Hi! For some reason, this chapter was really hard to write. Mostly because I wasn't really sure were my characters were going. But big changes in the story are coming soon. (It's time because I feel like there isn't enough things happening). Anyway: Enjoy!

When he saw I had noticed his arrival, Mike smiled at me. But strangely, his smile wasn't the warm and happy smile he usually used. It was a sarcastic smile that made me shiver. I was half wondering if I should find an excuse to avoid him when he held his hand, with an air of perfect confidence. It was as if he knew what I was thinking and forbade me to leave. Something was definitely odd in this behavior. In fact, everything in Mike's appearance looked different. He was...sloppy I decided. And Mike was never sloppy. But when he made a step forward toward me, I understood what was so wrong with him: His breath was saturated with alcohol.

"Mike," I began in a smoothing tone "Are you alright?"

He didn't answer and kept looking at me with a strange, quizzical look.

Not knowing what to do or say, and not daring upsetting him by leaving, I just waited there, cursing silently the waiters that had given him alcohol when he was obviously underage.

He looked at me for a long moment, measuring me with glassy eyes, and I wondered how many drinks he had had. Finally, he broke the silence and said in a slow and trailing voice:

"Isabella Swan!"

"Isabella Swan!" he repeated

"Isabella Swan!" he said once again, his voice becoming louder and louder.

Heads began to turn in our direction and when Mike opened his mouth again, I quickly stood up and took his arm to lead him outside. If he wanted to continue shouting my name in his drunken voice, it would be better to do so out of hear range.

As we passed, I tried to ignore the questioning looks of the guests and was glad that Charlie didn't seem to be around. I guess we were making a strange picture. Mike was under the shock of my sudden move and I was pretty sure he hadn't realized we were moving. In fact his expression was the one of a 3 years old trying to add 2 plus 2 and he was putting all his weight on me, while I tried not to trip. We had just passed the big doors that leaded outside, when Mike finally seemed to realize we had crossed half of the room and struggled to free himself of my grip. He was making clumsy and slow gestures but I was more than willing to let him go. When I released him, he looked puzzled for a moment and make uncoordinated steps under the rain before realizing it and coming back next to me, in the shelter of the roof. At least, the rain must have had woke him up a little because when he looked at me again, his eyes weren't so empty anymore. But I wasn't sure it was better.

"Who do you think you are?" He started again.

I realized that his voice was more assured but I don't think he wanted me to answer. What would I have answered anyway?

"You think you are so much better that the other?"He asked, and I felt my eyes widen in confusion.

"With your...your" Mike struggled for his words "hair?" he finally asked.

Yeah sure, I was better than the other because of my hair, I thought. But my discomfort was growing by the minute and I still didn't know what to say to calm Mike.

"And your smooth skin?" he continued.

It was getting worst and worst. I would have 10 times preferred Charlie, reciting my grades to every inhabitant of Forks, rather than being there with Mike, listening to his drunken rant about my smooth skin.

"You think you are too good for me?"Mike asked "you are not even the prettiest girl at school and you act like...like you are a princess. The world must turn around you. You Isabella Swan! Too good to go to prom, to pretty to accept a date! You are just a spoiled little brat..."

At this point, Mike's words became unintelligible but it was for the best. His harsh sentences were slowing sinking in and my discomfort was turning into pain. Mike was still talking, his face red and angry and making huge gestures in my direction. The few words I could catch weren't to improve my state.

"Spoiled...ugly mind...hypocrite...liar..."

I was now feeling really bad. Mike was hurt and it was my fault. But at the same time, he was being so harsh. He wasn't saying any insults but he was showing the worst in me. And it was even harder to hear. Of course, he was drunk and I shouldn't have been paying attention. But I couldn't help but wonder if he was right. Maybe I was spoiled and ungrateful. Maybe I was mean to turn people down.

The more Mike spoke, the worse I felt. He was right, I was a terrible person. I hadn't realized the exhaustion the last days had left me in: everybody looking at me, whispering, thinking what Mike was now saying aloud... but this one-sided discussion was opening my eyes. I couldn't handle so much judgment anymore and I slowly felt myself giving up my tough act and becoming weaker and weaker. But I couldn't do anything except wait for Mike to stop.

After long minutes, I found enough courage to articulate "Stop Mike, stop that". But my words were lost in him. He was repeating again and again what he thought of me and my legs began shaking. I let myself slide along the wall and sat on the floor, trying, unsuccessfully, to turn Mike's word off. But suddenly, he stopped. Already fearing the worth, I slowly raised my head to see why and I froze. Edward was there; in all his beauty. Maybe it was because I was seeing him from below, but he looked huge; much taller than Mike who was slowly shriveling on himself. And I could understand why: Edward looked positively furious. In this moment, I thought he could kill somebody without afterthoughts. But even knowing that, and knowing I must be afraid, I only felt relieved to see him.

Mike was coming back to his senses and the alcohol must have made him braver because he didn't run away like any sensible person would have. Instead, he said some more unintelligible words.

"Go. Away."Edward articulated, very slowly

This time, Mike realized the seriousness of the menace and disappeared in the darkness.

In a flash, Edward was kneeling down in front of me. His face still reflected the anger he had been in but his voice was soft when he spoke to me.

"Bella, are you ok?"

"Yes" I quickly said, standing up at once. I still felt bad of course. But I was more furious with myself to have let Mike have the better of me. I had promised myself to be strong and here I was: almost crying again, and again in front of Edward. He must have read the resolution in my face because he didn't insist and stood up too.

"So, you changed your mind?" I asked, trying to make my voice sounds natural. "You came?"

"As you can see" he answered, gesturing to himself.

He was also acting as if everything was fine and we were just having a nice discussion. But I could see he wasn't convinced by my act.

"Is the rest of your family here?" I continued, trying to forget Mike's words. But it was more easily said than done.

"Just Emmett" Edward answered, with a polite voice that sounded fake.

I could have asked about his parents but the words "hypocrite" and "liar" were still ringing in my ears and I couldn't think clearly about the discussion I was having.

"Cut it out Bella". Edward said.

Apparently, our formal talk was over. I tried desperately to find something to say because I really needed to change my mind. But I couldn't find anything. We stayed like that, trying to imagine what the other was thinking for an uncalculating amount of time, when he finally said:

"You're not like that"

I kept silent

"Mike doesn't know you at all, and neither does the rest of the school. You are not spoiled, nor a liar, and you certainly aren't hypocrite."

He was going to continue but I gestured for him to stop. I had listened long enough.

"Thanks" I said.

It was just the opinion of Edward, the boy who had just arrived, against all the school's gossips, but I felt instantly better. And when I spoke again, I didn't have to pretend speaking naturally.

"So, just you and Emmett?"

He chuckled at my sudden change of subject and nodded.

"You made me curious" he added.

"I'm glad you came" I said truthfully.

I didn't know what to say after that so I just took some steps along the building. I wasn't ready to head back in the noisy room. Edward walked with me. Now that Mike had stopped yelling at me, I realized how cold it was outside, but before I even shivered, Edward had removed his jacket and put it on my shoulders.

"You shouldn't be so lightly dressed outside" he said simply.

"Thanks" I said again.

His jacket was wonderfully warm and it smelled like him. I try to be as discreet as possible but I couldn't help but breath in it.

"So..." I began. "Where are your parents?"

It seemed like a simple enough question but I felt Edward stiffen.

"Why is it always you who ask the questions?" he asked.

"It's not true" I said.

Ok, so maybe I was a little bit curious but I wasn't always asking him questions. Or was I?

Edward laughed his musical laugh and I realized I must have looked really thoughtful.

"Do my questions bother you?" I asked.

"Actually, they do" he said really seriously.

It caught me by surprise and I stopped walking. Edward stopped too and we looked at each other. I finally gathered enough courage to ask the questions that had bothered me for so long.

"Who are you Edward? And who is your family?"

"Let's go" he said. "It's cold outside".

He made a move to go back in the room where the party was still in full swing but I didn't go for his escape. Once again, Edward was making cryptic remarks, appearing just at the right moment, disappearing one day without telling anybody... The emptiness I had felt when I had seen that Edward wasn't in class Friday came back to me.

"I thought we were friends, but I don't know you" I continued.

Edward seemed to hesitate for a moment but he finally said:

"I can't do that.".

He had spoken softly. But it didn't stop the words from hurting me. It was twice now that he was telling me to go away. And it was 2 times too much.

Without waiting for an answer, he turned his back to me and walked quickly toward the entrance of the town hall.

I didn't follow him and waited a moment outside. I was exasperated with myself and even with the entire mankind. Why couldn't we be happy with what we had? I knew Edward was mysterious about his family, and I knew speaking about it upset him. Why couldn't I enjoy his company and only talk about light subjects he wasn't against discussing? I kept promising myself I would stop harassing him so that he wouldn't have to tell me to go away; but each time I was around him, it was stronger than me, I just wanted to know him and all his secrets. Right then, with the rain falling around me, I realized I couldn't just stay close to Edward and try to be a not-noisy friend. I wanted more. And I also knew that I would never have it.

Thanks for reading. Thanks to review.