BPOV

"Hey, Bella?" I hear from behind me as I make my way across the parking lot into the school.

I turn and see Brady McCarty trying to catch up to me.

"Brady," I greet, giving him a smile.

"I was wondering if you wanted to be my Homecoming date? You've been out a few days, so I thought I'd try and ask first thing this morning," he rambles.

I blink at him.

I was still so stunned about Edward asking me on a date a few days ago, that I really hadn't thought or stressed about Homecoming.

I was suddenly grateful for Brady because Jazz offered to take me, but I knew Tanya would be put out if he escorted me over her, more so, I knew she'd have questions. I feel like my classmates would naturally assume that I went to Prom with Royce so why wouldn't I let him escort me to Homecoming; since we were both on the court.

"Uh— I think that would be fun," I tell him.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Cool," he says with a little bounce, his hand in his coat pockets. "See you later?"

I nod, giving him another smile.

He turns walking backwards with a cheesy grin on his face. His excitement makes me feel like we need to have a larger conversation, the last thing he needs to think is that I led him on.

"Hey," Jazz says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Morning."

"How's the noggin'?" he asks gently, touching the side of my face.

"Better."

"Looks painful," he says with a wince.

"Trust me, it's better," I insist.

We walk down to our lockers, people smile at us as we pass. It's weird and I question it. "What's going on?" I ask, opening my locker.

"Everyone knows about what Rosalie did to you," he says. "I'm sure she knows about homecoming. Alice and Stanley are acting weird, and I heard Alice lost endorsements because people are truly seeing that she isn't the high school dream."

"Homecoming Court is the high school dream?" I ask with a snort.

"When you're a brand it is," he says with a smile while rolling his eyes.

I pause a minute because something just felt off, not a bad off, but off.

"Anyway I think the girls are finally going to leave you alone," he says.

"Brady asked me to the dance," I tell him as we start walking to homeroom.

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"What?"

"I thought I'd escort you," he mumbles.

"Me? What about Tanya?"

"Oh, I guess..."

"You guess? She's your best friend. I don't want to get between that due to the mess my life is," I explain.

He's frowning at me.

"What?"

"Jazz, you've been friends with Tanya since pre-school," I say pointing out the obvious.

"Her date is Maggie," he tells me.

"Yeah, but she has to be escorted by a member of the court during all the Homecoming events," I reason, but he still looks less than pleased. "It's fine, Brady is a gentleman."

"Bella, he's been in love with you since junior high," Jazz says warily.

"So you think I'm leading him on?"

"I didn't say that but from what I heard, you are hanging out with Tanya's cousin."

"Edward's at the age cut off for the date allowance, and he can't escort me, only a member of court can," I argued.

"How old is he again?"

"Twenty-one," I mumble.

My dad already let me know how much he didn't approve of the age gap, even though there were only four years between us. He said Edward had more life experience than I did and though he knew he was a good guy, he didn't think I could handle a relationship with someone like that.

I texted back and forth with Edward over the past few days and he assured me this was all at my pace. He also said he wanted to talk to my dad, but wasn't sure how I felt about that.

"Okay," Jazz says, dropping it.

Jess and Alice seemed to be behaving themselves, neither shot me glares nor shoved me. The day was relatively uneventful, that is until gym. Royce cornered me as I walked in, I could feel the tension in me build.

"So Swan, we're both on the court this year," he starts.

"Move, " I tell him.

"Don't be like that," he says, getting closer. "Since Rosalie wasn't nominated, I need someone to escort, we both know we'll win, so this is inevitable."

I'm about to knee him when Brady is at my side.

"Sorry King, Bella is my date for Homecoming," Brady says, wrapping his arm loosely over my shoulder.

"You're going with McCarty?" Royce asks with a disbelieving laugh.

"I am, so move," I say, pushing past him.

When he goes to grab me Brady is the one who shoves Royce to the matted gym wall. He's frowning while he looks between me and Royce.

"Not cool, man," he says.

Royce tries to move but Brady is bigger than him, not Emmett big but big enough to hold him in place. This is even more proof that Royce's father had a hand in him becoming the football captain.

"McCarty, King, give me four laps," Coach Clapp yells from the other side of the gym. "Swan, you will be sitting out for the next few classes."

I nod because I knew this, Dad talked to Mr. Cope again and I had to bring in a note from Carlisle.

Brady is still frowning but does as he's told, Royce, on the other hand, leers and smirks at me the whole time he runs.

Once the bell rings, I'm out of the gym before Royce can get to me again. I have a paper on The Bell Jar that I need to write for English, so I start on it in study hall.

This book only proved that men have always been assholes and drive women to depression and mania. You endure Esther's suffering through the whole book as she gets shit on due to the expectations of society.

Miss Kearns is probably going to hate my take on the book, but I couldn't, in good conscience, sugarcoat the themes that Plath made so clear in her novel.

I'm able to get two pages written and decide to stop five minutes before the bell rings. The first person I see out in the parking lot is Royce, his car is now in the closest space to the building. He was parked in the back of the lot this morning.

He starts walking toward me when Edward's SUV pulls up to the curb. He rolls the passenger side window down.

"Got done early thought I'd give you a ride," he says with a shy smile.

He's got me cheesy smiling at him in return.

I get in and lean over to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"You're welcome," he says.

"I don't remember saying thank you," I say with a giggle.

"I take kisses as a thank you," he grins, moving the gear into drive.

As we pull out onto the road I notice Royce standing on the sidewalk with a glare, Edward notices him too.

"He didn't give you any shit today, did he?" Edward asks as we pass him.

"He tried to say I was going to be escorted by him for the dance," I tell him, looking at my lap. "Emmett's brother, Brady already asked me and we both told him."

"So he backed off?"

I shook my head.

"He tried grabbing for me and Brady stopped him."

"Bella, that kid is harassing you," he says, I can see his fingers turn white around the wheel.

I stay quiet.

"How long has he been doing this really?"

"Like at the beginning of last year it came off as teasing, but since Prom, he became more aggressive with me," I explain.

Before I thought he was trying to flirt with me but now I know this is a game to him. He tried to take from me what was never offered until Jasper stopped him, now it appears that he wants to finish what he started.

"Bella, this is the last time I'll say this, because I don't want to be the person who tells you what to do, but I urge you to say something to your dad," he says, throwing a quick glance at me.

I squeeze his arm. "I'm considering it, but you have to understand that Royce's dad is the district attorney for Port Angeles, he would do anything to make me look like a liar," I try to explain.

Edward stays quiet keeping his stare on the road. As we pull into my driveway I'm not sure if I've fucked this up before it even began.

I start to get out but Edward stops me by gently touching my arm.

"Where's the fire?" he asks.

"You seemed pissed so—"

"I'm not pissed at you, I'm pissed for you. That kid is an entitled fucker and to be quite frank he'll get away with a lot if he's not stopped now. His privilege doesn't exceed Forks, his family holds power in a small town."

"I get that, Edward, I do, but my dad is the Chief of Police here, his dad could have my dad fired," I tell him earnestly. "It's not something I have proof of as Jazz was the only witness and I didn't report it when it happened."

His eyes close while he lets out a loud sigh.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"Don't ever apologize," is all he says.

Edward's fingers link with mine and he gives them a squeeze.

Charlie's cruiser pulls in beside us, my dad is watching us when he gets out.

"I think I better head in," I say once the front door shuts behind Charlie.

He nods, giving me a smile.

I lean forward giving him a quick peck this time on the lips.

He gives me two more pecks.

"Talk to you later?" he asks again with a sweet smile.

I nod with my own smile.

I get out in a daze, leaning against the door once I'm inside.

I let my feelings for him run through me. This was the first time in months that I felt giddy and hopeful. I thought for sure that my teenage excitement was over for me after everything with Royce then Rosalie and her cronies, but Edward has brought it back to me.

I made the decision that I wasn't going to let Royce affect me anymore. I enjoyed this feeling too much.

A/N: Thanks to all of you for reviewing and sharing feedback I appreciate it. Also want to send a huge thanks to CoppertopJ for her edits this chapter!