Edward POV

Practice didn't go well at all. I was way too distracted by everything that happed today with Bella.

First: she seemed repulsed to sit next me. Me! Most girls would pay to be within a ten foot radius.

Second: who stands up to Tanya? Nobody. They especially don't punch her in the face. Most certainly not if they have a scholarship on the line. She doesn't have to worry about that though. Tanya may be a bitch, but she's not rat.

Third: where did that pitch come from? It could have been luck but I don't think it was.

Fourth: why the hell did she break into a classroom just to get her cell phone? Better yet why the hell does she know how to break into a classroom?

Fifth: she is here on scholarship. I didn't even know there were scholarships to this school. Bella is definitely full of surprises.

I was just outside her door when I heard talking.

"Hey baby!" So she had a boyfriend. Lucky son of a – wait, lucky?! I don't think he would be lucky. It's not like I want Bella.

"Really! They took you off the chemo! That's great Lilly-bug!" Lilly-bug? Chemo? "Oh! And happy birthday sweetie! You are officially six years old!" six?

"I wish I was there too honey. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" who was on chemo? Who is six years old? The mysteries keep piling up. "Okay Lilly which one?" which one what? "Your favorite one huh? … well ok here it goes." Here what goes!

"Waking up I see that everything is ok
The first time in my life and now it's so great
Slowing down I look around and I am so amazed
I think about the little things that make life great
I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling"
 she can sing?
"This innocence is brilliant, I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect, please don't go away, I need you now
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by"

I found a place so safe, not a single tear
The first time in my life and now it's so clear
Feel calm I belong, I'm so happy here
It's so strong and now I let myself be sincere
I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling

This innocence is brilliant, I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect, please don't go away, I need you now
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by

It's the state of bliss you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry

It's the state of bliss you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry

It's so beautiful it makes you want to cry

This innocence is brilliant, it makes you want to cry
This innocence is brilliance, please don't go away
Cause I need you now
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by

This innocence is brilliant, I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect, please don't go away, I need you now
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by

Wow. There are no words to describe the purity of her voice. She just keeps surprising me.

"You're welcome Lilly-bug. I love you ……… can you put mom on the phone for me?"

"Mom?"

"Ya school is fine. How is she doing? Do the doctors think she's strong enough for the transplant yet?" what transplant? God I hate one-sided conversations!

"That's great! Just let me know when the surgery date is and I'll make arrangements here at school to get my work. Then I can fly in for the harvest. Things are going to get a lot better." I could here the smile in her voice.

"What do you mean insurance wont cover it?" now she sounds downright angry

"Those sons of bithches they can't do that!"

"Mom I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you. I have some money saved up. Hopefully it will be enough."

"No mom I don't care if it's my college fund. I'll make a new one. Lily needs it more than me." She's giving up all her money for someone else's surgery?

"Ya mom I'll talk to you later. Love you. Give her a kiss for me will you?" she hung up. She can't afford school because her family's money is going to what I'm guessing is a terminally ill sister. The same sister she was giving her life savings up for? I felt horrible. Here I was blackmailing her to get back at her for hurting my pride. While she is arranging to fly all the way to phoenix for her little sister's surgery. Wow is I scum.

I knock on the door. Now or never. She answered the door with a scowl.

"Let's get this over with."

"So optimistic. By the way I've figured out what you have to do."

"What is it?"

"You have to sit with me at my table at all meals until I say otherwise, and you have to answer every question I ask truthfully." I couldn't help but want to know everything about her I could. Bella was one mystery I planned to solve.

"And if I don't want to answer your questions." She is so stubborn.

"For every question you refuse to answer I get a kiss. And if you choose to lie and I find out it's a lie then I get a five minute long kiss with tongue. I recommend that you just cooperate. You don't want to end up with an un-wanted 'present' as you put it." I am a genius. She'll tell me everything now. And I do not have studs. I am clean! Just for the record.

"Whatever lets get this project over with before you start your twenty-questions you little freak."

Bella's POV

Four hours and three glue sticks later our project was finished. We had a rough start but it worked out in the end. He actually had some good ideas. Now he is firing questions at me not missing a beat.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

Favorite song."

"Don't have one."

"Book"

"Withering heights"

"Family"

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me about your family." And now it gets complicated. I want to tell him about my family, but I most definitely don't want to kiss that concaving little cretin. I could just tell him the bare minimum. It won't be lying. Just not the whole truth.

"Well I have my mom; Renee, my baby sister; Lilly, and phil." That should suffice.

"Who's Phil?" of course he has to ask more questions on a sore subject.

"He's my step father and Lilly's biological dad." I hate giving him either of those titles. He doesn't deserve them at all.

"You don't seem too fond of him."

"Ya I pretty much hate him." It's true. I think of him as nothing more than the son of a bitch sperm downer to my baby sister.

"Why is that?" this ifs clearly something I don't want to get into. Last time I saw him I ended up in juvi.

"Long story, believe me you don't want to hear it." More like I don't want to tell.

"I do want to know. Besides I have all night." Persistent little buger! Its ganna come out why I'm leaving school for a whole month any way, might as well get it over with.

Well my parents, Renee and Charlie, divorced because Renee was having an affair with phil. Renee soon after the divorce started showing and announced the baby to the relatives. She and Phil got married. Couple years later I still resented then both, loved Lilly and pretty much raised her on my own. I had only seen Charlie twice since Renee won custody. Phil finally got signed, baseball, the mariners. So he traveled a lot. I didn't have to deal with him, things were looking up." My throat was constricting, my eyes were starting to water. I wouldn't cry in front of Edward. He'll suspect it's from being sad, it's not whenever I get super mad like beyond speaking I end up crying. I needed to finish the story "but that all ended when Lilly was diagnosed for leukemia. She was three at the time. We were devastated. They tested Renee and Phil for a bone maro match. They said I wasn't old enough yet and there was little to no chance anyway. Phil ended up being a perfect match. But the bastard said no. he wouldn't do it. By the time he would recover they would have replaced hi m on the team. He was choosing his job, his money, over his daughter. I got so mad! I ended up beating the crap out of him, and he pressed charges. I ended up in juvi for six months. When I got out in a last attempt they agreed to test me. I also was a match. The procedure is risky though. So they put her on chemo until she was older. So the transplant wouldn't be as dangerous. That's actually the phone call I had to make. The one to my mother to know if they were going to do the surgery soon or not. So now I'm going to leave school for about a month once my mom sets it all up. That's the reason I worked so hard to get in here. We are in crazy debt. We are just barely making payments on loans cause Phil, that mother fucker, 'doesn't have any money' which translates into he blew it all on strippers and gambling. I need this school to open doors to good college scholarships – a full ride – so I can get a good job and pay off all the loans." There were tears streaming down my face. Cullen was just sitting there, not saying anything.

Well, this is awkward. This is when my stomach decides to make its never ending noises stating the fact that I haven't eaten since breakfast.

"I should go eat before the cafeteria closes." He came back to the present.

"I'll go with you. I still need to get dinner as well. Plus I'm not done questioning you." I have a feeling I don't get a say in this so I'm not even going to try to debate it.

"Let's go then."