Title: You Found Me

Full Summary: Edward Masen has lived the life of a nomadic vampire, travelling with James and Victoria since he awoke as an immortal. His ability to read minds has had the unusual side effect of making him a vampire with a conscience. Despite the ridicule from his coven mates, he's confident he's making the best of his existence and doing what's morally right... until he stumbles upon a brown-eyed girl reading in a meadow in Forks. As he attempts to befriend her and learns more about the sleepy town of Forks, Edward finds there's a lot more to being a vampire than he ever thought possible.

Pairings: Canon

Rating: M, for language and sexing.

Chapter: Twenty-three; Scrutinized

POV: Bella

AN: Err, so it's been a while… but hopefully the wait was worth it. This is a chapter I've been looking forward to writing for a while, and one I've had in mind since the beginning, that managed to stick, despite all the changes and variations this story has gone through… So be sure to let me know what you think :)

Thank you to everyone who's still reading this, after all these months. Especially the 250 of you who have it on alert. It might not seem like much to some writers out there, but it makes this my most popular story, by far, in all my years here on ffnet. I'm also hoping to hit 300 reviews with this chapter, another record for me ;)

xx

I slumped in my seat in homeroom, bored out my wits. I'd been at school less than half and hour and already I was watching the clock which, unfortunately, was placed directly in front of my front row seat. The seconds seemed to be ticking by at half their usual pace.

Edward had been sweet enough to drive me to school – in my truck, thank god; I wasn't ready to brave the stares his Vanquish would earn us – and kiss me goodbye in the parking lot, with a sly smile and promises he'd see me soon. I hoped that look meant he was planning on making an appearance during my lunch break.

I definitely wouldn't mind the lunch break visitation. Already it seemed strange to be without him. As pathetic and clingy as it was, I missed him. I'd been spoiled by the last few days' uninterrupted time together.

We'd spent a good chunk of that in our meadow, goofing off and enjoying one another. The rest was spent in my room, putting my twin-size to good use. Not quite the use I hoped I could convince him it was best for, but a thoroughly enjoyable use nonetheless.

Just as Eleazar had predicted, Edward exhibited unwavering self-control. He was able to stop himself from going too far at the drop of a hat, though exactly what constituted "too far" was a hotly debated topic between us.

Edward was resolute that he wasn't stuck in the Victorian era and wasn't opposed to forgoing the martial license before our intimate relationship progressed but I wasn't so sure. Three days worth of making out on my bed and he hadn't tried to cop a feel yet.

Deep down I knew he was right about waiting to have sex, at least temporarily. Our relationship was new and we both knew it. But we both had plans that involved one another, beyond just the rest of my senior year. Though we'd never said the words aloud, we were it for one another. That meant, sooner or later, Edward was going to have to lose his inhibitions. I wasn't going to be a virgin by my next birthday, whether he liked it or not.

So I understood the temporary embargo on sex. Sort of. Understanding didn't make it any less frustrating when he'd slam on the brakes just short of being able to soothe the throbbing ache that was perpetually present when we were together. It also didn't make it any less frustrating that he used that as an excuse to avoid anything beyond heated making out. There were plenty of detours we could have taken along the way.

I might have taken his avoidance as an invitation to negativity, choosing to believe it was something wrong with me or what I had to offer but those thoughts were put to rest when I took a moment to think about the way he would look at me like I ruled his world. His eyes were so bright, so happy and so focused on me, it was impossible to maintain negative thoughts. He adored me and spared no opportunity to demonstrate it. Impossibly out of my league as he was, the tenacious vampire had chosen me.

That left Edward being a product of the society he grew up in. No matter how much he denied it, he had certain unspoken rules about respect and chastity that couldn't be ignored. Stupid chaste Victorians interfering with my chances of making it to third base within a reasonable time period. I could wait a little while but I definitely drew the line at marriage.

"Bella!" Jessica whined, from somewhere to my left, a sharp elbow accompanying the annoying interruption. "Are you even listening to me?"

"No," I admitted honestly. I hadn't been; there was no point in pretending I had.

Jessica pursed her lips in annoyance. "I was asking about your arm. How did you break it?"

Of course Jessica wanted in on the latest scoop. Which apparently involved juicing me for information.

"I tripped."

"How did you trip?"

"I don't know? How does anyone trip? With my feet." My tone was short, but I couldn't help it, I was already crabby about being separated from Edward. Jessica grilling me about my accident-prone life wasn't helping matters.

"Geez, what's your problem? I was just asking." Her eyes widened when they lowered to plaster-covered arm. "Hey, who's signed your cast?" Of course her eagle eye noticed the few signatures on my cast.

Without waiting for permission she yanked my arm out from where it had been tucked under my desk. Ignoring all the Cullens' signatures, she honed in on the inscription Edward had left.

"We've only known one another a short while, but already you command me with your smile. I know there are still many things we need to say; I'll tell you all you want to know, just give me today. Edward," she recited, reading the sweet poem Edward has scrawled on my cast imploring me to give him a chance to explain, after I'd first told him I knew he was a vampire, but before we'd had a chance to really talk.

I yanked my arm out of Jessica's grip, crossing it under my other one, though the damage had already been done. I wasn't sure how I felt about sharing a piece of Edward with Jessica, even just the poem he'd written on my cast. It felt too personal.

"That's cute. Who's Edward?"

Hoping she'd read my body language, take the hint and drop the subject had been too much to expect.

"Is he your boyfriend? How come you didn't tell me about him? We're friends, right?"

She had the nerve to look hurt, as if she hadn't just violated my privacy by reading a personal message aloud in calculus. Knowing the way Jessica's voice carried, I wouldn't have been surprised if the whole class had heard.

"Look, Jess, if it's alright with you, I'd rather not talk about this. It's kind of personal." I tried to sound apologetic but Jessica was being so pushy it was far from sincere.

Jessica pouted. "Okay, fine. But you can trust me, you know? You're like my best friend right now, since Lauren's always hanging out with Tyler."

I nodded along sarcastically. We'd hardly spoken the last couple weeks, since most of my time had been occupied thinking about Edward. It was hard to believe I'd been promoted to best friend status in that time. Regardless of how much time Lauren was spending with her boyfriend, Jessica was definitely closer to her than me. "Great."

We sat quietly for a few minutes, working on the calculus equations Mr. Varner had assigned us. I wasn't able to concentrate enough to be very productive but it was better than being interrogated. The peaceful silence proved to be too much for Jessica.

"Hey, so the girl's choice dance is coming up next week…" She even managed to sound somewhat disinterested, scrawling on her worksheet in purple ink as she spoke. "Are you going to ask someone? Or bring someone? Like Edward?"

I sighed at the obvious ploy for information. I had to hand it to her, the lengths she went to for gossip were impressive. "Jessica, please. I know you can't help your curiosity but I really don't want to talk about it."

Jessica tilted her head sagely. "Oh, so he dumped you, huh?"

My patience was wearing thin. "No. I just don't want to talk about it. Some people like to keep things about their lives private."

"Okay." She paused. "Is he hideous or something? Like, does he have a huge mole on his face?"

I laughed, picturing Edward with a large mole on his cheek. It might actually even the playing field a little, looks-wise. Jessica raised an eyebrow at my laughter, probably taking it as confirmation.

I shrugged. Playing ignorant was better than the alternative. Indulging Jessica's special brand of crazy was only asking for further crazy.

I was so busy pretending to studiously do my work and ignore Jessica that I hardly noticed Alice flounce into the classroom half an hour late. If she hadn't purposely brushed up against my desk on the way to hers – vampires didn't bump into anything they didn't want to – I wouldn't have noticed her at all. She grinned widely at me, offering a secret smile. I hadn't noticed she'd been missing from the class. She sat in the far back; I'd had no reason to suspect she wasn't there earlier.

No sooner had I turned around from craning my neck to see Alice settle in her seat than the classroom door was opened again, this time Edward strolled in casually, like he belonged in my math class. Unconsciously I grinned. It was a natural reaction to seeing him.

I wasn't the only one who noticed. Jess was staring at him like he had toilet paper sticking out of his pants. Fresh blood. Count Jessica to be on top of it. I snickered internally at how backwards that analogy was.

Edward approached Mr. Varner, who was sitting behind his desk at the front, handing him a slip of paper. Jessica and I weren't the only ones watching because the class went quiet enough for us to hear their conversation.

"Hello sir, I'm Edward Masen. I'm new?"

Mr. Varner nodded approvingly at the sheet Edward had passed him. "Ah, yes. Mr. Masen. Shelly told me to expect you. Welcome to Advanced Calculus. I assume you'll be able to keep up?"

"I hope so, sir. I was in advanced placement in Chicago, as well."

"Very good. You can take a seat, Edward. It looks like there's a free spot on Ms. Swan's right. Introduce yourself. You got lucky; Ms. Swan knows her way around an equation. If you find yourself having trouble, I'm sure she'd be pleased to help."

Jessica leaned over to my seat mouthing the words "oh my god" in my direction. "Wow, he's hot. Easily the hottest new guy since Jasper Hale. No contest," she whispered, glancing between me and Edward who was finishing up his conversation with our teacher. I fought the urge to stake my claim somehow – like by haughtily asking if it looked like he had any hideous moles – but decided that might seem the slightest bit catty.

Such a declaration was rendered unnecessary when Edward slid smoothly into the seat next to me, looking every inch an Abercrombie model. He looked good in casual clothes and dark-rinse jeans. He almost looked like one of us regular teenagers, except exponentially better.

He grinned at me cutely, probably knowing that he was in trouble for enrolling in Forks High behind my back. He'd known how difficult it was to say goodbye this morning. All along he'd been aware there would be no need for goodbyes at all.

"Hey, Bella."

"Hey, Edward."

I saw the exact moment the penny dropped in Jessica's expression. Her eyes bulged a little and her jaw fell open unattractively, rendering her speechless. It only took a moment before she regained her too-oft-used voice.

"No way!"

Edward snickered, no doubt reading her every astonished thought about how he was too good for me.

Jessica leaned against my desk to peer over at Edward. "Hi Edward." She batted her eyelashes ostentatiously. "I'm Jessica, Bella's best friend."

"Hi Jessica. It's nice to meet you." Edward smiled at her politely, a mild frown quickly taking its place as her eyes raked over him. He crossed his legs, his posture defensive. It was my turn to snicker. God only knew what he was seeing in Jessica's mind to warrant that reaction.

"So you know Bella, huh? Where did you guys meet?" If Jessica couldn't squeeze the gossip out of me, she was willing to pressure it out of Edward instead.

The sweet grin returned to Edward's face. "We met through Alice. She's my cousin." He didn't even flinch at the blatant lie. I made a mental note to remember that was his back story since I was sure it would be asked again.

"Alice?" Jessica turned to look at the elfin girl at the back of the room.

Alice waved playfully, wiggling her fingers at Jessica and grinning. Jessica pursed her lips, probably ruing the fact she'd never attempted to befriend Alice before. From what Alice had told me when we worked on our Spanish project, she'd always been treated as an outcast. I couldn't imagine how hard that would be for someone as outgoing as Alice. If it affected her, she never let it show. Her bubbly personality was a constant.

"Yeah," I agreed, bolstering the lie. "Alice and I did a Spanish oral together. I spent lots of time at her house and with Edward. The Cullens are pretty cool."

"So, you guys are like, you know? A thing?" The word was infused with too many implications to name. It was simultaneously a horrible description and a very apt one. It was hard to put into words what Edward and I had. We'd been loosely using the terms boyfriend and girlfriend but it was hard to shake the feeling those terms weren't quite right either.

"Yup." I beamed, trading smiles with Edward. He hardly acknowledged Jessica, his attention solely on me. "We're definitely something." Let her make of that what she would.

"Oh well, that's pretty cool. So it's like you already know someone, Edward. Well, beside your cousin."

"Yeah," Edward nodded along. "I'm very lucky I know Bella."

Jessica frowned, cutting her eyes to my cast, probably trying to remember what Edward had written on it. I shoved it further under my desk. She'd already read the words aloud once. There was no way I was letting her do it again with the person who'd written them in the room.

Jessica was quiet, just observing me and Edward for a moment, probably compiling a list of intrusive questions to ask us. Too bad she didn't have a flashlight to shine in our eyes.

Edward looked from his worksheet to me sheepishly, tuning out Jessica and her staring. "Do you have a pencil I could borrow?"

xx

English didn't play out much differently than first period except Edward walked me to class. My hand in his, he followed me into the room.

He proudly showed me his schedule, which was nearly identical to mine, save for final period Government. He'd not managed to get into that class, on the grounds it was full. He'd pouted about that. I laughed at his chagrined expression. Apparently even Mrs. Cope, under the influence Edward's spell, hadn't been able to bend Forks High's scheduling to his will.

"Poor Mrs. Cope," I joked. "She's only a couple years from retirement. You're lucky you didn't give her an aneurism laying your charms on her like that."

"It was all a waste anyway," he said petulantly. "Our schedules aren't even the same."

I laughed loudly. "Are you kidding me? In a school as small as Forks, getting into five out of six requested classes is a downright miracle."

He pulled out my chair for me, inciting the whispers of a few of our classmates, all kids I'd never really spent much time with outside of class. I still didn't know most of their names. In a town like Forks, a new student was a big deal. Last year I'd been subjected to the hushed whispers. Now it was Edward's turn.

The gossip was only bolstered by the fact he was interacting with me, the now-old-news-new-student, like he knew me. I could just imagine the ridiculous rumours that would be stirred up. A part of me was actually hoping that Jessica's gossip maven ways would have our version of the truth spread around the school by the end of the day. Hopefully without too many embellishments.

I took my seat, grateful I was independent of any ties to anyone in this room and that there was once again a free seat next to mine. Even better, this desk was connected to mine. After talking with Mr. Mason and verifying that he was supposed to be in the class, Edward slipped into it, easily falling in place next to me.

"This is nice," I commented. "It could have been weird having you in all my classes but it just feels natural, like you belong here."

He grinned at me sweetly. "I belong anywhere you are. The sooner you recognize that fact as truth, the better for us both. You aren't getting rid of me."

"That's pretty clear. I mean, you reenrolled in high school. No one retakes high school unless they have to. Braving cafeteria food and English essays and math homework a second time… you must really like me."

He claimed my hand under the table. "That's an understatement. There isn't anyone else in the world who could make me consider trapping myself in a building filled with dozens upon dozens of teenagers spritzed with awful body spray and full of repellent thoughts."

"You say the sweetest things, Edward."

He laughed and winked. "Count on it, baby." I knew it was meant to be cheesy but him calling me baby sent a shot of heat straight to my stomach. I liked it a lot.

We were interrupted by Mr. Mason, who shushed the class to introduce Edward who gritted his teeth and slumped in his chair throughout the ordeal. We were both thankful when he proceeded to the lesson on our text of the week, Jane Eyre, and all eyes were removed from the pair of us and focused on Mr. Mason.

Edward retrieved a copy of the book from the knapsack I hadn't noticed he'd been carrying. Seeing Edward retrieving school supplies from a backpack like any other normal teenager struck me as unintentionally hilarious. He was vampire, he'd done and faced unspeakable things… things out of myths and fairytales, and here he was enduring the mundane life of a high school student like it was a completely ordinary day for him.

Or it seemed ordinary, until I realized the copy of Jane Eyre he'd retrieved was older than I was. By a lot. After some inspection, I realized it was a first edition.

"Are you kidding me, Edward? You bought that, for a high school course? Are you insane? That probably cost almost as much as my dad's house!" I hissed, not wanting to interrupt Mr. Mason's lecture. I was glad Edward and I were in the back row. Anyone wanting to stare at us would have to draw attention to themselves by craning their necks to look at us.

He replaced my ratty copy with his delicately age-weathered edition, like it was no big deal that he was offering his fifty thousand dollar book for my ten dollar one. "It was my mother's," he replied, also in a whisper. "When I decided I was going to enroll, I went to Chicago to collect some of her old books. She compiled quite a few rarities. I thought you might enjoy them. Someone might as well. They've just been sitting around gathering dust in my parents' house in Chicago."

"Edward, as sweet as it is, you offering me this… I can't accept it." I didn't even dare touch the book to return it to him for fear of what my greasy fingerprints might do to the aged paper.

"Fine." Edward rolled his eyes, but snatched the book from my desk like it was scrap paper and tossed it carelessly in his bag.

I gasped at the mistreatment of the priceless text, reaching across his lap to retrieve his bag from the other side of our joined desk. "Okay, you know what? That's like cruelty to books. Maybe you don't deserve this book after all. He'll be better off in my capable hands."

"He?" I could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Correct," I said haughtily. "This book deserves a proper pronoun." I clutched the bag affectionately. "'It' is grossly insufficient."

"Aren't you going to take it out of the bag?" he asked slyly, a knowing smirk on his lips.

I frowned, willing myself over my aversion to touching the book. I opened the bag and peered forlornly at the book sitting in there haphazardly, waiting for me to rescue it. Then I noticed it was nestled next to several other rare editions. Forget my dad's house, the contents of the bag had to be worth more than his lifetime earnings. I nearly dropped it on the floor.

"Holy crap, Edward," I mumbled, my attention still half-buried in the bag. "Your mom was hardcore, wasn't she?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, Victorian sensibilities through and through, a collector of rare, pretentious books, she was 'hardcore,' all right." He paused, his lips twitching into a smirk. "If she was alive today, I have a feeling she would have loved you."

"Well, that's good to know," I said honestly, though I couldn't discern if he was joking or not. "I would want your parents to like me. You already know my dad likes you."

Edward must have detected the unsure note in my voice. He brushed a few fallen strands of hair behind my ear. "Who wouldn't love you, Bella? I wish I had parents I could show you off to."

I shrugged, fighting off the heated blush I could feel threatening to emerge on my cheeks. I stared steadfastly at the books, refusing to look at Edward.

He followed my gaze, misreading my expression. "Look, if it's too much or it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to take them but I want you to have them. I'm pretty sure my mother would have too. She loved books, almost as much as you do. I can't think of a better owner for them."

Mr. Mason cleared his throat at the front of the class, shooting an annoyed glance in Edward's direction. All other eyes in the class followed, eager for an opportunity to stare at the newcomer without fear of being obvious too about it. "Mr. Masen, our names may sound an awfully similar but you are not the teacher of this class. I don't care if you're new; I don't tolerate disrespect from any of my students. I'd appreciate it if you'd pipe down and allow me to continue with my lesson plan. Unless you and Ms. Swan have something important to share with the class?"

Edward, smug hell-raiser that he could be, smiled at Mr. Mason beatifically. His innocent expression belied the smart-alecky comments he was about to deliver. I'd noticed, as a rule, the Cullens preferred not to draw attention to themselves at school. Edward had no such qualms.

"Bella and I were just talking about Jane Eyre, Mr. Mason. We were debating our interpretations of the novel. She believes Jane Eyre to be a feminist heroine. I disagreed."

Mr. Mason crossed his arms, leaning against his desk. It was clear he didn't believe a word Edward was spouting. I almost felt a little sorry for him; Edward never started anything he didn't intend to finish. Well… unless it involved a bed.

"Is that so? Jane Eyre is widely regarded as ahead of its time as far as its feminist undertones are concerned. What would lead you to disagree with Ms. Swan's apt appraisal?"

Edward leaned back in his seat. He would have appeared disinterested if it hadn't been for the competitive glint in his eye. "Well, sir, in the conclusion of the novel, Jane forfeits everything she worked so hard for, namely her independence, to marry and take care of a man. By ending the novel with Jane settling into a typical domestic role, Ms. Bronte devalues her heroine's prior experiences, suggesting that the inevitable conclusion to any woman's life, no matter how liberated she is, is to settle down with a man."

I bit my lip to prevent the giggle I could feel waiting to erupt. Mr. Mason glared at Edward, not enjoying that he'd wrongly called Edward out on what was apparently not a bluff at all.

"That's… well, it's a fine point, Mr. Masen," Mr. Mason grudgingly conceded. "I commend you for bringing it up. However it would serve you well to wait until class discussion to bring up such points in the future." He then turned staunchly to the black board, writing something no one was bothering to read.

The class was too busy looking on with undisguised awe. Edward's cool points had just skyrocketed. No one got away with being sassy to a teacher with such grace, least of all the conservative Mr. Mason.

Great. He'd already charmed the socks off of Jessica in homeroom on looks alone. Now I'd be fighting off everyone in my English class, too.

He leaned close to me, so he could whisper in my ear, simultaneously linking our fingers under the desk. "School's a lot more fun than I remember. I get to sit with the prettiest girl in class and I haven't been slapped with a ruler once."

Yeah, school was a lot more fun than I remembered, too. Edward would keep things exciting, that was for sure.

xx

In Gym and Spanish, just like Calculus and English before them, Edward managed to make the two of us the hot topic of the day.

In Gym, we played volleyball in pairs. Naturally, Edward had gripped my hand, claiming me mere seconds after Coach had barked out the order to pick a partner. Even so, he swooped in just in time to rescue me from Mike's outstretched hand.

Shooting a glare at the back of Edward's head at the slight, Mike crawled over to Jessica, begging for her partnership. She stared daggers at his audaciousness. Asking Jessica as a second choice was asking for trouble. After a minute of hemming and hawing, Jessica gave in, as we all knew she would.

I didn't bother warning Edward that we were going to lose. He'd be privy to that little factoid the moment the ball was hurled in my direction, only to continue on sailing all the way to the floor.

Except we didn't lose. Paired against Jessica and Mike, Edward managed to save every volley I missed, even when they seemed impossibly out of his range. Yet as hawk-eyed as I watched, I never once witnessed him move any faster than the rest of us.

Near the end of the period, I managed to make one good spike. As we cleaned up and headed to our separate change rooms, Edward tugged on my ponytail affectionately and congratulated me like I'd been the one to save the game. Mike and Jessica looked on with sour faces, each grumbling that the other had let their team down. Jessica mumbled something about "looking bad."

We were halfway to the change rooms, when Coach Clapp accosted the four of us, his eyes on Edward. "Masen. You've got some legs on you. Saw the way you danced around your partner." He eyed me, fully aware of my athletic shortcomings. "Ever considered running track? Our best runners graduated last summer. We've got a couple spots open on the team."

Edward shrugged bashfully while Mike gritted his teeth. "Oh, I don't know. I'm trying to get into Colombia next year." He looked to me with a smile, no doubt recalling that I'd said I wanted to move to New York after graduation. "I don't know if I'll have the time to dedicate, what with trying to keep my grades up."

Coach patted him roughly on the back. "Nonsense. Extracurriculars look good on applications, you know. As do trophies. Think about it. We start practice to get in shape for the spring season next week."

Unable to let Edward get away with having the bulk of Coach's attention, Mike piped up. "Do you think I could be a part of the track team, too, Coach?" He glanced in Edward's direction smugly, awaiting Coach begging for his participation, as well.

Coach smiled kindly at him. "Sure, Newton, we always need someone to keep track of stats. Hey, you're friends with Crowley, right? He's not in any of my classes this semester. Bring him with you. He did a good relay last year."

"Sure, Coach," Mike mumbled, deflating like a popped balloon. I don't think I was the only one who felt a little sorry for the poor guy, even if he was fishing for compliments. Even Jessica took notice enough to grab his hand in consolation. That made him brighten marginally, though her starry-eyed glance at an oblivious Edward quickly erased that, too.

In Spanish, Edward immediately set about wowing Ms. Goff as he had all our other teachers.

Once she'd approved his little blue slip and made sure he was settled into a seat, she asked how comfortable he was with the language. When he responded in perfectly fluent Spanish, she nearly lost her cool, melting into a pool of pleasure right where she was standing next to the black board writing out the day's lesson plan.

The two of them set off in a fast-paced conversation in Spanish. I could only make out a few words, "Spain," and "wonderful," among them.

Alice, who sat on the opposite side of me from Edward (who had charmed the original owner of the seat into switching) rolled her eyes and made the "blah, blah" motion with her hand, nodding in Edward's direction.

"He's showing off," she whispered. "He told Ms. Goff he's been to Spain and is raving about how lovely her home country is. They're talking about his trip."

That was something I'd have to revisit later… and possibly grill him over. I fought down a teeny tiny marginal bit of jealousy, reminding myself he was over a century old. He'd had plenty of time to see the world, multiple times over, in fact.

"Well, I have to hand it to him, he certainly knows all the right buttons to push to make our teachers fall all over themselves for him," I admitted.

"This is what Eleazar was talking about, you know, about the control?" Alice supplied, her voice hushed, so we wouldn't be overheard, "He might not see it, but he has a way with people, getting them to do what he wants. It's subtle but it's a potent gift."

"No kidding." I was unable to take my eyes off of him and not for the usual reasons. Watching him expertly wrap all our teachers around his finger was kind of mesmerizing. "You could do the same, though, couldn't you, if you wanted to?"

While part of the display happening in front of me was purely Edward, part of it was the fact he was a vampire. Alice, Jasper or Rosalie could just as easily master a language, or memorize a book, or exhibit master reflexes.

"Some of it, yes. My family and I prefer to keep quiet. Our lives being what they are, we've learned to appreciate what we can do under the cover of secrecy. Edward, on the other hand, has been taught that he's superior to everyone else and there's no reason for him to hide it. It's a different way of living that's all."

"I think I like your way better. Being the centre of attention just because I'm with Edward is weird and kind of humiliating. It's like a real life version of the prince and the toad before the magic kiss."

Alice giggled, watching Edward who was still deep in conversation with Ms. Goff. "He's not happy I told you that. He doesn't want me telling you he's an elitist snob incapable of lowering himself to human potential. Though to be fair, only a fraction of it's him; it's the lifestyle his coven practiced. Victoria's quite flamboyant. She enjoys luxury and attention. James enjoys boasting his supremacy. Both of them have had an influence on Edward, whether he wants to see it or not."

"I can hear you, you know," Edward turned to address Alice over my desk once Ms. Goff finally returned to finish what she'd been writing on the blackboard. The class collectively sighed, displeased that Ms. Goff's distraction had been eliminated and it appeared there would be work to do after all.

Alice grinned. "I know. You needed to hear it. You're embarrassing your girlfriend by being such a Type A."

He looked to me imploringly. "Am I really? Because if I am, you know that you're more important. I can–"

"Alice is just messing with you," I interrupted, Alice's wicked smirk confirming the statement. "Yeah, it's kind of weird, but it's also kind of amazing. You're kind of amazing. And now everyone else can see it, too. It just makes me a little self-conscious. What do I have to contribute?"

"You," he said simply.

And yeah, he had me wrapped around his finger just as much as everyone else.

xx

"So…" Alice trilled when Edward and I slid into the seats across from her and Jasper at their lunch table. Rosalie sat on the end of the table, silently fuming, it looked like. "How has your first day been so far, cousin of mine?" I wasn't sure why she bothered with the small talk. No doubt she already knew.

Edward shrugged, fiddling with his unopened milk carton. "It was okay."

I chuckled. "Sure. Just okay? Except for Ms. Goff and Coach Clapp both think you're god's gift to their classrooms, and you went toe to toe with the unflappable Mr. Mason and came out the other side smiling. I'd say it was a rousing success."

"That's not counting the fact he's the number one topic of gossip in the school and we're only halfway through the day," Alice added helpfully. Rosalie scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Jasper wrapped an arm around Alice casually. "Ali's right, you sure know how to make a splash, man. I don't remember it being quite this bad when the three of us started. It was bad, don't get me wrong, but everyone kind of viewed us as freaky charity cases. You've set yourself up as the high school's newest heartthrob."

Edward scowled. "Great. As if I don't hear enough shit in these kid's thoughts. Now they're going to be picturing me in my underwear all day. If I'm lucky."

His irritation was actually kind of cute. I couldn't help but rile him up a little. "I think Jessica beat everyone else to that punch."

Jasper chuckled. "Been there. Hell, I think every male in the school's been there. Except Newton, the poor kid can barely get her to look at him twice. If he'd just learn the art of playing it cool, he might have a shot."

Edward ignored Jasper, looking to me. "You knew about that?"

I laughed at his shocked tone. "Everyone with eyes knew about that. If she'd stared any harder your clothes might have actually singed off."

Edward got a sly little smile on his face. "What about you, Ms. Swan? Do you have any naughty thoughts about me?"

My reddened cheeks answered for me. I couldn't leave it at that, though, so I added snottily, "I'm allowed to, I'm your girlfriend."

Rosalie dropped an untouched apple loudly onto her lunch tray. Everyone else at the table to looked up. "Oops. Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt the cross-species flirting. Carry on then," she said her tone clipped.

Alice looked to her adopted sister with an unreadable expression. "Rosalie…"

Rosalie's scornful expression could have peeled paint. "Save it, Alice. I understand. You've made your choice."

"Don't do this, Rosalie. You know there is no choice–"

"Edward it is. I'll find another table tomorrow, don't worry." Rosalie snatched up her lunch tray, hardly pausing to dump its pristine contents in the trash before storming out of the cafeteria.

We were all silent for several moments. Alice looked like someone had kicked her puppy. "I'm sorry guys," she said finally. "I'm sure you've gathered, but Rosalie doesn't like Edward much."

"Gee, what tipped you off?" Edward wondered sardonically. "The fact she storms off every time I'm in a room with her? Or is it all the yelling that proceeds it?"

"Rosalie's just set in her ways," Jasper explained. "She's stubborn as all hell. Give her a few centuries and she'll warm up to you, I'm sure."

"If you think I'm going to spend centuries with Rosalie, you're out of your mind," Edward countered coldly. "She's given me no reason to want to gain her respect."

"It's more than just her not respecting you," Alice said quietly. "She's jealous."

"Of the fact you're spending time with me? Or of the fact your family supposedly risked her life to save mine?" Edward's tone made it clear he thought both were ridiculous reasons for Rosalie to be envious.

"That's only a small part of it. Those are excuses, a veneer, really."

"I don't understand."

"She's jealous that you have Bella," Alice stated somberly. "More than anything Rosalie wants someone who will love her. For a time, before I found out about Bella, Rosalie thought you might be the one. Then, when she found out you already had a mate… well, it was upsetting for her to have that chance taken away. She's not usually one for optimism, so for her to hope, then have that hope crushed… it wasn't pleasant. For any of us."

Edward looked aghast. He curled me into his side as if having me close could protect him from the conversation he was having. "Rosalie wants me to be her mate?"

It was difficult to tell who was more upset at the prospect, me or Edward. Edward had said he wanted me but that was before he'd been offered the chance with a blonde bombshell of a vampire. I reminded myself what he'd said about Maggie and incompatibility, forcing down my uncertainty.

"No, not anymore. Once she realized you had Bella, that idea was put to rest. She's just jealous that you have someone. She feels as though everyone but her has been coupled off. The fact that Bella's human is especially difficult for her. Rosalie would give up everything she owns, including her own life, to be human again."

"I don't understand why all of you have such a fixation on humanity," I cut in. "From my side of the fence, it doesn't seem like you're missing out on much."

Alice smiled wanly. "It's the one thing we can't have. No amount of time or money will buy our humanity back."

"So it's a grass is greener on the other side kind of deal?"

"Not exactly," Alice hesitated, glancing at Edward. "There are several things that are directly tied to humanity. Having children, for example. And, in Rosalie's belief, love. Rosalie lived a charmed existence as a human. She feels she's been robbed of that as a vampire. She's been unmated since her change in the thirties. Loneliness has been a difficult emotion for her to cope with."

Jasper weaved his fingers with Alice's. "Extremely difficult. Some days all she does is wallow. The weight of it is overwhelming, even for me. And I'm equipped to deal with such powerful emotions. Rosalie isn't."

"Jasper's an empath," Edward whispered close to my ear, offering context. "He feels everything those around him do as if they were his own emotions."

"That's right. Sorry, Bella, I forget you're new to all of this…"

"It's okay," I smiled at Jasper. "That's horrible that Rosalie feels that way. I feel awful for thinking badly of her." Edward pursed his lips, a lot less willing to forgive Rosalie's indiscretions than I was.

"Most people do, if you want the truth," Jasper said honestly. "Rosalie puts up a tough exterior. She's not an easy person to like."

"You've got to understand," Alice added, in defense of her sister, "she's lived with two couples for most of her existence. She's tired of feeling like the only one who doesn't have someone. She's just protecting herself."

"I think you would know I understand that better than just about anyone," Edward said stiffly.

"I know that. Rosalie doesn't. Perhaps you should talk to her, let her know she isn't alone in feeling that way. It might help her attitude to you," Alice suggested quietly.

Edward sighed. "As excruciating as talking to Rosalie sounds, no one should have to feel that alone. I didn't know which way was up until Bella." He kissed my forehead tenderly. "If my experience can offer her some solace, perhaps it's worth a shot…"

Alice beamed, all traces of her somber attitude gone. "You won't regret it Edward!"

Edward frowned at her excitement. "I think I might be already."

xx

The rest of the day flew by just as the morning had. With Edward in my classes, everything seemed new and exciting. Biology, always my least favourite class, was suddenly a lot more fun than I remembered it being, a fact which Edward smugly rubbed in my face.

"I told you you'd love to have me as a biology partner," he grinned. He'd secured the seat next to mine; the boy who'd used to sit next to me had eagerly forfeited it when Edward stared him down.

"What?" I questioned stupidly.

"Please don't tell me you forgot… That day in the meadow that we practiced using the scientific method?"

"Oh," I laughed, having vague recollections of him geekily using the scientific method as an excuse to make me laugh. "You remember everything."

"With perfect clarity," he confirmed.

All through the boring documentary on molecular genetics, he'd held my hand under our desk and cuddled into my side, the darkness giving him an excuse to be more openly affectionate. As embarrassingly cliché as it was, I hadn't been able to concentrate on the movie well enough to take the notes that I should have been. My mind wandered too easily, thinking about Edward and the day's events.

When Mr. Banner clicked the TV off, Edward calmly shoved the sheaf of paper he'd scrawled his notes on in perfect cursive to my side of the desk. "You can have mine," he said, upon seeing my notes for the 40-minute film consisted of a measly five lines of chicken scratch.

I shrugged, knowing better than to refuse. Edward had a way of making things happen as he wanted them to. Besides, I really needed to figure out what the movie had been about.

In government, I finally got a reprieve from the heady feeling of having Edward near. As much as I enjoyed the opportunity to spend more time with him and sharing my world with him, I had to admit he was distracting. I took some comfort from knowing I wasn't the only one. The entire population of Forks High seemed to have been left reeling in his wake.

"So…" Angela said, leaning across her desk to grin at me. "I hear you've already staked claim on the new guy. You've crushed the hopes and dreams of a hundred freshmen, I hope you know."

"I thought you were above gossip, Ang," I teased.

Angela shrugged. "Only when it doesn't involve my friends and really hot new students. So, spill. What's the deal?"

"No deal. I like Edward, he likes me. That's it."

"That's never it," Angela asserted knowingly. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's cool, but don't sell it short."

I sighed in resignation. I was going to tell the story sooner or later. It might as well be to Angela, who I knew I could trust not to distort it into something it wasn't. "You know that friend I was talking about, before? Last week?"

"The outsider?" she said, recognition sliding across her expression along with a bright smile. "Nice going, getting in there early. Lucky."

"Yeah, lucky is putting it mildly. I still don't understand why he picked me but I'm not about to question it."

Angela paused, her light brown eyes turning serious. "You know I'm happy for you, right? You deserve someone special more than anyone I know. Edward seems like a really nice guy… based on what people are saying. You'll have to introduce me to him sometime. I've got to make sure he's up to standards."

"Trust me," I grinned, "That shouldn't be a problem. He's perfect, Ang. I mean it. He's more than what everyone thinks. They look and see a pretty face, but he's really smart and funny and sweet, too."

Angela chuckled. "Sounds like the freshmen aren't the only ones falling all over themselves," she teased.

I didn't bother deny it. There was no point. It was written all over my face in the emotional equivalent of thick black sharpie.

"Now we just need to find you someone," I teased, eager to turn the spotlight around on her.

Her cheeks darkened. "Well, there's this guy in my photography class, Ben." I nodded along, an image of a short, skinny boy with jet black hair I'd had in one of my classes last year fizzling in the back of my mind. "He's really shy, though. I don't know what to do to make him think of me as a possibility."

"Hmm," I drawled. "Well, someone really smart told me that persistence pays off. I think she might have been right."

xx

Angela walked with me to the parking lot once class was over. Edward had promised he'd drive me home and she had insisted it was the perfect time for her to introduce herself to him.

We'd just stepped outside when I was accosted with a pair of cool arms wrapping themselves around my waist.

Angela beamed up at Edward who returned the smile more cautiously. "Hey, Edward. I'm Angela, one of Bella's friends."

"It seems you already know me, but it's nice to meet you Angela," Edward greeted, detangling one hand from around my waist to shake hers. She didn't even flinch at the temperature of his skin.

Angela tilted her head, observing the two of us for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I approve. You guys would make some excellent photos. You'll have to let me shoot you for the school paper. You guys are really cute. It's kind of making me jealous."

I laughed. "Go find Ben. I bet if you asked him out first he wouldn't say no."

With a goodbye wave and a skip, she was off. To find Ben, I hoped. Angela deserved happiness just as much as she said I did.

"She's really nice," Edward observed. "Her mind is absolutely genuine. That kind of sincerity is nearly nonexistent."

"I wouldn't doubt it. She's a great friend."

"Come on," he said, loosening his arms from around me. Taking my hand he led me toward the lines of parked cars. "I think I've had enough school for today. Let's get you home."

I groaned when I saw where we headed. "You thrive on being as ostentatious as possible, don't you?"

Edward grinned, unlocking the Vanquish with his keychain remote. "There's nothing wrong with enjoying a little luxury."

"Why couldn't you drive a Volvo or something less... James Bond?"

He grimaced. "I'm not a soccer mom."

"You could have brought my truck. We might have had a teeny tiny chance of escaping without every single eye in the parking lot being focused on us."

He grinned innocently. "Where's the fun in that? I want people to know who you're leaving with."

I laughed. "That's what you're worried about? If you think anyone's going to be looking at me when you're driving this thing, you're insane," I said as I climbed in to the roomy passenger seat.

Just as expected, the moment Edward put the sleek hunk of shiny black metal into gear, all eyes gravitated in our direction. There were even a few dropped jaws, Jessica's among them. I slumped in my seat. "Oh my god, this is humiliating," I grumbled, hiding my face in my hands.

"You love it," he teased as we sped in the direction of my house.

Minutes later, we were pulling into my driveway. Edward kissed my cheek and exited the car. Instantly my door was opened.

"Come on," he said, tugging me out of the car, "your dad's inside waiting for you."

"He is?"

"He's got the afternoon off."

I turned to face Edward when he stopped just short of the entrance to the house. "Aren't you coming in?"

He shook his head. "Your dad is starting to get suspicious of how much time we're spending together. We don't want to draw any more attention than we need to."

I burst out laughing at that. "Are you kidding me, Edward? Today all we did was draw attention."

"Your father is different, Bella. It's one thing in high school, where people are going to talk anyway… this is real. Your dad isn't some passing phase in your life that will be forgotten in a few years."

"Fine," I groaned, though I didn't really see the difference. It was all my reality. If we were going to go balls out at school, home life wasn't all that different. Edward and his weird unspoken rules.

He kissed the top of my head. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "Last time you said that, you enrolled in ninety percent of my classes."

"Nothing like that this time, I promise. I'll meet you later? I have some things with the Cullens that I need to deal with. I won't be long. Check your bookshelf."

I trudged up to my room, immediately seeking out my bookshelf. Neatly ordered on it were all the rare editions Edward's mother had owned. In alphabetical order, of course.

I reached out, hesitantly grabbing the nearest one, cursing when a slip of paper fell out of it. Trust me to break the book just by touching it.

I picked up the fallen sheet, realizing it was a note and not a torn page. In Edward's neat script, it said: I miss the meadow. Meet me there at five?