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There's nothing like having the knowledge of your boyfriend hanging out with your grandparents downstairs to make a girl rush to get ready like her life depends on it. I'm currently making final checks of myself in the mirror. Tonight is the prom, and despite everything that happened a few weeks ago between me and the nomadic vampires, Edward still offered to take me.

I take one last assessment of myself in the mirror before deciding that I look good enough to go. I'm wearing the same dress that I picked out at the dress shop all those weeks ago, the one that has a slit for my leg and is a silvery sea foam green color. The only difference between now and when I first tried the dress on is that it is now cut short just below my knees. My grandma had it cut, so that I wouldn't risk tripping on it.

I look like any other girl going to prom except for the fact that I'm wearing a cast on my leg. My leg still hasn't completely healed yet, so I have to wear an annoyingly cumbersome cast. I would have liked to wear a more fancier shoe on my other foot, but in order to keep myself from accidentally tripping, I chose to wear a plain, old sneaker instead.

Now that I'm feeling and looking ready, I hobble over to the door and turn off the lights before heading to the top of the stairs. I've worn this particular cast for about two weeks now, so I've grown somewhat accustomed to it. Once I have a good grip on the rail, I make my way slowly down the stairs.

My grandparents and Edward meet me down at the bottom. I become immediately embarrassed and look down at the floor to hide my pink cheeks.

"You're perfect," says Edward's voice.

I lift my gaze up and look Edward in the eyes. We share smile, and for a moment, it feels like we're in our own world. Butterflies enter my stomach.

"Now, before you leave, I want to take a picture," Grandma's voice interrupts. She holds  up her new camera. Luckily for me, she just assumed that she lost the old one somewhere in town. She'll never know that her old one got stolen by a blood-thirsty vampire who tried to kill me.

Before we take the picture, Edward grabs my wrist, the same wrist where James bit me. A scar remains where his teeth sunk into my skin. It's a constant reminder of the horrors of that night. I try not to think about it too much whenever I look at the scar.

With my wrist in his hand, Edward carefully ties on a corsage. It's an ocean blue color. I know that he picked it out because of my love of the sea.

"Thank you," I say, smiling up at him.

Edward smiles in return. He then takes my arm and leads me over to the front door. We pose in front of the door as Grandma snaps a couple pictures of us. I allow her to take a few extras without complaining, just this once.

With that taken care of, Edward opens the front door for me. "I'll take care of her, Mr. and Mrs. Flint," Edward assures.

My grandparents hug me good-bye before I go out the door. Then, Edward and I get in his Volvo, and we take off to the prom venue.

When we get there, Edward helps me out of the car. He leads me by the arm over to a bench, and I sit down.

"Hey, I'll be right back," Edward says. He goes off on his own, leaving me by myself.

"Rebecca!" calls a very familiar male voice from behind me.

Startled, I turn my head back to see that the voice belonged to Jacob Black. He's leaning against a tree, wearing a suit.

"Hi," I greet him with a small wave, slightly confused on why he's here. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

Jacob smiles before walking up to me. He sits down on the bench next to me. "I'm here with Bella," he answers.

My mouth forms an "o" shape. "She's here?!" I ask excitedly.

"Yeah," Jacob grins. "It took some convincing, but I got her to come."

A big smile forms on my face, delighted at the thought that my best friend came to the prom after all. "That's great. Where is she?"

"She's inside, but I actually came here to talk to you." Seriousness takes over Jacob's features. "You see," he begins slowly, "my dad paid me to come talk to you, twenty bucks," he adds with a grin.

"What does he want you to tell me?" I inquire, suddenly feeling insecure.

Jacob shakes his head awkwardly. "Just don't get mad, okay?" He pauses before continuing. "He wants you to break up with your boyfriend. It's just, he said, quote, 'We'll be watching you.' " Jacob starts to chuckle at his father's words, obviously not taking them seriously himself.

I laugh along with him, even though Jacob's father's message did unnerve me a bit. I know all about the Quileute legend concerning the Cullens. Mr. Black obviously doesn't like the idea of me hanging around Cold Ones, but there's nothing he can do about it now. I've already given my heart to a vampire. Besides, he wouldn't understand anyway. The Cullens aren't evil, they're just misunderstood with good hearts. I doubt I could convince him of that though.

"Well, thanks for giving me his message," I say, "but, um, I'm not going to break up with Edward, at least, not because your dad wants me too. I'm sorry, but if I break up with him, it'll be my choice. Can you tell him that?"

Jacob nods, biting his lip. "Yeah, sorry I bothered you." When Jacob stands up to leave, Edward returns.

3rd Person POV.

After Edward took care of his business, he began to make his way back to Rebecca. He wished he could use his vampire speed to reach her, but there were too many people around. He decided to just endure the walk back to her.

All of a sudden, a petite girl side-stepped in front of him, blocking his path. He moved to go around her, but to his surprise, she spoke to him.

"Hi, Edward," the girl greeted.

He could sense nervousness in her voice, but when he tried to read her mind, he found it difficult. This confused him greatly, and his attention was suddenly overtaken by this intriguing girl. The only other person whose mind he couldn't read was Rebecca's. He thought she was the only one, but here was this girl now, another mind he couldn't read. It troubled him greatly.

He knew he had seen this girl at school before, and that her name was somewhere along the lines of "Olive" or "Olivia." Olivia, that was it. It occurred to him that maybe he just hadn't ever attempted to read Olivia's mind before. After all the high schools he had been too, there was bound to be some people who got lost in the masses.

"Hi," Edward finally greeted politely in return, hoping to get this conversation over with as quickly as possible. He didn't want to leave Rebecca waiting for him any longer.

"I heard what happened to Rebecca," Olivia said. "It's too bad she couldn't make it cause of her leg. I couldn't snag a date either," she added with a laugh. "I was wondering if you wanted to dance? As just friends of course."

Edward was taken aback by her words. Olivia was clearly another one of his many admirers.

"I'm sorry," Edward apologized, "but I'm actually here with Rebecca. Her leg was doing well enough to come tonight."

"Oh," Olivia said, her face falling. It was clear to Edward that she was not aware of this information. "I'm so sorry for bothering you then. I'll just go." Olivia turned sheepishly and speed-walked away.

Edward didn't quite know what to make of that interaction, but he was too eager to get back to Rebecca to care. He quickly continued on his way.

Rebecca's POV.

As Edward helps me to my feet, he glares at Jacob.

I try to explain to Edward who Jacob is. "Edward, this is Jacob," I introduce. "His dad is friends with my grandpa. He's here with Bella."

Edward just continues to glare daggers at Jacob, and Jacob glares right back at him. I look between the two of them, feeling completely awkward.

Finally though, Jacob breaks the glare and looks at me. "Guess I'll see you around, Rebecca. I gotta go find Bella." And with that, he leaves.

Edward turns then leads me towards the prom venue. "What was that all about?" I ask. "Let me guess, even though it's been years later you guys are still enemies? I mean, I know you guys aren't allowed on Quileute territory, but does the rivalry really go that far?"

"You'd be surprised," Edward chuckles. "I just can't believe that I left you alone for two minutes, and the wolves descended."

I laugh at his words. "Don't call them wolves," I scold.

We make our way to the entrance. There's a red carpet laid out, and every couple is getting their picture taken before they go inside.

"Oh no," I complain. "Seriously? Another picture?"

Edward links his arm with mine as we get into position for the picture. "Just smile," he says. He pretends to sniff my hair, a totally Edward thing to do, and the photographer snaps a picture of us.

Once our turn is over, Edward keeps his arm linked with mine, and we continue towards the building where the dance floor is. There are a few steps leading up to the doorway which I go up pretty easily, but right before the doorway, there's a larger step. I hesitate when I reach it.

Seeing that I'm having trouble getting over the last step, Edward puts his hands on my waist and lifts me over the step with ease.

I look up at him appreciatively. "Thank you."

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I look around the room with excitement. There's loud music playing, and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. On the left side of the room are some gambling tables, and the main dance floor is located on the right side of the room. There are already lots of couples and individuals dancing to the music. They're all decked out in fancy clothes.

A big smile forms on my face as the thrill of the night settles in. For my first prom, this is pretty great. Cast or no cast, I'm glad I came.

I look up at Edward. "This is awesome," I say. I look down at the ground shyly. "Thank you for taking me. I probably wouldn't have been able to come without someone to help me get around with the cast."

"The prom is an important rite of passage. I didn't want you to miss anything," Edward explains.

"Hey," I pipe up. "I wanna go say hi to my friends before we do anything else. Can we go find them?"

"Of course," Edward says. He leads me further into the room. I spot Jessica and Mike over by the wall. We go up to them.

"Hey, Jess, Mike," I greet. "Looking good."

The music is very loud over here, so Jessica just waves at me in greeting with a big smile on her face. Mike gives me a couple of thumbs up, indicating that he approves of my dress.

Instead of speaking this time, I just mouth him a "thank you."

I look back at Edward. "Let's go find Eric and Angela!" I yell, even though I probably really don't have to yell because he has amazing hearing.

We find Eric and Angela at the dj table. I don't want to bother them, so I just give them a wave. They both wave at me in return.

"Now we just have to find Bella and Jacob," I muse.

Edward pouts. "Do we have to?"

I laugh. "Yes, I know you don't like Jacob, but Bella is my best friend. She wasn't even supposed to come, so I have to say hi."

"Fine," Edward agrees.

"Don't worry," I assure him. "You don't even have to talk to him. I'll just go say hi by myself." I scan the room for Bella and Jacob and finally spot them by the snack table. I watch Jacob pour Bella some punch. I hobble over to them.

"Hey," I greet.

Jacob smiles when he sees me. "Hi, again." He cracks a grin before handing Bella the cup of punch.

I turn to Bella. "So you came after all?"

A small smile pulls at Bella's lips. "Yeah," she pauses, "Jake asked me."

"You know," I hum teasingly, "a bunch of other boys asked you too."

Bella blushes profusely at my statement. I can tell that she really likes Jacob and is trying to hide it.

"I'll leave you guys alone," I say. I don't want to make Bella anymore uncomfortable than she already is. I turn around slowly, minding my cast. Then I head back over to Edward.

"That's everyone," I tell him.

Edward leans his head down, so I can hear him better amidst the loud music. "I wanna do something," he informs me.

"What?" I question. "Cause I wanna dance."

A sly smile forms on Edward's face, and instead of answering my question, he links his arm with mine again. He leads me outside.

"Where are we going?" I inquire.

"I did a little research on this place. You'll see," he explains simply.

It's dark outside now, a beautiful, peaceful night. I try to see where Edward is taking me when my eyes land on a secluded gazebo down the sidewalk. It's dazzling with what looks like hundreds of golden lights strung across the top. There are two speakers surrounding the gazebo, playing soft music.

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My heart soars at its elegance. No one else is around. It's just me and Edward. We step inside the gazebo, and Edward lets go of me.

I take a moment to look up at all the beautiful lights. It reminds me of a starry night in California, causing my heart to warm.

"This is beautiful," I murmur. I suddenly remember Edward's presence and look back at him. He's smiling at me, like I'm the most precious thing in the world. It makes my heart flutter. A sort of nervous feeling settles in. I hate how Edward has this effect on me.

"No, you're beautiful," he says, taking a step forward.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in.

Edward chuckles at my reaction. "Shall we?" he says.

I look down at the floor, unable to face him any longer. "I still don't know how to slow dance," I mumble. "Maybe we should just go back inside."

He grabs my hand which takes me by surprise. He squeezes it gently. "There's no one here to impress but me, and you don't have to impress me." Edward pulls me closer to him. Then, he wraps his arm around my back and lifts my feet on top of his own.

My face flames red at how close our faces are now. He begins to sway to the music, and since my feet are atop his, I begin to sway as well.

"See? You're dancing." Edward smiles.

My cheeks flush red. "You're the one doing all the work," I say, flustered with how close we are. As we dance, I feel his grace and his strength. I become thoughtful. Finally, I look back at him.

"Edward, what are we?" I break the silence.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"I mean . . . " I pause, thinking for a moment. "I mean . . . oh God this feels so awkward to say."

"Go on," he encourages, an amused smile playing on his lips.

I sigh. "We're a couple, right? But what are we doing? You know we can't stay together forever. Once I turn twenty, it won't even work for us to be together anymore. I'll be an adult, and you'll still be underage."

Edward cracks a grin. "Rebecca, I'm 109." He picks up our swaying speed a bit.

"But you're still physically around seventeen," I make clear. "Once you're supposed to turn thirty or forty, no one's going to believe it."

"So what are you getting at?" he presses, still looking very much amused.

"That I want to be with you, forever, but my forever is never gonna be as long as your forever. It's never going to work as long as you're a vampire, and I'm a human. You know," I pause before continuing, "I think about that day a lot. If you had just let the venom spread, I would be just like you right now."

For the first time since we got to the gazebo, Edward looks away from me. He then looks me in the eyes again. "You don't know what you're saying. You don't want this. I was not gonna end your life for you."

"No," I stop him quickly, "that's not what I'm saying. I don't want to be a vampire. I honestly don't know what I want. It probably isn't even my choice to make. I'm just saying that if I were a vampire, that would be an easy solution to the problem of us being together."

"You talk as if being a vampire is such a simple thing." Edward slows down our swaying pace. "Becoming a vampire will end your life. Your lust for blood will consume you. You will become a soulless monster."

I shake my head. I don't believe everything Edward is saying. Sure, some vampires like the nomadic vampires may have ended up like that, but the Cullens are different. They chose to live their lives not according to their appetites, but to their moral standards, and I will always have deep respect for them because of that.

I speak up again. "I don't exactly agree with you about the whole 'all vampires are bad thing,' but don't worry about it. I don't want to become a vampire. But, I do want to be with you for as long as possible, if you'll have me." I cringe internally at what I just said. For some reason, his eyes feel like they're bearing into me, as if he can see right through me, and everything that I am.

He finally says something. "No length of time will be enough to spend with you," he says slowly. "But to have a long and happy life with you is all I can ask for."

His words bring a smile to my face. I melt into his touch as he brushes his lips over mine. I drown in his golden eyes and inhale his breath. His mouth is cold against mine, his tongue gentle. The beauty of the night closes in around us until there's nothing but the coolness of his hands and the sound of his voice, low and teasing in my ear. There is so much unknown about the future, so many things to hope for.

But for just a moment, I close my eyes, lean into his touch, and cherish this moment as one of many in our forever.

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Author's  Note: Hey, y'all! So we've reached the end of this book. I'm planning on probably adding an epilogue, so it isn't completely over yet. But anyway, please let me know what you thought of Book One of this series! Your feedback is what encourages me to keep going, so it would be much appreciated to hear your thoughts!

And as always don't be a silent reader! Remember to vote, comment, share, and  give me your theories and thoughts. Constructive criticism and any criticism for that matter is always welcome! Know any other Twihards? Let them know about this story!