Chapter Two
'First' Impressions
Alice

Ten seconds.

Ten seconds until Edward walks into Biology and the teacher tells him to pick and empty seat. He'll either pick a seat at the empty lab table in the back or he will sit in the seat right beside me. This one tiny decision of his can set us on one of three completely different paths.

The first path, he sits beside me, we talk and hit it off immediately and I'll be meeting his family officially by Sunday.

The second path, he sits at the back of the room and we go three months where he and his family avoids me like the Black Plague until I confront him and tell him about my secret.

The third path, the most dangerous and destructive one, is where he loses control from extreme frustration with me and kills me, exposing his family and forever ruining our chance.

I hope he chooses wisely, I need him to choose the right path, I don't think I can handle the other two options right now.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen, I'm new here." Edward introduced himself to Mr. Mathews.

"Hello, here is your textbook. Just pick an empty seat anywhere you like." Mr. Mathews smiled kindly at Edward and motioned towards the class with his hand.

Edward turned and immediately caught me staring at him, he smirked crookedly at me and headed down the aisle. As he neared my table he didn't look like he was going to slow down, and he slightly passed my table before stopping, changing his mind, and taking the seat next to me. My heart flooded with relief and happiness.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" He asked me, seemingly amused at something.

"Of course, I was hoping you would." I giggled.

"Oh really?" He chuckled. "May I ask why?"

"Because you're cute, duh." I giggled and he chuckled in response. "And because it was the right decision, the best choice overall really." I nodded to myself.

"Is that right?" His eyebrows arched in surprise or confusion one and I nodded firmly. "Alright then." He nodded to himself, seemingly convinced that he was making the right choice.

"You know, you're just a little different then other girls Alice." Edward spoke quietly but gently.

"Oh really? I've never noticed." I spoke sarcastically causing us both to laugh quietly.

"How did you know my name earlier?" He asked.

"That's my little secret." I smirked.

"Won't you tell me?" He smiled crookedly, trying his best to persuade me.

"Edward Anthony, we all have our secrets." I giggled, not falling for his signature mesmerizing look.

"So you do know." He sighed.

"Yep." I popped the 'p' and giggled. "Don't worry, I'll never tell anyone."

"Oh really? And why not?" He asked, suddenly defensive.

"Because I know what it's like to have secrets, terrible and awful secrets that you never want to admit out loud, let alone have an entire town find out. I've been there, trust me it's horrifying." I giggled softly.

"What happened?" He asked.

"That's another secret, well, actually if you listen closely I'm sure someone's bound to think about the whole ordeal eventually." I giggled.

"So you know about that secret too?" Edward asked incredulously.

"Yes, actually, there's very little that I don't know." I laughed as his surprised expression.

Poor Edward, he's not used to surprises, let alone one as big as me.

"Who told you?" He asked.

"No one." I responded, laughing quietly to myself.

"Then how-"

"I already told you, it's a secret." I cut him off. "I'll tell you sooner rather then later though, so don't worry, you won't have to stay in the dark very long."

"If you're going to tell me anyway, why don't you just tell me now?" Edward asked, again trying to persuade me.

"Because certain events have to play out correctly before you and your family are able to know." I responded.

"Certain events? Alice, you're talking like you already know the future." Edward muttered confusingly and I bit my lip. "And that's impossible, so I can't figure out why you're talking so funny." He chuckled.

"Okay class, let's get started." Mr. Mathews called for our attention, effectively shutting down my conversation with Edward at the perfect time.

After class, Edward lingered while I packed up my bag and he even walked with me through the hallways to my locker, staying silent the entire time, no doubt trying to read my mind for clues.

I hummed to myself as I put away my biology book and grabbed my binder for my next class, Edward still beside me with a thoughtful expression stuck on his face.

"You can give up now." I giggled and he again looked shocked. "You're not going to hear anything from me."

"Why?" He asked frustrated at himself.

"Because, my head works differently then yours." I answered, laughing quietly as I locked my locker and turned towards my next class. "Think of us as two radios, you're tuned in to Fm and I'm tuned to Am." I explained.

"That's a...creative way of putting it Alice." Edward chuckled.

"If you haven't noticed already, I'm kinda crazy." I laughed and he caught my arm.

"Alice, you are not crazy, please don't ever call yourself that again." Edward begged me, his kind eyes soft and hypnotizing.

"Okay." I nodded, a little dazed, suddenly forgetting where I was supposed to be going.

"Where's your next class? I'll walk you there." Edward smiled down at me.

"Umm..." I took a moment to think about it. "I have cheer next period."

"Cheer?" He questioned, again surprised by me.

"I'm tiny, they use me as a flyer. Plus, I dance so they have me choreograph routines." I responded, giggling at his expression.

"I guess I just wasn't expecting you to be a cheerleader." He chuckled as we headed off towards the smaller gym we use for cheer.

"Yeah, I don't really fit in anywhere so I'm kinda just involved in a little bit of everything." I giggled. "Our pep rally is next Friday, so you'll get to see me then. Hopefully the girls won't drop me." I laughed.

"They've dropped you before?" He asked wide eyed.

"Many times." I giggled. "Twice just to be mean, the other times were just because they're not very good." I laughed as Edward opened the gym doors for me and we both paused in the entryway.

"I'll meet you here after class, if that's okay?" Edward asked me, eyes glaring towards the girls already gathered in the gym, their judge mental eyes locked on me.

"That sounds perfect, see you after class, and hey-" I caught his attention, his eyes again turning soft as he looked down at me. "Don't worry about those girls, they don't bother me, really." I smiled and walked off towards the group.

I looked back over my shoulder to make sure Edward had left before addressing the squad.

"Okay girls, we have to get those flips and the flying routine down before next Friday, it's one of the biggest rally's of the year and if the routine doesn't go right, we'll never hear the end of it." I giggled, opening up my cheer binder to review our routine for any holes.

"Well, maybe if somebody could just steady her legs we wouldn't have such a hard time stabilizing Alice." Mindy, one of the meanest girls I've ever met, shot at Allison.

"It's not my fault that I have nerve damage from when you dropped me last year!" Allison cried.

"Oh get over it Allison! It was an accident! Yeah you fractured a disk but really, that was a year ago, it should be healed by now." Mindy rolled her eyes.

"Stop it!" I yelled uncharacteristically, shocking everyone into silence. "It does us no good to dwell on the past, and Allison can't miraculously heal her nerve damage so lay off. Now, everyone get into starting position." I directed.

"Hey, how was class?" Edward smirked as I met him in the hallway after class.

"A little tense actually, I really don't understand teenage girls." I laughed.

"I know how you feel, I live with one." He chuckled and I giggled along with him.

"Oh, Rosalie is a sweetheart." I smiled up at him as we made our way to the parking lot.

"You wouldn't say that if you heard what she was saying at lunch about you." Edward sighed.

"Rosalie and I will be great friends, it will just take some time." I nodded, speaking soundly.

"If you're so sure." He chuckled.

"I am." I giggled. "This is me." I announced, pulling my keys out of my bag and unlocking the van.

"A minivan?" He raised his eyebrows at me in question. "Not really what I was expecting you to drive."

"It was my moms, I've got to go." I smiled up at him. "See you tomorrow." I giggled as I hopped up onto the van.

"Yes, you will." He smiled.

"Oh, I know, I wasn't asking." I giggled as I shut my door and started the van.

Edward laughed loudly and he made his way over to his Volvo as I pulled out of the parking lot.

I made it to Cynthia's school and went inside to pick her up like normal, right on time as always.

"Alice!" Cynthia cheered as I entered her classroom.

"Hey!" I smiled down at her and she wrapped her arms around my waist tightly.

"Do you want to see what I painted today?" She asked me excitedly.

"Oh of course!" I giggled and she pulled me over to her desk where her picture was drying.

"It's our family! See? That's daddy, and that's Jessica, and that's you, and that's me!" She cheered pointing out each individual and very well drawn person.

"Who's that up in the corner Cynthia?" I asked her, a pit suddenly forming in my stomach.

"Oh! That's mommy! See? She's sitting on a cloud smiling down at us." Cynthia pointed out her long black curls and bright green eyes.

"It's beautiful Cynthia." I smiled and hugged her to me tightly so she wouldn't see my momentary moment of weakness. "Let's get home and make you a snack." I took her hand and we walked out to the van, her skipping and happily telling me all about her day.

"How was your day Alice?" Cynthia asked me as I set her snack in front of her at the breakfast nook table.

"It was very good, we got three new students today." I smiled at her.

"Really? What are they like?" She asked.

"Well, they're all siblings-"

"Like you and me?" She cheered.

"Mmh hmm." I nodded. "One of the boys is very tall and tough, the girl is very beautiful, and the younger brother is in my grade and he's very tall and very sweet." I giggled.

"What's his name?" She asked.

"Edward Cullen." I responded, smiling at her.

"Is he cute?" She asked very seriously.

"He's very cute." I laughed.

"Alice! Do you have a crush on Edward?!" She cheered excitedly.

"Yes Cynthia, I have a crush on Edward Cullen."