Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

THREE

(BPOV)

"Ah!" I startled taking a step back from the tiny porcelain skinned girl with short black oddly cut hair which was mostly covered by a white coif (peasant hat). She giggled again and waved. She had a faded brown slightly tinted red dress on which fell loosely and stopped bellow her knees.

"Hi I'm Alice!" She did a low curtsy, never leaving my eyes. I have to be honest, I was a bit shocked. Some strange, though friendly, girl jumps out from behind the trees and decides to curtsy to me?

Despite the oddness of it all, I found my knees bending as I made my own rickety curtsy. "Um, hi?" I said a little unsure of how to react. As my back straightened up I continued, "I'm Isabella."

She giggled again, though I didn't know what was so funny, did I have something on my face? Instinctively I touched my face, trying to act casual as I checked in vain.

"Isabella?" I nodded my head as she pounced to my side and hooked her arm through mine, "Can I call you Bella?" I nodded my head, unsure of what I should do. "Well Bella, what brings you to walk this fine street?" She asked in a piper voice as she urged me forward.

I watched as her little head bobbed with every skip she made as I awkwardly walked forward. "Um, well I'm getting chocolates for my sister—"

"Mmm! I love chocolates! Mind if I join you?" She questioned as her big blue eyes stared up at me with excitement. How was I supposed to say no to that?

"N-not at all," I replied awkwardly.

She was an odd girl to say the least.

As we continued to walk, we made light conversation, mostly her asking about my life, what I did? Who did I have in my family? Where we moved from?

Whenever I tried to ask her something about herself she would just wave her hand as if swatting the question away. So I learned to just stay quiet until asked something.

We must have been close to the town for we'd been walking for awhile and I could hear the sound of trotting horses and yelling people getting closer.

The streets were packed, filled with horses and carriages, gossiping people, running children and loud merchants. Alice weaved her way through the streets expertly as my eyes wandered to every single detail of the town.

Alice leaned near me as she mumbled, "Look at that lady's dress, it's hideous." She pointed to a lady in a bright orange and bright red dress which had three main ruffles and the over flaps pulled to the back for the ultimate big booty. I chuckled, I wasn't one for fashion, but even I could color match.

"Aw, here we are!" Alice exclaimed as we came up to a door which had a sign above it which read simply, Chocolates. I ordered as much as my money could get which wasn't too much since I didn't start out with a lot anyways.

Alice decided to take me site seeing around the town as I took out a box of chocolates and began to share them with Alice. I was really beginning to enjoy her company, even though she did talk nonstop. Her happy energy was contagious and it felt good to giggle and laugh at things that wouldn't seem funny at all if it weren't for her.

It seemed her favorite thing to do was insult other peoples outfit choices. I thought this rather hypocritical, seeing as she didn't have much on her to compare. But I laughed along, not caring in the least of hers or other people's outfits.

We sat on a little bench in front of a shop, talking and people watching while stuffing our faces with chocolates.

"So anyways, I told him no and to get lost!" Alice exclaimed loudly while I let out a few giggles from the outrageous stares she received. I really was quit fascinated to how she didn't care at all of what the others might think of her, even envious as I dipped my head in an attempt to not be recognized.

We sat in silence for a little as we both took out another chocolate. I looked out into the crowd and caught a glimpse of copper hair walking. I gasped as Alice quickly question, "WHAT?!" She seemed more excited than anything.

"Um, h-hold on, I'll be right back," I stuttered out, but before she could reply, I was sprinting into the sea of moving people. Where did he go? I pushed myself onto my tippy toes for better leverage. There he was!

I squeezed myself between the heavy bodies earning some grumbles and scandalous gasps. "Wait," I said more to myself as the hair began to disappear. It began to drift to the side and was soon completely gone. One last push and I made it out of the moving crowd and came in contact with the outskirts of the forest. Had he gone in?

"Bella? Bella!" Alice screamed from in the crowd as she ducked under the arms and made it out, bags in hand. "What are you doing?" She questioned, slightly out of breath, as she peeked into the forest, wearing a worried expression.

I gulped down, only then becoming ashamed of my behavior. "Oh, um I thought I saw… my brother," I struggled out, unconvincingly.

She appraised me for a second, her eyebrow raised and a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Oh? The Jasper guy?" She questioned amused, remembering my explanation of him, which I had to admit she seemed rather intrigued by.

"Yeah, him, but it wasn't," I said tugging down on one of the ruffles of my dress as I scuffed my new boot on the dirt.

She wrinkled her nose, just staring at me, waiting for me to make the first move. "Well guess we should go then?" I tried for enthusiasm. There was a growing weight of disappointment in my chest.

As we walked back to the road to take us home, Alice jabbered on, easily forgetting about my certain shameful moment. When we got to the stop where Alice had appeared she wheeled around taking me with her to a complete stop.

"Well, see you soon?!" She asked excited.

"I don't know; when would we?" I asked curious to get a little more information on her.

She smiled brighter then sang, "Oh, I'll be around!" And with that she took off down the road in a skip, the way we'd come. I began to walk, slowly at first then picked up my pace.

I glanced back again, down the road, but it was like Alice had disappeared.

As I walked down the road, my mind slightly boggled from the recent events, I tried to think of what I'd do later to escape my mother. Maybe I'd take another visit to the forest.

-

(EPOV)

There she was again, sitting by the water, her off white dress flowing away from her body, resting on the ground, as her arm moved across the surface of the water. The sun in the background shined like a halo around her perfect body.

I felt like a shadow, sitting in the bushes at her wake, again. There was a lure attached to this girl, one that I had been caught by, I couldn't get away. Maybe it was because she was so beautiful. Maybe it was because she seemed so different. The whole idea that she was out here all by herself was different by itself. I wondered why she came out so much.

I'd only gotten caught by her twice, not including the first time, since that one I happened to just stumble upon her when waking up.

So many times I'd just wanted to jump out and ask her what her name was. What she was doing out here. If she wouldn't mind company…

Slowly and steadily I leveled myself off the ground. I quickly took a few quiet steps back so that it would seem like I had just come by. Then, after I'd taken a few deep breaths, I took a step, breaking the sticks; time to own up to my presence.

(BPOV)

I was back at the lake sitting at the edge and running my hand through the soft ripples. I didn't know why I kept coming back. It wasn't like I was going to see him, and even if I did, he'd just run away.

I didn't know the reason behind the tug that lured me to him, why he was so special, when all he'd done was catch me in my less than noble time, slightly deranged even. Yet still there I sat, hoping that I could get at least one more glimpse of his perfect figure, his masculine stance.

A stick broke.

I caught the gasp that was rising in my throat, slightly choking at the suddenness I cut it off. Instead, I slowly turned around.

There he was. But unlike the other times, he was not retreating back into the surrounding forest.

When I got over the shock that he was staying where he stood, I was able to fully take in his image to memory, properly.

Just as I had thought, he was dazzling. Tall and toned with disordered copper hair that suited his prominent bone structure and light skin all too well. His face held a timid friendly expression as he inched his way closer, closer and closer.

My mouth was too far open, my throat too caught and my mind too far gone, to even utter a sound of welcome.

His hand raised in an unsure manner as he curled his fingers in as a greeting. My mind cleared immediately as a gust of wind flew towards my direction, carrying his engagingly deep voice. "Hello?"

My hunched shoulders slowly straightened up as if preparing me to speak to the supernatural being in front of me. "Hello." My voice came out surprisingly steady.

He took a few timid steps forward, I kept completely still. "Mind if I join you?" He asked, gesturing to the spot beside me. My eyes retreated to the spot as I nodded my head. He walked over then sat down. "I'm Edward, Edward Cullen"

It was silent for a moment as I just watched him situate himself next to me. I didn't really understand what I was doing, letting some stranger sit next to me in a secluded forest. But somehow he didn't seem so foreign. Like I somehow just knew he wouldn't do anything bad.

Finally I replied, skipping the whole 'I'm Isabella, but you can call me Bella' ordeal. "I'm Bella."

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