A/N: And this, my dearies, is where we start to earn our ratings.

Onward! (OnEdward? Hmmmm...)

EPOV

Friday

I awoke around 5, completely disoriented. I reached out in my bed, desperately searching for the flowery, sweet, strawberry-Bella. Fuck. I was fucking dreaming about her. I shifted in my bed, groaning at the tenting I had going on. I had known this girl for only a couple days, and all ready she was invading my friends, my thoughts, my dreams...

I tried to lie still and forget the dream. I closed my eyes, tried to relax the individual parts of my body enough to fall asleep again. I had to be awake by 7 if I wanted to eat a proper breakfast, but I could sleep until 7:20 if I wanted to grab an apple or some Pop Tarts. I could gouge my eyes out and never have to see her again...

I tried to breathe invitingly enough for sleep to return, but failed. I rolled over-straight onto my morning wood. I closed my eyes and huffed in frustration, only to find her biting her pouty bottom lip.

I gave my little fixation a week. Two, max. Perhaps if I just got her to blow me, it would just go away. The beach was tomorrow. Which meant today was... Friday. I groaned again. I had an essay due in English, something I'd completely forgotten about when she had come along. Sighing, I extracted myself from my sheets. I decided I'd shower before finishing the essay. Showering could kick start my brain.

I carefully let my boxers drop to the floor and stared at my dick, suppressing another sigh. Sure, I got morning wood a lot-it was kind of normal, my being a guy and all. It just wasn't usually caused by Bambi and her fuck me eyes. I started the water, deciding that cold was going to be the answer. Sure enough, shrinkage started almost immediately. It was painful, but necessary. I couldn't keep on like this. I exited the shower, quickly drying off. I didn't bother putting clothes on. Nudity was far more freeing than most people understood.

Essay. Essay. Essay. Shakespeare. Hamlet. Essay. Bella.

Shit.

I walked downstairs around 6:30, my shitty excuse of an essay completed. As I walked into the kitchen, I found my father, reading a newspaper and frowning. He was all ready dressed for work in a dark blue suit. His coffee cup sat next to the hand holding the paper, but it appeared untouched. I peered over his shoulder, breathing in the scent of the dark roast. All I needed to see were the words 'Swine Flu,' and I instantly understood his frown. I greeted him and walked over to the fridge.

"You're up early," he replied. I nodded, pulling out the creamer and some bread for toast.

"Couldn't sleep. Swine flu?" I didn't want him to ask me why I couldn't sleep, so a subject that made him passionate was an easy out.

He pursed his lips and shook the paper slightly. "It's so ridiculous. People die of the flu every year, and no one ever comments on it. And yet, here, we have this new strain, and everyone is losing their minds." He closed his eyes, and it was clear that he wasn't sleeping very well, either.

He had been in contact with Doctors Without Borders again, and again, my mother was extremely stressed about the prospect of him leaving for any extended period of time. I suppose I understood her frustrations, but he always felt like he had to give back to the world. She did, too, but she did it with fund raisers and charity balls and galas. She chose the safe route-he chose the route that made a more significant and direct impact on the world.

"Well, they did the same thing with Bird Flu, remember?" I popped two pieces of bread into the toaster, then poured myself a cup of coffee. I grabbed a box of Corn Pops and fixed myself a bowl while I waited for the toast to finish.

"It's extremely upsetting that the public is so misinformed all the time, and that the press chooses to continue using scare tactics. It really does concern me that our government would just let people worry all the time." He was frowning even more now, lines appearing on his forehead.

I chewed thoughtfully. "Do you suppose it's because they want the focus to be on something other than what else is going on in the world?" He nodded, then went back to his paper. My mother came in then, wrapped in a robe and wearing fuzzy slippers. I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Would you like some coffee?" She nodded and yawned, and I slid my cup to her.

"Isn't this yours, Darling?"

"Yeah, but you can have it. I'll pour myself another cup. Toast?" She smiled at me and shook her head, sitting down next to my father at the table. They kissed and she turned her attention to the paper. "I don't know why you even read that anymore, Carlisle. It's so depressing."

"I know. I have half a mind to slap the editor."

The toast popped up, and I smothered it with jam before placing it on a plate.

"I'm going to finish getting ready for school." I wanted to move out of the kitchen before the conversation rounded back to my father's job.

"Edward, have you taken your vitamins?"

I sighed, but turned and gave my mother a bright smile. "You know it." My father looked up at me with an arched eyebrow, knowing full well that I hadn't taken them, but he didn't say anything.

"The Volvo is due for maintenance tomorrow, don't forget," he said. Shit. Ihad forgotten. My face betrayed me, because he tsked. He knew we had plans tomorrow, and that I was supposed to be driving. He looked down at his watch, then back at his paper. "No exceptions." I nodded and headed back upstairs to get dressed for the day.

***

Alice had been insufferable during the ride to school.

"Edward, Bella is a total sweetheart, don't you think?"

"Alice."

"I mean, she's pretty, she's smart, she's-"

"Alice-"

"-got a great sense of style and she-"

"-stop, I'm not going to-"

"Edward! Just think-"

I gripped the steering wheel in frustration, causing it to groan. My jaw hurt a little from the pressure of clenching my teeth together. Alice looked at my face and huffed, turning to look out the window.

"You know, you could at least consider-"

"Alice, please."

"Ugh. Fine. But don't come crying to me when she looks all sexy in her bikini tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes at her, which in turn earned me a stuck out tongue. In truth, I was way too fucking excited about seeing her in her bikini. I could just imagine how great her tits would look when she ran into the water. How hot she'd look when she was wet...

"Edward!" Alice was snapping her fingers in my face, a look of irritation marring her features.

"What?" I snapped back.

"You missed the school!"

Oh. Oops. I glanced around, finding no one on the road, then flipped a bitch in the middle of the road. I warily eyed the parking lot as I drove in, unsure of what exactly I was looking for. I had no idea what Bella drove, if she drove at all. Perhaps she didn't. There weren't many cars here yet, anyway. The teachers were all pulling into their spots on the opposite end of the old lot, and Rosalie had just pulled into her spot. I glided in smoothly next to her, and before I even had the car in park, Alice was flying over to meet Jasper. I glanced over to find Rosalie rolling her eyes a little, and then turning to shoot an irritated look at me. I didn't even have to ask to know why she was irritated, but I knew she'd grab a moment to lay into me anyways. I closed my eyes and mentally prepared myself for her barrage.

Rosalie didn't play nice with other girls. Alice was the only exception to this rule.

I stayed in the car as I had done the day before, still not ready for Rose and her lectures on the new girl. I closed my eyes and began to drift, only to be awoken swiftly by the tap tap tap of acrylics on the glass of my window.

I sighed, then unlocked the door. She sat in gracefully, quickly closing the door and drawing her long legs towards her seat, knees pressed together. I didn't look up to her eyes, choosing instead to focus on her smooth calves. She cleared her throat and huffed out a breath. I looked at my hands gripped on the wheel. This was a game we had been playing for years, and I refused to give in. If I gave it a few moments, she'd launch into her spiel, and then I could pretend to listen and nod along.

Sure enough, she started after just a couple seconds of waiting.

"Edward, she's trash. You know it. She's the fucking daughter of a goddamn cop. As much as I appreciate our public servants, they are merely that-servants. She's cheap. She wasn't even wearing a fucking bra yesterday, and as much as I know you wanted her pretty little tits all over your face, she's not. Fucking. Worth it," she gritted her teeth, and I risked a look in her direction. One eyebrow was up in her hairline, but the rest of her face held no expression. It was terrifying. I stared at her expectantly, wanting this to be done as soon as possible. "And you see, dearest Edward, I must implore you to find a way to have Alice un-invite this skank bitch from what was certain to be a lovely day before she was extended an invitation." She was examining her nails now, which were obviously flawless and didn't need any second looks.

"Rose..." I wasn't sure what to say. She stared at me with the same bored expression, waiting for me to continue. Looking away, I considered my options. I was about to go the safe route when Emmett started shaking the car, the fucker. Rose shot me a pointed look before exiting the car and jumping into the fucking caveman's arms.

I got out of the car, too many things going through my mind. Aside from a strong desire to see Bella naked, I now had Rose irritated with me-and that was a thoroughly unpleasant combination. I hadn't been the one to invite her. Alice just... liked her. Alice was actually a fantastic judge of character, generally, so if she put her stamp of approval on her, it probably meant that she was... acceptable.

I leaned against the Volvo, trying to cultivate a way to please both Alice and Rosalie. There was no way. I could make Rose happy, and piss off Alice, or I could piss off Rose and have Alice be none the wiser. Either way, I would not be left happy.

I looked up to find Bella laughing with Alice. Fantastic. They were just the greatest of friends, now, weren't they? I didn't even risk a peek at Rosalie, knowing full well that she'd be either stone faced or shooting daggers at Bella. I knew a good chunk of the reason she didn't like Bella was because of Emmett's quickly growing friendship with her. That, and because she didn't really like anyone, least of all another person in possession of a vagina. She was a judgmental bitch, really.

As soon as the bell rang, I realized I really didn't feel like being at school today. I glanced up to find Alice staring at me curiously, and I silently willed her to understand that I just wasn't feeling it. She gave me a resigned look, nodded slightly to signify that she'd let it slide if I took off. Bella was standing to her left, looking fucking hot and watching the exchange with subtle interest. As if it hadn't happened, Alice turned and flashed Bella a brilliant smile and linked their arms, reaching with her other hand to a nearly sober Jasper. Poor guy. Some days I think he drank just to keep the hangovers away.

Emmett and Rose walked off towards the gym, Em giving me a salute before wiggling his fingers with a wink. I flipped him off in reply. Fucker. I'm fairly certain there isn't a place in Forks that those two haven't fucked yet.

As everyone walked towards their various destinations, I hung back, finally getting in the car when they were all out of sight. I sped out of the parking lot, driving until I was surrounded by trees and quiet forest.

Ditching class was just the best.

BPOV

Emmett was fantastic in bed. He fucking had to be. Rosalie only stopped glaring when he whispered in her ear, and she only smiled when he kissed her. Yeah. I'm pretty sure he could do things with his tongue that the average man couldn't.

Edward was weird this morning. He looked exhausted, and that shit between him and Alice was kinda strange. He had barely looked at me-which is saying a lot, because I looked good this morning. I was dressed more conservatively than yesterday, but you bet your ass I still looked damn hot. He hadn't even cracked a smile when he'd glanced at me, and I don't think he said even a word. Alice had dragged me away before I could try to force my books on him, which disappointed me a little. I was further disappointed when he wasn't there at lunch... and even more disappointed when he wasn't there during Bio.

The day dragged. With Edward gone, my new friends' group dynamic was off. Rosalie was a bitch, as usual, though it seemed she was more free with her blatant glares. Jasper seemed depressed, and I'm fairly certain he wasn't nearly as drunk today as he had been yesterday. Alice's glow was lessened, as well, and she was slightly less chatty. She still talked a mile a minute a few times, and I struggled to keep her pace. I seriously began to wonder if the girl had caffeine pills or speed stashed in her purse. Emmett seemed to be the only one unaffected by Edward's absence. His doodles today were raunchy as shit, leading me to believe that something nasty happened between him and Rosalie at some point prior to math. Lucky duck. I wanted on-campus sex. With Edward. Edward, who was MIA.

Every time Alice brought up the plans for tomorrow, Rosalie's nostrils would flair a little. I smirked each time, too, because pissing Rosalie off without trying was quickly becoming a fun little game. It was so easy I began to wonder if I should ever take her shitty attitude personally, or if she just treated everyone this way.

Alice mentioned that Edward's car was going to be in for maintenance tomorrow, and that we'd need another driver. Jasper pointed out that we'd need two drivers, since I was now joining them.

"Oh! I can't believe I forgot that! Bella, I'm so sorry. I sometimes forget how many of us there are." She smiled brightly at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. I sort of felt the need to extend an invitation to drive, but at the same time, I wasn't sure if my truck could handle the drive to La Push. It was only about forty minutes away, but the thing couldn't really push anything past 45 miles an hour.

"Well, I can drive. Rosie, you could drive, too, baby. Me and the boys could all take the Jeep and you girls can go and blast Spice Girls or whatever it is you do." Emmett winked, and Alice perked significantly at his suggestion.

"Yeah! Rose, it'd be so much fun!"

Rosalie looked like she was trying very hard to contain her expression, and it was almost commendable. Her pretty face looked constipated, and I heard Jasper snicker slightly. She shot a glare in his direction, but he ignored her and addressed Alice instead. "How's about you, me, Cullen and Miss Bella take the Jeep, and Emmett rides with Rose?"

"What? No. You're not driving my Jeep. No way," Emmett exclaimed, his voice practically echoing off the cheap linoleum of the cafeteria. "No one drives my Jeep. Nope." He shook his head defiantly, reminding me of a child who was refusing to eat their vegetables.

Jasper looked unfazed, however, and continued on. "I'm taking the Jeep, and you're riding with Rosalie," he leveled with Rosalie, and she considered this briefly before nodding. Her eyes still looked thoughtful, but she seemed content with this arrangement.

"No! Babe... come on, Jasper can't-"

"No." She looked at him, and shook her head once. His face scrunched up, but the issue was immediately dropped.

Alice grinned again, excited and very nearly vibrating as she usually did. "So it's settled! Emmett, you can head over to Rose and Jasper's in the morning, and then Jasper can pick up Edward and I, then Bella. You and Rose can head out before us, if you want, and we'll meet you there."

"What time is all this happening?" I really hoped that it wouldn't be too early, but I vaguely remembered Alice wanting to spend the whole day there. She confirmed my fears of a too early Saturday immediately. "We'll be at your house by eight."

Emmett groaned, throwing a hand in the air. I smiled outwardly, but inside I was groaning just as much as he was.

***

Bio was lame. There was a partnered activity, and since Edward had decided to skip class, I was left alone. I almost considered faking a stomach ache or something, but realized I could brave the assignment alone. I was smart and capable and independent and... and... and fuck me if I couldn't get Edward out of my fucking head.

Fucking class ditching Edward.

Whatever. I'd be seeing him tomorrow. And he'd be seeing me. Half naked. In the water. Kinda drunk.

I wondered what kind of drunk he was, and part of me secretly hoped he was more touchy-feely than most. I began crafting a plan of sorts; if he was a friendly drunk, I'd use the opportunity tomorrow to pull him closer. Perhaps I'd even seduce him... but just a little. I didn't want to get sand in places sand wasn't meant to be in, even though I was pretty sure he'd be worth it. I could only hope that I wouldn't let myself get shitfaced and sloppy, because those were two things that were definitely not attractive in the alcohol induced.

I had nonchalantly mentioned to Charlie that I'd be going to the beach with some new friends in the morning, and he'd seemed pleased. We had the standard "be-careful-stay-out-of-trouble" talk right before he asked who I was going with. When I said Alice and Edward's names, his face lit up a little. "Good kids," he managed between bites of food. He didn't say anything further, which I took as a good sign.

I tried to go to bed early, not wanting to wake up to Alice's tiny fists pounding on my front door.

As I drifted off to sleep, Edward's odd expression from the morning floated around my tired mind. That night, for the first time, I dreamt of Edward Cullen.

EPOV

Saturday

I woke up too early again. It was okay, because today was the beach, and Alice liked to get going early, but shit, 5am was too fucking early. Jasper wasn't supposed to be here until 7:45, and I was fairly certain that he'd relinquish driving duty to me. He'd been drinking more than usual lately, but Alice kept turning a blind eye to it, as if that would make it stop. The things people do for love.

I meandered around the quiet house, unsure of what to do with myself. I went downstairs and ate a bowl of cereal in the dark, trying to avoid dribbling milk all over myself. I chewed without much thought, allowing the crunching sounds to block out any coherent thoughts. When I was finished, I placed my bowl and spoon in the sink, rinsing them. Before I could allow myself to think about anything, I headed upstairs to Alice's room.

I didn't bother knocking, instead opting to just go in. To my knowledge, my cousin didn't sleep in the nude. I certainly hoped that this hadn't changed.

She was peacefully asleep, curled into a tiny ball in the center of her giant mattress. I debated the best way to wake her, considering how irritated she'd be if I just jumped on her. I glanced at the clock before I did anything rash, and I was glad I did-it was only 5:31. I sighed, and climbed gently into her bed, lying on my back a few feet away from her. No sounds came from her tiny frame, and it was hard to tell whether or not she was breathing. She was curled up so tight that I couldn't tell one way or another.

My thoughts finally caught up with me, and every single one of them was somehow connecting itself to Bella. This new girl, this fucking... I didn't even know. She was hot, she was funny, she made me hard in a matter of seconds. She wanted me, of this much I was certain, but did I really want her? I mean, yeah, sure, I wanted to fuck her. Maybe if I hit it one time she'd just disappear from my brain forever, like every other mindless lay I'd had.

I was young, and my desire to settle was... far off. Essentially, that meant I had absolutely no qualms about moving from girl to girl with skilled ease. I didn't care about them. I wasn't really breaking their hearts; we were too young to really understand this whole 'love' concept.

So why did this girl, that I had known less than a week, completely dominate every thought I had? I supposed the easiest conclusion I could draw was that I was infatuated with her. Yes. And to kill any one addiction-was she really an addiction, so soon?-you must acquire another. I just had to find something else that was equally as... stimulating.

As I drifted off to sleep, I dreamt of Bella.

I awoke to my face being poked.

"Edward... Eeeedddwarrrrrd.... Time to wake uuup.... Eddie-deadie, wakey wakey!"

I groaned, rolling away from the sound of her voice. "Alice, please, let me-"

"Up!" she shouted, yanking the pillow out from under my head. "You have fifteen minutes before Jasper gets here, and you will be ready to go in those fifteen minutes. Now. Wake. Up!" The energy in her voice should have been catchy, but in my groggy state it was simply annoying. I winced as the pillow she had taken away came in contact with my face again, making a muffled thud.

I finally opened my eyes when she lifted it off, only to find that she was holding it over her head with both hands, ready to strike again if I didn't get moving. She had all ready gotten ready, and was dressed in Washington appropriate beach wear-long pants and a sweater. In spite of promise of sun, it was still going to be cold as fuck today. The expression she wore was strictly business, and I knew better than to even try to push my luck. She smiled triumphantly as I sat up, and I groaned as she ruffled my hair. She kissed my cheek once before hopping off the bed and dancing off to get herself breakfast. If only we all had the energy of Alice.

Exactly 21 minutes later, we were sitting outside the Police Chief's house. Alice had called Bella before we even got there, letting her know that she had "3 minutes and 27 seconds" before we'd "be arriving for pickup." Alice was odd sometimes.

Bella came running out to the Jeep, and I cursed myself for not wearing something baggier, and I cursed Jasper for not being drunk. He was completely sober, and therefore completely capable of driving. Bella was wearing a loose sweater, but it didn't hide her bouncing tits, and needless to say, the creature hiding in my pants woke up the moment she came bounding down the path.

I clenched my teeth and willed my hard on to go away. Go away. Go away.

She laughed as Jasper got out and helped her get her stuff situated in the back of the Jeep. He offered her a hand and she took it with a huge grin, saying good morning to Alice and nearly buzzing as much as she was. I stared at the back of Alice's head and tried to be invisible. I failed.

"Hey, Edward," Bella said. Her voice was confident, but not nearly as much as it had been the day we met. Jasper slammed on the gas, and she laughed as the Jeep roared forward, but her eyes didn't laugh with her. She locked her gaze on me and I nodded curtly to her before looking away. I was being a fucking coward, I'll admit.

I didn't want to be a dick, really. But the dreams I'd had about her... that shit just made me nervous. I wanted to have a good day today, I wanted to laugh with my friends and drink and be a fucking teenager. And that was exactly what I planned on doing.

The drive was okay. Alice insisted on blasting Tegan and Sara the whole way there, and Jasper drummed along on the steering wheel, humming something completely different. Bella stared out the side of the Jeep and I pretended to nap. Because, you know, I could nap with the fucking lesbian double mints droning on about stalking their neighbors Friends-style. Right.

We got there before Emmett and Rosalie, which could only leave me to assume that they'd pulled over for a roadside fuck. Good on them. Wish I had been so lucky. Bella had smelled delicious, all flowery and sweet. It pissed me off even more that I was in such an off mood, and I wish I'd been as excited mentally to see her as I was physically. Emmett wouldn't mind if Bella's pretty legs got spread on his backseat, I'm sure.

Jasper helped Bella out of the Jeep before running over to help Alice down. He pulled the lever to bring her seat forward, and gave me a questioning look. He didn't say a word, because he didn't have to. I shut my eyes and shook my head, feeling the exhaustion that was emanating from my face. Jasper felt it, too, because he raised an eyebrow slightly before nodding. This was our 'guy-code.' This was the "if-you-want-to-talk-I'm-here" signal. I saluted him half-heartedly before jumping down.

We unloaded the Jeep and set everything out next to it while the girls ran towards the ocean. It was still too fucking early to go into the water, though it would be freezing no matter what time they went in. They stopped a few yards short, and sank down into the sand, laughing. I heard Rosalie's car purr up behind me, and turned to find that, sure enough, her hair was a little fucked up. Emmett grinned stupidly as he got out of the car, and a tinge of jealousy raced through me.

"Booze?"

"Hello to you, too, sugar tits." He leaned on the top of the BMW, feigning irritation with his tone, but his smile held fast. Rose rolled her eyes as she exited the vehicle, pulling her short skirt down. Jasper averted his eyes with a wince, and I felt for him. It must be pretty shitty to know any of the details of your sibling's sex life without even being told.

"Tell me there's fucking alcohol," Jasper threatened. Emmett's face took on a surprised look, but he nodded without any prodding. "Yeah, bro. Jaeger, beer, wine coolers for the girls," he winked, clearly amused at this, before continuing. "Some Malibu, bit of vodka, and, of course, Jack for you, my man."

Rose was shooting me a glare, as I expected. I knew what it meant. What the fuck ever. Bella was here. I frowned in return, shrugging a little. She rolled her eyes and flared her nostrils, crossing her arms and leaning against her car. Jasper caught all of this, of course, and leaned towards her, a stern expression on his face.

"Play nice. She's a good girl," he said in a low voice.

Rose's jaw clenched and her posture grew more erect, but she tossed the keys to Emmett before stomping off towards where Alice and Bella were sitting. Emmett looked from Jasper to me for a moment before shaking his head and opening the trunk, extracting a large box of liquor. He handed this to Jasper, who thanked him before promptly following the path his sister had all ready taken. He didn't look at me as he passed, and I breathed out a sigh that was half relief, half disappointment. I hoped that his day wouldn't be terrible, but between my shit mood and Rosalie's overall bitchiness, there wasn't much hope. What little hope there was, however, jumped up and ran to him, and he hastily set down the box before catching and spinning Alice around.

Emmett clamped a hand on my shoulder, chuckling at Alice's exuberance. "Let's get this shit to the beach."

It took three trips to get everything to where the girls were sitting-correction, where Alice and Bella were sitting; Rosalie was too good to sit on sand, of course-since it was just Emmett and I doing all the lugging. Soon enough, we had blankets, food, booze, the travel sized grill, umbrellas, sunscreen, towels and beach toys all out and good to go. Alice had insisted that we bring shit to make sand castles, and Jasper had heartily agreed that sand castles were necessary.

"Edward," he'd said, "retain your innocence as long as possible, my brother. You done messed up your childhood enough as is, so what say you to having some kid fun before you're too old to do it anymore?"

I had to admit, he had a point. Fucker.

I tried to ignore Bella's presence, which everyone seemed to feel immediately. Alice gave me questioning looks, Jasper shook his head in between drinks, Emmett kicked sand at me (he pretended it was an accident, but we all knew better), and Rosalie looked pleased, as though it had all been her idea. Bella ignored me in return, but she would glance at me out of the corner of her eye every now and then. I was being such a dick. It was completely unfounded-this girl was a stranger, and she couldn't possibly know the effect she was having on me... could she?

Everyone was pretty drunk by the time noon hit, and the girls were feeling warm enough to strip down to their suits. Bella looked fucking phenomenal, and I'd switched to lying on my stomach. It hurt to do so, but I wasn't up for a bunch of drunken stares and giggles. Fucking Bella in the sand, however, I was up for that. We could lay a towel down. As long as we were careful, we wouldn't get sand in anywhere it shouldn't be...

Emmett dragged Alice and Bella to the water, and they all splashed about and played while Jasper got completely hammered and Rosalie started getting the grill ready. She was an amazing cook, and I knew that was one of the many reasons Emmett adored her. The man was a fucking black hole-he could devour anything.

Jasper tossed the vodka my way and I shook my head. "'Swrong, brother mine?" he slurred out.

"Just not feeling it," I said lamely. I knew that even in his intoxicated state he could see right through me, but he wouldn't push the issue with Rosalie still in hearing range. He nodded at me, then extracted a joint from his pocket. "Green?" he asked.

"Nah, I'm good."

Bella came stumbling back then, eyes wide and hair wet. Drops of water were streaming down her body, and I was in awe of her hips and thighs. Everything about this girl was so fucking perfect. She looked sexy even though she was shivering and covered in goose bumps, and that is a definite plus.

"Ooooh, Jasper, care to share?" She plopped down next to him, sending sand spraying into his lap. "Sorry!" she giggled, attempting to half-heartedly brush the sand out of his crotch. I looked over to find Rose's eyes lit up like fire, but Jasper just chuckled and gently pushed Bella's hands away.

"'S'all right, darlin,' don't you fret."

"Jasper! Your drawl is... is... amazing!" Her eyes were bugging out of her head a little, and I looked down to find that three quarters of the vodka was gone, along with a third of the Jäger. Jasper had also given her some of his Jack, which was odd, because he didn't normally share with anyone. To be fair, however, not many of us actually liked the stuff... Bella chugged it like a champ. Now, though, she was pretty messy, but it was somehow endearing. She was a cute drunk, I realized. Then I mentally kicked myself.

Jasper laughed at her comment, then pulled a matchbook from his pocket. Bella's eyes popped again and she stared at him, then the matches, then him again.

"I don't find lighters to be of much use," he shrugged. She burst into hysterics again, and he laughed along with her. He lit the joint and took a long drag before passing it to Bella as he shook his match out. She stopped giggling long enough to pull a deeper hit than he had done, and he choked when he saw how much she was inhaling.

"Damn, Miss Bella, you're a goddamn champ. How'd a pretty little thing like you learn to suck like that?" he wiggled his eyebrows at her, and I scowled at the double entendre and the thoughts it evoked within me. Jasper didn't make dirty jokes very often, least of all in front of 'ladies.' Bella found it hilarious, though, and when she finished coughing out the last bits of smoke from her hit, she laughed until tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. Jasper smiled and took another hit before passing it back to her, and again, she inhaled like it was oxygen and she was deprived. This girl was incredible.

When they finished, Jasper's eyes were bloodshot and glassy, but Bella's sparkled. She laid back in the sand, running her fingers through it and pushing it around. Jasper continued to drink, and I asked Rose how long until the food would be ready. I was worried for Jasper, but also for Bella. It's not good to drink and smoke on an empty stomach. I remember that one from experience.

"Well, if you got off your ass and helped, it would be ready sooner, now wouldn't it?"

"Fuck off, Rose." My voice was almost playful, but Jasper tossed a small rock in my direction, nailing my forearm.

"Be nice to my sister. She's an angel," he said, completely serious. I rolled my eyes, and he picked up a bigger rock this time. Bella reached out for his hand, and it took her a few tries before she could finally find it.

"Jasper, don't throw rocks. You could hurt Eddie, and he doesn't like to be hurt." Her voice was so sweet that Jasper smiled and handed her the rock, which she tossed blindly into the sand. She turned her big, intoxicated eyes to me and grinned, and the wall I'd been crafting finally came down. I shook my head and laughed, and her smile grew even larger, which made her eyes get smaller. Jasper nodded with a satisfied smile, taking a drink before getting up to help Rosalie.

"Edward?" Bella asked softly.

"Bella," I replied cautiously.

"Go for a walk with me?" The look on her face was so heartbreaking, I felt like I owed her the world in that moment. Before I could cave to her puppy-face, though, Emmett and Alice came back.

"Baby!" Emmett barked. "Food ready yet?"

Alice crashed into the sand next the Bella, wrapping her arms around her and shivering. Her teeth chattered, and Bella seemed to forget her request. She began squeezing the water out of Alice's short hair, and Emmett shook his head so that he sprayed Rosalie. She promptly smacked him in the stomach.

"Aw, baby, c'mon. It's just a little water," Emmett said, a little hurt shining through his apologetic grin. Rosalie just rolled her eyes, then took off her sweater. She pulled Emmett close, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him with gusto. She didn't do this often, so the happiness radiating off of Emmett's face was almost catching. I snuck a peek at Bella, who was cuddling with Alice while Alice played with her hair. She fit in so well, and I found myself wondering what it would have been like if she'd been apart of our group from the beginning. The fact that I thought this at all scared the hell out of me, and I looked away guiltily when she looked up at me.

Jasper grabbed the paper plates, asking what everyone wanted on their burgers. He served up everything, and I had to admire his coordination. Jasper was probably the most functional drunk I'd ever met, and you'd never guess he was stoned if you didn't see his eyes. He was incredible. He delivered everyone's plates with the practice of a skilled waiter, balancing the flimsy paper on his arms and handing everything off with a brilliant smile. Then, to show that he was still Jasper, he landed with a loud sort of thump in the sand. Good ol' Jasper.

We ate in relative silence, save for the moans of pleasure coming from everyone, Jasper and Bella especially. She ate slowly, pulling her burger apart. It was quite fascinating, and an extreme contrast with how Jasper was eating. He plowed through his burger quickly, and before the rest of us were even halfway done, he was on his second helping. Rosalie yelled at him, but he ignored her, instead turning to Bella and asking if she wanted to smoke some more.

"Yes, please!" Her eyes lit up and it was fucking adorable. My sour feelings towards her started to come back with a vengeance.

Jasper withdrew another joint from his shirt pocket, lighting up and passing to Rosalie first this time. Everyone took a hit this time, and Bella killed it. I'd never seen a joint go so fast in my life.

"Miss Bella, you're a hell of a woman."

She giggled, a stupid little 'tee-hee' sort of affair. "Why thank you, kind sir!" Jasper nodded in response, a slow smile spreading across his face. Emmett guffawed, Rosalie glared, Alice giggled along. I stayed quiet, but no one seemed to notice. Good. Oh shit. Bella noticed. Not good. Abort, abort!

I looked away, not quite hazy enough to really feel it, but I definitely had not been sober for a while. Bella tossed a handful of sand in my direction, missing by about three feet. People under the influence really should be informed of their lack of coordination. I ignored her, and she didn't try again.

Jasper pulled out yet another joint, and when Bella squealed, he shook his head. "No, darlin,' this one's for everyone else. You and me done had our share."

Her eyes got all wide and she pouted a little, and I wanted to take that lip between my teeth so damned bad. She was dangerous, and she didn't have any fucking clue. Unless... she did...

Rose stopped after her second hit, and Alice followed suit. Their tolerance was low enough that it didn't take much for them to relax, and this stuff was pretty primo anyways. Emmett and I ended up passing back and forth until we were both glassy eyed like Jasper, and then Emmett put the roach away for later. I didn't see where he put it, though; I was too focused on the vibrations happening around me.

Jasper gave me a knowing smile, and Emmett demanded to know where the shit came from. Jasper raised a finger to his lips in response, closed his eyes, then fell back into the sand. He laid there with his eyes closed for what felt like forever, and I guess Emmett forgot. Actually, I forgot. Or maybe Jasper forgot. What was I talking about?

We all ended up laying there, near each other but not necessarily touching, watching the clouds and listening to the sea. As the sun started going lower in the late afternoon/early evening sky, Alice clasped hands with Bella and Jasper, pulling them both close to her, and Rose snuggled into Emmett. We didn't really speak, just felt the blissed out-ness of whatever the fuck Jasper had shared with us. We reveled for about three hours before we all started coming down, and then we cracked open more bottles to keep the buzz going. Jasper ran back to the Jeep to get more blankets for fear of the girls getting cold, and Emmett challenged me to a wrestling match.

No matter how often I told him no, he just wouldn't listen. He wouldn't be satisfied until I granted him at least one match, but I just wasn't in the mood. Besides, I really didn't want to fight in the sand. I imagined that it would be a wonderful work out, but I just couldn't take my mind off of Bella long enough to risk my face in a sandy show down. Or, perhaps that would be exactly the way...

"Fine," I grunted. "Let's wrestle. Don't cry when you get sand in your eyes."

"Fuck you and your silly threats, Cullen. Prepare to be slaughtered." All playfulness left his eyes as he got into position, and I found myself briefly reconsidering; Emmett was in a higher weight class than me. I just had to hope that my agility and cunning would help. Because I am the most cunning and agile drunk you will ever meet. Yes sir.

Jasper made it back as we started circling, handing off warmth to all the girls, who were watching excitedly from the sidelines. He demanded we start properly, telling us we had to shake hands.

"Come on, Jasp-"

"Shake," Jasper commanded with authority, pulling out yet another fucking joint and his trusty matchbook. I gaped at him. I hadn't seen him smoke this many times in a single day in a loooong time. He shrugged at me. "It's Beach Day."

I rolled my eyes and leaned forward in a crouched stance, arm extended. Emmett followed suit, and we slapped palms and Jasper gave the okay, irritation inching into his voice. He was always touchy about proper handshakes.

We circled and circled, lower, higher, lower. Rosalie got bored fairly quickly, but I saw Bella watching with intense interest from the corner of my eye. It thrilled me to know that she was watching me so intently, and I made the mistake of turning my gaze a centimeter more. The only warning I had was Alice's wide eyes as Emmett lunged at me and took me down. I was stunned for a second before I could move again, but he'd knocked the wind out of me. My concentration was off, damn it. Goddamn Bella.

We shuffled around in the sand, shoving it into each other's eyes and grunting and pulling and ouchfuckdamn! Jasper called foul a bit late, as Emmett's left hand had all ready taken out a good chunk of my hair, I was certain. I elbowed him in the gut, and somehow his knee found my face. Bella gasped and made a move to reach forward, but Alice grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

The match finally ended when my nose started bleeding and Jasper was laughing so hard he actually fell over. Bella looked like a little girl, eyes all wide with panic and pot and damn, she was so pretty. She rushed over as soon as Alice let go of her. She began stroking my face and she was panting and I could feel a problem beginning in my shorts. Rosalie snorted, and I saw Jasper smirking a little from the corner of my eye.

"Bella, I'm fine."

"You're bleeding!" She was observant, I'll give her that.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I pulled her hands from my face, attempting to keep my nose plugged, and she looked down, eyes sad and hurt. Fuck. I glanced over at Jasper, who was pulling that wise face bullshit he likes to do, and he held a fresh bottle of vodka up to me. Liquid courage. Thanks bro.

I leaned down and grabbed the bottle, drinking the equivalent of a couple shots before handing it back to him. I made that strange gasping/choking noise people sometimes make after a shot, but it wasn't so much the alcohol that made it happen as the blood that went down my throat with it.

I considered my options. I couldn't exactly run away. Bella looked all sad and even though I was certain her attention would wander the second Alice dragged her down into the sand, I just wasn't sure if that's what I wanted. I liked that she was concerned, but it also freaked me out. Perhaps she was only concerned because she was all doped up. Perhaps I'd pushed myself past my limits and I was beginning to overanalyze everything in my fucking sight.

The alcohol was swimming in my bloodstream again, and I felt my skin begin to heat up. I was still bleeding, and it was probably because of how much I'd drank all ready. Emmett was laughing, completely unapologetic. He was sitting with Rosalie stretched out next to him, and he was proclaiming himself 'the champion.' Rose looked like she was doing her damndest to ignore the way Bella and I were interacting. She was angling her body towards Emmett, and he was attempting to be slick as he slid his hand under her blanket. Alice was snuggling into Jasper's lap, and he was stroking her hair and singing Bob Dylan to her.

I glanced out at the ocean, knowing the salt water would probably be good for my faucet nose, in spite of how fucking dirty the water was. Fish piss in the sea, you know. The sky was getting darker, and it was getting colder, but I was fucking warm and the water wouldn't really sting if I was quick. I closed my eyes, weighing out my options.

I looked at Bella again, and she hadn't yet forgotten. Her face was smooth now, and a Cheshire smile crept across her face for no reason in particular. I probably looked like shit, with my bloody nose and all... but... Yeah. I liked this option. Before I could change my mind, I held out my free hand to her. She got confused, and I shook it insistently.

"Bella, would you like to go for a swim with me?"

ENDNOTES: Jeez, that Edward is such a jerk, isn't he? I'd let him take me swimming ANY day, though... ;)

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