Disclaimer: All these characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

The halls of school started to fill up with familiar faces. I pulled my folded schedule out of my bag and looked it over one more time. I only had three classes with Edward this year since he was in the more advanced ones. The boy was just naturally brilliant where as I had to work hard for good grades. AP literature, lunch, and gym were the three classes that I would see him in.

Edward, Alice and I went our separate ways to our different classes when the five minute bell rang. My first class was chemistry so I made my way to the basement of the school where the room was located. The class went by fast, as did my next three which were history, calculus, english composition, and then finally lunch. Needless to say my mornings were going to be a boring affair until the afternoon when I had lunch then AP literature with Edward right after. As I made my way around the corner to put my books in my locker, I saw Edward leaning on the locker next to mine with his hands in his pockets.

"How's your day going so far Ms. Swan?" He asked while flashing me his crooked grin.

"Ehh it is alright, pretty uneventful, how about yourself Mr. Cullen?" I said as I opened my locker and put my books away. I took out my books for my next three classes and then turned to start walking to lunch. Edward took my books from me as we started to walk to the lunch room so that I didn't have to carry anything. I looked at him surprised for a second forgetting that last year he did the same thing. As we walked down the hallways I saw the faces of new freshman girls blushing and whispering when Edward walked by. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

Edward looked over at me surprised. "What's so funny?"

"Just noticing the effect you are having on the female population that's all." I replied, smiling back at him.

"Your absurd." Was all he replied with a chuckle.

Of course he was oblivious to his looks and effect on people. Those girls however just saw him as a delicious looking piece of meat, they didn't know what he was really like. I knew, and that just made him even better. All his likes and dislikes, his facial expressions, his thoughts on things. The way his eyebrows pulled together and gave him a little crease in-between them when he was concentrating or trying to solve something, or the way his eyes looked in the morning when he first woke up, all soft hazy with a sleepy glaze still hanging in them. All these things I knew and loved about him. My stream of thought was interrupted when I saw Alice flagging us down from across the cafeteria where she was sitting alone at a table by the window. I took the seat next to Alice and Edward went up to get both of us some food.

"So how is your first day going Alice?" I asked.

She gave me her usual bright smile. "It's good, I love all my classes and I have pretty good people in them. I have psychology with you and Angela so that should be fun."

I nodded in agreement and then heard roars of laughter coming from the door of the cafeteria. Emmett's large muscle build was shaking with laughter as the rest of the guys around him joined in. Most of the other boys were on the football team with him and Emmett was well liked and respected by all. He looked over at Alice and I and waved over at us before turning to the other guys to bid them ado. The one boy next to him with short dirty blond hair and a medium build flashed his eyes over to meet my gaze. I was shocked that he held it and then even more shocked when he gave me a devilish grin. He was an attractive boy to say the least but he was no Edward. I quickly looked down at the table, not use to that kind of attention. If anything he was just being friendly.

Alice seemed to notice however. "James gave you a nice smile there." I looked up at her and saw her teasing eyes.

I just shrugged at her, letting her know I didn't really care. "Yeah weird, he was probably just being friendly because I'm Emmett's friend."

Just then the chair next to me pulled back. "Who's being friendly?" asked a velvety voice to my right. I shot Alice a warning glare knowing that Edward would tease too if she said anything.

"We were just talking about how everyone is very friendly this year that's all."

Emmett pulled a chair back to sit in then and Edward let the topic drop. Even though Emmett had many friends and could sit with anyone in the cafeteria, he always ate with us.

"Edward, coach is on my case again to try and get you onto the team, ever since you showed off your running abilities in gym class last year I haven't heard the end of it." Emmett said with a frustrated look on his face.

Edward chuckled. "Just tell him that I said no thanks again and I am not changing my mind. I don't do sports." He shrugged and took a bite of his pizza.

Emmett looked on in bewilderment. "What does that even mean?"

"I just like my free time that's all, not being tied down with all that stuff." Edward replied looking over at me with a smile. Today we were going to watch our annual start of the school year movie. It was a tradition that we watch a scary movie every Monday after school to look forward to something at the end of the day. We both were suckers for a good gore fest.

The rest of the period we talked and laughed with each other until the bell rang and we started to walk to our next class. I noticed the boy James glance at me again as I passed by him with Edward. I had been in school for the past three years with him and he had never looked at me or I at him so it was definitely a strange occurrence.

When the day was finally over, Edward drove Alice and I home. Charlie didn't get home till around dinner time so Edward and I had the house to ourselves to watch a movie. It didn't matter to Charlie if I was alone with Edward however because he saw him like son and as a brother to me. He even use to let Edward sleepover until high school started and then he told me he didn't think it was appropriate anymore. Obviously he was still oblivious to the fact that Edward had been sleeping on my floor for the past twelve years every night.

I put in one of our favorite gory movies and sat on the couch. Edward sat on the floor with his back in-between my legs. I put my fingers in his hair and ran them through, gently messaging his head. He told me once that he loved when I did that because it relaxed him and I reveled in the thought that he liked it when I touched him. Sometimes he would even roll the sleeve of his shirt up so that I could run my fingertips up and down his arm. I had been doing that for years now and he didn't even have to ask me anymore. It was just an instinct now to touch him. We watched the movie now and laughed together during the over done gruesome parts that didn't seem real.

Afterward we did our homework together and he helped me with mine. I was busy doing my math when his velvety voice cut through the air.

"Bella…" I looked up and he was looking down at his homework while he spoke. "Do you know Victoria Chambers?"

I thought for a second about the name and then remembered who she was. She was in our grade but I had never really talked to her. She didn't seem like a bad person however.

"Umm yea I know of her." I said still looking at him, suddenly curious about why he was asking me about a girl.

"Do you like her?" he asked now looking up to meet my eyes.

"I've never really talked to her so I don't really know her." I watched as he just nodded at my response and continued on with his homework.

"Why do you ask?"

He answered without looking up from his work. "I just have her in a few of my classes and she just seems nice that's all." I was still curious and would definitely keep my eye out for her the next day in school. She had to be significant if he had mentioned her but I was probably overreacting and he had just made a new friend. Edward stayed over for dinner and goofed around with Charlie about their two favorite baseball teams that were facing each other tonight. Edward helped me clean up and went home soon after. I took a shower and got ready for bed. That night when I was laying in bed with Edward laying on my floor, he brought up another strange thing.

"Bella you still up?" he whispered into the night.

"Yeah" I replied looking up at my dark ceiling. There was silence then for the next few minutes until he spoke again.

"You know how important you are to me don't you."

My throat closed and my heartbeat sped up. Was he trying to tell me that he felt the same. Please tell me he feels the same.

"You're important to me too Edward." I whispered. Also I am in love with you. I kept that thought to myself hoping that he would admit it first. In my wildest dreams he would confess his love to me too. I never thought that would ever happen however, hence in my wildest dreams, but maybe I had just a pinch of luck. I held my breath waiting for him to continue.

"Well your opinion matters more to me than anyone else and you know me better than anyone else. So lets make a deal…. If one of us dates someone we should let the other know if they are good enough for us, that they approve…. because…..because I don't ever want us to have something like that tear us apart."

The room was silent as he waited for me to answer him. I was confused about what he had just asked me. Here I was hoping that he would tell me he loved me but it seemed to go the opposite direction. Was he dating someone? No that couldn't be possible because he would have told me. We tell each other everything. He seemed however to be trying to get around something.

"Bella?" His voice called out nervously. I hadn't answered him yet I just remembered.

"Yes Edward, that sounds good…." Those were our last words before I rolled over and fell asleep contemplating the strange conversation we just had.

Soon two months of school flew by and everything was the same like it always was. Edward never brought up Victoria or our strange conversation again. I had seen her from a distance in school, since I now had an interest in her after Edward had brought her up. Everything Edward did or said interested me and now she fell into that category. I was disappointed to discover however that she was strikingly pretty. Her beautiful thick red curly hair complemented her clear white skin and blue eyes. She was someone who wouldn't look out of place on Edward's arm..... like I would. It dampened my spirits but I didn't bring myself down too much because he didn't bring her up again. The James boy would now smile at me whenever we would see each other in the school. I happened to have gym class with him but Edward and Emmett were always by me so he never approached.

I was walking to my locker one Friday afternoon right before lunch when I saw in horror Victoria leaning against my locker. Edward was leaning in and talking to her. I stopped in my tracks and the person behind me ran into my back causing me to drop my books and papers to the floor. My face was bright red in embarrassment when I saw two silky white hands helping to clean up my stuff. I turned my head up to see Victoria helping me pick up my books. I stood up slowly and took them from her.

"Are you alright Bella?" Edward asked nervously by my side. I just nodded in response without having any words to say.

"Hey Bella I'm Victoria, I don't think we ever really officially met each other." She said with a smile on her face.

I just smiled back and didn't say anything. What could I say? She then turned her gaze back to Edward.

"Alright I have to go to class, I'll see you in physics Edward. I'll save you a seat in the back so you don't have to suffer in the front." She laughed.

"Thanks Vick, I already took one shower today, don't need another." They both laughed at this and then she walked away.

I stood there frozen like an idiot. Did he call her Vick? They seemed to already have inside jokes with each other as well. Suddenly I felt Edwards gaze on me and looked up at him to see his concentrated face staring back at me. He looked like he was trying to read my thoughts. I gave he a weak smile and then walked to me locker and put my books away. He followed me to lunch but I didn't say much. Alice however picked up on my mood right away and asked what was the matter in front of Edward.

"Nothing I'm just having an off day, a lot of work I have to do for my classes…" I wasn't a very good liar but they both seemed to buy it. Edward had to leave lunch early to go to an honor society meeting. He looked at me hesitantly before leaving as if he wanted to say something but then turned and walked away.

Emmett then sat down and looked at me from across the table with that familiar teasing face that mirrored his sisters. Oh no. I groaned internally. When Emmett had that face on, it meant he was up to no good.

"So Bella guess who asked about you before practice the other day?" He waggled his eyes brows twice with a mischievous grin on his face.

"I have no idea Emmett, just get to the point." I wasn't in the mood for games and still was in a grumpy mood.

"James Woodsland." He replied with a smirk. Before I could reply I was interrupted by Alice who was screaming and bouncing up and down in her chair the second she heard the name.

"Oh my god Bella!! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. He is always smiling at you. What did he say Emmett?!!"

Emmett rolled his eyes at he sisters reaction. "Geez sis calm down. He just wanted to know if Bella was a cool girl… which I told him she was kickass" He winked at me to show me he had my back. "and….. he wanted to know if Bella and Edward were dating each other."

I didn't care for this James boy really but I did find it strange that he would have thought that Edward and I were dating. I wish… "What did you say to that?" I now asked.

"I just told him the truth that you guys weren't like that with each other, just best friends." Emmett shrugged and then went back to his food.

I just went back to eating my food silently and looked up to see Alice's face looking at me. She was about to say something but I mouthed the words "later" to her since I didn't want to discuss anything in front of Emmett.

After school Edward drove me home. I was quiet the whole way and looked out the window to avoid his eyes. When we got to my house he followed me inside. As I approached the living room he finally spoke.

"Bella…are you mad at me or something?" My back was still turned to him as a spoke.

"No I'm just having an off day that's all." I started to feel bad then about giving him the cold shoulder. It really wasn't his fault that that he made a new friend who happened to be a girl. She was nice enough and I was sure I would like her too if I gave her the chance. I turned around now and gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry I'm acting weird."

He looked at me with a blank stare but then his crooked grin emerged. He had a mischievous glimmer in his eyes and I started backing up knowing what I was in store for.

Before I new what was happening he took three strides over to me and flung me over his shoulder and started to carry me towards the couch. I laughed and squirmed trying to get down and he tossed me gently onto the couch. "Are you in a better mood now?" he asked.

"Ehh… a little better." I replied with a smile. He looked down at me with his beautiful crooked smile.

"You really shouldn't have said that, you leave me no choice…" Soon he jumped on me and started to tickle me until I could no longer take it. We were both out of breath from laughing and wrestling when I noticed that he was laying on top of me now with both hands on either side of my head. His face was just above mine looking down at me. I felt his chest moving in and out against mine. We looked at each other with just the sound of our breathing in the background. He moved one of his hands to brush a piece of hair behind my ear and it felt like a tingling jolt of electricity the second his fingertips touched my skin. I had the sudden urge to kiss him but knew that if he rejected my kiss I wouldn't be able to stand it. I bit my lip then as I usually do when I am nervous and his green eyes flashed down to focus on my lip. Suddenly he jumped off of me and started to head towards the kitchen.

"I'm hungry, do you want anything?" He called without even turning around.

Disappointment and rejection filled my mind as I lay there still unable to move since my body was still shocked at how close I was to him. Why did I even let myself think that he wanted to kiss me? I slowly got up and made my way into the kitchen where he was eating a bowl of cereal. I poured myself a bowl and sat down next to him.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" I asked trying to be casual and shake off the awkwardness.

He looked at me with some regret in his eyes. "Actually I have some things to do tonight, but tomorrow night we can go see that new movie that you wanted to see." What did he have to do tonight I wondered. We did occasionally go off on our own but usually on the weekends Edward was an constant presence at my house or I at his.

"Oh ok…I think I'm going to start reading our first book for AP literature anyway." I tried to sound nonchalant.

He laughed his sweet musical laugh that made my heart melt. "You know you have already read that book at least three times."

"I know but I love that book and want it to be fresh in my mind." I stuck my tongue out at him.

He shook his head at me playfully and added. "That's why I love ya."

If only you loved me like I loved you… I thought.