Disclaimer: All belongs to SM except plot and unrecognised characters.

You're probably all thinking something along the lines of 'well finally!' and I don't blame you. It's like 7 days late! I'm so sorry! I got sick and couldn't write for a few days. I've done bits when i've felt up to it, but it's taken a lot longer than usual. Anyway here's the next chap, hope you like it!

DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!

Okay this is totally random but no matter. I listened to all these songs as I wrote this chap. They're pretty class. I think so anyway.

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'The lady doth protest too much, methinks!'

Hamlet, William Shakespeare.

(Kinda applies to the chap, if you think about it too much, and if you don't, it's just purely random.)

BPOV

By the end of the week I couldn't wait for volunteer work at the hospital. Teenage hormones were driving me up the wall. Boys wouldn't leave me alone and girls constantly draped themselves over Edward. If I didn't have to go to school so I could go to college and get a medical degree, I wouldn't even think about going back to school on Monday. Edward seemed to feel similarly.

Since we were posing as freshmen in high school, the only thing we were allowed to do in the hospital was observe. I was awed at the progress technology had made over the years and it never ceased to amaze me how they used this progress to save lives. As the doctors did their jobs, they were kind enough to explain what they were doing. After all, as far as they knew, the only reason we were here was to learn and gain experience.

I was so enraptured by the technology and medicine that I didn't notice as Edward's eyes began to slowly darken. He was sub-consciously lowering into a crouch, ready to attack. Flowing blood and open wounds! What had I been thinking?! He was still a newborn after all. Jack and Sarah had told me that I had an awful lot more willpower than most as a newborn, although even I had been tempted. I had seen the same quality in Edward, but over the years I had become so desensitized to the scent of blood, that I had taken for granted that Edward would be too.

'Excuse us Doctor Smith,' I interrupted the doctor as he was finishing a particularly delicate suture. 'Edward here is feeling slightly poorly, I think I shall take him outside to catch a breath of fresh air.' He waved me off and nodded his consent. I dragged Edward outside and slapped his face hard to get his attention. His eyes immediately lightened and he looked down at me and exclaimed, 'Hey, what was that for?'

'Edward, I thought you had your bloodlust under control. That was way too close!'

'I do Bella, in school everything is fine. The urge is just a dull ache, a slight burn in the back of my throat. But I don't think that I should work in the hospital, at least not for a while. With open wounds and flowing blood, the temptation increases. It's not irresistible, but not worth risking people's lives. I should have said something straight away, I know. But I thought that you would think me weak for it. I'm sorry.' He looked down at his feet in shame and sighed. Poor Edward. He had been carrying around this burden that made him feel weak, and then I gave out to him! I was ashamed of myself. Just look at his face! 'Edward, I'm so proud of you. You're doing so well. But I want you to know something, struggling with your bloodlust does not make you weak, okay? Most newborns have absolutely no control and most vampires feed on humans without a second thought. But you don't. You feed on animals instead, because human life is precious. You fight that temptation every day. You don't even get to sleep to get away from it. You are not weak, do you hear me?' I looked up into his still reddish eyes (a/n: newborn) as I said this. Then I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hopefully comforting squeeze. It must have worked since he squeezed back and when he pulled away he had a big smile on his face. 'Now you go home and start learning to play that piano like you told me you wanted to, you hear me? I'll be home soon, okay?' I said and pushed him towards the direction of home. 'Okay', he replied and started off in the right direction.

Well, that's one crisis averted at least, I thought to myself. Then I went back inside the hospital to learn more about the way in which modern medicine was used to save lives.

Monday. Again. One word, why? Why, oh why? Why must I suffer hormonal mortals? Although I must say that Edward has it much worse. He has to hear what they're thinking, watch their lascivious fantasies as they play out in their minds. Judging by the expression that never leaves Edward's face whilst in school, cringe-worthy doesn't even begin to describe some of their thoughts.

It was lunchtime when it happened. Edward and I were sitting in the lunchroom picking at our uneaten lunches, in an attempt to look human. We were discussing music and literature at vampire speed as we observed the student body. I was the first to see them approach us. Oh, no. I inwardly groaned. It was Clare and Robert. This was extremely annoying seeing as how these two were the most persistent of our admirers. Edward noticed them and grimaced. Whether it was at their thoughts our just the mere sight of them, it was hard to say.

They continued toward us and sat down at our table as if they owned the place. Clare sent a glare my way and I simply raised an eyebrow in reply. Robert merely sat there staring at me and salivating. Disgusting pig. 'Hello Clare, Robert,' I said. 'What brings you to see Edward and me on this fine day?' Please say you've come to tell us that you've found true love in one another and that you're going to leave the two of us alone! Please, please, please! 'Well Isabella,' she replied in a sickeningly sweet tone of voice. Oh, how I detested my full name, and she knew it too. 'Robert and I have been talking.' Not good. Not good. 'And we've come to a realisation. You and Edward say that you are dating and that you're completely in love, etc, etc. And you reject our advances. Some would think that you weren't interested in us.' Is this really happening? Have this girl and boy really bought our charade and decided to stop deluding themselves into thinking that Edward or I would really give them the time of day. Must not get my hopes up. It could be a trap. 'But we're smarter. We know that you're just playing hard to get.' Then she turned to Edward and continued. 'Edward, I know that it's very intimidating starting at a new school and having such a beautiful girl as myself show an interest in you. But you could do soooo much better! Dump this freak and you can have me.' The audacity of this girl! Really!

Edward tapped his chin and pretended to consider her offer; at least I think he was pretending. He finally spoke. 'That's a very generous offer, Clare.' She smirked in victory. 'But you're wrong, I couldn't do better. So I must decline. So sorry.' He said, not sounding at all sorry. Hah, nice one Edward. I took his hand in mine and squeezed as I smiled up at him. I hadn't really noticed how tall he was before. And his eyes were gradually becoming more golden. I was snapped out of my thoughts as Clare suddenly began speaking again, this time with much more venom in her tone.

'Ugh! You two make me sick. I bet you're not even going out. You don't even kiss or anything. Edward probably just pities you, you're pathetic!' For some reason, that comment stung. She was right, we weren't together. Not for the reason she said, but same result. But why does that bother me so? Idiotic human hormones resurfacing apparently. Suddenly, I felt a pressure on my lips. It was Edward! My lips began to move against his of their own accord. My hands went to his hair by themselves as-well. It was minutes later when we resurfaced. I was pretty sure that I'd felt his tongue. His hands had somehow made their way to my waist. What in god's name was that for? That kiss had sent my un-beating heart aflutter. Butterflies whizzing around my stomach. 'Do you believe us now?' Edward's voice broke through the fog that now engulfed my brain. I came out of my reverie to see Clare's and Robert's shocked faces. Oh, so that's why! Why did that realisation fill me with so much disappointment? Clare just huffed and stomped away. Robert shuffled away looking dejected. Which left us sitting there with the entire lunchroom staring at us with their jaws hanging open. Edward simply turned back to his unappetizing lunch looking nonchalant.

I turned to him to demand an explanation. I was about to begin when he interrupted me. 'The reason I kissed you was that nobody believed we were really together. Like Clare said, all we ever do is hold hands or I put my arm around your waist. They won't believe us if we don't even kiss.'

'Okay. Um, what are they thinking now?' His answer seemed logical. Why did that kiss send such chills through me though? Was it because it was my first? Yeah, that must be it. (A/n: poor delusional, gullible, naïve Bella) 'Well, it mainly goes along the lines of 'wow, the prudes Bella and Edward are actually doing something for once', or something to that effect.' He grinned.

'Nice of them', I said sarcastically.

The next few years that we spent in Portland were quite uneventful. We went through the years of High school. As the other students got older, they became more enraptured by our beauty. Clare and Robert never really gave up on their quest for our affections. Others joined them, but of course Edward and I were still pretending to be together and had been for four years as far as they knew. I kept up my volunteer work at the hospital and got more experience as the years went by. Medicine still awed me, as it was ever changing with new experiences. While I helped out at the hospital, Edward played the piano and composed music. He never really returned to the hospital the next day. Medicine still interested him, but he didn't want to take any chances.

We were headed to college, where Edward would study music and I would study medicine. I was extremely excited, even though Edward told me that it would probably be the first of many times, and it would most likely become tedious. He was probably right, but I was still excited. Though after college I was anxious to travel a bit before going back to school again. Maybe settle somewhere remote where there was plenty of large animals to satiate the thirst. We still hadn't figure out why Edward couldn't read my mind, maybe a shield of some sort? It didn't really matter to be honest. His gift had come in extremely handy. It had gotten us large amounts of money which allowed us to purchase our own house.

'Is everything in the car, Edward?' I asked.

'Yes Bella, now can we please go?' I nodded in ascent. We had a long drive to reach Yale.

Hope you liked the chap!

Now, I just know that I'm gonna get reviews telling me that the kiss happened too soon, I thought they weren't gonna fall in love yet etc etc. I just want to clear something up. He did it to prove they were together to Clare. He may have wanted to do it too. But it won't lead to much of anything yet, okay. I'm ashamed to say that Clare's character is based off people I actually know (shudders). There's a bit of Jessica in there as-well of course. Review! 20 reviews and I shall update. To keep you going I shall give you a tiny spoiler. Carlisle and esme, college, Denali coven, Tanyabitch, Edward and bella, jealously and more hormonal teenagers! What shall happen? Especially when Tanya comes into the picture and takes an interest in Edward. What if Edward seems to feel similarly? What about bella? You'll have to wait and see! Mwahahahhahahahahhahahah!: L

Xxxx

Kate