I never really managed to fully understand the meaning behind Emmett Cullen's words. The day flew past uninterrupted and I managed to make a few friends, one of whom was Angela, who told me all about Edward Cullen. Apparently he was the bad boy of the town, always with a girl, and sometimes even with two. I had tried to ignore the twinge of familiarity that came with that.

The day was surprisingly smooth. I didn't see any of the Cullens outside of class. The few times I saw Emmett, he was carrying the ridiculous doll, sulking as he slouched through the hallways. I was pretty sure he attracted more than quite a bit of attention, especially when he got summoned to the principal's office in sixth period Biology. He had given Edward the finger and swaggered off, clutching Betty with a huge grin on his face.

After school I practically ran outside, desperate to get home before any of the Cullens caught me. Alice and Rosalie had already winked at me and given me the thumbs up. I didn't even want to think about what that might mean.

"Bella! Bella, wait!"

"Crap," I cursed, fumbling in my pocket for my keys. Please, please let me be imagining that horribly familiar voice.

"Bella!"

I ignored the voice and kept running-or stumbling, actually. I dragged my keys out of the scratchy fabric of my jeans pocket. Impulsively I turned to see how far I was from him, but fortunately I couldn't even see any Cullen amidst the scram of students flooding the parking lot.

"Oof!"

"You know, you're not a very fast runner," a smooth voice said from above me, sounding suspiciously amused. I glared at Edward Cullen, straightening up from his arms.

"I was fast enough to avoid Emmett running after me screaming bloody murder at lunch," I muttered.

Edward chuckled, his arms still wrapped around my waist. I squirmed a little, feeling strangely out of place with only two inches separating me and his neck. Yes, I was that short. Damn stupid genes that dictated guys should be taller than girls. It wasn't fair at all.

"Well, actually, as I recall, Emmett was screaming 'bloody murder' as you put it, but trying to tell you your laces were untied. And just so you know, the only reason you managed to avoid him was because you ran into the girls' washroom," Edward added, smiling.

I snorted. "Sour grapes," I muttered. I glared at Edward. "Mind letting me go now?"

Edward grinned at me and let go of my waist, letting his hand fall to wrap around mine. I snatched my hand away, scowling at him, and clambered into my truck huffily. To my horror Edward came in from the other side and plopped himself down in the passenger seat.

"What the hell, Edward?! Are you inviting yourself to my house now?"

Edward sniggered, reaching over to grab the keys from my hand and rev up the engine himself. I had to give it to him. He had some nerve. "Well, considering I did win a date with you and got my Volvo confiscated, my mirror thrown away, my stereo hidden somewhere in the attic and, oh yes, gardening duties every Sunday, I think I have a right to take you out without any complaints."

I stared at him, my jaw slack. Attractive image, I was sure. I shut my mouth, trying to get my brain to function properly. "But-but-what?"

Edward started laughing. "But, but, what? Is that even a sentence? I'm disappointed, Bella."

I scowled at him harshly. "Fine, whatever. Have your fun. Just you wait, one day I'll do a lot worse than simply get your Volvo confiscated."

Stupid Edward just kept laughing. I had to kick him twice before he shut up, reminding him about supposed 'date'. No way in hell was I actually going to go along with it. I chanced a peek out the windshield and groaned when I saw the mob of girls glowering at the truck. Damn Edward Cullen for choosing me to pick on today.

Once he calmed down enough to stop laughing he started explaining the terms of the date. I barely caught it considering the girls outside the truck were starting to swarm closer. I think I even saw the girls that hung out in the bathroom glaring at me. I poked Edward's side nervously. "Um, Edward? Not to spoil your mood or anything, but I'm getting a little nervous with all the girls" I glanced outside again, "looking fit to kill."

Edward looked out and burst out laughing. "Only one way to fix that, huh?" he asked, smirking at me. I widened my eyes in confusion. Unfortunately I never got to say anything, because he suddenly reached over, grabbed my waist and dragged me to him. Me being me, I let out a little yelp, thinking he was going to rape me or something equally horrifying, when suddenly he was in the driver's seat and I was in the passenger's.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked. Edward smirked at me.

"Driving," he answered, and stomped on the accelerator. "We're going to Port Angeles. There's an awesome seafood place I've been dying to try out."

I huffed and sat back in my seat.

.xXx.

"Remind me again why I'm even putting up with this?"

Edward grinned at me, his teeth winking. "Because you got my Volvo, stereo and mirror confiscated, gardening duties every –"

"Fine, fine," I interrupted. "I got it."

Edward kept driving for a few more minutes before glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "So...how did you sleep last night?"

I paused, my eyebrows shooting up. "You're actually asking me that?"

Edward paused. "I guess?" he said, making his words a question. I cracked up, a giggle escaping me despite myself. I struggled to control myself as Edward stared at me incredulously.

"Like a baby," I told him before starting to laugh again.

Edward grinned at me, looking away from the road, again. "You know people that say that usually haven't slept in the same room with a baby before?"

"And you have?" I teased right back.

He shrugged. "When I was sixteen, my nephew Eleazar came over. And God, that kid has a set of lungs on him. He was three at the time and couldn't sleep for two hours without screaming. Everyone was about to scream right back at him."

I giggled, imagining a frustrated Edward close to ripping his hair out. Then I looked at Edward, noticing for the first time the childish boy Edward and not the player Edward that dozens of girls claimed to have slept with. He looked straight ahead at the road to Port Angeles, smiling slightly in the wind whipping through the open window.

"I'm a virgin, you know," he said conversationally.

My train of thought stopped right in its tracks. "W-what?" I demanded, my voice half demented. Edward turned to smirk at me.

"I'm a virgin," he repeated cockily. That son of a...

"Do you tend to inform people you just met that you're a virgin?"

"Not usually," he conceded, turning his head to throw a quick smile my direction. "But judging by some of the rumours Lauren decided to start, I thought it best to inform you of my sexual status. What about you, Miss Swan? I seem to hear you're not quite the good girl yourself."

I looked down at my hands, playing with my fingers and biting my lip. Did I trust Edward Cullen? No. Did I want to trust him? Oh, hell yes.

"If it makes you feel better, Esme wasn't very happy with me either." His gentle tone caught me off guard, and I looked up to see his eyes shining at me with an understanding smile on his face.

"They really know how to make you feel like crap, huh?" I said quietly, still looking down. I vividly remembered Renee's harsh words after I had been caught with some classmate in Phoenix.

Start controlling your life, Bella, before the shit starts controlling you.

Edward laughed harshly. "That's one way of putting it. Emmett calls it my sob story." I looked up, my interest piqued.

"Sob story?"

Edward sighed heavily. I felt a twinge of guilt at obviously prying at something he didn't want to talk about, but I pushed it away. Now wasn't the time for guilt. If I could find out what made Edward Cullen tick, I would.

"My parents died when I was fourteen," he began, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed nervously. "A fire broke out in our apartment complex in Chicago. My father threw me out of my window to save me, but they didn't have enough time to escape. I was adopted by Carlisle and Esme when I was fifteen. I was the last to be adopted."

I stared at him, my eyes frozen wide. This was unexpected. I hadn't expected Edward Cullen to have this side to him.

He seemed different. He was different.

Edward sighed. "It's just not fair."

I smiled softly. "So why do you do like you do?"

He snorted lightly at my sentence. "I don't know. It's just that...can a foster mother really love a kid that isn't biologically hers? It's not that I doubt Esme, it's just that...sometimes, I wonder if she handles our crap because she loves us or because...she has to."

I thought for a moment before thinking, oh, what the heck, and put my hand on his forearm. "Edward," I said softly. He didn't answer. "Edward," I repeated, my voice louder. He ignored me. Son of a... "Edward!"

"What?" he screamed back at me, his face livid. I refused to shrink back from him. I was not a coward. He, on the other hand, was.

"Is that why you go around picking up girls at the speed of light?" I asked softly.

Edward softened and he looked out of the window shield steadily. I mentally scoffed at the pure guy-ness of that. Only a guy would rather look distracted than vulnerable.

"I didn't think that a girl's love might be more physical that a mother's," Edward whispered. I didn't really understand, but I took it as a yes.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat as Edward expertly manipulated the roads. "My parents divorced when I was four. My younger sister got mauled by a dog and died a week later when I was seven."

Now it was Edward's turn to stare at me. "The day before you arrived in Forks, I overheard Esme and Charlie talking about you and your apparently promiscuous ways."

I blanched before smiling dryly at Edward. "Eavesdropper much, Edward?" I teased. Edward smirked at me before pursing his lips and sighing softly.

"It isn't fair, is it?" he asked quietly. I didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know he wasn't speaking about eavesdropping.

"Life isn't fair, Edward. Nobody has it all; no matter how many different masks they put on." I winced at my own words. They were truer than he would ever expect.

Edward smiled at me. "At least we have friends, huh?"

"Thank God for friends," I agreed, rolling my eyes. "I wonder what would happen if I was a loner and left to my own devices. I think I would have spontaneously combust by now. I'm much too dangerous to be left alone. With people, the worst that can happen is a concussion. Alone, I would probably have killed myself or something."

Great, I was rambling.

Edward didn't seem to notice-or, if he did, he didn't care. "Are concussions and head fractures a daily occurrence, or are you simply masochistic?"

"Daily occurrence," I assured him, laughing. Edward flashed me a smile as we turned onto Port Angeles' snazzy boardwalk. He hesitated.

"Are we friends?" he asked shyly. I almost laughed, but instead settled for a smile. Shy Edward was so much more appealing than cocky Edward. It made me melt.

"Yes, Edward," I said. "We're friends...sort of."

"Sort of?" he teased, visibly relieved.

I shrugged. "Well, if you would cut the whole flirting thing..."

He laughed the whole way to Angel Seafood's.

"I hate this song," Edward complained.

I poked his side with a fork. He jumped a little and yelped. "Justin Timberlake is a genius. Don't knock it till you've tried it."

"Justin Timberlake, a genius?" Edward scoffed. "He's a perv in the making."

I gritted my teeth and decided to ignore him. He was impossible. I stabbed at the buttery lobster and bit into it, closing my eyes enjoying the silky smoothness of the dish. There was nothing that could compare to this. When I opened my eyes Edward was smirking at me.

"Good, huh?" he said, smiling as he cut into the strange prawn thing he ordered. I still had no idea what it was, but it tasted great.

"Yeah," I answered, smiling as I took another bite out of the lobster that must've cost him dozens.

"Oh my God, Edward! I never thought I'd see you here!" My eyes widened. I recognized that voice. I had often heard it in the bathroom as one of the Gossip Girls. Opposite me Edward had a similarly terrified expression.

"Edward, honey, do you mind if we join you?"

I choked on my lobster.

Woots! My longest chapter yet! Okay, so I know this chapter is supposed to be Edward's POV, but honestly, it wouldn't work out because Edward would be distracted either plotting Jasper and Emmett's demise or planning to ask Bella out. Next chapter will be Edward, and the chapter after that Edward again. Basically everything's in reverse.

And also, check out my profile for upcoming stories that might or might not happen. I am working on them at the same time, though. They just won't be published until I've finished the current stories.