.

"Hello?" I mumbled sleepily into my phone.

"Hey, sorry I was going to wait until morning to talk to you about this, but I can't stop thinking about it. And you're going through the same stuff with Edward so I'd figured you could help me analyze all of this," Angela's voice sounded in my ear.

"Kay I'm listening." I doubted that I could actually help her.

"Well Ben was over because I was helping him with his trig homework-"

"Wait Ben needed help with his homework?" I grinned because there was no way Ben Cheney needed help with his math homework.

"Yes, so we were in the living room-"

"Still doing homework?"

"No we'd just finished, and we were watching a movie. Let me finish Bella."

"Sorry…"

"So I'm really ticklish like it's ridiculous how ticklish I am, and Ben accidentally poked my side earlier this morning and laughed when I nearly fell out of my seat, so allll day he's been poking me. And then we were watching the movie, and he starts to poke me so I start to poke him back and suddenly he's on top of me and I stop and then he stopped..."

"Angela?" I frowned.

"He didn't kiss me. He had the most perfect opportunity. Why didn't he kiss me?" she groaned. "He just jumped up and got his stuff which was good actually because my dad came home right after that."

"Well it was good that he didn't kiss you then. What if your dad saw you kissing him?"

"Yeah I guess."

"It'll happen, it just wasn't the right moment".

"Yeah..."

"And you know you could kiss him…?" I suggested.

"I know and I almost did, but … it's my first kiss. I want him to kiss me," she sighed.

"I know exactly what you mean."

I couldn't sleep after I got off the phone with Angela. My own advice was not giving me any comfort. Had Edward been trying to do the same thing? Ben was obviously flirting with Angela then he got nervous or whatever. Was the horse bite an attempt at the kind of flirting that led to kissing? Hopefully? Maybe?

…

For some reason, I was back in Edward's house, but it looked different than it had before at dinner. The dining room table was piled with uneaten food, and the walls were a different color. I tiptoed around into the living room looking for Edward or Alice. I needed to explain that I hadn't broken in – I was just there. It was too quiet. Even when Edward and I had been alone after dinner as he gave me a small tour, I could hear someone's voice or just bumps in the walls.

Maybe they were upstairs?

I started up the never-ending staircase, and by the time I got to the eighth floor I was winded. I decided to try some of the doors down the hall, but I couldn't remember which rooms these were. I gave a timid knock on the first door and moved to the next after a moment.

Then I heard soft music playing at the end of the hall. The door wasn't shut all the way so I inched it open to peek through, but one little touch sent the door flying. The room was dark but there were colorful disco lights moving sporadically around the room. Edward's family were paired up dancing like Peanut characters around the room, and a strange looking man stood in the middle with a microphone tapping his foot. He had platinum blonde hair swooped to one side and wore blue-shaded sunglasses and an argyle sweater vest.

I stepped inside to take a closer look, but then automatically stepped back out. Edward? The strange man had Edward's face, but it definitely wasn't Edward. Then he opened his mouth and it certainly wasn't Edward's voice.

"Bella I, can't get enough of your love babe…"

I woke up startled in my bed as my alarm clock continued to play Barry White's song. I quickly turned the switch off noticing that I had mistakenly set it for the music instead of the alarm. After blinking at the time and looking at my room, I became furious with myself.

I told myself I wouldn't think about Eddie Masen anymore or that there was any relation to my Edward. And I had done so well too after having dinner with Edward at his house and seeing his music room and then all the posters on his walls even the signed Gwen Stefani one…

Stupid dream. Stupid Eddie Masen.

…

Angela looked sheepish when she found me before first period.

"I'm sorry for calling you last night. It was stupid."

"No, I'm glad you called. I'm going through the exact same thing with Edward."

"You guys haven't kissed yet?" she gaped at me.

"No, why?" I frowned at her reaction.

"Well it's just that… the way he looks at you... he really likes you. I thought you would have done it by now..."

"Oh... no we haven't."

"Well maybe, tonight's the dance. Hopefully they'll both get smart and do it then," she laughed, but quieted, starring behind my shoulder. I looked over to see Edward walking down the hall, looking extra disheveled and attractive.

"Wow…" Angela sighed. "It's like he gets cuter every day."

"Yeah," I agreed as she floated away past Edward to Ben. Oh… I grinned at her as she met him at his locker.

"Hey," Edward smiled as I met his gaze.

"Hey," I quickly averted my eyes, training on the green sweatshirt he was wearing.

"Are you... okay?" he bent down to look at me.

"Yeah um, you don't own any sweater vests do you?"

"What?" he knitted his brow.

"You know like argyle-"

"No, Emmett has one I think. Why?"

"Just making sure. I had a really weird dream. You don't want to know..."

"Alright," he nodded. "But now I do really want to know."

"I'll never tell," I gave a small smile.

"So despite the weird dream, I see my family hasn't scarred you too bad. I promise you won't have to deal with them too much."

"Hey Bella!" Alice appeared making us jump. "You have to come over after school so we can get ready for the dance together."

"Oh-"

"Right after, okay? See you later!" she smiled brightly and skipped off before I could manage a word.

"Did I say promise? I meant I'll try my best," Edward sighed before throwing an arm on my shoulders and walking me to class.

...

My whole body was in knots by lunch. I was trying to figure ways out of going to the dance. So far my best idea was just a bad case of cramps. It would work too - Dad would keep me home. It was all so tempting, but Edward really wanted to go, and I didn't want to disappoint him.

"Hey girl, is it okay if I sit here today?" Jessica appeared next to me with her lunch tray.

"Yeah, no problem," I shrugged.

"What's with you, Ms. I'm-going-to-the-dance-with-the-cutest-boy-in-school?"

"Stomach ache," I lied.

"Oh, you guys are still coming to the dance right?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" Edward sat down next to me, shaking his milk carton.

"No, I'm sure I'll feel better by then."

"You don't feel well?" Edward frowned, placing the back of his hand against my forehead.

"Just little stomach ache," I stammered as he moved his hand down to my neck.

"We don't have to go if you don't feel well, there'll be a billion other dances."

"Oh, you are going," Alice spoke in a firm voice as she and Jasper joined us.

"Alice…"

"Edward."

I held in a laugh as Jasper made a face and rolled his eyes dramatically, and Jessica looked giddy as she watched them argue. I glanced out the window behind her, and my stomach dropped.

A man with a camera. He was walking from the parking lot with a camera hanging off his shoulder and a large bag on the other. I honestly didn't think a reporter would come all the way out here for a lame story about me. This was ridiculous. This was… This wasn't just about me anymore. What about Edward? It could possibly get a lot more ridiculous if there was a peppy human nature piece about a real life Bella Swan and her almost-boyfriend Edward. I couldn't let him find me with Edward.

Or Edward in general. Because what if? What if my insane idea was right, and Edward was Eddie Masen. He obviously didn't want anyone to know, especially not a desperate reporter.

"Bella?" Jessica waved her hand in my face. "Are you okay? Because you don't look so good – no offense."

"I should take you to the nurse," Edward placed his hand against my face again.

I could not let Edward take me to the front office right to the reporter. Fortunately when I blinked at Jessica, she saw my panic.

"I got it; I'll take her!" she jumped up and grabbed my elbow. She waved Edward's hand away and stood closely behind me, pushing me out of the cafeteria. "Oh my god, did you start your period? I don't see anything yet," she asked turning me around in the hallway.

"I…" I blushed, embarrassed she was sticking her face down there.

"Come on, they've got tampons in the front office. I try to keep a few in my locker, but of course I've given those out. But no worries. No one saw anything," she consoled me.

"Thanks Jessica," I sighed, deciding to go with the lie. She was being a really good friend – I totally needed to buy her a good birthday present this year.

"Oh, he's way early. The dance doesn't start until eight."

"What?" I looked up to see the reporter in the front office talking with Mrs. Cope.

"The photographer – you know for the dance. Well you wouldn't know because you never go to the dances, but he's there at all of them. He sets up this green screen and does these funny backdrops. It's only five dollars for a picture – you know that Jaws picture of Mike and Eric. Mike is the girl in the bikini and Eric is the shark!"

"Oh yeah." Nooo.

I was overwhelmed with relief. He wasn't a reporter – just a photographer.

And that made me a huge idiot. A huge, paranoid, arrogant idiot. Dramatic and so stupid.

I deserved all the embarrassment as Jessica got me situated. At least that was what I kept telling myself when I went to class. And when Edward handed me some small chocolates he'd gotten from Alice. And the knowing look that meant Alice had had similar thoughts as Jessica…

I'd never thought a fake period would be more embarrassing than a real one.

…

When Alice said right after school, she really meant right after school. She had Edward follow me home, she helped me grab my stuff for the dance, and then I had to squish into the back of their car.

Once we got their house, we were banished to Alice's room for a spa-liday. Spa-liday as in spa-holiday.

"Okay we have to do this now if we want to stay on schedule," Alice said as she whipped a large bowl of orange goo.

"I'm not putting that in my hair, Alice," I shook my head at her.

"It's going to make your hair really shiny and bouncy!"

"No, I don't think so."

"It's just a twenty minute soak – it'll come right out!"

"No."

"Come on Bella," she stomped a foot. "I'm doing it, and so is Rosalie."

"I won't succumb to peer pressure, Alice."

"But-"

"She doesn't want to do it Alice," Rosalie came to into the room with wet hair and a towel around her shoulders. "But you can do me."

"Fine, but you're doing the facial! And the manicure!"

After Alice and Rosalie smeared the orange goo into each other's hair, Alice turned on me. She left the room and came back with a large bowl of green goop. This time it was goop because it had chunks and smelled nasty. I should have done the orange goo – at least it smelled nice.

"Do I have to do the whole face or can I just do the bad parts?" I asked before she slathered it on my face with a thick brush.

"Nope," she laughed, painting another dollop on my face.

"Shower's free," Rosalie entered the room as Alice handed me the brush.

"Finish while I rinse my hair, and it has to stay on for thirty minutes, okay?"

"Okay…" I obeyed her, covering the rest of my face in goop.

I sat in silence stirring the bowl of goop and wondered if Rosalie was feeling as awkward as me. My gaze shifted from the goop (which I was afraid would dry out like cement) to Rosalie as she started wrapping her hair in large rollers.

"Do you want me to do you?" I stuttered when she found me looking at her.

"No thanks, I'm good." I could see her smirk in the mirror.

"Hey…" I heard Edward's voice as he knocked on the door.

"Hi," I smiled, relieved that I didn't have to make small talk with Rosalie.

"So how's it going?" he grinned as he sat down on Alice's bed.

"Great."

"Alice's mad at her – she wouldn't let her put the conditioner in her hair," Rosalie spoke into the mirror.

"But Bella," he gasped with a wink. "It'll make your hair all shiny and bouncy."

"Better watch out, Edward. Bella doesn't succumb to peer pressure," Rosalie turned toward us, finished with the rollers.

"What could be worse than forcing her into a spa-liday?" he scoffed.

"Well – well never mind. You haven't even kissed her, so never mind," she mumbled not so softly. I was suddenly okay that I had green goop on my face.

"Yet," Edward blushed as well, starring at the floor.

"Get out," Alice glared at Edward as she walked into the room with a pitcher of… milk?

"Are we having cereal?" I asked as she poured some into two small bowls.

"Don't drink it!" Edward yelled, startling me and causing Alice and Rosalie to break into laughter.

"It's whole milk, water, and honey. You soak your fingertips in it," Alice explained. "For your nails."

"Oh…"

"Now get out, Edward," she waved him off.

"I don't want to go. It's not like I can't see her before the dance. It's not like we're getting married."

"Not yet, but we're having spa-liday time so you gotta go."

"Can't he stay? He needs a manicure – it's about time for another manicure right? When was your last one?" I begged for him to stay.

"No way can Alice touch my nails ever again," he explained before bolting from the room.

"What happened to… what?" I frowned as they stared at me.

"You know about his manicures?" Alice gaped.

"Yes…"

"He told you?"

"Yes… so?"

"What else has he told you?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Does he get pedicures too? Because he said no when I asked him."

"No, he'd never go for it – here soak your fingers for ten minutes and then you have to go wash your face," she pushed the bowls at me before painting goop onto her own face.

…

I was never going to participate in another spa-liday ever again. I could have handled the goo, I put up with the goop, but the painful manicure that Alice gave me… I wondered if it was the cuticle torture or the color argument – well I guess Edward didn't have to go through a color argument so it was probably the cuticle torture that scarred him for life. Then there was the hair. But thankfully while Alice was washing her face, Rosalie quickly twisted my hair into large rollers and started applying makeup on my face.

Alice was not happy and even less happy when she saw me dressed and ready to go under five minutes.

"Enjoy your spa-liday?" Edward asked as everyone gathered in the kitchen for dinner. He looked especially handsome wearing a navy dress shirt with a shiny black tie.

"Yes," I lied taking a bite of my pizza as Jasper and Dr. Cullen snickered.

"What's funny?" I looked up to see to Emmett enter the room – in a green sweater vest.

"Bella enjoyed her spa-liday," Jasper grinned as Emmett's face paled.

"Watch out Bella," he warned. "My hair wasn't always curly."

The subject changed quickly when Alice and Rosalie came into the kitchen, and then I couldn't stop staring at Emmett. What had they done to his hair?

"Hey, you want to eat outside?"

Alone time with Edward and not his family? "Okay."

I followed him outside as he grabbed two more slices of pizza to a porch swing.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look pretty," he smiled, pushing the swing backward and letting go, causing us sway forward.

"How could I take that the wrong way?" I chewed, puzzled.

"Like thinking that the spa-liday made you pretty or whatever, but you've always been really pretty. But you also do look really pretty tonight so I thought I should tell you because you did go through the spa-liday," he babbled.

"Okay," I grinned. "Thank you. You look nice too… even though you skipped out on the spa-liday and left me for torture."

"I'm sorry! I thought you would be able to get out of it. Alice didn't force the orange goo into your hair so..."

"Orange goo?" I bit my lip, trying not to smile.

"That's what it is!" he defended.

"Well next time you have to endure it with me; then it won't be so bad."

"Okay deal," he smirked.

"What?" I laughed.

"It's just you said next time, so… you really like me. A lot," he grinned, taking another bite . "If you're willing to go through another spa-liday with Alice… then you must really really really like me."

"Well then I guess that means you really like me too because you agreed to it," I blushed.

"It does," he nodded.

…

The gym was decorated like… a mess. If I had to guess the "theme" I would say cotton candy throw up or it's-a-girl baby shower. There were pink and white balloons everywhere. Pink and white streamers. Pink and white tablecloths. Pink and white vomit.

Although by the way people were dancing, it might as well have been a baby shower. Which – the dancing - was killing my stomach. There was no way I could do that in front of Edward not to mention with Edward.

"Um, let's go this way," Edward placed his hand on the small of my back, leading me away from the dance floor.

We passed by the snack table and I loaded up a small plate with cookies and Cheetos before finding an empty table.

"This is a little disappointing," he frowned. "Although this is what I expected."

"We can go if you want," I suggested, not trying to be subtle at all about leaving.

"Oh come on, we have to dance to at least one song," he smiled before grimacing at the dancing mob, "A slow one."

It wasn't too long before Angela and Ben joined us and then Alice and Jasper.

"Come on Bella, bathroom!" Alice waved me to her.

"Alright," I laughed as Edward rolled his eyes at her. "I'll hurry back."

Rosalie and some other senior girls were checking their makeup in the mirror – and for once I had the urge to do the same. I prayed that all this mascara and eye liner hadn't run down my face.

"Nice eyes, Swan," Victoria, a pretty redheaded senior complimented me. I wouldn't have guess that she would have known my name if it weren't for the books.

"Thanks, Rosalie did them," I told her before she finished drying off her hands and left me alone with Rosalie. Fortunately I wasn't so nervous around her anymore.

"You know you make him happy," Rosalie spoke still looking in the mirror.

"I'm… happy too," I replied simply.

"Yeah but… he's really different now. Just so you know…" she gave me half a smile.

"He's not that different," Alice chimed in, unlocking her stall.

"He sings in the shower."

"Ew, what are you doing listening to Edward shower?"

"I hear him in the mornings while everyone's still asleep, Alice!"

I tuned them out, pushing the sinking feeling away. Don't think it. Don't even think it, I scolded myself. I snuck out as they argued and found Edward, who was waiting for me by the double doors.

"Hey…" He wasn't really going to make me dance, was he?

"Ready to fill up that dance card?" he grinned.

"What do you know about dance cards?"

"I may have read a few Austen novels myself."

"I should have known," I laughed as he led us through the mob to a less crowded area.

I bit the inside of my cheek realizing it was a Gwen Stefani song playing. Of course…

I suddenly had flashbacks of the Valentines dance in fifth grade. Mom made me go to and I had to dance with Toby Jameson. It was one of the most awkward moments of my life. We couldn't look at each other, and we weren't sure where to put our hands. I ended up with my arms stiff straight gripping his shoulders, and he lightly put his hands on my waist.

But with Edward, it wasn't that bad… He placed a hand on my waist and the other intertwined with mine. Then he gently pulled me closer to him, and I bowed my head into his shoulder. This was so much better than what I'd feared. He hummed as we swayed, and he even twirled me once.

"Where'd you learn to dance?"

"My mother made me take lessons," he winced, wiggling his fingers.

"Oh sorry," I immediately tried to let go of his hand, but he held on tighter.

"No, it's been aching all day. Must be the weather."

"I'm sorry. How'd you break it anyways?" I asked remembering he broke his finger once.

"It was stupid," he shook his head. "I was playing flag football, and I fell, landing funny on it. I had to get this huge green cast that went all the way up my elbow – just for a broken pinky."

I froze as Angela's postered-wall popped into my head. He really couldn't be…No, he wasn't. But there were just too many coincidences…

"What?" he frowned confused.

And then the song changed. To Eddie Masen. His eyes darted away for a moment before looking back at me.

"You're not really him, are you?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but he snapped it shut when someone bumped into me from behind. He tightened his grip on my hand and led me out the nearest gym door. It was a little chilly outside, but it was nice after being in the stuffy gym and especially since I was about to throw up. Edward led us to a wooden bench, and he let go of my hand, staying silent as we sat down.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out.

"What?" he snapped his head my way. "You're sorry? Why are you sorry?"

"I shouldn't have said anything. I don't know!"

"I'm sorry. I should have told you - I was Eddie Masen," he sighed. "I'm sorry I kept it from you for so long. I just wanted to do something normal – go to this dance and be a regular guy before I told you. I wanted you to like me - not Eddie Masen."

"I'm not mad with you. I understand."

"You're not mad?" he gaped.

"You weren't really lying or anything, and I would have done the same thing… except you know, that would never happen because I can't sing," I joked.

"You know, I never actually liked it," he shook his head, leaning back, relaxed.

"What? But you love music…"

"I do love it, but I hated all the singing and the attention. Well I guess I liked the attention from my mother which was why I did it all. I hated wearing colored contacts and dying my hair blonde and pretending to be someone else all the time. I did like making music though and working in the studios. It's what I want to do. I had a meeting with my old producer Aro to set up a summer internship in Seattle."

"So in the future when you work in music, will you be Eddie Masen again?"

"No, that part of me's gone. Well…" he smiled. "He might visit once in a while."

"Rosalie says you sing in the shower. I tried imagining it, but I can't really imagine Eddie Masen with a deeper voice."

"So… you've been imagining me in the shower?" he grinned.

"No! That's not what I meant!" My face burned as he laughed.

"I know, I'm sorry. So… how'd you know anyways? No one else seems to have…"

"I think it was just timing. I just started listening to Eddie Masen, and then you moved here and the Twilight books – I think I was comparing all the Edward's in my life. And Angela! She's crazy obsessed about Eddie Masen. She had this picture of him with a big green cast and she told me how he broke his pinky… that kinda sealed it. But I drove myself crazy about it because I knew he couldn't be you."

"You think she'll figure it out too?"

"No, she's too upset about Bustin Jeiber being the next Eddie Masen, and soon everyone else will be comparing you and me to Edward and Isabella so you probably won't have to worry about that for a while," I shrugged.

"So that's it," Edward scoffed as my stomach dropped. "You know everything, and it's still all pretty much the same. I didn't think it would be this easy."

"I don't like to complicate things too much," I took a deep breath, relieved as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Kiss her – kiss her – kiss her!"

We both flinched away from each other, looking back toward the gym.

"Hey lovebirds, we're tired of this so we're going home to watch a movie," Emmett yelled as the rest of the group made their way to the parking lot.

"I would like to make his life complicated… or put a frog in his bed," I glared as Emmett ran to join the group.

"You're the coolest girl ever, did you know that?"

"I'm aware," I grinned as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

AN: okay so this is the end basically. well a little bit more fluff, but this was the "dramatic climax" of the story. Nursing school has made me a softie. I don't like any kind of stress or drama or anything haha. I just need pure fluff so expect lots of it this summer.

Thanks for Reading!