You Found Me

by Kristylized

Edward Masen is nomadic vampire travelling with James and Victoria. While rampaging on the outskirts of Forks, he stumbles upon a brown-eyed girl reading in a meadow. It isn't long before he realizes there's more to being a vampire than he ever thought possible. AU.

33. Ordinary

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: Thirty-three; Ordinary

POV: Bella

AN: It's been awhile, I know. I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get my act together and get this done. Real life has given me less time to do the things I enjoy, fanfic included. I'm going to make an effort to update sooner this time around.

I will promise that this story won't be abandoned. We're nearly at the end, and I have every intention of getting there. I hope there are still people out there taking the journey with me.

As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter and look forward to hearing your thoughts :)

xx

I reached around Edward to stuff my jacket into my locker. He was leaning against the adjacent one, watching at me, his mouth set into a now-familiar satisfied smirk.

This had been going on for the better part of the morning. Since the moment I'd woken up, I had been greeted with his golden gaze, which had remained on me ever since. The constant attention was starting to grate on my nerves.

"What?"

I might have snapped with a little more aggression than I intended. Getting back into the routine of school after spending a bliss-filled weekend with Edward had done nothing for my mood.

"Nothing," he replied innocently, his smirk growing wider. "I like watching you going about your life knowing I get to be a part of it all."

"That's sweet," I grumbled, shoving my locker closed. And it was, but I wasn't in the mood for sweet. I wanted to go back home, curl up with Edward and forget school. "But please, please, stop. Before I go crazy. I feel as though I'm living under a microscope."

He pouted, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me against his stone chest. I melted into him, guilt sinking in immediately. What was I was complaining about? A little looking had never killed anyone. Most girls would kill for their boyfriend to be like mine.

"I enjoy watching my girlfriend," he whispered into my hair. "She's very pretty. Is that such a crime?"

My last bit of resolve faded away, his sweet, musky scent enveloping my senses. I was quite certain he knew it would. I might have been worried about the amount of power his nearness had over my body if I didn't love him so much.

"No. But ever since… we you know," I said carefully, unsure how to bring up the newly crossed milestone in our relationship at school, with prying ears stationed at every corner, "you've been a little…" I paused, attempting to find the right word to describe his behavior.

I didn't want to hurt his feelings. Nor did I want to imply that the last two days, a large part of which had been spent lounging in his bed or mine, had been anything but amazing. Our first time and each subsequent one had been everything I could have asked for. I was pretty sure all of that had to do with the fact it was Edward I was sharing it with. But there something in his attitude toward me that had shifted. He was more attuned to my every move than ever before. The constant vigilance was slowly getting on my nerves.

"Clingy?" Edward chuckled, apparently well-aware of what I was thinking. The way he said the word was both apologetic and knowing.

Hearing it out loud, it sounded like I didn't like having him around. That wasn't true at all. I opened my mouth to refute but he stopped me, kissing the top of my head.

"I'm sorry. It's just now you're my mate, officially. That's a big deal for a vampire. We only get one. What with living forever and all, nothing is more important to me than your safety. If something were happen to you, it would kill me. I'm not trying to crowd you but I can't help myself. It's instinct to protect my mate. If I'm stifling you, tell me to back off. I'll try. Okay?"

I melted a little more, remorse for my stormy mood sinking in to replace the grumpiness. "I don't want you to back off," I said, repentant. "I'm just in a crappy mood. This weekend was awesome and the come down sucks. Why can't we just have weekends all the time?"

"Half of the fun of weekends is that they come after working all week. I know you, and you would hate the loss of productivity. You would miss school. Besides, it's Monday morning. You're not alone. Everyone is in a bad mood. It's practically mandatory," Edward observed, glancing down the hallway. Half a dozen students were slouching in front their lockers, all bearing scowls identical to mine.

I knew was trying to make me feel better, despite my less than stellar attitude to him. Already, I feeling much lighter than I had minutes ago. Edward had a way of always being exactly what I needed.

"Everyone hates Mondays. Garfield says so." Everyone knew that words of cartoon tabby cats ranked up there with the wisdom of bible.

"So, truly, it's not your fault," Edward pointed out, amusement lining his eyes. He leaned against the nearest locker, pulling me with him. "Only six hours and then we can go home and pretend it's still the weekend."

I scoffed. "Yeah right. You just know Emmett is going to be milling around the house, waiting to accost us at the first opportunity."

"We'll go to yours, then."

Emmett had taken great amusement in teasing both Edward and I about our newfound sexual prowess. He had some sort of innate magical radar that allowed him to spot an opportunity for teasing a mile away. He had latched on and refused to let go.

He had even gone so far as to retrieve a piece of the now infamous clawed mattress, offering to cross-inspect the bed in the cottage and ensure Edward's performance had remained up to par. Why Emmett had bothered to keep it and why it hadn't been immediately purged from Esme's otherwise spotless house was beyond me. I didn't think I wanted to know the answers, anyway.

To my surprise, Edward had been less defensive than expected. He had rigorously defended me but taken all barbs directed at himself in stride, even cracking a smile or two at his own expense. Perhaps Emmett had been on to something with his whole sex-loosens-people-up theory.

Naturally, at first Emmett had been put out by Edward's refusal to rise to the bait but that was quickly turned into an opportunity to share all his worldly (read: sexual) advice with a reluctant, albeit cheerful Edward. Edward's upbeat attitude might have also explained away what had looked suspiciously like a high-five.

Edward nudged me. I looked up at him guiltily, not having heard a word he said. "What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing. Just Emmett. You. Everything. You're different, a little happier now."

Edward shrugged, indifferent. "Something wrong with being happy? I can't help it. You make me happy." He lowered his voice conspiratorially, glancing at the group of freshmen milling about a few feet away. "At one point, I truly believed I would never have a mate. Maybe nothing feels different to you but it does for me. It's like someone turned up the lights in a dimmed room. Like a part of me was waiting for something to make us real. I know it sounds stupid that sex could do that, but it did. It's like I found the final piece of a puzzle, one I didn't even realize was missing."

"Happy is a good look on you," I confessed, taking in the brightness that seemed to radiate from him. I had never stopped long enough to notice the perpetual shadow he had worn before. It was only a slight change, but I was sure I could see the difference. He was so breathtakingly beautiful, it had never occurred to me that it was possible he could be even more beautiful than he already was. "I want you to be happy always."

"As long as I'm with you, I will be." The casual certainty made my heart squeeze.

My lips found his easily in a soft kiss that was more familiar than ever. As many times as we had kissed by now, it never got tiring. I craved more, always. It was just the thing to wipe out the Monday morning blues entirely.

Reluctant to split, we found ourselves pressed against my locker, making out like the teenagers we supposedly were. It was nice to act like two ordinary high school seniors. No evil, vengeful vampires to worry about. No annoying siblings. No nothing. Just Edward and Bella and whatever the future held.

And Jessica apparently.

The sound of smacking gum was our first clue. Through my Edward-haze, I was vaguely aware of the annoying sound but it was the inexplicable prickling feeling that someone was staring that garnered my attention.

With one last peck, we drew apart to find Jessica's eager face peering at us from around her open locker door as she shoved a pink binder in her backpack blindly, unwilling to take her eyes off of us.

"Hi, guys!" The sing-songy lilt made it clear she was anything but sorry to interrupt. In fact, she looked quite pleased with herself for catching us caught up in a moment.

"Hi, Jessica," Edward returned, his expression caught in a limbo between floating on cloud nine and annoyed at the disruption.

"So," Jessica trilled, nudging me. "You guys are getting really serious, now, huh?" I wasn't quite sure how she drew that conclusion from what she had witnessed but I didn't dare question her about her thought processes. Those was probably best left undiscovered.

Edward wound his fingers with mine. "Yeah," I agreed absently, squeezing his hand. "We're really happy."

Jessica nodded like an excited puppy. "I can tell. You guys are, like, so in tune. I mean, it was always obvious that you two were going to end up together. Even before you went public, when you were both acting all shy around each other and stuff, there was an obvious spark there. Like the second he walked into our class, I knew."

I was genuinely touched. For someone as brash and outspoken as Jessica tended to be, that was an unusually sweet sentiment.

"Thanks, that's really nice, Jess."

She nodded, brushing aside the compliment impatiently. "Yeah. Just wait until I tell Lauren. She'd going to be so jealous. She was telling everyone that she wishes that Tyler would be more affectionate at school, or something. I can't remember exactly what she said. She thinks he's too into his jock sports stuff. She totally would have dumped him for Edward if you hadn't got there first. But then so would've everyone, so yeah. I mean, you got really lucky."

I had to bite my tongue to refrain from responding with sarcasm. I should have known better than to expect Jessica was just being friendly. The latest scoop was always goal number one. One genuine, friendly observation was not indicative of a personality transplant.

Without even pausing to take a breath, she continued her rapid-fire speech. "So have you guys decided where you're going to apply to college? You are going to apply together, right? I was talking to Lauren and she said she said she thinks that she and Tyler are going to end up applying together. Lauren said she thinks Tyler might even want them to rent an apartment together. So… I thought, well if Lauren and Tyler are moving away together, then Edward and Bella probably are too, because they're like even more attached at the hip than Lauren and Tyler. So are you?"

I was saved from having to answer by Angela's arm being thrown around my shoulder. Jessica shot her an icy glare, not pleased with her inconvenient entrance. Ben trailed a few steps behind her. He nodded at Edward, who returned the gesture, immediately involving him in a discussion about our first period Calculus test. The way his hand gripped mine, I knew a portion of his attention was still on me. Always.

"Hey, Bell," Angela grinned at me teasingly, shooting a quick glance at Jessica and winking discreetly. "You and Edward put on quite an impressive show. You're making the rest of school feel inadequate. Fighting hard for 'most sickeningly sweet couple' in the yearbook, aren't you?"

I glanced down the hall, wondering how many others had noticed. Everyone seemed entangled in conversations or hunting through their lockers. "You saw that?"

Angela chuckled. "Bella, everyone with eyes saw. You two weren't exactly being inconspicuous. Though, if you'd tried to hide in the broom closet or something, rumours probably would have spread like wildfire, right, Jess?" She winked at Jessica who turned pink and looked away but didn't bother to defend herself.

"So," Angela changed the subject. "Have you thought about where you're applying for college at all?"

It was funny how Angela managed to ask a question almost identical to the one Jessica had asked but made it seem infinitely less intrusive.

"Ben is thinking of applying to UW. He says they've got a great science program. Which is great for him. But it's so close to home, you know? I wonder if that's the college experience I want."

Jessica looked baffled at the revelation that Angela might choose to separate herself from her boyfriend on purpose. "You would go to a different college than Ben? Isn't that, like asking to break up? How many couples last through college if they aren't on the same campus? I mean, how do you expect to have any fun if you can't go out together and you're not allowed to see any other guys?"

Angela shrugged. "Why not? I'm my own person, right? If what Ben and I want out of college is different, there's no reason we can't go to different ones and still see one another. If we're meant to be, we'll stick it out for four years. If we can't find a middle ground, then we'll go our separate ways. Nothing's certain yet, anyway. We're still just talking."

"I think it would be hard to be apart from Edward," I input. I understood Angela's position, but she hadn't been seeing Ben as long as I had been with Edward. Maybe they were still at a more casual stage of their relationship. "We spend so much time together now, I can't imagine being away from him for weeks or even months at a time. I'm lucky, though, Edward is pretty flexible. He'll go anywhere with a decent music program. He's letting me pick location."

Angela sighed, glancing over her shoulder at Ben wistfully. "You're so lucky. No one really has to compromise. He gets his program, you get your location. You wanted New York, right? I remember you mentioning something."

"Yep," I nodded. "My mom and I visited once, years ago. I really loved the energetic city vibe. Forks is too… mellow and green. I miss Phoenix sometimes."

"Don't expect the weather to be as nice in NYC as it was in Arizona," Angela teased. "The winters are brutal. Or so I hear."

"That's why I'm going to California," Jessica said smugly. "Forks is miserable. I'm dying to get a proper tan for once in my life. Plus there's supposed to be tons of cute surfer boys in California, right?"

"What happened to Mike?" Angela wondered, her light brown eyes wide with confusion. "Didn't you two go to the dance together? People were saying that you two rented a room in Port Angeles afterward."

Jessica's jaw-dropped. "Oh my God! Who told you that?" she demanded. She crossed her arms defensively, not used to being on the opposite end of a rumour.

Angela shrugged, looking thoughtful. "I'm not sure. I was talking to Ben, who said something about talking to Tyler. I think Tyler heard it from Mike. But it might have been Connor. Or no, maybe is was Connor who told Ben."

"It had to have started with Mike!" Jessica growled, shooting daggers down the hall in the direction of Mike's locker, even though he was nowhere in sight. "Why would he go around telling people that? What an asshole!"

Angela's eyes widened. "You mean it was true? Oh my gosh, Jess. Why didn't you tell us you guys were together again? I thought you said it was over for good last time?"

I hadn't been in Forks long enough to know all the ins and outs of their relationship but apparently it was a legendary string of hot and cold behaviour toward one another that stretched back as far as middle school.

Jessica flushed, her cheeks attempting to match the magenta of her sweater. "I thought it was a secret. We were just going to let things happen naturally this time and see how it worked out. I didn't realize that Mike was telling everyone."

"Yeah! Usually that's your job!" Angela sympathized. I suppressed a snicker at Angela's ironic tone, coughing to disguise the snort of laughter that escaped anyway.

"I know!" Jessica snapped, her expression molten. "I'm going to go give him a piece of my mind! I mean, who does he think he is telling everyone in the school all the private details of my life?"

She stomped off in a flash of pink, in search of her likely soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend-again.

"Was that mean of us?" Angela questioned as we watched her retreat.

"Let's just say she had it coming," I reasoned. "It's about time she realizes gossiping isn't nice. Though I'm not sure she grasped the message. Speaking of… did Mike really say those things?"

Angela shook her head, suddenly remorseful. "No. I just saw them leaving in his car together. Mike and Tyler were bragging about how it was so easy to get away with staying out the night after a dance. It was a lucky guess. Now I feel bad. She's going to give the poor guy hell. I didn't even think about Mike."

I chuckled. "Maybe you did him a favour. If Jessica got her way she'd drag him off to the Golden State come graduation. Can you imagine Mike lounging on the beach, sunbathing with her?"

Angela snorted. "Not exactly. But then, I never would have pictured you as a big city girl, either. You seem so natural here. You fit in with us smalltowners."

I shrugged. "I want to see what's out there. We're only eighteen. We're just starting to find ourselves. Who knows who we'll be a year from now?"

"So true," Angela agreed, the sound of the morning bell punctuating her statement.

Edward's eyes found mine over her shoulder. His hand, which had somehow disconnected from mine during the course of conversation, found it again.

"I'll see you in Gov last period, okay?" I told Angela.

She nodded and waved, heading off to her first class with Ben.

Edward closed my locker and clasped the lock before taking my books from me. "Ready?"

I let him lead me towards our first class, hastily reviewing formulas for our first period Calculus test as we walked. Edward knew them all but that didn't stop him from recounting them for my sake. My stomach twisted warmly at his thoughtfulness.

Angela and Jessica were both right. I was really lucky.

xx

Despite the slow start to the day, the first two periods flew by quickly. It was easier than I had expected to settle back into the well worn routine.

The moment we were in our seats in Calculus, our tests were laid out waiting for us. I didn't even think about mourning the loss of the weekend until after I'd double-checked my answers. By then, second period was minutes away, anyway.

Edward had handed in his sheet with more than twenty minutes to spare. I suspected that was his attempt at 'playing human.' I was going to have to remind him to try harder if he really wanted to appear normal. Then again, a lot of the image he had built for himself at Forks High was based around his ability to excel at absolutely everything.

It really wasn't fair the amount of perfection of which he was capable. As if being able to recall formulas with textbook accuracy wasn't enough, he could pluck the correct answers right from other students heads. But I totally wasn't jealous. Cheating was immoral, immortal or not.

I handed in my test sans all supernatural aids, feeling quite confident, and definitely thankful for Edward's impromptu review session before class. He'd bumped a formula or two, which I might have otherwise been struggling to recall, into the forefront of my memory. Test over, I could purge them all from memory… until final exams, thank you very much.

Second period brought with it its own dramas to keep me entertained. Mr. Mason decided today would be perfect day for a pop quiz in English because everyone loved pop quizzes early Monday morning and all.

It was no big deal to me. Most of the reading materials on our syllabus, I was reading for the second or third time. I would have no problem recalling a few minor plot details here and there from Little Women.

To anyone who had read the novel, it wouldn't have been a big deal, really. Mr. Mason was a hard-ass, but he was a fair hard-ass. If you knew the material, you were credited for it. The questions were usually straight-forward and easy to answer if you'd done the reading. That didn't stop half the class from making exaggerated groaning sounds when Mr. Mason slapped down still warm photocopies of the quiz on the front row desks.

I should have known by the telltale smirk that Edward wore that somewhere in that crazy head of his, he was planning on making things interesting.

Edward and Mr. Mason had developed a tenuous but admittedly amusing relationship, that seemed to have its roots in Edward's unconventional entrance into his classroom. Mr. Mason had certainly lived to regret the day he had challenged Edward for talking in class, his first day at Forks High.

Ever since, Edward took great pride in exasperating our teacher at every possible turn. No one could claim vampires didn't know how to hold a grudge. Or perhaps it was just my vampire.

Edward was always intelligent in his disobedience. He never did anything worthy of reprimand. It was always asking just the right questions to poke holes in the research backing Mr. Mason's lessons, or correcting dates and facts with pinpoint accuracy, or offering opposing views accompanied by air-tight logic. Mr. Mason couldn't exactly send Edward to the principal's office for being right, even if it did make his lesson plans look clumsy.

Edward was unrelenting, too. At least once every class, he was there, his hand waiving in the air, waiting to shank our teacher with deceptively sharp-edged words.

It had gotten to the point where Mr. Mason would purposefully refuse to call on Edward, not wanting to have to deal with him. Of course, all the other students in class had quickly caught wind of the rivalry, if it could even be called that, and had banded together, boycotting answering questions posed by Mr. Mason if it appeared Edward might have something to say, solely for the opportunity to see Edward and our teacher try to one-up one another.

There was even a tally scrawled on Mike's desk at the back of the room. Mason vs. Masen, as it would immortally be known (or until Forks High decided to chuck what remained of the '70s décor from the school remodeling three decades ago) was a running count of arguments between Edward and Mr. Mason, with each tick counting on the side of the so-called winner of the dispute.

Mr. Mason's side boasted three ticks. Edward's, on the other hand, was starting to run off the edge of the desk.

So, really, I should have been prepared when Edward raised his hand as everyone else began scrawling on their tests, praying their made up answers weren't wholly transparent.

Sighing, Mr. Mason reluctantly rose from his seat, traipsing warily down the aisle to Edward's desk, like a man on death row. By the time he reached Edward not a single eye in the classroom was on the quiz.

No one bothered to hide their staring as they waited for the drama to go down, probably quietly taking bets on who was going to get the next tick. There was even a running bet on how long it would take for Edward to get Mr. Mason to break down and cry. I was pretty sure I saw crumpled bills passing underneath desks in the back.

"Yes? Did you have a question, Mr. Masen?"

"Yes. I was reading the questions you've written and I have a concern about question two. You've asked 'Which sister does Laurie fall in love with in the end?' This question confuses me, because, as I'm sure you're aware, Laurie falls in love with both Jo and Amy throughout the course of the novel. I suppose the phrase 'in the end' as used here is intended to narrow your question further, however it does not specify 'in the end' of what. Is it the entire novel you're referring to? Part one? Or maybe you meant Laurie's life? You can see how this might change my answer. Also, if you are suggesting that Amy is the correct answer, I have to question your usage of the term 'love.' Just because she is the one he marries, I'm not sure that he loves her to the degree which he loved Jo. To some extent, Laurie's love for Jo seems to extend even beyond his marriage to Amy, which begs the question, does he truly love Amy?"

I could hear Mike's snickering behind me.

"Masen," he whispered to Connor, already in the process of carving a new mark into his desk, "Definitely Masen."

xx

The ease with which the early morning periods had slid by ground to a halt in gym class. It quickly became apparent today was not going to be an average day. Instead of shuffling us into the change rooms, as was typical, Coach Clapp was standing in front of the gymnasium, directing everyone toward the small classroom that we used during the mandatory 'health,' weeks.

Most of the class seemed to hate the few weeks we were confined indoors, or rather confined in a classroom. In Forks, outdoor gym classes were about as common as unicorn sightings, given the constant rain. By the time it was dry enough to trek outside, another rain shower would inevitably drop in to replenish the sogginess.

I didn't mind the health weeks. Usually they were pretty typical in a PSA kind of way. Your body is a temple. Eat this to be healthy. Don't do drugs. Don't drink and drive. All the typical preachy stuff they wanted to make sure high schoolers knew before moving on to their adult lives. The kind of things that I'd grown up knowing with a police chief for a father and a sometimes-vegan as a mother.

Edward leaned across the narrow space separating our desks, nodding to Coach Clapp with amusement. "This week is sexual education week," he whispered to me. "That's why we're in here and why Coach is so uncomfortable. He dreads having to talk to a group of teenagers about sex. A little ironic, isn't it, that they're doing this now?"

I snorted. "Too little, too late, I guess. Though I think my mom gave us a pretty thorough run down of the basics. There was enough sex talk in that conversation to cover three or four normal ones, easy. I wonder what brought this on now? Usually they save Sex Ed for closer to prom."

"It's all thanks to Newton and Jessica," Edward confessed. "They were caught with their pants down in the bathroom of the dance. Or perhaps I should say Michael was. Principal Greene wasn't too pleased to be the one who made the discovery, hence the adjustment to the curriculum."

I suppressed a chuckle into my hand at the image of our balding principal walking in on Jessica and Mike huddled compromisingly in a bathroom stall. I couldn't say I was altogether surprised they had been caught. Mike and Jessica were notorious for their constant hot and cold antics and on the basis of what Angela had said this morning, it appeared to be "hot" at the moment. Or it had before first period. God only knows what had gone down after Jessica confronted Mike.

"Would it be awful for me to say that I'm not altogether surprised? Jess and Mike aren't exactly the most stealthy pair known to man."

Edward chuckled, adding seriously. "Of course they're not. That title belongs to us. Or it would if Emmett wasn't so incredibly nosy and didn't feel the need to broadcast any and all information he uncovers. He's trying to ruin our innocent reputation."

I laughed at Edward's solemn face. "Most stealthy and Fork's most sickeningly sweet couple? If you're to believe Angela, that is. Aren't those two titles contradictory?"

Edward shrugged immodestly. "What can I say? We're a walking paradox."

By the time the entire class had gathered, Coach Clapp was sitting at the front of the class, perched awkwardly on the edge of his desk in his omnipresent navy track suit.

Clasping his hands, his unease evident, he cleared his throat and addressed the class. "As some of you may already be aware, the school dance was this past Friday. And well, to make a long story short, at the event, we – and by we, I mean the staff at Forks High – witnessed behaviour that," he cleared his throat again, "one might say was unbecoming."

Coach averted his eyes from Jessica who was sitting in the front row, studying her pink binder as if it held all the world's secrets. Mike – the other half of the duo that most of the class seemed to know to be the subject of Coach Clapp's anecdote – seemed unfazed, maybe even a little proud, if his unflinching grin was any indication.

Edward met my eyes smugly, as if to say "see, I told you."

"So," Coach continued awkwardly, "the school administration has decided it might be a good idea to bump up our annual Sex Ed week, to ensure those of you, uh, experimenting with your, um, sexuality understand what you're getting yourselves into. There are some important considerations. So we'll be talking about how to take necessary precautions and how to stay safe. Does anyone have any questions?"

Mike, who was seated in the back corner, as far as humanly possible from Jessica, piped up, under his breath. "Yeah. Why is it such a big deal to have a little fun?"

Coach Clapp glared at Mike, his gruff, jock exterior returning full force. "Newton. You got something to say? Say it out loud."

Mike shook his head petulantly.

"Well, alright then, let's get on with it, shall we?" Coach said with obvious false enthusiasm. He stepped behind his desk, retrieving a box from beneath it. He set the box down on top of its surface with a hefty thud.

He turned his eyes back to the class, ignoring the box that was all anyone else could focus on. "In light of recent events, Principal Greene thought it might be a good idea to prepare you kids with a little hands on experience so you're ready for real life situations."

"Hands on experience?" Mike sulked under his breath. "I think we can find that on our own without any help."

Coach Clapp's eyes snapped to Mike's. After more than two decades of teaching, he appeared to have honed hearing skills akin to those of a bat. Mike had the decency to look at least somewhat ashamed. "I'm sure you could, Newton. As most of the school is well aware. But that's not the point. The point is knowing how to do it safely."

Mike slunk down in his seat, his expression a tangled combination of mortified and defiant. The class suppressed chuckles all around him. It wasn't too often that students got called out by the Coach. He was one of the more easygoing teachers at the school.

Coach cleared his throat again in a poor attempt to calm the chattering. "As I was saying… hands on experience." He opened the box, pulling out a banana with a flourish. In the other hand he held up a foil packet. "I hope you all can tell me what these two items are."

Of course, Edward raised his hand. No one else dared. The very thought of being the one who had to try and answer, with a straight face no less, was appalling.

"Masen?"

"Well sir, it looks to me like a condom and, of course, a banana, which I assume was selected for its phallic shape."

"Very good, Masen." Coach turned to the rest of the class, depositing a banana on every second desk. "Now who can tell me the purpose of a condom?"

This time Mike raised his hand, glancing across my desk at Edward with absolutely no discretion, clearly not wanting to be outdone. Edward sat back in his seat coolly, not paying any attention. "Condoms catch a guy's jizz during sex."

Coach nodded, planting a wrapped condom on all the desks that didn't already have a banana. He seemed to be gaining momentum, his discomfort with the explicit nature of the topic he usually preferred to cover with decades-old videos mostly dissipated.

"Good, Newton. I hope that's your 'experience' talking, seeing as you claim to have so much of it. To expand upon what Newton said, condoms are used during sex to prevent pregnancy and the spread of STIs and STDs, which are passed from one partner to the other through bodily fluids. It's very important that if you engage in sexual activity that you use them."

Coach settled behind his desk, straightening some papers casually, as if he was talking about the weather. "Now, each of you has either a banana or a condom on your desk. As sex is a two person activity and safety should be shared between partners, I'd like you to pair up with a classmate and together demonstrate how to properly use your condom. I'll be inspecting your handiwork, so if you're not sure what to do, please ask. Go ahead."

The class exploded into a bustle of activity as everyone with a banana attempted to find a partner who had a condom or vice versa. There were even a few people pleading with others to switch.

Edward grinned, holding up his banana, gesturing to my condom with it. I nodded, letting him drag his seat closer to mine so we could work together on the ridiculous activity.

Mike had finally caught on that I was always going to choose Edward first and didn't bother ask if I would be his partner. Instead, Jessica sidled up to his desk, slapping her condom onto it and plopping into the vacated chair next to him. Mike's pleased expression erased any previous pity I'd felt for him. Maybe there was hope for him and Jessica yet.

"I can see why Coach Clapp always showed videos, before," I told Edward. "Putting condoms on bananas, really? How is anyone supposed to take this seriously when we're preparing fruit for safe sex?"

Edward smirked. "It's not so bad. It never hurts to know how to use contraception. Now be quiet and put your condom on my banana." He held his banana in both hands, wiggling it in my direction.

I managed to repress a snort of laugher despite the absurdity of it all. Dutifully I peeled the foil off the condom. "Okay. Proving my point, but alright."

Edward pretended to look hurt. "Swan, are you afraid to touch my banana? I'm hurt, deeply. I thought our relationship had progressed beyond that point."

This time I couldn't stop my giggle. "Who are you and what did you do with my boyfriend? That joke was bad, Masen, really bad."

He shrugged sheepishly, shooting me a bright smile. "You laughed. I love your laugh."

"Sap," I teased, holding up the slick ring. "Now hold your banana still. If you keep wiggling it like that, I'm never going to get this thing on it."

Jessica leaned over from her seat next to Mike, making it clear she had been eavesdropping. "I know, right? Mike won't stop waving his around like it's a flag or something." She rolled her eyes. "Coach should have given the bananas to the girls. We would know how to handle them." She turned back to Mike pointedly. "Why won't you just let me hold it?"

Mike cupped his banana close to his chest. "Yeah right. You have no idea what it's like to manage a banana."

"Oh grow up," Jessica snapped.

Mike glared back, just as affronted. "You're trying to steal my masculinity and you're telling me to grow up? How hard can it be to put a condom on a banana?"

Jessica glared harder and snatched the banana from him, shoving the condom into his hand. "How about you find out?"

Mike took the proffered item ferociously. "Fine! I'll do it better than you ever would."

While Mike attempted to line up the contraceptive, Jessica wiggled the fruit obnoxiously, mockingly pretending to act like him.

I raised an eyebrow at Edward. Solemnly, he held his banana perfectly still, allowing me to sheath it in the latex.

Coach Clapp walked past our pushed-together desks, appraising the various rubber-covered bananas appreciatively. "Masen, Swan, very nice teamwork."

He paused next to Mike and Jessica who were still vying for control of their banana. He nodded approvingly. "Stanley, I see you're making Newton work for it this time. Very good."

xx

By the end of the day, I was half-leaning against Edward, exhausted by a day much more eventful than I had expected. The late nights spent with Edward, cuddling, talking and making use of our beds were catching up with me. During final period, I could feel myself fighting off yawns with growing frequency.

"You okay?" Edward asked me as we tucked ourselves into the Vanquish after dumping our unneeded textbooks in my locker. I was so focused on getting home that the stares the car (and Edward driving it) drew didn't even faze me.

His forehead was creased with worry. "You've been really quiet and your face is flushed. Are you getting sick? You usually smell different when you are, but…" he trailed off, unsure.

I shook my head. "I don't feel sick. Just really tired. It's a little exhausting having a boyfriend who never sleeps and never gets tired."

He swallowed, staring at the road ahead, remorseful. Needlessly so. He couldn't help not being able to sleep any more than I could being tired.

"Maybe when we get home we can take a nap?" I suggested. "I sleep better when you're with me."

"Of course we can," he reassured, his hand slipping from the stick shift to my knee. The minimal contact was enough to set my body humming, despite its protests for sleep. "Whatever you need."

The entire concept of napping was now foreign to him, but I appreciated that he was willing to indulge me. It was difficult to sleep without his weight on the right side of the bed. I had always thought the people who claimed they couldn't sleep properly without someone next to them were ridiculous. If you were tired you slept, no matter who was in your bed.

Just the thought of a quiet night at home alone with Edward was almost enough to lull me to sleep.

Fate had other plans, however.

Edward spotted him long before I did. As we pulled into the Cullen driveway, his shoulders hunched and his expression tightened, alerting me that something was off.

I followed his gaze, warily, not sure what I was expecting, relieved to find it was only Jake huddled awkwardly next to the Cullens' mailbox. His posture was as awkward as Edward's. His arms were crossed defensively across his chest and he kept glancing back at the house, wary. It was clear he was out of his element.

"Jake," I greeted, stepping out of the car. "What are you doing here?"

Edward rounded the car an instant later, hovering just a step behind me. Close enough to step in if needed, but distant enough to be respectful. If Edward was giving us our space, it was a good sign that Jake was here with nothing but honourable intentions.

Jake shrugged, the nonchalance in the gesture a little too contrived to be genuine. "I just thought I would come check on you. It's been a few weeks, and you haven't been to the rez at all since you broke your arm. I wasn't sure…" His voice trailed meekly, his gaze sinking to the blue fiberglass covering my arm.

The question he was asking was obvious, despite the fact he hadn't stated it aloud. "I'm not avoiding you," I promised. I had been spending so much time with Edward and the Cullens I hadn't realized I had been neglecting my other friends. "My arm… it was an accident. No big deal. It'll heal. We're completely fine. I promise," I added, sincere.

A breath I hadn't realized Jake was holding whooshed out, belying his relief. "Okay cool." He paused a beat too long. "The guys and I miss you, you know. You used to hang with us all the time. You were practically one of us."

I shrugged, not sure what to say to that. At one point I had felt like one of them too. I chose my words carefully, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "We had to grow up and move on eventually, right?"

To my relief Jake chuckled. "Yeah, I guess. But did it have to be with the vamps?" He eyed Edward sideways, his tone caught somewhere between joking and unintentionally revealing honesty.

I smiled, glad he was making the effort. "What can I say? I have a thing for the supernatural. I'm thinking about befriending fairies next." A yawn broke the end of my sentence and a concerned Edward was at my side in a flash.

I leaned into him but spoke to Jake. "You want to come in and hang out for a bit? I promise I won't let them bite you. They're quite civilized when they want to be. Actually, I'm surprised they left you out here to wait in the cold. I thought the Cullens were more hospitable than that."

Jake smirked. "They tried to get me inside, trust me. The redhead even tried to bribe me with food. Human food. They're nice, I have to give them that. Too damn nice, really. It's kind of infuriating trying to hate them."

I nudged his side. "You know you don't hate anyone, Jake."

"I know. I hate that," he said, deadpan.

I giggled. Edward tensed behind me, his arm snaked around my waist, his expression unreadable.

"Are you sure you don't want to hang out? We could watch a movie or something?" I offered, prepared to give up my plans of curling up with Edward for Jake's sake. He had been my friend first. When I had been new and uncertain in Forks he had been there for me. I owed him that much. "I can't promise I won't sleep through most of it, though."

Jake shook his head, sorrowfully, his eyes flicking to Edward's protective stance. "I don't think that's a good idea. Werewolves and vampires don't belong together, no matter how nice they play."

He didn't have to say the words, I knew this was his way of saying goodbye, at least for now. Maybe some time in the far off future, with a little time and perspective, our differences wouldn't seem so vast, but for now, we belonged in different circles. I was determined to be with Edward, which meant giving up Jake. All the important roles Jake had once occupied in my life – best friend, confidant, shoulder to cry on – had been silently passed on to Edward, without me realizing it. The thought that Jake and I were closing that chapter in our friendship saddened me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Jake grinned. "Don't be. Just be happy, okay?" I nodded, more than willing to comply with the simple demand. "I don't like it, but I know this isn't about me."

"It isn't," I promised. "You've been nothing but a good friend to me."

He paused, seeming to wage an internal battle, then abruptly wrapped his arms around me. I returned the hug just as tightly, grateful that Jake had come around, even if it had taken weeks. I hadn't realized how much his blessing had meant to me until now. It might not have been complete approval, but it was more than I had ever expected.

He turned to Edward. "As long as Bella's happy, I'm happy. But if you ever, ever hurt her, you'll answer to me. I just thought you should know."

"That won't be a problem," Edward said quietly, the simple sentence holding the weight of a sacred promise.

When Jake was gone, I turned to Edward, my eyes watery. The emotional goodbye sucked out what little strength I had left. "I'm not crying because Jake and I… It's just…" I trailed off, struggling with how to explain my feelings without making it seem as though Jake and I had ever been more than we were.

Edward smiled faintly, gently wiping away a stray tear with the back of his finger. "I know, love. He was an important part of your life. I'm sorry it had to be this way." He kissed the wet trail left on my cheek and wrapped a supportive arm around my shoulders, leading me up the walkway.

I might have loved him even more in that moment, impossible as it may have seemed. I had been expecting unnecessary rivalry and snide comments. The comfort was more than welcome.

"I made my choice. I have to live with the consequences. They've been mostly good, you know. I don't regret anything about you."

He kissed the top of my head. "I would hope not."

Inside, the sanctuary I had been hoping to find was nowhere in sight. Emmett and Rosalie were in the midst of stand off in the foyer.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Rosalie roared. I was surprised we hadn't heard their raised voices from outside. They weren't making any attempt to scale down the volume. "What the hell would possess you to invite that dog into my house? Did you stop to think maybe I didn't want to make small talk with some asshole who wouldn't give a second thought about killing me? You waltz back into our lives, without so much as an apology and expect the world to fall at your feet. Well, newsflash: it doesn't. You don't get to make decisions for any of us! You probably shouldn't even make them for you. The world would be a safer place!"

Emmett glared back at her, his eyes blazing. I had never seen him look so fierce. Despite his formidable size, his wide smile tended to give him a harmless, cuddly appearance virtually opposite of the way he appeared now.

"I don't know what you want from me! The guy was outnumbered four to one, do you really think he was going to try something? He'd be the world's biggest idiot. He looked miserable out there, waiting in the cold. I didn't see the harm in being nice. It's not my fault you're a compassionless, cold-hearted bitch."

Rosalie inhaled shakily, looking close to tears that she would never shed. "You wouldn't know the first fucking thing about me if it slapped you in the face," she spat, turning on her heel. She stopped, turning to look at Emmett over her shoulder, her whispered words a more cruel blow than all the yelling that preceded it. "I knew I should have left you to die."

With that she fled out the back door, the metal frame of the screen door twisting freakishly under the force of being slammed.

Emmett stood stoically, in complete shell-shocked silence for several moments before chancing a glance at Edward and I, seeming to recognize for the first time that we were there.

"Fuck," he muttered, running his hand across his face, looking as tired as I felt. "I fucked that up royally, didn't I? I can't seem to talk to the woman without pissing her off. I didn't even do anything this time. But once she starts, it's like she sparks something in me and I can't stop."

"Emmett," Edward said quietly, "have you ever tried apologizing to her?"

Emmett shook his head, indignant. "Why would I? She's the one who starts all these petty fights, and over what? Stupid little non-issues that no one else but her would care about."

Edward shook his head slowly. "Not for that. For leaving, abandoning her without so much as a goodbye. When you left you hurt her and you know it. Perhaps you regret it but maybe that isn't enough. Have you ever said the words to her?"

Emmett glanced at the floor. "No," he muttered after several long seconds.

"Well, if I were you, I would think it was worth a shot. Women like to hear you say how you feel out loud. It's makes it more concrete to them. They don't like having to assume what you're thinking. I'd bet anything that she's picking fights with you to avoid getting hurt again."

Emmett smirked, his trademark grin peeking out from beneath his dour expression. "I guess you would know, nearly being one, yourself and all."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Fine. It's your life. See if I try to help you with your women troubles again. Even though I'm clearly the expert." He nudged me playfully, winking. "Just ask my woman."

I laughed despite myself. "Yeah," I agreed, my tone sardonic, "Edward knows how to keep me happy. You ought to listen to him."

Emmett snorted. "That sounded sincere."

"It was," I reassured. "It was just a little hard to get out without choking on the testosterone cloud hovering around."

"Neither of us has testosterone any longer, Bella," Edward smirked. "Any testosterone in this room belongs to you. Contrary to popular belief women have testosterone, too."

Emmett looked at me disbelievingly. "Science geek over here keeps you happy? Are you kidding me?"

"He's crazy smart," I explained, catching Edward's pleased smirk out of the corner of my eye. "He learns fast, too. And he's really, really sexy. What more could a girl ask for?"

Emmett burst into a contagious gut-busting laugh. "Oh, I like you. You are going to make one hell of a feisty vampire. I call dibs hunting with her."

"Oh and Emmett?" I waited until he met my eyes before continuing. "Edward has a point, you know. Tell Rosalie you're sorry. You won't regret it."