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not beta'd

storyline - Malicious

prompt - block

"Where's Rose?" asked Alice, sliding in to the chair beside me.

I glanced around the library, shrugging. "Probably with Emmett."

"Emmett? McCarty?"

"Yeah."

Alice stayed quiet a minute, but I knew it wouldn't last. She was too curious.

"What's up with Rose and Emmett?"

Chuckling, I leaned closer to her so as not to piss off our already frazzled looking librarian. "I'm pretty sure he likes her and I think maybe she likes him."

"You're kidding me."

"Nope."

She leaned back in her seat. "Wow."

"I know."

It was beginning to look like Rose's embargo on boys from our school had lifted – at least, for Emmett. I suspected he was one of the few guys that could handle Rose, her "rules" and her feisty ways.

"So what about you?" Alice whispered, doodling in her notebook.

"What about me?" I knew what she was asking; Alice always felt the need to match people up, as if the future of the world depended on such things.

Okay, so in a very, very broad sense it did but still. I had time, damn.

"You don't like anybody?"

"I think Peter's cute."

"Peter? From Mathletes?"

"Yeah." I nodded. Peter was really cute, actually, in that hot geeky sort of way. We'd been chatting during AP Statistics lately.

"Hmm, I can see that," said Alice, chewing on her pencil eraser.

A gross habit and I told her so.

She ignored me and continued staring off in to space, probably plotting. I dove back in to my history research. It was a busy day and I wanted to have my work done early.

Peter grinned at me as we walked in to the dim theater.

He had this quiet, confident appeal that I could no longer deny being attracted to. There was just something really sexy about a guy who knew he was cute but didn't act like it.

Being Friday night, the cinema was completely packed. After searching for-fricking-ever we finally found an empty-ish row and sat down. Peter set the huge tub of popcorn he'd bought on my lap and we started sharing it, talking quietly while the previews ran.

Right as the lights darkened fully, there was a small flurry of action at the end of the row as two more people edged in to sit down. Handing Peter our popcorn, I moved my purse off the seat beside me to make room for the person standing there.

Irony of ironies. Of course it would be Edward.

Of course.

Even in the dark I could see his dismay. I'm sure it matched my own. Ugh.

Someone hissed for him to sit down already and he did, quickly dropping in to the seat and leaning away. I wanted to tell him to just move over and sit his date beside me but that was just stupid and petty so I stayed quiet.

Whatever. Hopefully the movie would be engaging enough for me to just block him out.

Meanwhile, Peter was eating popcorn on my right with gusto, mumbling about how excited he was to see this particular adaptation of his favorite comic book characters. Sighing inwardly, I folded my arms over my purse and stared straight ahead, doing my best to ignore the eyes burning in to me from my left.

Oh no.

No no no.

Peter was totally giving me the "kiss me" look. I could feel it; he'd been glancing at me every five seconds for awhile now. The problem was, while I was attracted to him, I wasn't sure I wanted to make out with him. At least, not on our first date. I didn't want to give him the wrong impression.

Secondly, the last guy I'd kissed – disastrously, mind you – was sitting on my other side. Why were the fates so cruel?

Eventually Peter tapped my arm, and I scooted closer, thinking he wanted to say something. Instead he tilted my face toward his and planted a wet one on me. I was so startled I dropped my purse.

Edward, in a show of rare politeness, leaned down to pick it up at the same time I did, so we collided. Hard.

"Ouch!" he hissed, glaring as he rubbed his head.

"Sorry," I muttered. Although, my head hurt too. It wasn't like I'd done it on purpose.

Meanwhile, Peter was apologizing profusely. I grabbed my bag, sat up, and prayed for the movie to hurry up and finish so I could get the hell out.

But when Peter cluelessly tried to kiss me again, it was Edward, not me, who stopped him by throwing a handful of M&M's at him.

What the hell?

Peter shoved the popcorn at me and jumped up, ready to… I don't know…fight? With Edward? I peeked over at Edward's date, a girl I recognized from school but didn't know. She gave me a dirty look and left.

Any satisfaction I could have felt from watching that was quickly overshadowed by embarrassment because no sooner had Edward stood to deal with Peter, one of the ushers showed up and asked us to leave.

I couldn't believe it. Any of it. Why would Edward care if Peter tried to kiss me? I would have thought he'd enjoy my discomfort. But then, somewhere between the lobby and the parking lot, the truth hit me so hard I felt pukey.

Emmett's cryptic words about things not being as they seemed came back to me.

Edward was jealous. Not just of my swimming, but of Peter. He…liked me, and instead of expressing it like a normal human being, or at least a mature one, he tried to terrorize me because I didn't like him back.

"We don't have to go home yet," Peter said, as if all was peachy keen as he unlocked his car.

I sighed. "I think I'd prefer if we did."