Chapter 1

I sat furiously at the edge of the stool. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get this song right.

Beethoven had always come easy to me, but lately I just haven't felt any motivation for playing the piano anymore, which was a problem because the matter of getting my very own piano was dependent on my mastering of Beethoven's Minuet In G Major.

My mother had taught me how to play; in fact the earliest of my memories of her was her fingers gliding elegantly along the keys of the piano while I sat in her lap mystified. She told me she would teach me when I turned twelve. I was thirteen now, and was learning very quickly, but I was also impatient. I wanted my own piano. Not my mother's, one that was all mine. I had been eying the piano in Mr. Emerson's music shop for months now, and every so often I would go inside after school to make sure it was still there. Of course, I hadn't made it all that way just to look at it, so I sat down and practiced the piece I was presently learning.

Mr. Emerson knew of my wager and agreed to allow me to play on his piano, even if I wasn't buying it at the moment. Sometimes people would pause their browsing to listen to me play, crowding around the piano to watch, other times I was the only one in the store. Today, the shop was empty except for me and the soothing music.

I sat alone for quite some time, fingering the keys absent-mindedly until I heard the delicate clinking of the shopkeeper's bell, jolting me from my contemplations.

A girl around my age, maybe a bit younger, walked inside. I had expected to see an adult trailing behind her, as not too many children came in here unchaperoned except for me, but none followed.

I tried to get a better look at the girl without being too obvious of my staring. The girl wasn't short, but she wasn't exactly tall either. She had a very petite figure, one that made her look like a child if you didn't look at her face. Her hair was auburn, lighter than my bronze, and it reminded me of my mother's hair. I briefly wondered how red it would look in the sun. The girl's face was heart-shaped and her skin was pale, as though she had never spent a summer outside in her life. She had an upturned nose and full pink lips, and if you looked close enough you could see her upper lip was slightly larger than her lower lip. Her eyes were a deep brown, an unusual color for redhead. While most had green or blue eyes, hers were peculiarly dark. It made them look too big for her face, momentarily reminding me of a fawn. Her dress was a light azure, a color that complimented her white skin and vivid hair. I could almost make out the shape of a matching bow that pinned the top half of her hair.

Unfortunately, she noticed my staring, and turned to face me. Placing her hands on her hips, she stared right back at me. Her expression was unreadable. Was she judging me? Was she amused? Did she expect me to say something?

Luckily, she put a stop to my anxious mental prattle when she said, "Are you just going to stare, or are you going to play something?"

I was shocked. She wanted me to play something for her?

I cleared my throat. "What would you like me to play?"

"Whatever you were playing before I walked in."

I gawked at her for a moment before she raised her eyebrow, repeating her sentence. I had heard her, I just didn't want her to hear me play. She seemed rude to me, and I already didn't like her.

"What are you waiting for?" She asked me, clearly annoyed with my negligence to her request. She was standing just a foot away from my piano now, and I could see her features clearer now. She was plain, her hair was the only uniqueness about her. That and her manners.

"For you to ask nicely." I grinned mischievously, puffing out my chest. "A girl such as yourself should learn to be polite when speaking to a man."

She snorted, another example of her disrespectful demeanor. "There are no men around here. I have the right to speak to whomever I please, however i please."

I scowled. Wasn't it evident that I was the man I was referring to? Surely she could understand was I was implying. "I wonder what your father would think of your rude remarks. I hope you don't speak to him this way."

The girl glowered, making me suddenly feel a bit frightened. I was grateful none of my friends were here to witness this discourse, I would never live down the relentless teasing that they would ensure if they knew I was scared of a girl.

"And what do you know? You're no man, what right do you have to tell me how to speak to my father?" She snapped.

I hoped she didn't notice that I had gulped.

She snorted. "If I see you here again, you better not try to tell me what to do."

I looked down nervously. I didn't want to anger this fierce girl further, I was afraid of what she'd do to me if I said something about her or her family again.

Speaking of fathers...

I had a feeling my own father would be very disappointed in me if he found out I had spoken to a lady this way, no matter who started it. I looked up to apologize to her, but when I looked up, the girl was no longer in front of me. The shopkeeper's bell indicated that she had left the music shop.

I looked through the window, trying to see past the automobiles and horses and buggies to try to see where my mystery girl had gone.

I was about to give up and go home when a flash of auburn caught my eye, crossing the street and traveling out of the way of my gaze.

And just like that, all I could think about was that audacious mystery girl... and apologizing.

A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first fanfic so I would really appreciate some feedback. Just for some insight in case I wasn't clear enough: Edward and Bella are both 13 (which means it's 1914) and yes! Bella does have red hair. I wanted to make this as close to canon as I possibly could, but I've always loved the idea of red hair on Bella. I think it really suits her :)

Anyway, please leave a review! I would love to know what you think.