“Dude, you don’t usually plan for things like these, OK? I’m not asking for an entrée of your damn sex-life. I’m just asking you guys to keep it down.” Edward said, his phone screen flashing angrily up at him as he fished it out of his baggy paint splattered, ripped jeans.

“Fine, we will. And hey, I need to ask Alice to take you on a shopping spree. You really need a change of clothes.” Jasper changed the subject quickly, as if what they had been talking about had no matter whatsoever.

“What’s wrong with these? I like them. That’s all that matters.” He snapped, green eyes flashing dangerously.

“Jeez, got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning?” Jasper croaked. Never in all this time had he seen his best friend so annoyed. Even though the sun was shining and the day was going to be short, Edward didn’t seem appeased by the calm atmosphere. Jasper was well known for the effects he had on people. As in, there could be a fight anywhere, and with a few words, Jasper would have calmed everyone down.

Too bad it didn’t seem to work on Edward.

“Yeah, you can say that. Slammed my head into the bedside cabinet as soon as I woke up. And you know I don’t like people commenting on the way I dress.” Edward tucked his phone away after having read a near angry message from his girlfriend, Tanya.

“It’s not the way you dress, more like what you wear. I love your hoody but y’know… the skull with burning stakes through his eyes? Isn’t that going to make you look like some scary big guy? I thought you said you wanted to avoid any scraps this year.”

“Chill, I’m not going to get into any fights, OK? I just like the way I dress.” Edward sighed gustily, pulling some of his hair of his eyes, trying to conceal some of the ugly bruise forming.

“Are you trying to pull that tortured artist thing?” jasper laughed, glancing at the bruise on his friend’s forehead again.

“Nah.” Edward answered. Before he could make his getaway, Jasper grabbed his arm and said,

“Right, I’m taking you to see Alice, like, now. I don’t like that bruise one bit.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Yeah, that bad.”

Alice waved at them from across the lunchroom, her light eyes flashing excitedly. She had a cheerful smile on her face, and as she saw Edward she visibly brightened.

They made their way cautiously to where she sat a gaggle of friends around her. It was the usual group but there was someone there who made Edward’s heart to mega flipflops. There was Rosalie Hale, the backstabbing, sweet talking, sugar coated girl who had everybody’s and no one’s interests at heart, Emmett Smith, who seemed like a scary person but had a heart of gold, then there was Alice herself, pixie like, funny, zany, makeover crazed babe, and then finally there was Isabella Swan….

Jasper smiled and walked over to Bella, pressing his lips to the back of her neck, causing her to blush and twist round so their lips could meet.

Edward turned away from the sight and sat down next to Alice who regarded him softly.

“Are you OK?” she asked. At first he thought about what he witnessed every night back at the apartment and what he wanted to say was: no, I am NOT ok. Everything is bad and all I needed was Jasper to bring back every night his girlfriend who, hello? I think I am most probably in love with!

But then he saw her gaze flicker to the bruise on his head and he smiled, telling her about the incident as soon as he left the safety of his bed.

For the next twenty minutes, he was the centre of attention…

Great.

Too bad the only person he wanted attention from didn’t even know he existed.

CHAPTER 1