AN: Those of you who have watched the show know what time it is. This is the point that you put your big girl/boy panties on. Remember those times that you were a hormonal teenager and were a ball of bad ideas, but loved messing up anyway? That's this story. Next chapter after this should be up on Friday.

Thanks for reading.

Chapter 7

Kissing.

I could seriously do this all day. Edward's lips tasted like a mixture of the mints he ate to get rid of his cigarette breath and the Coke he was drinking when I found him sitting on a crate.

The feeling of his tongue in my mouth wasn't as weird as I thought it would be. I don't know why I imagined it like a snake or a worm that was entering your mouth. In truth, I think french kissing might be the best feeling in the world.

Edward's hands were like griping my hips and his finger were slightly under the hem of my shirt. He was pressing them into my skin, moving them like he was pressing the keys of a piano.

Seriously, I was missing out on not kissing boys sooner. Kissing parents, my sister, and weird Gram Marie didn't count. This was like an awakening. Every molecule of my body was bursting at the feeling of his mouth brushing mine.

There was a metal fence that I pressed against. I wasn't sure what the reason was to put fencing in the boiler room, but I did know it was not the most comfortable spot to be doing this. It was easy to ignore the sharp metal in my back, because the sensation of his touch numbed me to anything that wasn't making out with him.

The issue I was having was the need to breathe. I could go on until I passed out. The thought of my eyes rolling back, slipping through his arms, and landing in a heap on the floor next to his feet was enough to make me pull my face away. Fainting was a good way to have him never ask me to kiss him again. That would be a travesty.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Edward brushed a stray hair away from the side of my mouth.

I could't look away from the way his nose was slightly crooked. My pointed finger ran down the slope of it. "I needed to take a breath."

"Oh? Yeah, breathing is cool," he stated. His eyelashes fluttered. I loved the way they did that. They were so long for a boy.

He turned his attention to my neck and he sucked on it. The gasp that came out of me was unexpected. Edward just licked my skin and then sucked harder. I found myself putting my hand in his hair. Locks of hair so soft that it felt like tendrils of cornsilk and I was using it as my anchor.

This was like a dream that was set in a nightmare place. Edward's kisses were doing amazing things to me, but the location was a dark, dirty boiler room that held some boxes filled with mystery materials. One would be more likely be the victim of a mask wearing serial killer than a girl getting life changing kisses in a room like this. Of course, in a horror movie those two things would go together.

It all started with a note. I didn't start my morning expecting to be kissing Edward in the dark in a room that we weren't allowed to be in. Instead, I trudged to class like I normally do and reflected on Jacob's new relationship with Maria. He wasn't being real to her or himself. I was trying to think about a way to help him when a folded up piece of paper fell out and onto my shoe. What I read looked like chicken scratch, but when I finally deciphered the words it led me down here to Edward. He placed his hands on my face and his greeting was a kiss. It was the way he should always say hello to me.

I was so scared in that want to run away, but I was unable to move way. Edward drew me in and that was all I wanted.

Now with his both hands on my face, Edward brushed his head against mine. His voice was husky, "You done breathing?"

My nod was answered with a forcible lip lock. I was pulled up tight to his body. He made me want to admit I was falling for him.

We kissed non stop. Every molecule of me wanted to belong to him. The kisses went one and on. I lost any sense of time.

Finally, we took a break full of heavy breathing and panting. We clung to each other. I was going to tell him my thoughts on us. "Edward, I—"

I almost got to, but the bell rang to indicate the switching of classes.

"I need to get to class," I panted.

"Stay." He gave me the sweet smile. The make Bella melt into a puddle of adoration grin that made him almost irresistible.

Almost, but not enough. "I have trig test."

"Stay." He placed a gentle bite on my earlobe.

I moved slowly away. "I need to go."

"You go first, teacher's pet." He gave me three pecks. I imagined they meaning our past, present and future.

I doubted he was that deep.

Before I headed out the door, Edward said, "Later."

I could only hope.

XXXXXX

I couldn't stop touching my lips. They were like used. I wanted them to be used again.

Alice was watching me staring at my mouth in the mirror in the bathroom. "Cut it out, Isabella. They might fall off from so much touching."

"Stop it!" Jessica admonished her. "I think it's romantic."

Jessica was wiping her face with a paper towel. She had thrown up twice. Bad sushi was the culprit she had explained. She should have gone home, but I guess she had a test or something.

"Do I look different?" I felt older.

"You look like an Isabella who is playing a dangerous game." Alice sat on the sink counter and ate a candy off of her necklace. "You aren't a boiler room girl. I am and know from experience."

I decided to ignore her. "He touched my skin."

"I would hope so. That's how kissing works," Alice teased, but she immediately became serious again. "Edward doesn't do girlfriends. You, darling, are the type that belongs in a relationship. I will have to kill him if he makes you cry."

"He looks at her if she's the only girl in school," Jessica sighed. "Its like in Clueless when Cher's brother looks at her. She's the only thing he sees. It leads to epic kisses!"

Alice's nose wrinkled up in disgust. "That's one messed up movie."

"Oh!" Jess's eyes widened when she realized what she said. "I meant step-brother."

"That's a little better." Alice put tapped my arm. "Don't listen to romantic movie girl. She doesn't live in reality."

I just sighed, because a part of me knew that Alice was making a lot of sense. Truthfully, I didn't care about sense right now. All my thoughts were of being near him and feeling his embrace.

"We should find Jacob," I suggested to change the subject.

He was talking to James nearby. I seemed to always knew where he was. It was a moth needing to be close to his light. He glanced at me and said something to James. I watched them walk away.

"Isa—" Alice started to say.

I felt Jessica wrap an arm around my shoulder.

"He just didn't see me."

XXXXXX

"We should, you know, let this be our like secret," Edward suggested as took his hand and ran it up and down my side.

"Why?"

He gave a shrug. "It's hotter this way. Secret meetings and doing stuff like spies."

"Who kiss?"

"Sure." He gave me that smile that made me gooey inside.

"I don't—" My mind was angry, but the rest of my body relaxed into him.

He stopped my talking with kisses.

"Edward, I think its kind of weird to not tell anyone." I had already told all my friends, so a little too late with his big plan.

"It's just—" He ran his lips over my forehead, back and forth. "It's nice like being us. Nobody else trying to get in our business."

This would be the perfect time to protest. I wanted to show everyone that I liked this boy and he liked me back. Being a secret made feel of like there was something wrong with me. That there was something wrong with this. The only thing bad was happening was that I was skipping independent study. Good girls do their school work not make out with beautiful boys in dark basements.

I should just walk out of here and never look back. I turned my head away and started chewing at my lower lip.

Edward shook his head. "No, let me do something else with that lip."

He pressed against my mouth and, like a stupid girl, I let him.

Kissing makes me stupid.

His hand moved to my chin. He moved away to stare at me. I wasn't allowed to squirm away from his gaze like I wanted to.

"Your eyes are brown."

And his was green, but I was uncomfortable about him pointing out my features. What if he sees all my faults?

That feeling made me ramble. "My dad says the Swan girls have like cow eyes. He would make up all these, you know, weird dad songs about them. He still stands outside the bathroom when we're trying to get ready for school and moos to get us to hurry up. It's so like my dad to moo and stuff."

Oh God, why did I say that?

"You're so weird," he pointed out. Edward's face was wrinkled up like he was trying to solve a puzzle. I guess I was a bunch of weird pieces that he couldn't get to fit.

"Oh."

"Its cool," he remarked stroked my cheek.

I closed my eyes in response and felt his lips on the lids.

Kissing was wonderful no matter the place.

XXXXXX

Jacob had his hands pushed deep down into his pockets as we walked down the hall. His pretending to be somebody else was making him miserable. I hugged him briefly. "Hang out with me this weekend. We can eat popcorn and listen to the Afghan Whigs or some Jane's Addiction. It will be fun."

"I think we should get out of town. Edward's band is playing at Aro's on Friday night. Did he tell you? We should go. It's an all ages night," Jacob suggested. He brushed his fingers through his short hair and frowned when he got down to the bottom. He still tried to touch his now phantom hair for comfort.

Aros was this little bar in the next town that had pool tables and poetry readings. The kids who had fake IDs and weren't tied to the stigma of being popular would hang out there, instead of at the diners and the cliffs at the Reservation beaches that the jocks would frequent. I had never been there. Lauren had deemed it to be a creepy and dirty. Like sheep we followed her lead, but I was always curious about it. It sounded like a place you could just be yourself.

"He didn't say anything to me." Of course, he didn't. Secret couples don't invite each other to public places. I was now condemned to have every romantic moment of my existence in the dark with the creaking and moaning of the school's heating system. "They're the Flying Sea Monkeys, right?"

Jacob smirked. "Changed it to Fantastic Chicken Embryos."

"That's horrible."

"It is." Jacob took my arm and made me pause. "He needs to know that you won't let him step all over you. Edward barely looks at you out here and never speaks to you at lunch. You are way too good for that, Bella. He needs to see you out and having fun."

This could possibility of going terribly wrong, but the idea of seeing him outside of school made all the butterflies in my stomach dance around. Their fluttery wings making me a mixture of nervous and excited. "I don't know. He might like the surprise."

Jacob nudged me in the shoulder and gave me a frown. "We all know he likes secrets not surprises, and that needs to stop."

To say that my friends were less than impressed by Edward wanting to keep our relationship a secret was an understatement. It would be more appropriate to say that Alice wanted to punch him in the gut.

I started walking again. "Let's go to Aro's. I'll see how Edward acts. It might, I don't know, make a difference."

"You should cut his ass off, Bells." Jacob linked his arm with mine. "If he doesn't get any, Ed will see how important you are to him."

"He'll just move on." Edward was always with the beautiful trio. They were always so cool and chill. There was no good reason in the world why he wanted to be with me.

Jacob patted my hand. "Then let him, because he isn't worth it."

I wanted to agree. I knew I should. It was just that like every part of me tingled when Edward was around me. I felt alive and not just walking around like a ghost of a real person. I didn't want to let go of that feeling.

"Oh my fucking God!" Alice screamed as she ran through the halls toward us.

"Miss Brandon, please control yourself!" Elderly Mrs. McCurdy hissed as she poked her head out of the Home Economics room. Her wrinkly face was in an angry grimace as she straightened her black wig.

"Sorry!" Alice yelled to the teacher even louder than her previous screaming. She skidded to a halt in front of us. "They beat their asses up."

She was so excited that her whole body was trembling.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Tyler and his stupid friends were messed up by Edward and the boys. I heard James and Alec took turns giving Yorkie black eyes. Edward was totally wailing on Brady until that little squealer said that like Tyler pushed you. Edward might have busted that jackass's nose!" Alice started happy clapping.

Jacob put his hands on her shoulders to calm her. She was manic. "Did you see this?"

"Unfortunately, no. I was like . . . Umm . . . Busy." Her eyes were completely unfocused. "That Newton kid told Jessica who told me."

Edward had walked up to his locker and stared at us. His face was grim and he motioned his head at the direction of our secret place.

"Are they in trouble?" I wondered aloud, as I watched Edward walk away.

"Nope." Alice giggled and tried to get away from Jacob. He was sniffing her breath. "Those douche bags won't admit that a bunch of stoners beat them up."

Taking Alice's hand, Jacob stated, "I'm going to take her home before she gets in big trouble. You have gym?"

"Study hall. Is she okay?" I watched as Alice twirl.

"I got her. Don't worry. Say hello to lover boy for me." Jacob kissed both of my cheeks and then shook his head. "My girls need some interventions."

"Call me tonight to let me know that she's okay," I demanded.

"Yes, my darling!" Jacob waved and Alice started eating a lollipop.

Jacob and Alice went one way and I headed to the boiler room. My mind was whirling. Edward defended me. That had to mean something, right?

I found him sitting down on a box of cleaning supplies. His hands crossed over his chest. I paused for a moment, because he looked so angry. It was only a moment, because I moved to him without thinking. My body needed to be close to him.

"Edward—"

He didn't uncross his arms. I stood against his legs. "Do you have like any smarts? The real kind not like your books."

"What?"

He moved those hands to his hair, pulling the locks. That was my job. I replaced his hands with mine.

"You could have gotten hurt," Edward stated. "Tyler wouldn't care."

I placed my head in the crook of his neck. "Jacob needed my help. I couldn't leave him with those guys."

My body was lifted up and placed on his lap. I felt intoxicated by the smell of him, as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"So brave." Edward clutched the back of my shirt. "I want you."

"Oh."

The kisses he gave me were different this time. They were harder and made every part of me feel like fireworks were erupting.

There was a desperation in it that was everything.

"Bella, pretty Bella," He panted into my skin. I felt his finger brush my breast. I let out a gasp.

It felt nice. I was terrified.

He nibbled my ear and touched my chest some more. He was tracing circles of various sizes.

My body was on fire.

My face was flushed.

"You're okay, girl. So good—" He kissed my neck. Moving his hands from my waist, Edward started unbuttoning my shirt.

I arched my chest away. "I don't know about this."

"Only a few. I want you to feel good. This is it. I promise." He kissed down my chest and his tongue licked in the crease.

I sighed as he kissed the skin right under the fabric of my bra. Edward's other hand was squeezing my other breast. He was humming a song into my skin.

There is something so amazing about the way my body was reacting. I wanted more, more, more. My brain was having a panic attack in response. Was it too soon? Was I ready? This felt like I was ready, but I was in this dirty little room on a cardboard box. We needed to stop.

"Lace," he whispered, as he nuzzled his nose on my bra. "Let me take it off. I bet they're beautiful."

His fingers dipped into my bra and he explored with long fingers. I wanted to cry from the feelings. Did I want to stop? More. More. More.

Edward made me feel like I was the only girl in the world. I never knew how much I craved this.

He looked up and his eyes were glazed over. It was the hottest thing that I ever saw in my life. My body was pulled tightly against him and I could feel our separation due to clothing was minimal. It would be so easy to be just skin. Touching, kissing, and joining together in a sweaty mass.

God, I wanted that. I wasn't at all ready.

There were footsteps on the stairs. Edward helped me up and button my shirt. The buttons were in the wrong holes.

"I think that's . . . Umm . . . The paper towels that Mrs. Molina needs," Edward said. He looked at the janitor who walked in. "What up, John?"

John took one look at us and rolled his eyes. He muttered, "Fucking hormones."

I followed Edward upstairs in complete embarrassment. My face felt hot. I bet it was fire engine red.

Edward dropped the paper towels on the ground and turned me to him. He quickly looked around us and took my face in his hands. The kiss I was given was the sweetest thing.

"Later," he said before he left. My heart thundered as I watched him leave me behind.

Later was going to be my new favorite word.