AN: I actually think I enjoy writing the secondary character's parts more than anything else. I am trying to form a balance and hopefully it doesn't seem odd but I like the idea of Edward being in each chapter even if his part is small.

Thanks for reading ;) Happy Easter, and I heard on the radio the other day that April 13th, where I live, has been officially named 'Corner Gas' day. So happy 'Corner Gas' day! If you don't know what that is, it's a Canadian TV show with Brent Butt I have no idea if it plays in America or anywhere else for that matter.

Chapter Two: part two

"I can't believe you're going out late on a school night," I more or less muttered toward Renee as she scurried about in her black bra and skirt slip holding up random dresses to her chest in the floor length mirror.

"Do you think the red is better?" She questioned turning to show it off. I lifted my head from my position, lying on her bed for a better look.

"Its fine," I returned letting my head loll back.

"Don't sound too excited now Bella."

I rolled my eyes. Instead of looking at her I twisted so I was looking beside me at the mirror on her dresser. Renee had always had a thing for Victorian styled furniture and it sure showed in her bedroom. Everything had that curvy ornate look. Everything styled so you could barely imagine comfort. Her walls were done in a sage while the bedside tables and dresser were white. Her curtains were a transparent sheered white, as well, making her room feel like a cloud. The only thing that gave the room some weight was her king size bed. The headboard was made out metal, also painted white, but it stood out.

"It's just weird. This is your fourth date, you know. It's only Wednesday.*"

"Well I happen to really like him. I told you that," she sounded only mildly frustrated.

She shimmied into the red dress, fluffing her expertly curled hair when it came free. Renee had always been good at getting ready, at making herself look presentable and, well for lack of a better word, good. The genes had not passed on, I never could be bothered. I'd never date, not like her. I knew I'd never be the person who worried about dresses, shoes and hair; it wasn't me and I was jealous of her because of it.

"And I'm glad you're happy, I'm still really glad," I tossed my legs over the bed and stood, walking to the dresser, or more specifically to her jewelery box. "But four dates in five days is crazy."

"I really, really like him Bella. Don't smother this feeling so soon, please," she exclaimed restlessly.

I picked out a beautiful black beaded necklace and held it up for her to approve. "It's just… five in four days is a lot."

"I love that one too," she spoke softly eyeing the jewelery, "And to be fair on Sunday I just helped him pick out some food at the grocery store. It wasn't like a big romantic thing."

"And that kinda makes it weirder."

"How does it do that?" She lifted her hair and I strung the necklace around and did the clasp.

"It's like you're already married, helping to feed him and everything. Did you ever do that with Ted?"

"Ted ate pork and beans every night. I would have had to physically alter his brain patterns if I wanted him to eat different."

"And you want to change Phil's eating habits?" I asked sitting down at the edge of the bed. Renee twirled in the mirror, her face looking concerned as she did so.

"Are you sure about this dress?"

"Mom, you look beautiful, really." She did, Renee had always been gorgeous. Age had done nothing to her other than force her to have a 'reason' to get her hair coloured. She claimed the grays were coming in but I hadn't seen even one.

"Thanks," she turned giving me a kind smile, "And Phil asked me to help him eat healthier because of his baseball and all that. You know, a diet's really important when you play a sport for a living."

I sighed. "Just don't rush into anything."

"We're not rushing; we're just enjoying each other. And didn't you tell me you liked him?"

"Yeah, Phil seems great," I'd talked to him a lot actually and I did think he was an awesome guy, he was funny and made my mother laugh, hell he even made me laugh. He had come over for dinner Tuesday night and it didn't seem like he was going out of his way to impress me, he just seemed comfortable.

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"Okay," I relented.

"Are you wearing that?" She asked me giving me a strange up and down.

"I'm just going to the library," I pointed out.

"Yeah but your jeans have holes in the knees."

I laughed. "And what would you prefer I wear?"

"Remember that blue blouse I bought you last Christmas? And that Black pencil skirt*, you know the one with the buttons?"

"Mom, what would Edward think? That I'm trying to impress him?"

"Well maybe it wouldn't be so bad to impress a boy. You said he was young, right? Near your age. Can it be so hard to play up your femininity?"

"Hello, mom, It's me; your daughter, Bella."

"Fine, make excuses but the truth of the matter is if you don't care enough to even dress up then the guys, they just think you don't care*."

"That's so cliché."

"Cliché or not, they are words of wisdom." She turned from me to grab her makeup. "You think red lips would be too much?"

"Yeah, with the red dress; you don't want to be too matchy-matchy, right?"

"You're right."

She applied a simple lip-gloss before adding a touch of mascara.

"Do I want more?"

"No, you're perfect."

She smiled. "Phil's going to be here in ten minutes, are you sure you don't want to change?" Phil was dropping me off at the library before they went off to have supper.

"I don't think so…" I trailed off wondering if maybe Renee was right, I did after all want to impress Edward.

"Won't you try it, just for one night? If you hate it you don't ever have to do it again," her eyes were pleading before she turned to rifle through her sock drawer. "I need stockings, don't you think?"

"You do; it's freezing."

"So are you gonna try it?"

"For you mom, anything." She rolled her eyes playfully.

"Thank you Hun."

I left the room and went into my own. My 'nice' clothes were all hung up in the back of my closet. It had been a long time since I had worn any of them. I pulled each hunger carefully, looking for the ones my mom had suggested, I might as well take her advice straight to the point.

Once the clothes were on I felt different, I looked different. I looked older and my eyes were brighter, I smiled at myself in the mirror twisting around trying to mimic Renee. Maybe I could pull this off. I walked across the hall.

Renee was putting black chandelier earrings in, staring intently into the mirror. I leaned against the frame watching her reflection. Because of that I realized the exact second she noticed me. Her eyes refocused on my reflection and she spun quickly. "Oh Bella, you look stunning."

I blushed. "Uh, thanks."

"Come here." I walked forward tripping slightly on the edge of the bed, she laughed. "Look up." I did what she asked and she coated my lower lashes with mascara. "Now straight ahead." She repeated her motions on the upper lashes. "Okay, wow," her words blew out. "What your father would say if he could see you now…"

"Oh mom," I rolled my eyes, "Do I really look so dressy? Edward's going to think I'm in love with him," I chuckled.

As I'd spoken Renee had begun rifling through her drawers again. She eventually pulled out a Polaroid camera. Fiddling with it, she spoke, "No, it's not like that. You just look… just look beautiful." She turned to admire me again. "Stand back."

I stepped back, twisting my head to pay attention to where I was going. I stopped when I hit the floor length mirror. Renee held up the camera. "Now smile." She laughed and I couldn't help it, I felt so light; I smiled and she snapped the picture.

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I took off my coat, mittens and scarf right after I walked in the front doors of the library. I didn't want to have to undress in front of Edward like I'd had to before; it had become a sort of tradition actually.

Every time, other then when I'd beat Edward to the library, he'd been reading or, at least, preoccupied with a book when I approached but this time he was watching me as I walked over. I was hyper aware of how his eyes seemed to take me in, how his crooked smile appeared, how even his posture shifted.

"Hello," I said, anticlimactic as I sat.

"Uh, hi," he practically stuttered, it was cute; it was endearing and it made me feel awkward.

"My mom, ah, wanted me to stop dressing like a boy," I laughed, "She said I just had to try it once," I blushed and looked down. I worried that I'd upset him, he remained so quiet, I glanced up and he seemed too real, too interested in me. I could feel myself blushing further. "It's uncomfortable." I shrugged.

Again he didn't say anything; I bit my lip looking around letting my eyes fall on the book he'd brought today. "'Marry Poppins'*?"

"Uh, yeah," his voice was screaming insecurities.

"Let me think," I brought my eyes up and he caught them as he always seemed to, "'"You have it for tonight darling," whispered Jane, and she tucked him in just as Mary Poppins used to do…'"

"You're very strange," he announced his eyes speaking louder than his words. I was drowning. I tucked my chin and broke our connection. "Not in a bad way," he rushed. "Just, I've never met anyone like you." I pulled out my notebook staring at the work I'd done, "And you should thank your mom for me, you look," he hesitated, "You look breathtaking Bella."

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Edward and I finished up and I got up to leave, I put on my coat, scarf and hat, I'd carried it with me instead of wearing it before because, I guess, I had turned into my mother for a few seconds; worried about my hair. I put on my gloves and hugged my books to my chest. Usually Edward was gone by the time I left but this time he lingered. He had put on a gray coat and a pair of tan gloves but he didn't move to leave.

"You look like you're bundled up for a long walk."

"Fifteen minutes," I shrugged. Renee and Phil had dropped me off, Phil had said they could come and pick me up if I called but I assured them I'd be fine. I didn't want to interrupt them in the middle of their night out.

Edward looked surprised. "You're walking home?" He actually sounded annoyed, though I had no idea why.

"Sure."

"No," simple and blunt.

"Huh?"

"No, I'll drive you."

I shook my head; I didn't want to be cumbersome. "That's fine, it's really close, don't worry."

"No," he stressed the word. "I'll drive you. It's cold, it's dark and it's dangerous."

I laughed, "Dangerous," I repeated in a mocking tone.

He didn't seem to find it funny, "Bella, please, let me drive you home; I don't want to worry about you."

He'd purposely turned the logic on me, if it was possibly harmful to me, I was fine with it, but at the slightest hint that Edward had a problem I caved. I didn't want to make him worry; it was unnecessary. "Fine."

"Thank-you." Like there was a reason for him to thank me.

We walked out together and it was bizarre, it was… off-putting, we weren't the people we were portraying, a couple out for a night. I hated that I wanted us to be that, why couldn't I be satisfied with the time I got?

He opened a door for me on a car that appeared expensive even in the dark. I got in and he closed it behind me. It didn't feel weird to accept a ride, Edward wasn't a stranger but that didn't make my heart stop beating like it was trying to win a competition.

The cars interior with a soft gray and I would bet my life that it was leather. The car was outlandishly clean for a young man; I'd never seen a car so hygienic; he could probably eat off the seats. Over the driver's side on the visor was a black CD holder and I tried unsuccessfully to read the titles.

He got in and turned on the engine causing the light, I'd been examining his car in, to shut off. "Um I'm just left off this road," I pointed and he looked.

The street lights were on illuminating the light snow that was falling. No one else was out; we didn't pass any cars, the only appearance of life were the lights on in the houses we passed and the smoke curling out at the tops of the houses.

The engine purred, literally, it was a soft and attractive sound. The car Renee and I shared sounded like a dying animal; I wasn't used to these luxuries. "Take a right up here." He turned on cue, "So, uh, first time through 'Marry Poppkins'?" I asked desperate to make some conversation.

He laughed, "Fourth."

"So you like it a lot then?"

"It's… uh, I don't know, special. Do I keep going straight here?"

"Yeah, it's straight for a while."

"It's just one of those books… have you read it before; or just the last line?" He was making a joke but it was too forced to get a laugh. The atmosphere was jilted; agonizing me.

"I've read it."

"What did you think?"

"It's… like a part of my childhood."

"Exactly," Edward's voice relaxed.

"Do you miss it?" I didn't mean to push his personal space so far in one night but, like before, like every time, I couldn't seem to help it.

"Miss what?"

"Right," I nudged him so he would know I was giving him directions. Even through my thick clothes I felt electricity in his touch, "And I mean your childhood."

"Oh," his guards were falling back into place. "Uh, well there isn't a lot to miss."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, hmm, how do I explain… you remember going to the park, going to kindergarten, having your friends over for birthday parties, maybe even the whole class?"

I paused in thought as we went by an elementary school. Of course I'd gone to the park multitudes of times, I'd gone with my parents, with friends, had recess there but I couldn't think of a specific time. Even kindergarten seemed imaginary; I couldn't even tell you who my teacher was. "Yeah, kind of, it's blurring but some of that."

"I don't. It wasn't ever like that with my family."

"What was it like?" I had been watching the road, being careful to lead him the right way but now I turned to give him a glance, it was too dark to see him so I looked back out.

"It was lonely, I mean I had my brother and my mom, she never had to work but she liked to sometimes. She had a small business she ran out of the house. It seems like we spent most of the time inside or around the property."

"Left," I whispered.

"But I'm not trying to complain. I did enjoy that time, I mean, even though I grew up fast."

"Another Left," I whispered again.

"It just seemed like I didn't have a childhood, does that make sense or…"

"No, it does, that's… depressing." I shivered in my coat, "The house with the outside lights on."

He pulled up as he replied, "I'm sorry I'm not exactly an 'up' guy*," he chuckled.

"No, I like that you're not."

I opened the door, "Why?" he asked before I could speak again.

"Because it's real. So many people pretend everything's fine, or was fine, and usually it's not. I just, I like that about you."

"Thanks," he seemed to struggle with the word.

"Thanks for the ride home Edward, I really appreciate it."

"Uh, no problem."

I shut the door and walked away from him, wondering why everything he said made me want to know more. It seemed every mystery I tried to solve, as small as they might seem to an average person, only opened up lost cases.

I wanted to be the person who found Edward but I didn't feel capable. Maybe it was hopeless.

Notes:

* Wednesday: I have learned my lesson I am really going to try to get the dates right unlike in past stories where I just ended up getting very, very confused. So tutor sessions are Wednesday and Saturday; right now anyway.

* Pencil Skirts: Pencil skirts are typically knee-length. They are close fitting and look kick ass. I love them. I wear them like they are going out of style, which you could argue they are or have been for a while.

* The guys think you don't care if you don't dress nice: Heck if I know if this is true but I think Renee uses it as an excuse to spend too much money on clothing.

* 'Mary Poppins': Edward is reading the revised edition that was printed in 1981.

* An up guy: This is a reference to a New Order song called Bizarre Love Triangle. In the video there is a black and white scene where a woman (Jodi Long) sternly says "I don't believe in reincarnation because I refuse to come back as a bug or as a rabbit" A man (E. Max) replies "You know you're a real up person."