The moment I walked into Trig, I was intercepted by Jessica. She seemed to have been waiting for me at the door.

"Mike agreed to go with me to the spring dance!" she blurted. She spoke so fast that the sentence sounded like it was one word.

After translating her one-worded sentence to English and processing it, I found I was relieved. I was thankful that Mike had agreed to go with her. Hopefully, the pair would fall madly in love so I wouldn't have to worry about Mike's misplaced affection anymore. I chastised myself for the selfish thought, but I wasn't selfless enough to take the thought back. "That's great, Jess. You two are going to have a lot of fun together."

"I know!" she squealed. "I'm going to have to find a dress like ASAP. I think Angela asked Eric, and Lauren asked Tyler. I wonder if they'd be down to go dress shopping. You'll have to come too, of course. I know you aren't going, but we could always use an extra set of eyes. Are you sure you can't go, though? You know we would all love to have you there, even without a date."

I smiled at her choice of words. To anyone that didn't know her well, that last comment would sound like an insult. At this point, I knew Jessica enough to be able to tell when she was trying to be mean and when she accidentally came off as such. I'd only known Jess for a few months, but the girl was fairly straightforward to understand. I didn't think she knew about Eric or Tyler asking me either, and I wasn't about to tell her.

"No, this family thing is a pretty big deal." I left out the part about how Edward was not only invited to my family event, but actually agreed to go. "I wouldn't mind helping you pick out dresses, though. I actually need to get one too."

That sparked interest from Jess. "Like a formal dress? For your family thing? Exactly what sort of thing is it?"

I shook my head, avoiding her questions as Mr. Varner began the lesson.

It didn't stop her from trying to pry information out of me for the rest of the class or throughout Spanish, though. By the time we met up with Angela and made our way to the cafeteria, I was ready to find any excuse to get away from the curly-haired girl.

Luckily, I didn't need to.

As the three of us exited the lunch line with our food, Jessica brought a topic that I actually cared about.

"Huh. Edward Cullen is staring at you again, Emme," she told me.

I stopped in my tracks, my eyes landing on the Cullen table. There were only four people sitting there, and Edward was not one of them.

"Wonder why he's sitting alone today…" Jess wondered aloud.

I looked over the cafeteria again. To my surprise, she was right. Edward was sitting a few tables away from his siblings. He was alone, and he was looking right at me. A thrill shot through me. This was different; I wondered what it meant.

The second we made eye contact, he flashed a dazzling smile my way. Edward gestured for me to join him.

"Does he mean you?" Jess breathed, disbelieving.

I was so taken aback at this turn of events that I wasn't even offended.

Angela laughed from beside me. "Aren't you going to see what he wants?"

I mentally shook myself. "Um… yeah. I'll catch up with you guys later." I said it, but I highly doubted it. If Edward wanted me to sit with him for lunch, I most certainly wouldn't be passing the opportunity up.

I was acutely aware of the eyes on me as I made my way across the cafeteria to join Edward at his table. This was obviously something he had never done before. I made extra sure to avoid the gazes of his siblings as I walked by them. I could feel the disapproval and outrage without having to see it for myself.

"This is new," I stated, setting my tray down and taking the seat across from him.

He shrugged. "Quite frankly, it was getting a bit exhausting. Trying to stay away from you, I mean."

I hummed in agreement. "I was going to give you until the end of the week," I told him honestly.

I laughed. His laugh was beautiful and infectious. "And then what?"

"I hadn't decided yet. But it was just as exhausting for me, you know."

He fixed me with a piercing stare. "That's not normal."

It was my turn to laugh this time. "Edward, nothing about this has been normal for either of us."

Edward grinned at me again.

"Does this mean we can be friends now?" I asked after he didn't reply.

He thought for a moment. His answer was hesitant like he wasn't sure if he should be saying it or not. "I suppose so."

"Good. Now that that's settled, I'd like to ask you a question."

Edward gave me a wary look like he knew what I was going to say.

I rolled my eyes. It had become something of a habit around him. "I'm not going to ask about what you are. I realize that it's a family secret. I'm sure you'd share with me if you could. But—and I'm telling you this out of the kindness of my heart so that you're prepared—I'm determined to solve the mystery."

Normally when I brought up this topic, he immediately tried to be coy and change the subject or divert attention away from him. This time, however, he just quirked an eyebrow. "You have a mystery too." Edward's tone was almost accusatory.

"I know. The difference is that I fully intend on explaining everything to you."

"You do?" He was obviously hadn't been expecting that.

"Of course. Some new information has come to light, and while I'm not quite comfortable sharing that with you yet, it's put some things into perspective for me. Turns out I'm not breaking as many rules as I thought I was."

Edward snorted. "I wish I could say the same."

I gave him a small smile. "I know. My aunts understand. Your family doesn't. But I have a feeling they'll come around eventually." I finally looked at the Cullens sitting at the table across the room from us.

Rosalie was glaring at me; that wasn't exactly groundbreaking. Jasper and Emmett were ignoring us, even though now I knew they could probably all hear me from such a far distance. Emmett glanced at me briefly but immediately looked away after seeing I was looking back at him. But Alice was beaming at me.

I made sure to smile back. I had tried not to interact with her because of the visions, but now that I could actually control them, I could look at her without the fear of triggering one. She seemed the friendliest of the group, and she seemed excited.

Edward was looking at his sister too, a thoughtful expression on his pale face.

"I think that when I explain things to you, they'll realize they have nothing to fear from me. I've already kept your secret, Edward, despite not knowing exactly what it is. You can trust me—all of you can."

His eyes fell back onto me. They were an amber color today. "When will that be?" he asked.

"I don't know exactly… really soon, I think. It wasn't clear," I answered honestly. I could tell the vision was soon, but I wasn't sure exactly when it would happen.

"That isn't exactly helpful," he replied, annoyed.

"You're impatient," I noted. "Good things come to those who wait."

He groaned. "You sound like Alice."

I looked at the girl across the room again. The small girl was openly laughing now; even Jasper had the smallest of smirks on his face. When Alice looked at me again, I grinned. This seemed to make her even happier than she looked before. It was infectious.

"Have you ever thought that perhaps I'm not deserving of good things?"

I turned back at Edward. He was completely serious. "What do you mean?"

"You seem to have it in your head that I'm the good guy in all this. But what if I'm not? What if I'm the bad guy?"

I was speechless. He was utterly ridiculous. I couldn't even pretend to hold back my laughter.

This didn't seem to make him feel any better. His brow furrowed in frustration.

"Really, Edward? Everyone has done bad things in their lives. I'm sure you're no different. I'm certainly not. That doesn't immediately make you a bad guy."

"You don't know that."

"I know a lot of things I'm not supposed to, Edward. I could know everything I wanted about you and your family if I wanted. I haven't because I respect you and your right to privacy. But I still have my intuition, and I can say with complete confidence that it has always been right."

Edward looked at me skeptically, to say the least.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"I didn't even get to ask my original question," I sighed, moving to get up and throw my tray away. It was dangerous to talk to him one on one like this. When we were together, time was nonexistent.

"I'll get it," Edward offered, taking the tray gently from my hands.

Almost everyone had left the cafeteria by this point, but Edward and I were still frozen, unwilling to leave.

"We're going to be late," I murmured.

Edward only shrugged. "I'm not going."

This time I was the one that was confused. "What do you mean you're not going?"

"It's healthy to skip every once in a while." The look on his face was patronizing, almost like he dared me to follow his lead.

"Oh, is it? What do you know that I don't?" I demanded.

His expression changed once again; he stared at me as if he were searching for something. "You don't know how frustrating it is to not be able to read you."

"You're one to talk," I scoffed. "Imagine being able to read someone and actively having to try not to just because you're trying to be polite and not step on any toes. Imagine your efforts not being appreciated in the least. Imagine being accosted with cryptic remarks and bizarre mood swings and, despite all that, still trying to do the right thing. Imagine how frustrating that would be."

Edward stared at me, but I gained nothing from his features. "You've got a bit of a temper, haven't you?" he finally wondered aloud.

I glared at him. "I'm going to class."

I turned on my heel, leaving a laughing Edward behind me.


I managed to walk into the Biology room right as the tardy bell was ringing.

I immediately regretted my decision to not join Edward in skipping class when I saw what Mr. Banner was distributing to each table.

Today, my classmates would be testing their blood types—a process that involved actively bleeding.

I sat there, panicking, trying to figure out what to do. It was hard enough for me to be around one person's blood, let alone twenty. How could I not have seen this coming?

I knew exactly why, of course. I had been distracted by the news that Edward Cullen was quite possibly my soulmate. I had been distracted by just him existing in general, actually. But this time it was a distraction that I could not afford. I had to get out before the lesson began and it was too late.

I raised my hand, trying my best to look pathetic. I would get out of this classroom.

The first few students pricked their fingers, and the effect was immediate. My body surged with energy. My skin began to tingle. I was positive I didn't look as pathetic as I wanted. I'm sure I looked better than normal, actually. I was probably basically glowing.

"Yes, Emme?"

"I think… Is it alright if I left? I don't do well around blood." I closed my eyes, hoping to add to the effect. I wanted him to let me go on his own, but I would make him if I had to. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

More of my classmates drew blood from themselves. The effect was dizzying. I began to feel myself sway. It was too entirely too hot in here.

"Perhaps that's for the best," he agreed, eyeing my newfound inability to sit up straight.

"I'll take her to the nurse," Mike volunteered from behind me.

"I'll be fine," I insisted, getting up immediately, trying to wave him off. Having someone with me was the last thing that I needed right now.

"Thank you, Mike. Make sure she gets there all right." Mr. Banner's tone was concerned. My attempt at looking pathetic was working too well, it would seem.

I started out of the class as fast as I could; Mike managed to stay by my side. My heart was racing so quickly, it felt like I was having some sort of anxiety attack, but I knew better than that. I hoped that Mike wouldn't try to touch me, especially since he had already pricked his finger. I could feel it. I focused on steadying myself, trying to get away from the Biology room as quickly as possible. The lights in the building began to flicker like they had in the hospital.

The second I made it outside I felt much better; that didn't stop the energy surging through me though. I had waited too long. I had been around too much. And Mike was still next to me. I stumbled.

Mike reached out and grabbed my arm in an attempt to steady me.

I was hit with another surge of adrenaline. "Don't touch me, please," I managed to grit out. I wrenched myself out of his grip and sat down on the damp concrete, trying to get a hold of myself. I would have to let out this extra energy soon, and I wanted nothing more for Mike to leave before I accidentally did something that could hurt him. I was afraid to make him leave for fear I would use too much of my power on him.

"Emme?"

This voice wasn't Mike's. It was a different one—a smooth, musical tenor—and I recognized it immediately. I groaned. His timing couldn't be worse. Now I had two people to worry about.

"Emme, are you okay?" Edward was worried.

"What's wrong with her?" Mike asked, panicked. "She said she didn't like blood in class, but we left before she could even prick her finger." He reached out to touch my arm in what I'm sure was supposed to be a comforting gesture. It was the hand that had been pricked.

"No!" I gasped, scrambling back, trying to get out of his reach. But it was too late.

His hand made contact with the skin of my forearm. It was a rush. My entire body hummed, and then my magic lashed out, desperate to be used. Mike instantly fell backward, sprawled across the concrete. He didn't move.

Edward, who was also crouching in front of me, immediately stood up. His actions were quick—quicker than I could follow. He blinked a few times, staggering. His smooth hand reached out and grabbed a metal pole next to him to help steady himself; his movements were fast. His grip left indentations in the metal. Edward didn't fall like Mike. He wasn't unconscious either. His eyes were unfocused and glazed over.

The humming had stopped. I was mostly back to normal.

"Edward?" I whispered.

"Give me a moment." His voice cracked. It was rougher than I was accustomed to. It wasn't normal. His actions weren't normal. I couldn't fault him for it, though, because neither were mine.

I began to panic. I had stunned him; I had stunned them both.

I didn't know what to do.

I crawled over Mike to make sure he was simply unconscious and not something worse. As soon as I neared him, I noticed that he was breathing normally. After a brief glance into his mind, I knew he was fine.

"We should get him to the nurse's office," Edward said, moving to Mike's other side.

I could only nod.

"Are you okay to walk?" he asked me. He eyed me over, making sure there wasn't anything outwardly wrong with me.

My eyes ran over him as well. "Don't worry about me. Are you okay to walk?"

Edward rolled his eyes, good humor returning quickly. I must not have hit him as much as I had Mike. Edward pulled Mike off the ground, slinging the unconscious boy's arm around his shoulders. He wrapped his arm around Mike, completely lifting him off the ground. He didn't even look like he was struggling with the weight. My eyes noted the indentions in the metal once again. I hadn't imagined it.

We made our way quickly across the school grounds. No one else was outside, thankfully. When we walked into the office, Mrs. Cope clearly wasn't expecting to see an unconscious student hanging off of Edward Cullen.

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed, jumping out of her seat.

"He fainted in Biology." Edward's lie was fast, even, and confident.

I checked her thoughts. Mrs. Cope believed him without a second thought. "There's always one," she chuckled. The secretary hurried out from behind her desk and moved to open the door to the nurse's office.

Edward diligently placed Mike on the one sad-looking cot in the corner of the small room.

The nurse, Mrs. Hammond, immediately went to him. "He was originally helping me; the sight of blood makes me sick. But he passed out on the way here."

After seeing to Mike, Mrs. Hammond turned to me. "How are you feeling, dear?" she asked. "You look a little pale."

It was probably because I just knocked a boy unconscious, but I wasn't going to tell her that. "I'm fine."

She nodded. "You can go sit in the lobby until you feel better since there's not much room in here. And Edward, you can return to class."

Edward didn't miss a beat. "I'm supposed to wait here with her."

The nurse didn't even question it. I looked at Edward, curious. How did he do that so well?

We both went back to the front office.

For the first time, I didn't really want to talk with Edward. I knew he had questions, but I was ashamed that I couldn't control myself and had lashed out. I could have seriously hurt him. The thought sent a feeling of absolute dread through me.

"Go sit down and look miserable," he whispered to me.

It wasn't that hard to do. I didn't even have to act.

"Mrs. Cope," Edward began in an incredibly persuasive tone, "Emme has Gym next, though I don't think she's entirely up to it. Do you suppose she could get excused from class so I could take her home now?"

Mrs. Cope shook her head briefly before turning to her computer as if she was trying to clear her thoughts. She began to type something. "Of course, Edward. Do you need an excuse too?" she asked.

"No, I'm sure Mrs. Goff won't mind."

"It's all set. Feel better, Emme." The older woman offered me a small smile, but her eyes were on Edward.

He didn't even notice. He had already turned back to face me. Edward gently helped me out of the seat and out the door.

We stopped next to the parking lot. It had started raining again. I didn't try to shield myself from it. The cold water actually felt amazing against my hot skin.

"Thank you," I murmured quietly after a small silence. I managed to bring my eyes to meet his.

He was peering at me so intently that it was hard to keep eye contact.

I made a move to head towards my car, but Edward stopped me almost immediately.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Home?"

"I meant what I said. I have every intention of taking you myself, just to be on the safe side."

I laughed, disbelieving. "You're the one you should be worried about, not me."

Edward gave me a fond smile. "Come on." His attitude was unwavering. He put his hand lightly on the small of my back, giving me a small push in the direction of his sister's BMW.

A shiver shot up my spine. I ran my hand through my hair. It was soaking at this point. It was refreshing.

When I climbed into the car, it didn't take long for the sense of déjà vu hit me. So… today was the day.

Edward shut the door behind me and then quickly moved around the car to take his place in the driver's seat. He was behind the wheel, but he didn't make any move to turn the car on.

We sat, neither of us moving. I was acutely aware of the water dripping from my hair down my back.

I wanted to break the silence, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Edward seemed to be in a debate with himself about what to say. I waited for him to put his thoughts in order, already knowing what he would say when he was ready.

"Are you human?" he asked softly.

I didn't have to weigh my options this time. I knew what I was going to do, and I knew it was the right call. I felt it with every fiber of my being.

"No." My voice was low, but I knew he had heard me.

"Do it again."

"Do what, Edward?" I asked, knowing he was going to say that but still expecting a more normal response. Anyone else would have run away by now. Not Edward. He never did anything I expected him to.

"What you did earlier… I don't know what it was. I've never felt anything like that before."

I looked at him, appalled. "You're serious?"

Edward was silent, lips pressed into a line. Yes, he was quite serious.

"Edward, I'm not going to stun you on purpose. Are you insane?"

"Why not?" he demanded.

"Does it matter?" He was so frustrating. I told him I wasn't human, and he immediately asks to be mentally stunned. "The stunt I pulled was a complete accident. You should have ended up like Mike. I don't know how you didn't, but I'm not going to chance it by doing it to you again—this time on purpose. I don't care how nicely you ask."

Edward was curious again. He was about to say something when I cut him off.

"I'll show you in time, Edward. The school parking lot isn't really the place." I gave him a pointed look.

"Can you hear my thoughts?" he wondered, a mischievous look on his face.

I practically cackled at the irony. "I could if I wanted to," I replied honestly. "I've been trying to stay out of your head since you're so adamant about not telling me your secrets. But I can't help that your thoughts are reflected in your eyes."

He finally looked away, turning the car on. Edward seemed to be deep in thought—thoughts that I was entirely too tempted to look into.

I didn't have to tell him where I lived. In less than ten minutes, we were idling outside my aunt's house. I didn't have to tell Edward not to pull into the driveway either. He knew better to come onto the grounds uninvited, it would seem. I shot him a knowing smile.

Edward ran his hand through his hair with a groan. "Do I even want to know why you're looking at me like that?"

"I don't have to read your thoughts to figure you out, Edward. You might be able to fool the humans, but you can't fool me."

His dark eyes bore into me. "That's what I'm worried about."


A/N:

This chapter is dedicated to reader chellekathrynnn who actually made me laugh out loud when she said: "I'm so bored during quarantine!" in a review. Because if I wasn't also trying to escape boredom, this story would definitely not be at the point that it is today. I'm usually lucky if I update monthly, and here I am updating almost daily. I honestly don't even believe it.

Also, shout out to ShirleyMallery for reviewing basically every chapter of this. You and all the other reviewers give me LIFE. So thank you! :)

This one was really hard for me to write. I wasn't really feeling it cause I'm sooo eager to get to the good stuff. Hopefully you can't tell too much! I'm already working on the next update so you guys will have it soon. Until next time...