Hey again! Ok, so I finally figured out how to read my reviews (don't laugh at me) after A LOT of searching =} But anyways, you guys were really excited so I just couldn't wait any longer to update.

*****IMPORTANT: However, I have to warn you guys that the updates are going to start slowing down because I need time to write more chapters and my spring break is only one week long (ugh) and school is gonna start up again, followed by a crap-load of homework for me. So I will definitely update one weekends, but not so much during the week =(

And please don't stop reviewing and reading because those will only get me to write and update faster. And don't be afraid to tell me if there is something that you don't like in my story, no matter how small, because there are some things that even I don't like in my story, but sometimes I've just got to suck it up and update for you guys.

Anyway, here's the next chapter:

Previously-

"That's ok, I'll see you guys later, Bella and I are going to finish setting up our new dorm." Everyone waved goodbye and left. Edward smiled at me and despite what my mind was telling me, I couldn't control the butterflies that were attacking my insides. Usually I didn't act like this around guys that I just met, but was it possible that I was feeling this way about Alice's brother?

Chapter 3 - CRUSH

I watched the stream of colors dance in front of my eyes. Everything was quiet, peaceful and weightless like I was floating on air: just easy, simple and perfect. The colors continued to move soothingly around and around until I could see a pair of giant hazel-green eyes staring at me through the haze of colors. I could have stared into them for hours, but I felt them slowly slipping away as consciousness took over mind.

No! I thought and shut my eyes tighter, trying to push myself back into the dream, but with no avail. My brow furrowed and I bit my lip, but I refused to open my eyes and face the disappointment of waking up to my boring dorm room. My mind, however, could not be lulled back to sleep and I gave up staring at the inside of eyelids. My eyes slowly fluttered open, met by a pair of icy, blue ones only inches away from my face.

"Ah!" My eyes shot open, taking in Alice's pixie-like face smiling down at me. It took my brain a few moments to realize that I was instinctively griping the side of my mattress, my chest heaving from the near heart attack she gave me and what probably looked like a crazed expression played across my face.

"Good morning sleepy-head," she smirked, pulling her face farther away from mine.

"Alice . . . what . . . are you . . . doing?" My voice was having trouble forming coherent sentences partly from just waking up and partly from the shock that I was experiencing after my roommate decided that it would be funny to see me almost drop dead from a heart attack.

"Just making sure that you don't sleep the day away. I hope that you haven't forgotten about that little shopping trip that you agreed to last week," ugg, that's right, the shopping trip. It was a little more than a week ago that I had first arrived here and met Alice, my bubbly, yet slightly energetic roommate and best friend and all of her brothers and other friends. If I had known then what Rosalie had told me about Alice's shopping addiction, I would have never agreed to this.

"Are you insane? It's 6 am! Let me sleep!" I pulled the covers over my head and shut my eyes, trying to block her out.

"Bella, please, we only have one hour before we have to meet everyone at the coffee shop and you have to get ready!" This was a tradition that we had established in our first week at USC. School didn't start up until Monday, which gave us plenty of time to hang out. Of course Alice always insisted on looking our best even if it was just meeting our friends for some coffee. But this time I would not give in to her ridiculous requests.

"Alice," I hissed at her "It is a Saturday and I am not going to wake up at 6 am just so that I can spend the next twelve-plus hours shopping." I spoke slowly and with a hint of sarcasm, hoping that she got my message loud and clear.

In the end, I only got another 30 minutes to sleep in and Alice got 30 minutes to make me look "beautiful." She almost always got her way on these things. I had put up a pretty good argument with her until she mentioned Edward's name. She had started pitching the idea of getting us together from day one and I must say that I was not completely opposed to it. I kept telling myself not to get too hopeful because I just couldn't imagine someone like Edward liking me, plain as I was, or thought. Alice always said that I didn't see myself clearly, but I honestly was not convinced.

Thirty minutes of Alice pampering and dressing me later, we arrived at the coffee shop. Alice's two brothers, Emmett and Edward, and best friends, Rosalie and Jasper, were seated at our usual table drinking their coffee and talking about the new school year and a bunch of other stuff. I sat between Rosalie and Edward and started talking with them; we had become very good friends in just one short week.

"So I see that you survived living a whole week with Alice as a roommate," Edward teased: smirking at my tired and slightly annoyed expression that I still wore from this morning.

"Barely, I probably never would've agreed to this shopping trip if I knew what I was in for,"

"Well she probably would have made you go anyway, she used to make me and Emmett walk around with her all day carrying her bags, that is, before she met Rosalie, then you." He smiled, looking down at me with his dazzling hazel-green eyes and I found myself getting hopelessly lost in their sparkling depths. I quickly averted my eyes to the rim of my coffee mug in an effort to keep my thoughts on-track and my words coherent.

"I'm glad that I could be of service, but I am really, very terrified of what exactly she plans to put me through today. I've never met anyone quite as . . . enthusiastic as Alice, and although I love her like a sister, she scares the hell out of me when she starts talking about shopping or buying things, it's like she's some crazed little kid inside a candy store."

"Don't worry, if she goes too far, I'll come and save you," he laughed at my worried expression.

"Thanks," that was about the only word I could muster, and I could feel my cheeks redden with my embarrassing blush. I liked that we were such good friends, but it killed me that he had no idea how nervous he made me every time that he would even talk to me. I just couldn't handle the constant battle of trying to keep my feelings under wraps; I felt terrible pretending just to be his friend when I really wanted him to like me back.

* * * * * * *

I stumbled back to my dorm room at 5 o'clock pm. There were no real words for how my day went. You could say crazy, traumatic, painful, irritating, indefinite, but none of those words fit right. The only remainders of this excruciatingly long and painful day were my numb feet, burning arms and the endless pile of shopping bags overflowing the small area of our dorm room. I collapsed on my small bed and buried my head into a large pillow before I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

"Alice, I am going to sleep and don't even think of waking me up before noon tomorrow, I am going to spend the rest of my Saturday sleeping."

"Well I can't speak for my sister, but she probably won't agree to that," a voice that was most definitely not Alice's voice replied to me. I quickly sat up to see Edward smirking at my bewildered expression as I realized that he had spoken to me instead of Alice.

"Oh, erm, Edward . . . where's Alice?"

"She went with everyone else to Rosalie's dorm to watch some movies, I just wanted to see if you wanted to come." He shrugged off the wall and took a seat on Alice's bed, parallel to mine.

"Oh, thanks, I can't believe she ditched me!" Well, it probably wasn't all that much of a surprise after all. I mean, I practically ran up to my room with the little energy I had left from this incredibly long and painful day.

" I don't think she did it on purpose, she can get distracted pretty easily. Come on, it'll be fun." He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the door.

"Alright, fine." I said, giving in, but on the inside, was extremely excited that he wanted me to come with him. "Here, let me just grab some movies and I'll meet you there." I really just needed some time to prepare myself for spending the rest of the afternoon with Edward.

"Ok, I'll tell everyone that you're coming." He gave me a crooked grin and then walked off toward Rosalie's dorm. Ok, I know that I shouldn't be so excited over a friendly gesture, but I just suddenly felt happy, like I could just start jumping up and down and singing at the top of my lungs and not care who sees me or who notices my strange behavior; I just felt complete.

I double-checked my reflection in the mirror for any traces of the mascara Alice had forced upon me this morning, which I was now very grateful for. I didn't bother with anything extra; it would just make me look too unnatural, like I was trying too hard.

I grabbed a couple of my favorite movies and walked quickly down the long, white hall and turned the corner. Rosalie was in room 239, I had never actually been there before, we usually hung out in my dorm, but I followed the numbers on the doors counting up to 239. After room 238 I rounded another corner and saw Edward standing there with his hands in his pockets, talking to someone outside of the room.

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K, so I left you guys with a cliffy! But don't worry I won't be cruel and wait too long to update. If you didn't read my important message at the beginning of the chapter PLEASE DO! I tried to add in more dialogue between Edward and Bella so you could see their relationship and I'm also sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed.

Today's random request: for those of you who can, eat some cookies or sweets or something for me, I can't because I gave it up for lent =(

REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW (please?)

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