A/N: Only 3 reviews??? :-( There were all great though. So thank you sooo much for reviewing and please do so again!!! I also received a bunch of story alerts which was great and several reviews for my other story "Waiting" which you should totally check out. LOL.

I was sad that the people who first reviewed didn't show. I guess I shouldn't have waited so long to update, should I? So, here I am, updating. I don't know when I will be able to do so again, though. But I will never let so long happen again. I know what it does to me when the stories I read take forever to be updated, I've been waiting for a couple of months on at least 4.

So, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. I have to warn you it is too close to the book and I'm starting to realize I have a lot to tell about the Cullens and Swans that I don't know when I'll be able to.

So, please read and be sure to review!! ;-D

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

I rushed to class not wanting to be scolded over being late and on my way I tried to process all that had just happened. Instead of feeling satisfied with my answers I had even more questions than before.

Luckily Mr. Banner hadn't arrived yet. I sat down and noticed both Jessica and Angela staring at me. Jessica looked resentful; Angela looked surprised and slightly awed.

Finally, Mr. Banner arrived and told us about our task for the day:

"Ok, guys, the Red Cross is having a blood drive in Port Angeles next weekend, so I thought you should all know your blood type." He said as he began passing around some cardboard boxes. He continued to explain how we should proceed but I was somewhere else.

I was feeling lightheaded; I should have eaten at lunch. The lack of food in my system was started to get to me.

Mr. Banner came to my desk to see why I wasn't working like the rest of the class and saw my very pale face.

"Are you feeling alright, Edward?" He asked preoccupied.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Banner, I'm feeling kind of faint."

"Can someone accompany Edward to the nurse, please?"

"I can go alone, it's okay." I really didn't want to bother anyone else but the way I looked betrayed me.

"Nonsense, Edward, I'll go with you. You really shouldn't go by yourself if you're not feeling well." Ugh, Jessica, why did it have to be Jessica?

I resigned myself to be led by her to the infirmary. She tried to put an arm around me for "support" but I didn't allow her to stating it was not necessary. The look on my face was harsh so she finally quitted trying.

Halfway to the infirmary I heard a very amused giggle. I stopped dead on my tracks. I knew who that giggle belong to.

Great, she was mocking me.

Jessica, who had continued walking, turned around to see why I wasn't next her anymore.

I couldn't stand still so I slowly and clumsily sat on the edge of the walk.

Jessica was about to ask what was wrong, but suddenly she was next to me trying to hold back another giggle.

"Faint at the sight of blood, do we?" She said a huge smile across her face.

"Come to mock me, have you? For your information, it wasn't blood, it was simply lack of nutrition." I was annoyed.

Jessica's expression changed from worry to frustration as she saw her sitting down next to me.

"Sorry. You should have eaten something at lunch though. Are you ok?" Her amusement changed to worry and I was smitten by her once more.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy."

"I can take him the rest of the way." She directed to Jessica without taking her eyes off of me.

"I'm supposed to, I told Mr. Banner I would." She said resentfully.

"Edward?"

"It's fine, Jessica, you can go back to class, thank you for the company."

Jessica walked away furious as Bella helped me up. She got me up effortlessly and I didn't mind her arm around me for support the rest of the way as I let my eyes close almost completely.

She opened the door and inside a female voice gasped.

"Oh, my."

"He didn't eat any lunch and fainted in Biology." Bella explained.

I opened my eyes. We were in the office and Bella was leading me towards the nurse's door. Ms. Cope ran ahead of us to hold it open. The grandmotherly nurse looked up from a novel, astonished as Bella placed me gently on the crackly paper that covered the brown vinyl mattress on the one cot. Then she moved to stand against the wall as far across the narrow room as possible. Her eyes were bright, excited.

"He's just a little faint." She reassured the startled nurse. "He didn't eat much today."

"Just lie down for a minute, dear. Here, have this candy; I'll go get you something to eat." The nurse said as she stepped towards the door. "You can go back to class now." She said to Bella.

"I'm supposed to stay with him." She said this with such assured authority that the nurse didn't argue it further.

"You were right." I moaned, letting my eyes close.

"Really? What about?" She replied amused once again.

"Ditching is healthy."

"You scared me for a minute there." She admitted after a pause. Her tone made it sound like she was confessing something really embarrassing. "I thought Jessica was taking you away to take advantage of you."

"Very funny." I smirked, my eyes still closed.

"Honestly, you should have seen the look on her face. I thought I'd better step in to save your virtue." I could sense her smiling uncontrollably.

"I'm pretty sure I could have defended myself if that was the case."

There was a pause and as I started to feel better my brains started working more acutely.

"How did you see me? I thought you were ditching."

"I was in my car, listening to a CD." Such a normal response – it surprised me.

I heard the door open to see the nurse with a bowl of jelly in her hand.

"Here you go, dear." I unwillingly sat up and started eating. I could see Bella's amused look had not gone away. "You're looking better."

"I think I'm fine" I left the half eaten bowl at my side and started to stand. I could see she was going to make me sit back down but at that very moment Mr. Cope stuck her head in.

"We've got another one." She warned.

I finally stood up while Jessica helped another classmate in who had actually fainted because of the blood.

"Let's go." I said.

We both stepped out to the office and a few seconds later so did Jessica.

"You look better." She accused.

"I just needed something to eat, that's all."

"Are you going back to class?"

"I think I need some more time to recover."

"Okay… So are you going this weekend? To the beach?" While she spoke she flashed an annoyed glare to Bella.

"Yes, I already told Angela I was." I tried to emphasize the Angela part so she didn't get any wrong ideas.

"We're meeting at Mike's father's store, at ten." He glared at Bella once again making it clear it wasn't an open invitation.

"I'll be there." I said half-heartedly.

"I'll se you in Gym, then." She said moving uncertainly towards the door.

"See you." I replied.

Once she was out of sight I groaned. "Gym." It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the class, I did. I just wasn't up for it today.

"I can take care of that." I hadn't noticed Bella moving to my side, but she spoke now in my ear. "Go sit down and look pale," she muttered.

It didn't take too much of an effort, I was already halfway there. I sat in one of the chairs and rested my head against the wall with my eyes closed.

I heard Bella speaking softly at the counter.

"Ms. Cope?"

"Yes?"

"Edward has Gym next hour and I don't think he feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take him home now. Do you think you could excuse him from class?" Her voice was like melting honey. I could imagine how much more overwhelming her eyes would be.

"Do you need to be excused, too, Isabella?" Ms. Cope said in a motherly tone.

"No, I have Mrs. Goff, she won't mind."

"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better, Edward." She called to me. I nodded weakly.

"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you to the car?" She was holding back a giggle once again with her back to Ms. Cope so she didn't notice.

"I'll walk."

I stood carefully and I was still fine. She held the door for me, her smile polite but her eyes mocking. I walked out into the cold, it felt nice as it washed my face clean of the sticky perspiration.

"Thanks," I said as she followed me out.

"Anytime." She was staring straight forward, squinting into the rain.

"So would you like to go? This Saturday, I mean?" I was hoping she would, though it seemed unlikely. I couldn't picture her with the rest of the kids from school, she didn't belong in the same world. But just hoping that she might give me the first twinge of enthusiasm I'd felt for the outing. God knew that if it wasn't for Alice pushing me to and having at least Angela there I would have never agreed to go.

"Where are you all going, exactly?" She was still looking ahead expressionless.

"Down to La Push, to First Beach." I studied her face, trying to read it. Her eyes seemed to narrow infinitesimally.

"I really don't think I was invited."

"I just invited you."

"Let's you and I not push Jessica any further this week. We don't want her to snap." Her eyes danced, she was enjoying the idea more than she should.

We were near the parking lot now. I veered left, toward my Volvo until suddenly I heard her clear her throat. I turned around to see one of her eyebrows raised in both disbelief and amusement.

"Taking you home remember?"

"I'm completely capable of getting there by myself." I replied.

"I'm not letting you drive in your condition. And I would feel so guilty if anything happened to you." She used the cutest pout face and I knew I had no way out of it.

"Fine, but can we take my Volvo instead of your truck? It will take three days to get there."

"You need to leave the car for you siblings, remember? Or do you want them to walk? And my truck is just fine by the way" I could sense I had offended her a little with my comment.

"Fine!" I said grudgingly moving towards her beat up red truck.

She smiled and before I knew it was opening the door for me. "Get in."

She got into the driver seat and fiddled with the controls turning the music on. I was still a little annoyed and decided not to talk to her for the ride but then I recognized the music playing and my curiosity got the best of me.

"Clair de Lune?" I asked, surprised.

"You know Debussy?" She asked surprised, too.

"Yeah, I'm a classical music fan. Carlisle and Esme pretty much raised us with it. I play the piano from time to time. That one is one of my favourites."

She seemed rather intrigued by my words. "Mine, too." She stared through the rain lost in thought.

I started to lose myself in the familiar melody. It had a soothing effect. I began to realize just how slow we were driving.

"What are your parents like?" She asked suddenly.

I glanced over to see her studying me with curious eyes.

"Great, there are so kind and giving. It kind of feels like we don't deserve them."

"How come?"

"Well, remember what I told you about why we moved here?" She nodded. "Well, this is the sixth move in the last three years. And it's not just Rosalie, we all manage to do something to drive us away from wherever we are." I was afraid she would I ask what I had done but she quickly changed the subject.

"How old are you, Edward?" Her voice sounded frustrated for some reason I couldn't imagine. She'd stopped the car and I realized we were at the house already.

"Seventeen." I replied, confused.

"You don't seem seventeen."

I smiled at that.

"What?" she asked, curious again.

"Esme always says I gain years each day because I take too much responsibility to myself." I paused for a second. "You don't seem much like a junior in high school yourself." For a second I could swear she was holding back a laugh.

"Your siblings, they are all…" She paused looking for the right word. "Together, yet you remain on your own."

"Rosalie and Emmet and Jasper and Alice are made for each other. Emmet is the eternal child, while Rose is filled with motherly love and knows how to scold him." I smiled as I pictured them. "Jasper is a tortured soul at times and Alice is a force of nature filled with optimism. They are a perfect fit. I…" It was difficult to answer her unspoken question. "I didn't find that in the places we have been." She seemed to be trying to figure out exactly what I had meant by that.

"So, now are you going to tell me about your family?" I took advantage of silence to change the subject.

She was instantly cautious. "What do you want to know?"

"You live with your father, who is the Chief of Police?" I verified.

"Yes."

"Where's your mother?"

"She remarried. She lives in Alaska with her new husband now." She answered coldly.

"That's too bad."

"It's alright. We see each other now and then." I could see she didn't want to talk about it any longer.

"And what about you?" She hesitated for a moment. "What happened to your parents?"

"They died a few years ago."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled as if regretting having asked.

"I don't really remember much. But I do know they weren't good people. So I know I'm better off. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now."

"And you love them." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." I smiled. "I couldn't imagine two better people."

"You're lucky."

"I know I am." She paused for a second as if she had just remembered something. "I should get going."

"Oh, okay." I said as I clumsily undid my seatbelt.

"Have fun at the beach… good weather for sunbathing." She smiled at the sheeting rain.

"Won't I see you tomorrow?"

"No, my dad and I are starting the weekend early."

"What are you going to do?" I almost regretted it after I said it. I felt I might be prying.

"We're going to be hiking." I didn't see her as the hiking type but I didn't push the subject.

"Ok, have fun." I tried to sound enthusiastic. I don't think I fooled her though. A smile was playing around the edges of her lips.

I stepped out of the car and started walking towards the door as I heard her drive away.

A part of me was begging to know when things would start to make sense, but another part just didn't care.

A/N: So, what do you think? Please review! You know it makes me happy!!!