Just a little something I got in my head and couldn't shake! Thanks to Twilight Ladies, That'sMzPeachesTYVM for prereading and beta'ing and to Kitty who practically plotted this whole thing out for me!

I own nothing. It's all Stephenie Meyer's.

I had intended to wait until I had a few more chapters prewritten before I posted this, but I couldn't help myself!

Hope you like it :)

Chapter 1

"What's with your hair?" Edward raised an eyebrow and his nose screwed up a little as he looked at my reflection.

We were in my room, listening to music and supposedly doing our homework, which to you and I, meant he was working while I experimented with my hair and practiced applying my makeup.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked haughtily. "This is fashion, Edward. All the girls are wearing their hair like this."

"Which girls?" He looked at me doubtfully and turned his attention back to our Biology assignment. "It looks like you've been electrocuted… a lot, and you need to lose the rags."

"What do you know?" I gave him a dirty look and reassessed my appearance… yeah perhaps it was a little over the top. I tugged at the knotted pieces of material that were tied in bunches in my hair and then tried in vain to comb out the curls I'd just spent ages trying to put in.

"You going to the party at Emmett's on Friday?" He looked up from the books and smiled sympathetically as I shook my head sadly. "Nah, me either."

The truth was Edward and I were not part of the clique of kids who got invited to the cool parties and bonfires down at the beach. My dad was a cop and no one wanted anyone associated with a member of law enforcement anywhere near them while they were smoking weed or drinking beer. Edward could have gone to the parties just because he happened to share genes with the most popular guy in the entire school; but he never did. He said he hated them and would much rather hang out with me, but I desperately wanted to go and be a part of the popular crowd. It was something I'd wanted for as long as I could remember and something that caused many sleepless nights as I tried to come up with ways to mingle with the popular girls and boys. The problem was we were geeks; not desirable to the opposite sex in the slightest, and without some serious intervention in the very near-future, we had a one way ticket to permanent residence in Loserville.

I sighed, feeling even more silly for spending hours trying to make my hair look cool when no one would even see it anyway. I wasn't treated badly at school, I was never bullied or teased; merely ignored like I didn't exist. Besides Edward, I suspected no one would even notice if I never went back to class again.

"You know there's absolutely nothing wrong with the way you look, Bella," Edward said. "The weird shit girls do to their hair and faces freaks me out. Don't try and be like them… you're cool as you are."

I shrugged, not really paying attention because it wasn't his approval I really sought. Then, immediately I felt bad for being such a bitch. Edward and I had been friends forever. In fact, I couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been my best friend. We lived a few doors down from one another and tended to do most things together. He wasn't like the other guys in school—immature and irritating. Edward was funny, sweet, and I trusted him with my life. A few people had once started a rumour that we were secretly involved with one another, but that blew over quickly… apparently we were both too much of a loser to even score with each other and they were probably right.

Of course, loser or no loser, boys had not escaped my notice altogether. One in particular I had been crushing on for years and it was made a little more uncomfortable as the perfect guy just happened to be Edward's brother. Carlisle Cullen was super cute with an amazing body, funny, charming and just downright incredible. Unfortunately, despite my friendship with his brother, Carlisle didn't even know I existed, so all I could do was admire from afar and try not to fly into a jealous rage whenever I saw him with his girlfriend who was the epitome of perfect, too.

Esme Platt was the girl every girl wanted to be and every guy wanted to… well… do, to put it bluntly. She was the prettiest girl in school, had ironed straight, long blonde hair that never looked out of place, and a real woman's body and not one that resembled a boy. Also unlike yours truly, she most definitely didn't need to stuff tissue down her top to create the illusion that she had tits, she liked to show as much of her assets as often as she could. She had pretty much everything; she was top of her class in almost every subject, the head cheerleader, president of the events calendar, and she got to kiss Carlisle whenever she liked. Did I mention I hated her? Well I did—with a passion, but I also craved to be part of her circle.

"Come on, Bella, we need to go to my house to finish this. You don't have a copy of the worksheet we need and mine is in my bedroom," Edward said and stood up. "But maybe you should put on a hat… you look like you have a pineapple on top of your head. What did you do?"

I screeched in frustration. "Nothing besides listening to you. I tried combing out the curls and stuff and it just went even frizzier so I tied it up. I refuse to go anywhere like this."

"Don't be a baby, Bella," he said, and handed me the baseball cap he'd been wearing. "Wear mine."

"Ew, no thanks," I said. "You use that wax stuff… I don't want to get it in my hair. I can fix this mess if you wait five minutes."

He groaned and sat back down on the bed fully aware five minutes would likely end up being substantially more than that.

"Okay, I'm ready," I said happily about forty minutes after he finally stopped asking me how much longer I was going to be. As I stood I didn't miss Edward's frown. "What now?"

"Your hair… you know what, never mind," he said quickly. "Let's just go otherwise we'll be stuck here all night."

I glanced at myself again in the mirror and shrugged. "It looks fine to me." I'd kept the hair bunched up on top of my head, but just curled the ends and put on a headband, allowing the curls to spill over, it was another style that was massively popular.

Edward didn't say anything, he just ushered me outside and down the street to his house.

"Who'll be at home?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

He sighed and said sharply, "Not my brother. He's at football practice and then he's meeting his girlfriend. You know Esme Platt, right? The one he spends the entire lunch hour sucking face with?"

I gave him a dirty look. "You don't have to be such an ass."

"He's a senior, Bella," he reminded me softly. "In a few months he'll be at college and we'll be still in school. I don't want you to get hurt waiting for him to notice you. "

"We're juniors, Edward… Esme is a junior, too, so obviously that has nothing to do with it. Besides, does that stop you from panting after Tanya McSkanky Denali?" I scoffed. "She's a senior but you still look at her like she's covered in chocolate and you want to lick it off."

Tanya was basically a clone of Esme Platt, just a year further down the road. She and Carlisle used to date until she slept with half the guys on the football team… in one night. Carlisle found out—shit, the whole school knew about it before he did—and he dumped her ass. I had been deliriously happy for all of eight days and then Edward told me about his brother hooking up with Esme after a game.

"You think I like Tanya?" Edward laughed and shook his head. "You're crazy and clueless evidently. Come on, let's finish our homework and then we can take a walk on the beach if you like?"

"Sure," I agreed and we headed up to his room.

This time I tried to help Edward finish the worksheet, but I was so distracted with the thought that Carlisle's bedroom was right next door and he would have been naked in there at some point. When Edward offered to get us something to drink, I even considered sneaking into said bedroom to try and steal a pair of his boxer shorts—clean ones obviously.

"Like that makes it any less freaky," I said with a disgusted sigh.

"What makes what less freaky?" Edward asked from the doorway, making me jump.

"Um… I… um…" I stuttered and he laughed.

"I don't want to know, forget I asked." He handed me a glass of ice cold juice and sat down beside me on the bed. "I wonder how long our parents are going to allow this? You and me alone in each other's bedrooms with the doors closed!" He gasped in mock horror and I giggled.

"Why would they ever stop us? Of all the boys and girls in Ventura, they know nothing will ever happen between us," I said. "You're just Edward and I'm just Bella."

He looked at me for a few seconds. I couldn't quite fathom his expression, but when I tried to ask him about it, he cut me off and made me focus on our homework.

"I love the beach," I said as we walked through the surf. "It's the only place I don't feel like a complete loser…well I still feel like a loser it's just easier to forget and pretend I'm somewhere a million miles away."

"Bella you're not a loser," Edward said sadly. "You really don't see yourself clearly at all."

"You're my best friend, Edward, you have to say things like that." I nudged him playfully with my elbow.

"Doesn't make it any less true though," he argued. "If you could see what-"

"Ohmygod," I gushed as a body I'd memorised inch by inch began to come into view, jogging towards us. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!"

"What?" Edward followed my line of sight and then sighed. "Oh."

"Hey, Eddie," Carlisle called out. He was in a pair of shorts and sneakers with no shirt. Not a trace of fabric covering that beautiful body of his from the waist up. "I left my keys in Emmett's car and he's on a date with Rose, can I have yours? I need to go back and shower before I meet Esme."

"Sure." Edward fished in his pocket and handed his key over.

"Nice," Carlisle said. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, later then," Edward answered, trying to start us walking again.

"Bye, Carlisle," I said, trying to put on my sexiest of voices.

For the first time since he came over, Carlisle looked at me briefly and then he said, "Later, Annabelle."

I turned around to watch him run away and then squealed with excitement. "He spoke to me… he actually knew my name, Edward." I clutched onto his arm and jumped up and down.

"What? Bella, your name is not Annabelle!" he said in disbelief. "Please tell me you noticed he called you the wrong name?"

I shrugged. "Well, he probably only ever hears you call me Bella, so he wouldn't know what my actual name was."

"Deluded and crazy," he muttered. "What's the point?"

"The point to what?" I asked.

"Just forget it. What do you want to do this evening?"

"I have to be home at six, Mom wants us to eat dinner together. I'm sure she'll let you come if you want?" I told him and he smiled. "We can just hang out until then if you like?"

"Sounds like fun," he said, a little happier.

As we walked slowly back down the beach I let my thoughts wander to Carlisle. He and Edward couldn't be more different if they tried. Carlisle was athletic and tanned with short cropped blond hair and beautiful blue eyes—he looked a lot like his father. Edward on the other hand was nearly as tall as Carlisle but lanky and almost as pale as me. His hair was uncontrollable and a weird shade of reddish brown. He insisted it was bronze…I liked to call him ginger just to wind him up. One thing I did love about Edward was his eyes. Besides being a lovely shade of deep green, the loveliest I'd ever seen as a matter of fact, they also seemed to have the uncanny ability of saying exactly what he was thinking. Well, most of the time they did, there was the occasional moment when I really had no idea what was going off inside that boy's head.

If he was sulking about something childish I only had to act a little goofy for a few minutes and the corners would crinkle up and I knew I had him, then moments later he'd grin and tell me I was an idiot. I could also see when he was upset, but trying to be brave… like the time his dog died and he didn't want to cry in front of me. We had no secrets, he knew I was there whenever he needed me and I knew he was there for me.

As we were always together, we'd decided on applying to the same colleges when the time came. I didn't expect my ability to make new friends would have improved much in a few years and neither did Edward, so we made a pact to stay together whatever happened. I knew there wasn't much I couldn't do without my best friend at my side.

It would be nicer still if I had the elder Cullen brother on my other side at the same time… maybe with his hand on my ass? Yeah, dream on, Bella.

After Carlisle had acknowledged my presence I developed a new-found confidence and started rehearsing ways to strike up a conversation with him while alone in my bedroom.

"Hey, Carlisle, whassup?" I said casually, posing in front of my mirror, trying to look as seductive as I could, and then groaned at how ridiculous I sounded and looked.

"Hi, Carlisle, how are you?"

"So, it's Edward's birthday in a few weeks and I was thinking we could chip together and get him that new guitar case he wants?"

"You like my hair? Wow, thanks, I had an inch cut off the bottom last week… I can't believe you noticed?"

Oh, hello, Carlisle, I didn't see you there I'm still high from that joint I smoked at lunch. What can I say? I'm a bad girl."

"Bella?" my father poked his head around the door and looked around the room. "Who are you talking to?"

"I was just on the phone with Edward," I lied.

"You were?" he said, his eyes glancing across the other side of my bedroom and landing on the phone still sitting in its cradle by my bed. "Um… anyway, it's getting late and it's a school night so perhaps you should get some sleep."

I nodded and he wished me goodnight before retreating from my bedroom, still looking at me like I was insane. As soon as he shut my door I walked to my bed and flopped down, burying my face into the pillows.

How could I ever talk to Carlisle face to face if I couldn't even pretend to talk to him, alone in my bedroom? I was destined to be a resident of Loserville for the rest of my life.

"Wanna trade?" Edward asked as I pulled a face at the food my mother had packed for my lunch today. It was strange looking cheese, a slice of salami, and pickle on the "healthy" bread she insisted on buying.

"Yes please," I said. "I don't even want to know what that is. I keep asking her to do me a regular sandwich, but she insists on making these weird ones instead. I don't want to eat something if I can't pronounce the name."

"It's good," Edward said with a mouthful and I tucked happily into his lunch. "Tell her to make me a lunch like this anytime. Now Mom's out at work all the time I have to make my own."

Edward's mom Elizabeth, had always been at home while the boys were growing up. Now, they were older and thinking about college she had gone back to the career she had before Carlisle was born. She worked as a nurse at the local hospital and worked long, erratic shifts. With his father, Anthony, out working as a car salesman, Edward had become very adept at taking care of himself. He tended to do laundry for both he and his brother, prepare their lunches, and he would happily make a start on dinner. I admired him for that, I was far too dependent on my mother, although perhaps not on her awful sandwiches.

"See, why can't she make me this?" I hummed in appreciation as I took a bite.

"I only make Peanut butter and jelly because it's the easiest, Bella." He smiled.

"But sometimes the easiest things are the best things by far," I told him.

"You're right, the easiest things are definitely the best," he looked wistful as he spoke, why I had no idea, but then he shoved the sandwich back into his mouth again and the look was gone.

I watched over Edward's shoulder as Carlisle walked into the cafeteria. He was alone today, which was a rarity in itself. Usually, he had Esme attached to his hip… or his lips… or his ass. Lucky bitch. But today she was nowhere to be found. Maybe this was my opportunity to strike?

I saw him stop to talk to another senior, a guy from the football team, and I stood up quickly.

"I'll clear the table." I grabbed my trash and snatched the sandwich from Edward's hands, ignoring his plea that he wasn't finished and walked as confidently and sexily as I could towards Carlisle.

I kept my eyes focused firmly on him, hoping he would look my way, but my plan didn't exactly go according to plan. Because I was concentrating on Carlisle I failed to notice Esme saunter into the cafeteria and make her way to her man's side. I also failed to notice that Eric Yorkie—another resident of Loserville—had left his Sonic the Hedgehog bag on the floor and I got my foot tangled in the strap. I called out as I tripped over, my arms flailing around as I tried to find something to brace my fall.

"Arrrgh," I screamed and my hands caught what felt like a handle. I did what I could to stay on my feet, but it didn't work and I landed with a thud on top of the broom or whatever the hell it was.

"Get off me!" A girl's voice cried and I noticed with absolute horror that the "broom" I had used to brace my fall was in fact Esme Platt's bony arm and I was now laying on top of her with the remnants of mine and Edward's lunch splattered all over her white shirt. "You idiot!"

"Oh, I'm so, so sorry," I mumbled trying to scramble to my feet but I just couldn't seem to find my balance.

"Will someone get this loser off me?" Esme wailed and someone grabbed my hand, pulling me gently to my feet.

I instantly thought my saviour had been Carlisle and looked up to thank him and instead I saw Edward's concerned face staring back at me. "You okay, Bella?"

I nodded, and looked around. The entire cafeteria seemed to be watching the incident and I could see everybody laughing at me. "Fine," I mumbled. "Thanks."

"You should watch where you're going, Esme," Edward said to her coolly and she glared at him. "You made Bella fall."

"What?" she fumed and pointed a perfectly groomed fingernail in my direction. "This idiot took me down with her."

"Yeah, it was quite the tackle." My heart raced and I almost fainted when I saw Carlisle smiling widely at me. "We could use you on the football team."

I burst out laughing hysterically. "And I wouldn't even need to borrow your jockstrap to play," I blurted out, trying to be funny and failing miserably.

"Um… yeah…" Carlisle said. "So… I guess I should be going. Are you coming, Es?"

"I need to go home and change. There's no way I can spend the rest of the day in this," she sniped.

"Don't you have a spare shirt in your locker?" Carlisle said. "Just wear that."

"I can't wear that, Carlisle," she whined. "It won't go with this skirt. I'll be the worst dressed girl in school. Well, almost the worst," she added with a sneer in my direction.

"Well, I'll see you later then." He kissed her cheek and she stormed off.

"Want a lift home tonight, Edward?" he asked his brother. "Practice has been cancelled so I'm heading straight home."

"Yeah, thanks." Edward nodded.

"Do you, Annabelle?" Carlisle asked me and I gawked at him, speechless.

He waited for me to answer and when I didn't say anything, he looked at Edward and frowned. I didn't know what to say, and instead of simply nodding I burst out laughing again and for some reason I could not begin to understand I said, "Oh my God, sorry, I didn't see you there, Carlisle! I was a million miles away… it must have been that joint of weed I smoked before lunch."

Carlisle said nothing, and Edward just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Yeah, she needs a ride. We'll meet you out in the parking lot after last period."

Carlisle nodded, looking at me like I had serious mental issues. I turned to walk away, but didn't miss his whisper to Edward, "I think she needs a ride down to the psyche ward, dude, she's weird."

I felt my eyes sting with tears and I walked as quickly as I could from the cafeteria not bothering to listen to Edward's response.

A/N Eeek… hope you likey! So, if you were wondering, it's 13 going on 30 inspired & young B&E are juniors in highschool back in the 80's. There will be some angsty stuff but I hope to try and keep it as lighthearted as possible.

Thanks for reading and I hope you're along for the ride!

I will try to post weekly, but I don't have many chapters in reserve so for the time being I can't promise!

There is a facebook group if you want to come and chat about this fic or anything else at all. It's MrsK81 Fic and if you want in just come find me!

See you soon.

Katy

xx