Sorry for the wait. This is the first time I've ever written on the computer, and I get easily distracted. I'm a Facebook creeper, and e-mails are like my addiction, so I'm constantly checking something.

Enjoy!


Bella

Alice bought me enough clothing for two wardrobes. Don't get me wrong, I love Alice to death and back, but honestly, if she buys me anything else ever again, I'll snap on her. She needs to get a grip and stop wasting her money on me.

I did have fun though. I haven't spent a lot of time with Alice or Emmett since I've started spending time with Edward. Unintentionally, all of my time had been devoted to Edward. I would have never done this on purpose, it just sort of...happened.

Alice cranked the satellite radio as we drank our energy drinks on our way home. As if she needed the extra boost.

Cross My Heart by Mariana's Trench started pumping through the speakers. We started moving in the Porsche's leather seats and singing at the top of our lungs.

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" we screamed, making an x over our chests.

We giggled while we danced in the seats. Alice pumped one fist in the air while flying down the highway at eighty miles per hour. This is what made girl time work for me. Being ridiculous, but having a great time regardless.

I took a long swig of my drink and continued dancing when Shiloh's Goodbye, You Suck started playing.

We sang, we danced, we laughed. God, did we ever laugh.

Alice turned down the music. "So, how are things with Cullen?"

I pondered my thoughts. Should I just tell her the truth? She told me she was interested in Jasper. Why would it be any different?

"A lot better than I thought they would," I answered. It was the truth, but not the whole truth.

Alice nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of her energy drink.

"He seems...better," she mused. "Like not such a dink."

I nodded. "Yeah, he's not that bad of a guy actually. I'd probably be close to failing Bio without him."

"That's good," Alice whispered.

She could be so damn ominous sometimes. Like she knew what was going to happen before it would happen.

"Emmett said you left without him after the game on Tuesday," Alice murmured.

"Oh, uh, yeah," I stammered. "I had some...stuff to do."

Alice raised an eyebrow at me.

"Alice" I groaned, putting my face in my hands. "Don't give me that God damn look."

"What look, Bella?" she asked innocently.

"The look," I muttered. "The look that says 'I know something that you think I don't know.'"

Alice grinned mischievously. "You like Cullen."

"No." I was blushing, but hopefully she took it as angry rather than chagrin.

"Yes you do," she pushed in a sing-song voice.

"No, Alice, I can't," I told her sternly. "I can never like a Cullen. Not now, not ever."

"You can like a Cullen, Bella," Alice disagreed. "You're just not supposed to."

I exhaled, blowing my bangs out of my face. "No, Alice, I can't like a Cullen. My dad would kill me. Dr. Cullen would kill Edward. This isn't like Romeo and Juliet where we can just kill ourselves and make it into a tragic romance. This is real life."

"I know that, Bella," Alice exclaimed. "But just because your dad's tell you what to do doesn't mean you have to follow it. Rules were made to be broken, especially when you're seventeen."

I crossed my arms. I was pouting, and I felt like a child for doing so. I wanted to follow Alice's advice and defy my dad, but I didn't know how I could do that. I still loved my dad even though he was holding me back from something that could extraordinary.

I turned the music up again, not willing to spill my feelings to Alice yet. Maybe eventually, but definitely not now.

She pulled into my short driveway. We both hopped out of the car and grabbed all my bags. There were ten of them. It was ridiculous how much money could be spent in so little time.

"Thanks, Alice," I murmured, giving her a hug before she left. "For the clothes and for giving me good advice."

Alice smiled. "What are best friends for?"

I smiled, closing the door behind her retreating figure.

I sighed and took all my bags into my hands. I hauled them upstairs and threw them onto the floor of my room. I fell onto my bed, bouncing on the old springs. I put my hands over my eyes, breathing deeply, and getting fairly close to crashing for the night. Then my phone buzzed in my jeans pocket.

R u comin or wut? :Cullen:

I scowled before texting back.

This edward?:Bells:

No, its the queen of england. Of course it's edward! :Cullen:

I grinned.

Haha, k. Jst gimme a sec to change outta my shoppin clothes. :Bells:

Maybe u could model 4 me l8r ;) :Cullen:

I rolled my eyes, still smiling.

I dunno if you deserve that kinda privilege, hun. :Bells:

We'll see... Jst get over here b4 des blows a toque. :Cullen:

K. B there in 10ish. :Bells:

We're on the countdown. :Cullen:

I tossed my phone onto my bed and quickly stripped out of my red cashmere sweater and pulled on an extra-large t-shirt from one of Dad's car washes and an old La Push sweater. I slid out of my tight jeans and yanked on my favourite pair of black yoga pants. They were super tight, but oh so comfortable. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, brushed my teeth quickly, grabbed a pair of slippers, and hopped down the stairs two at a time.

I flew out the back door, jogging through the opening in the trees directly behind my old swing set.

The path was hidden on the Cullen side of the forest. They had a huge rock garden in one corner of their house, and when I had found this path at first, I had almost ran right into the ten foot high rock that was the backdrop in the Cullen yard.

The path itself was beautiful. The trees created a canopy over top of your head, the twigs tangled amongst themselves, making the trees look like their clinging to each other for dear life. There are plenty of birds and small wood animals; nothing big that I know of.

I snuck around the large boulder and continued jogging towards Edward's house. I knocked on the French doors that led into their dining room. Des galloped to the door with a great big grin and opened it.

"Miss Bewwa! You'we hewe!" she cried, wrapping her chubby arms around my knees.

I ran my fingers through her raven hair, smiling as Edward padded into the room. He was wearing sweats and a large Forks High School sweater. His hair had pink and green hair clips in it.

I burst out laughing at the sight of him.

Des giggled, confused as to why I was laughing. Edward blushed and started pulling out the clips quickly, looking at the floor instead of me.

"I'm sorry," I gasped. "But, Jesus, I was not expecting that at all."

Edward gave me a shy smile, looking at me through his dark eyelashes.

I blushed this time, biting my lip.

Des grabbed my hand. "C'mon, Miss Bewwa, we'we watching Beauty and the Beast wight now. We bawely even stawted. It's just at the pawt when Bewwe's wawkin' thwough the town."

"Oh, good! I love Beauty and the Beast," I told Des, following her into the den.

"I'm gunna sit on my wittle pink chaiw," Des informed me, pointing to a small chair in front of the couch. "You can sit wiff Edwawd, 'cause then you'ww be abwe to see the TV good."

I laughed. "Okay, Des. Do you want me to press play?"

"No, I can do it aww by mysewf now!" Des cried, running to the plasma screen TV, and pressing a button, making the movie go again. "Edwawd taught me tonight."

I grinned at Edward.

Des settled into her little chair while I crawled onto the couch behind her. Edward sat down next to me, wrapping his arm over the back of the couch, his hand inches away from my shoulder. I smiled and leaned into him slightly, my arm nestling into his body.

I pulled my legs up to my body, tucking them under my bum, making my body push further into Edward's body. I looked up at him with a shy smile. He grinned back, sliding his arm off the couch and onto my body instead. He wrapped it around my shoulder securely, his hand hanging over my arm.

My hands needed to do something while I tried not to make out with Edward right in front of Des, so I pulled my sleeves up over my hands. I started chewing on the stray strings, trying to focus on the movie instead of the rhythm of Edward's breathing and then heat coming off the body and how cute he looked in lounging clothes.

The movie passed quickly. Well, kind of. Between Des's comments, me singing along to the music, and Edward occasionally running his nose along my hair, I was distracted the entire time. It was almost ten when the movie was finished.

Edward let go of me. "Okay, Des, time for bed."

"Reawwy, Edwawd?" she asked, puppy dog eyes coming into play. "Miss Bewwa's hewe though, and I wanna watch anothew movie wiff hew."

Edward shook his head with a grim smile. "Des, you know that Mom and Dad would kill me if you stayed up any later. It's already two hours past your bed time."

"Fine," Des grumbled in defeat. "'Night, Miss Bewwa."

"Goodnight, Des," I murmured, smoothing her hair as she hugged me. "Have a good sleep."

She nodded sullenly. Edward grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs.

I picked at the stray lint my pants picked up, waiting for Edward to return. I was nervous. This was the first time we were going to hang out just to hang out. Would this take our relationship, or whatever this was, to the next level?

Edward walked down the stairs again quietly. He sighed when he got to the bottom, running his hands through his hair. I smiled, and curled my legs under me again.

"Do you wanna watch another movie with me?" he asked, kneeling in front of the TV.

"Sure," I replied.

"There's only Step Brothers up here for non-Disney movies," Edward told me, showing me the case for Step Brothers. "That okay?"

"Yep," I answered. "I love Step Brothers."

Edward popped the DVD in. "Me too. Will Ferrell is hilarious."

I giggled. "Yeah, I've seen every movie he's been in, I'm pretty sure."

Edward sat beside me, just as close as before.

"My favourite is Talladega Nights, I think," Edward murmured, skipping the previews.

"Oh, come on!" I exclaimed. "How can you not love Anchorman the best? That's, like, classic Will Ferrell."

Edward shook his head with an amused smile. "No way. Will Ferrell is a way better skater than he is a news anchor."

I pushed him gently. "Will Ferrell was the best news anchor ever. Don't you quote that movie all the time?"

Edward shook his head. "I only quote good movies, Bella."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, smiling. "Whatever, Edward."

He chuckled. "I'm just teasing you, Bella. Settle down."

I sighed and nestled into Edward again.

We watched Step Brothers and I felt more comfortable than I thought I would around Edward. We both laughed at the same things, we could both quote the movie word for word. It was great. I didn't feel awkward at all.

The credits started rolling and I glanced at Edward, biting my lip. Should I leave? Were we going to kiss? God, I'd never been so nervous in my life.

Edward glanced into my eyes and then down at my lips. He leaned in, and looked into my eyes again before leaning in some more. I met him half way.

It was our first real kiss. Our lips moved frantically against each other. My hands wrapped loosely around his neck and I sat up slightly on my knees to reach his face better. Edward's hands grasped at my ribcage, holding me closely to him.

My tongue was the one to jar open Edward's lips. I swirled my tongue over his, massaging it lightly, running it over his perfect teeth.

Edward's hands dropped between us and his hands crawled between my skin and my shirt.

I broke away. As much as I wanted Edward and me to go farther, I couldn't. Not now. We were just barely on friendly terms right now. I wanted us to be on better terms than this first.

"Sorry," I breathed, my eyes still closed. "I don't think – I, uh, I can't do this right now."

"No, no," Edward agreed. "Me either. It'd be wrong. We have to...wait."

"Yeah," I whispered, bringing my lips to his again.

We made out for a good ten minutes before Edward broke away.

"Shit," he muttered. "My parents should be home soon. You, uh, might wanna leave."

I nodded, hating the fact that we couldn't just be like this in front of his parents. Well, not like this specifically, but as friends that could turn into something more than friends.

I slipped off the couch and hauled my body to the French doors. Edward followed me.

I took off my slippers and slipped on my runners.

I turned around to look at Edward with a smile.

"Text me?" I asked him.

"Of course," he murmured, kissing me gently on the lips.

Our lips parted from each other and I looked up at him with a tender smile.

"Bye, Edward," I murmured, opening the door and running outside.

"Bye, Bella."


Awe! First fluff chapter of the series! Wasn't that cute?

I might be able to do one more chapter before I leave, if I'm lucky, which I won't be, because I'm really unlucky.

ANYWAY, I'll definitely post another Carpe Diem chapter. It's with my Beta right now. Dancing on Pianos is what I'll be working on. As I said in the author's note above, I'm not used to writing on the computer. I'm trying to save trees, people, and I'm sorry if I have A.D.D. on the computer.

Like it? Hate it? Think I should stop writing this story while I'm ahead? Tell me, please, in a review!