A/N: Hi friends! Thanks to everyone still with me. And commenters, I heart you. You know this by now. Let's see how the gang is doing, shall we?

C 10

The change came so gradually it was barely noticeable. But Bella knew where it started. It started with a strawberry Jolly Rancher.

The table they shared in last period was silent for the week after they returned from Voodoo. She had considered reading him the riot act. Telling him what a monumental jackass, prick he was. Possibly in two languages considering how well she was doing in Spanish. But she couldn't because, honestly, she got it. A leopard couldn't change its spots and a snobby pretty boy wasn't going to change just because she came on his hand. And when it came right down to it she was the one who was ahead if they were keeping score. She'd gotten off, he'd gotten a wet hand. And he wasn't being rude, disrespectful, or combative anymore so that really was progress. She could handle the silence.

Then there was the candy.

She had glanced over upon hearing him wrestling something out of his pocket. It was curiosity that caused her to really look instead of just stealing the usual glance. And oddly enough he smiled when he saw her looking. Butterflies the size of bats buzzed around in her stomach.

He didn't say a word. He just dropped two candies on her notebook. She didn't ask any questions she just smiled back at him, unwrapped a treat, and popped it in her mouth. He wasn't looking when she glanced at him again but he was still smiling.

Then there was the day before Thanksgiving break. Pretty much everyone at school was buzzing on the upcoming holiday. Even the mean girls had taken a break for the day. Banner had declared a free period for everyone to "read" or "catch up on assignments" which meant everyone was dicking off. Bella had grabbed her ancient Ipod out of her bag and was just spacing, doodling on her notebook. She was shocked when Edward pulled the pen from her hand and turned her notebook so that he could reach it.

She watched with cautious amusement at he started to sketch. Before her eyes a cartoon turkey appeared in the margin of the page. He finished with a dialogue bubble that read "Eat Me". She giggled. He smirked. He tossed the pen back on her notebook when he was done and turned his attention back to game he was playing on his phone. When the final bell rang they both gathered their things to go, him starting off before her. She was slinging her backpack over her shoulder when he turned back.

"Have a good Thanksgiving." He said quietly. He turned and hurried off before she could even reply.

The butterfly bats took flight again.

She didn't want to feel optimistic. She didn't want to remember how his honey voice had sounded in her ear when he'd touched her. But she couldn't fight back the giddiness she felt at his attention. However, she was apprehensive. She'd seen a plethora of teenage movies about the girl from the wrong side of the tracks being humiliated by the popular kids. Carrie came to mind.

"I have to ask you something." It was the day after Thanksgiving. She and Alice were sprawled out in her room listening to some new music Alice had brought over on her external. Jasper had headed out to make some rounds.

"Yeah?" Alice replied looking up from the laptop curiously.

"Is...uh...something up with your brother?" Bella asked cautiously. She could feel her cheeks turning pink.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked studying her friend. Anytime the subject of her brother came up with Bella, Alice was on high alert.

"Well, he's been nice lately," Bella explained. "I'm kind of worried it's part of some diabolical scheme."

Alice sighed. Only her brother could be such a douche that people thought something was up when he was being a nice guy.

"I'm unaware of any schemes that may leave you covered in pig's blood but I'll be sure to keep my feelers out." She assured her friend.

Bella laughed.

"If could I light shit up with my mind that whole place would have been torched already," she said.

** FVP **

"What are you up to?" Alice demanded throwing Edward's door open.

"Relishing the turkey coma," he replied. He'd ate until he couldn't move and had been zoning out in front of his tv since dinner. He had been roughly sixty percent asleep when the pixie had thrown his door open and barged in. "Something I can help you with?"

"No, what are you up to with Bella?" She asked with an impatient look.

"I haven't seen your friend since school let out, Alice," he said with a confused look.

"I know that but she said you were being nice at school. What are you up too? Why are you being nice?"

"What the fuck, you tell me to be nice then get pissed when I am?" He replied sitting up. The whole Edward is an asshole bit was getting old. Even if it was mostly true. "What exactly is it you want from me?"

Alice studied him for a moment. Her features softened. Suddenly, she rushed over and hugged her brother.

"You are a good guy." She said, squeezing him tight.

He patted her on the back, completely confused.

"You're kind of psycho," he told her when she let him go. "Like, a lot."

She laughed.

"And you're stuck with me forever," she said sticking out of tongue at him before she waltzed out.

He wasn't surprised Bella had said something to Alice. Things were different. It started the Tuesday after Voodoo. He had been dreading seeing her again after that weekend. He had expected her to pull the typical chick move where they thought a little bit of touch meant something. He had expected her to be pissed that he blew her off. He had expected to go back to the way things had been before. But then Vicky had snapped on her as soon as she hit the gate. And somehow she found him in the crowd. There hadn't been anger in her eyes. It hadn't really been hurt either. Just disappointment. For the first time in his life he felt something akin to guilt.

For the next week he kept glimpsing her at the wrong moment. At least the wrong moment for him. Seeing her at lunch with Alice looking amused as his sister flitted about. After gym with her cheeks flushed and her hair slicked back after a shower. With Jasper leaving school looking completely at ease.

Then Eric had started running his mouth about how he'd hit it even though she was scholarship when they were smoking at his place. Newton had chimed in that she was actually pretty fucking funny. Of course Newton would know that. Edward had seen them palling around in the halls. That had reminded him of her snarky comment about coming when she had left him in the yard at Jake's. Not that many girls had a sense of humor about sex.

It was like he couldn't escape her. He'd bought a bag of strawberry candy to try and relive the taste of her. It wasn't the same. The candy was sickly sweet where she had been naturally sweet. Passing the treats on in class was ironically amusing. Then right before break she had been sitting there jamming to that dinosaur Ipod, just chillin'. Girls didn't know how to just chill. They always had to be talking about something. Other chicks, feelings, plans, just something. It made him want her to talk. He wanted to know if the same tired bullshit was going on in her head. So he tried to get her to talk. But she didn't talk. It made him want it even more.

** FVP **

"Things are changing," Alice told Jasper. It was the last day of Thanksgiving break. They were making the most of their dwindling schoolless hours by spending them in Alice's bed wearing very little clothing. They had smoked a joint on her balcony and now they were lying side by side catching their breath after some marathon dry humping.

"How's that?" Jasper replied. He was busy tracing circles on her skin. He was addicted to her skin.

"Bella and Edward are finally finding each other," she said happily. Everything was coming together. She had her Jasper and if her brother could get out of his own way he'd find his other piece.

"Really?" Jasper asked. He was skeptical but knew better than to doubt Alice.

"Really," she said rolling over to straddle him. "Should we celebrate?"

She was grinning at him. She was still after him to get rid of her pesky virginity. He kept putting it off. He wanted it to be perfect. But it never seemed perfect enough. His body was all systems go but then his brain clicked into over drive. What if she didn't enjoy it? What if she got freaked afterward? What if he had one of those stupid male brain meltdowns that made him want to run away after the deed was done? So instead of sliding into his goddess and claiming her for good, he'd just smoke. And kiss. And touch.

"Maybe just a little bit," he said with a lazy smile and reached for her.