Sorry about the late Christmas Prezzie ( I still had about a page and half to finish and my family was at my house at like 9...in the morning. I had no time to write it. Again, i apologize for Edward and his Male PMS, there seems to be little i can do about his raging horomones around Bella. Which is a good thing. Unless you like Jacob. In which case, get out.

Once again, i own nothing. Nothing at all. It was a sad day when i realized i was not Stephanie Meyer. My parents almost threatened to send me to a shrink. Which is unfortunate. But the dialouge, the characters and the plot all belong to the person i wish i was, Stephanie Meyer.

As per requested, i shall not put myself down anymore. Or i shall try my hardest. And i will work on spelling.

I am looking for a Beta. I don't know what this is but i assume it has something to do with editing. If you know a beta/are one that can help me with my terrible spelling and grammar, send me a message. I would greatly appreciate any help making my story better.

Hayley

I took a deep breath in to clear my head of her scent only to catch lingering waves of her aroma. I cherished the smell before realizing how thirsty it made me. I got up quickly and walked to the opposite door Bella went out of – as if distance would make her any safer.

I headed out to the parking lot, glancing up at the dark gray skies. It was a good thing Forks was so cloudy, but sometimes, I longed to feel the warmth of the sun on my cold granite skin. I sighed and shoved my hands in my pockets before walking to my car.

I climbed into the driver's side and relaxed in the leather chair. I flipped on my CD player and Dean Martin's soothing voice washed over me. I leaned back in the chair with my eyes closed and tried to drown my stress in the music.

What do I do! She looks like she's going to…oh no, is she unconscious!?

I opened my eyes and turned off the music. Mike's 'voice' seemed very close and very panicked. I glanced in the rear view mirror to see Bella laying down on the damp sidewalk and Mike standing beside her. 'What did that foul boy do to her?' I thought, 'she looks so pale, it's like she's…"

I quickly exited my car and ran over to them, automatically fearing the worst.

"Wow, you're green Bella." Mike said, still standing over her. It took all I had not to jump on him and tear him limb from limb there. 'Calm,' I told myself. He's talking to her, why would he talk to a corpse?' I couldn't help my hand clench into fists.

"Bella?" I called, pleading her to answer. I ran and stood over her, opposite to Mike. "What's wrong – is she hurt?" I tried to keep the distress out of my voice unsuccessfully.

"I think she's fainted. I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger." Mike explained quickly. I leaned down and put my mouth to her ear.

"Bella? Can you hear me?" I could hear her heart beating at a steady pace, which relieved me, but her face was as white as mine.

"No," she groaned. "Go away."

I laughed at her aversion to me seeing her like this. I was about to pick her up when Mike interrupted my thoughts.

"I was taking her to the nurse, but she wouldn't go any father." I wasn't just going to leave her like this, how dumb does he think I am? What a dick, thinks he's a freaking superhero, swooping in to save the day...

"I'll take her," I said, smiling at Mike's inner voice. "You can go back to class." I knew it would only push him further, but it was so much fun taunting him like this.

"No," he protested. "I'm supposed to do it." Jesus Cullen, let me be the superhero for once. I can't stand him! I merely grinned and picked Bella up off the damp concrete. I turned away from Mike's astonished face and began to walk towards the nurse's office, cradling Bella in my arms.

"Put me down!" Bella cried in weak protest. It only made my smile widen.

"Hey!" Mike called. I HATE that guy. I smiled and looked down at the frustrated angel in my arms, ignoring Mike's protest.

"You look awful," I told her, trying to keep her from fainting again.

"Put me back on the sidewalk," she groaned. I ignored the request.

"So you faint at the site of blood?" I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at the irony. She closed her eyes, seemingly annoyed. I pressed on. "And not even your own blood." I took a deep breath to suppress the laughter. Stupid idea.

The closeness of her body and the smell of her scent nearly made my knees buckle. I fought my instincts and conjured Carlisle's face into my mind; reminding me who I would let down if I gave into my demons. I held my breath until we got to the nurse's office, blocking off my sense of smell. I walked up to the door, perplexed about how I would open it with Bella in my arms.

'She's half unconscious, she wouldn't know…' I thought. Using my real speed, I let go of Bella with one hand and opened the door before quickly returning the arm to support her. She didn't even realized what happened.

"Oh my," Ms. Cope exclaimed. What I wouldn't give to be in her place…he's too young, he's too young, too young…

"She fainted in Biology," I explained, silently willing those thoughts to be expelled from her mind. Ms. Cope ran to open the door to the nurse's office. I carried Bella to the bed as the nurse looked up from a trashy romance novel. I placed Bella on the bed and moved to the farthest wall away from her. I took a deep breath and looked at her, excited.

"She's just a little faint." I explained to the nurse who was bustling around looking for a thermometer. "They're blood typing in Biology." She immediately stopped and nodded.

"There's always one." I stifled a laugh. She turned her attention back to Bella. "Just lie down for a minute, honey; it'll pass."

"I know," Bella sighed. I took another breath to find the air in the small room was already tainted with Bella's powerful scent. I concentrated hard on the smell of the nurse, trying to block out the delicious aroma that was rolling off Bella's skin.

"Does this happen a lot?" she asked.

"Sometimes." I faked a cough to hide another snicker. That seemed to bring the nurses attention back to me.

"You can go back to class now." She told me. You're probably just distracting her anyway. Ah, if I was young again.

"I'm supposed to stay with her." I said in an authoritative tone that came with many years of practice. The nurse tightened her lips but didn't protest.

"I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear." The nurse told Bella as she walked out of the room. Bella shut her eyes and leaned farther into the bed.

"You were right," she groaned.

"I usually am – but what in particular this time?" I asked, confused.

"Ditching is healthy." She took several deep breaths, blowing her astonishing fragrance around the room, making my head spin. I composed myself, concentrating of Carlisle's face in my mind.

"You scared me for a minute there," I admitted after I had grasped control. It was stupid to assume the worst, I thought as I reflected on my split second assessment. But she had looked so pale… "I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods." I admitted sheepishly. I felt my petrified heart lurch as I conjured up her actual dead body in my mind. I pushed the image to the farthest corner of my consciousness.

"Ha ha." She said lifelessly, her eyes still closed. The normal flush of her cheeks was beginning to creep up her neck as the nausea passed.

"Honestly – I've seen corpses with better colour." I shuddered as a memory of my dark past came flashing into my head. "I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder."

"Poor Mike. I'll bet he's mad."

"He absolutely loathes me," I said happily, remembering his thoughts of me as I carried Bella away from him.

"You can't know that," she contended.

"I saw his face – I could tell." I hated lying. I just wished I could tell her everything, how I could tell her I could read his thoughts and that I was a…vampire. How crazy would she think me?

"How did you see me?" She asked suddenly. "I thought you were ditching." She eyed me suspiciously before closing her eyes again.

I opted for the truth. "I was in my car, listening to a CD." It was a normal enough answer, nothing strange about it. I could see the surprise in her wide eyes. The nurse walked in the door with an icepack. Bella turned her attention towards the elderly woman walking towards her.

"Here you go, dear." She said as she laid the cold compress across her forehead. "You're looking better." I noticed that Bella's complexion was almost back to normal.

"I think I'm fine," she said, sitting up. The nurse walked over in an attempt to make her lie down when Ms. Cope's head popped in the doorframe.

"We've got another one." She said. Bella jumped semi-gracefully off the bed to let the next student lay down. I went to her side in case she fainted again.

"Here, I don't need this." She said as she pushed the cold compress into the nurses' hands. I smiled, my Bella, always thinking of others. I quickly redacted the 'my' in front of Bella's name in my last thought.

Mike walked into the room with a pale looking boy clinging to his side. I went as close to the wall as possible, Bella by my side, to let them pass. As they passed, I smelt the strong fragrance of blood coming from both of them.

"Oh, no." I said. "Go out to the office, Bella." I didn't want her to faint again but I also didn't want her to be anywhere near me if I lost control. Even after all these years, the smell of blood was so tempting I could barely stand it.

She looked up at me, bemused before realization flickered behind her eyes.

"Trust me – go." Before I even finished, she spun on her heel and fled out of the room. I tested my limits to see if it was safe before following Bella out of the room.

"You actually listened to me." I said, surprised.

"I smelled the blood," she said, wrinkling her nose at the thought of it.

"People can't smell blood." I said, that was just about the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. I only smelt it because my sense of smell was a hundred times better than hers.

"Well, I can – that's what makes me sick. I smells like rust…and salt." She explained. I started at her, incredulity painting my face. That was the exact smell of blood, minus the pull and attraction that I felt because of what I was. I stared at the amazing creature that stood before me.

"What?"

"It's nothing."

I opened my mouth to say something else but Mike came through the door and glared at me.

Jackass. Thinks that he's amazing just because he could carry her off to 'save her'. Bet she think's he's just as much of a creep as I do...I hope she does.

"You look better." He said to Bella, grudgingly, turning his face away from me.

"Just keep your hands in your pockets." A smile flitted across my face before I casually walked towards the counter and leaned against it, not wanting to become an unwilling participant in the conversation.

"I'm not bleeding anymore." He mumbled. A quick sniff confirmed that the blood in his finger had clotted. "Are you going back to class?" I could sense the hope in his voice.

"Are you kidding? I'd just have to turn around and come back."

"Yeah, I guess…. So are you going this weekend? To the beach?" I felt Mike's furious glare upon my face once more. That's right Cullen, her and I have a date. See how you like that. I felt my jaw tighten unwillingly at the word date but I continued with my façade of staring into space.

"Sure, I said I was in." The hesitation was plain in her voice and my jaw loosened.

"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten." Mike's eyes once again flickered towards me. And you're not invited Cullen, so don't even think about coming…

"I'll be there."

"I'll see you in Gym, then." He said, walking away. I started to silently move towards Bella.

"See you," she said. Mike looked back to see me standing next to Bella. He gave me a sour look. I smirked in return. I hate that guy… I gave him a condescending wave as he left, scowling.

"Gym," I heard Bella moan beside me. I looked down to see Bella's dread clearly showing on her stunning face. The expression looked out of place as it contorted her lips into a scowl. Wanting to put the smile that I loved so much back upon her face, I decided to pull a few strings.

"I can take care of that. Go sit down and look pale." I smiled at the last part. Bella was already so pale that she was close to the chalky colour of my skin. The chair squeaked as she silently obeyed and sat down in the waiting area. She placed her head against the wall with a dull thud and closed her eyes. I turned and walked over to Ms. Cope, who was eyeing me appreciatively.

I winced at the thoughts floating around in her mind as she flickered between undressing me and telling herself I was too young and she was too old. I put on my best smile and walked up to the counter.

"Ms. Cope?" I asked, turning the seductive tone in my voice on. It worked with humans most of the time so I could get what I wanted.

"Yes?" She asked me, chewing on a pencil. Trying a little too hard to be alluring. I ignored it again and continued, knowing full well that what ever I asked her, I would get.

"Bella has Gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse to from class?" I stared into her eyes as she turned to jell-o in front of me. I gave a small smile of satisfaction which quickly turned to disgust.

"Do you need to be excused, too, Edward?" I could hear her heart flutter as she said my name. I tried to keep the abhorrence out of my expression.

"No, I have Mrs. Goff, she won't mind." Because she also has a crush on me, I thought bitterly. She was older than Ms. Cope and had grandchildren.

"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better Bella." I know I would with him playing doctor. I overlooked the rest of her thoughts as they turned towards her fantasies involving surgeons and nurses. I turned back to Bella who really did look frail enough to faint again.

"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?" I put as much sarcasm as I could into my voice but behind it, there was a tone of seriousness. I wouldn't have minded carrying her in my arms again.

"I'll walk." I nodded as she stood up. I walked over to the door and held it open for her. She walked out and turned her face up to the rain, washing off the perspiration that had gathered on her forehead thanks to her recent swoon.

"Thanks." She said. I closed to door behind me and looked around the parking lot, trying to locate my car in the mist. "It's almost worth getting sick to miss Gym."

"Anytime." I found my car and walked forward. I Bella began to follow beside me, much closer than expected. I sniffed the air. She smelt amazing in the rain. I wanted to lean closer, to absorb every bit of the smell that emitted from her skin, but I restrained and looked forward, not wanted to push my limits any more that I already had this day.

"So, are you going? This Saturday, I mean?" I wanted more than anything to go with her, but it might have been difficult to explain why I glittered in the sun. I didn't want to turn her down completely. Instead I sidestepped her question.

"Where are you all going, exactly?" I asked, not looking at her face.

"Down to La Push, to First Beach." She said.

I kept my face composed but couldn't keep the hate from my eyes. The Quileutes had made a treaty with my and Carlisle so many years ago. As long as we stayed off their land and didn't kill humans, they wouldn't kill us. The land was very well protected by their 'pack' of soldiers. The werewolves. I shuddered inwardly at even the thought of them.

I smiled at her cynically, my mind racing to think up an excuse. "I really don't think I was invited." My mind lingered on Mike's thoughts in the office. I defiantly wasn't invited.

She sighed, giving me more reason to keep my head forward and away from her face. "I just invited you."

"Let's you and I not push poor Mike any further this week. We don't want him to snap." Actually, that is exactly what I wanted. I loved to taunt and annoy him, especially since he planned to ask Bella to the dance and I had to witness his horrid fantasies.

"Mike-shmike." She said, clearly disappointed in my answer. When we reached the parking lot, she veered left, catching me once again, off guard.

"Where do you think your going?" I had grabbed a handful of her jacket to stop her from moving any closer to the death trap she called a truck.

"I'm going home."

"Didn't you hear me promise to take you home safely? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?" With her luck she would pass out behind the wheel and crash into a tree…or a building…or another person.

"What condition? And what about my truck?" She complained. I started to pull her towards my Volvo and away from her 'truck'.

"I'll have Alice drop it off after school." She stumbled a little, obviously having as much trouble walking backwards as she did walking forwards. Alice was going to be angry, having to drive that thing. Or maybe she already knew. You never could really tell with Alice.

"Let go!" She demanded. I ignored her and continued to drag her towards my car. I finally let go when we got there. I walked around the back of the car as she fell into the passenger side door. I suppressed a chuckle, knowing she wouldn't appreciate it.

"You are so pushy!" she said, crossing her arms.

"It's open," I told her before getting into the drivers side of the car.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving myself home!" Even though my door was shut, I could still hear her perfectly. The rain started to fall harder as she just stood out side the door. I rolled my eyes and lowered the window. I leaned across the seat to see her face. "Get in, Bella." She didn't reply, obviously calculating an escape plan. "I'll just drag you back." I warned.

She gave a loud sigh of defeat and climbed into my car, soaking wet. I tried not to think about what all that water would do to the leather. My eyes went from the leather seats to the jeans that were now tight against her body thanks to the water. My eyes moved quickly to her shirt that was also clinging to her torso. Trying not to linger, my eyes settled on her beautiful scowling face. I looked away to remember what I was doing. I saw an involuntary shiver run through her arms and goose bumps form on her hands. I turned the heater on higher to warm her up and turned the music down.

I pulled out of the parking lot smoothly, trying to not let her presence and her aroma affect anything. She was sulking, trying to ignore me but her head turned as the wonderful spark of recognition flickered through her eyes.

"Clair de Lune?" Surprise coloured her voice.

"You know Debussy?" I asked, also surprised. Most teenagers these days listened to the banging of pots and pans that claimed to be music. I didn't know that they listened to classical music.

"Not well. My mother plays a lot of classical music around the house – I only know my favorites." I smiled at her honesty.

"It's one of my favorites, too." I stared out the window, silently thanking whatever god or deity that was out there for the amazing, beautiful, soaking wet girl sitting right next to me.

Bella eventually grew more comfortable in my presence, something that both terrified me and made my lifeless heart lurch in exuberance. She relaxed into the leather chair and thought deeply, or listened to the music. I felt a pang of annoyance once again due to the fact that I couldn't see her thoughts. I started to wonder about her father and how her life was before she came to Forks…before she met me and I put her life in peril just by sitting next to her.

"What is your mother like?" I asked suddenly. I had an urge to know her, to know her family and her secrets. I just wanted to…be a part of her. She looked over into my eyes, studying me warily.

"She looks a lot like me, but she's prettier." I raised my eyebrows, finding that hard to believe. She ignored me and continued. "I have too much Charlie in me. She's more outgoing than I am, and braver. She's irresponsible and slightly eccentric, and she's a very unpredictable cook. She's my best friend." By the end of her speech, her voice was sad, filled with longing that was way beyond her years. In that moment, she seemed more like the 106 year old and I was the…how old was she? I wanted to end her pain and suffering in her voice, but I couldn't do anything about it.

"How old are you, Bella?" I stopped the car in front of her house, hoping she wouldn't ask me how I knew exactly where she lived.

"I'm seventeen."

"You don't seem seventeen," I told her truthfully. She seemed much older, wise beyond her years. I wanted to know what tragedy in her life had caused her to grow up so fast, but it seemed to forward to ask to someone you just became friends with. To my surprise, she started to laugh.

"What?"

"My mom always says I was born thirty-five years old and that I get more middle-aged every year." She continued laughing before sighing with a hint of resentment. "Well someone has to be the adult." She paused before turning to me. "Yu don't seem much like a junior in high school yourself."

I rolled my eyes, hiding my concern for my secret. Was it really that easy to guess?

"So why did your mother marry Phil?" I asked, changing the subject quickly.

Surprise flicked through her eyes before she answered. "My mother…she's very young for her age." I could tell she was trying to choose the right words by the carefulness of her tone. "I think Phil makes her feel even younger. At any rate she's crazy about him." She shook her head.

"Do you approve?" It was an honest question, but she seemed confused.

"Does it matter? I want her to be happy…and he is who she wants."

"That's very generous…I wonder," I pondered if her mother would care if she would go out with someone dangerous, more dangerous than any human on the Earth.

"What?" She gave me a funny look.

"Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? Not matter who your choice was?" Even if it was one of the eternal damned? I added in my head. I looked straight into her eyes, searching for even a spark of feeling. I heard her heart pick up a bit, but not enough to confirm anything.

"I-I think so. But she's the parent, after all, it's a little bit different."

The conversation was quickly spiraling down to darker topics. "No one too scary then," I said to lighten to mood. It worked and my favorite smile came over her face

"What do you mean by scary? Multiple facial piercing and extensive tattoos?" She asked. I was thinking more along the lines of dead… I thought.

"That's one definition, I suppose."

"What's your definition?"

I ignored her, not wanting to tell her any gory details of my life. I wanted to ask something so badly…it just slipped out. "Do you think that I could be scary?" I smiled a little as she thought it over.

"Hmmm…I think you could be, if you wanted to."

My smile disappeared. "Are you frightened of me now?" I wanted more than anything for her to say no, but I knew if she said yes, she would be much safer.

"No," she answered a little too quickly. I smiled at her honesty again and at the fact that she was a little bit safer from me.

"So, now are you going to tell me about your family? It's got to be a much more interesting story than mine."

I instantly guarded my expression, willing myself not to give too much away. "What do you want to know?"

"The Cullen's adopted you?"

"Yes." I let out a tiny breath of relief. Bella was too absorbed in her thoughts to hear it. She paused

"What happened to your parents?"

The truth was that I didn't remember my parents. I knew my mother's name was Elizabeth and my father's was Edward. They both died of the Spanish influenza in 1918 and I would have also died if it weren't for my adopted father. Everything I knew about my parents, Carlisle had told me. "They died many years ago." I really didn't want to go into any details.

"I'm sorry." She said, looking truly sincere.

"I don't really remember them that clearly. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now." I told her, not wanting her to be sad over people I didn't even know.

"And you love them," she stated.

I smiled. "Yes. I couldn't imagine two better people."

"You're very lucky."

"I know I am."

"And your brother and sister?"

I quickly looked at the time on the dash, checking to see how long this was taking. Half of me hoped that I still had hours, the other half knew it would be safer if I had to go. I really hated that one half. School was going to be out in about 15 minutes. I knew how Rosalie would react to it, if I were late. Especially if I was late because of Bella.

"My brother and sister, and Jasper and Rosalie for that matter, are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me." Well, it was a half-truth.

"Oh, sorry, I guess you have to go." She sounded as disappointed as I felt.

"And you probably want your truck back before Chief Swan gets home, so you don't have to tell him about the Biology incident." I grinned at the memory of carrying her in my arms.

"I'm sure he's already heard," she sighed. "There are no secrets in this town."

Except one… I thought as I laughed. "Have fun at the beach…Good weather for sun-bathing." Although I secretly knew that Bella would probably burn rather than tan. Or not get any colour at all.

"Won't I see you tomorrow?" She asked hopefully.

"No. Emmett and I are starting the weekend early." Sitting in a car with tinted windows, driving to a remote place to terrorize the local wildlife. Some weekend.

"What are you going to do?" She asked. It was hard to miss the disappointment in her voice.

"We're going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier."

"Oh, well, have fun." A smile danced on the corners of my mouth at her attempt to cover up her displeasure. She seemed genuinely displeased with not seeing me tomorrow. I tried not to read too much into it but despite myself I was excited for Monday.

"Will you do something for me this weekend?" I had suddenly thought of Bella's soon to be proximity to the ocean and I was a little bit frightened for her life. There were many things that could happen with wildlife, and undertows…and Mike Newton. I suppressed a shudder of disgust. I turned my attention back to her as she was nodding, hypnotized by my eyes.

"Don't be offended, but you seen to be one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet. So…try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, all right?" I smiled and heard her heartbeat quicken but behind my eyes I was serious. She glared at me, obviously offended.

"I'll see what I can do," she slammed the door in a hurry and ran up her drive way. I just smiled wildly as I saw her walk to her door.

There was no doubt about it. I was in love.

I love Edward. i'm trying to stay in character as much as possible but he's just so much fun to play around with (hehe, ooer.) Please tell me if i'm getting too OCC
and as a christmas present to me, please review.

(oh, and if you celebrate any other holiday's, Happy Holidays, from me to you)

Hayley