First Contact

BPOV

Newton wouldn't leave my side after my fall in biology. He insisted in walking me to English and I wished with every fibre in my being that he would just leave me the hell alone. Where's Rosalie when you need her?

I couldn't get Cullen out of my mind. That bronze hair was haunting me. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him pull his elegant long fingers through it. I couldn't help but weaken a little when I thought about his jaw, how it was so straight and masculine. How it was fully formed when the rest of the boys in school seemed to be stuck in between childhood and manhood. Cullen definitely didn't have that issue. He was most definitely erring on the side of man.

I thought about how good it would be to trace the line of his jaw with my own fingers and almost let out a gasp. There was a memory sitting just out of reach and no matter how hard I tried it just refused to step into the light. There had been something comfortingly familiar about him. I just couldn't place it.

"Bells?" Jasper's voice broke through my thoughts and I was a little shocked to find myself walking down towards the cafeteria with him.

"Sorry, what?" He quirked an eyebrow at me and grinned, I could see the wicked question flash across his eyes and braced myself for what was to come. Damn Alice.

"Doing a bit of day dreaming are we?" He sniggered. "Uncharacteristically quiet for one of your dreams isn't it?"

"Your comedy always floors me Jasper. I mean, really, you should be on stage somewhere." I whispered sarcastically at him, but he danced out of reach before I had the chance to smack his arm.

"Just telling it like it is." He retorted, laughing at me. "Look, there's Emmett." My gaze followed his out stretched hand and finally settled on what could only be described as Man Mountain.

"Jesus. He is huge." I mumbled as he spotted Jasper and looked relieved.

"Jasper, finally man. Was going a bit crazy working out where to sit." He boomed at us as we stopped beside him.

"There, see the tiny dark haired girl? Go over and I'll get you there." Emmett looked at Jasper with appreciation and with more grace than I would have expected navigated through the crowded dining hall and sat in front of a mildly shocked looking Alice.

"What are you, like officially a midget?" I caught Emmett ask without tact when I sat down.

"It may look that way to someone who happens to be officially classed as a giant, but no, I'm not." Laughed Alice, obviously delighted with the new edition to the school. "This is Bella." She pointed to me.

"Emmett." He introduced himself to me and offered his hand for me to shake.

"Hi." I answered shyly.

In truth Emmett was terrifying. He was awe inspiring in his massiveness. I noted that one of his biceps was probably the same size as my thigh. Short dark curls covered his head, matching the shade of his eyes which were almost black.

"What's your story then Bella?" Emmett boomed at me. Confused I looked to Alice.

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me about yourself is what I mean." He looked at me with interest.

"I'm 17...um...I drive that truck." I pointed out of the window and he let out a booming laugh that practically shook the room.

"Is that even legal?"

"Well her father bought her it and he is the police chief." Interjected Alice, sensing my comfort slipping away. "You have to get to know Bella in stages; she keeps her cards close to her chest." She informed Emmett, whose eyes immediately went to my chest, then flicked back up to my own with a slight grin and a shrug.

"Sure. Where's my brother? Have you met him yet?" He looked between us both.

"He is in my biology class. Kept pretty quiet. I didn't have the chance to introduce myself." I told him as Jasper dropped a tray of food on the table. Alice immediately took the food and shared it between the three of us.

"Jasper? Where is Edward?" Asked Alice, crunching into an apple and leaning into his side.

"Damned if I know."

EPOV

If I smoked now would be the perfect time to spark one up and take a long lazy draw. How could one person have such an effect on me? Me, who refuses to make any human connection with anyone except my family. And Jasper I reminded myself. That doesn't count; I was a kid when I met him.

Great, now I was arguing with myself in my car. I cranked up the volume hoping it would drown out my thoughts. But it never did when I was thinking about the girl in my dreams and now I knew she actually existed. Think about it logically Cullen. You must have met her before. That was it, I must have.

Calm settled over me when I hit upon the most logical explanation. Smiling I stepped out of the car and made my way back into the school building. Jasper and Emmett would be waiting for me and I still had to meet Alice and her friend.

It was always easy to find Emmett in a crowded room. He was always the biggest, the loudest and the most tactless. This just added to his charm I could only guess. He and Jasper were easily spotted when I walked into the cafeteria; the contrasts of light and dark are something which would draw anybody's eyes. Sitting with them were two dark haired girls with their backs to me, but I stiffened immediately and knew who they both were in an instant.

The smaller of the two was leaning into Jaspers side and he had his arm draped protectively around her shoulder. The other one was her. Bella must be her name. Of course it would happen like this. Why would I think it would be any easier? Logic, I assured myself, logic. This woman-child did not have some magical hold on me. She was just like any other teenager.

"Finally!" Boomed Emmett, and those who were not already staring at the new arrivals to the school turned and stared.

"Sorry, left something in the car." I replied, sitting down at the only spare seat, the one beside Bella.

"Edward, this is Alice and Bella." Jasper motioned to the two girls sitting at the table. "Though you have already met Bells apparently." I frowned. What has she said?

"Hi Edward!" Sang Alice at me with a huge smile on her face. I managed a small smile back at her and she reached over to take my hand briefly. "We are so happy you are here." She was pretty adorable to be fair to Jasper and I could see how they would fit together.

"Thanks Alice." I threw her a genuine smile and then focused on Bella.

She refused to meet my eyes. Her head was bowed down, or looking at the others, but she would not look at me.

"Hi, I'm sorry that we didn't have the chance to meet properly in class earlier." I spoke softly towards her. "I'm Edward Cullen." I offered her my hand and when she took it slowly, as if she were worried it would break, we both took a sharp breath. She grabbed back her hand and stroked it like it had been burned whilst I buried mine deep into my hair.

It was a minute moment and nobody else paid any attention, but I knew we had both felt it. Her brow furrowed and she made some excuse to leave the table, picking up her things calmly, though I knew she was eager to sprint away. Sprint out of this room and to a place of quiet solitude to think over what just happened.

I knew this because it was what I wanted to do with the same intensity.

BPOV

What the hell just happened? It was like he was a plug socket and I just shoved my tongue into him. I winced. That was the wrong analogy, now all I felt like doing was literally shoving my tongue into him. I crashed through the doors into the girls toilets and locked one of the cubicles behind me, putting down the seat and sitting with my head in my hands.

That was crazy. It was just a little static shock, that's all. What else could it have been? It wasn't as if he had some sort of power over me, I didn't even know the guy.

I sat in the toilets for a good few minutes, thoughts crashing against each other in my head like waves upon a beach, lapping closer and closer to that frustrating memory just out of reach. Why did I feel like I knew Cullen?

The door opened to the toilets and two girls walked in, their heels clacking on the cold tile beneath them.

"You could totally tell he still wanted me." Of course it would be Lauren and I could hazard a guess at who the other one was.

"Oh, yeah, totally. His eyes said it all. Did you look into his eyes? They were beautiful." Jessica told Lauren. I rolled my eyes, what a sycophant.

"I'm going to ask him to La Push this weekend. Did you see who they were sitting with? I mean, he needs to make better friends. They both do." Lauren added bitchily and I stiffened.

"Yeah, Swan. It's bad enough that Jasper and Alice fell to that loser; we don't need to lose Edward and Emmett to her too. Bella is always after all the boys. Did you see her all over Mike?" Jessica couldn't hide the absolute malice in her voice and I gasped at the vitriol. That's when I realised my mistake. They had heard me.

"Is anyone in there?" One of them tried the door and found it locked. I would have to go out there, and they would know that I heard them. Quickly I yanked my IPod out and shoved the buds into my ears, cranking up the volume and stepping out of the cubicle. I smiled at them and washed my hands, leaving them gaping behind me.

The rest of the day passed at a depressingly slow place and it felt like forever until I was able to close my bedroom door and slide into bed, exhausted, immediately falling into a deep sleep.

My fingers raked through his hair, pulling his head up until his lips crushed into mine. I opened my eyes and looked deep into his emerald ones, darkened with lust and understanding. His arms encircled my body and my head rested against his chest, listening to his heart beat, soothing the frantic panic that was with me constantly.

Then he lay me on my back and ran his hands down my body, gently skimming my breasts and teasing my thighs. His lips covered my nipple and his hand pinched the other, making me shiver underneath his touch. He licked and sucked my neck, all the way down to the elastic of my underwear, his fingers inching ever closer to the spot I wanted him to be. Slowly he pushed under the material and pushed his fingers into the slick folds of me. He hesitated, looking up at me, awaiting permission to delve his fingers in further, to explore me fully. I moaned my assent and looked up past his eyes, running my fingers through his beautiful bronze hair.

Bronze Hair!