Disclaimer: I do own a copy of Twilight; however, I don't own the actual rights to said book … :(

This chapter is dedicated to all you reviewers out there especially JaspersAngel who is really funny! Thanks for taking the time and reviewing my story, it means a lot! You're awesome!

Chapter 13: Basketball

EPOV

It'd been four days since I'd last spoken to Bella on that fateful day when she said she wanted to be friends. Since then I've been keeping myself busy with school work and exercising, training for basketball tryouts which were today.

"Jasper, going to tryouts, I'll be back later," I told Jasper as I pulled my t-shirt on over my head.

"Good luck man, not that you need it." Jasper said hitting my back and shoving me out the door playfully.

"Thanks," I said and ran to tryouts.

I loved to run, almost as much as I loved basketball. Something about having limits but being able to push past them gave me such a natural high, it was amazing. And currently, it was practically the only the keeping my mind off Bella, since every time I began to think about her I would just push myself to run faster.

I made it to the gym in a matter of minutes and joined a group of already about thirty guys. The coach wasn't there yet so I put down my bag and took a sip of my water.

"Alright boys, huddle around," Coach yelled, walking into the gym.

We all quickly ran over to him and he began his speech, "My name is Coach Howard, I can be your best friend, or your worst enemy, but either way I will push you to your limits. Since we are a small school our basketball team is not well known but that doesn't mean I don't expect you to play like the pros, putting in 110 effort all the time. We will have practices every night from 7-9 and some mornings as I see fit. I expect you to show up to games and practices on time, and will not allow tardiness. We will be having two days of tryouts, today and tomorrow, and then tomorrow night I will post the team roster outside these doors," he said pointing the doors he just walked through, "Only twelve people will make the team, so show me your best today and tomorrow. Go run five laps to warm-up." He said and we all took off running.

Fifteen minutes later we all stood before Coach Howard again, some huffing and puffing while some, myself included, stood there quietly waiting for our next instructions.

"Today we will be focusing on the technical part of the game, tomorrow will be scrimmages." We nodded, "So let's start off with lay-ups, right handed and when I blow the whistle switch to your left. If you miss one I want you to run up and down the court and then get back into the line."
We all lined up and began our drill, it was simple enough. I could do lay-ups in my sleep so I wasn't worried.

I was surprised some people were having such trouble with it, though. There was one kid who stood about 5'9 who could not make a lay-up to save his life, I actually started to feel bad for him when he began his fifth run down the courts.

When he reached the base line again, coach blew the whistle and we all shifted to the left side of the courts to do our left lay-ups.

They were more difficult for most people, and as such, a lot more guys had to run.

I managed to make all mine, and was the only one other then a tall guy with black hair that made them all.

The try-outs continued for two hours, and we did everything from dribbling drills to 3-point contests and finished off, with of course, another three laps.

After I finished the laps, coach said we were free to go, so I walked over to my bag.

"I am so not coming back tomorrow," I heard a brown-haired boy say to his buddy.

"Me either, I think I'm about to die, basketball is so not worth this," he shook his head and walked out with his friend.

"They're such babies," I heard a voice say from behind me and turned around to see the black-haired boy.

"Yea, hey good job out there man." I said, "You're really good"

"You're not so bad yourself," he said, patting my back in a friendly gesture, "Name's Tom"

"Edward," I said, taking a sip of my water.

"How long have you been playing?" he asked.

"A while, ten years at least. I love the game, you?" I asked.

"My mom jokes that I had a basketball with me when I came out of the womb," Tom rolled his eyes. "Hey, so what are you doing tonight? Some of my buddies and I are going out tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

Going out the night before another day of try outs? Was this guy insane?

"Can't, sorry." I said, "Maybe next time though."

"Sure, well see you around," and with that Tom left.

I picked up my bag and made my way to the doors when I was stopped by the coach.

"You are pretty good, son" he said, "What's your name?"

"Edward, Edward Mason, sir" I said, shaking his hand.

"Well Mason, I hope to see you back here tomorrow, you'd be a great addition to our team."

"I will definitely be back tomorrow, couldn't keep me away if you tried." I laughed.

"I like your spirit Mason, yes, yes; I think we will get along just fine." He slapped my back and walked away and I quickly left the gym.

I smiled to myself knowing I made a good impression on the coach, which was the most important thing when I ran into someone.

"Oh sorry…" I said, looking down at the person, "Alice!" I said.

"Edward, hi," she said awkwardly, "how have you been?"
"I'm alright," I said, suddenly having all the sadness and pity flow back into me, "how are you?"

"Good, Jasper and I are going to the movies tonight, I don't know if he told you that." She said.

"He might have mentioned that to me, I've been really busy though lately so I don't remember." I said.

"Right, basketball?" she asked.

"Yep! Try outs today and tomorrow," I replied.

"How'd they go?"

"Pretty well, coach stopped me after and said I did a good job, so that's… good" I said.

"That's good, well I have to go, Bella-" she stopped and stared wide-eyed at me.

"You can say her name, its fine Alice; she is your roommate after all." I said, covering up the pain I felt at hearing that name.

"Right, well I am meeting her soon. We should talk more often Edward, see you around." She waved and walked away.

I shook me head to clear my thoughts of Bella and continued walking. I was stopped a couple minutes later by Jessica.

"Edward!" she purred.

"Jessica, right?" I asked.

"You remembered!" she giggled then threw her arms around my waist, "Whatcha doing later tonight?"

"Homework," I said in a flat voice.

"Mind if I come over and do mine to?" she asked, snaking her fingers under my shirt.

I pulled her hands away and said, as politely as I could muster, "Sorry, my roommate is sick, wouldn't want you to catch it." I lied.

"We could do homework in my room then?" she raised her eyebrows.

"I promised him I'd be there tonight to help him, you know if he needs anything?" I said.

"You are such a great guy, Edward," she said in amazement, "Really how don't you have a girlfriend?"

I gritted my teeth, "I'm gay." I said.

Her eyes widened but then she smiled, "If you're gay then why were you out with Bella a couple nights ago? And why were you kissing her?"

He heart dropped, and I frowned. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"Bella Swan. Lauren talked to Ashley who talked to Abigail who called Stacy who then told me," she took a deep breath, "That she saw you two kissing a couple nights ago and looking very couple-y. You're not dating are you?"

I pursed my lips, "No, we are not dating."

"Oh, goodie! Well in that case, here's my number," she pulled out a card, a pre-written card with her number, name, and her picture on it saying 'call me'. "See you around Eddie," she kissed me on the cheek then walked away.

I rubbed at my cheek, trying to get the feeling of her lips off of my skin, and threw the card away into the nearest garbage can after ripping it into ten little pieces.

The rest of my walk back to the doors was uneventful, and soon I found myself lying on my bed with my hands beneath my head talking to Jasper.

"Ran into Alice on the way back," I said.

His face brightened at the sound of her name, "Really?"

"Yep, she says you two are going on a date later tonight."

"Yea, we are." Jasper said, "Sorry I didn't tell you, I wasn't sure if I should mention it."

"It's fine," I said, standing up to go shower, "well I'm going to go clean myself, I'm sure I smell horrible."
"I wasn't going to say anything, but…" Jasper joked.

I threw my basketball shoe at him and walked out the door.

When I walked back into my room I saw Jasper on my phone.

I raised an eyebrow at him and he mouthed 'your mom'. My eyes widened and he said "hold on" into the receiver.

"Sorry man, she kept calling so I just picked up, she sounds really nice."

"Yea, she is," I said.

"Well hold on," he said to me then talked into the phone again, "Edward just walked in, want me to give him the phone?" he paused listening to her speak. "Ok, sure. See you soon." He held out the phone to me.

See you soon? What does he mean? Oh my god, my mother better not be coming…

"Hello?" I asked questioningly.

"Edward, honey, how are you?" Esme asked.

"I'm great mom," I lied, "How are you? Dad?"

"Oh, we are just grand darling; we decided to call you since you seem to have lost our number since you haven't called us yet."

"Sorry, I've been really busy lately." I said.

"Too busy for your own parents?" I could hear the sadness in her voice.

"No, no, I just lost track of time, it won't happen again, I'm sorry."
"Oh, it's fine sweetie, we just miss you."

"I miss you too, mom." I said, then asked the question I'd been dreading, "I heard Jasper say he'd see you soon, are you coming?"
"You are coming up here with him," she said like it was obvious, "we wanted to meet him, and want to see you. While you were in the shower we agreed that you'll come up here for the long weekend in a couple weeks."

"Oh, ok" I released a breath, "I'm looking forward to that." I smiled at Jasper who was sitting on his bed now. "Hey mom, is it okay if Jasper brings someone?"

"Sure honey, who?" she asked.

"Alice, his girlfriend," I looked over at Jasper to see he was grinning widely and he mouthed 'thanks' to me. I simply nodded.

"That would be great, Edward. Feel free to bring someone to if you want." She suggested.

"I'll keep in mind that I can," I said quickly.

"Well I have to go, your father keeps motioning to me that he wants to talk to you. I love you." She said.

"Love you too, mom" I said then heard my dad's voice.

"Edward," Carlisle said.

"Dad, how are you?" I asked, thrilled to hear his voice.

"Great son, how do you like college?" he asked.

"It's awesome," I replied honestly.

"Well, that's just great Edward. It's good to hear your voice, and sorry to cut this conversation so short, but I have to go."

"That's fine dad" I said.

"Bye," he said then hung up.

"Your parents sound really cool," Jasper said once I hung up my phone.

"Yea, they are." I said.

"I can't believe you asked them if I could bring Alice, you are quite possibly the best roommate ever!" he said enthusiastically.

"I actually get that a lot," I said sarcastically.

"Sure you do," he said, rolling his eyes, "Well I gotta go, date with Alice and I can't wait to tell her the news!"

"Cya," I said, opening my laptop to start my homework while Jasper walked out of the room.

A/N: Not a lot happened in this chapter, but it was needed to set up the plot for the rest of the story … if you look closely you'll see hints to practically the rest of the plot, minus a couple curve balls I'll throw in here. I posted a new story, so go read it and review for it! No, that doesn't mean that this story is ending soon or that I'll stop writing it. I'll just be writing two stories at once, since I'm talented like that –sarcasm-. But seriously, go read it and review … and review for this story as well! Remember, I write – you review- we call it even!