Disclaimer: Anna Kismet Stephenie Meyer. Got it?

Chapter 7—Edward P.o.V.

Edward suffered through his math, history, and biology classes with Mr. Carper, doing his best not to call him out on all his mistakes, both in his teaching and his assumptions on Deaf culture. When Mr. Carper finally dismissed him to go to Phys. Ed., the last class of the day, Edward was ready to burst. He made his way to the locker rooms and changed before making his way to the gym.

Edward knew that Phys. Ed. would be a difficult class for him, since he would not be able to hear any shouted directions, warnings, or corrections. However, Alice was supposed to be in the class and would stick around him to help him out if he needed it. Sometimes, Edward felt guilty about putting Alice in such a position. He hated to have to rely on her almost as much as he hated to use her. Suddenly he caught sight of the girls coming into the gym through another of the gym's doors. He immediately scanned the crowd for Alice and was happy to find her chatting with Bella. He walked over to them.

Hey, guys. Bella, it's nice to see you again.

You won't keep saying that after you see me in action, Bella replied, her face lighting up in amusement. Edward tipped his head to the side, confused, and so Bella developed on her answer. Let's just say…I'm not the most coordinated person.

Over Bella's shoulder, Edward saw Alice perk up and look behind him excitedly. Thinking that something important was happening behind him, Edward glanced back quickly. He rolled his eyes when he saw that it was just Jasper and turned back to Bella.

Sorry, I thought Alice had seen something important, he explained, excusing his having looked away during their conversation.

That's alright. Although, from what I've seen so far, Alice thinks Jasper is something important.

Well, is he? Edward asked, curious as to whom exactly his sister had taken an interest on.

He is one of the most important people in my world, Bella answered, her face entirely serious. Edward nodded, accepting this. He was willing to give Jasper the benefit of the doubt.

So, Bella, I'd been meaning to ask you—Edward's question was interrupted when Bella suddenly covered her ears, her face scrunching up in…pain? Edward looked around him and found many people in similar positions. He furred his eyebrows, wondering what had just happened.

Sorry, explained Bella once she had returned to normal, Coach Clapp just blew his whistle. It's a very…Bella seemed to be struggling to find the appropriate description, a very painful sound.

Edward nodded to show her that he understood.

We have to gather now, so that he can call roll and tell us what we're going to do today. Come along.

Edward followed Bella as she approached the large man. Coach Clapp eyed Edward warily, obviously not comfortable with having a deaf student. Edward tried to not let it get to him; he got that reaction often enough, yet it was still hard to shake it off when people were so obviously awkward about you.

Edward watched as Coach Clapp spoke, assuming from the tenseness of his neck, thickness of the veins on it, and the redness of his face that he was screaming. He watched in disgust as little pellets of spit escaped his mouth as he pronounced certain words. No matter how much he tried, Edward could not interpret any of Coach Clapp's words. He decided to wait resignedly for either Bella or Alice to interpret it over to him.

When Coach Clapp finished, two boys went to the center of the gym while the other students gathered in an excited and expectant clump.

We're playing soccer, Bella informed him, since Alice seemed busy with Jasper, Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley are choosing teams.

Oh, great, another event where I'll be the last picked.

I wouldn't be so sure, Bella said, amused, I'm usually the last chosen. Nobody wants me in their team.

Edward shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. Despite Bella's statement, she was the first person Mike picked. She looked very shocked while Mike looked rather smug. Edward's eyes quickly went to Tyler, amused to find jealousy and disappointment in them. Ah, he thought, so that's the way things are. Mike and Tyler both had a crush on Bella and were competing over her. He gazed at Bella, wondering idly if she was aware of this and if she returned either of the boys' affections. From the awkward way in which she held herself and the aloof expression on her face, he guessed not.

As he had predicted, all the students were picked at the end except for Alice and him. From the looks Mike and Tyler were sending Alice's way, he guessed the reason she had not been picked was because they did not know her name. He fought the urge to roll his eyes; he was supposed to be mingling with the other students. He watched as Bella walked up to Mike and told him something. He assumed she was telling him Alice's name. He was surprised when a radiant smile filled her face, and he doubted his previous assumption that Bella was indifferent to Mike. However, Bella's next actions surprised him.

Edward! Come on over!

Somewhat in shock, Edward walked up to her. She smiled widely at him.

This is Mike, she signed, turning to Mike and saying something to him. When Mike put his hand out for him to shake, Edward realized she was probably introducing him. While this happened, Tyler motioned for Alice to join his team. Much to her delight, Jasper was in his team. It seemed things were set for them to begin playing.

Since there's too many of us, some of us have to sit on the sidelines. We're playing soccer for two weeks, so we'll all have time to play, she grimaced at the last part, heading to the sidelines and sitting comfortably against the bleachers. Edward did the same. Much to their surprise, Alice was chosen to play that day. Edward suspected Jasper might have had something to do with that, particularly due to the smirk he sent towards the sidelines before pulling Alice to a centerfield position.

What are we supposed to do in the meantime? This seems awfully boring.

We're supposed to sit and watch in silence. Lucky for us, we can chat in silence, suddenly Bella did not look so sure of herself, that is, if you want to. If you want to watch the game, that's OK, too.

We can chat; I don't think it will be much of an interesting game. Besides, that way we get to learn more about each other. For example, where are you from? Has your family always been in Forks?

Bella looked shocked for a second before answering somewhat nervously. My dad has always lived here, but my mother's family is from Arizona. Phoenix, I believe. How about you? Where did you move from?

We moved from New Haven. My dad was teaching at Yale last year. Before that we were in Washington D.C., and in Alaska for a short time. That's where Alice and I were born. But our family's from Chicago. We move a lot.

Bella's eyes widened; Edward supposed that, in such a small town, people did not move about too much.

I've always wanted to go to Alaska. It sounds so pretty. I don't think I'd do very well with the wet and the cold, though. What's it like? Bella asked, her face bright and her signs hurried in her excitement.

To tell you the truth, I don't really know. I only lived there until I was three. I can tell you more about Washington, though.

Bella nodded eagerly, and Edward spent the rest of the class telling her stories about his childhood in the capital. Every once in a while, Bella would laugh, earning her a glare from Coach Clapp, but since they were, technically, not speaking, he could not do much else. The same could not be said for Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory, who got sent to run laps around the building when Coach Clapp had to tell them to stop talking on three different occasions.

Finally, Coach Clapp dismissed them to go get changed. Tyler's team won, and Alice's enthusiasm seemed to be rubbing off on Jasper, who had a large smile on his face. He walked over to help Bella up.

Hey, sorry we have to leave in such a hurry, but Rosalie will leave without us if we aren't at the car by the time she gets there. She has a date with Emmett tonight, explained Bella, looking very apologetic.

That's OK. We'll see you tomorrow! answered Alice, her smile still wide and in place. She then turned to Edward, let's go get changed and meet by the car, alright?

Edward agreed and headed to the locker rooms. By the time he was getting in, Jasper was already running out. His coat was hanging from his mouth while he jumped on one foot, trying to get the other into his giant boot. Edward got out of the way, laughing at the sight. He looked down the hall and saw Bella in a similar situation; she was trying to tie her hair up into a ponytail at the same time as she ran down the hall, her backpack resting on just one shoulder. When she was halfway down the hall she tripped over…over nothing, Edward realized in amusement, and fell. He rushed over to help her up.

Are you OK? Did you get hurt?

No, I'm OK. This happens often. I told you I wasn't the most coordinated person out there, didn't I?

Edward chuckled, holding her hand to pull her up. She finished tying up her hair and he held out her backpack to her. It was rather heavy and he wondered what she had in it. Smiling gratefully at him, Bella grabbed the bag, put it on, and, after waving goodbye one last time, ran towards the parking lot. Shaking his head in amusement, Edward finally got into the locker room and changed. By the time he got to the parking lot, Alice was leaning against his beloved Volvo, looking significantly annoyed.

How long does it take to get changed? Seriously?

Sorry. Bella tripped and fell on her way out, so I stopped to help her.

Alice's eyes softened as he unlocked the door and she threw her bag onto the back seat. She slid into her seat and turned to look at Edward, who'd just taken his seat as well. They had to finish their conversation before Edward started to drive, since he would not be able to keep the conversation going once he started the car.

She's really sweet, isn't she? I like her. Even if her taste is terrible. Did you see what she was wearing? Poor girl, I really do have to take her shopping. You'll see, this Saturday will do wonders for her.

Whatever you say, signed Edward amused before turning the key on the ignition and pulling out of his parking space and into the line of cars waiting to get out of the parking lot. In such a small town, there were no school buses, and so everybody drove to school, leading to traffic jams such as that every morning and every afternoon. After a few minutes, Edward was finally able to pull into the actual road. From there, the drive home went quickly, particularly with his disregard for the posted speed limits. Good thing that the Forks traffic enforcement had not set up cameras or radars to catch those who went over the speed limits or who skipped lights.

Once they were finally at home, Alice ran in to tell their mother about the wonderful day she'd had and the new friend she'd made. She really did look sure that she and Bella would be best friends soon. Edward wanted to ask where Jasper came into the picture, but did not want to make her too uncomfortable. He would save that for when he needed blackmailing material.

Oh, Edward is that true? This…Bella knows ASL?

Edward nodded at his mother, went over to kiss her on the cheek, and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table next to her. Esme, however, slapped his hand away.

That's there for decorative purposes! Go get something from the kitchen.

Edward did as Esme said, wondering why his mother was decorating the house with real fruit. If he did not eat it, it would go bad! He knew better than to fight with her over her decorative style, and so he went up the stairs to his room without a comeback. He dropped his bag on his bed and sat at his desk, pulling his laptop out of its case. He turned it on to check his email.

He had a message from one of his Deaf friends back in New Haven and one from his ex-girlfriend, Tanya. They had parted in friendly terms, simply because they did not think they could manage a long-distance relationship, and still emailed each other often. She asked him about his first day of school, making quite a few snide remarks about the hearing students. He wrote back, telling her about his horrible teacher and then about Bella and how she knew how to sign. He wondered for a second if she might think he was trying to make her jealous by telling her this, but when he thought about it he decided Tanya was too mature for that. Content with what he had written, he pressed the "send" button.

He did not have any homework except for his journal assignment, so he took out Alice's journal and opened it to the first page. Much to his surprise, he saw actual writing among the drawings. He had thought Alice had ignored the teacher's directions entirely. He set to reading it. Most of it was Alice's regular gushing about fashion, parties, music, and boys. However, he found a paragraph that surprised him.

"It is quite likely that I'm the person I am today because of my brother, Edward. He is Deaf, but he does not let that affect him. Watching him, knowing that he does not make a big deal out of being different from everybody else, has made me realize that, in fact, he is not different at all. It has made me see that no matter how I perceive a person, or how I think about them, there are hidden depths to them that make them good, even if it's deep down. This knowledge lets me face the world with a smile on my face every day. Thanks to Edward, I am a better person. But, Bella, don't tell him that!"

Edward allowed himself to laugh at the last line. Alice had truly been expecting to give her journal to Bella. She would probably not have written that if she knew he was going to read it. He allowed himself to think about what he had just learned. He had never known that Alice felt that way. It was flattering to know that Alice thought of him like that, but he could not help but doubt the truth of what she had written. He did not see himself as such a good person, and he most definitely let his deafness affect him. He got moody sometimes, frustrated, and very angry. He resented his whole family, sometimes, for being able to hear while he could not. He never voiced these feelings, but that did not mean he did not feel them.

Forcing himself to think about Alice and her journal entry again, Edward turned to the next page and began sketching, trying to think of something that was purely Alice. Once he found something, he began to draw in earnest. He was finished by dinner time.

Esme had made mushroom ravioli, his favorite, in honor of their first day of school. Their father, Carlisle, was back from the hospital and so they sat down to eat. The food was delicious, as always (Esme made delicious Italian food), and the conversation was entertaining. It mainly centered about Bella, since Alice had so many classes with her. Carlisle and Esme smiled at their daughter's excitement. When Edward also joined in, adding certain remarks about the clumsy girl here and there, their smiles widened. They had felt guilty about moving somewhere where Edward might feel isolated, but obviously they had done the right thing.

You said that she's sleeping over on Saturday? I better make something good for dinner then. Can you find out what she likes? Esme asked, a thoughtful look on her face. Alice agreed instantly, excited that her parents had taken a liking to her newest friend without having even met her.

So, Edward, Carlisle asked once the Bella conversation was over, how were your classes? Is your teacher nice?

Edward groaned, hitting his head against the table. Esme looked shocked, but Carlisle and Alice laughed. When Edward began to tell them about Mr. Carper, they stared at him in disbelief. Esme could hardly believe that everything Edward was saying was true, but Edward reminded her that she would see for herself in a week, during the Back to School Night, when the parents would go in to meet with their children's teachers. He could hardly wait to hear her reaction to him at dinner that night.

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Questions & Comments:

Bitemeplease235—actually, I'm not Deaf and I don't really have any experience with anyone who is…I've just done a lot of research before writing this story (still am!), and then, of course, the wonderful BroadwayBound96 is helping me with the more personal aspects of living in a Deaf family.

eek-cullen-eek—Deaf etiquette is very much real! Everything I write about Deaf culture is from the real world; I have a pile of Deaf Culture books on my desk, for quick reference when in doubt! Deaf culture is very different from hearing culture, and so they have their own traditions and customs.

DAE MRS CULLEN—oh, your comments would not bother me or waste my time at all! I enjoy getting reviews, they help me better my writing, and they help you guys get a story more suited to your taste. Just look at the reply to Hannajamesnivek's review! Trust me, if you have something to say, I'd love to hear it. Even if you don't review, however, thanks for reading!

Hannajamesnivek—I actually agree whole-heartedly with your Stephenie-bashing! And your problems with Bella. I promise Bella develops a backbone later on in the story. I also loved Midnight Sun, it was much better than the actual Twilight book. I really hope Stephenie Meyer decides to continue it...Now, to address your actual review (xD). As I said, Bella will become more of a real character as we go on. I want her to go in different directions, but I also know that if I just introduced a Bella that was very distinct from the original I might start to write all of my characters OOC, and then things such as Alice would not happen. Speaking of her, I'm glad you like her! Don't worry, there will be plenty of her to come. We'll have a meet-the-Cullens chapter soon. And, of course, her friendship with Bella (and, by extension, with Jasper) still has to be developed. I'm glad you like my Jasper-Bella scene! I think the two of them make rather awesome friends, but nothing more. I was worried people might get the wrong impression from the last chapter...Hopefully, nobody did. As to the flashback, I had not considered it, but now that you say it it really does sound like a cool scene to write. I think I will work it in there somewhere. Maybe during a Journal assignment? I don't know, we'll see. And, last of all, (oh, wow, I'm afraid this reply might be longer than the actual chapter!), I was actually going to start drifting away from the double-scene chapters, I was just doing it for now to show how the friendship develops on both sides. I hate stories where all of a sudden two people become friends entirely out of the blue; I wanted you to see where they were coming from. As the story goes on, each character will focus on the things that are most important to them. Well, I'll wrap it up now...Thanks so much for your thorough review and encouragement! I hope you will keep making such honest comments for the duration of my story.

Special thanks to:

BroadwayBound96—boohoo, no review this time around? I'm feeling hurt. =]