Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

A/N: I didn't really have the time to reply all your reviews, but I've read every single one of them. Thanks so much! I'll have more time this week to update, but after this week the updates will probably be less frequent. I hope you can wait.

The first argument

Edward pursed his lips as he stared at Bella Swan, trying to figure out her thoughts. Half her face was covered by her brown hair. While Edward thought that she had really nice hair, he preferred to look at her pale, heart-shaped face.

Across the table, sitting beside him, Bella was screwing her face in concentration as she solved the math equations given to her by the teacher. Bella hated math.

She didn't know if the logic was true, but hating the subject made her dislike the teacher as well. It was a vicious cycle, Bella thought. Because she didn't do well in the subject, she hated it. Because she hated it, she hated the teacher teaching it. Because she hated the teacher, she hated the lessons. And then it came back to her not faring well in the subject because she hardly paid attention in class.

Bella felt a bit guilty, hating her math teacher. Miss Brown wasn't exactly cruel to her students. She might be biting in her remarks, but she had never intentionally tried to hurt a student. She was just unapproachable, possibly because of the stern look she liked to wear on her face. The fact that she was in her mid-fifties didn't make her easier to approach. She was temperamental, and tended to be impatient with her students. The boys in Bella's class liked to gossip about their elderly, but unmarried teacher. Bella found them rude, but she couldn't say that she liked Miss Brown very much either.

Bella didn't really hate anyone easily, but Miss Brown made it difficult for her to warm up to. For a start, Miss Brown liked to call upon her students to solve mathematical problems on the board. And Bella hated that. Bella didn't enjoy being the target of attention of the class. She hated being the centre of attention, for her classmates to scrutinise her every frown, her every mistake. The fact that Bella did not fare well for Math made it worse.

"Remember to apply The Formula," Miss Brown was saying out loud to her class. "It's essential."

Bella rolled her eyes, irritated. Miss Brown had this way of talking about formulas, like they were some sacred treasures. She spoke with reverence, and utter conviction, and everytime she spoke about formulas, Bella wanted to hit her head against the table.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked finally, frustrated from having failed to decipher her thoughts. Bella uncreased her brows and turned sharply to face Edward, a surprised look etched on her face.

"Er, nothing," Bella mumbled back, her cheeks staining themselves red. Had she been really obvious about her frustration with math? She tried to put on a neutral expression and went back to solving her equations.

"I see that some of you aren't approaching the question correctly. You need..." A pause. "The Formula," Miss Brown emphasized, hitting the book she was holding with the back of her hand.

"Do you need help?" Edward asked. He had been observing Bella for a while, and realised that she was stuck at the same question for quite a substantial amount of time.

Bella turned to face her classmate again, slightly annoyed. She found his tone condescending and offensive.

"No, thanks." She muttered. Then, she eyed Edward's worksheet curiously. "You're finished?"

"Yeah," Edward said innocently. "I found these rather simple."

Bella huffed and turned her attention back to her incomplete work. Was this Anthony deliberately trying to make her feel inferior?

Edward frowned at Bella's reaction, unsure of what she was thinking.

"What did I say about using The Formula?" Miss Brown said impatiently to Alex Rider, who retreated slightly into his seat as Miss Brown came around.

"If she says The Formula one more time, I'm going to shoot myself." Bella muttered to herself, tapping her pencil irritatedly on her paper.

Edward widened her eyes at Bella's quiet remark and tried to stifle his laughter. Bella had captured the exact tone in which Miss Brown took whenever she spoke about her beloved formulas.

Then, Bella sighed heavily, erasing her working for what had to be at least the tenth time.

"I-I can help you, if you want," Edward offered again, hesitantly this time. He didn't know what it was that he said which seemed to offend Bella. He treaded with careful steps now, trying to get back into Bella's good books. She had seemed to have had a pretty good impression of him the last time, when he'd offered to lend her his book. She'd even thanked him after reading the book, smiling and telling him that she'd enjoyed it.

So what was she so annoyed about now?

Bella looked at Edward again, narrowing her eyes, as if trying to unveil his intentions. When she decided that he meant no harm, Bella merely shook her head. "It's okay, I'll get help from Miss Brown."

"Now this question here, is rather challenging." Miss Brown was clearing her voice. "Can all of you look up and face the board?"

Bella recognised the question. It was the one she had been stuck with.

"Can anyone of you volunteer and solve this question?" Miss Brown asked. No one said anything.

"Anyone?"

She peered around the classroom shrewdly, and her gaze settled on Bella.

Bella's heart plummeted.

"I'll solve it, Miss Brown," Edward stammered, raising an arm.

Bella's head shot to her side, and she looked at Edward in surprise.

"You will? That's good. Come up to the front, Anthony." Miss Brown's lips lifted up by a few millimetres. Bella realised that this was her smile.

Edward caught the look of dismay on Bella's face when Miss Brown looked at her, and he didn't like it. He thought about helping, but Edward felt minutely uncomfortable about having to stand in front of the entire class.

However, when he put Bella's discomfort and his discomfort together, he felt that Bella's discomfort mattered more.

So, he decided to go to Bella's aid.

He stepped forward, trying not to shake, and took the chalk from Miss Brown's outstretched hand.

Gripping the chalk tightly, he began to write.

Bella's eyes widened as Edward's hand moved across the board smoothly and surely, without hesitation. His workings were neat and clear in their explanations, and Bella immediately grasp the concept of the question.

As he completed the answer, he turned around and secretly flashed a small, triumphant smile.

"Very good, Anthony. I'm impressed," Miss Brown said, nodding to her student. Then, Miss Brown went on to explain how Edward integrated The Formula into the question, as Edward finished up with his working.

Okay, so this Anthony was smart, Bella huffed unhappily to herself. But did he need to show off?

As Edward wrote the last bit of his answer, he heaved a sigh of relief and walked back to his table, expecting Bella to look at him with gratitude. Instead, he was shocked by Bella's look of disgust.

He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but Bella refused to look at him.

Later that day, after the math lesson ended, Edward tried to catch Bella and demand an explanation for her less than civil behavior towards him.

"Are you in a bad mood?" Edward asked, as Bella hurriedly packed her books into her bag.

She shot a look at him. "No," she frowned. "What do you mean?"

She halted in her movements and stared at Edward.

"I mean," Edward stuttered, not knowing how to prolong the conversation. "You were quite nice last week, but you seem to be in a bad mood today."

"How so?"

"That...that look you gave me, when I offered to help you. And that look after I solved the question on the board."

"I know you're smart, Anthony." Bella sighed. "It's just- Never mind."

"No, tell me," Edward persisted.

Bella rolled her eyes.

"It just seemed to me that you were showing off."

Edward felt like he was being slapped in the face.

By the girl he was trying to impress, no less.

"No, I was-" Edward's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. "I was trying to help you!"

It was Bella's turned to feel like she was being slapped.

"Help me?" she screeched. "Since when did I ask for your help?"

"You didn't...B-but I," Edward exhaled heavily, exasperated. "I thought you needed help."

"Great," Bella muttered dryly, sarcasm heavy in her tone. "I'm glad you think so highly of me."

"I didn't...I didn't mean to put you down or anything." Edward tried again.

"Forget it," Bella huffed. "Bye."

Edward watched Bella leave, his face falling.

Why were girls so difficult?

A/N: Okay, Bella's being quite unreasonable, but Edward's not being tactful in what he says either. So this is their first conflict. Tell me what you think.

I want to know about some quirky teachers that you have/had ;P