I closed my eyes and tried to drown out the ceaseless chatter around me. The heightened senses that came with being a vampire really sucked when I had to be in a high school full of babbling, empty-headed girls. Ugh.

The two voices that were loudest were those of two girls that went by the names of Jessica and Lauren.

"So have you actually talked to him?" This was Jessica, the least annoying of the two.

"No, but I will. He's so gorgeous!" This then would be Lauren. No comment.

"He is really cute," Jessica conceded. "But what makes you think he'd be interested in you?'

Lauren snorted. "Well, that's simple. He's now the most gorgeous boy in school and I, the girl. So why wouldn't he be interested?"

Jessica nodded in what I assumed was agreement. Then she put her head down and pretended to do her English. I looked in Lauren's direction to see her smugly staring at me. I stared back at her, unblinking. It was clear the conversation I had overheard was not, as I had initially thought to make Jessica feel inferior, but to make me feel that way.

Lauren finally dropped her gaze and I returned mine to the front of the room where it had been before. I didn't understand why she felt the need to be so …. territorial. It wasn't like I was interested in him. The him everyone and myself was referring to was none other than Edward Swan. I had noticed him, yes, but I certainly didn't care if Lauren dated him or not.

I zoned into what the teacher was saying but immediately the image of Edward Swan's face invaded my thoughts. His pale skin, those gorgeous emerald eyes, and thin, pale-pink lips. It was quite lovely, that face of his.

I shook my head slightly to clear the image of his face from my mind. I wasn't interested in him. The end. Case closed. So why did he keep invading my thoughts?

I jumped slightly as the bell rang, but I was immediately out the door, heading for the cafeteria to see my family. When I arrived in the semi-small room I seated myself in the center of them and said 'hello.'

I was greeted by a chorus of 'hellos' in response I gave them all a small smile and looked around the room. I didn't even bother to go and get my tray of food, which served only as a prop to my family and me.

I scanned the crowd of incoming students and my eyes landed on the pale face of Edward Swan. He was flanked by the same gaggle of students that surrounded him at lunch yesterday, the people who had been dubbed by the student body as "popular."

I removed my eyes from the group and found the spot on the far wall that I always stared at and focused on it with intense concentration. Although my eyes never left the wall my ears focused in on Lauren's voice as she began chattering away at Edward.

"So how are you enjoying Forks?" she said trying to grab his attention.

"Fine," he said in a flat voice. Even with his expressionless tone I could tell he had a pleasant voice. Lauren, however didn't seem to be pleased with his one word answer and tried again.

"So, Edward, if you want I could show you around sometime," she said touching his arm and then letting her fingers rest there. He gave her a look that clearly said he was annoyed with her and moved his arm.

"No, but thanks anyway. I'm pretty familiar with the town. I've spent a few summers here." Lauren immediately brightened.

" Really? Then you've been to the beaches at La Push?" He shrugged in a noncommittal sort of way.

"Once or twice."

"Well, a bunch of us are planning to go there this weekend since it's supposed to be sunny. Do you want to come along?"

"No, I think I'll pass," he said without pausing to think about it even for a moment.

I took my eyes away from the spot on the wall and studied Edward's face. He seemed to be extremely bored. I continued to stare at him not even bothering to look away when he turned his gaze to meet mine. He studied my face with open curiosity, the same curiosity I studied his with.

Without warning, it seemed, the bell rang and my siblings and I parted ways, saying whispered goodbyes.

When I entered the Biology classroom there wasn't anyone there. I took my seat and waited for my desk partner to arrive. I realized with a start that I was nervously anticipating his arrival. Bleh. Since when did anyone, or anything for that matter, make me nervous? When the object of my nervousity entered the room, I remembered why I was nervous about seeing him in close proximity. I was anxious to see if I could handle the sweet song his blood sang to me or if I would continue to plot his death and possibly act on my plotting. When he took his seat next to me I was relieved to find not that his blood sang more quietly, but that I could tolerate it without wanting to kill him. I gave myself a mental pat on the back for achieving mind over matter. He took out things from his backpack to use for class. Now that I had found the answer to the question of my strength I was clueless as to what to say to this person sitting in the chair beside me.

To my immense relief Mr. Barner began talking, os for the moment I was spared the difficulty of starting a conversation.

He began giving directions on a small lab that would illustrate blood typing. I was grateful to find we wouldn't be pricking our own fingers, but using artificial blood samples.

"Mike, Lauren, and Jessica if you would please pass out these supplies."

Wonderful, I thought to myself. All I needed was for Lauren to saunter around to my lab table and attempt to flirt with Edward again.

Almost as soon as I had completed my thought Lauren sashayed up to our table.

"Here you go, Edward," she said smiling sweetly. I reached across him and took the plates she was about to give Edward and returned her sweet smile.

"Thanks, Lauren," I said in my peppiest voice, feigning niceness. She gave me a scowl and walked away. I spread out the plates and waited for the pseudoblood and coding serums. When finally I got the small bottles I turned to Edward.

"So I've done this lab before…" he cut me off.

"As have I." I smiled at him truly intrigued by him. "Well, let's get this over with then." He nodded his head in agreement and I reached for the bottle of blood. Apparently Edward and I had the same thought because our hands collided as he reached for the bottle of blood as well. A small electric current pulsed between us for a split second and I quickly pulled my hand away. He looked sheepish and picked up the bottle placing 2 drops in each section of each plate. I quickly followed after him with one of the three serums. Soon the lab was completed and we sat looking at each plate making sure we had done everything correctly.

Mr. Barner walked by our table as I was labeling each plate the correct type.

"Well Miss Cullen, I know you're use to working alone, but I'm sure there was something Mr. Swan could have done." I was about to retaliate when Edward beat me to the punch.

"Actually Mr.Barner, I've done this lab before several times before so Miss Cullen and I were able to finish rather quickly together." I smiled to myself as Mr.Barner began to walk away. Then I remembered I needed to show him my dismissal slip.

"Mr. Barner," I called. He turned back to our table. "I need to show you this slip. I'm leaving in about ten minutes." He nodded and I replaced the slip in the book I had removed it from.

I looked up to see Edward looking down at me.

"You're leaving?" I wondered why he sounded sad all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I have something to do in a little while and I need to leave a little early from school." This is the story I had come up with if anyone asked why I was leaving, but in truth I was leaving because of him.

Alice had seen that towards the end of class in some way or other Edward would be bleeding. No matter how much I felt I had mastered mind over matter I just couldn't take the chance.

Mr.Barner began giving directions as Edward and I looked at each other each with a kind of regret in our eyes. Apparently Mr.Barner had been planning on us sticking our fingers and typing the blood because now he was giving directions to do the lab again with our own blood. I took this as my queue to leave and rose from my desk.

"Goodbye Bella," Edward said as I left our table. I turned back to him a little surprised.

"Goodbye Edward." He smiled slightly and I headed for the door.

"Please don't forget to read chapter 13 for homework, Miss Cullen," Mr. Barner said as I approached the door. I nodded at him and turned back and was pleased to see a scowl tugging at Lauren's features as she and Jessica waited for Mr.Barner to come and prick their fingers.

I got into my car and put in a cd from one of the all time Jazz greats, Duke Ellington. I had to wait for my siblings to get out of class now. Then we could go hunting to celebrate my little victory. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts focus on Edward. I had finally stopped telling myself I wasn't interested in him, because I was. There was just something about him that held my attention. I opened my eyes and looked around to find the source of the footsteps I had just heard. My eyes finally landed on Edward walking out of the Science building. As I sat in my car pondering what he was doing out of class, he collapsed. Within moments I was by his side lifting him off the ground. I noticed the pinprick on his finger and held my breath. I carried him to the front office. Just outside the front door I set him on his feet and slung his arm around my shoulders. I was prepared to lift him and make it look as though I was only helping him and not really carrying him, but to my surprise he began to walk when I did. We entered the front office and I led him around the counter to the nurse's office.

The woman looked startled to see us and quickly came over to "help" me with Edward. We eased him down into one of the metal chairs and she began doing things to get his vitals. I stood beside Edward and he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"What happened, honey," the nurse asked as she took Edward's blood pressure.

"Well, we were doing blood typing in Biology and the smell of blood got to me and as I was leaving the science building I blacked out."

"Well you seem well enough now. Do you want to go back to class?"

"He'll probably just faint again," I piped in.

The nurse seemed to be considering this and then nodded. "I'll go and get you a dismissal slip." She looked at me. "And I daresay Miss Cullen will be more than happy to take you home." I nodded and she left the small office.

"So you faint at the sight of blood?" I asked him with a smirk firmly in place.

"No, not at the sight of blood, at the smell." He said correcting me. I frowned slightly.

"Humans can't smell blood," I argued.

"Well, I must not be human because I can. It smells like copper and rust." He crinkled his nose and I laughed. For the first time he opened his eyes and looked at me. "What?" he asked innocently. I laughed a little more at the curious expression on his face.

"When you crinkled your nose, your face was extremely comical," I said. He closed his eyes again and nodded. "I see." I laughed again at his somewhat philosophical sounding tone. This time he didn't open his eyes he just shook his head from side to side. I laughed yet again. The gesture was so like something Carlisle would do I couldn't help but laugh.

This time he just smiled and this wasn't something that made me laugh, but something that caused me to become very still. His smile was absolutely mesmerizing. At that moment I felt an overwhelming need to reach out and touch his face. I stretched m fingertips towards his long pale face. Seconds before they made contact the nurse bustled back into the room a slip of paper in her hand.

"Edward honey," she said getting his attention.

"Yes," he said without opening his eyes.

"Here's your slip, I hope you feel better."

"Thanks," he said rising from the chair and taking the slip.

I led the way to my car and unlocked it as we approached. Edward climbed into the car and his long legs bunched up. Immediately the seat began to move backwards. I loved this nifty little feature that came with my car. It never failed to surprise someone. I pulled out of the parking space and soon found myself on the highway. I turned my radio up a little more as I sped down the tree-lined highway.

"Ellington?" Edward asked in surprise.

"Of course," I said as if there was nothing else it could be. "I absolutely love Jazz."

"Me too," he agreed. "The music now is just so meaningless. There aren't many people our age who listen to this though."

"I daresay not," I replied. I pulled into his driveway and stopped the car. "Give me your keys." I commanded him. He looked at me puzzled. I smiled. "I need to bring your truck home." I said explaining.

"Oh, of course." He handed me his keys and climbed out of the car. I watched him enter his house and slowly backed out of his driveway.