Hi all!

Another day, another chapter. How am I doing with lingo? I've been trying to research terms and the basics of both hockey and figure skating.

A guest reviewer asked how the grade levels were broken up in the last chapter. Elementary is k-5, Middle school 6-8, and high school 9-12. The Halloween dance was open to 5th and 9th graders hence why there were some 10 and 14 year olds. Bella and Edward's town is on the smaller side. Think 30 to 50 students in each grade. In order to have more people attend the party and hopefully have a more fun time, the Middle school let a bigger age range to come. I figured most kids under 10 would want to trick or treat and anyone over 14 would probably be doing something with their friends on their own.

Enjoy and I appreciate feedback. I do not have a beta so any mistakes are all mine.

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, ideas, plots, music, brands, etc. are owned by their respected owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 9

12 years old

Edward's homework was spread out in front of him on a table the rink was letting him borrow. He broke his right arm last week while sledding with his friends and cousin. It was not as fun of a time as he had hoped.

Edward Senior had never been so scared. He never wanted to see his son being carried by his cousin passed out from the pain, again. Luckily, the hill they were sledding down was just around the corner so Edward got to the emergency room rather quickly. Some pain meds and a quick x-ray showed a clean break just above Edward's elbow. The next eight weeks were some of the longest of Edward's life but he managed. Elizabeth and Edward Senior hoped that an incident like that never happened again.

The hockey season had just started which meant Edward missed most of it. That did not stop him from going to the rink every day after school to watch his teammates practice though. Elizabeth still worked the concession stand on weeknights so it was easy enough for them to head to the rink right after school let out for the day. They just grabbed a piece of pizza from concessions and called that dinner good most nights.

The first week was pretty hard for the Masen household. Edward was very angry. He just wanted to play. His doctor and parents were firm on keeping him off the ice. It was the worst. Edward tried to bargain with them but it was no use. They would not even let him just skate around. His parents finally settled on letting Edward hang out around the rink while Elizabeth work. He just had to get his homework done first thing before being able to wonder around the rink.

"Hey Edward."

Edward looked up to see Bella looking over her shoulder waving as she walked towards the women's locker room. Alice held the locker room door open and waved too. Edward quickly finished his homework. He lucked out with breaking his right arm considering he was left-handed. Edward put his homework away before grabbing a snack from the concession stand and found a spot in the stands to watch his team practice.

"Alright ladies. Three laps around the rink, then we will go over some combinations."

"Yes, Coach Cullen."

Once the girls got older, they stopped calling their coach Miss Esme. It was a pretty smooth transition other than remembering that she was not Esme Platt anymore. Esme and Carlisle got married the previous year. Edward and Emmett were ushers.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Angela asked Alice.

"My grandma isn't doing too good so we're driving down to her house."

"Oh, well I hope she is doing okay. My mom said I could have some friends come over for a sleepover Saturday night. What about you, Bella? Think you can come?"

"I'm sure it'll be okay. I'll text you after I ask my mom tonight."

Bella looked up and saw Edward sitting halfway up the bleachers munching on a candy bar. She remembered hearing about Edward breaking his arm. He came to school the following Monday with a dark green cast all the way up to his shoulder. Edward insisted on his cast matching his hockey team's colors. By the end of the day, Edward's cast was covered in black and silver ink. Bella signed her name underneath Edward's right pinky with a small heart inside the "B".

"Hey Edward. Do you want to record the times for the guys' speed test?" Coach Crowley asked.

"Yeah, I'll be right down."

Edward stomped down the stairs. A quick nod from his mom and he knew it was okay. Coach Crowley got Edward set up with a clipboard and the roster. It was a simple enough task but Edward was happy to be doing anything with his team. He settled inside the scorekeeper bench a pencil poised and ready.

"Angela, you need to push through the extension. Your line isn't strong enough."

Coach Cullen stood along the blue line as she watched her skaters. A small smile tugged at her lips. This was special and fun group to work with. It felt like a lifetime ago but Esme still remembered their first skating class eight years ago. Each of the girls had their strengths but they worked so well together. Skating as a team for so long really showed in how they interacted on the ice. It was common to let competition and jealousy get in the way but these girls never let any of that get in between their friendships.

"Perfect. Take a quick five. Get some water and maybe stretch a little bit. We'll work on the second combination to the first routine in the lineup when we get back."

"Hey, did you get understand anything from pre-algebra today?" Bella asked Alice after she took a long drink from her water bottle.

"No, I was going to ask you the same thing."

"I can help. I finished it already."

Bella looked over and saw Edward standing by the water fountain having just finishing taking a drink from it.

"Um, yeah. I'll text my mom and let her know I'm going to work on homework after practice. Alice?"

"I'll see what my dad says. I'm sure he will be cool with it. Thanks."

"Cool. My mom and I aren't leaving until 7 tonight. I'll be by the concession stand when you are done. Maybe my mom will give us some popcorn to snack on."

Edward stepped away turning back around to give a quick wave. Bella smiled back before plopping onto the group to stretch a bit. Edward hurried back to Coach Crowley to see if there was anything he could help with for the rest of practice.

Trying to remember how I acted around boys when I was 12 is tough. I was pretty shy so I didn't really hang out with boys unless it was a friend's sibling. Other then thinking someone was cute, they weren't really on my radar to date or go out with. That is where I think Bella and Edward are.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading!

~ Cat