Ruibin_Rua's Rec of the Week: 6/25/12

Gull to the Wind by ineedyoursway

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7046569/1/

Review by Ruibin_Rua

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: All-consuming, irreversible love. Edward, 25, frontman of band The Masens, falls hard.

There are some writers in the fandom who really stand out from the crowd, writing in a style that is both unique and refreshing. Ineedyoursway is definitely one of those writers. She has an easy, almost irreverent style of writing that I have rarely seen replicated and her ‘voice’ is always authentic. Having loved a previous story of hers, Young Pilgrims, I was delighted to review Gull to the Wind and bring her to the attention of a larger audience.

This story opens rather strangely, as we meet Bella for the first time while she is waiting on a doctor’s appointment to change her birth control prescription. This unusual setting gives us our first glimpse into the quirky mind of Bella Swan.

“I can't talk seriously about my vagina with someone who has kittens all over them. It's like a pregnant cat threw up on her body.” 

This Bella is still in high school, about to enter her senior year, but she’s a teenager with a definite twist and an attitude very much her own. She is caught in that awkward faze of not caring what others think of her and struggling to carve her own path. Funnily enough, her best friend in this story is an unapologetically whorish Jessica, and their interactions provide a lot of laughs.

Jessica puts on something skimpy and throws a clear poncho over it. I appraise her, arms crossed. 

"You look like a water proof stripper." 

The meat of this story begins when Bella meets Edward for the first time. I think this is probably the first time ever that a Bella and Edward have met because of Bella’s insane need to pee! Frustrated by the long line for the porta-loos, Bella goes in search of an alternative and ends up borrowing Edward’s VIP lanyard to use the private restrooms. Little does she realise that he is Edward Cullen, famous and elusive musician.

"My bladder thanks you so much!" I exclaim, throwing my arms around his shoulders and kissing his cheek. It reddens. 

Little do I know, this won't be the only time today that I unknowingly kiss Edward Cullen. 

The way this story progresses after this first meeting is surprising and more than a little off-the-wall, but that’s part of the experience. Just leave your preconceived notions at the door and allow Ineedyoursway to take you for ride. As Bella herself says, “you never know…”

"Edward Cullen," I state. 

I pinch my arm. 

"Did you just pinch yourself?" he asks, baffled. He's almost laughing. I'm probably delirious. 

"I was just checking!" I reply defensively, crossing my arms. "You never know.” 

Banner by JaimeArkin

Asfocd's Rec of the Week: 6/25/12

Beneath the Surface by MyBella & Eternally Addicted

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7558623/1/Beneath_The_Surface

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Adventure/Friendship
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: One summer, an internship in Africa, bloodlust, sharp teeth, and a boatload of fear are all that stand in the way of Bella Cullen landing a job at the Atlanta Aquarium - As long as she doesn't count cocky shark expert Edward Masen on her list.

Last year a very good friend of mine let me know that a new story was on the horizon, involving some of my favorite things, Sharks! Beneath the Surface follows a team of shark researchers from Masen Marine Research on the research vessel Galeos as they research sharks in their natural habitat, documenting their daily lives and patterns to provide the world at large with a true understanding of the life cycles of the amazing creatures that are sharks. Masen Marine Research or MMR, based in Hawaii, is the culmination of blood, sweat and tears of some very close friends/crew members, who are more like family to one another than anything. Edward Masen, or Masen as those close to him know him by, is the founder, president and captain of this crew and he takes being responsible for this team very seriously. So seriously that he doesn’t have time for distractions. However, unbeknownst to him, he is about to be majorly distracted for the summer by one Sea World employee.

At the encouragement of his Aunt Esme, Masen decides to begin a summer intern program. This is how we come to meet the newest member of the Galeos crew, Guppy aka Bella Cullen. Bella is a marine biologist from Florida that needs to gain some experience in field research in order to get the job of her dreams at the Atlanta Aquarium. She is also hoping to learn to overcome her greatest fear in life, sharks.

Bella has been through some extremely traumatic things in her life, and though we don’t know what all of those things are yet, we can make some assumptions about what those things might have been. While, it isn’t easy for Bella to leave her Uncle Carlisle and sister Alice behind to go face her fears, she knows that she has to do it if she is going to be successful in her career and in her life.

He walked with her until they were about a third of the way in before stopping her and trying again to ease her worries. Taking her by the shoulders, he pulled her in front of him and faced her toward the acrylic wall. "Look, there's a spotted eagle ray," he pointed out, picking what he figured would be the least threatening fish in the exhibit. "The Hawaiians call it hihimanu." 

The only sign that she was listening was the way her eyes tracked the ray up and over the small coral wall in front of them. 

"What do you know about eagle rays?" he asked, trying to distract her from her fear. 

"They're not a stingray." 

"Good. What else?" he encouraged. He was still holding onto her shoulders and his thumbs had started to rub the soft skin at the base of her neck. He told himself it was for her comfort but deep down he didn't really believe that was the only reason. 

"They're not a stingray because they don't have a venomous spine at the tail base. They have a long whip-like tail instead. They like eating crabs, shrimp, snails, and squid like other rays. They also have a long wingspan and are covered with white spots on the top and dark spots at the edges on the underside of their wings." 

"Very good," he said sincerely. He lifted one hand from her shoulder and used it to point out a white-tip reef shark to her. "That little shark right there with the white tip on its dorsal fin, that's one of the only sharks that doesn't have to be constantly moving to breathe. They can stay almost completely still until they're ready to move. They like to eat reef fish, octopus, crabs, and lobsters and like to live in caves and along ledges." 

"What's their other name?" She had asked the question so quietly that he almost didn't hear it over the laughing children and chattering adults surrounding them. 

"Mano lalakea. People see them a lot when they go scuba diving near the caves around Maui. They're not aggressive at all but it's still best to be cautious. A lot of marine life will bite when scared, especially fish whose biggest weapon against predators is their teeth." 

His comment about teeth sent a shiver through her but it was the large cruising tiger shark suddenly appearing in front of them that had her stepping away from the window and into his chest. "Relax, Guppy. We're just checking out the local marine life under safe, controlled circumstances. There's nothing for you to be worried about or afraid of here." 

They moved a little further into the exhibit with him pointing out the fish he knew and asking questions about the ones he figured she would know about it. It even seemed like she was starting to finally relax since she was asking a few questions of her own. 

MMR has been built by very close friends and family. Lee Hale, or Rosalie, Whit, or Jasper Whitlock and Masen have been friends for years, they have personal experience with a shark attack and that experience has driven them to better understand what makes sharks tick. Masen is a very driven and determined individual and MMR is his baby, well MMR and Lizzie his adorable Boston terrier.

Masen and Guppy get off to an interesting start when they meet in a bar not knowing who the other is and share a steamy dance and an even steamier kiss. After their debacle of a meeting it is hard for Masen to get Guppy off of his mind even though he fights it as hard as he can. He also becomes increasingly frustrated that she is so very afraid of sharks, but she hasn’t shared why yet. Don’t worry though we have Whit on our side and he pushes Masen whenever possible. Lee and her boyfriend, Gopher—that’s right ladies, Emmett McCarty is the crew’s gopher— round out the crew. And I should also mention that Lee doesn’t deal well with the newcomer.

"I'm going to guess you guys didn't ask names," Whit said, looking between Bella and the guy she'd been kissing. 

"I was just standing there and then he was … and it was … really fast," she blathered. She was trying to focus but her mind was too busy replaying those kisses. 

Whit looked as though he wanted to laugh but then he looked over at the guy and his expression immediately went neutral. "I better make introductions then. Isabella Cullen, this is Edward Masen." 

Her stomach clenched and she felt her face drain of blood and color. Edward had the opposite reaction—his face and neck turned an alarming shade of red and his hands curled into such tight fists that it made the tendons in his forearms flex before her stunned eyes. "What kind of bullshit is this? Did you think it was funny? Some kind of joke?" He was not quite yelling the questions at her but it was pretty darn close. 

"I could ask the same thing," she defended. "I know I look like the picture I sent Esme but you don't look anything like the one I got." 

"What's going on?" a female asked, sliding in beside Edward and wrapping her arm around his. "Major case of mistaken identity," Whit quickly answered. "Esme must have used an old pic of Masen here." 

"Very old," Bella agreed with a stiff nod. "Short hair, clean face, dark glasses, red tie. Complete opposite of … of you." 

So far this story has blown me away. The story line is new and exciting and it keeps us coming back for more. It has a little bit of everything you look for in a great story. Romance, sexual tension, drama, sexual tension, humor and suspense. Oh, did I mention the sexual tension?

 We are only eleven chapters in, with updates usually once every three to four weeks, but the updates are long, we are already at one hundred thousand words, which makes it completely worth the wait. My-Bella and Eternally Addicted have once again proven themselves with so many great stories, and they have put there hearts and souls into this one. They not only write a kick ass story, but they also have a phenomenal blog that actually has updates from all of the crewmembers! There are so many truly talented authors out there that don’t get enough credit and My-Bella and Eternally Addicted are two of them, check out Beneath the Surface, it truly deserves the read.

Camilla10's Rec of the Week: 6/25/12

I remain, Yours by Momatu

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7928270/1/I_remain_Yours
Review by Camilla10

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella is unexpectedly given an antique desk that once belonged to Edward, and in it she finds a letter he wrote to his cousin in 1918. She responds and sets them off on a journey neither could ever have expected. Perhaps there are some things we aren't meant to understand, just accept... Will eventually contain character death - NOT Edward or Bella.

Did you ever wish you could have known Edward as a human teenager, beyond the dim memories he retains and shares with Bella? If you read I Remain, Yours you can, and your perception of him will never be the same.

You’ll discover that, apart from the patriotic desire of going to war, Edward was brave, compassionate, highly intelligent and mature. A lovely young man, who volunteers with sick war veterans in the hospital where – of course – a certain Doctor Cullen befriends him and his family ….

An unlikely and wonderful exchange of letters happens between Edward and Bella, via the magic desk given to her by a descendant of his family. The desk has a hidden drawer that allows for them to communicate and even give each other little things, like photos and mementoes.

At first both can’t believe what is happening to them, but they cannot resist the pull. The letters are delightful in themselves. Bella can tell him the future, the end of the Great War, the assassination of the Czar, and learn about his life and times, his interaction with his family, uncles, and cousins whom he loves. One is crippled by polio and Edward will be surprised and saddened to discover that polio has been defeated, in Bella’s time.

Everything Bella tells him is a continuous source of astonishment, TV, airplanes, and the fact that young ladies can ask boys to prom … He puzzles about “googling” something, and modern expressions and more make him wonder. But he is open minded. Like in here:

Yes, Tucson. I apologize. Quickly, Bella, what is the capital of Illinois? No looking in your computer gadget thingamabob. May I ask, what does it mean "to babysit"?

I know I have already told you this, but I want to repeat it. I do not care that your parents are divorced. I am sorry for it, of course, but I understand that you live in a very different world from mine. As much as I believe a marriage vow is unbreakable, I am a realist. If two people do not make each other happy, and their society allows for them to divorce, and the woman is able to provide for herself, it does seem pointless for them to remain together. 

This Bella is adorable, too. She has a sense of humor, she is loving and wise beyond her years. Despite the time chasm separating them, they are obviously made for each other and they soon pass from pen friends to people in love. This is made clear when events we know about start happening.

My Dear Bella, 

If there is one thing I have learned as the result of my father's sudden death, it is that not one single day, not one single moment can be taken for granted. We waste entirely too much time trying to impress and appease those who do not truly matter, while neglecting those who do. My dearest Bella, my dearest friend, please allow me to tell you how very much I value and treasure our friendship. In these past weeks, you have come to mean more to me than I can begin to explain. I do not know by what miracle our friendship has been made possible, but I will never cease to thank Heaven for it, and for you. 

While Edward copes with the aftermath, (particularly with an obnoxious uncle he eventually sends packing) and with his mother’s grief, Bella tries as hard as she can to support him.

 Dear Edward, 

Tell your uncle to stick a sock in it. Seriously, Edward, don't let him push you around. He has absolutely no right to tell you what to do. Please, don't blame yourself for what happened. I'm sure there was nothing you could have done. If there were any signs to be noticed, I'm sure you would have. You need to remember what your father told you, take care of your mother. I cannot even imagine how horrible this must be for both of you. 

And, later,

There has been a lot of research done into how people grieve in the last 91 years. I tried to find out as much as I could, but we deal with grieving after a loss much differently than you do, so I don't know if this will help or not. ……………………………………….. There may be nothing you can do or say, she may just need you to sit quietly with her not talking. Just squeeze her hand or put your arm around her. If she mentions your father, let her talk. Don't let anyone tell her what she should or shouldn't feel. No one knows what she has lost more than you do, but even your loss is different from hers. It is important to try to get her to eat, though. She needs to eat and sleep, and she needs to get exercise. Does she garden? Can you and she go for a walk, or is she expected to not leave the house? We don't really do the whole wearing black all the time thing. Some people refuse to wear black at all after someone dies. I hope that doesn't sound disrespectful to you. They're remembering and celebrating the person's life, rather than mourning their death. You said you had gotten a lot of flowers, does your mother have a favorite flower? Maybe you can try to keep some around the house... Have you asked her if she would like you to play for her? If you play while she is in another room, could she hear you? That way, it could be up to her if she joins you or not. I wish I could hear you play. 

The story is a WIP, but Momatu tells us that it is complete and she updates every week. As I write, the story got to the point where Bella and Edward are madly in love and crushed by the fact that they will never meet in their lifetimes. However, the reader knows that Edward too will get the influenza and that Doctor Cullen is there, so Fate will make the impossible possible …..

]What else can I tell you?  Go read this story – accurate from the historical point of view and careful in every detail– and get lost in it as I am.

One Shot of the Week: 6/18/12

Glory by bandmum

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7893760/1/Glory

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Fame, money, girls. I had it all and lost everything. So I started again, intent on writing one more song that would assure my name would live forever. It took a beautiful brunette to show me that there are many different kinds of glory.

New Fic of the Week: 6/18/12

A Street With No End by ExquisiteEdward

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8130220/2/A_Street_With_No_End

Review by Agrutle

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: One night, Dr. Cullen's life becomes painfully entangled with a woman whose world he alters forever. What lengths will he go to in search of redemption? Or can the redemption he so desperately seeks be found within himself? AH.

I must say when I signed up to write this review for A Street With No End, I was rather excited. I loved author, ExquisiteEdward’s story Color of Loneliness, so I was eager to see what this story was going to be. I wasn’t disappointed and I’m hooked after reading the first two chapters.

We are introduced to Edward as he is seeing his last patient for the night. He’s tired, starting to get sick and has been at the hospital for almost 36 hours. He just wants to finish up and go home to his fiancee. When he finally gets to leave he fights sleep as he drives.

Once seated in my Volvo, I blow out a heavy breath. I watch it spin a white color before it vanishes in the chill of my car. My head falls back against the headrest, and I close my eyes. Even my neck aches. For a moment, I consider crawling into the backseat to take a quick nap but decide against it when I begin to shiver again. I just want to get home to my soft bed that's covered in insanely expensive sheets. Sheets that my fiancée had insisted upon. 

Cupping my hands together, I blow into them before I flip the heat on high. The clock on my dash reads 12:30 a.m. I should be home and in my warm bed no later than 1:00. Sighing, I hold tight to that thought. Just a little bit longer… 

As I drive, the car begins to warm. I feel the heat around me like a blanket that's been pulled out of a hot dryer. Every muscle in my worn, exhausted body relaxes. My eyelids feel heavy. So heavy. 

I watch the lines on the pavement. Each line whipping past in a soothing, rhythmic pattern. Lulling me. Pulling me under. Deeper… 

My eyes snap open, my heart pounds. I must have dozed off. I'm not sure how long. Although it must have only been a few seconds. But that's all it takes… just a few seconds. 

Scrubbing my hand across my eyes, I straighten in my seat and switch off the heat. I roll the window down about two inches, letting in the chilled Chicago air, knowing that will help keep me alert. 

 Silent, tiny droplets of rain begin to spray across my windshield. I don't turn on the wipers right away. Instead, I watch as the water collects and makes streaky kaleidoscope-like patterns as the wind pushes and pulls the beads across the window. 

As I exit the highway, I drag in a deep breath. I'm about half-way home. There's not much traffic out this late at night. For a while, I watch the taillights in the distance until my gaze is pulled back to those lines on the pavement again. Line. After line. After line. After line. So hypnotic. My body feels weighted. I am so tired. So very, very tired… 

My ears are pierced by a deafening crack of thunderous sound. Like metal being smashed instantaneously in a compactor. My body is violently jerked and tossed about. And then silence. I feel disoriented. And there's pain. A throbbing sensation. Intense. Not like the body aches I had earlier. Much sharper. I feel it radiating down my chest. And across my stomach. I find it difficult to breathe. Someone shouts. I hear several voices. They're fearful and panicked. 

Where am I? 

Edward wakes up and realizes there has been an accident. His adrenaline kicks in causing him to slip into doctor mode. He asses the situation, and checks on the people in an old red pickup that has been flipped over. While he is doing all of this he is thinking in the back of his mind, Am I a Murderer?

Come and get into this story with me, the author ExquisiteEdward has a way of painting the picture so that you can see it in your mind. You know you want to see what happens! I, for one will be there to find out if Edward is a murderer or not. Don’t forget to leave the author some love!

Completed Fic of the Week: 6/18/12

Angels We Are Not by Gnomea

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6767122/1/Angels_We_Are_Not

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Drama/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: AH. OOC. He was here in this situation he was most afraid of. The one thing he was scared would happen to them. It was the beginning of the end of their story. ExB

I have read a lot of completed stories in the fandom, and it makes me sad when the short stories are so neglected. Now don’t get me wrong, I love to sit down with a great, long, completed story as much as the next person; however when a story is good, it deserves as much support as the next, even if it is only fourteen thousand words.

With that being said, this week our Completed Fic of the Week is a short one, just fourteen thousand words and eight chapters long. Don’t judge this one by its cover though, those fourteen thousand words really do say a lot.

 In Angel’s We Are Not, Edward is very much in love with his Bella, and his Bella is very much in love with him. Unfortunately, sometimes love isn’t enough and Edward let’s his family and job dictate what he should do in his life.

Edward has had to fill some very large shoes in his life. His father died in a car crash where Edward was driving and even though his mother has never outright blamed him, she chooses to make him feel guilty about her loss and has put all of her grief into dictating Edward’s life. Edward being a good son, who is running the family business, doesn’t want to disappoint his mother and therefore he unfortunately chooses her over Bella more often than not.

Upon finding out that Bella is pregnant, Edward says some extremely hurtful things, making Bella the strongest woman in the word. No longer wanting to feel like she’s complicating his life, she decides to make Edward’s choices easy by leaving him.

"Do you love me?" she asked after a few minutes of silence. She suddenly shifted in my arms so I was facing her as she waited, her eyes were full of anticipation. 

"Yes, Bella," I poured my heart into my words, wanting more than anything for her to believe me at that moment. "I love you so fucking much, it hurts." 

She sighed, maybe in relief. I wished it was because she wanted to hear me say those words to her. Her eyes shined with unshed tears. "If you really love me the way you say, then you go now," she said softly, but the confidence lacing her words was undeniable. "Leave me alone now. Please." 

I knew my time was up. I took a deep breath, flooding my nose with her scent, locking it to memory. I reluctantly released my arms from around her with a heavy heart, and left her alone. 

As I passed the living room, my eyes landed on the divorce papers I had brought earlier. They were lying on top of the coffee table conspicuously. I knew then what I could give her to make it all better for her. 

I signed the papers, releasing her from our legal bond. Somehow, even as my heart was shattering into a million pieces, I felt I had done this one good thing for her by finally freeing her from me. 

Bella isn’t only the strongest woman in the world but the smartest one as well. While Edward is lost without her; she takes the opportunity to make him see the things that are really important in life, which eventually paves the way for them to have the fresh start that they need and deserve.

"I had to leave because I didn't want to one day hate you because of my love for you. I couldn't risk it." Her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I even divorced you because of it." 

I was just nodding, trying to block the anger and pain flowing through me. 

"The main reason for the divorce was because I wanted a fresh start." It was understandable that she did want that. That was why she had to remove my name with hers legally. So she could start anew. 

She was staring at me intently, searching my face for something. Her eyes flickered with some emotion I couldn't decipher as she continued to hold my gaze. 

"A fresh start is good," I said softly, interrupting the silence that was surrounding us. 

"I want a fresh start with you, Edward." My heart almost jumped out of my chest. She had said the words I wanted to say, but was so afraid to say. "That was why I came here. I came to fetch you, darling." 

Now, I’ve read stories like this before, but I find this one refreshingly different. Maybe it’s because the story is told from Edward’s point of view, or maybe it’s because even though it is Edward telling the story you still see and feel how Bella is so strong, you feel her strength. I’m not sure really, but honestly it really is a great, albeit short story that I know you will all love too.

WIP of the Week: 6/18/12

Perchance to Dream by NTJB

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6564379/1/Perchance_to_Dream

Review by evilnat

Rating: M
Genre: Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella Swan and Edward Cullen fall in love, deeply in love. But as their lives spiral out of control, Bella begins to realize that it might be too deep and questions whether it was love at all or something more dangerous...

Perchance to Dream starts off with a prologue that proves from the start that we’re certainly going to see some drama in this story. We begin in the present, Bella struggling with her decision to leave Edward; she is determined to get out on her own. Her relationship with Edward is like an addiction, one that she needs to end, before it totally ruins her.

Have you ever been at a point in your life when you need to be free and you can't? When everywhere you turn you see one wall after another, thicker than steel and higher than the sky? A life that resembles a maximum security prison more than your own damn life? 

I think I've been at that point twice. The first time was when I was stuck in the smallest town on the planet, Forks, Washington. I was there for three dreadful teenage years with my dad and hated every moment of it. 

The day I graduated was the best damn day of my life. It was also the day I promised myself I would never be in that circumstance again. I left Forks about a month after graduation, to college in NYC. The perfect city to be free to build myself and be who I wanted... or so I thought. 

So today, after all that I have done to leave the restraints behind, I'm here again: bound, veritably gagged, and blindfolded by my life. I have nowhere to go, nothing to see, no one to turn to. It's so much worse than it was before. Three years ago, there was a way out. I could always envision the road I would take to escape. Now, there is no road; there are only walls. 

But, here's the crazy thing. You ready for this? I am the only person who could break me out of this prison. Hell, it's not even a real prison! It's all in my goddamn head. I don't even know where the walls begin and where they end, but I do know that for years, I've been seeking the wrong means for release. 

Chapter one takes us back in time to tell her story. Bella’s a student who can barely afford to live, she lives in an insect infected apartment and doesn’t have much of a social life. She’s kind of melancholy, it’s like she’s existing but not really living.

For one of her classes she is given an assignment where she must choose a Shakespearean play and compare it with a film. She chooses Hamlet and as luck would have it, The New School has a production of Hamlet showing, so she decides to drag her old friend, Jake, who happens to be visiting that weekend from Forks.

Jessica Stanley is Bella’s academic rival. Jessica is always been right there, enrolled in at least two of her classes each year, competing against her for whatever academic accolade she can get. Bella detests her and their banter is bitchy and Jessica is blatantly mean. She always seems to appear right when you think Bella’s gotten rid of her and its obvious she has something going on with one of their professors. She tells Bella that the top two scores on the Shakespearean class assignment will be recommended for an internship at The New Yorker. Not knowing if this is true or not, but not willing to bet against Jessica, seeing as she has inside information with the professor, Bella is determined to write the best paper she can. She needs this internship.

Jake is cryptic about why he’s visiting Bella and even though she tries to get it out of him she has no idea what would bring him to NYC guessing that he might have been signed by a record company. Bella and his girlfriend, Leah, don’t get along, but he shows up with her anyway much to Bella’s annoyance.

We don’t meet Edward until chapter four when Bella takes Jake and Leah to see Hamlet and he is the lead actor. She’s seen his picture on the playbill and the advertisement put out by the NYU newsletter and even dreamed about him, but to see him in person, on the stage leaves her mesmerized.

I was transfixed by him, just like I felt when I saw his picture in the newsletter. No one else existed. In fact, I felt like I didn't exist. 

His eyes shone like beacons and his voice was a rich baritone that echoed across the seats. He had a British accent like the other actors, but this one was believable. Was he British, really? Fuck, this was like my dream guy come true. There was nothing sexier than a British accent. 

He moved so comfortably around the stage as if it were his home or even a temple. And the black period costume fit him perfectly, like a condom... er, a glove. When I wasn't captivated by his eyes, I was staring at his tights. 

He stood a little left of center near the end of the soliloquy, looking into the audience as if he were speaking to everyone in the front row. I began to feel like sitting in the fourth row was hell in comparison. Thinking of the audience pulled me out of the shock from his presence. And as Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo entered stage left, I exhaled... and heard the two girls in front of me exhale as well. 

Whoa, what was that? What the fuck was that? What was going on with me? 

I shook my head, barely paying attention to the rest of the scene. I hardly remembered any of his soliloquy. I was lost through the rest of Act I and grateful for the two minute break before Act II. The last thing that I could remember was how well his tights fit him. 

Edward forgets one of his lines in the next act, and Bella, much to the embarrassment of Jake, stands up and recites it to him. She can’t help herself, there’s something about him. She runs out of the theatre to get some air, mortified, when Edward calls to her from the front door of the theatre.

"Wait!" From a voice to make all hearts cease beating... in an accent to make all panties melt. "Don't leave." 

I turned around slowly, the smoke from the guy smoking before clouding my vision of him... of his brilliant eyes. I squinted through it, trying to make sure. Then, the wind picked up, clearing it all away. 

I gaped in disbelief. Edward Cullen. He stood at the doorway, out of breath, still in costume, hesitantly taking a couple of steps toward me. 

His eyes were more brilliant now than they had ever been. They were brighter than beacons, beaming directly into my soul. 

"Stay. Please?" 

 And so begins the rollercoaster that is Bella and Edward’s relationship. Things with him are not simple. He’s a serious actor, trying to make it and he’s got issues of his own.

There are a lot of layers to Bella’s story and with each chapter we unravel another. Things aren’t smooth sailing for her, in her studies and in her relationships. With 23 chapters and over 106,000 words you’ve got a lot of story to sink your teeth into.

One Shot of the Week: 6/11/12

Facilis Descensus Averni by Mal & Alby

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7948903/1/Facilis_Descensus_Averni

Rating: M
Genre: Horror/Supernatural
Characters: Edward

Summary: Winner 1st Place Judges' Scoring and Public Vote plus Best AU Drama of Truly Anon Contest. On the cusp of learning the truth about his vampire nature, Edward opens a Pandora's Box of bloodlust, finding that easy is the descent to hell. Horror. AU.

New Fic of the Week: 6/11/12

Stubborn Love by VampiresHavebeagles 

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8063793/1/Stubborn_Love
Review by Dragonfly336

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: She'll lie and steal and cheat, and beg you from her knees. She'll make you think she means it this time, tearing a hole in you. But I still love her. I don't really care. A story from iambeagle and VampiresHaveLaws.

I love it when I find a story and it has a new and interesting characterization of one of these people we have come to love. In Stubborn Love by Vampireshavebeagles, which is a collaboration between VampiresHaveLaws and iambeagle, Bella is just that character for me.

The writing of these two ladies is exceptional. They really know how to set the scene and give enough details to feel like you are right there.

This silence. 

It's something I've missed. 

It adheres to my skin, branding my lips and tongue as it coats my thoughts in its white noise. 

There's nothing but empty space around me, outlined by sandy mountains and the kind of green you don't get in the city. I swipe my hand down my eyes, trying to remove any lingering traces of fatigue that pull against my lids, and yawn, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter with my left hand. 

I've made this journey countless times before, the deserted road familiar as dust shifts up from the tires, clinging to the windows before clouding the air a suffocating beige. It's a grainy comfort that reminds me of evenings spent racing my bike across the very potholes that jerk my body forward in my seat now. 

The sun is low in the sky, but the humidity is still here, sticking to my arms and chest. It's one of the reasons my parents insisted on a pool when landscaping, the heat cloying no matter what the hour. 

Tasting salt on my lips, I pull in a deep breath, feeling its damp dryness in my lungs, and crank down the window a little further. 

The story is three chapters in and told from Edward’s POV. Edward goes to school in Tucson and is home for summer break. But home is not Forks, it’s Corona de Tucson, Arizona. He spends the summers at his mother’s house while she is in Florida with her boyfriend. It is his first day that he sees and meets the elusive Bella, who is staying across the street. They start hanging out during the days, but Bella is not very forthcoming with details about herself.

 "You need a ride or something?" I ask, starting the ignition before buckling my seatbelt. 

"No," she replies, not bothering with her own belt. "I'm just tagging along with you." 

"You don't know where I'm going," I inform her, eyes lingering on her face before I look over my shoulder and back out of the driveway. 

"It doesn't matter," she responds easily, shrugging. 

I fight back a smile and busy myself with flipping through the radio stations, eventually settling for silence, not able to find a song that I want to listen to. I point towards the stereo, my way of telling Bella she can take over, but her focus is out the window. 

The breeze whips her tied up hair behind her shoulder, a few loose strands coming forward to brush her cheeks as her eyes take in everything and nothing. 

Her expression is one of easiness, maybe boredom, a blank page that I'm waiting to be filled. But then her lips curl just slightly, her thoughts her own, and I wonder what she's thinking about. 

The sunlight catches her hair, finding hints of red and gold, and her lips are this sort of dark pink that makes me lick my own in response. 

It's the first time I've considered her beautiful and not just interesting. 

She's an enigma, a conundrum I have yet to figure out. But everyone has a story, an answer that has the potential to spiral into a thousand others—I'm just still in the dark as to what hers is. 

I love this Bella! She is bold and gives off the impression that she doesn’t care about what others think. She also knows just how to push Edward’s buttons. I am so interested in seeing where this story is headed and what Bella’s story is. It’s a great time to start reading this gem. VampiresHaveLaws and iambeagle have such a beautiful writing style and a very unique story. I’ll leave you with this last taste.

Whenever she looks at me her eyes scream secrets and her lips give life to the words that float inside her head, little pieces gifted that aren't nearly enough to form any solid base of opinion. I want to gather her thoughts in rope and bind them together tightly with knots impossible for her nails to pick apart or fingers to unravel; I want to bite at her wrists and taste the truths on my tongue until she gives in and lets me get my way, even if only for a short while.

Completed Fic of the Week: 6/11/12

Like Crazy by willyoupleasebequiet

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7779095/1/Like_Crazy

Review by Lemon Charlotte

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: They say that there are three certainties in life: birth, death & taxes. A fourth certainty in Edward & Bella's life is their friendship...okay, five if you include Edward's fixation on seeing her boobs. Inspired by WhatsMyNomDePlume's "Best I Ever Had"

“Holy shit, I love you” 

Apple Charlotte, Eve’s pudding, Bakewell Tart, Eton Mess, Banoffee Pie, Creme Brulee, Tart au Citron, Banana Split, Lemon Meringue Pie (especially that). Sometimes I just need sweeeeeeet! And Like Crazy, willyoupleasebequiet’s debut story, is just that.

Sweet, light, simple, sometimes crunchy and with a bit of bite, this is a simple tale of Edward and Bella, two long-time friends who share a love of zombie flicks, Chandler Bing’s best lines and a cute puppy called Hugsy. It’s about how they met, how they got together, and why they work. A simple story, confidently told with snappy dialogue, engaging characters, the lightest touch of citrus and (almost) zero angst.

willyoupleasebequiet pays homage to the awesome The Best I Ever Had by Whatsmynomdeplume in her first A/N. If you liked that story (and how could you not) then this one will no doubt appeal. Bella is a super-nerd. Harvard-educated, a child prodigy, beautiful, smart, sweet. Edward, on the other hand, is:

attractive, smart, thoughtful, caring, and intelligent. However, he's the guy that your parents tell you to stay away from because he 'has too many tattoos and piercings;' he was the student that never paid attention at school and distracted others around him, frustrating the teachers. 

He's a delinquent; Always has been since an early age with many bad records against his name that includes some minor criminal charges, as well as a short stint in a rehabilitation facility. He has problems with authority, is unable to keep a steady job, smokes too much and constantly makes crude jokes. 

He has twenty-three piercings in total—five in one ear, three in the other, his eyebrow, lip, tongue, four that run down the nape of his neck and one on each finger, just above the knuckle. Multicolored tattoos adorn the entirety of his back, the bicep of his right arm and the forearm of his left.

Already, I am intrigued.

Their friendship begins when he saves her from the path of an oncoming bus on the streets of NYC, managing to cop a feel in the process. Gentle flirtation on Edward’s part marks their relationship, but they soon agree, following an experimental kiss, that they are most definitely better friends than lovers.

Bella stuttered out a laugh before Edward closed whatever distance was left between them. It was a light, chaste kiss and neither of them closed their eyes. But then the kiss changed, it turned deep and strong. Bella had the dim awareness that her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, one hand buried in his hair and that Edward's arms were wrapped around her so that their bodies are pressed together. 

If anyone around them were watching, they would think that it's sweet for two people to be unable to keep their hands off each other. Either that, or they're huge abusers of PDA and should probably get a room. 

This kiss is neither of those things for Edward and Bella. 

They pulled away from each other, both breathless, and Edward was the one to speak first. 

"This is never going to work is it?" 

"No way, no how." Bella gasped out. They both push the other away as well as taking more than a couple of steps back, the two voicing their horror and outrage about the kiss. 

"Nope. Too weird, too weird," Edward chanted, grimacing and shaking his head. 

"God, that was awful," Bella shuddered, and rubbed at her lips with the back of her hand, not even trying to be subtle about it. "Ugh, there is so much metal in your mouth! How do women kiss you?" 

"They kiss me just fine," Edward shot back. "And anyway," he added, making a face, "you're the one that uses way too much tongue." 

Bella gasped, looking indignant. "I do NOT use too much tongue!"

But something is going to change. We know where we are headed, since each chapter is punctuated with a TBIEH-style glimpse into a future where Edward and Bella are much more than friends. It makes for an easy, enjoyable, satisfying read:

We're like two teenagers making out two minutes before curfew as though we've got nothing to lose when we've got absolutely everything to lose. 

My hand tangles in her hair, the other on the small of her back and I'm leading her away from the doorway. I hear the door slam shut behind me and then her fingers are digging into my shoulders, reaching for me too. I lift her up and hold her until she wraps her legs around my waist. 

I move my lips to her neck and strain at the buttons on her shirt. She squeezes me and I walk with her, lips still attached, blindly inside her apartment. 

My heart is pounding against my chest. All my other senses seemed to have disappeared. All I can sense is Bella and how right this moment feels. I swear this indescribable feeling is what I've been waiting for all my life. 

We're crossing a line into something else. Something other. Something that will never be the way it was before. And that will be so much better.

And when the moment of realization hits, it’s with a thunderclap. I don’t want to introduce too many spoilers, except to say that eight months apart, when Edward leaves for a job in California triggers a re-evaluation of the friendship on both sides. Their phone conversations, and particularly Edward’s “letters” recorded over the months, are adorable. Their eventual meeting, and subsequent revelations on both sides, is simply lovely.

In the build-up to this point, Edward and Bella have become the best of friends. Edward has slowly revealed the details of his difficult, complicated and unhappy past to Bella. His intelligent comments on the life of a recovering addict are on the periphery of the story yet powerfully described:

When you're in rehab, the world feels as small as the thin layer of air touching your skin. All that exists is your almost-dead body and the pain inside your head. There is no tomorrow or a few days from now. There is no career or family or any loved ones. 

There is only now and the burning nerves in your head, the ache in your chest, the molten lava in your stomach, the emptiness, the need, the desperation, and the fear. 

The fear. 

That this pain is all you'll feel for the rest of your life. When your world is so small, the only option is to be selfish. 

I forget that there's no need to be selfish anymore, now that I'm with Bella. On these bad days, I push her away and can be cold, distant and reactive. The extraordinary thing about it is that she'll stay, unmoving and stubborn and I wish, I wish I could have the same patience as she does. Being with someone like me is not easy and it comes with its fair share of challenges but she never gives up and never holds a single grudge. Not once. Not ever. 

I love Bella and I'm crazy about her, but some stories are meant to stay private. Just because you find love, doesn't make your life perfect.

Edward’s past is truly heart-breaking but a series of fortunate events conspire to reconcile Edward with his long lost family and contribute cleverly to bringing Edward and Bella together, moving the story forward to the HEA we know is coming.

I love angst and I love plot but once in a while I need a fic to simply clear out the cobwebs, to give my heart a rest from all the clenching and to make me smile. Like Crazy fits the bill perfectly. I do hope you enjoy it.

WIP of the Week: 6/11/12

In The Debris by BelieveItOrNot

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7915341/1/In_the_Debris

Review by IReen H

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella/James & Victoria

Summary: A story of unlikely friends, a story of family, a search for truth and a search of self. "She's everyone else's Isabella, but she's only my Bella." "I write a poem about a boy and girl who fall in love in the eye of a tornado." AH E/B V/J

I remember high school. I remember days where I felt like I was already ancient. Already my body and mind and soul had been stretched to encompass the joy and the grief inherent in being a human. There were days where a puddle was my reflection, showing me a me I didn’t want to see. There were days where I held other peoples tears in my hands… days when the thrumming of feet stomping the bleachers for JV football made me feel like I had to run and hide.

Sometimes just walking onto campus was the beginning of a world of mistakes I would make that day. Sometimes the whispering in the hallways when I passed by wasn’t about me, but in my head it always was.

Sometimes the person wanting to smoke you out is not your friend. Sometimes the only person who doesn’t know who you are and where you come from, is you. Sometimes the person you think is your nemesis, is actually your next best friend. Sometimes the person you thought was your best friend, is actually your enemy.

In The Debris finds the chaotic underbelly of high school confusion and caresses it with slight brilliant strokes. Told from two POV’s, each chapter is half Edward and half Victoria.

Victoria Mayes is a quiet and introspective outcast. At the beginning of the story, she has one friend. James. By chapter two, she has one more. Edward.

Formerly a cocky party-hound, Edward had to grow up fast when he lost his mother. His father is somewhat absentee due to his career and Edward is responsible for Max, his 13 year old brother who is also struggling to fit in. He feels like an outsider to the life he used to live. His relationship with his friend Jasper, an admitted Casanova with a sketchbook of his conquests that he flashes around, has deteriorated. His relationships with most of his former friends has followed suit, as Edward struggles with his demons.

Throw in Isabella Swan, the new girl from Florida, and senior year at Forks high isn’t what anyone expected. She is the quote-unquote shiny new toy and everyone wants to play with her. But the only person she really opens up to is… well… you just have to read it.

She averts her eyes and I see in them a sheen that threatens tears. She's about to cry. I don't know what this means. Will she cry for herself? For her mom? For me? Because she knows I'm about to kiss her? I don't have the answer. 

A silent sort of half sob, half gasp comes from her and I change direction, leave the path leading toward her lips and lift up to her forehead. I press a kiss against her like a stamp, like a brand; it's a heavy kiss. Her breath is at my throat. My lips still against her head, I let out a sigh through my nose, the frustration of both my want and my need to kiss her lips more than anything else. Then I lower my forehead to hers, resting. "What's wrong?" 

She moves away a little so her eyes can meet mine comfortably. "I-I want…" She looks away, and I really wish she'd tell me what she's thinking. 

"What do you want? I'll give you anything." My throat closes up as I say it, and I know I sound unsure and nervous, but I am sure, and I'm trying so hard to make it clear to her that if she wants me, she has me. I'm hers. Right here. Right now. 

Take it. 

"Edward, I - I don't know why…" 

I wait for words that never come. 

"I can't do this, Isabella. I can't-" 

"I'll see you later, at school?" 

I sigh and nod. She leaves. 

When the door is closed I rest my head against it. "I can't just be friends with you." 

HEART IN THROAT.

Want a slow burn? Settle in darlings!

Isabella Swan brings some sun and relief into Edward’s dreary days, brings her quirk and her unique views to lighten his load a little bit. She has her own set of beliefs, her own magic, and she uses it. For example, we all know onions make you cry… did you know that celery makes you stop crying? It’s true, just ask Isabella Swan. And it works. I’ve seen it. So Edward and Bella, right? Just those two names make me giddy-smile. But as good as their dynamic is, it’s what’s between Victoria and James that has me all twisting in my guts.

They have been friends since they were in middle school. Close friends. As close as two people can be without crossing the line into something more intimate. Until one day when Victoria fesses up.

"James, I feel you…" I'm looking at the wall behind him. "In my heart." 

The small unsure laugh that escapes him tells me that he doesn't get what I'm saying. 

"I feel you in my heart, too, Victoria." A pause, and then, "What's going on? You sure you're okay?" 

"No." My voice shakes. "I mean, I, I love you." My eyes slow dance over his face to his eyes, but without really seeing him. I'm afraid of what I might see. "I love you in a non-friend way." 

I release a breath full of nerves and focus on his eyes now, which have widened, and he's scooting away from me, and in this millisecond, I know what an irreversible mistake I've made. 

But - did she make a mistake? Did she lay it all on the line in vain? Or was she the one with the cajones? We don’t exactly know yet, but we do know that this confession launches a series of events that scrape the muscles of the heart. This story makes me cry… in PUBLIC, people.

And not just for the delicately delivered angst.

 Because it’s beautiful.

It resonates like the a perfectly struck note, over and over again. The way BelieveItOrNot constructs this story is perfection. My eyes don’t tire of sucking in her words. Never do I find them jumping, never does my brain disregard any of her narrative as inconsequential or skimmable. Her word choice is always spot on, and the story delivers more than characters that interest, it delivers mood. Her words bring me into THEIR world, makes it personal. And that is what it should be. Because in high school… every fucking thing is personal.

One Shot of the Week: 6/4/12

Working It Out by bnjwl

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7045278/1/Working_It_Out

Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

 Summary: Edward has a gym, a gym that trains plenty of professional athletes. The last thing he needs is a bunch of half dressed girls invading his space and dancing around distracting his clients. Or is it? It might be exactly what he needs. E/B, rated M!

New Fic of the Week: 6/4/12

The Love Boat by Twilly

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8083461/1/The_Love_Boat

Review by Maxandmo

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Love, exciting and new. Come Aboard. We're expecting you. Love, life's sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back to you. Best friends, a childhood crush, a free cruise, and a ship full of swingers.

Alice convinces Bella to go on a cruise after she gets it for free from her boss. What Bella doesn't know until she's nearly on the ship, is that Alice's cousin, Edward, who Bella had a childhood crush on, is going too.

Alice later explains that it's a couple’s cruise and she and Edward have to act like they're married. They meet up with Edward at a restaurant on their way to the ship. Bella still finds him attractive but figures her luck hasn't changed. He, just like her last boyfriend, is gay. She figures he has to be; he's single, good-looking, and is wearing a gaudy shirt.

And there he was, his auburn hair as full and messy as ever. As cute as he was as an eighteen-year-old boy, he was stunning as a fully grown man. He was tall and broad and still flashed his amazing smile as he greeted Jasper with a handshake and a one armed man-hug. 

"Edward, it's nice to see you again, man," Jasper said before back-handedly complementing, "Nice shirt," referring to Edward's shiny, bright blue, black, and gold silk shirt compete with leopard print. 

The Love Boat has made me completely connect with Alice, Jasper, Bella and Edward. Alice is your typical busy-body, while Jasper is laid back and perfectly complements her. What makes him even more special is his flair for ridiculous clothing...ie. Socks with sandals. Edward isn't the same annoying teenager that he used to be. So far, he's sweet, caring, and very patient. Bella is highly entertaining. She has a few irrational fears such as bed bugs and sinking ships, and tries to prepare as best she can for such things.

Alice tuned to Jasper. "Bella saw a news report once that said a mattress doubles in weight in ten years from dead skin and dust mites." She tilted her head toward me and rolled her eyes. "And now she's creeped out by sleeping on hotel, and now apparently, cruise ship beds." 

I sort of felt ashamed for caving in on my irrational fear, but not enough to sleep on a hundred pounds of other people's skin and dust mite poop. And that's not even considering bed bugs. Just thinking about it made me itch. 

Can Bella relax enough to get past her fears and enjoy her vacation? Will Edward's unexpected presence help her or make it worse? Now's the perfect time to start reading The Love Boat.

I'm lucky enough to get a sneak peak at the chapters and trust me, there are some great things coming up. Namely, the fact that the cruise is not only a couple's cruise, but a swinger’s cruise; something that none of them realized until the ship is at sea!

Twilly's sense of humor is second to none, and you won't be able to stop giggling at the scenarios she presents. The Love Boat is well written and highly entertaining, and I can't wait for more!

Completed Fic of the Week: 6/4/12

A Shock to the System by BilliCullen

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6512086/1/A_Shock_to_the_System

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Edward and Bella meet on a blind date. It's hate at first sight. Can unforeseen circumstances show them what they missed? 

This week’s completed fic of the week, A Shock to the System, really captured my attention right from the start. Bella is a hard working, snarky, dependable, independent woman, and she is used to the order that has become her life. After losing both of her parents when she was young, Bella only ever bonded with fellow orphans Ben and Angela. They become her family and Bella isn’t ready for anything to break that bubble. She doesn’t feel she needs a man because she has been burnt before and she is perfectly happy keeping things the way they are. She is very much looking forward to Ben and Angela welcoming a new addition to their family and Bella honestly can’t wait to become Aunt Bella, but that is the extent of her acceptance with new.

Ben and Angela on the other hand, are desperate to find Bella someone that she can love as much as they love one another. They don’t want her to be alone and know that if she can meet that one perfect guy she will understand why they want this for her. Ben has been working with Edward Cullen for about a year, and after several conversations with Angela they have decided that Edward is that perfect guy. Too bad Edward and Bella aren’t real keen on being set up. After meeting and basically doing whatever they can to piss the other one off, it looks like Edward and Bella will never be able to get along.

"Hey Bella, I wanted to apologize for my lack of manners and rude behavior when we last saw each other. I was out of line with my actions, burping and all," he said, looking at me sincerely. I noticed for the first time how green his eyes were in comparison to the blue hue the first time we met. They were dazzling and the combo of the hair and the eyes, well I have to say Angela was right, he was pretty. 

"Well Cullen, I'd say we were both out of line, I owe you an apology as well. I lost my temper and I shouldn't have acted that way. I know you mean the world to Ben and Ang," I told him, swallowing my pride and letting myself become as humble as necessary to make this right for my best friends. 

"Well even if I do hate Billy Idol and he is a horrible representation of his genre, I shouldn't have said those things. Even if you were being kind of a bitch, I should've let it go, so we were both clearly wrong here," he said seriously, shaking his head. 

Wait just a minute, was he just re-offending me? What. The. Fuck? This guy was seriously a piece of fucking work! 

"Excuse me? If you think I was being a bitch then clearly you must admit you were being a dick?" I shot back at him incredulously, my eyes opening widely in disbelief, my mouth in an 'O' shape. 

"What? No, no, I was only saying I reacted to you reacting, I thought you understood... were admitting to being a bitch?" he answered, his hands raised in surrender and his brows furrowed in confusion. 

Fortunately for these two, their best friends look out for them more than they can ever possibly imagine. After tragedy strikes, Bella and Edward are forced into a situation where they have to learn to not only get along but to live together.

"In the matter of the home currently owned outright by Benjamin R. and Angela G. Cheney, it and all its contents are bequeathed to Isabella M. Swan, to use in whatever way she sees fit to care for their son Robert Charles Cheney. In the matter of the minor, Robert Charles Cheney, joint custody is to be shared between Isabella M. Swan and Edward A. M. Cullen. It has been requested that said joint custody should be shared in the home listed in the paperwork and that it should be for a minimum of one year. At the end of that one year you are free to live apart and sell the home if necessary to support the minor child. You will however, be required until said minor is eighteen years of age, to continue to share custody of minor child." he stated firmly. 

This story is dubbed as Romance/Humor and for the most part it is. There is a small bit of sadness that happens around Chapter 5, but for this “no angst please reviewer” BilliCullen was able to keep the sad to a reasonable level. While I did cry, I also understood why things had to happen the way they did. I really hope you will give this one a chance. BilliCullen is really close to hitting that one-thousand review mark but I would love to see her surpass it tenfold, she really deserves it.

Banner by JaimeArkin

WIP of the Week: 6/4/12

The Give Away Girl by MrsSpaceCowboy

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7206314/1/The_Give_Away_Girl

Review by Dragonfly336

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Honor student Bella Swan has mastered the arts...of manipulating her divorced parents, rolling the perfect joint, and faking an orgasm. Who wouldn't want to keep a girl like her? An unconventional coming of age tale for Gen Xer Bella. Rated M. 

Do you ever read a story and are shocked that it doesn’t have ten times the reviews it does? Well, that is one of the reasons I started this blog. And this story that I started recently, it has just over 400 reviews at twenty-two posted chapters... and I kept reading and thinking why? It is an excellent story. It pulled me in immediately. It had me wanting to savor and read slowly, but hurry up to see what happens next. When I got to the last posted chapter, I got depressed that I wouldn’t get to read more and now I am sitting here wishing she would just update already!!!

The story I’m talking about is The Give Away Girl by MrsSpaceCowboy. One of the best things about this story is that it takes place in the ‘90s. It is a high school fic, where Bella is a sophomore in 1991. Not to date myself, but I graduated in 1994 and this story is just all kinds of nostalgic to me. Bella and her friends totally remind me of me and my friends. And trust me when I say, there are probably no other stories that remind me of me in high school. But I digress... let me tell you about this story!

So, I really love the little differences that MrsSpaceCowboy throws into this fic, but also keeps some canon characteristics. Bella grew up in Forks, but when Renee left, she didn’t go far. After getting her teaching degree in Seattle, she moves to Port Angeles. Bella ends up going to live with her and becoming the new girl at Port Angeles in eighth grade. She spends summers with her dad in Forks and is still best friends with her girls, who are dubbed The Pack, Alice, Leah, and Carmen. They are still thick as thieves and have each others backs, always.

Her best friend in Port Angeles is Emmett and at the beginning of the story we are introduced to Edward, Emmett’s cousin who has just moved to Port Angeles from Seattle. Bella and Edward become friends first over the phone. He gets her number from Emmett and uses the excuse of wanting to know more than one person once school starts. They actually meet in person at a show at a local bar. The night of the show, we also get to meet Jasper, who is Alice’s interest, and I absolutely love his characterization.

We exit the car, locking the passenger side at Leah's request. Jasper spies us as he exits the bar. He smiles, causing Alice to make a weird little squealing noise beside me. She has her tongue down his throat before any of us can even say hello. 

I don't get it. Jasper isn't ugly by any means, but I just can't see the draw. His hair is a darker shade of blond than Peter's. It's also longer and naturally wavy. He looks like a freaking hair band singer. Brett Michaels or Jani Lane…take your pick. I've never seen the guy wear shorts, and I think he may own every single Metallica shirt ever pressed. Bangers just don't do anything for me. 

And then we meet Edward in person for the first time.

I pay first before scrambling outside. I have no idea why I am freaking out. I look out across the parking lot and see Emmett closing the door of a silver Volvo 480. My heart is thundering in my chest as I let my eyes move left towards the driver's side of the car. There is a tall guy dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt, and black Vans. His hands are tucked into his front pockets. The back of his head is shaved close, but his bangs are long and unruly. I let out a breath. I am secretly relieved he isn't some kind of freak. Not that I ever thought he was. Or at least I never thought about it until The Pack made such a big deal about the fact that I've never even seen him. I am so caught up in my inner ramblings, I miss the fact that the others are now standing with me. 

"What are we looking at?" Leah whispers from my left. 

"Aaaaggh!" I startle and yell. 

Emmett's head whips around. He smiles hugely when he spots us. Edward turns to face us fully. His face is decent too, it seems. His cheeks carry the slightest hint of leftover baby fat. He has thin wire rim glasses. They're a little geeky, but mostly they just make him look smart. 

Leah links her pinky with mine pulling me forward. I start to freak out a little inside, because I'm not sure if Edward and I will "click" in person the way we do over the phone. 

Emmett introduces him to the other girls. He smiles shyly, mumbles a greeting, and then his eyes are on me.  "Hey, Bella." His voice, if possible, is even better in person. The sound of it eases my worry. 

"Hey," I say, stepping into his personal space. I feel like we've passed the awkward handshake stage. He knows things about me that make him hug worthy. He must sense my intent, because he steps forward and we embrace. 

His t-shirt is soft cotton, and I've never smelled anything in the world like this boy. "Nice to meet you," he whispers. Cinnamon breath near my ear mingles with the scent of soap and after shave on his skin. 

And so we begin on a journey of first love while dealing with high school issues. There is a lot of great music and movie references from the ‘90s, as well as other mentions, such as pudding pops and Clearly Canadian! There are drug references too, our little clan really likes their weed. There are ups and downs, budding romances and falling outs. It is such a realistic high school story. I am just so excited about this story and I hope that you too, will give it a much deserved chance!

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