona…"

"Not that drama queen again!" I moaned.

"Shhh… don't interrupt me! Fiona and her current boyfriend Cooper broke up over you!"

"What? How can they break up over me? I don't even know what guy you're talking about!"

"Like I said, completely ignorant!" she continued. "Did you see that group of guys watching you when you came in just now?"

I nodded.

"Well, that was the football team and Cooper is the quarter back!" she looked at me expectantly as if that explained everything.

"So…"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"So, Cooper broke up with Fiona because he wants to ask you to the ball! And I have it from reliable sources that Fiona has already announced that she and Edward Cullen will be going to the ball together and that she was going to dump Cooper anyway! She went far enough to say that she had been seeing Edward since the past several weeks and was trying to let Coop down easy!" she continued non-stop with wide eyes.

"I still don't understand what any of this has to do with me."

Stacie looked at me as though I had completely lost my mind.

"What does this have to do with you? Are you crazy, girl? It has everything to do with you! First, Cooper will be asking you to the ball sometime today, so you need to decide if you want to go with him. If not, there'll be a whole string of guys waiting to ask you if you refuse him. Coop being the quarterback is like being royalty here. Right now, everyone's waiting for him to stake his claim on you, if you refuse, you'll have to decide whom you want to go out with. Secondly, this means that there's going to be an all out war between you and Fiona and she is going to do her best to steal Edward from you. Thirdly, you need to decide if you want to continue with Edward, if yes, you better stake your claim on him before Fiona sinks her claws into him!" she looked at me with an urgency that might suggest that the world was on the brink of the third world war.

"First things first, there's nothing to continue with Edward. We are colleagues at best, acquaintances at worst so that's that. Secondly, I don't give a damn about what Fiona thinks or what childish pranks she might pull. Thirdly, I don't know who this Cooper character is, nor do I care. I am not interested in going to that thrice damned ball, not with Cooper whoever, not with Edward, not with Prince Charles himself, so there!" I shouted.

Stacie looked like I had refused the Nobel prize which was offered to me.

"But…but, you can't do nothing!" she exclaimed.

"As a matter of fact I can, I happen to be quite good at it," I added haughtily.

"You are so in over your head with this," she warned.

"Whoa! Don't look now but Cullen seems to be coming up to talk to you…" she trailed off as she pretended to focus on her lunch.

I really had no idea why, but suddenly my heart started trying to jump out of my chest. Was Edward really going to ask me to be his date? What was I going to say? Do I say yes or no? If I said no, would he go with that vile Fiona? What was wrong with me…

"Hey Anna!" a smooth voice drawled from behind me.

I gulped and turned.

"Jasper! Hey!" I gasped.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Umm… no, go right ahead."

"Hey Stacie!" he added as he sat down.

Stacie's eyes widened as she choked on her orange juice and started coughing violently. I thumped her on the back a couple of times.

"Hey… umm…sorry…umm…hi!" she stammered. Honestly, I did not blame her.

"So, you heard about all this news about the autumn ball?" he asked casually.

"Yeah, seems like a big deal. People just can't seem to stop talking about it," I threw Stacie a glance but she continued to stare at Jasper like he was a statue who had come to life.

"Must be a big deal for you. First dance in new school and all," he prodded.

I couldn't for the life of me understand where he was going with this, but something told me I was not going to like it.

I just gave him a bland "Yeah, I guess".

"Well then, seems like I should get to the point. Would to care to go to the autumn ball with me?" he asked looking point blank in my eyes.

I would have started choking and coughing as well, but blessedly my food pipe was empty then, and so the air from my lungs simply wheezed out as I stared at him.

"What?"

"Would you care be my date for the autumn ball?" he asked again, patiently.

I gaped at him unattractively as I tried to figure out where this came from. I turned to Stacie for some inspiration but she looked ready to faint. It seemed I had to do this on my own.

"But, why?" I asked stupidly.

Something akin to amusement flickered in his golden eyes as he smiled at me.

"Well Anna, I don't know how they do things where you come from but here, it is tradition that a guy asks a girl to accompany him when a dance is announced and you are a girl as far as I can tell," he said in mock seriousness.

My anger flared at his frivolous attitude.

"Oh really? And does tradition dictate for you to ask a girl to the dance who most certainly is not the one you are in a relationship with, who you also don't happen to share a home with?" I asked venomously.

Jasper seemed to stiffen as though I had punched him.

"Please don't misunderstand me, Anna. I love Alice and we've never tried to hide our relationship. I simply wanted to go to the ball with you as friends and nothing else. I apologize if I have offended you in any way," his words dripped with sincerity and I could see the truth in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," I apologized "but I don't understand why you would want to go with someone other than Alice. You two seem perfect together."

He smiled another of his breathtaking smiles.

"Actually, it was Alice's idea that we go with different people. As you know, we live together and she just wanted to do things a bit this differently this time. Like I said, it would be my honor if I could escort you to the dance as your friend."

"Well, I am glad you thought of me but am not really that interested in going to dances and I really abhor crowds…" I started when I was rudely interrupted.

"Hey there Babe!"

I looked up to find a blonde haired, blue-eyed jock leaning against the table with a cocky attitude.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You're new around here so you probably don't know me, sugar. I'm Cooper Stanley, but people who love me call me Coop. I'm the quarterback on the football team," he said giving me, what he clearly thought was a winning smile.

"And?" I asked coldly, hoping he would take the clue to leave me alone.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you not to worry, 'cause I'll be taking you to the autumn ball. Can't have a pretty little thing like yourself worrying herself about a date now, can we? Don't you worry at all, I'll be taking really good care of you from now on," he drawled.

By this time, it seemed that the entire cafeteria was watching us with bated breath. I was finding it difficult to not slap the arrogant pig in front of every one. Wanting to keep the peace, I decided on the coward's way out.

"Thank you very much for the offer, but I am going to the dance with Jasper," I replied in a tone which brooked no argument but it seemed that the nitwit would simply not take a hint.

He turned to look at Jasper as if only just noticing the fact that he was sitting at our table and gave him a hostile glare and I felt guilty for having dragged him into this situation. I turned to the Cullen's table hoping to catch Alice's eyes and somehow convey my contrition. She seemed to have been waiting for me to look at her and as soon as our eyes met, she gave me a dazzling thousand mega-watt smile with a thumbs up sign.

I smiled back; glad there was no bad blood between us regarding the current situation. Edward on the other hand was sitting beside her with his head bowed so I couldn't see his expression but he seemed to be sitting on the edge of his seat and his body was stiff, like a bow string pulled taut. He seemed to be laboring under some enormous strain but I couldn't for the life of me imagine what it was.

As I turned back to the situation at my table, I saw that the jock continued to throw hateful glances towards Jasper while he smiled coolly back at him.

"If there's nothing else?" I asked in a tone that clearly meant that he should leave.

"You're making a big mistake, babe. You just don't say no to Coop, the king," he threatened.

I snorted. I couldn't help it considering his lame lines.

"There's always a first time," I said by way of dismissing him and he finally stalked off.

"That was unpleasant," I spoke as I tried to break the tension which had settled over us.

Jasper gave me a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about it. He is just full of hot air and nothing else."

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess."

"Please don't worry about it. Like I said, it's no big deal. I'll take your leave now," he said standing up. "We'll work out the details of the dance later on. Oh and let me warn you, Alice will insist on going shopping together," he warned as he moved away.

"Thanks!" I called after him.

He turned to give me a final smile as he left the room with Alice by his side. As I turned back to my food, I caught sight of Edward sitting alone at the table and this time he was staring straight at me. Somehow, I thought he held an accusatory look in his eyes.

I could feel the onset of a massive headache.

Stacie sat in front of me as if stupefied.

"Say something!" I snapped at her.

"You refused Cooper," she said in a daze.

"Yes".

"And you're not going with Edward Cullen."

"Yes".

"You're going with Jasper Cullen."

"Yes."

"But he already has Alice as a girlfriend!"

I buried my face in my hands.

XXX XXX XXX XXX

The headache had not abated for the rest of the day and I stood under the showers in the locker rooms for an extra while hoping the hot water might reduce it. No luck there. Gym had been fraught with tension with Fiona throwing villainous looks my way and Cooper eying me malevolently. All in all, I was just glad the day was over.

As I walked out of the locker room, I wondered how I had gotten so embroiled in a feud, which revolved around a dance I did not want to attend in the first place. Lost in my thoughts, I collided with someone standing in the doorway of the locker room.

As I righted my balance, I found myself staring into the cold blue eyes of Cooper Stanley, who at the moment was sporting a rather twisted smile on his face.

"So you think it's fun to play hard to get, do ya?" he asked, blocking the door with his massive frame as he invaded my personal space.

I had little patience due to my throbbing headache and I was not about to argue with the fool.

"Step aside and let me pass," I commanded as calmly as I could. There was no sound from outside and I knew the corridors must be deserted as school had ended a good twenty minutes ago.

He face further contorted as he grabbed my hips in a bruising grip and sneered in my face, "what's the hurry, sugar? Let's get to know each other better, shall we?"

I lost control on my anger as I smacked his face with all my might and the slap echoed in the empty halls. He staggered back, momentarily stunned by the blow. His lip was bleeding from where I had struck him.

For a moment, I thought he might have come to his senses but then I saw an animal rage in his eyes as he rushed towards me, hand fisted to punch me.

Then a lot of things happened simultaneously.

I ducked on instinct to avoid his blow and something fast blurred by me; suddenly, Coop was gone. As I moved into the hallway, I was shocked to see Edward Cullen had pinned Cooper against the wall, his hand on Cooper's neck in a death grip.

EPOV:

Red.

I could see nothing but red. Fury like I never knew coursed through me as I pinned that foul creature to the wall.

It would be so easy, just a little flex of my fingers would snap his neck and it would all be over and the world would be rid of a huge burden.

I could hear him gasping and choking, his heartbeat and adrenaline levels increasing. He was trying to pry my hand off using both his hands, his legs kicking and flailing. The monster in me took over, the trickle of blood from his mouth calling to me, but I would never sully myself with vermin like him. No, I wanted to watch as the light slowly left his eyes.

He had dared to touch her, to try and defile her and he would pay with his life. I tightened my fingers around his neck, infinitesimally.

"Edward! Let go of him! You'll choke him to death!" came her voice. Roughened from fear, it sounded like silk caught in a bramble of thistles. I focused on her voice, though I didn't let go of the boy.

Now she stood beside me, her sweet scent swirling around me, her body like a lava lamp beside me.

"Edward, please. You need to let go. He isn't worth it," she pleaded with me. Calm washed over me as her heart beat slowed slightly, falling into a regular rhythm.

Thump, thump, thump, thump…

The most inviting sound in the world.

I loosened my grip slightly as he drew in a gasping breath, but I let go of him completely when she touched me.

Heat seared through my jacket-clad shoulder where she had placed an elegant hand. As the warmth spread through my body, the roaring monster took a back seat as my senses came back.

I had been about to kill someone in a fit of rage.

It isn't someone! the monster protested, he touched what was yours, he tried to hurt her!

Mine I agreed.

Mine, mine, mine.

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the thoughts that would most certainly make me kill him. I needed to leave before the anger came back and I killed him in front of Anna.

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her with me, without looking back. I needed her to be close to me, she was the only thing that was keeping me sane.

Rushing towards the parking lot, I pushed her into the passenger seat of the Volvo. I got in and drove off.

Her scent filled the car in just a few moments, freesia and lavender… sweet, so sweet. The fire raged at the back of my throat, burning and scorching but the monster remained in control.

I greedily gulped in the air saturated with her scent. Gripping the steering wheel too tight, the residue of my anger still lingering within me.

I drove from sheer memory, not really seeing the road. I simply needed to get away from the school before I turned back.

She sat beside me, quietly, relaxed and composed, looking out of the window. She radiated calm and peace. How could she remain so cool when she had just been molested?

Again my anger started rising, mad at her for being so calm, for taking things so lightly, for putting herself in a situation where she could have been hurt. Again my breathing grew erratic, my grip on the wheel tightening to a point where it would crack under the pressure.

I was in no condition to be driving. Unseeing, I braked hard, pulling the keys out of ignition. I lay my head on the steering wheel in front of me, trying to regulate my breathing, trying to regain some sort of control.

In my dilemma, I did not see her move. Gentle fingers raked through my messy hair, scraping my scalp along the way.

"Shhh…" she crooned, "it's ok, and it's over. Just breathe, calm down."

I did as she told me. I filled my lungs with her essence, as waves of calm crashed into me from her, the thump, thump of her heart a soothing lullaby to my ears, as her fingers continued to run through my hair.

I lifted my head to look at her and she gave me a beautiful smile.

"Feel better?" she asked.

Before I could answer, Alice's mental scream pierced my mind.

Edward, you idiot! Were you trying to scare her to death?

Even before she finished her mental rant, she came into view, walking hand in hand with Jasper.

That was when I realized that I had ended up just a few meters away from the driveway of our home, right in the middle of the forest. In my insanity, I had driven Anna to the one place where she never should have been. She would have been safer in that school with that maniac than with a houseful of vampires.

I wondered if I could simply take off with her and drop her off to her home but again, Alice wouldn't allow me to do that.

Don't you dare Edward Cullen!She hissed mentally. She's already here and Esme is dying to meet her. You are the one who brought her here, besides, we have a lot to discuss about the ball, she smirked.

I felt my anger rise again but was interrupted by Anna.

"What are Alice and Jasper doing her? And why are we in the middle of a forest?"

Calm down, Edward. It seems this is the only thing I am telling you to do these days. Whatever happened, your anger is not helping it. Alice completely freaked out when she saw what had happenedJasper chastised me.

I took another deep breath as Alice opened the passenger side door.

"Hey! I'm so glad you came over. We have a lot to discuss about the dance and we really need to plan a shopping trip for getting our dresses and accessories! Come on, Esme will love to see you."

"Alice, what are you doing here? And we're in the middle of the forest…" she threw questioning glances towards Alice and Jasper.

"Didn't Edward tell you? We live just around the bend, Jazz and I were out for a stroll" she said throwing me a pointed look.

Just keep your mouth shut and I'll handle the rest, she warned.

"Come, let's walk back. Edward can park the car," she added flippantly as she took Anna's hand and led her towards the house.

My eyes widened when I saw their casual touch, especially since Anna didn't seem to react in anyway to Alice's cold touch.

Jasper gave me a knowing smirk before blocking his thoughts about what was going on. I had to grind my teeth together in frustration as I started the car to park it in our huge garage.

What was Alice up to?

ArPOV:

My head was still swimming with the events of the past half-hour when Alice dragged me through the forest to her home. I tuned her out as she chattered incessantly beside me while Jasper continued to walk in brooding silence.

I had been molested. And Coop would have probably done worse if Edward had not arrived. Sure, I could have fought and scratched my way out of it, probably. But the mere presence of someone else, someone in my support was a relief. Especially since that someone was capable of pinning that monstrosity of a football player to the wall with just one hand.

I shuddered slightly when I remembered the look on Edward's face when he held back Coop. It was a murderous expression, and I was so glad that I had not been at the receiving end of it. The unreserved ferocity of his expression had forced me to forget my own anger and fear, in order to calm him down. I was sure that had I not been present, he would have strangled Cooper to his death.

Even after he let go of Cooper, his painful grip on my wrist, his tense posture in the car, his erratic breathing had scared me. I knew, for both our sakes, that I needed to remain calm. In the car, when he was driving at over a hundred and ten miles per hour, I willed him to calm down.

In any other situation, I would have wanted to run away from such a maniac, but I couldn't. Not when I knew that the cause of his explosive reaction had been my safety. When he had abruptly stopped in the middle of the forest, instead of panicking, I had been overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting to soothe his anguish. And so that what exactly what I did, or at least tried to do.

But, lo and behold! Next we have Alice and Jasper strolling towards us, as if taking a walk in the jungle was the most natural thing to do for today's teenagers. Alice had completely dismissed Edward, even though I was doubtful if he was completely ok.

And so now, I was walking through a dense forest with people I barely knew, towards an unknown destination.

"Anna!"

I snapped out of my musings to find Alice giving me a piercing look.

"You haven't been listening to a word I said, have you?"

I gave her what I hoped was a sheepish grin.

"Uh, I was thinking of something else," I said in an apologetic tone.

"Something, or someone?" she asked me with a wicked grin.

Before I could answer her, after a sharp bend, we came to a halt in front of a magnificent work of modern architecture.

I couldn't keep the awe out of my voice as I asked, "This is where you live?"

Jasper grinned.

"Welcome home, darlin', do you like it?"

I stared at the huge mansion, which appeared to be made completely from glass and steel, it's construction and design which could shame any modern architect from London or New York.

"Do you have to ask?" I retorted, trying not to gape.

The modern building was in complete contrast with the nature by which it was surrounded. The entire house was completely surrounded by trees and vegetation on all sides, it would be invisible to anyone who did not know where to look for it.

"Carlisle and Esme like to stay in touch with nature," Alice said by way of explanation.

I nodded as I saw Edward emerge from a pair of double doors. Obviously there was another way into what must have been the garage. I paused slightly when I noticed that he looked like a thundercloud.

I wondered if he was still mad about what happened at school or was angry that I was visiting his home. Surely, he did not really hateme that much?

Like his brother had, Jasper opened the door for us girls and stood back to let us in. Inside, the house was done in tasteful interiors using the color while, lots of deep brown wood paneling and again a very lavish use of glass artifacts.

I was so busy looking around the house that I did not notice the demure woman standing quietly by the side. When I finally turned back, Alice introduced us.

"Anna, this is Esme. Esme, Anna. I told you about her and Jazz is going to take her to the autumn ball!"

I noticed that Esme had a kind, motherly face framed by caramel colored locks and her eyes were the same mysterious gold colored as everyone else in the family.

"Hello Anna, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said in a soft melodic voice. She seemed genuinely pleased to see me and her eyes seemed to sparkle with joy.

I complimented her on her lovely home as I shook hands with her and she seemed to have the same kind of hand as Alice. It was warm and smooth yet firm, to the extent, you would call it hard, like someone who did a lot of manual labor. Yet, the skin of her hands was smooth, perfect really. I wondered about it, but decided not to mention it lest it be considered rude.

"Alice, why don't you give Anna a tour of the house?" she asked and Alice gladly led me up the stairs.

The wall along the stairs was lined with several beautiful paintings and as I stopped to admire them, I caught sight of Edward downstairs with a scowl marring his perfect face, staring at Esme accusingly. Looking at their expressions, one would think they were having some kind of unspoken conversation.

Upstairs, Alice showed me the various rooms belonging to different people. She did not seem to mind sharing with me that she and Jasper as well as Emmet and Rosalie shared the same room. She indicated a closed door; informing me tat it was Carlisle's study. Then at the third floor, she brought me to another closed door, and turned to look at me like she was unveiling some secret.

"And this," she pointed "is Edward's room." She finished as she pushed open a door.

Although I did not want to invade his personal space, I couldn't help my curiosity and peeked into the room without entering it.

What I saw impressed me. The walls were liked with bookcase after bookcase. He also seemed to have what must have been the largest music collection I had ever seen. He had a bed, pushed into a corner of the room, like it was not the main focus of the room, much rather a prop. I also noticed that his room was incredibly clean, something I did not expect from a teenaged boy. There was no trash lying on the floor, no discarded cloths lying haphazardly, no gaudy posters of play girls or music bands covering the walls. The room was pristine.

"Come on in!" Alice insisted as she bounced around excitedly.

I wondered how someone so tiny could have so much of energy.

"No thanks, Alice. I don't think that's such a good idea."

She seemed to pause for a moment to consider my words and then shrugged her little shoulders.

"Doesn't matter," she smiled happily "I think it's best if we go to my room and work on our dresses for the ball!"

I really had no intensions of going shopping for anything. I was suddenly feeling very tired but I decided to humor her consider how friendly she was being.

We went into her room and she directly started rummaging in her wardrobe, which seemed to be as big as, if not bigger than her actual room. I noticed that both men's and women's clothes were lined neatly in it and felt a pang go through my heart.

What must it be like, to have that kind of intimacy with someone? What would that warmth, that comfort feel like to know that someone loved you unconditionally?

You could have known what it feels like, an evil voice spoke up in my head. You could have had this, but no, you had to go and ruin everything. Your loneliness is your own fault. It is the cause of your rash actions and now you will suffer for all your life!

I needed a distraction, before my thoughts got out of hand. I picked the first topic that came to my mind.

"Alice, why did Jasper ask me to the dance? I mean, it would be so much more perfect if he went with you."

Alice came out of the closet, arms laden with various gowns and dresses.

"Oh, Jasper and I have attended all our dances till date together. We've been together a long time you know, ever since Carlisle adopted us. I just decided that a change would be good for us."

"But this is the senior year, isn't it supposed to be really important and all?" I asked. I knew from what I had read that in the schooling system, the senior year held a lot of importance, not just academically but also socially.

"Not really. Jasper and I have kind of out grown all this school stuff. Been there, done that kind of a thing," she said with a smirk. Something told me she was leaving out some important detail, but I decided not to push it.

"Besides," she continued, "I really want Edward to go to this dance. He never attends these kind of events and this time he has to go since he's my date."

"Edward's your date for the dance?"

"Shhh… he doesn't know yet, but I am determined to take him to the dance this time. I'll drag him if I have to!" she declared with a stern expression on her little face.

I smiled at the mental picture her declaration generated. The idea of little Alice, physically forcing Edward to do anything was incredibly funny.

"I need to thank you, for going with Jazz, you know. God knows, I would have been unable to take Edward to the dance if Jasper couldn't have found a decent date for himself."

"You don't need to thank me, I was just wondering why the two of you would want to go with different people."

"Well, now you know" she sang.

I laughed at her antics.

"By the way, Alice. How long has Edward had eye sight problems?"

She whirled around, giving me an inscrutable look before she relaxed.

"I think he wore glasses since before he was adopted. He's always had weak eyesight. Unfortunately, he seemed to have a knack for breaking his glasses. He had broken about twenty pairs when Esme finally put her foot down and insisted he get contact lenses, though, he still detests wearing them and often skips them" she informed me.

That explained the color of his eyes today. Instead of his regular tawny colored eye, today he had pitch black eyes. In the commotion over Cooper, I had never gotten the chance to ask him about it. However, that still did not explain why every one in the family had the same unique eye color. How was it possible for two married people to adopt five different kids having the same eye color as theirs? This could not have been a coincidence, unless Dr. Cullen was a modern day Frankenstein collecting kids with pale faces and golden eyes.

Alice was exceptionally perceptive because she pulled me out of my thoughts by saying, "Go ahead, you look like you want to ask something."

I hesitated. Would it be rude of me to ask them about their eyes? Maybe it was a sensitive issue with them, considering they were all adopted and Dr. and Mrs. Cullen did not have their own kids.

"Alice, not to be rude or anything, but how come every one in your family has the same eye color? It cannot just be coincidence."

Instead of looking affronted, Alice looked excited to explain the mystery behind the golden eyes.

"It's a family thing really. It all started when Edward picked this color of lenses. When I saw how good they looked on him, I insisted I buy a pair in exactly the same color, just for fun. But, soon we had to move to a new city where people did not know our background and people commented on how alike the two of us looked, like real brother and sister. It sort of symbolized our bond" she explained.

"Soon, Emmet and Rose also insisted on wearing similar lenses. It was something visible, tangible to show that we were related to each other, like a real family. I know it can sound silly, but when you come from as varied backgrounds as us, each from a different part of the nation, the need to belong somewhere becomes very strong. Soon, all of us started wearing the same colored lenses, as a part of being a member of the Cullen family. It made us all feel bonded, despite not being related by blood."

She looked at me with a wary face.

"Do you think we are crazy?" she asked.

Stunned, I shook my head. That was probably the sweetest thing I had ever heard. Being orphaned, I knew how acute the need to belong somewhere, with someone could be. The idea of a family like theirs overwhelmed me. I now had an idea of how close this family really was.

"I think it's wonderful. I've never heard of anything like it, but I can understand where you're coming from."

She gave me a dazzling smile, but I could feel the weariness overwhelm me. More than anything, I also longed to belong somewhere like them. I decided I needed to go home. Alice was saying something about a shopping trip but I cut her short.

"Alice, this has been a wonderful visit, but I really need to get going. I have a lot of homework to do and frankly, I don't really enjoy shopping a lot. I usually order whatever I need on the Internet."

At her crestfallen look, I hastily added.

"But I am sure I would enjoy it if I had your company. But let's discuss this tomorrow, if that's ok with you?" I really hoped that she wouldn't press the issue at the moment.

"Ok," she said happily, " we can plan every thing tomorrow, but not later than that! We barely have any time left," she added in a stern voice.

As we descended the stairs, I saw that Dr. Cullen was back from the hospital and he seemed to be in the middle of an argument with Edward. Mrs. Cullen was standing quietly by Dr. Cullen's side while Jasper was nowhere to be found.

Edward once again seemed to be in a foul mood and Dr. Cullen stood there with a resolute expression on his face. As so as we came into view, they tried to rearrange their faces into a more pleasant appearance.

"Anna, I was just about to call the two of you for tea and some snacks," Esme said.

I could feel the tension in the air, and I wanted nothing more than to leave the place as unobtrusively as possible. I had no intention of witnessing their private disagreements. For a moment, a horrible thought came to my mind. Had somehow word of what happened with Copper today at school reached Dr. Cullen? Did Cooper suffer any serious injuries for which he needed to be hospitalized?

"No, thank you Mrs. Cullen. I was about to leave. I have some… errands I need to run, and they can't be put off any longer, but thank you so much, I really enjoyed my visit."

"Please call me Esme, dear. And it was wonderful to meet you. Do come over again soon. I'm sure Edward and Alice would appreciate the company."

At precisely that moment, Edward looked like he couldn't possibly stand the company of his own shadow.

"Anna, it's good to see you again," Dr. Cullen wished with a smile on his face, which slowly slipped away into a frown.

"I think I had better take a look at your wrist," he said as he moved towards me.

Confused, I looked at my wrists and to my horror; I found that my left wrist was covered in blue-black bruises from where Edward had gripped it as he pulled me out of the school. I could clearly see the imprint of his fingers distinctively on my wrist. Sure, I thought he had a firm grip and he had exerted a bit more strength than required due to his anger, but this was not something I had expected.

Gently, he took hold of my wrist and I gasped. His fingers were ice cold. He grimaced slightly and apologized.

"I'm sorry, I had been rummaging around in the freezer for something."

I nodded as he continued to turn my wrist this way and that, looking for broken bones.

"Well, it seems that it's just badly bruised, nothings broken. If you experience pain, try using an ice pack. The bruising should go down in a couple of days."

He gave me an unfathomable look as he asked me the question I had been dreading.

"How exactly did this happen?"

I saw Edward stiffen, and he had a tortured look on his face. He wouldn't meet my eyes. I wanted nothing more than to take away that pain on his face. Did he think I would complain to his parents? Did he think I would blame him for the bruises?

Knowing that Dr. Cullen was still waiting for an answer, I decided on the only viable option. I decided to lie through my teeth.

"I banged it on the door frame when I slipped in the bathroom this morning."

I knew he could see the fingerprints as clearly as I could and I was not fooling him with my lie, but I looked in his eyes unblinkingly, clearly conveying the message that this topic was not open for discussion.

Slowly, he nodded.

"Well, I hope you're more careful in the future. You've not had any more fainting spells or weakness, have you?" he asked, ever the consummate doctor.

Why did he have to mention that in front of Edward?

"No, I've been fine, Dr. Cullen. Thank you."

"Well, I'm glad to have seen you and hope you'll come to visit again."

I smiled, not wanting to give him a verbal answer. If Edward did not like my coming to his home, there was no way I was coming back again.

"Alice, could you give me a few directions about how to get to the main road from here? I'm not sure I remember the way we came and I don't want to get lost in the forest."

"No problem darlin'," Jasper entered the room, "let me just drive you back myself."

"No!" came the near shout, before I could manage to answer.

Everyone, including me turned to Edward at his outburst.

I saw anger leave his eyes as embarrassment took over on his face.

"I mean, I can drive Anna back," he mumbled, looking at the floor, "that is if you want," he finished as he finally looked at me askance.

The pain, longing and ache in his eyes left me speechless once again. The boy was an enigma; I simply couldn't figure him out. One moment he could be friendly, the next furious and then he could be contrite before becoming arrogant again. There was no telling what went on in his head.

I nodded my assent and hurriedly left the house with a "see you later" in the general direction of Alice and Jasper.

In an instant, Edward had the Volvo up and running, before he got out to open the passenger door before I could reach it my self. As he closed the door and moved around the car to get in, I wondered what was to come next on the roller coaster ride with Edward Cullen.

Author's note: Well, I know you'll love Edward kicking Coop's ass. How'd you like the whole interaction between Arianna and the Cullen family?

This is the last chapter I had to update after revising. Tomorrow, you will have a fresh update. Thank you all for your love and support. Leave a review!

Love,

Katty.