Silence Is a Virtue

I sat beside Jasper, ignoring the look on Emmett's face, and smiled at him. He grinned knowingly. Edward sat beside me, also wearing a shy smile.

"Hey, Cullen." Emmett grinned. Edward's smile grew a fraction. "You haven't met Rose, right? So this is Rosalie. Rose, this is Edward Cullen, the new kid."

"Hi Edward." Rosalie smiled, and Edward appeared to be stunned. I scowled. Rosalie always had that effect on boys. She didn't seem phased that he didn't reply, and I assumed that Em and Jazz had already filled her in.

Edward pulled out his notepad from his bag as Emmett stood up to get Edward and I some food, ever the helpful big brother.

I'm really nervous. I think they like me, though. People in this school are amazingly easy to read.

I smiled at his message. Jasper and Rosalie were purposefully looking away, appearing to be deep in conversation with one another.

Of course they like you. And perhaps you're just very observant. I wrote, my heart racing as he read my message and smirked. I loved talking to him, and though maybe no one else had noticed it yet, I knew he had a lot to say, and I would gladly sit with him for hours until he told me everything.

Perhaps. As he wrote, Emmett returned, and a tray clattered to the table before us. I looked up, narrowing my eyes at my big brother. He bared his teeth in response. I picked up an apple and bit into it timidly. Edward opened a bottle of water.

Tell me more about you. I pushed the notepad towards him, subconciously leaning towards him. I watched his green eyes as they moved across my message, and then flicker up to my face. His eyes were warm, and I felt something in my chest melt a little.

What would you like to know? I couldn't take my eyes off his face. I knew Rosalie was probably analysing everything Edward did, and everything I did, for that matter, and that she would tell me everything in detail later. At that moment, however, the only person that existed in my world was Edward.

Anything. Your favourite colour?

He had to think about that one. His eyes rested on mine, and though his face was emotionless and deep in thought, I could feel mine was reddening. In fact, I was almost certain that my heartbeat was audible to him. After a long moment, he took the pen out of my hand.

Dark purple. He wrote, a slight smile on his face. I frowned, wondering what was so funny. It took me a few seconds to realise that I was wearing a dark purple blouse that day. I blushed.

Tell me about your childhood. I wrote, sounding desperate even to my own ears. I didn't care. I just wanted to hear what else he had to say, I wanted to give him a reason to stay and talk to me.

I grew up in Alaska, as you know. I had a dog, Taffee, and I treasured her above everything else. I never really had that many friends, even when I could speak. I gasped, and he looked up at me. I didn't realise he had once had a voice. I wondered vaguely what it would sound like now. Something told me that no matter what it sounded like, I would walk through fire for that voice. I shook my head and he continued to write. Seven years ago my mother died. My father was brilliant, he helped me so much, although I was too young to understand. I lost my voice that year. Now people avoid me even more than before.

He pushed the pad towards me with a bitter smile on his face. Once more I took his hand, but his fingers held mine in place for longer than last time. I stared at our intertwined fingers, then looked up to his face. All bitterness had vanished.

You won't be avoided here. I wrote. He smiled, much warmer than before. The bell for the last lesson rang, and I jumped, my hand ripping from his grasp, swearing under my breath. Edward grinned, stuffing his notepad in his bag.

"Maybe I'll see you after school?" I said, smiling. Edward nodded, and he hesitated. His mouth opened, then closed. I understood. "You're welcome." I nodded, gently touching his arm. He grinned and turned around, leaving the cafeteria. I watched him as he left, refusing to look away until he was no longer in sight. I turned to my friends and immediately regretted it.

Emmett and Jasper were grinning at me, their heads to one side. Rosalie was looking tearful, her bottom lip sucked into her mouth and a delicate hand placed over her heart.

"Oh come on, we were only talking." I complained. Rosalie's hand fluttered.

"Yes, but you didn't see the look in his eye when he looked at you! Bella, he adores you! I'm so happy!" she said, her voice wobbling theatrically. I rolled my eyes, unable to keep the blush away for too long.

"Come on, we'll have plenty of time to torture her after school." Emmett put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me out of the canteen, Rosalie and Jasper whispering behind us.

I had Trig, last lesson, and thankfully the teacher didn't pay any attention to me for the whole hour. I sat at the back of the room, sadly alone, as Edward didn't share this lesson with me. I gazed out of the window, absorbed in thoughts of Edward.

I had trouble picturing him in Alaska, with the endless snow and bright sunlight. I had grown used to him here, under the constant cloud and surrounded by thick forest. I imagined that his skin would light up, his cheeks would flush at the cold. His eyes would glitter as the sunlight bounced off the snow, the image reflected in his green orbs.

I could feel myself blushing as I thought about him. What would he say if he knew? If he had any idea that the girl he met merely a few hours ago was now sitting in a lesson, paying no attention as she was too busy daydreaming about him? I cringed. I was such an idiot.

The lesson passed in a blur, and before too long I was outside beside my car, waiting for Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper. Also, secretly hoping that I would spot Edward, but I wouldn't have admitted that.

"Hey, Bell." Emmett called, slowly walking over to me, with Rosalie by his side.

"Hey guys, where's Jazz?" I asked, but I never heard their response. I had seen Edward, on the other side of the lot, getting into his car. He looked up almost as soon as my eyes had rested on him, and he grinned, waving. I beamed and waved in response. He got into his car and I watched as he drove away.

Emmett was laughing when I returned to the real world.

"Good Lord, could it be any more obvious that you're hot for the guy?" he howled. Rosalie slapped his arm.

"She isn't 'hot for him', you idiot! She's in love." she sighed, her sentimental eyes resting on me. I growled and climbed into the jeep, slamming the door behind me. After several minutes, Emmett climbed in beside me, having spent the whole time trying to calm his hysterical laughter.

The rest of the night passed without much registering in my mind.

Three guesses to who I was thinking about.

Emmett seemed to want to bother me, but our father, Charlie, scolded him when he saw that Emmett was standing behind me, crooning love songs in my ear as I tried to complete my Trig homework. To be honest, Charlie would have been teasing me in some way if he knew the truth.

That was the first night that I dreamt of Edward Cullen.