A/N: I know am so sorry I was evil for leaving you hanging there . . . but I just couldn't help myself! Unfortunately for both you, and me just after I posted Chapter 6, I got sick with a horrible stomach flu. So I am sorry you had to wait so long for the update but on the up side I got to do a lot of fanfiction reading and thinking about how this story is going to play out.

I am also amazed that this story has actually had more than 1,000 hits (I'd like to think that all those hits actually read the story). I am also very honored by all of you who have put me on your story alerts or favorites!

Please, please review. My writing can only improve with your constructive criticism and I'd like to give you more. So the better I get, the more you get to read from me. So please help the cycle and inspire me to continue writing for you – REVIEW PLEASE!

As always I own nothing, SM owns it all. I am just playing with it in my own twisted way.

Chapter 7

BPOV

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Damn alarm! Just as I was getting to the good part of my dream then . . . it was all wiped away by the alarm. The realization rolled over me that it was only Tuesday . . . ugh . . . as that slowly sank in, the fact that I have to go back to my new school then hit me like a ton of bricks. I could only hope that today would improve and that the 'shiny new girl' effect that I had on people yesterday had worn off. Maybe, if I was lucky, the 'new girl' effect would be tarnished by the fact that I really was in fact a boring person and not in any way special. Then they could just leave me alone to go about my business of melting into the background.

I slammed my hand down on the alarm clock, as I tried to roll out of bed, but I was twisted in the sheets and I felt like a human burrito. After escaping from the bed and taking a shower, I took a quick visual inventory of my meager wardrobe. It seemed cooler today, so I'd have to wear my black fleece jacket over whatever else I wore. I pulled out a pair of jeans, hmm not my favorite pair, I thought but they would do. I always felt like these jeans ran too low on my hips and I was always worried about my underwear showing in the back. Oh well, I could go commando one day, it wouldn't kill me and I wouldn't have to worry about my cotton panties peeking out. Decision made, I slipped into the faded blue jeans. Now I remembered why I hadn't worn them very much. They were low on the hips and they felt a little light in the butt area but with going commando I wouldn't have to worry about wedgies. I remembered that Beca had told me I looked good in these jeans once. I tried to keep thinking positively. Now a shirt - Long sleeved definitely. I dug out a deep blue almost violet cotton v-neck. It was comfortable even if it felt a little tight across the bust. I figured I'd tug at it a little and it would have to work.

I almost ran down the stairs before checking myself in the mirror. Damn hair! I ran back into the bathroom and brushed out the damp tangles and decided that it was a scrunchy ponytail day - to hell with trying to tame my hair. I didn't want to stand out I wanted to blend in – less will be more I thought to myself.

It looked like Charlie was already gone. There was note on the kitchen table.

Bells,

Had to go in early today, since I took

time off yesterday. See you tonight.

Your turn to cook.

Love,

Dad

Great I'm in charge of dinner tonight. Well it was my idea, so I couldn't complain I guess. I had a couple of spare minutes, so I quickly scanned the pantry by the fridge. Surprisingly, it was stocked with the basics. Renee's cupboards were always bare, so this was a nice surprise. I saw what I wanted, spaghetti and sauce. I glanced in the fridge and saw parmesan cheese. Now meat – I saw that there were a number of frozen items stocked and then I saw what I wanted a pound of ground beef. After moving the meat from the freezer to the fridge, I grabbed a granola bar and ran out the door. If I could get the car to start, I'd be just on time.

English, Spanish, and History flew by before I knew it. Alice had mentioned in English to sit with her again at lunch to talk more about shopping. I wasn't going to complain. Alice had been super nice to me so far, even if her energy level was off the charts sometimes compared to my own.

I just kept trying to look down or concentrate on what I was doing the whole day, so that I would have minimal contact and conversation during the day. That was my plan to melting into the crowd at Forks High School. I secretly wished that I could just be a chameleon and blend into the walls of the red brick buildings, as I walked outside from class to class. Whose brilliant idea was anyways to have separate buildings on a school campus in a wet and cold climate like Forks, Washington? It was like some idiot school superintendent thought to herself one day, 'Let's just let the kids walk in the rain everyday from building to building. It will be hilarious watching them trudge through the weather.' Or maybe the superintendent had been a sleazy guy, that just wanted to see high school girls in an almost constant wet drizzle all day, when they walked from building to building, hoping for a free wet t-shirt peep show.

It was only a little drizzly today. I guess I should have counted myself lucky, as I walked into the cafeteria, while my sneakers squeaked across the industrial grade linoleum. Don't pay attention to it. Just get your food and find Alice. Find the safe haven – I just kept thinking.

I joined the line of students, who were also buying a lunch. I picked some carrot sticks with ranch dressing, an apple, and a bottle of water. I didn't feel like anything too heavy or greasy. After I paid for my food, I glanced up and immediately saw Alice waving me in for a landing. Geez, the little pixie looked like she was going to take flight like a bird all by herself the way she was waving to me. I sighed, as I walked toward the table and noticed that we would be 6 at the table including myself. Alice was sitting next to Jasper and was moving her books from a chair on her other side, so I could sit next to her. On my other side was Rosalie and to her right was Emmett, who was shoving a whole cupcake into his mouth. Then next to Emmett was Edward. It was to Edward's face that my eyes immediately flew. Those deep emerald green eyes met mine and then looked down to continue his lunch. Don't stare – keep it cool. If I could just keep thinking that, and not actually say those words out loud then maybe I would make it through lunch and Biology next period.

I got myself settled and was immediately engulfed by Alice's and Rosalie's plans to shop. I just kept nodding and tried to eat my carrot sticks slowly not paying much attention to what was being said around me. I wished that I had gotten more food to occupy my hands, so I tried to eat the carrots as slowly as I could, occasionally dipping them in my ranch dressing. Before I knew it, I had eaten all of my lunch and was sipping my water, when the bell rang.

"So it's settled then. Day after tomorrow I'll stop by and help you do your wardrobe inventory then Friday we have a sleep over and plan big time. And since Rose wants to go to Victoria Secret, we'll also take stock of your unmentionables." Alice giggled.

Damn! My head snapped up. What had I just agreed to . . . a panty raid? And all of this was said in front of Jasper, Emmett, and Edward too. I could feel my face getting beet red just at the thought of my 'unmentionables' as Alice called them being talked about in front of guys that I didn't even know. And now I was going to have to sit next to one of those guys for the next hour. Wonderful.

I grabbed my backpack from the ground and then immediately bumped into someone. I looked up into a pair of deep emerald green eyes and was speechless. It was Edward and he had a crooked smirk on his face that he was trying to straighten.

"Um . . . since we have Bio next together, do you want to walk with me to class?"

Edward's green eyes were spearing my own quizzically. And then I remembered that he had asked me a question.

"Ahh . . . yeah sure?" Great it sounded like a question, when it came out. Not confident or sure. It just sounded pretty lame coming out of me. Wonderful. This was going to be a great day – pure torture.

EPOV

After sitting down at our usual table, I noticed her at once, my Bella. No just Bella damn it! She wasn't mine. God I hope she isn't anyone else's either? Where did that come from? The eyes - just keep focused on her eyes. As soon as I had seen the chocolaty deep brown eyes that had been plaguing me in my dreams and with my composition materialize before me in real life, I knew that I had to get closer to this girl, if only to finish my piece and start on something else. Yeah that was it. I just wanted to finish my composition and there was something in her eyes that I needed to help me do it. That was all. Yes that's it. Only the music. That was all that mattered.

The way her hips moved as she walked toward our table didn't matter or the way she clearly avoided looking at anyone else as she walked toward our table. Although that part did make me a bit happy, she didn't want anyone's attention. I immediately hoped that included the entire male student population for some reason. Then she put down her tray and dropped her bag on the floor next to her, as she shrugged out of her light fleece jacket. She was definitely going to need Alice's help with shopping, if she wanted to survive a winter here.

That's when I noticed what she was wearing. Her jeans rode low on her hips and her snug long sleeved t-shirt hugged her slender arms and didn't quite make it down to the top of her jeans, so her midriff was clearly visible. I almost choked on my sandwich, as I noticed her flat stomach and belly button before she sat down. Her shirt was blue and it had a v-neck and it made her skin look creamy and pale. The shirt was snug around her breasts and I could see a bit of cleavage as she breathed in and out. I thought that I was going to have to leave the table, so I wouldn't embarrass myself but then I realized that if I stood up now I would be sporting some serious wood, so I glanced down and tried to keep myself occupied with my lunch. Concentrate on the eyes – music – feel the notes.

I glanced up and Bella looked clearly engrossed in the shopping trip that Alice and Rose were now earnestly discussing. At least she wasn't looking at me, so I could study her eyes a bit more. But instead of doing that, I just noticed how her slender fingers would pluck up a carrot stick and slowly swirl it around in her dressing. As she brought the carrot stick to her mouth, she would stick out her tongue a bit to wrap it around and catch the dressing before it dripped off, as she slid the carrot into her mouth. She sucked on it for a second and then bit off the end. Oh dear lord! I was never going to be able to stand up from this table. Not only was I sporting serious wood but I was practically pitching a tent! Calm down – she is just eating. It is not like she is trying to provoke you and show you how she would look as she goes down on you. Shit! Where did that come from?! MUSIC! Where was my music? I looked down and dug into my backpack and took out my composition book and tried with all I could muster to try to look like I was engrossed in that and not the incredibly sexy culinary symphony that was being played out in front of me.

That's when she started eating her apple. As she took a bite, she licked a bit of juice that was running down the apple and onto her thumb. How could eating lunch be such an erotic experience? If I didn't calm down I would have a seriously difficult time walking to class physically. I decided that I wasn't going to look at her anymore, at least not for the rest of lunch. I still had to get through Biology next period with her. That's when it struck me. I'd ask her, if I could walk her to class. It's not like she could say no. We had class together and we were lab partners to boot. I could steal a few side-glances at her eyes and that's all I would need right? I just need some time with her eyes to finish my composition. I don't need time with any other part of her body even though my body was clearly telling me a different story. I would ignore that. Music came first. I'd never really been interested in anyone in a serious sexual way before. I didn't have to be interested in Bella that way either. The music was just bewitching me. Yes, it was the music. I just had to finish the piece and then another piece would consume me again. The music always consumed me. It was all that mattered. The music.

The bell rang and I realized that I was going to have to catch Bella before she escaped me. Just walk to class with her and watch the eyes, I told myself. She had deposited her tray and trash and was bending over to get her backpack from the ground. I was immediately assaulted with the heavenly vision of the curves of her hips and soft rounded bottom. Then I noticed now tight her jeans were. They hugged every curve just right and there was definitely no panty line there. A thong, I though to myself of course, she was one of those, who'd sport a 'whale tail'. But no – there was definitely no hint of a thong peeking above her waistline. I almost stopped breathing. Talk to her you need to see her eyes! Snap out of it!

Bella turned around without looking up and walked right into me. God I could feel her soft breasts against my chest. Snap out of it!

"Um . . . since we have Bio next together, do you want to walk with me to class?" I said it so fast I almost wasn't sure that I actually said the words. I kept looking at her. Keep to the eyes. Don't think about the breasts or how they felt just now.

"Ahh . . . yeah sure?" She said. Great it sounded like a question. She didn't want to walk with me. Fine. That's just fucking great. Never mind – she doesn't need to like me. I just need to see her eyes. Remember it's only the music that matters.

BPOV

I walked with Edward to class. I didn't' say anything but I could tell he would glance at me from the corner of my eye from time to time. It was like he wanted me to look at him. I just shook my head and tried to keep my eyes down. He is just being nice. He is your Bio partner, you are going to have to put up with him in choir, and whenever you spend time with Alice. Alice. Thank god! She would be with me most of the time I had to spend with Edward right? Well except in Bio and in choir practice. But I could deal with that. I just need to get lost in my music and he will vanish from my thoughts along with the rest of the world. I just need to get lost in my music again. Maybe I could pick a piece that I didn't need a piano accompaniment or maybe I could find someone else to play for me, when we went to State Competition. Edward couldn't be the only pianist in Forks after all right?

In Biology we had lecture again. I was very thankful that I wouldn't have to talk to Edward for the next hour, just take notes. As I was diligently trying to write in my notebook my pen died. Great! Just wonderful. That was my favorite pen. I started digging through my bag looking for another pen but I knew I didn't have one. I always carried my favorite pen and my mechanical pencil. I grabbed the pencil and kept writing. I kept breaking the tip of my lead pencil off. I must have gone through an entire stick of lead, when I left an electric jolt as Edward touched my hand and slid a pen over to me.

"Thanks." I whispered, not looking up.

I squirmed on my stool, wishing that I had worn another pair of jeans. It left like the electricity jolt that I got when Edward touched my hand had sent a jolt straight to my core. Suddenly my jeans felt very sensitive everywhere especially, where my panties should have been. Oh my . . . I could feel the wetness between my legs and every time I moved it just got worse. I could feel my jeans rubbing my center when I shifted on the stool again. I felt like I was going to either pass out or fall off the stool or maybe both. I stole another side-glance at Edward and he quickly looked back down to his notes. He had been looking at me. Did he know how I was feeling right now? Did he know how wet and slick I was feeling? Did he do that to me or was it just because I was stupid enough to go commando in these crazy jeans? No . . . he could never know how I was feeling. He'd have to be able to read minds to do that.

I kept taking notes until Mr. Molina finished his lecture for the day. He announced that we would be doing a lab for the rest of the week. I started to pack up my notebook and book and thought that I should give back Edward's pen. I twirled it through my fingers for a second feeling the thin cold steel glide across my fingertips.

"You can keep it. The . . . uh . . . pen. You'll need it for the rest of the day." Edward said as I glanced up at him.

He was staring at me. He looked like he wanted something else but was deciding whether or not to talk. Then he quickly brushed past me and I felt the electric jolt again in every nerve that felt his body so close to mine. I shook my head. Must be some static electricity or something or maybe I was just going crazy.

I floated through the rest of the day without being accosted by anyone. Well except Rob. He talked with me a bit before Trig started for a second. But I don't think anything of consequence was said not that I would remember anyways. I was feeling so dazed all I could do was look into the blue pools of Rob's eyes, when he talked to me.

Rob spoke to me again in gym later. We were playing singles. I was playing against Alice. Alice was killing me big time. There was no way I would win anyways, so I didn't care. I flung my tennis racquet in an attempt to hit the ball back to Alice but instead the racquet accidentally slipped through my fingers and it flew directly towards Rob hitting him in his shin.

"Wow, Bella! Are you trying to cripple me or something?" Rob laughingly said as she rubbed his shin.

"Well better your leg than your throat. Wouldn't want you to not be able to sing in choir." I retorted.

Just then the bell rang and Rob picked up my racquet and handed it to me as he walked past me.

"Well maybe I'll be ready next time, when you go for my throat."

He just kept walking and deposited his own racquet in the bin and headed for the locker room.

Alice was practically jumping, when she reached me.

"Oh . . . my . . . god! Were you just flirting with Rob? You were! Do you like him? Seems like he likes you for sure!"

"Don't be silly Alice. I was just kidding and he was too. He wouldn't' be interested in me. Look at him, he is well . . . perfect and I am . . . well just look at me."

"Bella, I am looking and you definitely have all the right equipment for any guy to notice you. You just need the right clothes!"

"Ok my shopping pixie let's go get dressed. I need to get to choir."

"Definitely, so you can see Rob!"

"No, so I can finally get lost in my music!"

"Ugh, now you sound just like Edward!"

"Whatever Alice. I'll see you later."

In choir Miss Ashby paired us up to do breathing exercises. Of course my day was still not going my way and I got paired with Rob. I decided that Forks was just going to be a different hell than Arizona was. At least this purgatory or hell had a perk. It had not one but two heavenly pairs of eyes to melt my insides. But which ones were the ones from my dream last night? Would it be the soft blue pools staring across from me now practicing breathing exercises or the piercing emerald green ones that literally melted my core in Biology?

A/N: Ok you got a really long chapter out of me today. Please, please review. Maybe I'll put a poll up should it be Rob or Edward? Oh BTW I had a comment from my real sister, who happens to be on 'Team Jacob'. She was upset that I mentioned Jake and then utterly dismissed him. Oh well. I am on 'Team Edward', so you all know where my loyalties are but if I were 10 years younger, beautiful, and single, I'd totally be gunning for Robert Pattinson. But that is why we are all here to play in our dream world!

© Neonapple

Melting Heart

Edited: 03/08/09

Chapter 7