A Heart of Ice

When Emeralds Fall Into Chocolate

I saw her lean in and kiss the rose's petals, then put it back into her locker. Isabella Swan. Calm, cold, cool, collected Isabella Swan. She was hurting and miserable. I'd only been here barely two days and already I could see that. It was amazing no one else did. To them, she just some totally hot chick with a bad attitude and a shadowy past. They were shallow and superficial, and would have drowned in the deep waters Bella was swimming in. To them, the most important things of life were popularity, clothes and sex. To me, Bella was a strong, beautiful, untouchable girl with a bright mind, deep brown eyes and a wall around her soul. She was cold and cruel, but only when she was bothered and she didn't go out of her way to torment people; she only wanted to be left alone. So why couldn't I let her be? I didn't know. Despite her frigid nature, though, she appeared to have a soft spot for roses. I'd caught her gazing down at the one I had drawn, mesmerized, and now I knew that she knew who had sent the one in her locker. Despite her seeming dislike of me, she'd handled it carefully, and lovingly.

After lunch, I walked into Biology to see Bella sitting at our desk reading. Jessica was sending her spiteful, hateful glances and Bella was completely ignoring her. As I sat down, Bella started to look up automatically, then caught herself and continued reading. I sighed.

Mr. Banner came into the class after the bell rang and after taking roll, proceeded to tell us we had a project coming up.

"You and your partner," he gestured at the person we sat next to, " will spend two and a half months getting to know each other. By January 15th I want you know everything about your partner. And not just what their favorite color is, but who they are inside. Their habits, hobbies, personalities; everything. This will be a test grade and I want a pictorial presentation of your partner. It can be a movie, powerpoint, picture, anything, just so it explains who exactly your person is. Understood?"

I snuck a look over at Bella. Her face was hard and cold and she was so tense she looked ready to snap. I could tell she would hate this project; having to let someone in, behind her protective walls, knowing her. I raised my hand.

"Mr. Banner, what does this have to do with Biology?" I asked politely.

"Nothing at all, Mr. Cullen. Why? Is there a problem with the assignment?" I quickly glanced at Bella, she was still rigid, and now looked as if she was holding her breath.

"I'm just not entirely comfortable with the idea of having someone be forced to reveal who they are underneath to someone they don't want to."

Mr. Banner's expression went sour. "Well, then I'm sorry Edward, but this is the assignment and I expect it to be completed." He turned away, obviously ending the conversation.

Most of the guys in the classroom gaped at me in astonishment. What? Edward Cullen was partnered with the most wanted girl in the school and he didn't want it? Not just partnered, but having to get close to her? Apparently I was trying to pass up the chance of a lifetime and they now thought I was crazy. Jessica and Lauren, however, were sitting back in their seats with smirks on their faces. I could see that they thought that since I didn't want Bella, I must want one of them. I snorted at the idea. Bella sat totally oblivious, her eyes slightly unfocused. It was as if she wasn't there. Only her body. Wherever she was though, must have been a better place than here, because she looked almost peaceful.

The next day, (A/N: What day was it again? Sorry I forgot, so I'm going to have to put the weekend in randomly. I'm pretty sure it's Wednesday, though ^_^) after second period, I had gym with Bella. I was in the boys' locker room. Just as I took my shirt off, Mike Newton came up to me with Tyler Crowley.

"Hey! Eddie my man! I hear you got paired up with Bella the Ice Princess." Tyler started, loudly.

"Don't call me 'Eddie'." I replied in a hard voice. I pulled my gym shirt down over my head and put my shorts on.

"Aah," Tyler said. "I understand why you're down. I feel sorry for you man, if I was paired up with that little hoe I'd probably kill myself before she did. She will chew your ass up and spit you out and then fucking laugh about it." He laughed. I was pissed.

"I bet that's what she did to you, huh, Crowley?" I said, looking up while tying my shoes. "The difference being that you deserved it. Just like you, huh, Newton?"

Mike looked mad and Tyler was incredulous. "Are you actually going to try to protect the little whore?"

I snapped. "Don't talk about her like that," I said, practically snarling. "She's a person, and more, she's a lady. It's no wonder she can't stand sad bastards like you."

Newton laughed. "Ice Princess is no more a lady than I am a hooker."

I stood up. "I guess that makes you a hooker then." I turned and walked out the door and into the hallway just in time to see Bella walk ahead of me and into the gym. She'd had her long dark hair in a single long braid and worn black gym shorts and a black T-shirt that read in dark purple letters Mess with Me, and I'll Kick Your Ass.

I jogged up behind her and opened the door for her. Startled, she looked up at me. Her eyes were so deep and clear. Looking into them was like swimming in an ocean of cool, creamy chocolate. Past the outward cold, there was warmth, but also misery. Those were eyes you could slip into and drown in if you weren't careful.

Bella blinked. "You should really take what the shirt says seriously, Edward. I don't play with little boys." She entered the gym before I could respond. For once she hadn't sounded cold and hostile. Instead she had sounded a bit patronizing, as if warning a kid not to jump into shark-infested waters. It was amazing how in control she always appeared. All of a sudden, I wanted to be the one to take the misery out of her eyes.