Disclaimer: All about twilight belong to SM. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

Comfort Girl

Chapter Two

Senior year is considered to be an important rite of passage for everyone. Edward want it to be over soon. He had done almost everything a boy of his age was supposed to do. He had good grades, achievements in sports, a decent circle of friends and experience in all the fields of intimacy with the opposite gender. Truth to be told, he had nothing more fascinating to pursue than... Bella.

Biology class was not easy. All students had to take many tests and finish a ten-page assignment on human body functions. Edward barely managed to get int the classroom when the teacher announced that they would have to work as teams.

"And now that we are all here, let's see what your projects will be about." Professor Banner started putting papers on each station.

"You will work in pairs. The person sitting next to each one of you will be your lab-partner for the whole semester." A sudden noise filled the room and the first objections began.

"Sir?" Jessica Stanley started. "Can we switch partners or stations? I..." she tried to talk but a serious "No" from her teacher put a rather intense grimace of annoyance on her face.

"Just to get this clear. You will need extra homework for this project. I don't care if you are or not friends with the person next to you. This is a lab and a lab means working with people you may or may not like. I'm not going to waste time in matching friends into pairs. Got it?" The class went silent. A few "yes" and "whatever" followed and Banner just returned to his office without giving the subject any further attention. Jessica laid back on her chair, whispering something in Lauren's ear, her eyes focused on the back of Edward's head. If she was sitting in front of him , she would see a small , almost creepy smile on his lips. Edward had just started to like Banner.

"Take a good look on the papers in front of you. The project is focused on the human senses and the biological effects they have between humans. We are going to search the mechanics around our everyday biological interaction, what simple things, like touch or taste, do to our body. Use the rest of the hour to discuss your assignment as a team. I need your schedule by the end of the week. I remind you that this is team work and you will also get extra grade for your productive cooperation." Banner closed his notes and started preparing his next class, leaving his students to work.

Edward took the papers and gave half of the copies to Bella.

"Hey, have you worked with anyone before?" he asked, looking at her with curiosity.

Bella was already reading the copies, her face focused on the paper. She seemed a little pensive, like something was bothering her.

"No...No I haven't," she spoke softly, never taking her eyes from the theme.

Edward was wondering why she looked so serious. A brief look on the subject made him suspicious.

"Smell?" he noted, a little surprised himself. Smell was a sense but what could they do about it? The notes under the title made everything more specific. Banner wanted them to work on the effect of a human's smell on the biology of another human's body. There was bibliography and many links for them to get advice from, but the schedule was directly up to them. It was a lab, they needed to plan an experiment. An experiment that involved people alive and ready to be tested for their smell. Edward had seconds thoughts on that. They needed guinea pigs.

"I know," Bella mumbled. We need volunteers for all this. It..It will be awkward, won't it?"

"Edward looked toward her and nodded affirmatively."

"I think this is more advanced than I hoped. I mean...Are we ever gonna find someone who will let us smell them? It's a little weird..."

"Yeah, weird..." Bella agreed. "I'm not even sure if I like people smelling me..." she spoke again and she abruptly went silent, like she was embarrassed for even saying so.

Edward watched her in awe as her cheeks flushed and a beautiful coral color lightened her skin. Deep inside he knew he should be the embarrassed one. Cause deep inside, the first thing that came to his mind when he spelled "Smell", was the fresh fragrance of the girl next to him and how he was forcing himself not to take deep breaths and possibly frightened her. Bella smelled amazingly.

"I do," Edward spoke and then wished he was hit by a train or something. Bella was looking at him with her eyes and mouth wide open.

"I mean, I'm sure I would have issues about people smelling me," he tried to cover his awkward confession. Fortunately it worked. Bella seemed relaxed and the horror was gone from her face.

"Okay," she smiled softly. "We have to find our victims soon. I can ask some friends from the paper or maybe my dad. We need at least two, so..."

"Yeah, I will ask some friends, or my family," Edward spoke but without hiding his uncertainty.

"Don't you think we need a study schedule?" Bella was already counting the days before their first presentation.

"We only have three days to make a calendar of our work. I'm not sure..."

"You are not sure about the class. Come on, we will get through this, it's just until someone let's us deal with his smelling socks or a shirt after gym. Bella..." Edward interrupted her.

They both looked at each other and broke into a discreet laughter.

"No. I meant I'm not sure we have enough spare time. You have practice, I have lots of things after school... It is a bigger lab than I expected." Bella breathed hard and looked outside towards the heavy dark clouds on the sky.

"Well my practice never ends after seven. I can work on this later. I mean...If you can..." Edward whispered, playing a little impatiently with his pen. He wanted to do the lab with her. Only her...

Bella stayed silent. She was obviously thinking.

"Is there anything I can do for you? I mean, help you after school?" he blurted, clenching his pen tightly.

She smiled softly and just looked at him for a few seconds. Edward thought that, she suddenly looked older than her age, like the things she had to do were far from going for groceries or her part time job. She had the look of a woman, not just a 17year-old girl.

"No, nothing," she answered and focused on the papers again.

Edward wanted to ask her. Who was she after school. What were those "lots of things"? He didn't though. Cause that was exactly what Bella was special about. Privacy.

"We have twenty minutes left. How about we have a brain-storming now?" Edward insisted. Bella's face changed from dark to calm, if not happy and she looked at him and nodded yes.

Just as he was about to start writing down ideas, her hand stopped his pen and he found her looking at him with curiosity.

" I don't know why you sat next to me today, but thank you for not asking too much Edward."

A/N: Any thoughts? Please review, makes me really happy!