Disclaimer: * looks around her crappy apartment * Nope. Don't own Twilight.

A/N: How do you feel about a date with Edward? How about two dates with Edward? I'm all for that, and so is Bella. Let the romance commence. Oh yeah, there might be a bit of shopping. Can't forget that. Alice would bitch-slap me if I did.

Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me

Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map

~Kiss Me~ Sixpence None the Richer

Surviving High School

I still had no idea where we were going for dinner, but Edward assured me that I'd like it. He pulled into the parking lot of Cafe Garden, parked the car, and came around to open my door for me. I'd never been to Cafe Garden before, but it looked cute and slightly pricey. Edward held my hand as we entered the restaurant and asked for a table for two. We were shown to a quiet table in the corner and handed our menus. After asking for an iced-tea, while Edward ordered water, I looked over the menu. Ouch. I was right about it being a bit pricey. Only one thing on the menu was under ten bucks, and that was a burger. There was no way I was going to eat a messy burger in this dress. I'd probably spill on it, and then Alice would kill me. I had no idea what to order, so I asked Edward what he was getting.

"Hmmm...probably a steak. What about you?"

I gave the menu another look and still had no idea. I needed to find something that I would be able to eat using my left hand. "No idea. Something that doesn't require me to use a knife," I told him.

"How do you feel about seafood?"

"I love it."

"Then you should try the seafood pot pie. It's delicious, you don't need a knife to cut it, and it comes with a salad on the side."

"Sounds good," I told him, hoping like hell that I could eat it without spilling on myself.

After the waiter came back and we had placed our orders, Edward began a round of twenty questions. He said he wanted to get to know me better, and I wanted to know more about him as well.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked me, before taking a sip of his water.

"It changes all the time, but I would say that it's green," I said while staring into his memorizing green eyes, and then I blushed. "What about you?"

"Brown," he replied. I wrinkled my nose at his answer.

"Brown? Brown is so boring."

"No it isn't. Brown is warm. Brown is the color of your hair. The color of your eyes, and I really love your eyes," he said, reaching over and sweeping my hair away from my face. I was sure I was red, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. This boy was too sweet.

"Um...what's your favorite animal?" I asked, trying to divert the attention away from me.

"Mountain lions. What's your favorite gemstone?"

"Emerald," I blurted out before thinking and blushed yet again.

"Why the blush?" he asked, chin resting on his hand.

"Uh...normally topaz is my favorite, but well...uh...your eyes are the color of emeralds," I finally said, embarrassed at my admission.

He reached out and grabbed my left hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Our waiter arrived with our food, and Edward was right. The seafood pot pie was delicious and I managed to eat it without too much trouble. By the time dinner was over, I'd learned that Edward played the piano, loved Debussy as much as he loved Queen, and had a collection of movies staring James Dean. After paying the bill, Edward led us back to the Volvo. He checked his watch and asked if I would like to go for a walk. I told him that I'd love to, so we drove down to the city pier, where we parked and got out. It was a bit chilly out and I was glad that the dress I wore had long sleeves. Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, we started our walk down to the beach. We passed by the Feiro Marine Life Center, and I got up the nerve to ask Edward if he wanted to visit it with me this weekend.

"I'd love that. When did you want to go?" he asked, pulling me in closer as we approached the beach and stepped onto the sand.

"Would Saturday be okay? I was thinking I could make a picnic and we could eat lunch on the beach, then head to the marine center."

"I think that sounds great," he said, tugging my hand and pulling me down onto the sand with him. He sat down, and motioned for me to sit between his legs, wrapping his arms around my waist. It was sheer bliss. We watched the waves in silence, just taking in the beauty of the harbor, content just being with each other. The wind had a chilly bite to it, but that just allowed me to sink further into Edward's warm embrace. His chin was resting on my head, and every so often, I'd feel him press a kiss into my hair.

"Hey, Bella?"

"Hmmm?"

"We should probably be heading back. I told the Chief I'd have you back before it got too late, since it's a school night and all."

Reluctantly, I untangled myself from him and got up; holding out a hand to him. He grabbed my hand, and we slowly walked back toward his car, not wanting the night to end. We spent the drive home talking quietly, and I told him that I'd had a wonderful time.

"I'm glad. I can't wait for our date on Saturday, and then the dance next weekend."

"I'm excited too. Guess, I'll have to let Alice taking me shopping to get a dress for the dance."

"Weren't you supposed to go shopping with her last weekend?"

"Yep, but apparently she got so caught up in club dancing and being with Jasper, that she forgot. And I sure wasn't about to remind her."

He let out a laugh. "Nice. You know she'll make up for it, when you go dress shopping."

"I know," I said on a sigh.

All too soon for my liking, we pulled into my drive. He turned the car off, got out and came over to open my door. Part of me wanted to tell Edward that I was capable of opening my own door, but there was part of me that reveled in the sweetness of it. It was such an old-fashioned gesture; one that I'm sure Mrs. Cullen had instilled in him. He held my hand as he walked with me to the door, then tugged me to stop.

"I guess this is goodbye for now."

"Unless you plan on sneaking in my window and watching me sleep," I joked.

He flashed me a grin. "Well, the idea has merit, but I'm afraid the Chief wouldn't like that much."

I could only imagine Charlie's reaction if he found Edward sneaking into my room. "Guess you'd have to be quiet and not get caught."

"Would you like that? Me sneaking into your room in the middle of the night?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist, tugging me closer to him.

"Hmmm...," was my response, as his lips pressed onto mine. It was a quick kiss, and I pouted as he pulled his lips away.

"I'm sure your dad is standing right inside the door. The last thing I want to do is give him a reason to shoot me."

I hated that he was right. Charlie was probably standing behind the door, waiting for it to open. I pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth, said goodnight, then headed inside. Surprisingly, Charlie wasn't standing behind the door. But he was sitting on the couch, his eyes shooting daggers towards it. Sue was sitting next to him, watching the TV. I shut the door and made my way over to the recliner.

"How was your date, Bella?" Sue asked me, once I sat down.

I couldn't contain the giant smile that came over my face. "I had a great time. Edward's such a gentleman."

Sue turned the TV off and gave me her undivided attention. "Tell me all about it."

It surprised me, how much I wanted to tell her. If Renee had a maternal bone in her body, it would be her I was telling, but I had Sue and was happy with that. It was nice to have a motherly figure that I could talk to, especially regarding certain topics that would be too embarrassing for Charlie and I to discuss. Charlie, was sitting there, looking disgruntled, and I could tell he really didn't want to hear about my date.

"He took me to the Cafe Garden in Port Angeles. It's such a nice place, kind of expensive though. I had no idea what to order, and with my right hand being out of a commission, well...I didn't want to make a fool of myself. I ended up ordering this seafood pot pie and it was awesome!"

"Oh, I love Cafe Garden. Harry took me there for one our anniversaries. Such a lovely place. What did you guys do after dinner?"

"He drove us down to the city pier and we went down to the beach. We just sat and talked a bit, then came home."

"Oh, I'm so glad that you had a good time!" Sue told me, getting up and giving me a hug. Charlie had yet to say a word, and that made me a bit nervous. I looked at Sue and she leaned down and whispered in my ear not to worry about him. I bid them goodnight and headed upstairs to get ready for bed. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand and saw that it was a little after nine-thirty. After turning the computer on, I waited impatiently for it to load up. Once I was online, I logged into my Facebook. The first thing I noticed was Edward's status. Edward Cullenhad a great night! Aw. I updated my status as well. Bella Swan had a fantastic time! I loaded up some games and easily killed the next thirty minutes.

I was about to log off when I saw that I had notifications. I clicked on it and saw that I had several comments under my status. Angela, Alice, and Rose were all requesting details about my fantastic time. Emmett had decided to elaborate on my fantastic time. He wrote ogling my ass. I giggled when I read it, then commented that I did not have a fantastic time ogling his ass. I'd seen it and he needed to do some butt clenches to tighten it up. I was sure I was going to pay for that little comment tomorrow. Then I noticed that Jessica had commented on my status. I had never removed her as my friend, and apparently, she hadn't removed me either. I was almost afraid to read what she had written, but figured what the hell. Jessica had written doing what? Being a boyfriend stealing bitch. I rolled my eyes. Whatever. I deleted her comment, then removed her from my friends' list. I was not going to let her possessed ass ruin my wonderful evening. I logged off and climbed into my bed, thinking about how well my first date had gone.

The rest of the week flew by. The news of my date with Edward had spread through the halls of Forks High like wildfire. I wasn't sure how people knew, but it was a small town. I had been asked by several girls if he was my boyfriend, and I ignored their question. I wasn't sure what answer to give. We'd been on one date, and yes, we had another one planned, but that didn't make us a couple. On Friday, I pulled Alice aside after school and asked for help getting ready for my date with Edward. She was more than ecstatic to come over and help me out.

"Where are you guys going tomorrow?" she asked me, digging through my closet once again.

"Oh, I asked him if he wanted to go the marine center with me in Port Angeles."

"Aw. That's so sweet that you asked him. What are you doing Sunday?"

"Nothing that I know of. Homework maybe. Why?"

"Don't think I've forgotten about us going shopping. We'll hit up one of the malls in Seattle, so we'll have to leave here early to get a full day of shopping in. Do you mind if Mom and Rose come with us?"

"Sure. So how early are we talking?"

"We'll come get you around nine, that way we can get to Seattle a little after 11, when the mall opens."

Ugh. I really didn't want to go shopping, but I did need to get a dress for homecoming. Once Alice found an outfit for me that she deemed suitable, she headed home. I was goofing around on Facebook, when I heard Charlie come home.

"Hey, Bells!"

"Hey, Dad," I yelled back, then headed downstairs to talk to him.

I found him in his recliner, feet propped up, drinking a beer. "So, what are your plans for this weekend?"

I sat on the couch and looked at him. "Well...uh...Edward and I are going to the marine center in Port Angeles tomorrow afternoon, and then I'm going shopping with Alice and Mrs. Cullen on Sunday."

Charlie ran a hand through his hair and set his beer down. "Bella, we need to have a talk."

Crap. This could not be good. I made myself meet his gaze head on. "What did you want to talk about?"

"How serious are you and that Edison boy?"

"Dad!"

"Fine. Edward. Now answer the question."

"We just started dating. We're not that serious."

"Is he your boyfriend?" he questioned me.

"Sort of, I guess," I answered.

Charlie nodded his head. I noticed that his cheeks were slightly pink, and then I knew what was coming. "I knew this day would come," he muttered under his breath. Then he took a deep breath and stared at a spot on the wall. "I really wish you'd wait till you're older to date, but I realize that I can't stop you. I know what it's like to be a teenager, ruled by your hormones," he began.

Oh, God. Kill me now. Charlie was going to give me the sex talk.

"Dad, it's fine. Uh...Renee had this talk with me before she left," I rambled out, in an attempt to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

He ran his hands over his face. "I can only imagine how well that went. God, I wish Sue were here to talk to you. Look, just be careful if you decide to..uh...do anything. Although, Renee and I thought we were being safe and we got you, so...uh...it doesn't always work. Just don't do it!"

I couldn't help but let out a snicker. As embarrassing as this was, it was also funny as hell. Charlie's sex lecture consisted of "just don't do it."

"This isn't funny, Bella. I'm trying to be serious here."

"Dad. I know. I've had sex-ed, I've read books, I know. If we get to that point, we'll be safe. I promise," I told him, face bright red and looking anywhere but at him.

"Okay. Well...glad that's over," he told me, then turned his attention back to the TV.

I escaped from the room as quickly as possible, and made my way upstairs. I sprawled out on my bed, book in hand, when my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bella." Edward. I let out a sigh as I heard his voice. "How's the wrist doing?"

"Eh. It's fine. Starting to itch a bit, but no biggie. So, what's up?"

"Nothing. Just missed hearing your voice."

I rolled onto my back and let out another sigh. He was too sweet. "I enjoy hearing your voice as well."

"So I hear you're going shopping Sunday?"

"Yep. The way I see it, it can't be any more torture than the conversation I just had with Charlie," and of course I wished I'd kept my mouth shut, the minute I said that.

"Why?"

"Oh, uh...nothing. So are you excited about our date tomorrow?" I asked, trying to distract him.

"Uh uh, Bella. Tell me about this conversation with the Chief."

Even though he couldn't see me, my face was bright red and I turned to bury it in the pillow on my bed. "Hegavemeasextalk," I mumbled out.

"He what?"

"Don't make me say it again! It was bad enough saying it the first time. It's not something I want to repeat. Ever."

I heard laughter coming from his end of the phone. Despite the fact that he was being a jerk, I couldn't help but grin at the sound of his laughter.

"Oh man. I can't even begin to imagine what he had to say," he said between bouts of laughter.

I let out a sigh. "It basically came down to, just don't do it." And that set Edward off again. We spent the next hour talking to each other, before I heard him yawning. I told him goodnight and that I'd be by to pick him up around noon tomorrow.

Saturday morning, I awoke before nine. I was excited about my second date with Edward, and was pleased to see that it wasn't raining. I headed downstairs and checked the weather on the TV, and saw that it was going to be in the mid-fifties and cloudy. It was no sunshine, but I'd take what I could get. I headed into the kitchen and gathered the ingredients I would need for today's picnic. Since I pretty much only had the use of one arm, I went with something simple. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I hoped he wouldn't mind. There was something comforting and childlike about eating PB&J on a picnic. I grabbed a bag of chips and some soda as well, and put them into the picnic hamper that I'd gotten out of the closet. Once that was done, I put the hamper in the fridge and headed upstairs to get ready. Seeing as how I'd broken bones before, I was an expert at wrapping my cast up using a trash bag, and got into the shower. After showering, I got dressed in my Alice-approved outfit, and sat around wishing for time to go faster. At eleven-thirty, I grabbed the picnic basket, an old blanket, and got into Chuck.

I arrived at the Cullen house a little before noon. I climbed out of the truck and headed up to the door. Before I could knock, the door was flung open by Mrs. Cullen.

"Bella! It's so wonderful to see you. Come in, come in," she said, giving me a warm hug as entered the house. I hugged her back and took off my jacket as I followed her into the living room.

"So what are your plans today, dear?"

"I'm taking Edward to Port Angeles for a picnic and then the marine center."

She let out an Alice-like squeal and clapped her hands. "Oh, I'm so happy that you two are dating. You're so much better for him than that nasty Victoria girl was." A big smile took over my face upon hearing that.

"Thanks, Mrs. Cullen."

"Bella dear. You're over here often enough, you're one of Alice's best friends, and you're my boy's girlfriend. I think it's time you called me Esme."

I was stuck on the whole, me being Edward's girlfriend, that I almost didn't realize that she'd given me permission to call her by her first name. "If you're sure," I said, not wanting to disrespect my elder.

"Of course I am."

"Thanks, Esme." It sounded weird the first time I said it, but it made me feel at home. I was sitting on the couch, telling Esme about my first date with Edward, when he came into the room. He had on a green shirt that brought out his eyes, a worn leather jacket, along with some jeans that did wonderful things for his thighs. Man, he was hot!

"Oh, Edward Sweetie. Bella was just telling me about your date last week. It sounds like you two had a wonderful time! I'm sure today's date will be just as nice," she told me, getting up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then I heard her tell him in a low voice, how glad she was that he'd found such a nice girlfriend. There was that word again. It made me blush to think that his mom thought I was his girlfriend.

Edward gave his mom a quick hug and asked if I was ready to go. I got up and we made our way out to Chuck. I could tell that Edward was leery of riding in it to Port Angeles, but I wasn't worried. Chuck was reliable, and I was quick to assure Edward that we would be fine. My face was still sporting a healthy blush, which Edward noticed.

"What's brought on the blush, pretty girl?"

Could I tell him? "It's...uh...well..." Crap. I should just spit it out. "Your mom called me your girlfriend," I eventually blurted out.

"Is that a problem?"

"Um...no. But am I?"

"Are you what?"

I shot him a glare, causing him to laugh at me. "Would you like to be?"

I rolled my eyes. Such a dumb question. "Yes."

"Bella Swan. Would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

I snorted at his formality. "Why Edward Cullen, I would love to be your girlfriend."

"Excellent!" he exclaimed, a huge grin across his face. The rest of the drive was spent giving each other looks with the same stupid grins on our faces. We really were dorks. I pulled into the city pier parking lot, where we'd parked at yesterday, and got out the blanket and basket. I gave Edward the blanket to hold, and I took the basket and we headed toward the beach. Edward spread out the blanket near the spot we'd be at before, and I sat down and unloaded the hamper.

"Hope PB&J are okay."

"Heck yes! I love PB&J! Haven't had one of those in forever."

We dug into our lunch, watching some seagulls walking around, and then we gathered up our stuff to drop off at the truck. Hand and hand, we headed to the marine center. I figured since Edward seemed to like biology a lot, that he'd probably like this place. And then a thought occurred to me. What if he'd been here before? This would be a really lame date, if he had.

"Have you ever been here before?"

"Nope. Dad and I keep meaning to visit, but we never have. This'll be nice." And it was. We spent the better part of an hour learning about tidal pools, and marine life in general. Edward kept asking the volunteers and staff all kinds of questions, and seemed to be having a great time. When we were done, Edward thanked me profusely for taking him.

"That was awesome! I love learning about stuff like that," he told me, as we walked back to Chuck. I was thrilled that he'd had a good time and that our second date had gone off without a hitch. Once we reached Chuck, he leaned against the passenger side, wrapping me up in a warm embrace. I put my arms around his neck and let my fingers glide into his hair. He bent his head, and his lips brushed gently against mine. It was a gentle kiss, filled with electricity, and heat raced through my body. He was one hell of a kisser. He literally left me weak in the knees. After a few minutes of PDA, we parted, and he let go of me. I hadn't been kidding when I said my knees were weak, because the minute he let go of me, I started to fall. He caught me and gave me a cocky smirk. Arrogant bastard. He planted one last kiss on me, nipping at my bottom lip, then walked me to the driver's side of the truck. It had been a great day, and I was giddy beyond belief. I didn't want it to end. We drove to his house and since neither of us was ready for the day to end so he invited me inside. I was immediately assaulted by a bouncing Alice, when we walked in the door.

"Yay! You're back! How was your date? How were both of your dates? Did you have fun? Have you kissed? Have you..."

"Alice! Take a breath!" Esme called from the kitchen. Edward and I let out a laugh at the pout on her face, as we closed the door behind us.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow," I promised, which seemed to appease her. Edward gave me a look and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"You do realize that you're going to be stuck with her all day tomorrow, and that she's going to want every minute detail."

He was right. She would want every little detail. I let out a small sigh at the thought. A warm hand rubbed circles on my back and a smile came over my face. I loved his touch. Alice let out a sigh as well, as she observed our behavior.

"So what are you guys gonna do now?" she asked us, as I took off my coat.

We looked at each other and shrugged. We hadn't decided what to do once we got here. Edward suggested watching a movie, to which I readily agreed. Alice kind of stood of the side, not wanting to intrude, and I didn't want her to be left out. I asked her if she wanted to join us and her face lit up. Down in the den, I curled up on one of the couches with Edward, while Alice curled up on the other. I snuggled into Edward, letting myself get lost in the feeling of him pressed against me. I really wanted to kiss him, but didn't want to make Alice uncomfortable, so I kept my lips to myself. Edward, however, spent the movie pressing small kisses against my neck and shoulder, making my body tingle. I was positive it didn't go unnoticed by Alice, but she didn't say anything. I had a feeling I'd be hearing all about it tomorrow. I must have dozed off at some point, because I was woken by small kisses being placed on my cheek and forehead. Sleepily, I opened my eyes, and saw Edward leaning over me.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. I hate to wake you, but it's a little after seven. I don't know what time you're dad is expecting you, but figured I should wake you up," he said, softly. I let out a yawn as I stretched my arms over my head. In doing so, my shirt rode up a bit and I saw Edward's eyes drawn toward my stomach. Quickly, I yanked my shirt back down, and I felt a blush cover my cheeks. Edward gave me a sexy smirk, then held out a hand to help me up.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived home. I let out a groan, when I saw Charlie sitting in his recliner, through the window. I'd been hoping that he was as Sue's so I could avoid what was sure to be, another awkward conversation. I decided to give my ninja skills a shot, and see if I could sneak my way in and upstairs. So didn't happen. Charlie looked up the minute I closed the door.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Hey, Dad."

"How was the date?" he asked, choking on the word date.

I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. "It was great!"

"So the two of you went to Port Angeles?"

Realizing I wasn't going to be able to leave until I answered all his questions, I made myself comfortable on the couch. I told him how we had a picnic, went and saw some marine life, and then went back to the Cullen house. He looked up sharply from the TV when I mentioned that.

"Were his parents there?"

"Yes, Dad! God. We're not going to do anything if we're left alone in his house."

"Don't get snotty with me, Bella. I know how teenage boys think. Maybe I should have a talk with him."

God, no. Anything but that. "Dad! There's no need. He's a perfect gentlemen. I'm pretty sure his parents have had a similar talk with him."

That seemed to appease Charlie for the moment, and I was free to escape upstairs to the sanctuary of my bedroom. Despite my nap at the Cullen's, I was still tired. Perhaps it was all that fresh air I'd gotten. I laid down to read, and woke up to a huge clap of thunder, twelve hours later. There was nothing I loved more than a good thunderstorm. I was content to just lay in my bed and enjoy it. Then I remembered that I was going shopping with Alice, Rose, and Esme today. Esme. Still seemed weird to call her by her first name. I couldn't imagine Charlie allowing Edward to call him by his first name.

I had just finished dressing and was headed downstairs, when my phone rang. It was Alice calling to let me know they were on their way over. Charlie was in the kitchen drinking coffee, and I reminded him that I was going shopping in Seattle.

"I thought you didn't like to shop."

"I don't. But we didn't go last week, so we're making up for it this week. Besides, I have to get a dress for homecoming."

"Can't you wear the same dress you wore to that other dance?"

"Right, Dad. Like Alice would let me get away with that. She's a fashion demon. I've learned that it's just easier to give in. She's gonna get her way no matter what."

Fifteen minutes later, I was in the backseat of a Mercedes Benz. Apparently, the car belonged to Dr. Hot, but Esme was borrowing it for our shopping excursion. We hopped on the 101, and were soon on our way to Seattle. And of course, the interrogation began.

"So, Bella," Alice began, turning to look at me from the front seat. "I believe you owe me some answers."

"I did promise. What do you want to know?" I asked, which caused Rose to let out a groan beside me. I shot her a look and she responded, with as well, letting me know that I was in for it. Apparently, Alice was very tenacious.

"Everything! How was your first date with Edward? How was the second one? I need details!" she shouted, causing us all to laugh.

"Calm down and I'll tell you. He took me to Cafe Garden in Port Angeles and after dinner we went and sat on the beach, just talking."

Silence met me after I was done. "What?"

Alice gave me a look of disbelief. "That's it! That's all your gonna give me! I need more!"

What more could she possibly need? "Um...well...what more do you want to know?"

"Was it romantic?" Rose asked me.

"Of course. It helps that Edward is a complete gentleman. You really did well with him, Esme. He holds doors open, opens my car door, pulls out my chair. Very sweet."

Esme gave me a smile in the rear view mirror. "I'm glad to know that he's treating you right. I'd have to hurt him otherwise," she said with a laugh. "Did you enjoy Cafe Garden?"

"I did. I'd never been there before and Edward recommended the seafood pot pie and it was delicious."

"So you went for a walk after that?" Alice asked me a bit impatiently.

"Yep. We went to the city pier, then down to the beach."

"And?"

"And we talked."

Alice gave me a pout. "At least tell me if he kissed you!"

"Alice!"

"What? I want to know!" she whined.

I wasn't real comfortable talking about our kisses with Esme in the car, and I think she knew it.

"Just pretend I'm not here, Bella."

Ha! Easier said than done. I finally caved in and told Alice and Rose that Edward had kissed me last Sunday for the first time, which got me dual looks of shock and exclamations. Alice wanted a play by play of the kiss. Doing my best to forget that Esme was in the car, I told them all about my first kiss with Edward. Hell, my first kiss ever. They all let out sighs as I told them about it; even Esme.

"Where did you go for your second date?" Rose asked.

"I asked him after our first date, if he wanted to go to the marine life center. I made us a picnic that we ate on the beach, then went to the center. It was a great time and Edward was so excited," I said with a laugh.

"Are you two officially a couple?" Alice wanted to know.

I blushed as I told her that he had asked me to be his girlfriend yesterday. That set off a round of squeals in the car. The next few hours were spent with the girls each telling me how they hooked up with their men. Esme and Dr. Hot had such an interesting, yet romantic story.

"When I was nineteen, some girlfriends and I had gone out to a party. Well, after a few drinks we decided to go for a walk along these cliffs, similar to the ones in La Push. Not the best of ideas. I was having a hard time walking straight and managed to walk right off the cliff," she began.

I let out a gasp upon hearing that. "Exactly. I landed on some rocks below, resulting in many broken bones. It's a miracle I didn't die. My friends were still on top of the cliff and had started screaming as they saw me fall. Well, we didn't have cell phones back then, so one of them ran to the closest house to call 911. I don't remember much of what happened after I fell off the cliff. I'd hit my head pretty hard and was unconscious for quite some time. To make a long story short, I woke up in the hospital several days later and Carlisle's face was the first one I saw. I thought he was an angel. He was working as a paramedic at the time, to pay for college and he was one of the first responders at the scene. He had stopped by to see how I was doing. We talked for hours and I fell in love with him almost immediately. He came back to visit me almost everyday. Once I got out of the hospital, we were inseparable and we've been together ever since."

Wow. I had no words. I mean, that was one hell of a love story. "I'm so glad that something good and romantic came out of something so awful," I told her.

A little over three hours after we began our journey, we arrived at Pacific Place. It looked like a very swanky mall and I was a bit worried. I had the money that Charlie had given me from last week, as well as some savings, but I couldn't afford to go crazy. I mainly needed a fancy dress, some jeans, and shirts. After we parked, we headed toward the mall entrance and my phone let out a buzz.

Hey gorgeous. U there yet?

Yep. Just pulled up. Ive changed my mind. Come save me plz!

Lol. Sorry babe. Ure on ure own

thats just mean

"Bella! Are you even listening to me?" Alice asked, grabbing my arm and tugging me toward the mall entrance.

"No." No point in lying to her.

"Put the phone away. You can text Edward later. We've got shopping to do. Now I was telling Mom and Rose, that we should hit up J. Crew, Express, and True Religion Jeans first. To get you some regular, yet fashionable clothes. For our dresses, I figured we could go to Macys."

"Sure," I said, not really caring.

Three hours later, I was ready to cry. I really, really hated shopping. My feet were tired, my brain was tired, and we hadn't even gone dress shopping yet. Sure, I was now the proud owner of several pairs of form fitting jeans, and form fitting tops, four skirts, three pairs of new shoes, and some cute cardigans and sweaters for the winter months, but I was done. I didn't want to shop anymore. It was a little after one and I was starving, so Esme suggested we get something to eat. I figured we'd just head to the food court, but no. Why would we do that when there were real restaurants for us to choose from? We ended up at this place called the pnk Restaurant & Ultra Lounge. It seemed very upscale and hip. In other words, it wasn't my kind of place, but the food was good and the atmosphere nice.

With lunch done, we headed off to Macy's to look at dresses. Alice was a dress snatching, whirlwind demon, throwing dresses at me left and right. I headed into the dressing room carrying a stack of six different dresses, all in blue. I tried one after the other on, but didn't care for any of them. Some were way too short, others too long. Some were made for girls with cleavage, of which I was sadly lacking. I was sitting in the dressing room, texting Edward, when Alice came back with one more selection. It was a black and fuchsia colored dress, with black spaghetti straps, and a corset style lace-up in the back. I would never have picked this out to wear, but it was cute. There was no plunging neck line, and the skirt ended right above knee level. I tried it on and was amazed, not only at how good it looked, but how I felt in it. I didn't even want to check the price tag, but I did, and was happy to find that it was on sale. Once we all had our dresses, shoes, and jewelery picked out, I shamelessly begged them to let me hit up the Barnes & Noble. I walked out with six new books and was relieved to find that it was time to go home.

The car ride home was spent texting Edward and thinking about next weekend. It would be my first homecoming dance. Hell, it would be my first dance with a date. With my boyfriend. I, Bella Swan, had a boyfriend. And his name was Edward Cullen. I wanted to pinch myself, because it all seemed to good too be true. It was close to seven by the time we got back to Forks and I was dropped off. I struggled to get all my bags out of the car, thanked Esme for driving, and told the girls I'd see them tomorrow.

"Hey, Dad. Hey, Sue," I said as I walked into the house, bags in tow.

"Holy hell, Bells. Did you buy out the mall?"

"Feels like it. Alice kept handing me clothes. I shouldn't have to go shopping again for the next five years, provided I don't gain too much weight," I told him with a weary grin, I dropped the bags on the floor and plopped down on the couch, exhausted from my trip.

Sue wanted to know all the details of my second date, so Charlie excused himself, and we could hear him banging around the kitchen. Sue gave me a smile and a patted my arm. "It'll be fine. It's hard for him to see his little girl growing up."

I nodded and then proceeded, not only to tell her about date number two, but about Charlie's awkward and fumbled sex talk. Sue let out a giggle. "Poor Charlie. That must have been horrible for him."

Charlie heard us giggling and came in the room to investigate. He demanded to know what we were giggling about and Sue told him. Poor Charlie. His whole face turned bright red and he hurriedly left the room.

"Bella, if you ever have any questions, you can always come talk to me," she assured me.

I appreciated the gesture and told her so. We talked for a little longer, then I let out a yawn. It had been a long day. I told Sue goodnight, then I hunted down Charlie and told him I was heading for bed. He told me that he was spending the night at Sue's. A little while later, I was in my pj's, curled up in bed talking to Edward.

"Hey, sweet girl."

"Hi, Edward."

"Did you manage to survive the shopping trip?"

"Barely. Remind me to never go shopping with your sister ever again. I can't do it! It was one shop after another. Clothes were being thrown at me. I was forced to try on hundreds of pairs of jeans and skirts and dresses," I whined.

I heard him let out a chuckle from his end. "I'm so sorry. Did you have any fun at all?"

"I did, but don't tell Alice. I convinced her to let me go to the bookstore before we left. I could've stayed in there all day, but she wouldn't let me."

We talked for over an hour, until I couldn't contain the yawning anymore.

"Alright, sweet girl. I'm gonna let you go."

"Okay. Night, Edward."

"Night, Bella. Oh wait. Real quick. Could I pick you up for school tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'd love that."

"Great! I'll see you in the morning."

We hung up and I laid there thinking about the fact that I was going to be driven to school by my boyfriend, and that if anyone asked me about us, I could, indeed, tell them that we were a couple. I drifted off to sleep, giddy with the fact that I had a boyfriend. A gorgeous, sexy, extremely hot, boyfriend.

I was wrapped in Edward's arms as we swayed to the music that was playing. So far, homecoming had been a great success. I got to hang out with my wonderful friends, drink crappy punch, and dance with the most amazing guy on the planet. What could possibly go wrong? The minute I thought it, I wished I could take it back. Tightening my grip on Edward, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Something wasn't right, only I couldn't figure out what it was.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Edward asked, leaning down to whisper in my ear.

"Something isn't right," I told him.

He spun us in a circle and I realized, with a startle, that the gym had changed. Gone were the decorations on the walls. The disco ball was no longer spinning and the wooden floor had turned to stone. What the hell was going on?

"Edward!" I whispered urgently in his ear.

"Be still!" he barked at me.

I noticed that the room had begun to darken, and I was hit with the pungent smell of mold and wet stone. "Edward!" I hissed at him. He pulled back from me and his hands grabbed my upper arms.

"I told you to be still!" he snarled.

I struggled to get out of his grasp, but his hands gripped me tighter and I could feel the bruises beginning to form. Tears sprang into my eyes as terror came over me. Something was definitely wrong. I looked up at Edward and noticed that his eyes had a dead look to them, and his features were cold. I managed to get one arm free and reached up to slap him. Before I could hit him, a strong hand grabbed mine.

"Don't," came the voice of Emmett, from behind me. Oh thank God! I turned to Emmett and was startled by his appearance. Like Edward, his eyes had a blank stare to them, and the huge grin that normally was etched on his face, was gone. The panic began to set in and I knew that I had to get out of there. I had no idea where I was or what was going on, but it was abundantly clear, that something was wrong. As I frantically searched for a way out, I saw a man start to cross the room, heading toward us. I watched in horror as I saw Carlisle come into view. His skin was pale white, almost see through, and his eyes were black as midnight. He came up to me and stroked a finger across my cheek. I couldn't contain the shudder that swept through my body.

"She'll do," he told them.

I'll do? I'll do for what? What the fuck was happening? I struggled to get away, but didn't stand a chance against the two men holding me captive. They dragged me toward a stone table that I hadn't noticed, in the middle of the room. There were candles lit all around it, and symbols drawn in chalk on the floor. Good God! This was like an episode of Buffy. Except I wasn't a blond with kick-ass vampire killing skills. Or a crossbow. I was lain upon the cool stone, and my hands and feet were quickly shackled. I heard a noise coming from the foot of the table and looked toward it, as best as I could. I felt a scream erupt from my throat. I didn't know what I was looking at, but it instilled fear in me. Standing on two legs, with the face of a wolf and the body of a man, was a hideous creature. I could see what looked like blood dripping off the sharp nails, and his teeth gleamed in the candlelight as he opened his mouth and let out a loud howl. Slowly, it started toward me. I could feel its sharp claws tearing at my dress, its fangs nipping at my skin. That's when I knew. I was being sacrificed to the beast. I closed my eyes, and waited for death, praying that this was only a dream.

A/N: So, I've been an epic fail at keeping up with my blog. No big surprise there. I did create a Facebook page for this story...you can find it here: .com/pages/Tardis19/216252305061807 if you'd like. Or just type in Tardis19 under the search. Seeing as how Facebook is my life, I'm always on there. Anyway, you all know the drill. Leave me some love!