Sorry for the lateness every body! I just got back from New Zealand a few says ago, so I've had a lot to do, especially since school starts back up tomorrow. Ew…

Anyway, I tried to answer all the reviews giving me support and understanding but I don't think I got round to all of them. Sorry about that, there were A LOT. But for those that I didn't get round too, I really appreciate every one being patient with me and understanding my dilemma's – which believe me when I say there are A LOT.

Things aren't that great even now, and my whole family isn't doing to great, but things have to get worse before they get better, and I think we've gone through enough bad. Some people have it so much worse I know, people who have lost one of their parents, or the people in undeveloped countries that have to drink from the water that they do there bathing and 'business' in. :-( But I could go on forever with that, so I will shut up now.

I feel this chapter was a little flat, but then again, its kind of a filler chapter. But I'm not the reader so I will leave that up to you all.

(Pic of Gracie in Profile.)

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So here I was, trigonometry with Mr. Varner, glancing at Bella's blue sweater covered back two rows ahead of me, while she payed attention to the teacher droning on in the background…unlike me, instead, trying to pep myself up to say at least one word- one syllable to Bella.

'Say Hi to me tomorrow at school, okay?' Bella's words had been running and rerunning through my head all morning, as though a treadmill was wrapped around the inside of my brain. 'Say hi', Ihad to keep telling myself that I had to do it too. Bella even said so, I should say hi, she won't bite…her friends might though, but the important one is Bella.

So I say hi and hopefully she will think that that random person she only just noticed greeting her is Edward Cullen…the one she thinks is sweet. I couldn't help but grin smugly every time I repeated her words.

"That's so sweet of you. Helping out your mother, a lot of guys wouldn't."

Yeah, that's right said other guys, I can do what you can't, I can do what you can't, I can do what you can't, I sang obnoxiously in my head, pretending that Bella was hanging onto me, while all the other guys at school were standing there, mouths agape, for once the jealous ones.

And at the risk of being completely lame, even to myself, I add to imaginary Edward's vocabulary, nah nah nana nah!

I just had to get to Bella before she was swarmed with her friends before going to lunch, simple as that. The school bell rang over head, shocking me into breaking my staring contest with Bella's back. I looked around for proof that the bell really did ring and it wasn't just me wishing for it to hurry up and go. Sure enough, people were picking up their pencil cases and books and shoving them back into their bags.

I quickly stood up and pushed my books into my bag, roughly zipping up. Bella was packing up slowly, taking her time as usual; she wasn't in a rush to get anywhere. This was it, for the first time I'm actually going to face her. As this thought crossed my mind, the full extent of what I was about to do hit me and a gnawing started in my throat.

What if she didn't like me? What if she thought I was some stalker? What if, what if, what if?

I took a deliberate, deep breath. What was I? I'm not a wimp, I'm saying hi, how is that embarrassing? I've humiliated myself heaps of other times…this is no big deal.

I squared my shoulders, slinging my bag over my right shoulder, and took that first step towards standing out.

The girl who sat next to Bella, Gracie, glanced at me, and then turned back to Bella saying something. Bella smiled, showing her perfect white teeth and nodded before going back to picking up all her things, one by one.

I didn't take my eyes off Bella once, which is why I jumped when Gracie was suddenly in front of me, smiling up at me widely, her braces shining under the fluorescent lighting.

"Hi Edward," she addressed me, breathlessly, nudging her thick black rimmed glasses up her nose. Gracie was one of those people that could say Bella was nice; she wasn't part of the popular crowd, just one of those fortunate nobodies to get to sit next to Bella.

"Hey Gracie," I smiled distractedly at Gracie, my eyes momentarily going back to Bella as she now picked up her bag to leave. No, don't leave yet! I called inside my head pointlessly. Please Gracie make this quick.

"So, how was your morning?" Gracie asked, looking a little too interested.

Bella turned back around, her hair swishing back to frame her face, "Bye Gracie," Gracie turned at the mention of her name and waved back eccentrically, smiling awkwardly because of her braces. Bella smiled back, before her eyes shifted to me. I felt my body go unresponsive; she was looking at me, really looking at me; seeing me, and then she gave me an appraising smile, before turning out of the class room.

A slow dazed smile changed my features from statue to completely entranced. Bella smiled at me…and I just stood there like a git staring!

I had to clench my hands into fists to resist the urge to hit myself in the head. Why didn't I say something then? Or at least smile back? And now she's gone. I shifted my eyes back to Gracie's, only to see her staring at me, waiting for a response to her earlier question.

"Ah, sorry Gracie," I felt bad about wanting to get away, Gracie was a nice girl, smart as anything and really friendly- sometimes a little to friendly, but right now, I needed to catch up with the beauty that drove me into being a dumbstruck idiot. "I got to go, but I'll see you around, okay?'

I had already moved around her as I was talking but I looked back to her to make sure that she wasn't hurt I was running out on her, "Sure," Gracie grinned, seemed just pleased that I wasn't completely trying to run away. I nodded, giving a good-bye smile.

Out in the hall I stood on the tips of my toes, craning my neck to try and see the familiar girl amongst all the other teenagers trying to get to lunch. I couldn't see any sign of her that way, so I turned again, moving against the crowd to look the other way.

I couldn't see Bella that way either, exasperated, I went back to normal height but still looked around, although knowing that it was a pointless effort. So stupid, I had the perfect chance and I blew it!

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Taking a deep breath, trying to keep my face calm, I put my hand on the door handle. I had already peaked through the key hole to make sure that I was opening the door to not just anybody.

Shaking my head slightly, hoping to have a non-expectant expression. I slid open the door, staying in the shadow from the door, taking Alice's advice for 'mysterious and dark'. I had to look cool and composed, confident, not like I didn't know what I was doing, like this was no big deal…

'Every girl has a secret yearning for some one dangerous,' is what she had said, letting me in on the very thoughtful, twisted web of a girls mind. And that's why I had my eyes trained to the ground, note the sarcasm.

Look at her you idiot! And there went that little Alice voice again.

I forced my eyes to not play chicken and actually face the one thing that they usually don't mind watching. And, although my eyes had to follow the ground for a while before they reached her converse covered feet, at least they moved, that's a plus. I shifted my eyes to look through my eyelashes at Bella's face, still not willing enough to lift my head all the way yet.

Bella was smiling politely, the perfect picture of innocence. But then her smile began to slip and recognition filled her eyes as she placed where she had seen me before. My heart started thumping harder, faster.

"H-hi," I stuttered, cursing myself for being such a loser, trying to refrain from staring at the angel in disguise that was on my doorstep. Oh god, she's on my doorstep. "Oh, um, come in- please." I motioned with my hand for her to come forward.

Bella continued to stare at me, assessing me as she took a step through the doorway and into the small foyer. As much as I felt overjoyed that Bella was looking at me for the second time today, a negative was present as well. She was making me paranoid. What is she staring at? Is there something on my face?

Unintentionally my fingers went to my face.

Bella laughed shortly. At me? Or something else?

"You're, um," Bella shook her head, flustered, making her hair whip around her face. "You're Gracie's friend. From Trig, I remember now, you once tripped over my bag!"

My face dropped. "You remember that, do you?" I questioned dryly. I could feel my cheeks beginning to burn sickly. Why is that when I do something stupid she notices? Life is cruel, what did I do wrong?

Bella nodded erratically, seeming pleased that she did actually recognise me from somewhere. Well, if she was pleased I was pleased. A tingling in the pit of my stomach began to pelt at me.

I turned to lead her out into the back where all the teaching would be done. "Okay then, shall we-" Out of no where there was a slap on my arm, I spun back around to see Bella frowning at me, her arms crossed over her chest. "Wha-"

"You were right there!" Bella dropped her arms and gave me a 'you-better-explain-or-else' look that I was well accustomed to getting from my mother. The question was…where was I 'right there'?

"I was right there in front of you and you didn't say anything." Bella's eyes questioned mine, but I couldn't even think about formulating a real sentence while Bella was penetrating my eyes so intently. My eyes were beginning to sting due to the lack of blinking.

"I'm sorry?" To my own ears it sounded weak and pathetic. Bella sighed and broke the eye contact, allowing my eyelids to have permission to blink and my lungs able to release air.

"Well, it doesn't matter now." Bella smiled, forgiving me. "I know your face finally, so I will come to you."

I felt a thrill at her words, even bigger than the things she had said over the phone. They meant little now, sounding so impersonal as I recalled them. Bella was standing right in front of me, speaking to my face. Plus, seraphic Bella had- the thought hit me hard and the muscles in my face took on a mind of there own and a goofy smile spread over my features, un-budging.

Bella…touched…me.

Okay, well…slapped me, but that doesn't matter. Bella touched me. The muscles in my stomach clenched at that.

"What are you smiling at?" Bella's delicate voice brought an end to my train of thought, bringing me back into the land of the…not la-la land.

I swallowed hard, reflexively. The way Bella was looking at me, eyes soft, a small smile just because she's seen me smile, such a simple look but so compelling. That was something I really like about Bella, she was pleased when someone else was happy, she cared about others- even ones she's just met.

"Nothing," I shrugged, going for a nonchalant look.

Bella clearly doubted my lie, but she let it pass. "Okay then," her voice raised a few octaves as she raised her hands. "Don't tell me, but I won't forget. And when we get to know one another better, then I'll ask you again."

It was crystal that Bella wanted more to do with me, a flush of pride and excitement washed through me, so that I was drowning in it, like I could barely contain it all. "That sounds reasonable."

A rush of confidence overcame me with the promise Bella's words had given. I placed my palm on the base of Bella's back, feeling her body heat through her thin sweater, my body going on alert, the hand touching Bella feeling as though on fire.

I nudged Bella forward gently. Bella looked at me questioningly with those big brown puppy dog eyes that held so much depth that they shocked me every time I saw them, but I just smiled, completely genuine. "We'll get started then, shall we?"

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Okay, this is my attempt at a sales pitch type thingy for Fan Fiction…to go along with my previous 'different attempts of asking for a review'.

Okay folks! This is a once in a life time opportunity, you'd be a fool not to take it! Just push that violet button at the bottom of the page and you could win a chance to speak to the author of this fan fiction. Time is limited. The first 10 reviewers get a sneak peak into the future of these characters lives!

Ugh, I feel dirty now that I've done that. I must never get into selling :-)