Wednesday was an easy day, we had theory all day, which meant no Edward and a happy me…

So why was it then, that every time he looked at me throughout that day, my heart jumped into my throat and I loved being captured by his eyes that for some reason were not the cold hearted ones from my first day, they were, to my surprise… Melting…

On Thursday I went straight to our separate rooms, just like Mr. Smith had told us to, because today we were having a full day of practice.

I sat down in the seat and waited for Edward to arrive. I lifted my book out and started reading my favourite part.

The door opened suddenly and Edward stumbled through the door with his bag and a guitar case in his hands.

He went to the window and put them down, then he came to the seat next to mine and sat down.

"Okay, I want to say something before we start…" he looked at me, his eyes wide and determined.

"Okay..." I said, suddenly unsure.

"I'm sorry again. I didn't mean the things I said and I would like it if we could be friends, so that we aren't at each other's throats every time we walk in that door." he said in one breath.

I looked at him for a long moment, was it possible that the rich kid from NADA could possibly be friends with a poor girl? Was he being serious? Was the ice captain melting?

I nodded, "Okay…"

He smiled an easy smile showing all his teeth, and it made my heart lurch in my chest. He looked like the good guy from my first day again…

He stood up and went over to his bag to get his book, "You play the guitar?" I asked.

"A little…" he nodded.

"Sure…" I said, "What grade?"

He smiled shyly, my heart pounded once again, "Eight." he laughed.

"Exactly," I said standing up, "Okay, I think we should probably pick out the scenes that we should perform."

He nodded, "Yes, we should have four scenes I think. The first will be…" He continued speaking, and I heard with my head, and wrote down what he was saying, but my whole body was accustomed to one feeling. I couldn't describe it, no matter how hard I tried, it was like I was falling from a great height, my lungs expanding as I took in the air, the air that Edward breathed, my eyes widening as I took in Edward's perfect, flawless face. I couldn't describe what it was, but, for some strange reason, I liked it…

On Friday we had a day of theory, and to my utter happiness, Edward would often turn his head slightly and look at me.

Of course, my new best friends, Rose and Alice, picked up on this and now convinced themselves that Edward liked me too, and that he was changing.

I couldn't be as easily convinced, because every time I revelled in the idea, my head would question me, and ask me why he would change after years of tormenting and hating other people who didn't live up to his expectations.

After school we all went to Alice's house. I'd only to mention the party at the pier to my mum and she was fine with it. She thought it would help me fit in and make more friends. And it was true that I was fitting in better because I had Alice and Rose by my side, the taunting names had died down, but I would hear them every so often, if I was aware of my surroundings.

I stood in Alice's walk in wardrobe as she flitted through a pile of dresses.

"Are you sure?" I asked her again.

She sighed, "Yes! You are going to look fabulous and Edward is going to love it…"

"What? You think Edward will be there?" I asked, as she passed a dress bag to me.

She turned and looked at me with an expression that told me she was wondering if I was sane, "Of course he's going to be there! He runs the school, so he's going to run the party!" she laughed as she walked me to one of the five bathrooms in her house.

"Your house is so big…" I commented as she stopped at a door.

"I know… I hate it, it's too big…" she said as I walked inside.

"I'll swap with you!" I called as I closed the bathroom door and I heard her high heels walking down the hall, I heard her little laugh.

I got dressed into the purple dress she had picked out. I tried not to look at the designer label as the silk fabric came over my head. The dress was gorgeous, the purple fabric was swinging at my hips and travelling to the top of my knees. It was a halter dress and very simple, much to my pleasure. It was simplistic but it complemented me and as I stood and looked at myself in the mirror, I hoped that Edward would like it.

I stopped myself short. Edward wouldn't like me and the quicker I got used to that idea the better.

I slipped on the black Vera Wang stilettos that Alice had picked out for me and then I looked at my hair and face, I hoped that they would be able to make them look as good as the dress I wore.

I put on the bath robe as instructed by Alice so that no make-up got on the dress and then I went back into her room.

Alice and Rose both stood with their own robes on and their own make-up and hair done, they smiled at me.

I sat down in the seat and watched carefully as they applied my make-up with skilled and cautious hands.

I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror, the person I saw was a stranger to me.

Their hair was up in clips, with curls falling around their shoulders. Their make-up was subtle, the foundation light on their face, and their blusher looked natural. Their eyes were smoky, the brown eye shadow lighting up their eyes and the black mascara framed their eyes beautifully.

I sat in the chair motionless looking at myself, "You like it?" Alice asked.

"What have you done?" I asked, still in shock.

"What?" they asked together, I could hear the hurt in their voices.

I blinked, "I actually look nice!" I exclaimed, "Seriously, how did you do this?" I asked, taking my eyes from the mirror and up to them.

They smiled brightly, "You were always good looking… We just made you even nicer!" They said happily.

They put their hands on my shoulders and I stood up. They took of their robes and I stared at them in astonishment.

Their dresses were beautiful, Rose's was cream and strapless and Alice's was blue with thin straps. Both dresses were plain and lovely, but mine was nicer.

"Why did you give me a nicer dress?" I demanded, the last thing I wanted was to stand out.

"Edward will be looking for you, and you want his attention all over you…" Rose smiled.

I sighed but didn't complain, "Come on!" Alice said, gesturing to me to remove the robe.

I slipped it off and they gasped, "Oh my God! You are so gorgeous!" they shouted together.

I laughed nervously, "I won't stand out will I?" I asked worried.

They nodded happily, "Oh yes!" Alice squealed, taking my clutch bag from the table and placing it in my hands, then she took my other hand as we ran out of her bedroom door.

We got to the party and Alice parked her Jeep in the parking lot. I looked around in awe as I climbed out of her car. The whole pier was lit up with small twinkling lights that travelled to the end. There was a massive gazebo set up to the left of the pier and the whole school was underneath it.

My stomach started churning as we walked towards the people. As we got closer I saw more of the finer details. Food had been set up along one whole side of the big tent and the DJ stood up at the top, playing one of my favourite songs.

"This is so amazing..." Rose laughed beside me.

"I know…" I said, amazed.

As we reached the tent I saw Edward. He stood by the punch talking to two other boys, he wore a black shirt and jeans and he looked absolutely gorgeous.

I heard myself intake air, "There's Edward…" I whispered.

I saw Rose and Alice's heads whip round to where I was looking and at that exact moment Edward's eyes met mine.

I had the pleasure of seeing his eyes widen as they travelled down my body and back up to my face again.

He smiled at me and I tried to do the same.

Alice nudged me, "He's saw you, now he won't take his eyes off you!" she whispered.

I turned my head to look at her and I smiled, but her eyes were on Edward. I watched in astonishment as her mouth dropped open and she gasped.

My head flung back round to see Edward and what I saw made my heart crack. He was kissing a girl, or rather she was kissing him. Her arms were draped around his neck, her body pushed up against him. Edward stood there, his hands out as if to push her off but he held two cups of punch and so his hands could do nothing to help him.

The girl pulled away suddenly and Edward's eyes travelled to mine. The look on his face was surprise and worry. I felt my breathing come in long gasps and my mouth hanging open in shock.

The girl took the punch out of his hands and started pulling him towards the dance floor. She placed his hands on her hips and started dancing with him. And he was exceptionally good…

I didn't know why I was jealous. I had no reason to be jealous. I knew what was happening to me. I was experiencing Edward's acting skills, I was falling for the part he was playing. Not him.

Alice grabbed my arms and made me look at her, "Bella. She jumped on him, he didn't know what hit him…" she explained.

I nodded slowly, "I don't care anyway..."

"But what?" she asked, seeing the torment in my eyes.

"What I just felt, when I saw that…" I tried to explain.

Rose nodded absently, "You've fallen hard, you feel like you've been kicked in the stomach, right?" I nodded, "Yep, you've fallen for him…"

I tried to take a deep breath and I looked back at the two of them dancing. Edward looked so caught up in the music…

"He's good…" I said, nodding slightly as I watched him.

"Of course he is…" Rose said, "He's a triple threat…"

"A triple threat?" I asked, looking back at her.

"Acting, singing, dancing… He's got it all…" she said, never taking her eyes off them.

I turned and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" I heard Alice call.

I turned and looked at them, "Just for a walk along the pier, I won't be long…"

I walked along the pier until I came to the very end, it was in complete darkness, only dimly lit by a few nearby lights.

I sat down and removed the heels I was wearing. I dipped my feet into the water and closed my eyes for a long moment, basking in the cool breeze the sea brought.

"Hey..." I heard someone say quietly.

I looked over my shoulder to see Edward standing a few feet away from me with his hands in his pockets and his head bowed slightly.

I sighed and looked back over across the sea, "Hi..."

Edward came and sat down beside me, I watched from the corner of my eye as he removed his shoes and socks and placed his feet in the water.

He bowed his head slightly, "Bella... What happened between me and… I don't even know her name… What happened wasn't what it looked like, I didn't even know what was happening…"

I looked over at him, "You don't have to explain yourself to me, I'm not your girlfriend…"

"Right…" he nodded.

We sat in silence for a long moment, "It's a good party…" I said quietly.

"Yeah." he agreed, "Well not that you're seeing much of it sat out here…"

I shrugged, "It's quiet, peaceful…" I said.

He nodded in agreement, "So, did it take much persuasion for your parents to let you go?" he asked.

I shook my head and smiled, "No, my mum thought it was a great idea. She thought I could get to know more people…"

"What about your dad?" he asked and I felt my stomach churn at his question.

"Um, my father is dead…" I said quietly.

Suddenly his hand fell upon mine, he grasped it tightly, "I'm sorry… It must be hard losing someone you love…"

I shrugged, trying to look carefree, "I'm used to it…"

"What do you mean?" he asked, his hand still on mine.

"My brother died too…" I said as I watched the waves crashing against the pier.

His hand tightened, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I stayed silent for a long moment, "My dad died first, I was eight. He had cancer, I was too young to know what was going on at the time… My brother Damien, died when I was 13, he was eighteen… He was shot… I was old enough then to understand, and that's when I started trying to achieve my dreams… It became my dream to attend an arts college and getting in to NADA was a dream come true… It was Damien's dream... And I would've loved for him to walk me to the doors on my first day, or even to have him show me around because it was his school too… He wanted to attend NADA, he was dancer, and a very good one… And every time I walk by the dance rooms, I picture him in there, dancing his heart out… I always think that if we had money… Sure, we'd be rich and have nicer things, but my dad and Damien might be alive… We could've afforded better healthcare for my father and we wouldn't have lived in the neighbourhood we did when Damien was shot… He wouldn't have had to work his ass off to get a scholarship, he could've just went… And he wouldn't have had to put up with the abuse and ridicule he went through because he wasn't on drugs or stealing, because he was doing something with his life and they didn't like it, so they ended it before it could even begin…"

I stared out across the sea and I blinked rapidly. My free hand moved to my eyes to catch the tears before they could ruin my make-up.

"Ugh." I moaned, "Alice and Rose are going to kill me... They spent nearly an hour on my make-up…"

"I'm so sorry Bella…" Edward whispered, "I had no idea…"

I looked up at him and took a deep breath, "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago and I've gotten over it…"

"But your crying." he said, frowning deeply.

I shrugged, "Yeah, I always do… But I know they're safe, safer than I am anyway…"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You think I like living in an area where there's a chance you'll get jumped when you walk out the door? You don't realise how tough it is…" I said.

"I guess I don't… But hey, when you become a famous actress you can buy you and your mum a massive house in Manhattan…"

"LA." I corrected, laughing quietly.

He laughed with me, "Hey, would I be a total asshole if I asked you to dance right now?"

I looked at him in surprise, "No... But I can't dance…"

He shrugged, "It's all in the leading…" I smiled and bowed my head nervously, "Come on…" he chided, getting up on his feet.

He pulled me up and bent down to put on his socks and shoes. I slipped the high heels back on and waited for him.

He looked at me and smiled, then he took my hand and led me back to the party, "We're going up there?" I asked, nervous.

"Yes, that's where everyone else is…" he said, confused by my hesitation.

I bit my lip and he noticed, "Relax..." he whispered.

I smiled and looked down at my feet, trying to ignore the feeling of shockwaves that went through me at the feel on his hand on mine.

We were just coming to the edge of the dance floor when I heard someone calling my name. I ignored them and smiled to myself as Edward's arms wrapped around me.

Suddenly someone pulled my arm and I fell away from Edward. "Sorry." Alice said harshly.

She pulled me over to the side and I watched Edward as he stood in the middle of the dance floor, looking shocked that Alice had pulled me away. He looked at me and then gestured he would get us a drink, I nodded.

"What?" I asked Rose and Alice as they looked at me with worried eyes.

"It's a plan…" Rose said through gritted teeth.

"What is?" I asked, but my stomach was churning, I knew I wasn't going to like this.

"Edward... Him liking you… It's all a plan, a plot," Rose continued, "I can't believe we didn't see it coming!" she scolded herself.

Alice took over, "He's did it so many times before with other girls. And that first day, when he said he would ruin you, he still hasn't given up…"

"I don't understand…" I whispered, my throat was closing, I could barely breathe.

"He has it all planned out. He's going to make you fall in love with him, then he's going to make you do the play, so he gets the best marks possible and then he's going to crush you like you're something he walked on… He'll ruin you in the worst way possible…" Alice whispered, she touched my arm gently.

"We should've seen it sooner… That smile he has with you, is the smile he wears when he's acting…" Rose said, her eyes throwing daggers at Edward's back.

"Say something…" Alice whispered.

"Take me home, please…" I broke out quietly. The tears were building in my throat, the pain ripping at my heart.

Alice nodded and they began walking towards her car. I followed slowly though they stayed close at my side.

"Hey, where are you going?" Edward called, he grabbed my wrist as we walked by him.

I stopped and tried to hold back the tears as I made an excuse, "I don't feel well, sorry…" I whispered, pulling my arm out of his grasp and walking forward again. Alice and Rose stayed close at my side.

We got in the car and Alice started driving home.

I stared out the window, the tears silently running down my cheeks. It all made sense now, everything that had happened between us. He was playing with me and I was angry at myself for not seeing it first. I understood now, that Edward could never change from what he was. And he hadn't changed, he'd just mastered his acting skills even more. He was toying with me, so I would fall in love with him and then he could break my heart…

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