A/N: Standard disclaimer applies.

I strongly advise you to listen to this chapter's song rec. It gives some incredible insight into how Bella's feeling and her current thought processes.

And that aside, its one of the best songs ever! The song belongs to its rightful owners. Not me.

Song rec: I Still by the Backstreet Boys

Bella POV

"Bell-laaaaaa. I need you. Please," Edward called.

If only he needed me differently.

I made my way from their dorm's kitchen to Edward's bedroom. I didn't even know how he knew it was me. I just got out of class, came over like usual and was heading to his tap for some water.

Maybe he felt my presence like I did with his. Yeah right. I wish.

It was Friday and it had now been a week since our fateful arrival and classes had started.

Alice, Rose and I were constantly hit on by the boys here. We were together pretty much whenever I wasn't with Edward. Almost immediately after meeting, we had all grown very close. And not just us girls.

Our whole group had formed quite nicely. Jasper and I were of course still close, but now there was Emmett too. The oaf teased me a lot, but I put up with him because the bear was like my long lost big brother. Em and Rose had almost immediately fallen into dating and made no secret of their affection for each other. It was no shock when he had told us how "bangin' Rose was in the bedroom." Yuck. As you can imagine, we were all scandalised, while we cringed and ew'd.

Edward and I had fallen seamlessly into being best friends and found we both hadn't changed much over all those years. If anything, the time apart had only made us stronger.

We spent the majority of our spare time together naturally, as we were the resident third wheels in our group. I'd mastered covering up my feelings for him around everyone - though I was sure the Alice had her suspicions. The little pixie had always had a knack for knowing what would happen ahead of time and she was rarely wrong. That didn't mean to say that I wasn't still adamant and set on no one ever knowing, because I was.

Shaking myself from my thoughts, I pushed open his bedroom door to see him lying on his bed, head propped up against the headboard, eyes sparkling at me and a hand patting the space next to him. He had been waiting for me.

My breath caught in my throat before I snapped out of it and resolved to never telling him a thing.

Just friends.

I'd have to content myself with the aforementioned title that was internationally hated by people in my shoes. But that wasn't to say that everyone were in the same exact shoes as me.

I'd just gotten Edward back. I wasn't going to lose him again.

~/~

Edward POV

It was Friday and we had made it through the whole first week. Our curfew was okay. School nights were 10.30 PM and 1.00 AM on Friday's and Saturday's. Today was a late curfew day and Alice roped us all in to taking full advantage of that. She claimed we needed to celebrate our surviving school's first week.

We were headed to a karaoke club/bar called Venom in Port Angeles, which was only a short drive from here.

We were almost there now. Emmett was just parking his Jeep, with us all crammed inside, a block away from the club now.

Bella looked even more stunning then usual tonight. She was wearing a white dress Alice tossed at her, which stopped mid thigh and clung to her body like a second skin.

We all hopped out of the car and the respective couples walked on without us, leaving Bella and I to ourselves.

I'd had the talk I wanted to with her already and so I grabbed her hand, normal behaviour for us now, so we could stroll together to the club after the others.

Flashback

It was the day after finding Bella again; after thinking that I'd ever seen her again. She had come here to meet me so we could talk about our friendship and answer any questions the other had. Jalice, Rose and Emmett had left for lunch before and I'd made sandwiches for us both while we talked.

We were all set for the conversation that could change everything.

I was feeling skittish about the looming conversation and couldn't eat and it seemed that Bella felt the same way.

Looking down at my fiddling hands, I just dove right into it.

"Look Bella. Obviously things aren't the same and I don't expect it to be right now. We've spent time apart and we just need to get to know each other again. If I'm being honest, I think for the past three years I've always been a little unhappy and that came back to you. Even during the time I so-called 'hated you', I cared for you. I missed my best friend. I missed you. I love you. I mean you were everything, Bella."

I chanced a glance at her face once I was done with my spiel and was shocked at what I found there.

Bella was sat quietly, attentively listening as tears streamed slowly down her face.

I stopped my fidgeting hands and reached over to brush away the latest river of salty water streaking heartbreakingly down her pale cheeks, before I attempted to talk again.

"Bella, love. Are you alright? What's wrong?" I whispered, in as soothing a voice I could manage.

"I'm sorry. Just listening to what you said... I just missed you so much. All that time wasted. It's just getting to me, I guess," Bella stuttered through her sobs.

Geez. Only Bella would apologize for getting emotional. There was no point arguing with the epitome of stubborn, so I continued my explanation of how we fell apart. Or at least my part in it.

"The very first time Alice called you in Phoenix, after that first missed holiday, I'd decided beforehand that I would talk to you after you guys were done," I paused to grin at her half heartedly. "You know how impatient Alice is. She had to talk to you first. It was probably better that way anyway, I reasoned. I'd have more time to figure out what to say to help make your situation better. We were just kids and I didn't know how I could possibly help. Your world was falling apart around you and I couldn't even give you a hug. So words would have to do. And so I waited anxiously for Alice to pass me the phone, telling me you wanted to speak with me, but she didn't. I couldn't understand why you hadn't asked for me. I was hurt. I thought you didn't care about me or that you'd forgotten that I was once an important part of your life, so I wasn't going to talk to you. It sounds absurd now but we were way younger then and it seemed logical at the time. As you know, it just escalated from that point onwards and the rest as they say is history."

Bella sat for a few minutes, absorbing my words and reasoning and hopefully receiving some closure and peace from them.

And then she began to talk.

"My reason is dumber looking back on it, especially now that I know the other half of the story. I was basically the same as you. Well, sort of. I thought because you hadn't asked to talk to me or called me directly earlier on that you didn't care either. Now I realise, you were just giving me some space and time for myself. Oh and I'm sure my whole being stubborn as a mule didn't help either," she chuckled self-deprecatingly for a second before continuing. "You have to know though Edward that though a hug would have been nice, your words would have been more than enough. Just hearing your voice would have made me feel better."

She had the most obvious reason for our little feud's beginning and I had instead looked for a complex and elaborate deal. But there was still one thing that didn't make sense.

"There's still one thing though that just doesn't make sense. Like those explanations, yeah. But weren't you excited to see me after three years? And didn't you wanna just have things go back to normal, sorted out? Because technically we were never fighting. We never told each other anything to that degree or declared war or anything like that. We just didn't speak. At all."

Releasing her lip from the anxious hold she had on it, she answered my query.

"Yeah, I was so nervous to see you again. But, I was so thrilled. I'd missed you so much. I didn't even care anymore about the years of silence. I just missed you and I wanted things back to how they were before everything else. I couldn't even sleep the night before I was so anxious and excited to see you again. And then when you came up to me in the hall you stood right there, said nothing after three years and then waltzed on your merry way. Was I some joke or something?" She spoke passionately and fiery.

I had to be careful now. Bella was getting riled up.

"Bella, I've never cared for anyone or anything more. You were certainly not a joke," I said, heavy with conviction.

She flinched at the underlying harshness my voice held. But truly, how could she ever doubt her importance? Calming my momentary annoyance at her lack of awareness I ploughed ahead.

"I smiled," I whispered sadly.

"Three years and you smile. Great. Thanks so much."

Thanks for the sarcastic tone there Bella.

"Hey, don't act all innocent, you didn't say anything either," I accused.

I was starting to get angry. She was being a complete hypocrite.

"You walked up to me!" She yelled.

"Look, that's beside the point. What matters is why we didn't say anything. Care to share?"

Bella blushed at my question. Why that question would make her blush, I couldn't comprehend. Distracted by the elegant slope of her neck as she swallowed heavily, I realised that she'd only blush if her answer was embarrassing. Returning my attention to her eyes, I inclined my head slightly to prompt her to elaborate.

"I was looking at you. Taking in all the changes. Puberty and stuff. You?"

Huh. That was it. I was disappointed that it wasn't a more revealing reason. Ugh, what did I want her to say?

"I don't know. Three years builds up the moment and it should have been some truly memorable, heartfelt words and I couldn't think. I didn't want to tarnish our first exchange after all this time with something stupid like 'hey'. Our friendship was so much worthier than a 'hey'. I was at a loss for words anyway. How do you tell someone how special they are and how stupid you've been and how angry you are at them for not contacting you either after three years apart? I was selfish but I hated your parents for splitting up 'cause it ruined us. I hated myself for being an idiot. I hated you the most for all the pain your absence in my life caused. We'd grown up together and you didn't even care enough. I hated myself for caring that you were coming back. How could I be excited after you just left and moved on from me? You didn't care enough to write me or call me. Too much time had passed and yet not long enough. I wanted to stay in that moment forever; seeing you again but I wanted to rewind to a time when things were simpler and I wanted to fast forward to a life without you. So many conflicting emotions and I resented you for having that control over me. How do you even begin to put that into words?"

She sat for another minute stewing over what I'd said.

"Sorry. I'd assumed it was a joke to come up to me or something. I was angry and humiliated and I felt rejected- though with this new light I hadn't needed too. I felt fooled too because I had regretted not talking those years and thought that you'd felt the same but when you left I figured you hadn't a single regret about it all and just didn't care."

God. I guess I could see where she was coming from now. I probably would have thought the same as her had I been in her position.

Bella seemed emotionally exhausted from our conversation and her eyes were drooping as she looked in her lap. But there was one more thing I needed to know.

I put my index finger under her chin and lifted it to be met with startled eyes before she composed herself.

"One more thing."

"Hmm?" She replied in still a daze. What the hell was that about?

"I'd say it's safe to assume that now that the facts are known I'm not a 'jerk-ish, pompous pig who had better things to do than be your friend and keep in contact with you' anymore? Or maybe I never was?"

"No, you never were although I thought you were at the time. Sorry about that. False pretenses and that junk," she offered, smiling sheepishly and blushing further.

I smiled in return and picked up my soda when she seemed to realise something.

"Wait. You remembered all that? Of what I said, by heart?"

I could only smile at her sadly, put the drink down and laid down on the carpet.

By heart indeed. How could I forget?

Bella POV: Present time

"Uhhh," I murmured staring into the mirror, "wow?"

God. Alice and Rosalie could start a makeover business. The two most gorgeous women, a duo team of stylists taking over the world. God knows only how well their faces would advertise for their genius. I'd expected to look like a trashy whore with all the gunk she put on my face and the hours I spent getting plucked, curled, waxed, manicured, pedicured, made up, exfoliated and dressed but deep down I knew she had an acquired taste.

But this? Just wow.

I stared back into the mirror, waiting for my mind's trick to disappear but I'd been doing that for 5 minutes and it still hadn't happened.

"Bella!" Rosalie snapped her patience finally ending.

My eyes shot up from shiny, hair free legs to her eyes reflected into the mirror.

"Hm?"

"Trust me. It's really you. I'll even prove it!" She sneered at me. Anger problems much. Bitch.

"Stop your damn- oww," I ended with a yelp as Rosalie, the bitch, pinched me. She fucking pinched me. And hard. Whore.

"What the fuck Rose?" I ground out between clenched teeth.

"Just showing you you're real." She replied disinterestedly, examining her nails.

I huffed and turned back to the mirror.

A beautiful girl stared back at me amazed and unblinkingly.

Wow. It was really me. I would still pale in comparison to Alice or Rosalie on their worst of days but this for me was the best I'd ever looked.

My waist-length hair had been curled in loose waves using various products, a curling tong and Rosalie's fingers to achieve the look- beach hair. Hot beach hair. Alice had given me a very natural look which I appreciated. She coated my eyelashes in black thickening mascara, outlined my bottom lids with a dark brown eye liner which made my usually dull eyes seemingly sparkle and pop. I had a clear lip glaze and that was all.

I didn't need foundation because apparently 'you have great creamy skin' and I hadn't needed blush because it was unnecessary. My body produced more than enough for me and to then go around too.

I turned to see Rose now filing her nails and Alice staring at me with a smug expression.

"I.. uh.. thanks? I look pretty?" I said apprehensively, testing the words out.

"Bella you've always been beautiful," I scoffed before Alice glared at me and continued, "You're stunning now."

"Yeah, yeah. Now get out of the way so we can get ready." Rose demanded before shoving me out of the way and storming into the bathroom with a grey dress in hand. Pushy bitch.

I went to sit on Alice's bed in her bedroom while Rose got changed in Alice's completely oversized, salon looking bathroom.

I sat, thinking about my new friend. Rose seemed really superficial because she was gorgeous but she wasn't really like that. She loved clothes and makeup but wasn't vain. She'd spend hours on end with Alice playing dress up and getting ready but mainly because they had so much fun and enjoyed the end products.

I'd learnt that Rosalie was not one to beat around the bush and was a heaping of judgemental. She was fun and rude but really a sweet girl who couldn't talk about feelings.

I guess some people just find it awkward. Oh well, Alice was there for the whole deep and meaningful conversations. In a way, Rosalie's opinion was better as she was blunt and wasn't going to lie to make you feel better or sugar-coat it. She'd analyse the facts and do with it what she will.

I sneered at the tramp eyeing him up to have her shrink away from me and avert her eyes. That's right bitch. He's m-

Suddenly the Dj's voice came over the speakers.

"Alright guys, we want a few newbie's up here tonight. They've seen how we do it here at Venom now let's get some of this fresh meat up here. Who wants to volunteer?"

"Edward does." Alice's voice screamed.

"Uh," he politely shouted to the Dj, "no, no. I'm good. Maybe later, after I've had a drink or two or-"

He was interrupted when Emmett and Jasper started chanting his name, the rest of the bar catching on quickly.

"Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward!"

Too kind to disappoint people Edward reluctantly pushed through the crowd of now applauding, screaming audience. It didn't escape my notice that most of his fans seemed to be of the female persuasion. Men looked on enviously, obviously noting Edward caught the attention of every female and some males in this place. Edward wasn't fazed in the slightest. Well, I suppose he must be used to the attention by now. He didn't show he was aware in the smallest way though.

When he reached the Dj on stage, he flipped through files of tracks on the laptop connected to the huge sound system. I found myself anticipating to hear Edward's voice. No doubt it would be perfect.

The Dj clicked the track and an acoustic version of 'I Still' by the 'Backstreet Boys' filled the now silent air. While most would think they were a stupid boy band I knew better. They may have been a pop boy band years ago but with the album Incomplete saw that they changed their sound. The songs from then on were so heartbreaking and meaningful. Ironically enough they were all lost love type of songs.

Well, I guess it made sense. This bar was known for love songs. Some angsty, some happy, some depressing and some romantic.

Edward smiled at us from the stool he was sitting on and had I stared at his godly face for one more nanosecond I would no doubt break. So, instead I traipsed after Alice who was leading us to a booth. Two steps further and I stopped in my tracks.

A smooth voice crooned out of the microphone and I bewilderedly looked to see Edward starting the song. The booth long forgotten I awed at his amazing voice, frozen. It was very manly. But a good type of manly. So husky, sexy and sultry. Edward Cullen could do no wrong.

"Who are you now? Are you still the same or did you change somehow? What do we do; at this very moment when I think of you? And when I'm looking back, how we were young and stupid. Do you remember that?"

I noticed that he seemed very at home up on stage. He really loved the music and singing.

During our many conversations in the week of our reconciliation I learnt that he still played piano and guitar. And now, apparently he could sing.

He certainly had convinced any Backstreet Boy hater that he d it better by infinity. He put Nick, A.J. and the rest to shame.

And how true his next lyrics were for me, he'd never know.

"No matter how I fight it, can't deny it, just can't let you go. I still need you. I still care about you. The way everything's been said and done. I still feel you, like I'm right beside you. But still no word from you."