Things forbidden have a secret charm
-Publius Cornelius Tacitus

I sat still for the rest of the hour. I stared blankly ahead. I felt betrayed and hurt and beyond all, I felt anger. Thick and strong like an untamed sea. I could feel warm tears well up in my eyes. Most from the anger.

I hadn't wanted to move back. I really didn't need the petty drama that went on in this amazingly small town. I buried my nails into my palms and bit hard on my lip to keep myself from turning and saying exactly what I felt. I watched the clock and the slow ticks of the hand move.

When the shrill bell finally rung I took off, surprising myself with my speed and grace. Not once did I trip and I was glad I didn't need it either. I looked down at my wrinkled class schedule. I had mangled it in the class room when looking for a distraction. I couldn't see clearly so instead I went into a girl's bathroom. The bathroom was empty.

I took a deep breath and placed my things on the counter. What was I suppose to do now? I stood over the sink. Eventually I pulled away and stared at my schedule. The bathroom door opened and I looked up. I glared.

"What are you doing here?" I asked and he offered a smile as he clicked the door locked.

"I want to—"

"You do realize this is a female restroom. Did you pass biology?" I spat with anger.

"I just—"

"What did you think I was? Some prank? Were you planning on getting revenge? Messing with me because I was the new Swan girl?" I snapped anger rising a bit too much.

"Look I was—"

"No! You look. I don't want any part of this stupid feud going on between the families okay? I'm just here until graduation and then I can promise you, I won't be back here. So whatever score you're trying to settle, just leave me out of it! Okay?!" I said a bit too loudly. I threw my bag over my shoulder and pushed past him toward the door.

"Bella…" he said softly.

"Just leave me alone, Edward," I spat, opened the door, and walked out leaving him in the restroom.

He didn't bother me. He didn't come to chase after me. The rest of the day continued and he didn't even glance at me. We had several classes together, but he ignored me.

I went to my first few classes in a bit of a rage, but soon ignored it. He wasn't worth it. I had Rosalie in my last class before lunch. She asked me how my first day was going; I assured her it was fine.

When lunch strolled around I sat with Rosalie and Jasper and a few other kids. Angela, Ben, and another boy I could not remember. It was strange how the lunch room seemed to be set. I notice then that the rival between families didn't only affect us, it affected the whole town.

There seemed to be a middle drawn somewhere. I assumed the kids sitting there were neutral. They weren't glaring or snickering just laughing and minding their business. There weren't a lot of them. Maybe 15 all together. I guess Rosalie and Jasper were just as popular as the Cullen's. But I wished I could have sat in the middle. I was so sick of the glares and whispers when I walked by. I had done nothing to these people, yet they hated me, because Swan happened to be my last name.

They acted as though I should be ashamed of whom I was, but I wasn't. How could I be? I loved my family; I just hated their troubles that seemed to follow me like a lost puppy.

The end of the school day couldn't come fast enough. When the final bell finally did ring I raced to the car and sat in the back while Jasper and I waited for Rosalie.

"You okay?" he asked as I stared out the window. I looked up at him.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired. It was a long day," I sighed and closed my eyes as I let my head rest against the leather seating. Today had been long. I was up to my elbows in school work. Half the kids in the school building hated me. The Cullen kids scared me.

Alice because she seemed so breezy and happy. She didn't put up a fuss when the Coach assigned her as my partner. She even made small talk and was just so happy. I'm convinced she's plotting something against me. She didn't mind the whispers that floated around her when talked to me. I didn't say much to her. She understood.

Emmett laughed when I dropped my things going to Spanish and was stopped when Edward glared at him, but after Edward had walked away Emmett shot me a cold glare that turned my bones into ice. I was sure he would never physically harm me, but he still scared me to death. I knew that's what he was trying to do and I wasn't too proud to admit it was working

Edward scared me the most though. He scared me the most because it was harder to ignore him. Harder to act like he was an enemy. I didn't know why it was though; I just knew that it terrified me. He didn't bother me, even defended me against his burly brother. To top it off, in class when the whispers started and approached him, he somehow managed to stop them. No one even glanced at me anymore after that, but it was only limited to the classes he was in.

"Well you'll get use to it. It's not so bad though," he said as Rosalie started walking toward the car. She passed Alice and Emmett who were leaning against a silver Volvo with a few of Emmett's jock friends. Jasper was true to his word; Emmett did have a fading black eye even after the weekend fight. I didn't hear the actual words Emmett had told her because I was too far away. But whatever comment he had told her caused a few of his friends to chuckle and Alice to roll her eyes. Jasper tensed and I could see his muscles in his arm flex in anger.

His hand landed on the handle of the car. I held his shoulder.

"Don't start anything Jazz, Rose can handle herself," I whispered and he loosened his grip on the door, but didn't remove it.

Rose flipped Emmett the finger and called out to him without turning to look at him. Then his friends began laughing at him. It looked like even Alice smiled for a moment. Jasper relaxed for a moment.

Rosalie approached the car and slid in the front seat. I let go of Jasper's shoulder and relaxed in the back seat. She placed her hand on his arm.

"It's alright Jasper. Let's go," she said and he started the car. We drove off, Jasper still holding the steering wheel tightly.

"What he say to you?" Jasper asked as we drove off.

"It doesn't matter," Rosalie said fixing her hair and adjusting herself in her seat.

"I want to know," Jasper said again his voice tense.

"It was none of your business and I'm not going to tell you," she said and stared out the window.

"Fine," he huffed accepting it.

"Fine," she lashed out.

I stood quietly in the back watching the green pass by in a blur.

"So Bella how was your day?" Rosalie asked trying to break the silence.

"It's was alright," I said and she began to chatter about the upcoming dances and events. She talked about her day and the teacher she hated, about her friends and about a boy she liked. That went on until Jasper pulled up to my house. I thanked him and ran inside.

When I opened the door, the house was surprising quiet.

"Hello?" I called and dropped my bag on the couch as I passed through the living room.

"In here, Sweetie," my mother called from the kitchen. I walked into to find her sitting on the kitchen table. Her hair was in a bit of a mess around her shoulders. She was usually very neat and always looked presentable. She stared at the bills in front of her while biting her lip. A habit I had picked up from her.

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed as she looked up at me with a tired smile.

I offered one in return and took a seat next to her.

"What's wrong, Mom?"

"It's your grandfather's medical bills. I don't know how we can afford this," she sighed and put the papers down. I rubbed her arm soothingly because I didn't know what else to do. I felt horrible that my parents had to worry like this. I didn't even want to look at the paper.

"We'll get through it. I could always find a job and I could—"

"No, honey. I wouldn't want you having to work for us. If you get a job, you keep the money you earn," she said and lightly patted my cheek. She smiled and started to put away the bills. I felt like arguing with her, but I didn't have the strength.

"So how was school?" she asked and rose up from her chair and started to fumble around the kitchen.

"It was fine. Just a lot of work to do," I said and sighed. She laughed and I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Renee placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed giving me reassurance.

"Hello Isabella," Granddad greeted as he walked slowly into the kitchen. He sat in the seat my mother had occupied just moments before. My mother went to fetch his pills. He stared at me with dark black eyes.

They were so dark you couldn't see the pupil only the flickering glint from the lights. His eyes were cold. They always had been, but that didn't make him a cold man because he wasn't. My grandfather could be gentle and caring, but he was also stiff and distant.

He was a confusing man to say the least. He could find the faults in everything, yet, he always seemed to be able to cheer you up.

My grandfather was an aging man. His skin hung low and his dark black hair was slowly fading into a simple gray. It changed slowly. He walked with a bit of a limp. His voice was deep and course and always reminded me of tree bark. I was so lost in thought I didn't hear my mother return with his pills.

"So Isabella how was school?" he asked as he separated his medication.

"It was fine," I said with a smile but he saw over my lie. He always did.

"Any classes with the Cullen children," he said and narrowed his eyes a bit.

"A few, but it's a small school. They don't associate with me and we ignore each other for the most part," I said and got up from the table. He watched me and it felt like he could see into my mind…

"I have homework," I mumbled and my mother smiled.

"Of course sweetie. Go," she told me and I nodded and walked away and toward the living room. I picked up my bag and ran up to my room.

— —

I found the school work to be surprisingly easy when I got down to it. I had done most of the work in Phoenix, so I was just a bit of reviewing. I finished early and I still had 2 hours before dinner. My grandfather made us have family dinners. I decided to enjoy the rare weather and drove to the park.

I enjoyed walking through the park. It was so green and moist. Both I was unfamiliar with. I was use to the kind of heat that would melt the bottom of your shoe is you stood on pavement to long.

I sat in the bench I had found Jasper and Rose at and opened the book I had brought. I could have stayed home for reading, but I enjoyed the distant sounds of children laughing and the soft tweets of birds. The solid footsteps of joggers and pedestrians. I only had a few more weeks tops to get enjoy it before the bitter cold replaced it.

"See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek," a soft whisper said beside me and I jumped. I looked to see him sitting with a smug smile. I glared at him and closed the book. My cheeks flushed and I started to get up. He grabbed my wrist to stop me.

His touch sent a shock through my arm. We both pulled away in shock. I stared down at him and he took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, but please don't go," he said and offered a gentler smile. It was slightly crooked. I remembered that smile.

"I told you—"

"Why won't you talk to me? You did when you thought I was Anthony," he said and I gasped.

"Because you lied to me. Because I don't trust you. Because my family hates yours. Because—"

"Okay! Okay. I get it. But I didn't lie to you, my name is Anthony. Edward Anthony," he said with that smug smile once again. My cheeks flamed.

"I don't care," I said befuddled. He laughed and the sound caused jitters in my stomach.

"And of course you don't trust me. I'm a stranger, but I don't have to be," he said and his eyes glittered. I continued to stare at him astonished. Who did he think he was?

"Yes, you do! You have to be one, because I want nothing to do with you," I said a bit too loudly causing a few of the other visitors to notice us. A few kids left, obviously thinking they're would be a some sort of argument. I guess when so many happened between the two families it lost its luster.

"So tell me something Bella. If my name didn't come with Cullen attached to me, what would your thoughts me of me?" he asked and just stared at him. So many thoughts ran through my head. I'd probably think he was cute. Who was I kidding? He was gorgeous.

I would have thought of him as intelligent and funny.

He continued to stare at me with raised eyebrows waiting for an answer.

"You quoted Shakespeare? Are you a fan?" I asked still on my feet and still ready to bolt. He leaned back against the bench and shook his head.

"No, not really. I find the characters a bit foolish sometimes. I do admire some of the stories. Such as Romeo and Juliet," he said and I nodded. I had to disagree with him, but that would take me out of my comfort zone. I turned to walk away but he spoke again and because I couldn't help it I froze.

"You were comfortable talking to me when you didn't know me. Couldn't you pretend I was another person?"

I turned around and for some reason I sat.

"What are your intentions? Why do even want to talk to me?" I asked feeling paranoid. I kept feeling as though someone might come out of nowhere and start throwing eggs at me. I kept feeling he was setting me up and though something told me he wasn't, I was raised to believe he was no good.

"Your interesting, Bella. I like talking to you. I agree with you, I don't like the fighting. There are scars that are so deep they have affected me, but I dislike a person for personal reasons. Not because my family says so," he explained looking at me with sincerity.

It was quiet between us. I still didn't feel comfortable here. I wanted to talk to him. If he were any other boy, I probably would have stayed. We probably would have had a deep conversation about books and movies and music and when I left I would probably have had a crush on the interesting boy.

But he wasn't any other boy. He was Edward Cullen.

I shook my head slowly and looked up at him. I was sure he could see everything in my eyes. His stare was intense, like he could see straight through my heart. As though he could read my deepest wishes, my deepest secrets. His stare made me never want to look away. I managed to pull out something from my pocket.

"I can't, Edward," I whispered and stood up.

I walked away from him, but not entirely because in my place was a little piece of paper with my cell number and email address. It was up to him to find it.

0~o~0~o~0

It was after dinner that night when my phone buzzed with a new text message. The number was unfamiliar to me so I figured it was him. I saved the number quickly under the name Anthony.

Anthony: So does this mean you accept my invitation?

I stared at the text a long time before answering.

I do, but only because I think you might be different. Let's hope you don't disappoint me, I reread the text over and over and contemplated whether or not to send it before finally sending the message.

I waited wondering if he would reply. It took only a minute.

Anthony: I don't plan on disappointing you…tho I wonder what ur intentions are??

I smiled at his message and so it began.

We spent the next month with secret text messages and late night IM sessions. I learned he varied in different types of music. Some types he liked better than other.

His favorite color, like most boys turned out to be blue. When I asked for the reason behind this he refused to answer me.

At school we ignored each other. We acted as though the other didn't exist. He didn't look at me, or talk to me. He didn't bother with me and to the outside world it may have seemed like we hated each other.

But inside our little bubble I continued to learn more and more about him. I found out about his family. His mother was always off trying to improve the world and most of his childhood was spent with a nanny.

His sister was always happy and saw his point of view almost all the time. She didn't like the fight that was going on between the two families but didn't believe anything or anyone could change it. She didn't believe in socializing with the enemy.

I told him that was how Rosalie saw it.

Emmett was the fighter. He hated the Swans with every bone in his body, but truth was he was soft at heart.

I realized our families were more alike than they would want to admit.

He knew I loved classic novels. We argued whether or not someone could enjoy it more than once.

He made me laugh a lot and I could only imagine how it would feel like to freely converse with him in person. I imagined I would learn a lot more and be able to tell all the facial features as he spoke. I was starting to know when he lied about something in a message or when he was holding something back.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this was wrong. That he probably had all his siblings and family members laughing at my meaningful messages. He was probably trying to find something that would run the Swan family out of Forks.

But a bigger part of me told that little whisper to hush. I trusted Edward Cullen.

It was strange but somehow I knew he took everything I told him seriously. I knew I was now his biggest secret as he was mine.

We were careful of course.

He didn't defend me or talk about me anymore.

In school I was quickly blending into the background. I was becoming just another student. They realized the new Swan girl held nothing interesting and was just as boring as every new student.

Another month flew by before my eyes.

In that month Edward and I had been brave. The first weekend of October he called me at exactly midnight.

I was surprised but we talked.

We talked about everything and nothing and it was wonderful to listen to his laugh and hear his voice as he described new things. We stood until four in the morning talking. After that first conversation I stood awake for another hour holding my cell and staring blankly at the ceiling replaying every word spoken.

That soon became routine. Every Friday and Saturday he would call me at 12 o'clock exactly and we would talk until the morning sun started to rise.

During the week we kept it down to texts and IM's.

I didn't know what was happening to me, but when I would pass him in the hall and our arms touched an electric current ran through my arm and made my stomach flip. I loved getting up to go to school. It was only in the morning when I could see him without causing suspicion and it would only last about 5 seconds but it was thrilling for me.

I would pass his car and his green eyes would catch mine. My blush would heat my face and he would laugh and then I was off, to my locker and my first class.

Then one night changed everything for me.

The night of the Halloween dance.

- - -

Okay so I would love your thoughts!! Please!
Forgive my dear readers for the late update, but I'm juggling 3 stories all in which I'm super interested in. Anyway it helps to know the thoughts of my readers and makes me want to update faster!

PS: I have a link on my profile that will take you to my Fanfiction Myspace profile…in my blog I have posted Sneak peeks and stories that I had taken down. I will post extras and short stories I hope to expand in the near future…so make sure you check it out.

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