When I woke up the next day to the dull, dark and foggy morning of Forks, I immediately was in a good mood. Why, you ask? Because the sun isn't out. Therefore, Edward will be in school today.

Smiling, I hopped into the shower and lathered the shampoo and conditioner into my hair whilst singing a song by OK Go.

I got dressed into my warm clothes, well, waterproof clothes to be exact. My jacket was in the wash because it got quite dirty in the forest and loads of pine needles clung to the fabric. I'd have to wear extra warm clothes today.

Jogging downstairs I noticed Charlie was gone again. I poured some cereal into a blue bowl and gulped it down, along with a cup of tea. I can't stand coffee. The fog outside was thick. So substantial in fact that I could barely see Sauron's red coat outside on the drive.

When I opened the front door, I immediately wrapped my arms around my chest due to the icy chill of the state. I sighed and began walking to my truck, my bag slung over my shoulder. You could see my books and pencil case bulging in my rucksack. Must get new bag.

Shockingly, however, I saw something else glinting at the bottom of my drive. A silver Volvo. Before I even had time to ask questions in my head, Edward zoomed out of the car and was right in front of me. "Good morning, Esto."

"What the hell are you doing here?" My face must have been in a comedic pose, because he started laughing.

It was clear he was laughing at my expression. "It's nice to see you too."

I sighed. "That's not what I meant," I turned to the house and back to him. The reason I turned was so I didn't show him my massive smile. "What are you doing here?"

He gave a devastating grin. "I thought, maybe you'd want a ride to school."

I smiled and pressed my hand against his chest. The clothes he wore hugged his chest beautifully. It was like a divine tribute to his stunning face. "I wouldn't mind one. But, what would Charlie say?"

"By the time Charlie gets here, you'll be home," He confirmed with an intellectual sigh as I pulled away from him.

"Fine," I chuckled. "I'd love you to take me to school."

He nodded and took my hand. I gasped when he brought it to his lips and kissed it. "As thou wish."

My heart stuttered uncontrollably and a blush formed on my pale cheeks.

Edward drove maniacally through Forks' streets. I was used to it by now, but it still unnerved me. The ride was silent, so far anyway. It was awkward, well it was for me. Edward broke the silence. "What, no twenty questions today?"

"Do my questions bother you?"

He turned, now serious. "Not as much as your reactions do."

"Do I react badly?" I bit my lip, awaiting his answer.

"No, that's the thing," He sighed. I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. "You take everything too coolly. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking."

I narrowed my eyes as the car swerved through the foggy streets. "I always tell you what I'm thinking, Edward."

"Sometimes I believe different. You edit," He accused.

"And sometimes you don't want to know what I'm really thinking," I turned from him and gazed into the oblivious fog. I wasn't ready or willing to tell him how I felt about him. Not now that I found out he was a vampire. Though as soon as the words were out I regretted them. Like when you're a kid and you backchat to your mother.

He didn't reply. His face was stern and monotonous. I figured I'd ruined the mood, like I ruined everything. The car's atmosphere was like that all the way until the school parking lot emerged. The fog seemed to have cleared a lot more; I think it went back up into the mountains.

Something occurred to me belatedly though when he parked up. "Where are the rest of your family, Edward?" I noticed that his car was usually full, although I was enjoying the solitude I was spending with him.

"They took Rosalie's car," He nodded his head to the side of the Volvo and I saw a gleaming, red convertible.

He saw my face turn to surprise and chuckled darkly. "Ostentatious, isn't it?"

"You can say that again. Why do you all have such..." I was looking for the word. "Out there cars?"

"Because we like to drive fast," He smirked and patted my rubbed my shoulders from behind when I was out of the car.

I moaned in pleasure at his soothing, arctic hands caressing my clothed shoulders. "But, if she has a car like that,then why does she ride with you?"

"Like I said, Esto, it's ostentatious," He released his hands from my shoulder and we begun our journey to the imposing school building.

I saw Jessica stood at the entrance to the school. She didn't look pleased at all. Probably because of last night, I guess. What did I do wrong?

"Hi, Jess," I greeted, smiling. Edward stood next to me, a crooked smiling being sent her way. I don't know if it was because he was such a charmer or because he was trying to get me out of it, but it seemed to work.

The annoyance on her face faltered. "Hi."

"Um..." I didn't know what to say.

"I guess I'll see you in Trig."

"I guess so," I grinned sheepishly and watched her walk away. She kept on turning every three feet to look at me and Edward. I guess it was weird that I was with him. No body, apart from his siblings, went near or hung out with a Cullen. But I didn't find it weird at all. People were staring when they walked past though.

What was I going to say to her? I couldn't say I kissed Edward Cullen.

"What are going to say to her?" Edward asked, leaning like a Greek god against the door frame.

I looked up at him, shocked and swiped some hair from my eyes. "Hey, I thought you couldn't read my mind."

Smirking devilishly, he replied. "I can't, though I can read hers."

"What's she going to do?" I groaned, leaning into him.

His chest seemed to push inwards slightly, like he was allowing me to come into him body. I quickly moved away from him, savouring his scent though. "She'll ambush you in class."

I sighed and desperately wanted this day to be over. "So, what are you going to tell her?"

"What is she going to say is what I want to know," I gave him a pleading look as he walked me to my lesson.

"She wants to know if we're secretly dating," He looked at me strangely at the end of that. "And wants to now how you feel about me."

"Oh, my God. What do I say?"

He paused and narrowed his eyes to something on my neck. I gave him a perplexed look, but he was still looking at something. Finally, he reached his hand out and took a fine strand of hair which was out of place from my usual messy do and put it in its dwelling. I shivered uncontrollably at his touch. "I suppose you could say yes to the first," He looked down at his feet coyly, and then looked back up. "If you don't mind."

"I don't mind," I said quietly. I said it almost like I was saying it to myself.

"And as for the second question-" He halted. "Well, let's just say I'll be listening for your answer."

I scoffed. "That's not fair! You can't listen in."

He grinned mischievously. "Knowing what someone is going to say before they say it, now that's not fair."

I tried to think of a witty comeback, like his. But I couldn't. "Fine."

Edward laughed in victory and walked away for his lesson as I stood outside of Spanish. He said over his shoulder. "I'll see you at lunch."

My lips curved up at his words and I entered the classroom.

I sat in my usual seat, slamming my bag down in irritation and annoyance. He was such a cheater. He shouldn't be allowed to eavesdrop! Grrr...!

"Hey, Esto," That familiar voice plucked me from my aggravating bubble.

I sighed and turned to him. "Hi, Mike."

"How was the forest trip?" Mike had a big smile on his face.

"Did Jessica tell you?"

"Yeah," He smirked. The fog outside was all cleared up now, but the same dull overcast clung to the heavens. I smiled at the weather.

"Uh, it was great," I thumbed up.

"Awesome," He turned to his book, as did I. Suddenly though jolted up and asked, "Hey, did Jessica say anything about Monday night?"

Jess and Mike went out on a little date on Monday, to Port Angeles to see some movie or something. I turned to him slowly, my eyes closed. "Yes, she did."

"What did she say?" Clearly he couldn't see the annoyance in my voice.

"That she had a great time."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"No kidding?"

"Yes, Mike."

"Seriously?" His face was bright and sunny.

"YES!" I laughed at my voice being raised. I also laughed at the fact he was just joking about asking the same question three times. We both laughed.

"No, but seriously, that's really nice of her. I'm glad she had a good time."

"Yup."

Spanish, English and Math passed in a blur. When Trig came, Edward was right. Jessica was sat in her usual seat and was bouncing up and down in agitation. I reluctantly sat down next to her and plonked my bag down on the floor. Let the onslaught begin.

"Tell me everything!" She commanded, her face bright with inquiring eyes.

"And that is?"

"Everything that happened last night."

"He brought me home and then he left," I missed out a teeny weenie detail he-he.

"Was it like a date? Did you tell him to meet us in the forest?" She pushed her eyes outwards questioningly.

"No, Jess. You saw him, he turned up unexpectedly."

Her lips pouted in disappointment at my concrete honesty.

"He drove you to school today, though?" She probed. The class had already started; Mr. Varner wasn't bothering with the class. We weren't the only ones talking too.

"That was unexpected too," It sure was. I've never had such a pleasant surprise in my life.

"Are you going to go out again?" She was thirsty for the juice of the gossip. But it was disclosed gossip. She wouldn't tell anyone else, she was trustworthy. She might tell Angela but she was incredibly reliable.

"I want to go to Seattle this Saturday," I edged around the other part of the sentence.

"And you're going to ask him to come?" Her eyes swelled with excitement and she placed her hands over her mouth in shock. "Are you going to ask him out?"

"No," I was definitely going to ask him out. I was nowhere near the man in this relationship. I said the whole Seattle thing because I've been planning it for a while, and I wanted Edward to hear it.

"So...?"

"I want to go out with him, I do, but I'm too shy."

She flung her hands up, palms stretched forward. "Has he kissed you?"

"Um," That answered everything.

"W-o-w," She put the one syllable word into three, her mouth agape. I groaned.

"Don't tell anyone," I ordered, giving half pleading eyes and half threatening.

She smiled kindly. "Of course not, but...Wow, Edward Cullen."

"I know," We both laughed. "He drives like a maniac too, Jess." I said this out of the blue so he heard it. STOP DRIVING LIKE A CRAZY BRO'!

"Do you think on Saturday, you'll, y'know?" Jessica raised her eyebrows, suggesting the S word.

My mouth opened widely in shock. "No, definitely not."

"I honestly can't believe he's gay. No wonder he didn't ask me out," She giggled. I laughed forcibly. Even if he was straight, I don't think he'd ask you out. Oh, my, I'm evil. Oh well.

"So what happened with you and him and Port Angeles?"

"I don't know, Jess," I begun to copy out of the book Mr. Varner handed out into my textbook.

"Come on, Esto. I need to know the details," She copied out of hers too.

"Well, I do know one thing."

"Go on," She asked, almost foaming at the mouth with excitement.

"The waitress was totally flirting with him at the table."

"Was she pretty?"

"Very-and looked about 19 or 20."

She grinned, "Did she pay any attention to him?"

"No, none at all," I announced proudly.

"He definitely likes you," She confirmed and begun writing.

The lesson went on boringly after that closing. We talked about many random things: What things to get for Christmas (It's November now), songs, bands, places to go, boys!

The lesson's end arrived, and I could see Jess was going to talk about Edward again, so I sidetracked genially. "Mike asked me what you thought about Monday."

She turned to me from her bag with astonishment plastered on her face. "Say what? What did he say and what did you say? I need your exact words."

I smiled impishly as I begun to spill the beans.

When everyone was leaving, Jessica turned to me. "Mike's adorable, truly. But, he really likes you?"

"Who?" Mike or Edward?

"Edward."

"I thinkso, but sometimes I can't be sure, Jess," She puckered her ears for some info. "He always seems so cryptic."

"I sometimes don't know how you're brave enough to be around him, Esto. He seems so intimidating," She muttered the last words in response to my shocked face. I though she was talking about the vampire theory.

She giggled. "So, you reallylike him?"

I blushed. "Yes."

"How much?"

"Too much, a lot more than he likes me. I don't see how I can help that," I whispered back with a solemnising tone, one blush blending into the next.

She nodded and grunted in acceptance. "Well, I'll see you later, Esto."

"Bye."

Watching her walk out, Mr. Varner on the computer, paying no heed to our conversation, I made my way to the door. When I was outside on the corridor of an incredibly shiny floor, I heard that mellifluous tone. "Oh, Esto," He whispered, leaning against the locker in a counterpoise.

I gasped. "Hello, Edward. You scared me."

He chuckled, but it seemed artificial. I saw amusement and irritation on his charming countenance. It was clear he'd be listening in.

He didn't speak on our way to lunch, and neither did I. Biding his time, I presumed.

We queued up in the cafeteria, he still didn't say anything and it was clear irritation was dominating his expression. I fidgeted nervously with my nails, chewing them in anxiety. He filled a tray with food, literally fully.

"What are doing?" I objected. "You're not getting all that for me."

He shook his head and took out his crisp leather wallet. "Half is for me, of course."

I raised a sole eyebrow as we made our way to 'our table'. A group of seniors gazed at us in amazement as we placed our bottoms on the seats. Well, I did, Edward was harmonically perched on the edge of his seat, staring into my eyes, scrutinizing my face. The irritation was still plastered on his countenance.

"Edward," I said, picking up some pizza and eating it, savouring the taste of cheese and tomato. "If I asked you to eat something, would you?"

He grimaced, shaking his head. "You're always curious," He picked up the pizza that I was about to put in my mouth. Yes, that's right, he took it from my hand just as my mouth was opening and ate it. He chewed it slowly and put it back on the plate, a huge bite mark out of it. He smirked and widened his eyes at me.

"Thanks, just take my food there," I shook my head and started munching on the burger.

"If I asked you to eat dirt, would you?"

"I did once, for a dare," I admitted. "It wasn't too bad."

He laughed. "In all honesty, I'm not surprised."

I didn't know whether to take it as an insult or as banter. I smiled meekly and looked down.

"So, the waitress was pretty, was she?" He probed, teasing me with his grin and his eyes.

"You didn't notice?"

"I don't really notice girls," He beamed, revealing his gleaming white teeth. I was sure I caught fangs with my green eyes.

"Figures," We both giggled.

Edward's laughter died down, though. "Something you said to Jessica, well it bothers me, " He glanced up at me from under his lashes with troubled eyes.

"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdroppers, Edward," I said sternly.

"I warned you I'd be listening."

"Yes, and I warned you that you didn't want to know everything I was thinking."

"True," He agreed. "I do want to know everything you're thinking. But sometimes I wish there were some things you wouldn't think."

I scowled towards him. "That's quite a distinction. You expect me to be thinking everything which pleases you?"

"That's really not the point at the moment, Esto."

"Then what is?" We were inclined to each other on the table now. Our eyes fixed into each others. My hand was leaning against my neck and I wasn't aware of the spying eyes on us. Though I could care less.

"Do you truly believe you care more for me than I do for you?" He leaned closer now, piercing me with those liquid topaz eyes.

"Some times, I do. You do things, Edward. Things which cause me to doubt how you feel for me."

He looked completely taken aback by my bold words. "Like what?"

"I don't know," I sighed and looked around. I noticed Jessica was watching, and I also saw Alice gazing at me. The rest of the Cullens were fixed on Edward. I turned away instantly.

"Yes, you do," He announced resolutely.

"Some times you," I didn't know how to answer. "Aside for the obvious, you do things, or say things, which make you sound like you're saying goodbye."

"You're wrong," He was leaning more forward and his eyes were stunning and made my heart do about fifty palpitations in one second.

"You're doing it again."

He furrowed his neat brow. "Doing what?"

"Dazzling me."

"Oh," He didn't lean back.

"Yeah," I was invading his eyes, savouring every last ounce of his beauty. My mouth was slightly open, letting breaths in, my tongue tracing the line of my molars.

"Aside from the obvious?" He recalled.

"What?"

"What did you mean, 'Aside for the obvious,'?"

"Well, look at me," I gestured myself with my hands. "I'm ordinary, some could say ugly. Any you, you're, well, you're beautiful."

I couldn't comprehend the anger that flashed across his face, but it ceased when he gave a knowing look. "You don't know what every human was thinking in this room when you walked in..." He took a pause and looked at me with wide eyes and a soft lip. "And vampire."

I blinked, astonished. "You though things when I walked in? Bad things?"

"No. When I saw your face in the cafeteria two months ago, I could help but quiver at your beauty. You were, and are, so beautiful Esto," He looked down, his mouth turning into a crooked line of irritation.

"What is it?" I asked between breaths of shock. I was in complete and utter bewilderment. Edward thinks I'm beautiful. Me. Esto Swan, the most ordinary, clumsy, foolish boy in existence.

"Trust me, just this once. You are the opposite of ordinary."

My embarrassment was clear on my face much more than the pleasure behind it. "But I'm not saying goodbye."

"I don't say goodbye behind subtext, Esto. But I do think it. Your life would be so much more normal if I weren't around you. I'm dangerous, I'm a killer."

"You won't hurt me," Gasping for air, my heart pumping so loudly I could hear it booming in my ears, I grazed his clenched fist with a finger.

"Never," He looked at me through his lashes and smiled.

I smiled too.

"It's not that though, Esto. You've seen how fast I can run; you know how strong I am. You know what I am."

I clenched my teeth. "I'm not afraid of you," The room was emptying, but we stayed.