Indie Twific Awards

I am proud to announce that Crush'n'Push got as far as the final voting at the Indie Twific Awards in two categories:

Best Alternate Universe Complete

Best Undiscovered Erotica Complete

Thank you to everyone who supported me!

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I would also like to apologize for any grammatical errors, in particular my safe/save fail - CnP is getting a haul-over at the moment, just ignore it, please? Enjoy the witty banter and plot instead!

IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS READING UNBETA'D STORIES THAT ARE WRITTEN BY A NON NATIVE SPEAKER - DON'T READ THIS STORY!!

I am so tired of constantly getting bashed. I know that there are mistakes in this story. If you want to be my beta and edit - please PM me. Otherwise, just don't read it. My other projects ARE beta'd, so go read them instead. This IS a first story with all the usual mistakes, so either ignore them, or don't read. It's as simple as that.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. S. Meyer does.

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Moving to Forks, Washington, has been one of the hardest decisions of my life.

I missed the warmth of Phoenix already when I flopped into my seat in the air-conditioned plane, and standing in my old, now new bedroom here was not making things exactly brighter. But I was resigned to make this work. First I would redecorate a little, as much as my limited funds and the even scarcer equivalent of the home depot department of this town provided.

And after that I would do the same to my life. New town, new school, new chance, right?

That Charlie had bought me the red truck as a homecoming present was like a stroke of luck mixed with a hint of me being on the right track. At home, in Phoenix, I had always been dependent on either mum or one of my friends to pick me up and chauffeur me around.

No more of that, thank you. Life, say hi to the new, independent Bella Swan.

I faltered a little when I parked the truck on the parking lot at Forks High, but I forced the anxiety welling up in me to dim at least a little. I had the plan of my classes already committed to memory, and finding my way around the few buildings my new school consisted of couldn't be that hard. I had made it to the office alright, I would just take it from here as it went.

The woman at the desk looked up when I made somewhat of a ruckus when I stumbled over the tiny step at the entrance and had to catch myself on the door, but she was smiling pleasantly at me even when I blushed a deep red.

“Good morning, I'm Bella Swan.” I introduced myself, my voice just a little faint on the first two words.

There was no surprise on her face, just as I had expected. Forks was just too small a town that the arrival of a new student, mid-semester no less, could go unnoticed. The further implications of that still twisted my stomach into knots, but for now I felt I was doing alright.

“Of course you are, dear. Welcome to Forks High, by the way. Here, I already have all you need ...”

She handed me a stack of papers, and finally dismissed me by telling me to get all the slips signed by the different teachers. I only had to go through a little small-talk before she finally let me go, and I was back outside to fend for myself.

From there on the day went rather smoothly, at least as first days at a new school go. Taken, with a school as small as this one it was not too hard to remember people, and for once it was not too bad to be the center of attention. Don't get me wrong, I hated every second of getting stared at, but at least I had managed to make a few acquaintances until lunch at the cafeteria. Jessica from Trig and Spanish and her friends were chatty enough for five people, and more or less dragged me along to their table.

My initial reaction would have been to shy away from making too much contact with strangers, by New Bella was doing good at smiling and nodding at the right places, getting along well with the local kids. And it wasn't too hard to pull off the act of making that smile look sincere at last.

At home I had always been somewhat of a loner, ignored by my peers because I just didn't fit the picture. Here just the novelty of my presence seemed to push me right up on the popularity scale, and while I was still a little uncomfortable with them crowding around me it was nice enough that the first part of the lunch break was over before I had even come to scrunch down my meal.

And then I noticed them.

Every high school has them, the unbelievably good looking kids. My previous school had had whole contending cliques of them. Figures that Folks just had a small bunch. But on the second look I had to realize that not just the weather of my new home town was different, but also the way the different factions of students interacted.

At first I didn't give much thought to the five pale figures sitting at the single table in the corner, staring around in a bored fashion that screamed of their aloofness, and talking just among themselves. But when I kept stealing glances at them I noticed that the other students kept more space around them than strictly necessary, and no one during my twenty minutes of observation time even got near the table. Strange.

My hidden glances must have been a little more obvious than I had thought, as Jessica finally heaved a rather theatric sigh when I must have missed another comment of hers. When I looked at her she briefly rolled her eyes, as if to say, 'Just ask, will you!' I hesitated for a brief moment, then chided myself for being so timid. I was the new girl here, after all, I couldn't know all the locals. It was expected of me to be oblivious of the finer nuances of interactive rules here, right?

“So, who are they?”

I didn't need to further elaborate on the nature of my query. Still Jessica's eyes contracted a little while she shot a single stare over at the two girls and three guys at the lone table.

“Those are the Cullens. Or at least they are all the foster children of Dr. Cullen and his wife. The blonds are Rosalie Hale and her twin brother Jasper. The petite girl's Alice Cullen, and the guys are her brothers Emmett and Edward.”

I chanced a longer glance, hoping to figure out who was who after Jessica's brief description. Never minding my divided attention she went on.

“They are all like, together, you know? I mean it's obvious the way they keep touching. It's just gross.”

Before I could even frown one of Jessica's friends chuckled, and flashed me a brief smile.

“They are not related, just living together.”

Jessica flustered a little at the girl's tone, who in turn winked at me. I got the impression that she wanted to convey to me that this was a special topic as far as Jess was concerned.

True enough Jessica just took the time to rally her spirit with a sip of soda before launching into her defense.

“It is still highly unusual. I mean they are acting all like siblings, and still ...”, she trailed off then to take the time to look over to them yet again.

I followed her gaze, and my breath caught in my throat for a second when I saw that one of the guys, the one with the tousled, bronze-colored hair was staring at me. Not just looking, but staring.

I quickly averted my eyes and instinctively hid behind the curtain of my hair, but then forced my back to straighten up again. This was my chance to make a difference, and I couldn't just mess it up already. Judging from the dreamy look on Jessica's face I hadn't yet blotched it, she seemed totally oblivious of me for a moment. Her friend, though, was not so easy distracted.

Smiling brightly she added, “And that one would be Edward.”

At the mentioning of his name Jessica visible shook herself out of her reverie.

“Yes, that's Edward.”

I looked again, he was still staring. I stared right back, while I felt a frown come to my face. He was ridiculously good-looking, I had to attribute him that, but that still didn't give him the right to stare that way at me.

Our staring match only lasted a few seconds before he looked away and seemed to say something to one of the others at the table. Probably foul-mouthing me for the audacity of not looking away first. I really couldn't care less. I might not be the most self-assured girl on the world, but my self-worth surely didn't depend on some village beau liking me.

When I turned back to our table the two girls were still watching me. When Jessica picked up the conversation she seemed even a little guarded.

“Just don't get your hopes up. Edward Cullen doesn't date. It's like us normal girls aren't good enough for him, or something,” she clarified.

I pursed my lips and figured she was talking from her own experience there. Oh well, one experience I didn't aim to replicate for myself, then.

I didn't ask anything further on that topic, and Jessica seemed downright relieved not to have to elaborate. Our talk turned to other stuff soon, and I did my best to ignore the feeling of being watched. Sure enough, when I glanced over at the other table a last time the guy was still watching me, if a little less obvious now. Still, he kind of creeped me out a little.

Break was over soon, and Biology was up next. I actually looked forward to that class. I had been in an AP class in Phoenix, and even contemplated doing something with that, even here. My first priority for college would be Journalism and English, but someone had to write about the scientific boundaries, too, right? Maybe I might even squeeze a semester at Berkley in when I was done with the rest, provided I made it through college before any funds I could scour up were depleted.

The biology lab looked just as I was used to, just new enough not to be old-fashioned, with black tops on the benches. Mr. Banner smiled at me when I introduced myself, probably knowing already about my previous grades.

But that was where my luck ended. Because the only free seat left in the room was right next to Edward Cullen.

He looked as happy about that fact as me when I flopped down on the chair next to him. I didn't even comment when I saw him scoot away from me with his chair and edge towards the other side of the table until there was nearly enough space between us for a third person. And not only that he was tensed up and all, no, he had to add insult to injury by actually holding his hand over his mouth and nose while his glare reached a new dimension of scathing.

Insecurity won over my internal prep talk, and I actually checked my hair and clothes for the source of the apparent offensive stench I was emitting, but came up blank. Just the usual, and given the low temperatures here I hadn't even had a chance to sweat. This was just getting more absurd from minute to minute.

Sadly the class really was at a lower level than I was used to, so not even that could take my mind off the jerk I was forced to sit next to.

Fifteen minutes I endured, but when he then also tensed up further until his clenched fist started to shake my limited patience came to a sudden end, and I rounded on him, matching his glare every bit. Only a very basic part of me even noticed how much better he looked from up close, the save cushion of my indignity enough for my brain to keep working.

“Excuse me, but could you, your ego, and your antics play your silly game where I don't have to observe them?”

Something close to shock appeared on his features for a moment, and in that split second before he reined himself in again his black eyes flashed with a menace that shook me to the core.

Note to self, it might be okay to bump heads with the good looking boy, but this guy next to me was already farther up on the rungs towards full-blown psychopath. Now it was probably my turn to go all wide-eyed, but the anger-induced adrenaline rush was still gripping me hard, so all I could do was keep on looking back rather defiantly at the most.

The moment passed, and I watched him visibly shake himself. A guarded look replaced the murderous glare, while a low chuckle escaped him.

“My, aren't you a sassy one.”

God, even his voice fit the picture of perfect swoon material, all velvet and caressing. Just the fact that there was a hitch to the last syllable got me a tiny prick of satisfaction.

I tried to come up with a witty retort, but the look in those strange eyes already started to revert again, and suddenly he shot out of his seat as if burned by a hot iron. The sound of the door banging shut behind him was loud in the suddenly silent class, and people all over looked as bewildered as I felt.

What the heck had that been? Had I just scared away Mr. Perfect with my mere humble presence?

Whatever had tipped him off I would probably never understand, and I seriously didn't care at the moment. Once I got over the whole incident I felt a strange flutter pick up in my belly.

Was I actually proud of myself for acting like this? I guess that had to be it, silly as it seemed. Of course I knew that I was every bit as petty as that Cullen guy if I could bolster my ego on this, but right at this moment I couldn't have cared less.

First step in Experiment Confidence Boost successful.

Strike.