Hey. Sorry it's been so long since I updated...I've been really busy. I'm the middle school play now, so I might not be able to update as often. Sorry!

This chapter is kinda short, but I thought where I ended was a good place to end. Sorry for the shortness...

Disclaimer: I'm getting bored of thinking up funny disclaimers. Can't you people just realize that I don't own twilight?!?!? Is it really that hard to get through your heads? Geeze people! I DON'T OWN IT!!

Chapter 23

I looked over at Edward, and he looked back at me. I sighed.

"This is going to be a long day..." I said.

The first half of the day passed without conflict. I kept my hand out of sight when I was around anyone except Edward or Alice, and I figured Mike hadn't been able to pass the word around yet. Even so, by lunch time, I was more than ready to go home.

I sat down at our usual lunch table, and Edward and Alice each sat on either side of me. When everyone was seated, Mike looked up from his food and looked at me.

"I never really go to congratulate you two," he said. I could tell by his tone and his expression that he was saying 'ha, now everyone will know.' He turned to look at Edward and continued. "Congrats. Your very lucky, Edward. I only wish I would've beaten you to it. But no hard feelings, I know she'll appreciate you almost as much as she would've if I was in your place."

Edward looked like he was about ready to murder Mike. Everyone looked up from their tables to look at Edward and I. Well, everyone except Alice, who looked at Mike, clearly stunned at how cruel he was.

"What are you talking about, Mike?" Jessica asked, looking back and forth from Edward to me.

"Oh, didn't Bella tell you?" Mike asked in false surprise. "Oh, well, I guess I'll tell you then. Her and Edward are engaged."

You could've heard a pin drop in the lunch room. Mike had made a point to say the last bit as loud as he could, so everyone in the whole cafeteria heard him. I looked around, and everyone was staring at us, looking stunned.

"You're...you're...what?" Jess stuttered.

"We're engaged," I said quietly, thoroughly embarrassed. I could feel my face getting hot, and was sure that I was probably as red as a tomato. Jess still looked disbelieving, so I held out my hand to show her. As my ring came into view, all the girls gasped.

I felt like I was reliving the day everyone first saw my scars all over again. Everyone staring at me and making comments. Only this time, the comments were more "congratulations" instead of "I'm sorry."

"Bella, that ring is beautiful!" said Jess. She acted like that was all that mattered, and I supposed that in her book, it was.

"Congratulations," Angela said, and I could tell that she really meant it. Thank goodness for people like Angela.

Lauren glared at me from across the table. She looked furious and jealous at the same time.

Ben and Conner stared at the ring, looking stunned. Tyler and Eric both looked a little angry.

Mike, of course, looked pleased with himself and furious at the same time.

Suddenly, people from other tables throughout the room began to drift over to our table. Everyone wanted to see my ring, or make some comment about how lucky I was. Most of the people I didn't even know, and wasn't even sure I had seen some of them before.

I hated all this attention. I just wanted to go home, or leave the lunch room, or anything to get away from this situation.

"Alright people, stop. Bella is not something to 'ooo' and 'ahh' at. She is not a statue or a painting, she is a human being. Now, everyone go back to your own tables and leave her alone!"

Everyone instantly became silent and stared at Alice because of her sudden outburst. Then everyone began to chatter amongst themselves (some of them about what a spaz that Cullen girl was, or other things like that) and they walked back over to their tables. I shot a grateful glance at Alice and she smiled.

As everyone settled back down, Angela opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it.

"What, Angela?" Jessica asked, irritated.

"Well, I was going to ask something about the wedding," Angela said, looking at me, "but I'm sure you don't want any more attention about it, Bella."

"Oh, its fine, Angela. Go ahead," I said. If only everyone at this table was like Angela.

"Well, when is it?" she asked. I looked at Edward, and he nodded, confirming my question of 'is it going to be the weekend before graduation?'

"It's the weekend before graduation," I replied.

"So soon?" Angela asked. I nodded. "But, why?" she asked again.

"Well...um...I..." I didn't know what to say, but luckily Edward came to my rescue.

"Well, Bella and I were planning on going on a 2 week long cruise this summer, and it leaves a day after graduation. We didn't want to wait very long to get married, so we decided to have the wedding as soon as possible," he said. Everyone looked at us with shocked expressions. I'm sure I even looked surprised.

"You guys are going on a 2 week cruise?!" Lauren asked. I could tell that she looked excited, but when she realized her nice-ness, she began to scowl at me again.

"Yes," Edward replied, looking like it was nothing out of the ordinary for an 18 year old couple to go on a 2 week long cruise.

"Is your family going along?" Angela asked.

"Only Jasper and I," Alice said. I looked at them, shocked. Were they just making something up, or were they serious?

"So, you're not going to have any parental supervision?!?" Lauren asked. Edward simply shrugged, again not noticing the unordinary-ness of this situation. Jessica, Angela, and Lauren gasped. I was with them, but I didn't gasp out of surprise how risqué this situation was. I gasped because, if they were actually going to happen, those two weeks were going to be pure bliss.

"So, where are you going?" Jessica asked.

"That is a secret. Bella doesn't even know that yet," Edward said.

No fair.

Suddenly, the bell rang. Everyone stood up from the table and threw their uneaten lunches away, and began to make their way to their next class.

"Edward, what would you say to skipping the next 2 periods?" I asked Edward. He looked surprised.

"You, of all people, want to skip school?" he asked. I nodded.

"I don't want to be tormented by everyone in every class about our engagement," I said. Edward nodded and led me out of the lunchroom, followed by Alice. Apparently, she was skipping the rest of the day too.

As we reached the car and Edward began to drive back to his house, I asked him if we were actually going on cruise.

"Edward, was what you said a cover up, or are we actually going on a 2 week cruise?"

"We're actually going on a 2 week cruise," he said. I gasped and looked at him, thinking his answer was going to be different.

"We are?!" I squealed. He nodded like it was no big deal. "Oh, my, gosh," I said. I looked back at Alice and she was grinning at me. I squealed again. " Alice, this is going to be so much fun!" I said.

"Actually, part of what Edward said isn't true," she said. I looked at her questioningly and she grinned even more. She inclined her head towards Edward and I turned to look at him.

"What isn't true?" I asked him.

"Well, it actually depends on what you choose. Alice told everyone that it was just us four just to see what all your friends would say, but really, who comes along is all up to you. I was planning on using the cruise as part one of our honeymoon, so I'll understand if you want it to only be us," he replied.

"So, I could choose it to be just us, or us, Alice, and Jasper," I said, thinking.

"Or the entire family could go along. As I said, this would only be part one of the honeymoon, so we would have more alone time later," he said.

I thought for a moment. Did I want to be with just Edward for two weeks, or with his entire family?

"Edward, I think I would like it more if the entire family came along," I said. Edward nodded, but he didn't look surprised at my answer.

"Did you already know what my answer was going to be?" I asked, thinking of Alice's power. He sighed, and nodded.

"She saw all of us on the boat. It's a good thing that you chose this, actually," he said.

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Well, if you still want to, we are going to change you after graduation. So, you would be a vampire when we go on the cruise, and all of us would sparkle in the sun. So what we're planning on doing is just the family go on a private boat. Carlisle knows how to drive a boat, so he will be the captain," Edward said. I grinned.

"This is going to be so much fun!" I said. Edward chuckled. "So, are you sure you can't tell me where we'll be going?" I asked him hopefully.

"Not a chance," he said, grinning. I sighed and sat back in the seat of the car.

Again, sorry for the short chapter. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, but I can't make any promises...

Please review! Please! PLEASE!

Till next time

-danielle-