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.

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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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