A/N: Yep. Birth certificate says Hannah…not Stephenie Meyer. I double-checked.

For the first time since I saw Edward from across the street I got a full nights sleep. I couldn't help but blush when I thought about the way he smiled at me at the mailbox. He seemed so nice, and normal. I felt guilty for assuming he was so hateful.

I woke up the next morning fully rested before my alarm clock went off. I opened my phone to see what time it was, and saw that I had missed three text messages from Alice last night while I was off in dreamland with Edward.

Bella! RU up?

Wake up sleepy!

I guess not. Txt me as soon as u get up. Luv ya.

I felt bad for sleeping through her messages; she obviously had something important to tell me. I text messaged her back

Hey. Sorry I fell asleep early….wat up?

I began getting ready for my day, waiting for my phone to buzz, which eventually it did.

OMG. I'm going out on a date with Jasper!

I wasn't shocked. Alice hasn't ever flirted with a guy like she had with Jasper, and she was beautiful. Jasper or any guy for that matter was lucky to have her on their arm.

I told her to meet me at school a little early so she could tell me all about it.

I still had plenty of time to get ready, so I got dressed, ate some pop tarts. I ran back up to my bathroom and swiped on some brown eyeliner. I rarely wore make up, and I didn't want it to be too much, but I felt like looking pretty today.

I left for school about fifteen minutes earlier than normal. That should give plenty of time for Alice's squeals and shrieks.

I was happy for her. I mean, she may make fun of my for my Eric phase, and obviously Jacob wasn't a good idea either, but Alice had some lame phases of her own. Which include both Mike, and Tyler. I couldn't blame either one of us though. Slim pickins.

I parked right next to Alice's Audi while she just stared at me through the window with a huge smile on her face. I got out of my truck, and climbed into the passenger seat of her car. "Good morning Alice." I said with a grin.

"Why, yes it is." She replied leaving me sitting next to her, in suspense. "Alice, I know you're about to explode, so just let me have it." I giggled. "Oh my god Bella! Jasper and I have almost all of the same classes, which is why he was sitting with us at lunch yesterday. So then after we had talked all through lunch, sixth, and seventh period he asked me if I would like to show him what there is to do here!" She was beaming.

"That's so cool Alice! So what are you going to show him?" I asked, truly curious. I'd lived here two years, and I still don't know what to do here. Except for get lost in the woods, and go to the Newtons shop to look at hiking gear I would never use.

"Well. I already told him that we couldn't do anything here in Forks. I was thinking we'd go to a movie in Port Angeles." She said, looking at me for approval. "I think that's a great idea. I'm surprised you're not going to make him go shopping with you." I poked her playfully. I was truly shocked though.

"No, that has to wait until he's my boyfriend for sure, then he has to put up with my terrible shopping habits." She said half joking, half serious. When she was finished gushing, it was my turn. I told her all about Edward, and what happened at the mailbox.

"I think he likes you! You should have seen the way he looked at you at lunch." Alice always thought boys liked me. She didn't see me the way I saw myself, that's for sure.

We decided to quit talking about the boys, since they pulled up right next to us in Edward's new Volvo. We stepped out of the car inconspicuously. "Oh, hey guys. We didn't see you there." Alice yelled. Okay. Maybe not so inconspicuously anymore.

"Hey Alice, Bella." Jasper said. Mainly focusing on his new infatuation, my best friend. "So uh. Why are you sitting in Alice's car, when you truck is right there?" Edward asked me. "Well. Uhh we were umm cold, and….didn't want to sit in different cars….duh!" I was such a horrible liar. I practically stuttered the whole sentence.

To make matters worse. As I was walking to the cafeteria I tripped over what appears to be thin air. All I could think was, please don't let Edward see me fall face first on to the wet cement, please! Then I felt that strange electricity again. I looked up and saw Edward giving me that same crooked grin that had stopped my heart the day before.

"I'm starting to believe that maybe you really did fall at the beach." He whispered in my ear, and I blushed.

What did he mean by that? Did I think I didn't fall at the beach? Oh crap, did he know I didn't fall at the beach?

I just stared at him stupidly, when I realized that he still had his arms around me. I reluctantly broke free.

"We need to get to class. I'll see you at lunch. Thanks for uh….catching me." I said to him.

"Anytime, Bella. Try not to do that again until lunch though." He winked at me in a way that only he could get away with, and I walked away. I was still dizzy from his touch.

I arrived at my first period English class just in time, and I took my usual seat next to Mike Newton. "Good morning, Bella." He said to me. Mike was such a sweet kid, but it was always awkward that he wanted to be more than friends with me.

"Morning Mike, how was your weekend?" I asked back out of courtesy, since class hadn't started yet. "It was good." He paused before speaking again. "So umm. I see that you and Alice have been hanging out with the Cullen boys." He stated, trying to make it sound like a question. So Cullen was their last name? hmmm. I like it.

"You mean Edward and Jasper? Yeah. They're pretty cool." I said back. I could tell there was something more, and I probably didn't care to know what it was.

"Well just be careful with the bigger one, I heard he moved here because he almost killed a kid at his old school. I don't want to see you getting hurt." He said with such seriousness I almost laughed.

Edward? Almost killing someone? That's hilarious. Then I remembered him saying that he had a temper, and that's why he shut the door in my face. I decided to brush it off. High school was nothing but a big game of telephone, and I wasn't going to believe anything I heard about Edward until he said it himself, or tried to kill me.

I had to stifle back laughter at the thought, but at the same time. It's not like someone I had trusted had never hurt me before.

I knew I was getting ahead of myself, and I was thankful when Mr. Masen walked in to begin our lesson.

He gave us a worksheet about the book we were reading, which I had read a million times before. I quickly finished it, and began doodling on the back of my notebook for the remainder of the hour.

The next three periods: Math, History, and Spanish, dragged on the same way English did. Finally it was time for lunch. When I got out of Spanish Edward was waiting for me.

"Hi." I said awkwardly shuffling my feet. "Hello." He said with perfect composition. He was going to make me ask. "So what brings you to my Spanish room?" I asked playfully, but still demanding an answer.

"I thought I would walk you to lunch, if that's okay?" He said adorably. I felt foolish for liking him so much. "Of course it's okay. At least if I fall again, you're here to catch me." I tried to flirt with confidence, but I'm sure I sounded like a ten year old with a crush.

"That's true. I did tell you not to fall without me." He said as he took my books from my hands. "I can carry my own books." I said stubbornly, I didn't want to use him as a backpack. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a pretty girl carry around her own books?" He said with that smile.

I was blushing terribly now, I put my hair in my face in hopes that he wouldn't see. Did he really just call me a "pretty girl"? Jessica Stanley, and Angela Weber are "pretty". While Alice and Rosalie are beautiful, but I am neither of the two.

He noticed the look on my face and chuckled. "You've never had someone carry your things for you before, or what?" He asked playfully. "No, actually I haven't." I giggled. I wasn't sure what to do with my now, empty hands. I put them in my pocket so I'd quit fidgeting.

"That's a shame." He said, and it sounded like he genuinely thought it was.

We talked lightly like that all the way to lunch. "And where have you too been?" Alice asked us suggestively as we walked to the table together. Edward to his normal seat next to Alice, and I took mine next to Emmett.

"Yeah Bella, should I be having a talk with Edward about intentions soon?" Emmett joked, which made me want to crawl up and die. "I think it's a little too soon for all that." Edward joked back.

Why do all of these people make jokes at my expense? We never make fun of Rose, or Alice!

"Well you'd certainly be better than her last boyfriend." Alice spoke up, and I glared at her.

I never told Alice exactly how mean Jacob was, but she could tell that I didn't hang out with her as much, and that I stopped talking to Emmett almost completely. Alice was always good at putting things together. She didn't like Jacob as soon as she'd met him.

"What did he do to her?" Edward asked with the same expression he had the night he shut the door in my face.

"Nothing." I said a little too defensively, and everyone's attention turned to me. I was red as a tomato by this point. I wasn't good at lying to one person, let alone five.

"I never said he did anything to her, he just always wanted to be with her, but never let us see her too." Alice spoke up, sensing how uncomfortable I was. She sent me a look, and I knew she wanted to have a talk with me later about why I was so defensive.

Edward's face calmed, but it was forced. "Oh. Well that sucks. She should be able to spend time with her friends too." He talked about me in second person like I wasn't there. "So Alice and Jasper, what fun plans do you two have this Friday? I asked even though I already knew. I just wanted the spotlight off of me.

"Oh yes. I need to have the intentions talk with Jasper, as well." Emmett joked again, but Jasper didn't look like he thought it was so funny as he let out a nervous chuckle. I can't blame him. Emmett was huge. He is really sweet, but he also isn't someone I would mess with.

I smiled a little bit at the thought of how Emmett would handle Jacob if he knew how I got that bruise. It was almost worth telling him, almost.

"My intentions are all good, don't worry." Jasper said seriously, but still lightly enough that it didn't change the mood at the table. Alice smiled and took his hand.

The bell rang, and it was time for biology, a class I was not looking forward to after the 'incident' yesterday. I stood up and before I could even turn to get my books Edward had scooped them up and gently grabbed my arm to lead me to class. "Thanks." I mumbled, dreading the next class.

He stopped us outside of the classroom and turned me around to face him, away from everyone else. "Are you okay? You look like something's bothering you." He asked sweetly, his velvety voice already making me feel better.

"Yeah I'm fine. I just know I'm going to catch a lot of crap for freaking out yesterday. Especially from Tyler and Lauren." I nodded my head in their direction as they pointed and laughed at me, whispering something I couldn't hear.

"Don't worry about them. Who cares what they think." He said convincingly. We went inside and sat down in our seats. He sat much closer to me than he had the day before.

"Hey Bella!" Tyler shouted. I looked over to him, and he was holding a pen to his finger like he was going to prick it. Edward scowled at him. He tried to glare back, but Edward definitely won, as Tyler looked away about three seconds later.

I knew this was going to be a bad class. The biology teacher walked in and began speaking to the class.

"Today we are going to begin a three week long project in which we will create our own ecosystems. You will be set up in pairs with-"

"Oh I have to leave, I hate being in pairs! I'm going to be sick!" Lauren shouted and everyone started laughing hysterically. Except for me, and Edward.

"Calm down Calm down!" The teacher shouted, but nobody listened. I could feel the first tear trickle down my cheek as I looked down. Edward turned to look at me, and the laughter finally started to fizzle out.

"Bella don't cry. Please don't cry. I don't want to see you upset." He whispered to me as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Don't worry Bella." Lauren snorted my name. "At least you have a new boyfriend to take care of you." Everyone started laughing again, and Edward stood up.

"Gee, Lauren, you seem pretty upset seeing as how you threw yourself at me and my brother yesterday at lunch. Are you Jealous that I would choose Bella over you? Where's your boyfriend? Couldn't get one?" He asked her in the most demeaning tone I think I'd ever heard. She just snorted and sat down.

"That is quite enough!" The teacher was bright red with anger by now.

"As I was saying!" He was still shouting. "You will be in pairs with the person who sits next to you. You will need to do this project at home over the next three weeks. You will have to meet at each other's house every two or three days to check on your ecosystems. You will have two. One plant and one fish." He took a deep breath.

"Now. The directions are simple and are on the worksheet by the door, which you can pick up on the way out. I am going to be in my office for the remainder of the period to grade papers, while you all watch this video on ecosystems, I trust you all to behave yourselves." He looked at Lauren, and then Edward.

He flipped off the lights as the video began. "Thanks Edward." I was able to squeak out, completely embarrassed that I couldn't defend myself, and he had to do it for me. "It's fine. She needed someone to tell her that she wasn't as clever as she thought." He smiled at me my new favorite smile.

"So I guess you're going to have to come over for this project. Which won't be hard seeing as how you live across the street." I said as I smiled back. I was hoping my true excitement about us having to be with each other outside of school wasn't apparent with my voice inflection.

"Oh no. Anything but that!" He gasped sarcastically making me blush and giggle. "Sorry, but I don't think you can get out of it. This is a big part of our grade." I said trying to sound serious, but I was still giggling.

"I guess we're going to have to learn to get along." He nudged me, the electrical current still passed through me every time we made contact. "So do you want to come over today a little after school to get started?" I asked hopefully, but trying to play it cool.

"Sounds good to me." He said back, still smiling.

We continued making small talk through out the rest of the class, and he walked me to Gym.

"I'll see you around four?" I asked him, giving myself half an hour to snack, and clean up before he came over.

"Yep. It's a date." He winked jokingly, at least, I think.

After Edward walked away I proceeded into the locker room and got changed for my least favorite class of the day, which went by surprisingly quick. Before I knew it, I was back in my truck, headed home.

By the time I got home, Edward was already in his house. He must have been a fast driver. I went inside and cleaned up. I walked up the stairs to the only bathroom, that I shared with my Father. I looked like a mess.

I quickly brushed through my hair, making it smooth. I put on a little more brown eyeliner, and some clear lip-gloss. I took off my sweater, and put on a flattering T-shirt, since it was warmer in my house. I had bought it with Alice on the shopping trip we took before my first date with Jake, which seemed so long ago.

I looked at the clock and it was 3:57. I didn't think I could bare the wait. I went downstairs and practically paced by the door until after what seemed like forever there was finally a knock. I opened the door.

"Well you look nice." Said Edward, who was looking as gorgeous as ever with that smile again. "Heh. Thanks, I just wanted to change into something more comfortable, and what not." I lied. "Are we going to do this project outside, or am I invited in?" he said with a light chuckle. I blushed.

"Yeah, sorry. Come on in." I led him through the living room, and we sat on the couch.

"So we can't really start until we get seeds for the plants, and some fish from the pet store." He brought to my attention. I was actually kind of glad that I would either just hang out with Edward, or get to go somewhere with him.

"Well the pet store just closed. We might have to wait until tomorrow to get the fish." I said, hoping he would decide to wait to get the seeds too, and not leave.

"I'm not really in the mood for homework anyway." He said to me, and reached for the remote. Good. He was planning to stay. "So what do you normally watch?" He had his attention on me now.

"I don't really watch much TV. I am more of a reader." I said honestly, hoping that he wasn't go to tell me he hated books. "Yeah. I like to read too. You strike me as that type." He said, and I wasn't sure what he meant but I let it go.

He was watching a court TV show, and he began getting angry with the defendant of the case, who was a complete imbecile. The way he was looking at the TV reminded me of the way he looked at me the first time we met, and the way he looked again today during lunch.

I suddenly remembered what Mike Newton had said this morning during English about Edwards "Temper". I was sure it was all a lie but I also wanted to know the truth.

"Umm Edward, do you mind if I ask you a question?" I said meekly. He turned off the TV and turned his full attention to me. "Sure. Anything." He said, and he seemed calm enough.

"Why did your family move here?" I asked him.

"Oh. I was expelled from my old school, and my parents thought that it was time for a change to a…simpler lifestyle." He hesitated as he searched for the right words. So Mike Newton wasn't lying. Maybe Edward really did have a temper. I liked him a lot, but the last thing I needed was to get involved with another hot head.

"I heard this morning that you were expelled for almost killing someone, is that true?" I decided to just get to the point. Edward started hysterically laughing. "This isn't funny Edward! Did you?" I asked again.

"Bella. Do you really think I would try to kill someone? I got into a fight with a boy named James, because he pushed Jasper. I love my brother, but he isn't the best at defending himself, so I stepped in. This kid just so happened to be the mayors son, and my family kind of became shunned." He said.

I chuckled lightly. "Well you have to admit. It makes sense. The first day I ever met you, you glared at me like I was the devil. Then at the mailbox you told me that it was because you had a 'temper'" I said, hoping I hadn't offended him. "Which brings me to my next question. If you were so mad that day, but it had nothing to do with me. Why were you so upset?" His face changed from amused to indifferent, almost sad.

"I don't really want to tell you." He admitted, as he looked down. "Please Edward, I'm not going to think anything different of you." I tried to pout, like the face Alice always gave me when I refused her shopping trips. It must have worked because he finally spoke.

"Fine. I will tell you why I was mad, but I get to ask you a question and you have to answer it honestly, deal?" he said holding out his hand, which I was all too eager to take. "Deal." I agreed, and waited for the one answer to the one question that had bugged me ever since I first met him.

"Before you came over to my house that day, I heard a bunch of yelling. Some guy was obviously pretty pissed off and he called someone, who I know now, is you, something that I don't even want to repeat. Then I heard a crash, there was some more yelling before a lanky kid came out of your house and left in a crappy Volkswagen." He took a breath trying to calm himself, as I sat there, completely stunned.

"Then I saw you get on your roof, and you looked upset. I was bother by the fact that someone would yell at someone who seemed so….calm and serene." He pondered a while longer.

"Then you came to my house, and I didn't really notice at first until I said something that made you do that adorable blushing thing you do." He said, making me prove his point by blushing. "Then I noticed that awful looking bruise on your cheek. When I touched it, you winced, like you thought I was going to hurt you. Which brings me to my question now." I was scared at what he was about to say.

"Where did you really get that bruise?" he asked, looking me straight in the eyes.

I hesitated for a minute. I knew I was going to have to tell Alice and Emmett soon anyway due to the look they were giving me at lunch when I acted over defensively.

"Well. That guy you saw was my boyfriend, Jacob, who is now my ex." I gulped; I couldn't believe I was going to confide this in Edward. "We had been dating about two months, and he was really nice at first, then he started controlling me." I was trying not to cry.

"He was the reason why I didn't hang out with Alice, and I wasn't allowed to see Emmett at all because he was a guy." I took another breath to compose myself for the worst part of the tale.

"That day I had gone to the beach with him, and he got really drunk. We first started arguing at the beach, because I didn't want him to drive me home while drunk. He pitched a huge fit, and pretty much forced me into the passengers seat. Once we got back here, he took me up to my bedroom where he kept trying to get me to sleep with him, which is what we argued about the most. He eventually got so frustrated when I told him that I didn't want to have sex with him, because I didn't want to be with him, and he slapped me." The tears finally began going down my face.

Edward took me in his arms, and leaned my body up against his chest. "Was that the first time he ever did that to you?" he asked, he was obviously angry again, but I finally understood what he meant when he said he was angry, but not at me.

"He had pushed me a few times before that, be that was the first and only time he ever actually hit me." I said, as I stopped crying. It felt so good to be held up against Edward like this. I felt so safe.

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to beat him up?" He asked, totally serious.

"No, but if he ever does it again, I'll let you know." I chuckled. He didn't.

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Your dad is the Chief for Christ's sake!" He said a little louder than he needed to.

"Well that was the hardest part about it. My dad and Jacob's dad are best friends. I knew if I told my Dad what was really going on, it would put a strain on his friendship, and I could never do that to my Dad. He has already been through so much with my mom walking out on him, and taking me with him." The tears began to flow again slightly.

"I'm so sorry Bella. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I want you to tell me if he ever bothers you again though, do you promise?" He asked while holding my face in his large hands. He made me feel so fragile.

"I promise." I told him, and I was telling the truth.

He leaned in and kissed my cheek, which stopped my breathing. His lips were so smooth, and soft. I could tell even on my cheek. He placed my head back on his chest, as we sat there in comfortable silence.

I had never felt this good being so quiet with someone, not even on that first night with Jake.

He began rubbing soothing circles on my back. "Bella." He whispered.

"Hmm?" Was all I could muster out.

"Can I take you out sometime? I want to show you something I think you'd like." He asked me. I was shocked. I somehow found my voice.

"I would like that a lot, Edward, and I just wanted to say thank you for….you know…..listening." I told him a little nervously. "Thanks for telling me, I want you to be able to trust me." He spoke as he gave me a tiny kiss on the top of my head.

I sat up, and stared into his mesmerizing green eyes. I never moved this fast before, but I wanted to kiss him. He sensed what I was doing and took my face gently in his hands. He began slowly leaning toward me. Our lips had barely made contact when.

"Bells! I'm home! We have company!" My dad shouted as me and Edward hopped back from each other.

"I'm in the living room Dad!" He walked in. "Dad, this is Edward. We're doing a project in biology together. Edward, this is my Dad."

"Hello Mr. Swan. It's nice to meet you." Edward said politely.

"It's nice to meet you too Edward." He said quickly. "Now Bella don't be mad at me, but I brought someone who wants to talk to you." And then he came in.

Jacob was standing in the doorway, glaring directly at Edward.

Edward and I both stood up, he positioned himself so I was behind him. "I don't want to talk to him, Dad." I said almost in tears for the third time today.

"Aww. Come on Bells. It will be fine. Billy and I are going to run to the market to get some stuff and let you two talk it out for a while, I'll be back in about twenty minutes." He said, not sensing the dread written across my face. Edward and Jacob still glared at each other.

"I think maybe you should go home for a while, then you're welcome to come back for dinner." My dad said to Edward. God this was bad.

"Yeah. Sure Mr. Swan, just let me get my notebook." He quickly scrawled something, and handed it to me. "My cell phone number, just in case." He said.

My Dad walked Edward out and I looked at the piece of paper in my hand.

I will be back as soon as they're gone. I won't let anything happen to you.

Edward.

A/N: Oh my Goodness. Longest chapter so far, just like I promised. Took me a while. I will update again tomorrow. I update everyday no matter what. Review please? This chapter was incredibly difficult to write and I really want to know what you think. Thanks!