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Chapter 8

First Day of School

I woke up the next morning drenched in sweat.

It took me some time to calm down again.

When I had calmed down to some extent, I got up. I really had to take a shower.

When I was completely ready for school, I went to the kitchen.

Charlie was probably already gone, so I adjusted to eating breakfast alone.

However, when I entered the kitchen, I let out a scream, but calmed down again the next moment.

Edward stood in the kitchen and grinned wryly at me. My breath caught.

Would I ever get used to it? Probably not!

I groaned inwardly.

Edward's grin grew even wider.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Bella. I'm sorry about that."

He came up to me and pulled me into his arms.

Just wonderful, I thought to myself and had to grin as well.

"Charlie had let me in ..." He faltered briefly, as if he had to force himself to say the words. "I still wanted to talk to you about yesterday ..."

I stiffened and held my breath ...

My dream, the Cullens, the red eyes ...

"... Did you mean it when you kissed me, Bella?"

Oh, that's what he was getting at.

I breathed again and loosened up, then nodded and looked at him uncertainly.

Was he mad about it?

"Can I maybe kiss you too?"

He wasn't mad? Yes, of course you may kiss me. Nothing better than that!

I nodded eagerly.

He carefully lifted my face with one hand and lowered his head so our lips could meet for the second time.

The same tingling sensation as yesterday ran through my body, and I put my hands around Edward's nape. He pulled me tightly against his cold chest!

We had just arrived at the school parking lot. I sat next to Edward in the passenger seat and handed him my notepad. I had written something during the drive.

Are we a couple now ... that is, together or what is this between us?

I was unsure and of course promptly blushed as he read.

What would he say? Did he want to be with me? He certainly had another one! Alone already his appearance and then still his character. The stupid broads must be running after him in droves. Oh man, I was really jealous.

Edward looked at me a little pained, but also amused.

What's next? Was he laughing at me?

"I would love nothing more than to be with you, Bella! If that's what you want, of course!"

I nodded happily and we both leaned in at the same time to kiss each other.

When we got out a short time later, we were met by a bouncing Alice.

"Are you together now?" she asked as Edward wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me close and kissed me on the temple.

I looked up questioningly at Edward, who winked at me, and turned back to Alice to answer her with a bright smile of my own.

"Oh you two are sooo cute."

I looked at Edward, who just rolled his eyes.

Edward was pushing me through the corridors of the school. We were running a little late because I still had to go to the secretary's office to pick up my books and schedule. But the corridors were still full.

Suddenly I was bumped into by a girl.

"Watch it, you stupid cow," she immediately snarled at me, eyeing me disparagingly from top to bottom.

"Get out of here, Jessica ... and leave Bella the hell alone!"

I had not known that Edward could get so angry.

How do you know her? You said you had nothing to do with the other students!

... I wrote on a sheet of paper and slipped it to Edward.

We were sitting in the classroom by now, but the teacher was still not there.

I was afraid of what he would say about it. The first thing that went through my mind after the clash with this Jessica was that Edward was a heartbreaker and had simply lied to me about the contact of him and his siblings with the rest of the students. But I quickly dismissed this thought. No ..., that's something I didn't trust him with the best will in the world.

"I'm really sorry, Bella! What I said is true in itself. We don't want contact with the others. The only problem is that, since I'm the only boy in my family who hasn't had a partner ..." I noticed that he smiled when he used the word 'had'. "... And I guess the girls all think I'm very good looking - whereas I think it's terrible that they're so superficial ... -" He couldn't help but grin, "... they're probably taking out the frustration they have now that they can't have me anymore on you! I'm so sorry about that, Bella. If I could change it, I would in a heartbeat. But I don't want any of them, I never wanted them, never gave them hope or let them get to me. I've only wanted you since the first time I saw you!"

I was speechless, or rather, 'writingless'.

I did not know what to say to that! I was really gobsmacked!

So I just gave him a kiss as a thank you and the way he beamed afterwards was enough for him.

That was my first day of school at Forks High - nothing else happened that day.

Except that the lunch break was a lot of fun.

All the girls who approached Edward, who sat to my left with his right arm around my shoulders and my left hand in his, got such nasty looks from Emmett, who sat to my right, that they usually turned back halfway through, which made me chuckle a time or two.