Edward's POV

As I drove to the school I was thinking of all that happened with my Bella today. I couldn't help smiling to myself. I felt as if there was hope for me for a life with her. As I neared the school I remembered a certain pixie who abandoned her brother in his hour of need. Oh yes! She was going to pay for it!

I parked and went to my class. There were only two more periods to go and Alice didn't have either of them with me. She should thank her lucky stars. I tried reading her thoughts but she was singing an African tribe song in Swahili! Ok the little pixie was up to something. I was not going to let her get away with this.

When the final bell rang she walked into the car park just as I reached the Volvo. She put her bag in to the car and as she turned to get in, I saw the mud puddle right next to her door. I saw the horror in her face a split second before I pushed the little pixie into the mud! She just had time to grab me as she fell and we both ended up in the mud together. It had been raining and the mud was thick.

"YOU ! Are you crazy Edward this dress is made of a very expensive material and I ordered it from Paris you idiot."

She was splashing around trying to get up when I pulled her down again.

"What you did in the morning was not nice Alice."

"I did it for you Edward. You have to know that."

"What do you mean you did it for me? You left me Alice! You left me when I needed you the most." I was screaming now. I was so angry with her remembering my humiliation and the utter mortification when Bella found out about it.

"Oh come on Edward!"

She dared to defend her self after what she did. I pushed her head in the mud. She retaliated and did the same to me. By now we were rolling around in the mud. I didn't care. The pixie was going to be sorry for what she did to me in the morning. If not for Bella I would have been the laughing stock of the whole school by now! I was really mad. I could read in her thoughts that Alice was equally angry. She was thinking of how she would have to work to get the mud out of her hair and how the dress was totally ruined. She was screaming at me now.

"Look what you did? This was one of my favourite designs. It took me a whole week to get the material shipped. It's totally ruined now. This is the second dress you ruined in a week."

I was getting more angry when I heard her. She was worried about a silly dress and her hair when she should regret not helping her brother.

"Edward Cullen and Alice Cullen get up at once!"

Alice and I both stared in shock at Vice Principal Morgan. When did he get here? Oh! god! We were surrounded by the whole school. There were so many kids around us. Alice and I exchanged a glance. How could a mind reader and a psychic be surprised? I couldn't believe it!

"I'm sorry Edward I didn't see it. I was so angry I wasn't concentrating on anything else." I whispered "Me too."

I slowly got up and helped Alice up trying to wipe off some of the mud from her face. I was feeling terrible now. What had I done? Alice held on tightly to my hand trying to hide her face in my t-shirt. She was scared and feeling very embarrassed because she had never been less than perfect with her clothes when she came to school. Now thanks to me she looked like some thing the cat had dragged in.

"Follow me to the office." These kids are crazy. Come to think of it I have never seen the Cullen kids get into any trouble before. Some thing must be very wrong. I will have to call Dr. Cullen.

Oh! No. We were in deep trouble. I knew Carlisle would want to know what happened and he would be ashamed of me for behaving so badly and I had dragged Alice into it.

Angela rushed over and handed Alice some tissues. I took them from her and tried to help the pixie wipe off some of the mud.

"Edward check whether the humans noticed anything out of order. I don't know whether we fought at vampire speed."

I nodded at her and tried to read the thoughts around me. I hadn't even thought of that. I had been so engrossed in the fight that I had not even heard the thoughts of the kids who must have come to watch us. If I had seen or heard them we wouldn't be in this mess. I cursed myself.

Mike Newton thought

"I never expected to see the day when the Cullen's got down and dirty. They sure are weird. They seem to go all out when it comes to fighting. I mean Alice didn't give up. Good for her for taking on Edward. I hope Bella is around to see this less than perfect Cullen" and he looked around to find her.

I focused on Tyler next. "Oh man what a fight. What a hell cat. Jasper must be enjoying some….." I left his head.

Jessica approached me with a hanky.

"Here Edward, let me help you get the dirt off."

She tried to reach up and wipe my face with it but I quickly grabbed her hanky and handed it over to Alice.

"Thanks Jessica".

"Oh! He looks so cute. Like a hunk who had just ridden in a rodeo and got trampled on!...how romantic. Sexy hair all messed up. I wouldn't mind making love to him in the mud. It would be so erotic. I would first…."

I quickly turned to Eric.

He smiled at me.

"You are the man" and he gave me a five. I let my hand touch his but didn't understand what he meant.

"Dude you took her on."

Then he remembered all the times his sisters had played pranks on him. Ok I guess I understood. Alice was scowling at him. I couldn't help smiling. It did look a bit funny with the two of us caked in mud.

"Who knew the Cullen's had it in them to let go and have some fun." Ben was thinking.

"I hope it's nothing serious." Angela was still walking with me and Alice trying to help Alice.

"Wow. A sex god covered in mud….what I wouldn't give to help him wash all that mud off of him…...I would run a hot bath ….."

Lauren was practically trying to eat me alive with the hungry look she sent.

I quickly looked away and focused back on Alice's thoughts.

"Oh! god he'll call Carlisle what are we going to do Edward?"

She gave me a desperate look. She was thinking of the time that Carlisle had taken away her credit cards for a whole week when she and I pulled a prank on Emmett and Rosalie.

I put a hand around her shoulders and hugged her to me in reassurance.

"It's my fault Alice. Carlisle won't be mad at you. I'll tell him everything was my fault I promise."

I was feeling like hell. Poor Alice! Loosing her credit cards would mean so much to her. She loves to shop and the thought that she wouldn't be able to buy anything for some time was the ultimate punishment for her. And Carlisle knew it. He couldn't do that to me because I had my own fortune accumulated over the years. My parents had been well to do and they had left me everything they owned. I had substantially increased my wealth through the years with different investments and recently with the stock market predications that Alice made.

I never realized it but Alice must be feeling really insecure without her own money. She and Jasper and everyone else in the family including me had credit cards with unlimited spending which Carlisle had provided. He was in-charge of the family wealth which was invested around the world. Alice had helped in increasing that too. I decided it was time I did something for her. I could buy her all sorts of gifts but it was not like having your own money. I decided to open a savings account for Alice with some money so that she can do whatever she wanted with it. May be she would even like to invest in the stock market with me.

Alice quickly turned around and hugged me mud and all to the surprise of everyone around us. They were all gaping at us incredulously.

"Thank you thank you thank you Edward" and she kissed me on the cheek. I hugged her closely to me. I felt very happy that I had made her so happy when a moment ago I had done something so unforgivable. The little pixie was glowing with happiness.

I looked around me.

"What was that about? Tyler was asking Mike.

"As if I know; if you ask me they are a bunch of weirdoes."

"I thought they were fighting? This is ridiculous I wouldn't forgive anyone who dunked me in the mud like that." Jessica was telling Lauren. She was now mad at me for ignoring her help.

We were in the office now.

"You two wait here. Don't sit on any of the chairs wipe your feet before you enter the office. I'm going to call your parents."

With that Vice Principal Morgan left us in the outer office and went into his to take the call.

"Please Edward. Don't let Carlisle punish me ok? I was only trying to help you this morning. I left because I knew Bella would help you once she knew I wasn't around."

"What?"

"I saw it Edward. I saw that she would help you and take you home and wash your clothes for you."

"Oh. That was why you were doing the Chinese translation?"

"Yes you idiot. How could you for a moment think that I wouldn't help you? I didn't even let the family catch you. It was your fault entirely that some of them found out."

I had to admit that what she said was true. She had made sure no one would know of my motor bike riding mishap.

"Then why did you not warn me?"

"I did warn you to wear the new underwear from the spring collection." I cringed remembering the ones she had got me. They were so much more revealing than my normal ones.

"Well yes." She did warn me.

"But then I saw the vision of Bella helping you and decided that it was for the best if I went away."

"But you could have told me."

"Well would you have gone through with it if I had told you?"

"Of course not! I didn't know where to hide myself when Bella found out. I mean I was beyond mortified. It was not right of me as a gentleman to have behaved like a cad in front of her. Specially, someone like Bella who deserves to be treated with respect."

"Oh! Come on Edward! Do you think Bella minded? I bet she was very happy to know she affected you in that way."

"Well…" I was now speechless. I remembered the look on Bella's face. She was anything but offended.

I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face at the memory of Bella's blush.

"Ok yes. She was happy. But don't do that to me again Alice. She made me wear a bed sheet and it got tangled in a tree and and…" I couldn't continue. I burst out laughing when I saw Alice's vision of it in her head at that moment. We were both laughing hysterically when the Vice Principal walked in.

I'm never going to understand these kids. I thought they were fighting. Now it looks like they are enjoying a joke. Well let's see what they have to say when their parents get here. I have always wanted to know how Dr. Cullen managed to keep five teenagers out of trouble.

"I suggest that you think about your actions before laughing. I don't expect teenagers to behave like little kids."

Playing in the mud in the parking lot, they both usually look so serious. Something must be wrong for them to behave this way. Well we'll find out soon enough.

"I suggest you clean up in that sink over there before your parents get here. They are on the way. Mrs. Cope can you hand over some gym towels?

Mrs. Cope was staring at us like she had seen a ghost.

"Whatever happened to Edward Cullen? And that sweet little Alice? Someone must have pushed them into the mud. I knew the other kids were jealous about them. But this is no way to treat them. They have always been very courteous to me."

After she gave us the towels I wet one from the sink and started cleaning Alice. She took another and was wiping the mud from my face.

"Oh! Look how sweet they look. I can see the love they share. This is how a brother and sister should be and they are not even related." Mrs. Cope was giving us a loving look.

She called the vice principal in a whisper and showed us to him. They were now both staring at us. I could see it in my mind but they thought we couldn't see them since our back was turned to them.

"I'll never understand these kids. Now they look as if they never had any fight. They do really care about each other. They are not related but guess it's not a love match. I've seen the girl with her boy friend Jasper. But they do look very close. I guess I can be a bit lenient on them. They have never got in to trouble before."

Alice got a vision of us cleaning the school yard and then writing an essay on good behaviour. We both smiled. Ok we were not going to get detention. I had been worried about how we were going to take notes for Bella if we had got detention. But Carlisle was another matter. Alice also looked serious.

"Edward please, don't let Carlisle be angry with me ok?"

I nodded while stroking her head.

I heard the intercom buzz and then Carlisle and Esme walked in. They stood frozen at the door when they saw us.

"What in the world happened to you two Edward? What ever you did how did you get caught? You are the last two people I would have expected to find in this situation what ever it is." Carlisle asked me as Esme rushed over to me and Alice.

"Please come into the office Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen; and the two of you Edward." Mr. Morgan was now at a loss on how to explain this to Carlisle. Carlisle's look of surprise and Esme's response had taken him by surprise. Most parents would have immediately been angry with the kids. But Carlisle looked very calm except for his surprise that he didn't disguise.

"Well Dr. Cullen, I got summoned to the parking lot right after school. Edward and Alice were fighting in a mud puddle in the parking lot. The other kids had seen them falling into the puddle. When I got there they were screaming at each other while rolling in the mud."

Carlisle nearly fell off his chair while Esme covered her mouth in surprise. They knew that Emmett, Jasper and I were very fond of fighting. In fact Alice and Rosalie had also fought. Come to think of it we all fought; But never Alice and me. I had always protected her and she had done the same for me. The whole family knew of the special connection we had with each other. We would joke and make fun at each other but never really fight. So to hear that we had been screaming at each other and behaving in this manner at a public place was beyond their comprehension.

Alice was holding tightly to me sobbing on to my t-shirt. She was really scared now. I held her closer.

"It's my fault dad. I pushed her into the mud."

"Edward are you out of your mind" Carlisle was so surprised he could barely talk. It was Esme who responded.

"That was not a nice thing to do to your sister Edward." She reprimanded me.

"I'm sorry mom. Please don't punish Alice dad. It was all my fault. It was a big misunderstanding."

The Vice Principal's mouth was now gaping open. These kids are amazing. He's taking the blame for everything and she's seeking comfort from him. I think she's crying and I thought they were fighting just a short while ago. Was I mistaken? No I was sure they were screaming at each other.

Carlisle took charge. He looked at me and asked a silent question.

"Does this have anything to do with Bella and what has been happening the past few days?"

I meekly nodded a silent yes. I saw Carlisle suppress a smile.

"This is getting very interesting. Both of you are not going any where until you explain everything to me and Esme as soon as we get home. I'll try to get you out of here now and get the vice principal to reduce your punishment."

"You had better explain things to me when we get home. Both of you are grounded. Now you can leave the office so that I can talk to Mr. Morgan." He nodded at us. Be thankful I know you two must have had a good reason for this behaviour.

I smiled at Carlisle when we turned so that Mr. Morgan didn't see it. Esme was now looking a bit surprised at me and Carlisle. One look from Carlisle brought Esme up to date and she covered her face with a hanky to suppress her giggles. I could see her shoulders shaking.

"Edward what have you two been up to now? I know Bella is involved in this some how. I can't wait to get home. I know you have been avoiding us."

I heard Carlisle talking to Mr. Morgan when we came out.

"I can't understand why Edward and Alice would have had a fight. It must have been a simple misunderstanding. I don't think he pushed her into the mud. They must have slipped and fallen. He must be covering up for Alice."

"But I heard them screaming at each other." Mr. Morgan remembered the shouting.

"What were they arguing about?" I hope they were not talking about Bella. That would need some explaining. Carlisle thought.

"I think it was something about a dress."

At this both Carlisle and Esme relaxed.

"Oh, Edward must have ruined Alice's dress. She loves to sew and design her clothing. I remember that she made the one she is wearing now." Esme told the vice principal.

"Yes. I think that must be why they were arguing. Alice is very fond of her dresses." Carlisle said in our defense.

"Do the two of them have fights at home?" asked Mr. Morgan.

"That is the thing. They never do. All the others have fights. You know how teenagers are. Specially, the boys get into all sorts of squabbles when they play base ball or other games. But this is the first time that I have ever seen Alice and Edward fighting. They are the youngest in the family and they are very close to each other."

"I guess you are right. I saw them in the outer office trying to clean each other off while we were waiting for you."

"Please don't be too hard on them. We will ground them when we get home." It was Esme who spoke up.

This family sure loves each other. I guess Dr. Cullen and his wife have the right attitude when it comes to teenagers. I can see it in the two kid's faces that they regret their actions and now the whole family is trying to get them out of trouble. They look very close as a family. I wish all families were like them.

"Ok. How about if I get them to clean up the front school yard and write an essay on discipline? I won't give them detention as I can see they both regret their actions. I feel it is highly unlikely that they would ever repeat such behavior. Both of them are very good students and have never got into trouble before so I can be lenient on them."

"Thank you Mr. Morgan."

The intercom buzzed. "Mrs. Cope, send the kids in."