A/N: Sorry for the delay, I went on holidays for three days to the beaches! Here is Chapter 11, much longer than the one before, are you happy:D Also, some people have said I should have made Bella/Isaac say they were his girlfriends, but if you guys were expecting that, then where's the surprise, the fun in the chapter? Remember, Tyler suggested it, so to disagree and say she's a player or something would only complicate things. You know what I mean? Thank you to all my fabulous reviewers, especially those who have kept with me throughout the process of this story so far! I love you guys and am ever so appreciative! Thank for the favourites and alerts! Well, get reading!

Lolly

THEY ARE ALL HUMAN.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse.

Pursuit of Gaiety

Chapter 11

Enlightenments

One week later …

BPOV

I rubbed my hands against each other nervously, twiddling my thumbs around on my lap. I was sitting outside of the music examination room with Eric Yorkie and several other students. Somehow, the music exams were always held last in Forks Boys' High. We had completed all our other examinations and were impatiently waiting for the results. It was the first music examination day of the two and there were three more people before me to take their exams. If I'd failed this exam, my chances of getting into a decent musical university would be minimal.

Eric Yorkie was twisting in his seat beside me, fiddling with his tattered music sheets and fingering his flute, mumbling every so often. I would have reviewed my music sheets, too while I was waiting but it would only have made me more nervous, looking at it and thinking of the possibilities and outcomes. Eric took a different music class from mine, a less advanced one. He had told me that his interest was never music; he only loved Geography and Biology. He had only signed up for his music class to silent his Mother, who was always pestering him to take up something of the arts.

"Isaac, I can't do this," Eric tugged at my sleeve as we watched a boy from a lower grade step out of the examination room. He was next up.

"Yes, you can, I believe in you. Remember our pact? We have to both pass this exam or the loser will have to buy the winner shaved ice," I smiled brightly, trying comforting my agitated friend. "Just take a deep breath."

"It's just shaved ice, I don't want to! I can't," he wailed after taking a deep breath.

"Eric Yorkie, please make your way to the examination room," the loud speaker pronounced. Eric twinged slightly when his name was called.

"Come on, Eric, go," I gave him a small, encouraging push on the back. He glowered at me as he took another deep breath, picked his flute and sheets up, and slowly made his way into the examination room.

I let out a heavy sigh. I had to be totally relaxed for this exam. It was the most important examination in my whole life, and I had to excel.

I closed my eyelids as I waited for time to pass by to my turn.

"Isaac?" The most beautiful voice floated into my ears. I could hear the seat, where Eric had sat before, scrape against the floor.

"Oh, hello Edward," I turned around, only to be drowned into deep, green emeralds. Great, that was exactly what I'd needed, a distraction before the most important exam of all. "You're here for the exam? How many more until you?"

"Yes, eleven more before me. You?" He asked.

"Two, including Eric. Are you nervous?" I looked up at him.

"A little," Edward smiled easily. I was slightly envious of his complete ease about the whole thing. "I'd practiced, so it should be fine."

"Hmmm, me too, but I'm still nervous," I confessed.

"Oscar Billson, please make your way to the examination room," the loud speaker called again as Eric stepped out, hurrying to my side.

"Well, your little friend is here, I'd best get going," Edward stood up, without making a single sound.

"No, it's okay, you can stay," I offered, a little disappointed that Edward had not been able to stay longer.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom now," Edward smiled.

"Okay."

Edward walked off towards the bathrooms, hands in his pockets. How could one move more gracefully?

"Isaac! I was so nervous! I screwed up some notes!" Eric was hysterical when he approached me.

"Calm down, Eric. I'm sure you did just fine." I smiled.

"I guess, probably got a C," he shrugged, calming down a little as he sat down beside me. I thought back to how Edward had looked in this exact same chair. How big the difference was. Edward had looked like a true Greek God seated there whilst Eric just looked like a, well, ordinary boy. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. The last thing I'd needed now was this.

Eric and I chattered lightly about the examination when, finally, my name was called.

"Isaac Swan, please make your way to the examination room."

"Well, here goes nothing," I sucked in a deep breath as I stood up, picking up my suitcase.

"Go Isaac!" Eric grinned, holding up two thumbs-up. I flashed him back my own thumbs-up and a weak smile.

I breathed out as I started my walk towards the examination room.

"Please take out your sheets and sit by the piano," a stern-looking lady, who looked like my examiner, pointed at the grand piano.

I edgily made my way towards the large, black instrument. Sitting down on the stool, I slowly unclasped my suitcase with my musical sheets inside.

A horror was displayed in front of my eyes. My beloved piano sheets were shredded to pieces in my suitcase. I tried to smoothen and piece together the shreds. It was all done in vain. All of my thirty-two sheets of printed notes were gone, heaped in a pile at the bottom of my suitcase.

What happened? How could my sheets have become like this all of a sudden? I had checked last night and it had been perfectly fine.

A single tear escaped from the corner of my eyes.

"You may begin now," the voice of the stern lady spoke up.

There was silence.

"What is the problem? We don't have all day," the voice sounded annoyed now.

I was beyond shocked. I had waited this day, to perform my pieces proudly to the examiner, for so long. And now this.

I heard the shuffling of feet as the examiner approached me.

"Oh, my. What happened? Is this some kind of a joke, Swan?" I looked up to see the lady peering into my suitcase, at the pitiful shreds inside.

"No, I don't know w-what happened. It was-was fine last n-night," my voice broke into soft sobs.

"Can you memorize your two pieces?" She asked, showing me no sympathy what so ever. "Do you have a copy of the sheets?"

Had she expected me to memorize thirty-two pages of two piano pieces? Of course I didn't have a copy of the sheets. I had never expected this tragedy to happen.

"N-no."

"Well then, I'm sorry, but you will not be able to take this exam unless you can do one or the other within five minutes," the examiner proclaimed.

"Robert Greene, please make your way to the examination room," the woman made her way back to her desk and spoke into the microphone.

I broke fully into tears and ran out of the exam room in a rush, stopping only to pick up my suitcase. I ran all the way to the dorms and hurriedly unlocked the door of my room. I flopped onto Edward's bed without even thinking and buried my head into his pillow and sobbed my heart out. My dreams, my goals … Gone in a few minutes …

EPOV

I slid my hands into my pockets as I walked off towards the bathroom after a brief but surprisingly lovely exchange of words with Bella.

I would have stayed longer but I would have felt uncomfortable around other people, like her friend, Eric. A twinge of what could be jealousy stabbed at my heart as I thought of how encouraging and warn Bella had been to Eric.

Why did I feel this way about her?

During the past week, we had gotten closer than before. We talked more often, laughed more often and her blushes were appearing less and less when she was around me. Of course, I daren't expose her identity before the exams, not even to herself. I felt like I'd known her for a large part of my life, as opposed to only a week and a few days. She understood me in a way no one else has ever had. Perhaps even my own Mother. She would actually listen to me. I had told her more about my family that I had told anyone else. She was different. In a good way.

I neared an old classroom when I suddenly heard a chatter of voices. And a loud, booming voice over them all.

Mike Newton.

"... Serves him right, that dumb Isaac," Mike's voice echoed down the corridor.

I instantly perked up.

Isaac? What was Mike doing, saying that name? I inched closer to the classroom to listen in on what he was saying.

I had only known Mike for about two years, but he'd always claimed to others that he had loved me since eighth grade. I shuddered at that thought, disturbing as it is.

"... I ripped up all his music sheets so he'll definitely fail his exam for sure. Stupid Isaac. Serves him right for stealing my Eddie-Poo!" Mike's voice kept on booming. "Don't you think he deserves it?"

A mumble of agreements filled the corridor.

His words angered me. How dare this ignorant pig rip up Bella's piano sheets and ruin her dream? Hadn't he known how much they meant to her? Had he known how much work she had put in? He probably didn't care. I growled in fury as I rushed into the classroom to find Mike standing on a table, a mob of his followers surrounding him, gazing at him with adoring eyes. They cleared the way as I approached Mike. I stepped onto the chair beside the table he was standing on and grabbed at his collar.

"Oh, hi-hi, my baby Eddie-Poo!" Mike flashed his yellow teeth as he patted my hair, completely oblivious to the fact that I was so close to strangling him.

"Don't. Call. Me. Eddie. Poo," I growled again, gripping his collar tighter.

"Do you want me to take off my shirt for you?" He blinked sickly at me and pointed to where my hands were. "It would save you the trouble of doing it yourself."

He winked at me suggestively.

I quickly loosened my hold and ignored his gesture. "What did you say you did to Isaac?"

"Oh, I only ripped up his precious little sheets so he would fail his dumb exam. Don't you think it serves him right for trying to steal you from me? I mean, we obviously belong together," Mike brushed my left cheek lightly. His followers burst into laughter.

"What do you want, Mike?" I yelled in frustration.

"A little kiss from you, my big, boofy Eddie-Poo," Mike leaned in towards me. His disgusting perfume hit me right in the face.

"You're sickening," I pushed his face away and ran out of the classroom. I needed to find Bella now; I had to see how she was doing. I was worried she would do something rash that could possibly expose her identity. I checked my watch as I ran forwards. Bella might still be in the waiting hall.

"Wait! Eddie-Poo!" I heard Mike scream after me.

Without turning back once, I rushed off

"Eric, where's Isaac?" I grabbed Eric frantically on both shoulders. He looked at me, rather startled. "Where is he?"

"I don't know, he just ran off," Eric's eyes widened. "He might be in the dorms, though."

"Thanks, Eric," I thanked him appreciatively, shaking his shoulders gently.

I rushed off out of the examination hall, through the car park and towards the dorms.

I slowed down as I approached my room. I could hear soft sobbing coming from inside. I hesitantly placed my hand on the silver door knob and turned.

Click.

So, what so you think?! Tell me through a review! Questions? Ask me through a review! The more you review, the faster I type. The less you review, the slower I type. That's my logic:) Especially since this is a HUGE chapter, so get reviewing!