Chapter dedicated to bcookie, who sent in an interesting review asking me to dedicate this to you. So here you go. Hope you enjoy your dose of the new girl. :D Enjoy and do review. And by the way, I am looking for songs I can preferably find on YouTube. Sad songs that remind you of death and sadness. Any recommendations? The song will be used for inspiration for a one-shot. Credit will be given. :D Thanks.

Hello & Hopefully Goodbye

Friday

I turned slightly to see Edward a few feet away, careful not to invade my personal space. I disagreed. I needed him to invade my personal space. I wanted him to.

Sighing, I leaned against the wall. The tiles felt painful through the thin shirt, but I ignored it. "Yes, Edward?" I asked.

He hesitated, licking his lips. "I…I just wanted to apologize for being such an idiot the past month. I know how hard it must have been for you with moving back and everything, and I guess I just made everything harder by acting like a jerk. I'm just…I'm just really, really sorry."

I blinked. Did he just apologize? He didn't, did he? Had I finally gone loony? I squinted at him. "You're joking, right?"

He started laughing. "When I don't apologize, you hate me. When I do, you think I'm kidding. What's wrong with you?"

I started laughing too. He was right…sort of. "Well, it is kind of unbelievable. I thought you had completely crossed to the dark side."

Edward's faced darkened. "You know what's happening." It was a statement, not a question. I paused, deliberating how to phrase what I was going to say next. I didn't need him misunderstanding me when we had just made up so nicely.

"Well…it's pretty obvious, Edward. You and Lauren, you aren't precisely in the running for the Couple of The Year award. It's bizarre and honestly, a bit freakish. So…yeah, you could say I know what's happening. Sort of, anyway."

Wow. Articulate, Bella. Did you really answer the question in detail? Guess not.

Edward started to laugh again, stepping a little closer. "That obvious, huh?"

I pretended think for a moment, then grinned. "Pretty much, yeah. Each time you're around her you have that get-me-out-of-here look. It's hilarious. I should've taken a photo."

"Oh, no you didn't," Edward gasped in mock horror.

"Yes I did," I countered, smirking like a kid. I felt like a kid, the way Edward made me feel so excited all over again.

"No you did not," Edward said, laughing. I giggled.

"Oh, yeah," I giggled. He stepped closer to me. Now we were almost touching. If I just reached out…one hand…

No! What was I thinking? He was supposed to make a move, not me! Ew, he would think I was a rapist or desperate or something!

Ugh, social rules sucked. I wanted to jump him.

"No," Edward breathed, stepping even closer. Less than an inch, and his lips would graze mine.

"Yes, yes, yes," I whispered, trying to sound firm but coming off weak. God, was he trying to seduce me all over again? He could just tell me he wanted me to kiss him and I would comply. He didn't really need all this movie mush. I felt like an extra on a movie set and any moment a director would call cut and ask what the hell was I doing here.

Edward didn't bother answering. He took that one last step and he kissed me.

I never knew how much I had missed this. Oh, I had missed it, all right, but I never knew just how much. Our time apart left a bittersweet after taste, more bitter than anything, but now the sweetness came flowing with a gusto that I fervently welcomed.

Our lips moved together in harmony, in synch. He sighed softly and wrapped his arms around me. Usually I didn't condone this kind of behavior-making out just after he had just broken up with Lauren-but the kiss was so gentle, it didn't really qualify as being of the hook-up-now variety I detested.

Besides, when Edward Cullen wants to kiss you, you can't actually deny him that.

How long we just stood there, I don't know. I lost track of time completely. Nothing existed but him. Yes, it sounds incredibly cheesy, but it was true. I didn't even care if a teacher suddenly burst in and caught us making out when we should be in class.

Speaking of which, where were the Cullens, anyway?

A loud bang answered my question.

Immediately Edward and I sprang apart, though we were quick enough to untangle ourselves from the mess of limbs we had somehow become. Alice pounced in, jumping through the door and landing facing us, feet apart, and holding a camera, looking like a bad Jackie Chan wannabe in some commercial.

A loud click told me the picture had been taken, the damage been done…and my photo had been taken, with me probably looking like a deer caught in headlights. Cue wide eyes and open mouth. Click, photo taken. I hate my best friend. She had a knack for taking photos at the worst times.

Edward hated her at the moment too, apparently. He groaned and disentangled himself, striding over to her. Alice efficiently threw the camera up a bunch of lockers where she would no doubt later bribe Jasper to take for her on account of him being the tallest of us all. (AN: I have no clue if he is the tallest but I always imagined him as tallest, so yeah.)

"Al-ice," he whined, dragging the word out. I just pouted. Alice giggled. Jasper smiled. Emmett laughed loudly. And Rose clapped her hands and squealed.

Honestly, the Cullens get excited wayy too easily.

"Finally! Finally, finally, finally, it's done!" Alice squealed.

"Alice!" I groaned.

Alice smiled at me innocently, the picture of an angel. Oh, an angel she was not.

"What? You two look so cute together! It's almost as adorable as Jasper and me," she added. I raised my eyebrows.

"Hey! What about me?" Emmett protested, Rose starting to laugh at his injured tone. Alice looked at him in disgust.

"You two would be cute if not for the PDA. That's just revolting," Alice told him. Edward started to laugh-no, howl-at that. Jasper grinned at his fraternal twin's faux hurt and slung an arm over Alice's shoulder.

"Harsh, Alice," he said, smiling. Alice shrugged, saying something along the lines of, 'they deserved it', but I was too distracted by Edward to care. He carefully stepped back next to me and sort of pressed himself to my side.

"Get ready to run. On the count of three," he muttered, so soft I barely heard it. I looked at him, but he just smiled at me. Alice and Emmett were too busy bickering to notice our exchange.

I felt Edward's hand press into my back. He pressed his thumb into my back-one. Then he pressed his index finger-two. The moment I felt his long middle finger press into my backbone, I took off.

Amazing, Bella. You only stumbled two times.

Emmett responded to our escape with a loud "Hey!" while Alice burst out laughing like a hyena. It took a couple of seconds before Jasper and Emmett took off after us.

Of course, with my amazing running prowess (not), Jasper caught me in, oh, about three seconds. His long arms snaked around my waist and lifted me up in an overhead spin. The ceiling whirled around me and I was screaming by then.

I heard Emmett catch Edward and drag him back. By the sounds of it Edward was putting up a pretty awesome struggle while laughing his butt off. Emmett was having fun. Rose and Alice caught up with us and started laughing.

A soft cough interrupted our fun. I groaned mentally. Please do not let that be a teacher.

Jasper put me down and turned slowly. Obviously he was afraid of the same thing. We all let out a soft sigh of relief when we saw only a student there. Well, five people let out a sigh of relief. I hissed.

"Excuse me, but I need to talk to Bella Swan," the brown-haired ice queen said daintily. I narrowed my eyes. God, if you let me in a room alone with that girl, I am going to punch her lights out till she'll run home with me having made her officially infertile.

Everyone looked at me. I gritted my teeth. Please do not let me punch this girl. At least not until after she said whatever she wanted to say.

"Privately," she added, then turned and went into the very room we had just vacated. I took in a deep breath through my nose and holding it, went into the place.

I looked at her expectantly. No way in hell was I going to say the first word. That would imply I actually wanted to hear what she wanted to say.

Her words surprised me. "I'm sorry."

I blinked. "Excuse me?" I asked in spite of myself.

"I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I'm sorry for that. It's just that I was having a harsh day, what with moving here and everything. I was pretty rude this morning, and I'm sorry." She smiled at me apologetically. "My name's Jane. Hope we can be friends."

Then she turned and walked out, leaving me standing behind dumbfounded.

The Cullens filed in, looking back over their shoulders at her. "What was that?" Edward asked cautiously.

"I…have no idea."