Okay, so, I'm not feeling as good about this chapter. I really need your guys' opinion on this one. Don't be afraid to be honest, and let me know what you think!

~MissSingItAll

Disclaimer: Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

EPOV:

Over the next few school-less days, I found myself trying to find excuses to see Bella again. Alice didn't have to bring Bella's homework until school resumed, so there was no luck there. I tried to subtly give Alice hints on things to do with Bella so I'd have the chance to drive her over there, but she was too busy either texting Jasper or going out with him on dates. On the mildly sunny Thursday before school started, she finally grew annoyed at my insistent comments about going to Bella's.

"If you want to go over there so bad, why don't you do it yourself?" Alice snapped after I had suggested that she go and see whether the Chief had cleaned the house off yet.

"Well, I don't want to be rude," I said, sitting on our kitchen counter. Alice was putting clean dishes away and finishing up some chores before Jasper and her went out again.

"You won't be rude if you call first. I have their number," she offered, stacking plates into a pile.

"Um, well, how do I know that I'm not interrupting something? I wouldn't want to bother them," I said, trying to sound casual and innocent. Alice turned to look at me, crossing her arms in front of her. She raised her eyebrows at me.

"So, you're all for me going over there, but you won't go yourself," she stated, skeptical.

"I just don't want to inconvenience them, that's all. Plus, they know you better than me," I said, avoiding looking her in the eyes. Alice was silent for a moment, and then she gasped.

"Oh! I see," she exclaimed. She smirked at me. "You like Bella."

My eyes widened. "Well, yes, she's a nice person," I stammered out. Alice only shook her head, grinning.

"No, you like her. Like, really like her."

I had nothing to say to that. If I was being honest with myself, it was true. I was completely smitten with Bella. She brought out feelings in me that I had never really known before, although we had really only interacted a few times. I wanted to change that; I wanted to really get to know her, learn everything about her. Sure, there had been other girls in the past where I had felt some degree of caring for them, but never the way it was with Bella.

"Aw, Edward! You two would be great together! You absolutely have to let me help you!" Alice squealed, her face brightening at the prospect.

"Alice," I groaned, jumping off of the counter. "I don't need you to help me."

"If you don't need me, then why don't you just call her right now? All by yourself." She grabbed the cordless phone from its place on another counter. She started punching in Bella's phone number, stopping before the last number. She looked up at me, daring me to stop her. I sighed and nodded, reaching my hand out for the phone. She pressed the last number and hit the call button. I brought the phone to my ear and listened to the ringing noise, anxious.

"Hello?" Bella answered, her voice soft and quiet.

"Hi Bella, it's Edward," I said. It took a second for her to answer.

"Hi Edward, what's up?" she asked, sounding a little surprised.

"Well, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to do something today," I responded, looking at Alice. She gave me a thumbs up.

"Um, like what?" Bella questioned. I quickly searched my mind for some kind of idea, looking up excitedly when it finally came to me.

"I have an idea, but you have to trust me, okay?" I said. Alice looked confused at my words, and tried to silently ask what I was planning. I ignored her wondering looks.

"Um..." Bella fell silent, unsure.

"I promise we can do something else, or I can leave or something if you don't want to do it," I assured. Bella was quiet for a few seconds, and then she spoke.

"Okay."

I pulled up to Bella's house later that afternoon, feeling a mixture of anxiety and excitement. This would be the first chance I would really get to spend time with Bella. The police cruiser was gone from its spot; Bella was home alone as usual. The house was the complete opposite of the last time I had seen it. It was clean and bright, absent of the egg shells and yolk that had decorated it on Halloween. I parked on the curb and pulled out the basket I had brought with me, packed with food that Alice and I made. Alice thought the idea was totally romantic: a picnic on her front porch, where almost every encounter between us had happened. It was very balmy outside, and I thought it fitting that we learn from each other in the place where it all began.

I locked my car and made my way up onto the porch. I set the basket down at my side and rang the doorbell, patiently waiting for Bella to answer. The door swung open after a few seconds.

"Hi!" I greeted, smiling at the sight of Bella's beautiful brown eyes meeting mine. She blushed.

"Hey," she said, pulling the door open a bit farther. She was wearing a pair of light-wash jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, the color making her skin glow. Her chestnut-colored hair was thrown up in a messy ponytail, and her lips were full and slightly parted.

"How far are you willing to go out?" I asked, gesturing to the area around me and softening my gaze so she would know that I meant her no harm. Bella looked down at her feet.

"Maybe to the first step," she said, her voice small and ashamed.

"Well, that's all we need," I said confidently. I picked up the basket and showed it to her. "Lunch for two?"

She stared at me, shocked. Her eyes darted back and forth between the basket and my face. Finally, she looked out at the porch.

"Right here?" she asked meekly. I nodded and reached into the basket, pulling out a large blanket.

"Is this okay?" My voice was softer, trying to let her know that I wouldn't make her do anything she wouldn't want to do.

Bella's eyes scanned the surroundings again, and then nodded her head slowly. "Yes," she whispered, and she gave me a small grin. I smiled back widely, and moved to spread the blanket out on the porch. Bella stood by the doorway, watching me. I set the basket on one corner of the blanket and sat down next to it. I looked at Bella and patted the space next to me. She turned and shut the front door behind her, and after that she walked over and slowly sat down next to me, crossing her legs under her. I pulled out a couple of the tupperware containers I had packed that were full of food.

"Did you make all of this?" Bella eyed the stack of containers with curiosity.

"Alice helped," I replied, taking out some paper plates and cups. I set everything out in front of us, and proceeded to serve Bella some of the food. She just stared at me with a look on her face that I couldn't figure out. I looked at her, unsure of what was going through her mind.

"What?" I asked. She shook her head, accepting the plate from me.

"Nothing," she said, looking down at the blanket.

"I promise, it's not poisoned," I winked, and she chuckled lightly.

We ate slowly, not worrying about the passing time. The late afternoon brought light sunshine and a slightly warm breeze, blowing across us as we sat. We talked about our interests; books and movies and music that we liked, our pet peeves, and what we thought about different issues. Bella had a very sharp mind, and I could tell she really liked having someone to discuss these things with. I loved watching her speak about her ideas; her eyes would grow wide and light up, full of enthusiasm. Our childhood stories, however, had us near tears with our laughter.

"I swear, Emmett was never the same after that," I laughed, wiping the wetness from my eyes. "He refuses to go anywhere near a gas station bathroom."

"Well, I would too if I had accidentally walked in on two men in costumes getting it on," Bella giggled, popping a piece of fruit delicately in her mouth. "Especially at age 7."

"Definitely," I agreed, watching the way her lips closed around the fruit. I looked up to her eyes, and she was smiling brightly at me. I looked back down at my plate, warmed by the true happiness I saw on her face.

After we were full from the food, we had spread out on the blanket. The warmth of the outdoors combined with the quiet environment had lulled us into a sort of content silence. It was amazing just being able to lay here with Bella, not speaking and not having a need to. We were on our backs staring up at the underside of the awning overhanging the porch. I was so surprisingly comfortable that I was actually sleepy, and probably would have gone to sleep if Bella hadn't suddenly started speaking.

"Why did you do this for me, Edward?" she quietly asked. I turned to look at her. She was still looking up, but her face was solemn.

"I just wanted to," I said, crossing my arms to rest behind my head.

"But...why?" she pressed, sounding very confused. I turned and rested on my side so I could look at her. She was staring at me, a crease in her brow and the corners of her lips turned down.

"I really like spending time with you, Bella. You're a great person," I insisted sincerely. Her chocolate brown eyes widened, and then watered as they filled with tears. She propped herself up on one arm.

"Really?" she whispered. I nodded fiercely. Her trembling lips broke into a smile, and my heart stopped for just a moment.

We stared at each other for another minute, not wanting to break up the mood. Finally, Bella sighed and glanced back out at the street. Shadows were starting to grow as the sun began its descent, and the air grew a bit cooler.

"I'd better go in and start dinner. Charlie will be home soon," she sighed, standing up and stretching. I stood too, and together we cleaned up the remnants of our picnic. I shoved the containers back into the basket, and Bella helped me fold up the blanket into a little bundle. I set everything on the first step, and turned back to Bella, who was now leaning up against the front door.

"Thank you, really. This was...amazing. I had fun," she said, her voice soft with affection.

I walked a bit closer to her and reached out my hand slowly, taking one of her hands. She stood frozen, and I kept my eyes on hers to make sure this was okay.

"I'm glad," I murmured, bringing her hand to my lips. I kissed her soft skin gently, and then let go of her hand, stepping back. "I'll see you later, Bella."

"Bye," she breathed, her cheeks flushed with a light pink. I smiled and grabbed the basket and the blanket, jumping down the steps and throwing a look back at her as I walked.

She was still standing there, watching me walk to the driver's side of my Volvo. I waved at her and slipped inside the car, tossing everything in the back. As I started the car and pulled off of the curb, I couldn't help but smile. Today had been a success, and I couldn't wait to spend more days like this with Bella.

BPOV:

I watched Edward leave until I could no longer see the silver Volvo drive down the street. I stepped back inside and shut the door, locking it behind me.

Today was quite possibly one of the best days of my life. Having a picnic on the porch with Edward was so surreal; this beautiful boy was talking to me, getting to know me, interacting with me on a normal level. I was afraid that he hadn't really wanted to come and only did it as a favor to Alice or something, but when he said that he enjoyed spending time with me, my heart was to the point of no return. I had never felt like this before, and it was all spinning out of my control. I didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, yet.

I really cared for Edward, and he made me feel like a regular girl. I forgot who I was and what I was going through every time I heard him laugh, and his smile stunned me into silence. I found myself desperately wishing that I could be someone he deserved, someone normal.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I walked into the kitchen and decided to get started on dinner. I opened the fridge and glanced through everything we had, deciding on doing some steak. I grabbed everything I needed out of the fridge and started my usual routine, losing myself in my cooking.

I had just about finished with a salad for a side dish when I heard the sound of the door unlocking at the front of the house. Charlie's loud footsteps echoed in the house.

"Bells?" he called, and I rolled my eyes. It's not like I would go anywhere, Dad.

"In the kitchen," I responded, tossing the salad a few more times. Charlie entered then, slipping off his jacket and hanging it on the back of his chair.

"I finally filed reports against those kids who egged the house," he said, walking to the fridge and pulling out a beer. He popped the top open and sat down in his chair, leaning back.

"Are they in a lot of trouble?" I asked, bringing plates and silverware to the table.

"Well, it was hard to confirm that it was them. Just because Alice and her friends saw them walking out around the same time doesn't mean that they did it. Since Alice didn't see them actually do it, there's no real proof."

"But I saw them!" I exclaimed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, I believe you and your friends, Bells. But the other guys at the station, well, they're a little harder to sway over, especially since they are related to some of the kids involved and refuse to believe it."

"That's so wrong."

"Hey, I may be Chief, but I'm not the sole authority of this town. And I'd really hate to burn any bridges with the guys, you know?"

"Yeah," I said, serving him his steak. I should have known that those people would have gotten away with it; after all, if Alice and her group hadn't come, what would I have done? I hardly remembered what they looked like, and they were all wearing costumes. I was lucky that that group and the Cullens and the Hales had seen each other in the street beforehand.

After dinner, I went upstairs to my room and checked my email on my ancient computer. I had several messages from Renee, most of them asking how I was and what I was doing. I clicked on her latest one and wrote a short reply. This time, however, it was easier to sound happy when I talked about what I did here. I finally had friends and a somewhat questionable relationship with a gorgeous boy. I had finished the email and sent it out when I heard Charlie call my name from downstairs.

"Bella! Phone!"

"I'm coming," I called back, and nearly ran out of my room. I skipped down the stairs, stubbing my foot on the last step as I came to a stop, and walked up to the phone, grabbing the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Bella! You have to tell me how this afternoon went!" Alice squealed. I pulled the receiver back from my ear, recoiling from the high-pitched sound.

"Um, it was nice?" It came out as a question.

"Well, I'll bet, seeing as how Edward couldn't stop smiling when he got home. But come on, give me details!"

"We just talked, Alice," I said, a little confused. Why was Alice so excited?

"Are you sure that's all?" she pressed.

"I guess, yeah."

"But, did he do anything else?"

"Uh, he kissed my hand?" I looked down at the hand that his gentle lips had caressed earlier today.

"AWWWWWW!!!!" This time I really pushed the receiver away from my ear. Alice was seriously going to make me lose my hearing if she kept this up.

"That's too adorable, Bella!" Alice cooed, and then she giggled happily.

"Okay..." I replied, unsure.

"Well listen, Bella. I've got to go since it's late and all, but expect me to come over on Saturday, okay? We need some girl time!"

"Sure," I said, shaking my head at Alice's silliness.

"Okay, bye!" The phone clicked. Putting the receiver back, I turned and walked back up the stairs to my room.

A feeling of disbelief hit me as I lay down on my bed. "Girl time," as Alice had put it, was definitely another first for me. The longer that I was here in Forks, the more experiences I began to have that I never even dreamed possible. It was like living here had brought me a strange and rare run of good luck, and I wasn't about to let it slip by.

When Alice rang the doorbell Saturday afternoon, I had no idea what to expect. I opened the door and was surprised to see that she had two large bags, one hanging on each shoulder. She was wearing a lavender dress with black leggings, and a black cardigan covered her arms. She turned and waved to Rosalie, who had driven her here in a flashy red convertible. Then she turned back and stepped into the house.

"I have a plan, just go with it, okay?" Alice said quickly. I just nodded and shut the door and followed her to the staircase. On the way, we passed Charlie in the living room, who beamed at the both of us. His eyes made contact with mine and he looked so happy that I actually had company over, I swore I could see his eyes water with emotion. I smiled back and looked away before I got too emotional.

Up in my room, Alice dumped the contents of one of the bags onto my bed. A curling iron, a straightener, and several large bottles of various hair products spilled out onto my comforter. The other bag contained all kinds of different makeup products. I looked at Alice questioningly.

"What's all this for, Alice?"

"You, silly! Bella, you're a beautiful girl, and I think it's time that you play up that beauty. Plus, you gotta give me all the details about Thursday and you and Edward!"

"Oh, Alice, I don't know," I mumbled, looking down at my feet. I honestly didn't think that I was anything worth looking at. But when I looked up, Alice had the biggest pout on her pixie-like face.

"Please, Bella? You're my friend, and I really do want to do this for you. Plus, it's not like I have any sisters of my own to be girly with," she glanced away, looking sad and brokenhearted. How could anyone say no to that?

"Fine," I sighed, "but nothing too dramatic."

"Of course," she replied cheerily, the sad look in her eyes gone immediately. "I'm only gonna enhance what you already have. Bella, really. You. Are. Pretty."

I only shook my head, disagreeing completely. She rolled her eyes and grabbed some of the bottles. "Bathroom's this way, right?" she asked, nodding down the hall.

"Yeah," I said, and followed her into our cramped bathroom.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent doing my hair; Alice washed it and conditioned it several times, and then blow-dried it straight. She then straightened out any waves and curled the ends gently. She moved on to my makeup, and per my request, used only very light products. I kept my eyes closed during most of the process. I was partly relaxed by the pampering and partly afraid of how ferocious Alice was when it came to this kind of stuff. She worked with such efficiency, it was as if she had been doing this her whole life (and she probably had).

While she worked, Alice asked me to recall every detail of the picnic. I really didn't understand why she was so interested. She seemed very excited that I had a good time, and she began suggesting more and more activities for me and Edward to do together.

"I mean, he really doesn't go out much, but when he does, it's usually just to a friend's house, or something like that. So it's perfect that you just stay at home anyway, because he can just visit you here!" she rambled, lightly dusting powder on my face. My eyes shot open at her words.

"Just because I can't go anywhere doesn't mean that I don't want to," I said seriously. Alice stopped her movements. An apologetic look came over her face as she realized what she said.

"Oh no, Bella, I didn't mean it like that," she tried to backtrack. I avoided her pitiful gaze.

"I know," I said quietly. "You just don't really know what it's like."

"I'm...I'm sorry." Genuine sadness painted Alice's face. I sighed, trying to bring myself out of the thoughts that were constantly at the forefront of my mind.

"It's okay," I replied, trying to smile back at her to let her know I wasn't mad at her. She smiled tentatively back.

"All your eyes need is a little mascara and they'll be perfect," she stated, returning back to her cheery self. I just shook my head and closed my eyes again, letting her decorate me as she wished.

After Alice had finished, she walked me over to the full length mirror in my room. My eyes widened in surprise as I looked at her work. My hair was extremely shiny and silky smooth, the ends curling inward and smooth. My face was brighter, my skin smooth and clear. Mascara had indeed changed the look of my eyes; the lashes were full and long, fluttering as I blinked. There was a very light flush of color on my cheeks, and my lips were plump and pink with lip gloss. I turned back to Alice and grinned.

"I love it, Alice," I said honestly, and she laughed, running over to give me a hug.

"I told you so!" she taunted, smoothing my hair down with her hands.

Charlie had ordered a pizza for dinner, and Alice decided to have Edward come pick her up after we ate. Charlie watched us for a moment as we both chatted over large slices of pepperoni pizza, then left the room smiling as he went back to watching tv. Alice tried to tell me how to keep up with what she had done with my hair, but I really couldn't understand what she was talking about. We were cleaning up the dishes and putting them away when the doorbell rang, signaling Edward's arrival.

"I'll get it!" I called to Charlie, passing him on my way to the door.

"Bye Chief Swan!" Alice waved to him as she carried her bags with her. Charlie waved back at Alice, not tearing his eyes from the television screen.

I wrenched open the door, revealing Edward in a striped green button shirt and light khakis. The pleasant look on his face turned into one of awe as he gawked at me. I felt the familiar blush creep onto my cheeks. His emerald eyes were scanning every detail of my face, and we said nothing as the time grew on. Alice finally cleared her throat and stepped in view, breaking his trance.

"I'm ready," she said, smirking as she looked back and forth between us.

"Uh, yeah, okay," Edward stammered, never taking his eyes off of me.

"I'll be here as usual on Monday morning, Bella," Alice reminded me. I nodded, watching her join her brother out on the porch. She waved and winked at me, then turned and walked out to the car. Edward stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking down at his feet.

"Hey," I said lamely.

"Hi," he replied, looking back at me from under his lashes. My heart stuttered for a moment. What was this boy doing to me?

"You look very pretty," he complimented, and my face grew hotter, if that were possible.

"Thank you," I mumbled. The corner of his mouth turned up in a half grin.

"Well, I have to take Alice home, but I was wondering if you'd like to hang out again sometime?"

"Sure," I answered, already thrilled at the thought of spending more time with him. He nodded, and turned to leave. I was then hit with a sense of deja vu; all of the encounters that I had ever had with Edward had began on this very porch. It was becoming a place of importance for me, and I took this into consideration as I watched him leave.

"Goodbye, Bella. I'll call you," he yelled over his shoulder.

"Goodbye, Edward."

A/N: I don't know how many times I used the word "smile" or "grin" in this chapter, haha. Anyway, please review!