(Edward's P.O.V)

Esme gave me a loving smile as I walked into the kitchen. I laid the catering pamphlet from Lakeshore Grille on the counter and pointed at it.

"I know you'll be hosting that garden party here soon. Figured maybe you'd prefer to have catering instead of trying to cook up a feast," I said to her.

My adoptive mother had joined the Rows of Roses Gardening Society when we first moved here, wanting to make a good impression on the locals.

Her eyes lit up. "How thoughtful of you. That sounds like a splendid idea." She picked up the pamphlet and studied it. "Lakeshore Grille. Looks like they have a little bit of everything."

Thank you, she thought with a smile, holding the pamphlet to her chest as though it was dear to her.

Against my better judgment, I chose to ride with Alice and Jasper to class that Monday. Emmett and Rosalie had driven separately, leaving me alone in the backseat as Alice chatted away to her mate who was sitting in the driver's seat, only vaguely paying attention to the road.

"Eeep!" She squealed. She was bouncing in her seat with joy. "I'm so excited! We're finally going dress shopping after school today. I can't wait. After we find the perfect dress, then the hunt will be on for the perfect shoes!"

"You and Rosalie are going shopping? For the dance next week?" I asked her, trying to put in an effort to be kinder to my sister.

She immediately stopped bouncing, stiffening in place before she twisted her body to face me. Her little brows were pinched together in confusion. Her thoughts gave way to how surprised and leery she was that I was actually making myself part of the conversation.

"Rosalie is going, yes. As well as Lynna and possibly Paige," she responded, eyeing me skeptically as she waited for the other foot to drop.

The second she spoke Lynna's name, I tensed. I fought against making a snide remark and succeeded.

"That's nice," I said with a forced smile. "I hope you have fun."

Jasper cast me a wary glance in the rear-view mirror. Alice's eyes narrowed into slits and she pursed her lips; she thought I was up to something.

"Thanks," she spoke slowly, her voice unsure.

"You're welcome," I responded.

A wave of relief washed over me when we pulled into the parking lot. Emmett immediately bounded over to us with a goofy grin. Alice twirled around Jasper before studying my outfit.

"Is that a new shirt? It's nice," she said to me. "That's a really pretty color."

I briefly glanced down at the light blue shirt I was wearing. The color reminded me of Lynna's bedroom, whose walls were painted the palest of blues. That's not why I wore the shirt, of course.

"Thank you," I responded after a moment.

My eyes trailed to a few cars down where Lynna was standing with her brother. Alice locked eyes with the girl and waved her over. My jaw clenched in frustration but I kept my mouth shut as I remembered the vow I had made to myself— To be kinder to Alice.

The blonde girl shifted awkwardly, clearly debating whether or not to appease Alice. After a moment, her brother flitted over to his friends and Lynna hesitantly made her way towards us. I quickly took note of her attire. The first thing I noticed was that she wasn't wearing a hoodie. Instead, she was wearing a gray t-shirt with a yellow sponge's smiling face on it and a pair of blue jeans. I felt my brows furrow curiously as I studied the face on her shirt.

Lynna instantly flung herself into Alice's arms, giving her a quick hug. Her sweet scent permeated my senses and I, once again, felt that all-too-familiar urge to draw closer to her.

"Hey, guys. Did you have fun hiking?" She asked my siblings; her eyes never strayed to me.

The girl adjusted her bag on her shoulder and gave them a kind smile which they all returned. She never smiles at me. Why would she?

"We did," Alice responded, her eyes lighting up with excitement before she continued, "Are you excited to go dress shopping today? What time do you want me to pick you up after school?"

Lynna's blue eyes widened. "Whenever," she mumbled.

I continued staring at her shirt, trying to figure out what sort of character she was wearing. The girl noticed my gaze and a delicious blush crept to her cheeks.

"My eyes are up here, Cullen," she commented; her voice didn't have its usual fire though.

My jaw hit the ground at her insinuation. Any other time— Sure, I may have taken a glance at her chest, but I certainly wouldn't ogle at it knowing I would get caught. I was simply trying to figure out what was on her shirt! Emmett threw his head back and cackled. Even Jasper laughed.

"I-I wasn't—" I stammered out nervously. "I mean. What's on your shirt?"

Curiosity got the best of me. Her eyes widened, as did my siblings'. Lynna looked down at her shirt and frowned.

"You don't know who SpongeBob is?" She asked incredulously.

Dude, Emmett thought, mocking me.

I solemnly shook my head in answer to her question. "I take it that's SpongeBob," I said as I pointed at her shirt.

She nodded once, clearly dumbstruck. "Do you live under a rock or something?"

I blinked slowly at her sullen expression. "Or something," I mumbled a tad bit bitterly.

Lynna tilted her head to the side; golden waves spilling down the front of her shirt as she did so, partially hiding 'SpongeBob's' smiling face.

"You're totally Squidward," she said to me with a mocking smile.

Emmett laughed loudly, his mind flashing through a series of images of this 'Squidward' fellow.

"He so is," he agreed with the human girl. "If he lived under a rock, he could have been Patrick."

Lynna locked eyes with my brother and laughed whole-heartedly. Her laughter caused her blue eyes to dance almost magically. I couldn't help but glare at Emmett as I felt a slight pang of jealousy pierce through me. She looked at my brother in a way she had never looked at me— with fondness. And given his thoughts, he was just as fond of the human girl, if not more. He was oddly protective of her as well. Hell, he was ready to fight me to protect her. He had Rosalie though, so surely his fondness for the human didn't go further than friendship, right?

"You can be Patrick, Em," Lynna said to my brother, smiling cheekily. "Or Larry."

So, now she had a nickname for him? I clenched my fists as his smile grew.

"I'm totally Larry. Only his muscles can compete with mine." He grinned as he flexed his arms, earning another chuckle from the girl.

"Yeah, you're right. Patrick is far too out of shape." Was she flirting with him?

Anger took hold at the thought and I hated myself for it.

"So, he gets to be a buff lobster while I'm a grumpy squid?" I asked in a dull tone, trying to keep the anger out of my voice.

It wasn't until the words were already out that I realized how comical that sentence actually was. They all three laughed at my expense.

"Wait, I thought you didn't know anything about SpongeBob?" Lynna asked with furrowed eyes, catching my slip-up.

I could hardly tell her I read Emmett's mind, now could I? Emmett and Alice both pursed their lips and looked my way. I put my hands in my pockets and shifted awkwardly.

"Guess I know a little more than I thought," I mumbled with a frown.

Surprisingly, Lynna chose to walk with us to class. She paid me no mind as she bantered with Emmett and laughed with Alice. I could see how close my siblings were getting to the human girl. Don't they realize how wrong that is? Alice befriending her is one thing but Emmett?! I noticed how he smiled tenderly at the girl as she sat in front of him. His mind was jumbled as he stared into her deep blue eyes. I clenched my fists as I glared at my brother. He was quick to notice my furious expression as he forced his eyes from Lynna and looked at me with a quirked brow.

Why are you looking at me like that? He questioned via his thoughts.

I simply shook my head at him. I would have to have a discussion with him later. Surely, he didn't have a crush on the human girl, right? I mean, he's with Rosalie! I'm being paranoid. Surely.

(Lynna's P.O.V)

My lungs were burning as I ran in gym. I abruptly stopped running as I felt a wave of dizziness engulf me. I wrapped my arms around my stomach before I sunk to the ground and placed my head between my knees. My body was starting to feel the effects from skipping meals. After sitting for a couple of minutes, the feeling subsided and I was able to resume running.

I was still feeling out of sorts though when I walked into Chemistry. I slunk into my chair and instantly rested my head against the cold desk.

"Is the desk comfortable?" Edward's musical voice flooded through my ears as he sat down beside me.

I groaned in annoyance before I lifted my head from the desk and met his ochre eyes. My head felt like it was swimming. My eyes were having difficulty focusing. I knew then that I would have to force myself to eat something during lunch or I wouldn't make it through the day without passing out. Edward furrowed his brows as he studied my face.

"Are you feeling okay? You don't look so good." His words were laced with slight concern, much to my surprise.

"Just a little lightheaded is all," I mumbled, not having the energy to come up with a sarcastic remark. "I'm sure I'll feel better after lunch."

He pursed his lips, appearing to be deep in thought. "Yeah. Perhaps you will if you actually eat something."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He chuckled wryly before a solemn expression fell over his face. "Lynna, you never eat during lunch."

The sound of my first name leaving his lips caused something to stir deep within my stomach.

"Since when are we on a first name basis?" I asked, fighting back a smirk at his befuddled expression.

He furrowed his brows. "Wh-What?" He was at a loss.

I folded my arms on top of the desk and locked eyes with him. "You called me by my first name just then. You've never done that before," I explained in a surprisingly soft voice.

His solemn face quickly took on a sour note. "It was a slip of the tongue, Holloway." He sneered my surname, causing me to smirk gloriously.

"That's more like it, Cullen," I mocked with a grin.

He shook his head; his lips were pressed into a stern line as if he was fighting back a smile. "Seriously, though. Why don't you ever eat during lunch?"

I blinked rapidly as I racked my brain for a response. "What makes you think I don't?"

"Because you don't. You just pick at your food. I haven't seen you eat once," he stated as-matter-of-factly.

I pursed my lips at that. He was right, of course. "Maybe I eat while you're not looking?"

I knew I had him cornered, and I had a feeling he was going to fall for the trap.

"I'm always looking," he blurted out, clearly without even thinking.

My brows flew up my forehead as the most taunting of smirks flitted to my lips. A look of horror fell across his face as he realized what he had walked into.

"I know you are," I mumbled, chuckling to myself.

"That's— That's not what I meant to say. That's not what I meant. I'm not always looking at you," he stammered anxiously.

I was surprised his face wasn't beet red. Mine certainly would have been. But his face was unchanging. He was as porcelain pale as always.

"Maybe not always…" I trailed off, pausing for dramatic effect before continuing, "But you are most of the time."

Anger quickly decorated his features. He clenched his jaw and started staring straight ahead, as if to prove a point.

"No, I'm not," he spoke through clenched teeth.

"Yes, you are." I was poking the bear, but I couldn't resist. He made it too easy.

"No, I'm not!" His head swiveled in my direction, his eyes flashing with anger as they met mine.

Anyone else would have been frightened at the haunting look in the depths of his blazing eyes. I, for one, wasn't. It made me want to antagonize him even more.

"Awww, what's wrong, Cullen? Do you think I'm pretty?" I asked in a sickengly-sweet voice, batting my eyes at his furious face.

He was seething. With a scowl, he exclaimed, "Of course not!"

I was slightly taken aback by his harshness. I was only teasing him. Not wanting him to see how his reaction affected me, I flashed him an innocent smile.

I leaned in closer to him and whispered flirtatiously, "Oh, yeah? Then why can't you take your eyes off me, hmm?"

His ember eyes seemed to darken yet simultaneously soften as he stared at me. I bit my lower lip and tilted my head to the side, awaiting his answer. His lips parted slightly; a strange emotion was swimming in the depths of his eyes before he scowled once again.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled bitterly, leaning back in his seat.

"Sure, I don't," I chuckled lightly.

He shook his head out of frustration. "You're so annoying," he stated firmly, locking eyes with me before continuing. "I really don't know what all these guys see in you."

My mouth fell open. I breathed out a scoff. "Excuse me?"

"Seriously," he mumbled. "Grayson, Tyler, Marty, Noah. Not including half of the football team." He looked me up and down and smirked. "I really don't get it."

"First of all, Noah doesn't think of me that way. And half the football team?! Get real." It was my turn to scowl.

He was clearly trying to get on my nerves and it was working. His smirk only grew.

"If they realized how utterly annoying you are, they'd run for the hills. Your good looks will only get you so far, Miss Holloway." He rocked back in his chair and flashed me a crooked grin.

I knew what he was doing— Quoting me! He needed to get his own material. My eyes narrowed into slits. Well, two can play at that game.

"Oh, so you think I'm good-looking?" I taunted him, raising my brows as if challenging him. It was my turn to 'quote' him.

He breathed out a laugh. It was sarcastic at best. "Don't get me wrong— You're pretty. But you're not that pretty."

I felt my face twist in anger. "You're such a dick, Edward Cullen. I liked you better when you were brooding."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "You asked."

I ripped my eyes from his smug face. Before I could think of a witty remark, Tyler walked over and knelt down in front of me, placing his hands on the desk.

"Hey, Lynn," he greeted me with a smile.

"Hi, Ty." I smiled back, hoping that it appeared genuine enough.

He tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips. "Soo…. I was wondering something…" He trailed off.

I furrowed my brows when a blush crept to his cheeks. Cullen's eyes were darting back and forth between us, causing me to stifle an eye roll.

"…. Wondering what?" I asked after a moment of silence.

Tyler inhaled deeply, his brown eyes locking with mine. "Is there.. Is there anything you maybe want to ask me?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line as I racked my brain. Ask him what? I studied him, looking for any changes.

"Um.. Did you get a haircut?" I asked him a bit timidly.

Cullen breathed out a scoff and I fought strongly against sending him a glare. Tyler's face appeared to fall.

"No." He laughed nervously. "No haircut."

My eyes fell to his blue shirt. "New shirt? It's nice. The color suits you. Really brings out.. your eyes." I was grasping at straws.

Cullen placed a hand over his mouth and snickered quietly at my expense. Stupid jerk.

"Uh, thanks." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "But I've had this shirt since sophomore year."

I bit my lip anxiously. "Well, it still looks like new. I'm impressed. Do you use Tide Sport? My grandmother used to wash all of our clothes in it, and it's really good. Or at least it was really good until I started getting this weird rash. Turns out, I have really sensitive skin and whatever ingredients is in that stuff didn't agree with me. So—" I was rambling.

Cullen's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter; I wanted to strangle him.

"Gain, actually," Tyler mumbled, his face turning ten shades brighter. "Is there anything else you might want to ask me?"

I frowned and started twiddling with my hands nervously. "I-I really can't think of anything off of the top of my head. I don't do well under pressure. I'm sorry."

Tyler sighed heavily and nodded. "I get it. Well, if you can think of anything, I'm all ears."

I watched as he slumped his shoulders and walked over to his seat across the room.

"Weird rash, huh?" Cullen teased; his ember eyes dancing.

I shot him a fierce glare. "Shut up."

He chuckled lowly before pursing his lips as he studied my face. "You really have no idea what he wanted you to ask him?"

The curiosity in his voice was as plain as day. I shook my head.

"If I did, do you think I would have blabbered on like an idiot?" I quipped in annoyance.

He bit back a laugh. I could tell.

"Do you want my honest answer?" He asked with a mocking smile.

My eyes narrowed into slits. "I don't want anything from you," I mumbled bitterly. "Stop talking to me."

"Do you at least want to know what he so clearly wanted you to ask him?" He questioned, leaning in closer to me.

I rolled my eyes but nodded. "I guess so, yeah. But how would you know?"

He pulled his lower lip between his teeth, fighting back a smirk. "Because I'm not an idiot."

I gritted my teeth. "Why do you feel the need to be so rude all the time?!" I snapped.

His eyes narrowed. A frown played on his lips as he stared at me. "You started it!"

My mouth hit the floor. "Me?! How did I start it?! You've been nothing but an asshole since we met!"

His brows flew up his forehead. "I told you to stay away from me. You chose to do the exact opposite by sitting next to me! That's your fault!"

Now, I was furious. I could feel my face getting red. "So, that makes it okay for you to be a total dick?! Because I sat next to you?! In what world is that fair?!"

"You, of all people, should know that this world isn't fair," he spoke through clenched teeth.

I spun around in my seat to face him. I was certain fire was dancing in my eyes. "But why me? Why did you choose me, of all people, to hate for no reason? What did I ever do to you?"

His harsh eyes seemed to soften. He leaned back in his seat and continued to gaze at me as if he was dumbstruck. His silence only infuriated me even more.

"And don't think I've forgotten about how you told me about Grayson cheating on me. Don't get me wrong— I'm thankful that I know about it, but you're a real jerk for that. What you said was uncalled for. Saying that it was no wonder he was going around with Ashley. That was low. Even for you." The words tumbled from my mouth.

He was silent for a moment as my words sunk in. I chewed on my lower lip and shook my head solemnly.

"You're right," he breathed out with a frown, leaning forward in his seat and placing his arms on the desk. "I do apologize for that, Holloway. As I said before, I didn't know that you wasn't aware of Grayson's affair. Regardless, I shouldn't have said it. I didn't mean it. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but Grayson was an idiot to fool around with her. Don't get me wrong— You're quite infuriating, but you didn't deserve to get cheated on. So, for what it's worth— I am sorry. I'm sorry that that happened to you and I'm sorry for what I said."

My heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in his voice; at the way his eyes seemed to melt as they locked with mine. My stomach was in my throat. I was at a loss for words. I was… shocked, to say the least. An apology wasn't what I was expecting.

When I didn't respond, he opened his mouth to speak again. His musical voice washed over me. "Do you forgive me?"

Who was I to hold a grudge? I nodded before clearing my throat to speak, "I-I forgive you. But that doesn't mean I like you."

He chuckled lowly. An actual genuine smile made his golden eyes dance. "Of course not. After all, I don't like you either. So, it's only fitting that our mutual dislike continues as it were."

I found myself nodding in agreement and smiling along with him. "Okay. We're in agreement then."

His smile grew and a knot formed in my stomach. Hunger pain, perhaps? I hurriedly averted my gaze from his smiling face and tucked my hair behind my ear. I could still feel his eyes on the side of my face.

"So, do you still want to know what Tyler wants you to ask him?" His voice was full of amusement.

I hesitantly allowed myself to meet his gaze and nodded. "Yeah."

He pressed his lips together as if to fight back a smile as he said, "He wants you to ask him to the dance."

My eyes widened. "T-The dance." I stuttered out.

He pursed his lips. "Yeah. You know.. The dance. The dance that you and my sisters are going dress shopping for this afternoon," he spoke as if I was simple-minded.

"I know about the dance," I was quick to say. "But why didn't he just ask me then?"

He rolled his eyes as if the answer was obvious. "It's girls' choice. Did you forget?"

I sighed heavily. "No. I don't know. Maybe. Yeah." What was I saying?

He looked at me curiously. "If you don't ask him, he's going to eventually ask you anyway."

I gulped. "Great," I mumbled.

He looked at me curiously, causing me to grow nervous under his gaze. "So, are you going to ask him?"

I slowly shook my head. "No."

He raised his brows and pursed his lips as if he was fascinated by my answer. "Why not?"

I squinted my eyes at the nosy boy. "Because I don't want to. That's why."

He rolled his eyes forcefully. "But why, Holloway? Can you just answer my question for once without being complicated?"

I could feel myself growing defensive. It didn't take much for the bronze-haired boy to get under my skin.

"For one, because he's Grayson's best friend," I breathed out in annoyance.

"But he cheated on you," he reminded me in a stern tone.

Now, I was very much annoyed.

"He also didn't tell me about Grayson cheating on me," I was quick to say.

He pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded solemnly. "That's true." He tilted his head to the side and appeared to study my face like a book, making me even more uneasy. "So, who do you plan on asking then?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're so nosy," I muttered under my breath.

He smirked slightly at my comment, seeming to find it humorous. "Noah?" He asked, his smirk growing when I frowned.

"No," was all I said.

His gaze was burning. "Then who?" His voice was dripping with curiosity.

I chuckled dryly. "Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't. I'm just curious," he stated with a frown.

I placed my elbow on the table and rested the side of my face in my hand, turning slightly to look at him.

"Curiosity killed the cat." There was no emotion in my voice whatsoever.

"But satisfaction brought him back." He smirked devilishly at me.

I rolled my eyes at his comment. "Well. According to you, half of the football team are after me, so who knows who I'll ask." I taunted him, smiling smugly as the smirk vanished from his face.

"So, you do plan on asking someone?" He questioned in a clipped tone.

I shrugged in faux nonchalance. "Who knows?"

He mumbled something under his breath that I couldn't quite make out. Before I could question him on it, Mr. Wallace started the lecture.