Chapter 5: Mr. X

~~~The Wednesday before graduation: Bella's point of view~~~

Edward and I had been dating for over a week and all was well. Graduation was in two days on Friday night. Today was rehearsal.

"I'm heading out, Dad." I shouted to Charlie as I grabbed the keys to my truck from the hook by the door.

"Now hold on a minute," He said as he got up off the couch and came to the door. "So what all is going on tonight?"

I sighed. I'd gone over this several times already. I was already late and I didn't have time to explain it again, but I was going to anyway. "Rehearsal ends at eight-thirty, and then I'm going out to eat with Edward and his cousin. I'll be home around eleven-thirty maybe."

"All right, have fun. I want you home by midnight."

"Okay. Bye, Dad." I left the house and got into my truck. I turned the key in the ignition and it roared to life. As I drove toward school I listened to a random CD that Edward had left in my truck. I'd never heard of the band, but I liked their music.

"There you are." Emmett said as I walked into the gymnasium. "Late much?"

I looked at my cell phone. It read seven o'clock. "Oops. Sorry." I quickly put my stuff down on the floor beside everyone else's and went to join the group on the stage. I was forced to stand up with the rest of the Ss. Edward was with the Cs. He glanced up at me and winked. I smiled.

"All right." Ms. Cope called us to attention. "Now that we're all here, we can begin the rehearsal." She walked over to the podium on the opposite side of the stage from us. "I'm going to call your name, first, middle, and last. You're going to go up to Mr. Banner and he will hand you your diploma. Remember, grab the diploma with your right hand and shake Mr. Banner's hand with your left. Got that?"

We all nodded. The rehearsal went quickly and without incident. Unless you count me tripping over my own feet and falling off the stage an incident. Emmett had fun with that one. I won't be able to live it down. Of course, Edward helped me up and made sure I was okay.

It was now eight-forty-five and I was following Edward to a restaurant called The Bloated Toad. Why they named it that is beyond me. We were going to have dinner with his cousin Alice, also known as my best friend. She lived in Sacramento. This was the first time she'd been down in almost five months. I missed her a lot.

We arrived at the restaurant. I walked in with Edward and we quickly spotted Alice. She was about four feet eight inches and had short, spiky black hair. She was wearing what looked like her entire closet thrown into one outfit, but it looked great on her. Once she spotted us, she got up and ran at me.

"Bella!" She exclaimed as she threw her arms around me. "I missed you so much!"

I was starting to have trouble breathing. Alice's grasp was cutting off my air supply. "I… missed… you… too, Alice. Now…let go." I managed to say between gasps of air.

She quickly let go. "Oh sorry." She grabbed a hold of my hand and led me to her table. There was a man sitting with her. He was tall with curly, golden-blonde hair. He looked rather serious, like the kind of guy that is usually the sober one in the bunch.

"Who's your friend, Alice?" Edward asked as we sat down; me and Edward on one side and Alice and Mr. X on the other. Apparently he didn't know who the strange man was either.

"This is Jasper Hale." Alice said as she snuggled up closer to him. "He's been my boyfriend for the past two and a half months."

"Hello, there." Jasper said in a thick southern accent. He seemed nice enough.

"Hi, I don't know if Alice has told you about me, but I'm her cousin, Edward Cullen." He held out his hand and shook Jasper's. Edward then put his arm around my shoulders. "And this is Bella Swan, my girlfriend for the past week." He said the last part both mockingly and smugly.

"Oh my gosh!" Alice exclaimed. "You two finally got together?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I asked as a rhetorical question. Alice answered anyway.

"Because it was inevitable. You two were made for each other; there's no doubt about that." She was about to say more, but the waitress came.

~~~Later, after dinner: Edward's point of view~~~
Bella and I had been having fun telling Jasper about all the funny stuff Alice had done in her past and having a good time with it to. Alice would only then return the favor and reveal something embarrassing about one of us…and occasionally the both of us.

It was now Alice's turn to harass Bella and I. "Ooh!" She exclaimed. "I have to show you something, Jasper." She dug around in her purse until she found a wallet-sized photo album.

Oh no.

"Edward's mom, my Aunt Esme, gave this to me last time I was down here. It's a picture of Edward and Bella when they were in first grade. It was Valentine's Day." Alice smiled evilly at me. I knew exactly what picture she was showing him. I had given Bella a box of conversation hearts. She had then leaned over and kissed my cheek. I had a holy-crap-she-didn't-reject-me look on my face.

Jasper laughed. "Well, that's sweet."

I snatched the picture out of his hands and glared at Alice.

"Now wait a second. I haven't seen this famous picture. And I think I have a right to, as I am in it." Bella said.

I sighed and handed the picture over to hear. She giggled. I then leaned over to her and kissed her cheek. "Now it's my turn." I pulled out my cell phone and snapped a picture of me kissing her cheek.

"Edward, stop it!" She was a terrible liar. I could tell that she liked me giving her attention.

"Mmm…I don't think that's going to happen." I kissed her cheek again and started moving toward her mouth. "Ouch!" Someone kicked me under the table. I looked over to see that Alice was shooting me death glares. "Fine, I guess Bella and I will go elsewhere."

"No, Edward." Bella said, blushing a deep crimson. She lightly pushed me away from her. "Sorry Alice, Jasper. Edward and I were being rude." Bella looked down at her watch. "Oh, but honestly I have to get going. I'm supposed to be home in fifteen minutes."

A little sad face popped up in my head. My Bella was leaving. She got up, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her down to me. "I'll be at your house in a little bit. Just trust me." I whispered into her ear.

She gave me a whatever-you-say-Edward look and left.

A little while later, I used the excuse of my mother sending me a text that told me to come home as my escape to Bella. I said my goodbyes and left.

I drove to Bella house. Luckily my car was quiet or this would never have worked.

~~~Inside Bella's room: Bella's point of view~~~

I had been home for about twenty minutes, pacing in my room. What in the world was Edward talking about? How did he plan to get passed my father?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I jumped when there was a light tink, tink sound on my bedroom window. I ran to the window and saw Edward on the ground throwing pebbles. He waved at me. I opened the window.

"Edward!" I whisper shouted.

"Hold on a second." He went to the tree that was beside the window and grabbed on to the highest branch he could manage. I could see his muscles at work as he pulled himself onto a higher branch. The thin, grey t-shirt he was wearing really showed his amazing physique.

"Move, Bella." Edward said in a strained voice. I hadn't even realized that he's climbed to the branch directly across my bedroom window. I quickly got out of his way as he climbed through the window. He tripped over his own feet and fell onto the floor with a loud bang.

I heard Charlie clambering up the stairs.

"Oh crap!" I exclaimed. "Edward, hide in my closet for just a second." I ordered.

"What?" He looked at me like I was crazy.

"Just do it!" He hid in my closet and closed the door as much as the tiny space would allow. Charlie banged on my bedroom door.

"Bella?" He said through the door.

"Yeah, Dad?"

Charlie opened the door and peeked his head in. "What was that noise?"

"Oh, I accidentally knocked some books of the book shelf." I lied.

Charlie obviously didn't believe me, but what argument did he have? "Okay." He closed the door and headed back downstairs.

Once I was sure Charlie was gone, I went to get Edward. "Sorry about that. I didn't want him to see you. He'd have a heart attack." I said to Edward as he stepped out of the closet.

"That's okay." He walked passed me and lounged out on my bed. For some reason, even before we were dating, Edward had always liked to lounge out on my bed. This time, I had an excuse to join him.

I crawled up onto the bed beside him. He carefully put his arms around me. "Edward?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Won't your parents be worried if you're late coming home tonight?"
"No, I already told them that I was staying out late. They trust me." I'd noticed that. His parents were very trusting. Charlie, however, wasn't like them. I guess that all stemmed from when he was a teenager and how he married my mother, Renée, right out of high school. They produced me only a year later.

"Oh, okay." I said. Edward and I laid there together for a while. We didn't say anything, but I had a feeling he was thinking the same things I was.

We hadn't kissed yet. Like a real kiss. We hadn't even used the L-word and I was going to let him make that leap, not me.

"Bella?" Edward asked, nervous.

"Yeah?"

"Can…" He hesitated for a moment. "Can I kiss you?"

I turned my head up to look at him. "I hope you know that you don't have to ask." We both smiled.

Edward placed his palm on the side of my face and caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. Unwillingly, I turned my face into his touch and kissed his hand. He then lifted my chin and brought his face inches from mine. My pulse was racing and I felt like my whole body had turned to jelly. How was it that he could make me feel that way? None of my other boyfriends had been able to make me feel like I was flying…then again I had, had only one other boyfriend and he had been a mistake.

The past didn't matter the only thing right now as me and Edward.

Our lips connected and it felt like one of those old movies where the classical music starts playing really loud. I was in love with Edward Cullen…

Wow, this chapter ended up a little longer than I expected. Please tell me what you think about it. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please leave them in a review. Oh, and the graduation will be in the next chapter.

~Kelli(jellyjo2014)~