I neither loved nor hated football, so the most I'd expected to get out of the Homecoming game was two and a half hours of flirting with Edward. I didn't plan to pay any attention to the actual game and certainly didn't foresee myself bleeding purple and gold. But the Cullen/Black/Dwyer cheering section was a force of nature, and I got swept up in their fervor.

It turned out that Edward and Jake's parents didn't yell only for their own children's events, they also were spirited at school functions. My mom showed her usual enthusiasm, and it was nice to have Edward and Jake on the same side for once, even though they were sitting as far apart in our group as possible. Edward kept a possessive hand on me almost the entire time, but I wasn't bothered by it. In fact, I found myself doing the same every time I spotted other girls checking him out.

The game was fairly fast-paced, with both teams possessing a better offense than defense. At halftime, the score was tied at 21, and excitement was high. My own throat felt dry from all the screaming I did. I was digging around in my handbag for a cough drop when Edward squeezed my elbow.

"You ready?"

I gave him a puzzled look. He rolled his eyes and smirked.

"They just called the court down to the track. Come on, princess. Let's not make your subjects wait."

Right, it was time for the Homecoming King and Queen announcement. I'd almost forgotten about it.

I shot him a look. "Watch it with the attitude, mister. You're one who's a royal pain in my ass."

His hand slipped down and gave my backside a covert squeeze.

"And such a nice ass it is, Your Highness."

I didn't have time to comment because Mom and Mrs. Cullen were reaching in for hugs while Dr. Cullen and Mr. Black spouted words of encouragement.

Hand-in-hand, Edward and I made our way down to the track where the rest of the court was gathered. Alexa and Tyler wore matching smug expressions, Jessica fiddled with her dress and wrung her hands nervously, and Mike seemed bored out of his mind. Jake walked up to Tyler, slapped him on the back, and started up a conversation. Meanwhile, Tanya stood off to one side, looking slightly nauseated.

I stretched up toward Edward's ear.

"Do you mind if we go over to Tanya? I think she could use a friend right now."

He scowled, but after noticing her ashen complexion, his features softened. "Yeah, sure. But I'm going to stay back some. I don't want to make things worse."

I led the way, and Edward followed, a few paces behind. Tanya smiled weakly at our approach, though I noticed she avoided looking directly at Edward. I gave her a hug, careful not to muss her clothing.

"Hey, Tee. Are you doing alright? I love your dress, by the way."

She glanced down over the sleek material that hugged her perfect curves. "Um, thanks. My mom picked it out." Her eyes flicked up to the stands. "She's obsessed with me winning this thing…says it'll look bad for her as a pageant director if I don't." Tanya sighed. "It's driving me crazy."

"I'm sorry," I said sympathetically. "For what it's worth, I hope you do win."

"I don't know how I feel about it," she admitted. "I've never been a fan of competing and all that, but Mom gets so excited when I do well, like she did at Congress. It'd be nice to win for her sake, but I'm also worried she'll start pushing me even harder."

I couldn't come up with an appropriate response that didn't insult her mom, so I just reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Thanks, Bella. You've been really great. I think out of us all, you deserve it the most."

"I think so, too," Edward said, stepping up to me and putting an arm around my waist. He nodded at Tanya. "Hey."

"Hi, Edward," she replied quietly, her eyes darting to his face and then away.

The sound of a drum cadence caught our attention. As the school band marched onto the field and into some sort of formation, Angela's voice came over the loudspeaker. She gave a short introduction about the nomination process and then began to announce the names of the court members. We were called out in pairs, and this time, Edward was my partner. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head before escorting me onto the field.

We stopped in front of an arc-shaped bridge that was painted to look like a rainbow. Now only Jake and Tanya were waiting to be announced. I felt bad for both of them when it was their turn. Jake stiffly offered his arm, his face devoid of emotion. Tanya, on the other hand, was an open book whose discomfort was easy to read. She touched his sleeve with only her fingertips and left a gaping space between them as they walked. It was painful to watch.

"Yeah, I know," murmured Edward, seeing me cringe at the sight. "I almost feel sorry for them. That's what it was like for me at the pep rally when I was put together with Tanya."

"Hmph, you two seemed cozy enough at the time," I griped under my breath.

Edward regarded me with a raised eyebrow. "Isabella Swan, were you jealous?"

I wrinkled my nose at the amusement in his voice. "Like you have any room to talk. You weren't very happy to see me with Jake."

"Hmm, good point."

Just then, the crowd grew quiet, and the principal walked out with an unfamiliar girl on his arm. A crown sat atop her long blond hair, and a sash that read "Homecoming Queen" fluttered across a very low-cut dress. Using my incredible powers of deduction, I figured she must have been last year's winner. The duo walked past us and over the bridge to take position on the other side.

"Ladies and gentlemen," boomed Angela over the loudspeaker, "we have an amazing group of princes on the field, but there can only be one king. And this year, our Homecoming King is…"

She paused for dramatic effect.

"…Edward Cullen!"

Smiling broadly, I looked up at said Homecoming King, who was wearing an adorably dazed expression. There were whistles, shouts, and loud applause from the stands—most notably our parents' section—as they waited for Edward to cross the bridge and collect his new sash. When he didn't move, I pinched his side.

"Go on, Your Majesty," I teased. "Your subjects are waiting."

I was happy for my boyfriend when he received loud cheers as he started moving toward the bridge, and I was happy when last year's queen placed the sash on his shoulder. I was not happy when the beautiful girl pressed her generous cleavage into his chest as she gave him an enthusiastic hug and a kiss on his cheek. The gesture was much too intimate and lasted way too long, in my completely unbiased opinion. I shot a burning glare at the back of her crown-covered golden head.

Jake moved Tanya nearer to me to close the gap Edward's departure had left. The crowd hushed again as they waited for the Queen to be announced.

At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to win the title just so I could push that fluttery-eyed slut away from my man and show her that he was mine. I turned back to the grandstand and glowered at the announcer's booth.

As if on cue, Angela began speaking again.

"And now, it's time to crown our new Homecoming Queen. Of all our wonderful princesses, this year's winner is…"

A soft drumroll sounded out from the percussion section as the rest of the band readied their instruments.

"…Tanya Denali!"

The crowd erupted in another round of cheers, and the band began to play the Wizard of Oz song "Over the Rainbow." Tanya seemed just as astonished as Edward had been, her eyes wide and her jaw slack. I stepped around Jake and pulled her into a brief hug.

"Congrats—I'm so happy for you!" I said before nudging her toward the bridge.

With her new crown and sash, Tanya truly looked the part of royalty, especially beside Edward's handsome form. Once again, I felt the prickling doubts of insecurity threaten my good mood but summoned the determination to ignore them. After all that he and I had gone through to come together as a couple, it would be silly to let pointless jealousy bring me down. Edward was mine—and would be even more so that night.

Still, once we were excused from the field, I grabbed his hand and practically dragged him outside the stadium.

"What's going on?" he asked, taking longer strides to keep up.

As soon as I hauled him behind a small copse of trees and underbrush, I stood on my tiptoes and pulled his head so that I could assault his mouth with a passionate kiss. He was surprised for a moment, then eagerly joined in. His hands reached for my hips to bring me closer, and I kept moving until our lower bodies touched. When that enticing hardness pressed into my abdomen, I shimmied back and forth, rubbing over him like the shameless hussy I was.

"Bella…oh god…as much as I'm enjoying that, I'll need a change of pants if you keep going," Edward groaned against my lips. He tightened his grasp on my hips to hold me still. "What brought this on, anyway?"

Coyly lowering my eyes, I began tracing along the seams of his blazer's breast pocket. "Maybe I just wanted to pay my respects to the king."

"Yeah right," he snorted. He took a step back and ducked his head to see my face. One of his hands came up to brush a lock of hair behind my ear. "I'm sorry you didn't get chosen, too. I wish we could've been a package deal."

"What—like, buy one, get one free?" I smirked, glancing up at him.

"No, more of a 'sold as a set, not for individual distribution' type of thing."

I suddenly scowled and looked away again. "Someone should tell that to Queen Cleavage."

"Who?"

"I think last year's Homecoming Queen also wanted to pay her respects to you," I mumbled to the ground.

When Edward didn't say anything, I glanced up to see a sheepish expression on his features. Anxiety bubbled up in my stomach. I had a feeling that I wasn't going to like whatever was causing him to be embarrassed.

"That was Sam…uh, Samantha Morris. She was, um…she asked me to Homecoming last year."

It took me a moment to come up with a reply, and even then, all I could manage was a quiet "oh." I was too busy trying to fight the simultaneous feelings of jealousy and hurt. It made no sense for me to be upset over something that happened before I even moved to the town.

And yet, I was.

"It was just a one-time thing. We'd didn't go out again after that night."

Edward was attempting to reassure me, but there was an odd note in his voice that rang out in my ears like a blaring warning siren. If I coupled his unease with the hungry way she'd looked at him…

"I bet she wanted to, though—right? She wanted to see you again after getting a taste of how amazing you are. But you were too focused on school, so you said…"

I trailed off when I noticed Edward's wide eyes and red cheeks. He seemed to be trying desperately to get himself together.

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. I was just surprised that you guessed right about, uh…about her wanting to see me again." His words ran together as they tumbled quickly out of his mouth.

That same strange undertone was present, and then a thought crossed my mind, accompanied by a sickening mental image.

"You hooked up with her," I stated with grim finality. "Maybe there wasn't sex, but you two could've…oh shit, I get it now. She literally got a taste of you, didn't she?"

At that moment, I wasn't even aware I was backing away with my hand covering my mouth until I bumped into the trunk of a tree. The light impact served to knock my mind onto a slightly different path.

"Dammit, Edward, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. That's none of my business. It's not like I should care or anything."

"Bella—"

I waved my hands in the air at him. "No, no, it's fine. Totally okay," I said quickly. "You don't have to explain anything to me. Guys and girls do that stuff all the time, and there's no reason why you shouldn't have. I mean, you're insanely hot, and I'm sure girls throw themselves at you wherever you go. Like, literally. You probably dodge them right and left."

"Bella—"

I couldn't stop rambling on. "It'd be crazy for you not to take a few or, hell, even all of them up on their offers. There's no reason not to. Unless…maybe if it's someone who gets around a lot. You wouldn't to get an STD like herpes or something…oh, by the way, did you know you can get syphilis and gonorrhea from oral sex? I was looking up stuff online for tonight—well, I wasn't looking up that sort of thing, of course…it's not like I think you have an STD…although now that I've found out you did more stuff that I thought, I guess it's possible. But, I'm sure you'd tell me if I needed to worry about that, just like I'd be honest with you. Then again, there's nothing for me to tell because I hadn't even kissed anyone until you. I know that sounds pretty sad, but I—whoa, Edward! What the hell?"

One moment I was talking myself deeper and deeper into a hole, the next I was trying to figure out why each of my boobs had an Edward hand wrapped around it. I gaped at his smirking face.

"I wanted to get your attention. It was a toss-up between grabbing your lips, your ass, or these. I was lazy and went for the closest thing." He gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Uhhh…" My gaze lowered to where his thumbs were now moving back and forth over rapidly stiffening nipples. I momentarily forgot what we were talking about, where we were, and just about everything else, including how to form words. "Umm…"

"Now, Bella, although I kinda like it when you act jealous, there's absolutely no reason for you to be," Edward said in a low, husky voice. "I couldn't care less about Sam or any other girl out there. You're the only one I want to be with—to date, to kiss, touch, be touched by…to do everything with. You know that, right?"

"Mm-hmm," I whimpered, held completely defenseless by the stare of his intense green eyes and the ministrations of his teasing fingers. He could've told me to shed my clothes and streak down the fifty-yard line singing La Cucaracha, and I would've jumped to it. At that moment, he totally owned me.

"Good."

His hands dropped down to my waist, and he gave me a sweet kiss on the lips. By the time I realized he'd concluded our discussion, as well as the make-out session I'd instigated, we were coming out from behind the trees into public view.

"Hey," I protested. "I wasn't done back there."

He squeezed the hand of mine he was holding and chuckled. "To be continued, I promise."

My long sigh was grumpy, at best. I had no desire to return to the knowing grins of our parents and the pained looks from Jacob when I could be molesting my boyfriend instead. I consoled myself with Edward's assurance of future groping action. I would sure-as-hell hold him to that, and more.

^-^ AHOADC ^-^

The longer I stared in the mirror, the darker it appeared.

My skin tone was very light, and although I'd gotten a little sun during the two months prior, my waist, hips, and upper thighs were still pale white. The chalky lack of color made a shocking contrast to the dark brown of my hair…down there.

Standard practice for me was to go at it every once in a while using a trimmer with a number two blade guard. I felt icky when the hair was long; however, cutting it too short made me itch. Before the shower I'd took earlier that morning, I'd neatened things up, but now I worried that might not be good enough.

It wasn't until he'd dropped me off at home after the game (which we won in overtime) that I realized he'd neither confirmed nor denied my assumptions about him and Sam. He had told about getting to second base with Tanya in front of a campfire, but that was it. He could have a Ph.D. in the art of giving and receiving oral with hundreds of practical hours logged, for all I knew.

And there I was, almost clueless with zero skills and experience. What would Edward be expecting? Would I measure up to the other girls? I wondered if he had a preference when it came to pubic hair styles. Did he seem like an au naturel kind of guy, or would he want me completely bare? A landing strip, perhaps?

Well, the natural look couldn't happen, regardless, though I briefly entertained myself with the thought of pubic hair extensions…or maybe some sort of glue-on crotch wig. Knowing my luck, I'd suffer a tragic toupee malfunction at a critical moment. I could just imagine Edward lifting his head from between my legs with a faux beard of dark hair stuck to his chin.

Once I was able to stifle my burst of nervous giggles, the landing strip idea got scratched off the mental list. I could barely draw a decent freehand rectangle with a pencil—trying to make the shape with a razor was a disaster waiting to happen.

Several more minutes of anxious consideration passed, then I finally decided to leave it alone. It was too risky to try going bare for the first time on such an important night.

Satisfied with my decision, I turned on the water in my shower so that I could rinse off and shave my legs once more. It was just after four in the afternoon, and I plenty of time to make certain every inch of my body was ready in hopes that Edward would touch all of them.

I set to work scrubbing and buffing and shaving, my hair tucked safely under a plastic shower cap. Because I'd been preparing for the last three days, it didn't take very long to finish up. Just before turning off the spray, I ran my hands over myself one last time to make sure that I hadn't missed anything…

Damn.

I'd overlooked one tiny part of my body. It was an embarrassing situation I'd never given a thought to before, and I had no idea what to do about it. But something had to be done, because there was no way I'd let Edward stumble upon that grossness. If I didn't take care of it, I'd be self-conscious and paranoid the entire time.

Killing the water and grabbing a towel, I hurried out of the shower and over to my laptop. I knew that Google would give me the answer I needed. The almighty power of the internet would reveal to me how to banish them.

Damn those small-in-number but high-in-ick-factor rear end hairs.

I was reading about the best way to shave them off when Mom tapped on my bedroom door.

"How's everything going? Do you need help with anything?" came her muffled voice.

Startled, I hastily slammed shut my laptop and went to the door to open it.

"Hey, Mom. Um, actually, I was wondering…do you have any of those cold wax strip hair removal things?"

Her gaze first went to my eyebrows, then to my upper lip. "You look fine to me, unless…oh! You need them for a bikini wax, huh?"

I cringed but also nodded. The bikini area was far less humiliating to talk about than my butt crack.

"Sorry, Pea, all I have is hot wax. You're welcome to use it, though."

I had a very strong feeling I shouldn't be anywhere near hot wax without careful supervision, but I wasn't about to let my mom volunteer for the job—not in that particular area, at least.

Then again, it seemed to me that going at it blind with a razor wasn't a good idea, either.

Ten minutes later, my head was craned over my shoulder as I tried to watch my mirrored image slather the microwaved wax in between spread-apart butt cheeks. I didn't want to think about what I was doing, but it couldn't be helped. In that wretched position, it also occurred to me to wonder about the state of Edward's body hair and if he shared my unfortunate predicament. Could he possibly be going through the same ritual at the moment?

Somehow, I doubted it.

Although my hand was a little shaky at first, I managed to get the wax in the right area without major incident. Some of the sticky stuff had succumbed to gravity and dropped onto the floor, but I'd had the great foresight to put newspaper down first. Proud of my mishap-free start, I shook my clenched hands in the air. Then I peered down at the instructions written in tiny print on the thin, creased paper.

I was supposed to wait about thirty seconds for the wax to harden, and then peel the strip away. It sounded easy enough.

Yeah, right. I should've known better than to assume. My Fates-conjured black cloud was always on the job.

As such, when I reached back to check if the wax was ready to be removed, I discovered that I couldn't. I wasn't able to check the wax because I couldn't reach it. I wasn't able to reach it because my butt cheeks were glued firmly together.

It hadn't occurred to me that, for the curing process, I needed to keep 'em separated.

Ha…ha.

At first, I wasn't too concerned. The body wax was designed to be pulled off skin, so although it might require a little bit of inglorious digging around, I would do the deed quickly and then banish the memory from my mind.

Except that when I took hold of the glob, I couldn't get it to come off. I tugged and yanked, but the effin' wax stubbornly adhered to my skin. Contorting myself in all sorts of unspeakable positions, I approached it from different angles and with varying grips, but nothing worked. Uneasiness set in as I snatched the instructions from off the floor and tried to figure out what to do next.

The kit included a bottle of wax removal lotion, so I slathered it around the affected area. However, because most of the wax was sandwiched between two layers of unfortunate skin, the lotion couldn't find its way in and was thus rendered spectacularly ineffective. The baby oil I tried didn't do a damned thing, either.

My alarm was fast approaching full-blown panic. I hurried back to my laptop, grimacing at the uncomfortable pulling sensation in my posterior. I needed to find a solution, and I needed that to happen soon, before I started freaking out in earnest.

A half hour later, I lay on my stomach on my bed and tried to hold back tears of frustration, humiliation, and pain. I'd tried everything I could, from dry talcum powder to liquid olive oil, cold ice cubes to a hot blow dryer. The only result of my efforts had been a greatly incensed butt crack.

Eventually, only one feasible option remained: brute force. I'd taken a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and started ripping. I tried to go as slowly as possible to minimize damage, but in the end, I still ended up with several layers of missing skin.

During the torturous process, I figured out what had gone wrong in the first place. I'd prepared my skin with the cleaning solution provided but had overlooked using the included bottle of oil. That would have kept the wax from sticking to my skin and prevented the whole debacle.

Um, oops.

There were two positives I could take away, however. First, I realized my ribs weren't bothering me as much. Despite all the bending and twisting I'd done, there was only a slight soreness in my side. Second, I wasn't as anxious about the upcoming evening and all its associated significance. I felt way too lousy. Having a raw and tender rear end could do that to a person.

"I'm ready for you, Little Pea!"

My mom's chipper voice signaled it was time to join her in my bathroom. I'd decided to let her take over in the hair and makeup department—I just didn't have the mental energy for it. She, on the other hand, was thrilled beyond reason.

Gingerly seated on one of my bed pillows, I endured her incessant upbeat chattering as she came at me with all sorts of beauty tools and products. She worked quickly, though, and I had to admit being impressed by the results.

"Oh, honey, you look so beautiful," Mom gushed.

For once, I agreed with the assessment. The midnight blue dress that Alexa had picked out during my shopping spree featured large iridescent silver beads that formed an empire waistline under my bust. They looked like smooth stones on a pebbled beach under the light of the moon and served as a perfect complement to the deeply-hued waves of blue satin that rippled down from them. Mom decided against a formal updo, instead adding long distinct curls that flowed freely over my shoulders and down my back. My makeup was expressive enough to indicate the festivity of the event without being overwhelming or brash.

I turned carefully in place on my delicate silver heels, watching the subtle train of my dress's skirt sweep over the floor behind me. My mood brightened as a smile stretched across my face, and suddenly I couldn't wait for the night to begin.

The doorbell rang at exactly five thirty. Mom insisted I wait in my bedroom so that I could do a proper "reveal." She wanted to get pictures documenting Edward's reaction when he saw me. Considering my impatience, it wasn't easy to agree, but I felt I owed it to her. Finally, she called me into the living room, and only my chafed cheeks kept me from hurrying there.

Mom snapped some pictures of Edward as I entered the room and then whirled around to focus the camera on me, but she needn't have rushed. I was frozen in place except for my eyes, which hungrily devoured the epitome of male hotness that stood by the couch. I thought he'd looked amazing that morning in his blazer and jeans, but my mind was blown at the sight of him in a white collared shirt, black trousers, and skinny black tie. I couldn't seem to move, talk, or even think—I just stood there gaping.

It was becoming a habit around him.

The camera kept flashing as Edward stepped toward me. With due ceremony, he reached for my hand to slip on a wrist corsage. I had no idea what kind of flower it was or what color; I only had eyes for my delectable date.

At some point, Mom interrupted my staring session by giving Edward a hug, then me.

"Well, kids, I hope you have a special night," she giggled as she backed away from us. "Enjoy yourselves, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

With a click of her bedroom door, we were alone. Edward gazed into my eyes and brushed his hand softly against my cheek. "You look absolutely amazing, Bella," he murmured. "How did I get so lucky?"

As usual, I had a brilliant reply to that.

"Uhh…"

He chuckled and touched his lips to mine. "Come on. How about we get this night started?"

When we stepped outside onto the front porch, I again stopped in my tracks as I saw the car parked in the driveway.

"I thought you said…"

"I know," Edward replied happily. "I was surprised, too. But Dad was in a sappy mood and handed the keys over. For a sec, I thought about pressing my luck and asking for the Aston Martin, but I figured I'd save that for prom."

My eyes darted toward his face when he mentioned the dance over six months away, but Edward was already leading me to the silver Mercedes. Apparently, he didn't think it was a big deal to assume we'd still be going strong at the end of the school year. I, however, was stunned. The way he said it was so casual and off-hand, as if us being together was a foregone conclusion. My heart swelled in my chest until I thought I might explode from the enormity of my emotion.

Although a small part of me wanted to be alone with Edward at that moment, I was still happy to see Alice waving at me from the back seat of the car. Her witty enthusiasm was exactly what I needed to snap out of my stupor. She gave me an appreciative once-over as Edward opened the passenger-side door.

"Wow, Bella. You might not've won the popularity contest, but you definitely look the part of a queen. How about you ditch my cousin and be my date instead?"

"Not a chance," Edward growled playfully. "She's all mine."

After lowering myself (gingerly) into the front seat, I shook my head in amazement. The evening had barely started, and I was already reduced to a swooning puddle of mush.

After thanking Alice for the compliment, I took note of her dress. It was a cream-colored knee-length piece with satin ribbon wrapped around the middle and a skirt made from billowy layers of tulle. Even sitting in the back of a dimly lit car, she looked angelic, like a celestial being alit to Earth, and I told her as much.

Our dinner at a charming German restaurant in Hagerstown was a fun, light-hearted affair. When Edward squeezed my hand under the table and gave me a significant look, I knew he was thinking the same as I: we were glad to have Alice with us. She refused at first, saying that she didn't want to intrude on our time together, but we eventually wore her down. While distracting her from missing Jasper was in the back of both our minds, that was the least of the reasons for insisting she come. Mostly, we just wanted to enjoy her company and share part of the Homecoming experience with her.

Dinner was about as perfect as I could imagine. Edward was charming and attentive, the food tasted great, and we all wore smiles throughout. Alice seemed to be having a genuinely good time, and although there were times I spotted a faraway look in her eyes, it never stayed for long. I just hoped she would be okay at the dance, where it would be much harder to ignore the romantic connotations of the night.

I decided to sit with her in the back seat on the way to the high school. While Alice and I chattered away, Edward glanced at us in the rear view mirror every so often with a strange expression on his face. On one such occasion, I caught his eye and gave him a questioning look, but he smiled and shook his head. Chalking his behavior up to the unknown workings of a male mind, I let it go. I had no desire to come down from my natural high with any sort of heavy thinking or worrying.

We arrived a fashionable forty-five minutes late. Loud music blared out from the gym as we walked toward the open doors. Edward had me on one arm, Alice on the other, and I couldn't have been more proud that he was my date. Despite all the bared shoulders, legs, and cleavage of other girls, his admiring eyes stayed on me.

There were a lot of people milling around—more than I expected to see. We had to weave our way through the crowd to find a group of empty chairs where we could stop to get our bearings. It took even longer because of all the greetings that came our way, as well as congratulations on Edward's win. He accepted all with equal graciousness, though I wasn't pleased about the unbalanced female to male ratio of those who approached him.

"Do you know all those people?" I asked when we finally found a spot in a corner. "I hardly ever see you interact with anyone at school…"

He shrugged. "Remember, I've gone to school here since kindergarten, and it's not a big town. Over the years, I've been involved with a lot of different school activities and community events. I was even on the soccer team until junior year when I quit so I could take an afterschool internship at the vet's office."

"Really?" I frowned at my own lack of extracurriculars. Maybe it was a good thing Angela had roped me into being part of the SGA.

"Those things help, but grades, test scores, and essays are most important for college," Alice chimed in, reading my thoughts correctly as she was wont to do. "You'll be fine."

Edward leaned in close to me, his eyes strangely passionate again. "I really hope you think about Cornell like my dad suggested. Maybe we could fly up there over a long weekend or, hell, even during the school week so you can check out the campus. If you like it and we both get in, think of how great that would be…"

I stared at him in shock. We hadn't been official for even a week yet, and he was ready to make plans that far into the future—real plans, not just idle fantasies like I often imagined. Both he and Alice had cautioned me about his intensity, but it experiencing it firsthand was something else.

"Oh, I love this song!" Alice said, hopping up and grabbing my hand as the music changed over the loudspeakers. "Come on, you two—this is a dance, after all."

I was more than a little worried I'd make of fool of myself revealing my nonexistent dance skills, but Alice immediately swept my fears away. She took hold of my other hand as well and began moving me all around, turning us sideways, bringing us down, and shaking our arms in the air. Edward watched us indulgently as he did his "I'm a confident, laid-back hot guy gettin' my dance on" moves beside us. I wanted to enjoy the view, but Alice had me laughing too hard to see straight.

We stayed out for another song, working up a little sweat as Alice got serious and tried to teach me rhythm. I did better when Edward came up from behind to wrap himself around me. Apparently, it's much easier to go with the music when you're gooey putty shaped against someone's very capable body.

Alice ensnared a dance partner herself—a freshman with a youthful face and short brown hair who kept shooting nervous glances at Edward. When I looked up to see my boyfriend scowling at the poor kid, I nudged him firmly with my elbow. He harrumphed but did lower the wattage on his threatening glare.

The music transitioned to a slow song, and Edward turned me around to face him. I noticed he made sure Alice was okay with brown-haired boy before giving his full attention to me.

"I'm glad Jas isn't here," Edward muttered. "He'd go through the roof and then flatten that kid on his way back down."

"Which is one of the reasons why she didn't come with him," I commented. "He overreacts and makes something out of nothing."

"I think we already established how easy it is to fall into that trap when you really care about someone, Miss Attacks-Me-Behind-The-Bushes," he teased.

"Oh, so you think I really care about you, huh?" The mischievous smile I wore didn't stop the pink from rising in my cheeks.

It seemed a quick flash of doubt crossed Edward's features before he pulled me somewhat roughly against his body.

"I know you do," he asserted, his lips moving against my ear. "Almost as much as I care about you."

A tremor skittered across my skin as I tilted my head sideways to give him better access. His mouth worked its way past my jaw and down my neck to settle in the dip along the top of my shoulder. When the tip of his tongue drew small circles there, I moaned softly and dug my fingers into his biceps.

"You'd better stop, or it's going to seem like forever until we get back to my house," I mumbled.

Though my protest was half-hearted, Edward grunted in agreement and lifted his head. The movement helped only a little—I could still feel him hard against my abdomen.

We swayed lazily through the rest of the song, saying nothing, just enjoying being in each other's arms. When it was over, Alice accompanied us to the refreshment table. She'd taken leave of her friend—Sean was his name—and promised a rain check to another guy wanting a dance.

"Look at you, beating the boys off with a stick," I laughed.

Alice smirked and took a cup of soda from the table. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to save some more dances for you."

"Darn straight you will."

"Edward, Bella!" Angela pushed through the line to get to us. "At nine thirty, the Homecoming court is going to be announced again. Edward, you and Tanya will start off on the dance floor, and then everyone else on the court will join in to dance the rest of the song. Make sure you're at the DJ's table five minutes before then to put on your sashes, okay?"

"What?" I exclaimed. "Does that mean I'll be dancing with Jake?" I didn't need to look at Edward to know what the expression on his face was like.

"Sorry, but the King and Queen have to dance together, and I doubt Alexa or Jessica will switch out with you. Hang in there; it's only one dance and will be over before you know it."

She gave an apologetic shrug and then disappeared back into the throng.

"We can survive one dance, right?" Edward asked with forced lightness.

I wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question or not. I also didn't remind him that he'd been the one arguing the case for the Homecoming insanity in the first place.

Edward and I went back to the dance floor after that, but the upcoming event put a damper on our mood. It wasn't as much the fact that we'd be dancing with others—it was the specific people who would be our partners. Jake didn't bother to hide his attraction for me, and I was almost certain Tanya still harbored feelings for Edward. Obviously, neither Edward nor I would be swayed by outside influences, but the ordeal was sure to be unpleasant for both of us.

Future hardship aside, we had a good time mingling with our classmates. Erica and Jeff were adorably shy but oh-so-cute together. One of Jeff's friends, Collin, made us laugh with his knowledge of useless trivia, and Collin's girlfriend, Tia, was extremely friendly.

I never expected that Angela's secret escort would turn out to be Nate Gardner. They hadn't given any indication of being a couple, so I wondered if the dance was purely a platonic date for them. It was hard to tell with Angela: she ordered him around just like everyone else. He took her no-nonsense direction surprisingly well, which brought several interesting images of the two them to my mind. That, in turn, prompted a giggle fit I wasn't able to explain to Edward since the objects of my perverted thoughts were well within earshot.

I saw Alexa, Jessica, and their gang—minus Tanya—on the opposite end of the dance floor, but they never sought me out, and vice versa. I did wonder about Tanya and hoped she was okay. It wasn't her fault I had unfounded insecurities in my relationship with Edward.

When it was finally time to gather by the DJ, I was relieved. The sooner we started, the sooner it would be over, I figured. Edward pressed a possessive kiss to my temple when Jake arrived, and I had to bite my lip to keep from smirking. It's not that I wanted to deliberately hurt Jake, but he needed to drop the idea that I might ever change my mind.

Jessica, Mike, Alexa, and Tyler soon joined us, and Angela handed out on our sashes. Despite not having won queen, Jessica seemed overjoyed to act as royalty one final time. She lovingly caressed her satin ribbon and struck poses for the school newspaper photographer. Alexa was not quite as enthusiastic, and though a smile stretched across her face, I got the feeling she was mad about something. I resolved to keep my distance from her as much as possible.

Angela's head appeared to be spinning in circles as she scanned the gym for Tanya. When I saw Nate put a hand on the small of her back to calm her, I wondered if maybe I was wrong about them not being an item. Heck, if he was able to tone done the level of her crazy, I was all for her getting some of that. Or maybe some Valium.

Tanya showed up at the last possible second, just like she'd been doing all week. Although stunning in a shimmery black dress, she didn't seem as put-together as usual, and there were dark shadows under her eyes. I wanted to pull her aside and talk, but time ran out. Angela had already tugged Edward away from me and was shepherding him and Tanya to the edge of the dance floor.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," boomed the DJ, "it's time for Smithsburg High's traditional 'Dance of the Homecoming Court.' Please turn your attention to the floor, where our newly chosen King and Queen will begin the dance. I'm honored to present to you this year's royal couple: Edward Cullen and Tanya Denali!"

I saw Edward suck in a deep breath before taking hold of Tanya's waist. With heels, she was nearly the same height as him, so it was natural that she rested her hands on his shoulders. They maintained a respectable distance between each other, but that didn't make it much better for me to stomach.

"If you think that's bad, you should try stumbling across them as they're sucking on each other's tonsils," Jake spat out from behind me.

I gasped and spun around, my hands clenching into fists.

"What the hell was that for, Jake? Are you trying to make me feel like crap and ruin my night?"

His shoulders hunched, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. "Shit, Bells, I—"

"Don't call me that," I interrupted angrily. "Don't act like we're friends after saying what you did."

"I didn't mean to—it's just…" He shook his head in resignation. "It hurts. She was everything to me…for so long… and then to see her like that, with my best friend…"

Although I was pissed, I couldn't help feeling sorry for him and sighed. "Look, I can understand why you'd be mad, but it's been years now. Holding onto this grudge won't change anything or make you feel better. You three used to be so close, and yes, mistakes were made, but—"

"Mistakes?" Jake snarled. "That's what you're calling what they did? Both of them knew how I felt, Cullen especially, but no one gave a damn. It's like he wanted me to see them together that way, like he wanted to rub it in my face the same way he did every other time he beat me at something."

"That's not true! Edward hoped things would work out with you and Tanya. He didn't go after her that night. He never even liked her…" I trailed off, remembering again what Edward had confessed about him and Tanya the night Jake's mom had died.

Jake huffed and rolled his eyes. "Of course he spun the story in his favor. Why would he tell you the truth? You just got here and have no idea what he's really like. But I've known him since we were kids. Cullen is a scheming, lying, backstabbing piece of—"

Jake's rant was cut off when the DJ announced our names as the final members of the Homecoming Court. Engrossed in our argument, I hadn't even noticed that the other two couples were already on the dance floor. I searched out Edward, only to find he was staring at Jake and me with dangerously narrowed eyes.

"Let's just drop it," I said to Jake as his fingers curled around my waist. I grasped his arms slightly above the elbows and made sure we weren't touching anywhere else.

"You should hear this first," he insisted. "I know I'm not perfect, and you've seen me at my worst in the past few weeks. But you need to know that Cullen's only showing you his best. He can be really smooth when he wants to be, and I'm worried that you're going to get hurt when you finally see his true colors."

I craned my neck to keep Edward in sight, but the other two dancing couples kept getting in the way. It was annoying as hell, especially given how big the dance area was. I gave up and returned my attention to my partner.

"I'm not completely clueless, Jake, and you have no idea how he is with me. Not that it's any of your business, but we've already made it through some rough patches. Edward had no problem pointing out his own faults, and I know I've got issues, too. Heck, who doesn't?"

"Yeah, but—"

"I don't get it, Jake. Where are you trying to go with this? Do you think I'm going to say 'you're probably right about Edward, I want you instead'? At this point, it doesn't matter what happens with him and me." I sighed and looked up him with all the gentle earnestness I could convey. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel that way about you."

"Bella…please…" he whispered sadly, his face crumpling with hurt and rejection. "Not you, too."

Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes as my heart broke for him. I hated to be a reason for his sadness and put a hand on his chest in a comforting gesture.

He gazed down at me, his own eyes wide, vulnerable, and lost. I could see something flickering in them, something desperate and wild, so I moved toward him ever so slightly, hoping to offer a measure of calm.

And then he leaned down and kissed me.

Special thanks to Payton79 for her rec of this story a few weeks back! I'm also following her WIP, Two Blue Lines. It's a great read—please check it out! :)

Two Blue Lines

Bella, a good girl, was dumped by her long-time boyfriend. Edward, a young doctor, is feeling suffocated by his father's plans. Waking up next to a stranger is a shock for a good girl. Seeing the girl of your dreams run out on you the morning after sucks for a nice guy. What if two blue lines will bind the two together for life? What if they can't even remember how they came to be?