May 24, 1996

My bedroom is sunny when we wake up. The alarm clock on my nightstand says it's just after nine. Guess we're not making it to school at all today. That's fine by me. We've got the house to ourselves, and how many chances do we get to just lie around naked and tangled up together? It's a warm day, so I open the windows to let in the breeze as we laze in my bed, dozing and talking and touching.

My bedroom is also located in the front corner of the house, right above the driveway, which is a good thing. Because when I wake up again closer to ten a.m., the first thing I hear is a car door.

I jump up to look out the window. Dad. My dad's home.

Shit.

"Bella," I say quietly but urgently. I push your hair away from your face, kissing your cheek as you stretch your arms over your head. "I love you, but we've gotta get you outta here."

"Hmm?" Your eyes are only half open. I pull you by the hand until you're sitting up.

"My dad's home." The sound of feet on the stairs lights a fire under both our asses. "Shit. Come on, dollface. Up and at 'em."

With fully open eyes and a lovesick grin, you jump up and wrap the sheet around you, then stand by my bedroom door so you'll be behind it when it opens. I search for my boxers, tugging them on when I find them on the floor. The memory of you pulling them down as you put your mouth on me flashes through my head. I'd probably have an instant boner if I weren't afraid that I'm about to get my ass handed to me. I hop on one foot, trying to get the tangled boxers up and almost falling on my face in the process. You cover your mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Edward?" My dad's voice is muffled through the door, and even though my car's in the driveway and my bookbag's downstairs by the front door, I still harbored a tiny bit of hope that he'd assume I walked to school.

"Yeah, just a sec." I take a deep breath and glance around, kicking your dress and underwear under my bed.

I don't think my dad would be all that mad if he found out you were here, but it's best not to chance it.

You're still covering your mouth, trying not to laugh. I put a finger to my lips and a hand on the doorknob and take another deep breath as I open the door just wide enough not to look suspicious.

"Hey, Dad."

"What're you doing home, Son?" He looks tired, to say the least. I haven't seen him since Tuesday night. "You feeling okay?"

"Uh, yeah." I can't lie to a dad who's a doctor about being sick. "Just didn't sleep well last night. I needed a day off."

"It's Friday. You couldn't wait for the weekend?"

I shrug.

"Sorry." He rubs his hands over his face and sighs. "I'm an exhausted grouch who's going straight to bed. Does your mother know you stayed home?"

I shake my head. "She left before it was time for me to get up."

"Just…call one of us next time, okay?"

"Yeah. I will."

He starts to turn away, but then he looks at me with a half-smile. "Guess there won't be many 'next times,' huh?"

Graduation's just a couple of weeks away, and even though I still don't know where I'm going for school, I certainly won't be living at home. I grin back at him. "Guess not."

He shakes his head and steps forward. For a second, I'm afraid he's going to want to come in and talk, but he just ruffles my wild hair and tells me good night…even as the sun climbs higher in the sky.

I shut the door and lean back against it, pressing a hand to my chest like it'll slow my racing heart. You finally let a quiet giggle through and wrap your arms around my waist.

"You handled that like a champ. How many girls have you had to hide in your bedroom?" you tease.

I chuckle. "This is a first, love."

June 1, 1996

The Saturday after finals week, we go out with Alice and Jasper to celebrate. They're gross, staring and kissing and leaning on each other all the time. Is that what we look like to other people? Because it's sort of obnoxious.

I decide that I don't care if we're obnoxious. But Alice is almost like my sister.

We've got a whole week before graduation, and I'd ask Jasper for occasional use of the houseboat again, but they're using it a lot now. So…ew. I won't be taking you back to that bed. Unless we get desperate. There is a couch.

At dinner, you insist on sitting on the same side of the booth as Alice. She pouts at first, but you both go into girly mode right after our drinks arrive. It's good to step out of our bubble every now and then, I tell myself…even though my legs frame yours under the table and we sneak frequent looks at each other that say your legs will be framing me later tonight.

After we eat, we use our new fake ID's (procured by Jasper) to go see a band we just heard about. They're new to the alternative scene, and they blow us away.

"You wanna try for a beer?" I shout over the music.

It's semi-dark here, but I can still see you blush. "I'd rather not push it. My dad would kill me."

I chuckle and kiss you, because you're so damned cute. After the first set, we go grab some water at the bar, where I see a very familiar face.

Tanya.

I haven't seen her since we broke up. She's hanging all over some guy. My eyes dart away, and I turn my back to her before she can see me.

My luck's not so great later on. She spots me in the crowd and waves. I put my arm around your shoulders and nod at her. Tanya narrows her eyes and turns away. Thank God. But she corners me when I'm waiting for you outside the bathroom.

"Is that Bella?" she asks without so much as a hello.

I cross my arms and eyeball the guy whose hand she's clinging to. "Not that it concerns you, but yeah."

She nods. "She's…pretty."

I'm utterly speechless.

"Good seeing you." She smiles, and they walk away.

That's it? I think. Your hand on my arm startles me. I didn't see you come out of the bathroom.

"Who was that?" you ask.

"Uh…that was Tanya."

"The Tanya?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. She's…cute."

I look up at the ceiling and laugh, pulling you close. "She's got nothin' on you, dollface."

You stand on your tiptoes, wrap your arms around my neck, and whisper in my ear, "I think I like dollface best of all."