Chapter 3

"This all seems so complicated," I muttered.

On the way to the lunchroom, I had pondered the upcoming hour. Lunch with Edward. Would this be the only time? Would he want to have lunch with me again after today? Would I want to have lunch with him again after today?

"Penny for your thoughts?" Edward's musical voice sounded from behind me a moment before his hand appeared holding a penny.

I reached out and took the penny, startling at the coldness of his hand. "No, but I'll take it anyway."

Edward chuckled, allowing me to remove the penny from his hand. "When you're ready, I'd be happy to listen."

"Thanks. I'm going to get my lunch."

I got into the lunch line, Edward behind me, nervous about sitting with him. Would we be sitting alone or with his family? I grabbed a lemonade and an apple to have for lunch, paying for it before Edward could.

"There's an empty table over there," Edward pointed out, and we headed over to it, sitting down. I ignored the looks I was getting from my usual table, which consisted of glares from Jessica and Lauren. Yes, I would definitely not be asking them for assistance or advice. It seemed like Angela was looking to be my best bet.

I twisted off the top of my lemonade, taking a sip as Edward took the cap and started twirling it around.

"So…" I said, taking a bite of my apple. We spent the entire lunch period chatting the same way we'd been passing notes in class. We'd touched on my move to Forks during class, but Edward wanted to know more about it and didn't hesitate in asking. We stayed away from the subject of his family, and I didn't bother pushing the matter. We were so engrossed in our conversation that neither of us heard the bell ring and I glanced up in shock to see his sister standing next to him.

"Remember what today is, Edward," she said, her voice just as musical.

"I remember, Alice," he answered, as I looked at Alice.

"Hi, I'm Alice," she introduced herself, holding out her hand to me.

"Bella," I replied, shaking her hand, noting it felt just as cold as Edward's hand did.

"Pleased to meet you. Remember, Edward." Alice smiled, waving at me as she danced away.

"She seems nice," I mused as Edward and I cleaned up what little mess we had on our table.

"She can be," Edward responded, emptying our lunch trays into the trash can.

I never asked Angela for her advice, deciding to figure out my feelings on my own. Edward started finding me before and after school to chat, in addition to our note passing during biology and our daily lunches. With each conversation our interactions got, not only longer, but, in a way, stronger. With each word, each little touch that I wanted to last longer, my feelings for Edward grew stronger.

I kept hoping that in some way Edward cared for me and would show me in some fashion, but with each passing day, I was disappointed. Our conversations continued, the accidental or small touches continued, but he gave me nothing else, nothing to indicate that he felt the same way about me.

"Bella!" Angela called out to me as I sat outside the school before classes.

"Morning, Angela," I answered, smiling at her.

"You seem to be deep in thought," she said, sitting down next to me.

"Kinda," I replied, watching Edward's Volvo drive into the parking lot. He got out, chatting with Alice, gesturing in my direction. They kept talking, making their way towards me.

"Morning, Bella," Edward greeted me, ignoring Angela, as Alice waved and headed off to her first class.

"Morning," I smiled up at him, taking the offered hand he held out.

"Let me take your backpack," he offered, picking up my backpack from the ground and hitching it over his shoulder with his own. Maybe he really did feel something for me? Didn't boyfriends carry their girlfriend's backpacks for them? But, we weren't dating. So, what did it all mean?

# 4

Days continued to pass in the same fashion. Angela gave up the silly notion that Edward was a stalker, and Jessica and Lauren assumed the cold shoulder position, however they still tried to get me to sit with them every day, and when I declined I'd be subjected to cold stares and constant whispering. None of that mattered to me, lunchtime was now mine and Edward's. We almost always sat alone, except for the odd time my friends decided to crash our table, and then there was Emmett who sat with us for a moment, chatting briefly with Edward about some hunting trip they were planning. He had been just as I thought he would, friendly-green-giant style and all. But aside from that one time, it was just the two of us.

We never talked about it, nor did we label anything; things between us just sort of slipped into place. One day, we are eating and chatting like friends, the next we are holding hands in the hallway on our way to class.

The following day, Edward gave me my first kiss. Just a small one, on my forehead, but after that one it was like he couldn't stop, and I loved every second of it.

…

Edward grinned, giving me a small kiss to the side of my mouth as we waited in line in the cafeteria.

He seemed to be finding it hard to keep his hands and mouth off of me, not that I was complaining.

"Can we sit with my family today?" he breathed in my ear, causing me to shudder slightly. I smiled, "Okay, if you're sure?"

"Mmm," he growled as we took a step forward toward the cashier. "I'm sure. Although, I'm not sure I want to share you, I do want you to officially meet my family."

I took a sharp breath, but nodded quickly.

"They can't wait to meet you."

I handed my money to the cashier and waited for the change, biting my lip to hide my nerves. Edward seemed at ease and that alone unnerved me.

He paid for his food while I waited for him.

"Follow me?" He grinned mischievously. "The lion's den awaits us."

"That makes me feel so much better." I frowned as I looked toward the table, only fleetingly looking at our usual one.

"It's breaking the ice," Edward chuckled.

"It's really not," I laughed.

"I made you laugh," Edward huffed playfully.

"I laughed out of spite."

"I see how you are." Edward grinned.

"Hi!" Alice beamed at me, before glaring at Edward with a playful smirk. "I don't think we've been properly introduced."

"Alice, this is Bella Swan."

"Hi," my voice was soft.

"Hi! We're going to be great friends, I just know it."

I didn't know what to say, so I just chuckled as the three other siblings joined the table.

"I may as well properly introduce you to these three as well, this is Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper." Edward gestured toward them before they sat down.

"Bonfire, anyone?" Mike crowed as he sat hard at the table, as obnoxious as ever.

"Bonfire?" Bella looked towards Edward to clarify."

"Down at the reservation they do bonfires," he explained quietly.

"They throw in driftwood and it makes all of these amazing colors," Angela beamed.

"Totally pretty." Jessica nodded.

"Where do they do these bonfires?" Bella vaguely remembered bonfires at the reservation, but It had always seemed like a pretty private thing for the Quileute to do.

"Rialto Beach, usually," Edward said with an indifferent shrug.

"First beach is better, but harder to get to. You have to hike. Rialto we just walk down from the parking lot and onto the beach."

"It's La Push Baby, La Push!" Eric shouted over the rest of the group as he sat down at the table, earning him a high-five from Mike.

The others rolled their eyes collectively as the rain started pounding the roof above them.

I just smiled, giving Edward a shy look. "Why does he say it like that?" she asked.

Edward smirked as he pulled my shield of brown hair away from my face. He didn't like it when I tried to hide from him, and this time wasn't any different.

"La Push is the area on the Quileute Reservation and sometimes," Edward whispered, "it's just easier to say La Push, rather than all the names of the beaches and the like. So people know where to go and surf or whatnot."

"Surf?"

"If they can call it that!" Jessica snorted. "They can kind of surf if they have enough poor weather to surf the tide. Other times they hang out with small parties or large bonfires."

"Ah," Bella grinned. "Sounds fun."

"One time," Angela huffed, "Eric chased me with a dead snake at the end of a stick. It was so gross."

"It was also just a piece of rope, not a snake." Eric added with irritation.

"Doesn't matter." Angela glared back.

"Ang is right, it matters." Jessica bopped Eric on the head with her hand and laughed.

"But that's not why everyone goes," Lauren added with a devious smile. "We girls go for the show."

Jessica squealed her agreement. "Yes… the show."

"The show?"

"Seeing the guys in their wetsuits," Angela giggled and then blushed. "Not much left to the imagination in those tight little suits." As the daughter of the town's preacher one would think her a prude; she was anything but. "Can you say speedo stuffing?"

"I know right? There's just no way." Jessica snorted.

Mike glared at Angela and Jessica as they laughed together.

"It's going to be a one hella party, for sho!" Eric fist pumped the air as the girls rolled their eyes.

"It's going to be something. I can hardly wait."

"What about the Halloween dance?" Jessica asked very seriously. She even slapped the table with her hands, startling everyone.

"Oh- that is going to be soooo epic." Angela beamed before musing aloud, "I wonder what we'll go as this year?"

"What dance?" Bella asked no one in particular.

Jessica leaned, in drawing almost everyone in, "Every year on All Hollow's Eve. we have a Halloween dance."

"The best part is that we all dress up in costumes," Angela added happily.

"Yep. But, ugh, it's like- such a pain to plan and have original ideas."

"Totally," Angela added.

"Maybe I could help." Bella smiled softly. "I mean, I don't know what I could really offer, but I am willing to try."

"Really?" Angela asked excitedly. "I mean, if you could, that would be great. We are always in need of new eyes and ideas."

Jessica's smile didn't reach her eyes, but she recovered swiftly, "That would be so awesome."