Time for the next chapter. Sorry it's a bit late, but I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks again to those who left reviews, I love them so much :).

Disclaimer: All recognizable Twilight characters and locations belong to Stepehenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 4

The luminous red numbers rearranged themselves to display the hour and Edward slapped the little machine with him palm before the alarm had the chance to emit a complete buzz.

He sighed and rolled onto his back again. Small panels of light snuck beneath his blinds on the window. Edward had been tracking their stealthy approach since its beginning at dawn, and before that he had contented himself by staring into the darkness.

Edward was lucky in the respect that he usually did not need much sleep to function. However, on nights like the one that had just passed, he wished for his insomnia disappear. He eyes felt heavy and he had a headache.

Eventually shrugging off his covers, he forced himself to sit at his desk and try to focus in the work he was unable to complete the night before.

After reading the same page of his Spanish novel six times in a row without absorbing anything, he decided to have an early shower to wake his brain up. It was just another distraction, and his later attempts at working were again in vain.

Finally, after filling in answers without any thought and simply to avoid hassle from his teachers that day, Edward allowed his mind to wander the place he had been avoiding for the past hour.

Bella Swan.

Later, he knew, he would have to lie to Alice. It was something he hated to do, but she would only treat him like she'd done last night if he revealed the truth. If she found out that the thought of Bella Swan had kept Edward up all night, no doubt her mind would jump back to the ridiculous accusation she made last night.

For, although he could not understand what he knew of the girl so far, Edward definitely did not have romantic feelings for Bella.

Since he had left Alice, Edward's short encounter with Bella in their Biology class had been running through his mind over and over again.

He tried to remember exactly what she had said to him, and what he had said to her. He tried to recall how her voice sounded and how her hair feel over her shoulders, shielding her profile from his vision. No matter how hard he tried to create a clearer picture of Bella Swan in his head, only one thing stood out: The dark, deep brown of her eyes as they scrutinized him carefully.

At some point during his nocturnal musings Edward had come to at least one conclusion, but it did nothing to ease his sufferings. It wasn't the fact that Bella Swan might believe that he is gay that annoyed Edward, it was something he could easily deal with. No, it was the way in which she had looked at him; like she could tell with just one glance, like she was able to sum him up within seconds, like he was something she could stare at whichever way she wanted.

It was that feeling that he hated, one which had plagued him throughout the day. Whenever he thought of Bella Swan, that feeling came back to him.

Today, he would purge himself of that feeling, while simultaneously proving to Alice that the thought of holding intelligent conversation with Bella did not daunt him. He would prove it to himself.

By the time it came around for him to change for school, Edward chose his outfit more carefully than he cared to admit to himself. He pulled on an ordinary pair of dark denim jeans and a light grey sweater. He knew he looked good, but it was plain and very casual. He didn't want to look like he'd put too much thought into it, but he did not want to risk Alice whining at him to put more effort into what he wore. But his hard work had payed off, for whenever he made it downstairs where the rest of his family were having their breakfast Alice gave him a once over and her lips raised into a slight smile.

"Morning, Edward," Carlisle said, looking up from his papers.

Edward returned the greeting and poured himself some coffee. It was something he rarely needed, but today he felt like he would be grateful for the extra kick. While he drank he noticed Alice keeping a watchful eye on him. It was the kind of behavior he would normally expect from Esme, but in light of how he'd acted towards his sister last night, he wasn't surprised. She did not speak to him until they reached the school.

The hushed working of the engine sounded louder than usual as they rode to school in silence. Edward's subconscious must have desired for a quicker end to the journey, because when they pulled into the school car park it was empty and he realized that they had made it there in record time.

"Edward-"

"Alice," he interrupted her - he didn't want an apology from her, that kind of affection always made him feel awkward. "Don't worry about me." He spoke softly, his voice devoid of the anger he felt last night. "I can handle this."

She looked unsure, but nodded to indicat that she accepted what he told her, whether or not she believed it. Silence again filled the car and the pair waited until the rest of the student body had arrived before stepping into the damp air.

Edward navigated his way through the bodies with ease, keeping his senses alert.

She hadn't arrived yet, he was sure of it. Her truck would give him at least two minutes warning before she was within view.

The alarm came just as Edward turned a corner that blocked the entrance to the car park from his vision. He froze, torn over what he should do next. Alice slowed down beside him and tried not to appear confused, but failing.

"What's the matter?" she asked, apparently concluding that Edward was not going to explain.

Edward didn't reply, but his body made his decision for him. Doubling back, he stole a peek around the building. Perfectly timed, Edward caught Bella Swan as she passed between cars, so he was awarded a full view of what she looked like today.

Despite the fact that it was dry, Bella had the hood of her parka pulled up over her head, but a few dark hairs escaped beneath it. From what Edward could see, she was wearing a pair black trousers, as casual as jeans, but they better highlighted how slim she was. Had she not been petite in her overall build, she might have looked unhealthy. She didn't, though. Edward thought she looked perfectly fine.

There was a crowd standing a short distance away from Bella and Edward recognized them as the same group Bella had spent lunch with. Mike Newton was watching her with interest, but he was not the only one.

A sly smile was twisting across the thin lips of Lauren Mallory, whose gaze was directed towards the immediate path of Bella's feet. She whispered something to Jessica Stanley, who followed her lead and stared at the ground right in front of Bella.

There was a small pothole, nothing really of consequence, but Edward noticed how frantic Bella's steps were and she didn't appear to be watching where she was going.

Suddenly, Edward was overcome by an urge to run over and prevent Bella from falling, and being humiliated in front of the only people she knew at the school. But she was too far away, and the slight pressure of Alice's hand on Edward's arm stopped him from moving more than an inch. He was forced to stand and watch as Bella approached the small hold in the tarmac.

Inevitably, her foot got caught and Bella stumbled, dropping the books she carried in her arms. The blush that Edward had witnessed yesterday returned to her cheeks as she hastily recovered her items and looked around the car park to gauge the reactions of her peers.

Lauren tried to look concerned, but she was obviously disappointed that Bella did not fall completely. Jessica did not look much different. The male members of the group seemed to care more, Mike Newton especially. He ran over to play the chivalrous gentleman and took Bella by her elbow while she steadied herself.

Then, unexpectedly, Bella swung her head around and without warning she was staring right at Edward, her brown eyes boring into his green ones. Her blush intensified, and like a deer caught in headlights, Edward was frozen, unable to move. Finally, in the last second before she turned away Edward pulled himself back behind the wall, where she could not see him.

"Shit," he exhaled, closing his eyes and hitting his head against the rough brick. He did not open them when Alice addressed him.

"You're going to have to be more subtle than that," she said in a matter-of-fact tone; she wasn't angry. Edward opened his eyes only to see her walking away. She had already made it clear that she did not have faith that he could win Bella over, and Edward was even beginning to doubt himself.

He shook his head and attempt to gather his thoughts. It was the second time in two days Bella had caused him to react in a way completely foreign. It seemed that any time he had contact with her, whether it be through conversation or with her eyes, Edward lost all sense of reason and his mind and body separated, each acting on their own.

Resolving to conquer this sensation before he reached Biology that afternoon, Edward allowed himself one last indulgence. Planning it more carefully this time, rather than being taken over by impulse, Edward slowly edged around the corner of the building. He lifted his eyes carefully and was relieved to see that no one was paying him any attention.

He observed the small group Bella was now a part of. Playing up to their roles as Bella's new friends, Lauren and Jessica were fussing over her, but, again, they were outdone by Mike, who was watching her like she was going to faint at any second.

It was amusing to watch Mike in his attempts to garner her attention. Every time he would try to hold her arm, Bella would shake him off. The agitation she felt was evident in her jerky movements, but she did not walk away. Edward could only see the back of her head as it shook, probably rejecting another offer of help.

The irrational Edward almost made another appearance as he took a step forward, but again he stopped himself. With more effort than he would willingly admit, Edward turned his back on the scene and walked towards his first class of the day.

For all it was worth, he may as well have stood in the car park for an extra hour, because no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't concentrate. The teacher droned on while his thoughts left the building.

By the end of class he concluded that the only reason he felt drawn to Bella in the car park was because he wanted to know what she looked like today, so nothing could surprise him in Biology. He also had a faint idea of what Alice's plans involved, or, more to the point, who. The last thing he remembered was Mike Newton telling Bella he was gay, and Edward resolved to pay him back for that little comment.

It felt like it took days, but lunch eventually came around. Edward made it to the cafeteria before Alice did and sat at their usual table. When she entered she was looking extremely pleased about something.

Seeing that look on her face prompted Edward to scan the room for Bella. He was surprised and disappointed to see she was sitting at the same table as yesterday. Looking at Alice's smiling face again, Edward was becoming confused.

"Hello, Edward. Having a nice day?" she said, taking up her usual spot beside him.

"Why are you so chirpy?" he asked suspiciously.

"I have information," Alice replied, that devilish glint in her eyes returning. Whatever she had heard evidently made her excited enough that she forgot to be angry at Edward. "Apparently, Bella isn't fitting in as well with her little lunch buddies as it looks." Edward casually swept the room with his eyes again, lingering for just one second longer on Bella's table. She looked as she had yesterday, and earlier: Uncomfortable.

"She doesn't actually look that happy," said Edward. Alice bobbed in her seat. There was absolutely nothing more annoying than when you had a headache and Alice was excited.

"I know." Her eyes lit up. "It's perfect. I was talking to Ben Cheney in Gym today, and he's having a party this weekend. I couldn't have planned it better!" Her squeal was so high-pitched that Edward winced away from it. "So, I think I've convinced him to invite Bella." She clapped her hands.

"What makes you think she'll go?" Alice's hands dropped to the table and she narrowed her eyes at Edward.

"There's no need to be so pessimistic about this," she said, her voice lowering to a normal pitch. "Why wouldn't she go? She's new, she needs to make an impression. She can't afford to turn down party invitations." Alice slumped slightly, and Edward felt bad for bringing her down, but there was a possibility that this just wouldn't work. They had to be realistic.

"Well, maybe she's not like most teenagers. Maybe she doesn't care about making an impression?" Edward did not say this to Alice, specifically, but more to himself. He was doing all he could to figure out as much about Bella as possible. Once he discovered that she was just like every other teenager, the weird fascination she held over him would be broken. She's a strawberry, he told himself, completely ordinary.

"You think she's different."

The fact that this was a statement, rather than a question, stirred the remnants of the anger Edward had felt the night before. Alice was assuming things that were completely incorrect.

"I don't know her, Alice," he said, clenching his fist.

"So you've said," Alice said with an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes.

"But I don't," he said forcefully. A junior boy from a table nearby looked at them nervously, so Edward lowered his voice. "I don't know her, it's the truth."

"I know it's the truth," she said, looking him square in the eye. "But it doesn't mean anything."

Edward couldn't reply, he didn't have a response. Alice did not break eye contact for at least a minute, but when she did turn away Edward recognised the small curve of a triumphant smile.

"Besides," she began again, tracing the edge of her now half-eaten plate of spaghetti with her finger, "I was thinking that, if she thought you were going.... " She didn't finish her sentence, and Edward would not have let her anyway, but it was a clear sign of guilt.

Clearing his throat in an attempt to rid his voice of it's edge, Edward sat up in his seat. "What happened to 'You don't have to talk to her', or is that statement out of the window now?"

"Don't be difficult, Edward. We are both perfectly aware that you had no intentions of taking me up on that."

Edward chuckled, but when he really thought about what Alice was saying his face dropped.

"What makes you think I'd be a selling point for her?" he asked, trying not to sound as pathetic as he felt. He obviously didn't fool Alice, because she waited until he lifted his gaze from his shoes before answering him in a hushed voice.

"Just the fact that she's looked at you about twenty times in the last minute."

Without thinking about it, Edward snapped his head up and found himself, once again, eye-to-eye with Bella. She looked away immediately, hiding her face behind her hair. Her natural defense mechanism, Edward noted.

The time from then until the end of lunch was either moving too quickly, or too slowly, Edward couldn't decide which. The prospect of Biology was now as promising as it was daunting. It felt like so much had happened between yesterday and today, that all of a sudden it was the most important hour of Edward's life. He could not disappoint Alice, he had to impress Bella and he had to prove to himself that he was as unaffected by her as he was by the rest of the girls in Forks. The last goal, Edward was beginning to realize, was becoming increasingly more difficult.

Bella left just minutes before the bell rang, and Edward was not far behind her. Alice had issued one final warning about being careful, and it took all of Edward's willpower not to retaliate there and then. He would simply show her how careful he could be, and that would shut her up.

The desk was empty when Edward arrived to class, but Edward noticed that Mike Newton already seated. Who else would Bella be with? Taking his seat, Edward preceded to get his books out, when Bella finally entered.

He did not say anything to her when she initially sat down, and she did not make eye contact with him. Soon it became obvious that Bella was not going to speak first, so, when Mr. Banner set them questions, Edward made his move.

"Bella," Edward said tentatively. She jumped a little, but recovered and shifted in her seat so she could face him at a better angle. She did not say anything, but then again, Edward had not asked her a question. "I'm Edward Cullen." He contemplated holding out his hand for her to shake, but it didn't feel appropriate. "I didn't really get to introduce myself properly yesterday."

"Well, you already know my name, so I guess I really don't have much to say, then," she replied, a hint of pink coloring her face. She returned to the questions, but something in her tone of voice implied that the conversation wasn't over. Edward was glad of that.

"That's true," he smiled. Racking his brain, the most intelligent things he could come up with were mundane questions. However, he knew he had to say something, and so settled on the generic, "How do you like it in Forks?"

Bella's nose crinkled as she thought, displaying her true feelings. She was remained quiet as she thought of something positive to say. Polite, Edward thought to himself. "The people are pretty friendly."

"Really?" Edward did not mean to sound to surprised, but from what he had witnessed, not everyone was happy about Bella's arrival. She laughed at his doubting tone.

"Well, some of them," she said, looking in Mike's direction. "Really friendly." There was something sarcastic in the way she said it, implying just how friendly Mike was being. For some reason, this made Edward angry and he didn't trust himself to reply yet. "But, I suppose you might not expect that if you only know half of them." Bella said this so quietly that Edward had to lean in to hear her properly. She looked at him with her big, brown eyes and Edward found himself again momentarily caught off-guard as he registered what she'd implied.

"Only half of them," he repeated slowly, now noticing how close he had come to her, leaning in across the desk. Bella's eyes widened and the pink in her cheeks grew deeper. With a slight tilt of her head, she nodded, confirming that Edward had understood her meaning correctly.

"People talk," she stated, her voice still so quiet that Edward could not move away.

"Obviously." A flicker of fear crossed Bella's delicate features, and her lips pulled into a small frown. She thought she'd offended him. "Tell me what you've heard," Edward said with a smile, trying to ease the tension that was now thick between them.

Bella took a deep breath and eyed Edward carefully, as though trying to figure out what his motives were. He could not help but noticed that she paused for a split-second longer at his lips and tried desperately to repress a smile.

"I haven't heard much," she said, and Edward knew she was telling the truth. "Just the basics." A small laugh escaped her and she shrugged at Edward and then cocked her head to the side. "Do you not find it weird that I'm telling you this?"

"I'm trying not to think about it," he answered honestly. He had it worked out that, the less he thought about the conversation and analyzed everything, the more easily the words came to him. "So, what are the basics?" He raised an eyebrow at her, eliciting a fresh blush.

"The Hales and the Cullens are enemies." She spoke in such a way that it was obvious that the words were not her own. Bella looked at Edward before she went on, "No one is friends with both families. You are either friends with one or the other. That's it."

Like the gay comment the day before, this was nothing new to Edward's ears. However, hearing it come from Bella, spoken in her voice, made him uneasy. He could not fathom why. Edward pulled away from her, straightening up in his chair. Bella's brows puckered and he felt bad for making her tell him and then making her uncomfortable about it. She sensed this discomfort and tried to lighten the mood.

"They even have teams." She grimaced as she said this and shook her head so her hair fell down her back. The smell of strawberries assaulted Edward's nose. "Team Hale and team Cullen. I would have thought that you'd have known."

In an uncharacteristic display on confidence, Edward lowered his head so that his eyes were level with hers. He stared right into the centre of her eyes, past his own reflection and back into hers again. "And what team are you on?" he said softly. Bella gaped at him. Edward took some twisted satisfaction in the fact that he could reduce her to the same state of incoherency that he had found himself in yesterday. He did not relent in his stare and refused to let her go without an answer.

"I- I'm not sure yet," she mumbled quickly, blushing furiously and turning towards her work again. She gripped her pen and hunched her shoulders, like she was protecting herself against Edward. He knew he should have let her be, but something was spurring him on. Edward was also aware that Mike Newton had been observing their little exchange was was apparently horrified by it.

"You have to chose, Bella," Edward said in a dangerously sultry voice. He did not know where it came from, but he knew he'd have to reign it in. Bella shivered. A sudden desire to reach out and touch her threatened to take hold of Edward. He clenched his fists to stop himself and took a deep breath. He regained control of himself in the only way he knew how at the moment: reminding himself of her purpose. "Beside, I'd thought you'd already picked your side."

Bella reacted to the drastic change in his tone by whipping her head around to see if it really was still Edward sitting there. Anticipating this action, Edward held his breath. Now, with her attention on him, he looked pointedly in Mike's direction. Bella followed his lead, and her lips parted into an understanding 'o'.

"Then why are you still talking to me?"

And she'd done it again. Bella Swan had demonstrated perfectly her ability to render Edward speechless. Evidently, she found something about this amusing, for she smirked at him, biting her bottom lip in the most adorable way.

"Look," she said, "I don't really buy into this High School drama stuff. I saw it back in Phoenix, and I can see it here, but I've never gotten myself involved. I don't see how my decision can really matter to anybody, so I'm just going to stay neutral." It all seemed to simple when she explained that Edward began to doubt the whole reasoning behind the epic division.

Bella's eyes lingered playfully on his, and that inexplicable confidence returned.

"Then come to Ben Cheney's party with me this weekend," Edward heard himself say.

For a second, Bella looked terrified and Edward's confidence wavered. She seemed hesitant, but Edward knew she was too polite to reject him.

"Sure." Her bit her lip again and grinned up at Edward, the almost permanent blush in her cheeks deepening. Edward felt himself smile back.

Alice was going to kill him.

End of Chapter 4.