Hello my loves. Hope everyone is well. Little bit of teenage angst in this one.

Normal disclaimers apply.

Despite my protests and affirmation that I was fine, mom insisted I stay home from school the next day. I refused to take anymore of the painkillers the hospital gave me either. A tender nose and a slight headache I can cope with. Spaced out and nauseous I can't.

I spent most of the morning in my room working on my homework and listening to some mellow music on a low volume. In the afternoon I lounged in front of the TV watching some crappy daytime dramas before changing the channel to E! network.

I mindlessly watched The Kardashians for a while. I really don't understand how it could be Alice's favourite show. They all seem like a bunch of vapid airheads to me. If it wasn't for their screechy squabbling I probably would have fallen asleep watching it.

The celeb news came on afterwards and the mention of Izzy Marie had me sitting up straighter in my seat. I turned up the volume as I listened to what the presenter said.

"It looks like everyone's favourite schoolgirl wasn't lying when she said she was studying abroad. Footage of her recent shopping trip in Milan was leaked to us last night. A source close to the actress said she is loving life in Europe."

I watched the little clip that someone had obviously recorded on their phone. Izzy looked healthy and happy.

"It would appear life in Italy is agreeing with the star."

I tuned out the rest of the news segment as they covered the messy divorce of a couple of A-listers. Bored out of my brains I turned the TV off just as my cell phone started ringing. It wasn't a number I recognised, but it had a Forks area code so I answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey...Uhm Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Oh thank god. Hey, it's Bella. Uh, I have some biology homework here for you and my brother brought home the work from the rest of your classes."

"Hi. That's really nice of you. I can drive down and pick it up from your house if you're home."

"Actually...uhm...I'm outside."

"Oh. One sec." I hauled ass off the couch and did a quick pit sniff. Happy that I didn't smell like something dead I jogged to answer the front door.

Bella is toeing the gravel near her car as she leans against the drivers door. She looks up as I approach.

"Hey." I grin, forgetting that my nose is bright purple and I probably look like a deranged psycho.

Her eyes widen slightly. "Hi."

"Thanks for bringing this to me. You didn't have to go out of your way for me."

"I wanted to." She gives a small smile as she hands over the sheets of paper with my homework on. "Emmett said to tell you that you both got tops marks for your English assignment. Thanks for being so nice to him by the way. He doesn't make friends easily."

"I wonder why that is." I snarked before apologising. "I'm sorry. It's just that the hot and cold routine from Emmett is very confusing."

"I understand. Please don't tell him I told you this, but Emmett finds it hard to be himself sometimes. He's very guarded. We've moved around so much that he's afraid to make friends because he knows we'd only have to leave them behind again."

"Why did you move around like that? Are you hiding from the cops or something?" Bella raised a brow at me. "Yeah. I know. I realised what I said once I said it. You wouldn't be living with a cop if you were hiding from them. I'm an idiot."

"Maybe a little bit." She held up a finger and thumb, not quite pinching them together. "It's alright to be curious, just don't be nosey. We moved around a lot because my step-dad works for the American Embassy. We've been to all sorts of countries for his job, but we were missing our dad. So after a single phone call we were on a flight back to Seattle and here we are." She shrugged, slapping her hands on the sides of her jean clad thighs.

"Wow. I can't imagine travelling the world like that. I've only ever left the country once and that was when Alice and I were little. We went to Ireland for a distant cousins wedding."

"Oh I love Ireland. Dublin is a brilliant city and I had a wonderful time exploring Tullamore."

"You're so lucky you get to visit all of these amazing places. I don't think I'll ever get a chance to do anything like that."

"Why not? What's stopping you?"

"Well lots of things really. Once I graduate I'll be off to college and after that I'll be looking for my own place to live, not to mention looking for a job. Then there will probably be a girl in the picture too, so it's wedding planning and starting a family. Will probably be working towards a promotion at that point al-"

"Edward how old are you?" Bella interrupted me.

"Seventeen." I frowned.

"And you have your whole future mapped out like that? Whose plan is it? Yours or your parents?" When I didn't reply she carried on. "Precisely. There's no rule that says you have to have your whole life figured out by the time you turn twenty five. It's your life. Do what you want with it."

She made some valid points. Why do I have to follow that plan? What's stopping me from exploring a little first? "Thank you Bella. You've given me a lot to think about."

"You're welcome Edward. I'll see you at school tomorrow?" She queried.

"Of course. I can't handle another day of sitting around watching daytime TV. I can practically feel my braincells dying off."

Bella giggled at my mini rant. The sound giving me chills. The good sort. Not the creepy murderer ones. "You're funny Edward. Your girlfriend must be very lucky."

Girlfriend? What girlfriend? "Who said I had a girlfriend?"

"Alice. She kind of implied it."

WHAT?! How dare my own sister say such things.

"Bella she lied to you. I don't have a girlfriend. In case you couldn't tell I don't exactly have a good track record when it comes to talking to girls."

"You're doing pretty fine talking to me."

"That's because you're cool. Sure I had some difficulties when I first met you, but now you've seen me bloody, drugged up and vomit. If that doesn't make you run screaming for the hills, then I'm pretty sure not a lot else about me will. Other girls are too fake. Too bitchy. You're down to earth and real. The kind of girl any guy would be lucky enough to have. Hell, if you were my girl I would feel like I've hit the jackpot."

Bella blushed and hid behind her curtain of hair.

"I'm sorry. I've made you uncomfortable."

"It's okay. I'm just not used to such genuine compliments. Like you said; some people can be really fake."

We both turned at the sound of gravel crunching under tyres. My mom pulled up in her white SUV.

"Miss Swan, may I ask what you're doing here?" She said, climbing out of the vehicle.

"Hello Mrs Cullen. I was just bringing Edward his homework."

"Yes, well you've done that. You can go home now."

"Mom!" I hissed. "Don't be rude. Bella has gone out of her way to bring me my schoolwork so I don't fall behind. She doesn't deserve your animosity."

Mom stormed into the house without another word, slamming the front door behind her.

"I am so sorry about her. She doesn't normally act so rude."

"It's okay Edward. I should go."

"No, it's not okay. No one deserves to be treated like that. She owes you an apology."

"Just leave it please. It's not necessary. I'll see you tomorrow." She climbed into her car and drove off down the street.

What the hell?

I charged indoors and found my mom putting away some laundry. "What was that mom? Why'd you have to treat Bella that way? She didn't do anything except be nice. She didn't warrant that!"

"Now you listen to me Edward Anthony-" She shook her finger at me.

"No mom." I interrupted. "I won't listen to you. If I ever dared to treat anyone the way you just treated Bella I would never see the light of day again. Both you and dad would see to that."

"What would I see to? And what's with all the yelling?" Dad said from behind me. Neither of us had heard him get in from work.

"The way mom's been treating my friends. First with Emmett yesterday and now with Bella today. It's like I'm not allowed any friends yet Alice can have her boyfriend call by anytime of the day and night."

"Alice and Jasper have been together a long time. He's practically grown up in this house. Now the Swan kids we know nothing about. The first time we met them they cussed and fought in their front yard. It doesn't exactly give off a great first impression."

"And the way you've treated them does? God you're such a hypocrite mom!"

"Edward don't talk to your mother that way."

"Ugh! You two are the worst." I said storming away. "if you need me I'll be in my room doing the homework Bella was kind enough to bring over for me." I slammed my bedroom door and dived face first onto my bed. Big mistake that was. Pain lanced through my nose and sinuses, bringing tears to my eyes. I took a couple of Advil and let my mind wander for a while.

I had gotten nowhere with my homework by the time dad knocked on my door and told me dinner was ready.

The meal was eaten in a stony silence. Even Alice kept her mouth shut for once. Afterwards I loaded the dishwasher while Alice put away the leftovers. Mom and dad had disappeared upstairs for the remainder of the evening.

"Why'd you tell Bella I have a girlfriend? You know damn well that I don't."

"Oh please Edward." She scoffed. "We all know you have a one sided relationship with Izzy Marie. No other girl has ever come close to piquing that type of obsession in you. I just told her how it is. Not the obsessed fan part. I wouldn't be that cruel. It was easier to tell her you had a girlfriend. Half the girls at school are already under the assumption that you're gay. You really want Bella to make the same one?" She raised her eyebrow at me as she closed the fridge door.

"I guess not." I mumbled. Was my fondness for a certain actress an obsession? I didn't think it was that bad. I only own all of her DVD's, cut out each of her articles and watched celeb news in the hopes of hearing something about her and jerked off to images of her.

Yeah okay. I see it now. I'm borderline creeper material.

I close up the dishwasher and turn it on, leaving Alice to finish putting away the food. I jogged upstairs and tried to focus on the rest of the work Bella had brought me, but Alice's words kept floating around in my mind while I fought the urge to turn the celeb news channels.

I will show some restraint. I won't put on the TV.

Oh who was I kidding?

Ten minutes later I found myself reclined on my bed watching the celebrity section of the news like the weak-willed pussy that I am.

"And we have news from Italy. It looks like America's sweetheart Izzy Marie has found herself an Italian beau. Earlier this afternoon footage was leaked of everyone's favourite teen actress cuddled up in the arms of someone who appears to be nothing but brawn. Personal tutor or something else? Let's hope that there's some brains behind all those muscles."

I tuned out after that. My brain working overdrive. Does Izzy really have a boyfriend? And are muscular guys what she's attracted to? How long would it take me to get that buff?

In amongst all of those unanswered questions, I couldn't help but notice how much that guy in the pictures looked like Emmett from behind.

It couldn't be him though. There's no way you could get to Italy from Washington State that quickly. Nah. It's got to be someone else. Don't they say everyone has a doppelganger somewhere in the world?

Don't worry, Esme won't be so snooty for much longer.

Think Edward was justified in the way he spoke to his parents?

Let me know what you think?

Much love x