.

"Hmm why's he sitting by himself today?" Angela asked, unwrapping her sandwich.

"Who? Ben?" I turned around taking a huge bite out of my apple. I blushed mid-bite when I found Edward with a smirk on his face, and I turned back to the table.

"No, Edward…" she shook her head, not noticing my embarrassment. It was strange – Edward was sitting at an empty table away from his family. Yesterday we finished our lab peacefully and without incident.

"Maybe he wants to be alone," I shrugged, resisting the urge to look his way.

"Or he wants to make new friends. You should go over there."

"What? No!"

"Why not? You're lab partners – go be friends with him," she waved a hand, dismissing me.

"Mom I don't want to play with the other kids," I pouted, gathering up my courage and my food.

"You'll have fun – I promise," she laughed as I made a face at her.

I dreaded taking each step towards Edward's table.

What if he wanted to be alone?

What if he doesn't like me?

Why did I listen to Angela? She wasn't my mom.

"Hi…" I mumbled when I finally got there. It seemed like everyone in the cafeteria was staring at me when he looked up from his small notebook.

"Hey," he smiled. "Are you going to sit down?"

I blushed taking a seat as he flipped his notebook closed and stuffed it in the back pocket of his jeans. I definitely interrupted him. I started twisting the stem of my apple trying not to combust of embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" he leaned over whispering.

"Yes?" I whispered back.

"You look unsure of yourself…"

"Well I didn't want to bother you and…"

"And...?"

"Well people will talk… especially since your name is Edward," I frowned.

"Seems like they'll talk anyway as I'm the new kid and you're you."

"True…"

"Did you know," he cleared his throat. "That your school food is actually pretty decent."

"Yeah, it was terrible back in Arizona…"

"Oh you're from Arizona?"

"No, well I was born here, but my parents got divorced and I moved with my mom."

"Oh…" he looked puzzled.

"Um… she remarried and then the whole Twilight book thing happened and it was just… better here. Plus I missed my dad too…" I explained.

"I'm from Chicago – that's where we moved from," he scratched his ear.

"And the food?"

"Oh, complete shit," he grinned at me with a strange look in his eye. It was strange because I couldn't look away and I kinda liked it.

Lunch with Edward was easy? Was easy the right word? We got along well and there wasn't forced conversation like I usually do with most people. Comfortable! – that was a better word. I was comfortable with Edward which was actually uncomfortable. I'd never been "friends" with a guy – an attractive guy. "Friends" because it wasn't the kind of friendship that included seeing each other outside of school, but "friends" as in we continued our conversations from lunch in bio as Mr. Banner prepared for the lesson.

"So what kinda music do you like?" he asked, causing me to stop breathing - until I remembered the excuse I came up for Angela.

"Classical," I shrugged, hiding my panic. I felt like I was being obvious and couldn't even look at him.

"Oh really? What's your favorite piece?" he smirked. He knew I was lying, but why should he care so much?

"Um… uh Clair de Lune…" The only reason I even knew that song was because I watched an Eddie Masen video of him playing it at the White House for a Christmas special. I should have said Beethoven's 5th or something else, because he grinned down at his lap trying to hide his smile.

"I'm curious," he murmured leaning toward me.

"About what?" I copied his movement.

"Why is liking Eddie Masen so embarrassing?" he watched me, waiting for an answer as I stammered. His eyes were like dancing emeralds… when did I become such a sappy girl? They were just green…

"It's – it's not," I shook my head. "What's embarrassing is that I don't just like his music. I'm kinda obsessed. And it's a recent development. I didn't even like it back in the 4th grade when it was popular. I know it sounds strange, but it just puts me in a good mood. " My face was burning, I was blushing so hard.

"I know what you mean," he nodded.

"So what's your dark secret?"

"What?" he stared, completely surprised by my question.

"You're not a vampire, are you?"

"No..."

"It's just not fair. You've figured out my deepest, most embarrassing secret, and we've only been friends for one day."

"I don't think music preference counts as a dark secret – even if it's Eddie Masen," he turned back to Mr. Banner. I'd obviously upset him somehow, and I reluctantly turned to the front of the room.

And then I didn't see Edward for a week…

In reality, it was only a day; it just felt like forever. It was ironic that he wasn't around when I really wanted him to be. How was it possible that I gained his friendship and then lost it in a day?

I finally saw him at lunch… sitting with his family. I guess he really did want to be alone yesterday. I turned to my usual table with Angela, but by the way Ben was glaring at Jessica I figured that I wouldn't be welcome there either. I plopped down at an empty table and pulled out my book to read. After a few pages, I felt someone sitting down across from me and I nearly choked on my apple when I saw Edward.

I didn't say a word as he pulled out his little notebook and started writing. I blinked down at my book confused, and I tried my best to keep reading. Then a folded piece of paper was slid my way.

I get manicures.

What? I frowned at it until I remembered my dark secret question. "Really?" I looked up at him.

"Every six weeks," he gave a tight smile, placing his hands on the table for me to see. They were clean, even, and nicely trimmed – much nicer than my chewed-up nails.

"And your toes?" I grinned, subtly hiding my hands under the table.

"No," he snorted. "No way will I ever let Alice convince me to get a pedicure."

"Alice, your sister?"

"The short one," he nodded towards his family's table and started moving his fingers in a familiar pattern – finger exercises.

"Which finger did you break?"

"My pinky, it's still a little crooked." He flattened his little finger on the table. "How'd you know?"

"I've done plenty of strengthening exercises. The last time I broke my finger I slammed it in a car door," I explained as he hissed.

"Accident prone, are you?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. I only tend to harm myself," I blushed.

And then we were back to normal or at least we were what we were before… I did my best to ignore how gorgeous he was and not ask about any deep hidden secrets. We sat together at lunch and had our easy conversations.

Everything was perfectly fine – until one day…

"So what's up with this dance?"

"What dance?" I looked away from him. I knew very well what dance because we had the same stupid dance every year.

"A back-to-school dance? I've never heard of that – don't you guys have Homecoming?"

"Not until October. Not much goes on in Forks - the dances are kind of a big deal."

"How many are there?"

"Seven."

"Seven! That many?"

"I don't know. I just made up a number. Wait hold on," I laughed as I counted them on my fingers. "Eh, six."

"Wow, do you guys have one for Flag Day?"

"No, that would be stupid. Flag Day's in June," I quipped as he cracked a smile.

"Are these things any fun?"

"I wouldn't know. I haven't been to one."

"Why not?"

"It's not really my thing, plus no one's ever asked me," I shrugged.

"Do you want-"

"Hi!" Edward's sister Alice appeared next to me.

"Alice!" he glared.

"Hi I'm Alice!" she smiled at me again before sitting down. Edward groaned resting his forehead in his hand.

"Alice…" he groaned. Most of the time, I tried not to notice how attractive Edward was, but he looked so cute all frustrated with his elbow propped up on the table.

"What? It's not like I'm squeezing her to death. He said no hugs," she looked at me like I was supposed to know what she was talking about.

"Okay," I nodded.

"Is your name really Isabella Swan?"

"Alice!" Edwards jaw dropped and his hand slapped down on the table. "What are you..."

"Bella," I nodded again.

"Very interesting - is your dad a cop?"

"He's chief of police," I sighed.

"Oh my god! Edward you're not a vampire, are you?" she gave him a wicked grin before jumping up out of her chair.

Edward had stood up abruptly and Alice fled back to her table.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized as I grabbed my tray. "She wasn't being mean to you. She was just messing with me."

"Yeah I kinda got that," I blushed flattered that he was getting upset about it. "Do you want me to take that?"

"No here let me take yours," he pulled the tray away from me and he quickly turned on his heel.

"Oh my god, what was that?" Jessica whispered, startling me.

"Geez Jess, what're you doing?" I turned to look at her. She was crouched low between the tables, trying to be discreet.

"What was all that about?"

"What?"

"God Bella, are you being dense on purpose?" she crossed her arms as the bell rung.

Edward came back and grabbed his bag. He kept apologizing as we walked to bio. During class he got really quiet and fidgeted in his seat. He seemed... nervous. By the end, I was anxious by just watching him.

"Hey Bella?" I was surprised to hear his voice as the bell rang.

"Yeah?"

"Do you… want to go to the dance with me?"

"Yes." It slipped out of my mouth before I could even register the question.

"Great, see you later," he grinned, turning back down the hallway for his last class.

Great! Edward just asked me to the dance!

Edward asked me to the dance.

Great, Edward asked me to the stupid dance and I had to find a way to get out of it.

After gym I tracked down Angela. I needed her help because the only thing I could think of that could get me out of going to the dance was injuring myself.

"Thank goodness I found you!" Angela looked panicked.

"What's wrong?" I'd never seen Angela like this.

"I invited Ben to my house to do our art homework together, but my room's covered in posters and I need you to help me take them down!"

Ah, her Eddie Masen posters.

"Could you just not let him see your room?"

"I would try, but my brothers - you know? Please can you help me?"

How could I not? I'd never been to Angela's house and I think I figured out why. There weren't just posters – though she did have an entire wall dedicated to Eddie Masen. But there were pillows, blankets, and t-shirts.

"You can tell there used to be something there," she pouted at the empty wall.

"Hmm, you know those drawings on your refrigerator?"

"Yeah," she darted out of them for her little brothers' drawings.

I finished rolling up the last poster and I started stacking up magazine pages, careful of the tape. And then I saw it - a picture of Eddie Masen with a bright green cast on his right arm.

I don't why it struck or why I asked Angela about it.

"Oh he broke his finger playing flag football - they made a really big deal about it because it was careless of him and could've ruined his career. Like he needs his pinky to sing," she scoffed. "Well… he wouldn't have been able to play the piano or his guitar…"

"Huh," I unrolled one of the posters. "I think maybe you should leave one up just so that Ben knows you at least like Eddie Masen."

"You're right, I'll just shove these under my bed for now," she finished putting up her brothers scribbled drawings.

I stared intently at Eddie Masen's face. He didn't really look like Edward - maybe if you squinted, took away the baby fat, and colored the blonde hair red. Plus Edward had the prettiest green eyes ever and Eddie Masen had baby blue ones.

When I got home, I spent the rest of the day googling both Eddie Masen and even Edward Cullen. As I found thousands of pages about Eddie Masen, I couldn't find one link about Edward.

According to his fansite – last updated 2004 – Eddie Masen was born in Chicago, an only child raised by a single mother, and discovered in a school play - loved Cheetos and baseball. His career didn't last very long – a year and half. He was gone as quickly as he came. His incident on SNL was one of his last appearances.

And Edward was from Chicago but had four siblings and Dr. Dad...

Edward was not Eddie Masen.

AN: I just want to clarify that there was a bit of a (very subtle) time jump in there – just 2 or 3 weeks. It's not like the fourth day of school and suddenly there's a random dance… it'll be more like a month haha

And I would like to remind you that this is fiction… and whatever the author says, you kinda have to just go with it….. : )

Thanks for Reading!