AN: Hi everyone. I'm so glad you all enjoyed my tale. Here is another chapter.

I don't own twilight, but if it is up for sale, I'm buying it.

Days passed and Edward kept his distance from Bella. She recognized it bothered her more having his cold-shoulder than anyone else's. She missed her friend and wanted her chance with him.

On Thursday she had a class trip for art class. The assignment was to draw the landscape from the top of the Victoria Jameson building. It was a twenty story government building that had a spectacular view. This trip was the only way to complete the assignment, but Bella had a fear of being stuck in an elevator. She prepared for her mild phobia with focused imagery. She knew of a wide opened place to imagine while she endured the confined space.

She stepped into the elevator with her classmates, securing a spot by the door. She felt her heart rate increase as the doors shut. Right away she closed her eyes and imagined herself in a beautiful meadow. It was wide and lush with white, yellow, and purple flowers. A calm washed over her as the sensation of the elevator rising off the ground slowed to a halt. Ding.

The group exited quickly to take a place to view the ground below. The elevator descended to bring up the next group. Bella began her drawing as some of her concentration drifted off to thoughts of Edward. Her eyes roamed around for a moment just in time to see Jacob come out of the elevator. She shifted her shoulders down and aimed her back to him. the last thing she wanted was to distract herself further.

She completed her drawing assignment and took a walk around to see how other people's drawings came out. While she strolled, she overheard the teacher and Jacob discussing his makeup art assignment. Apparently he took the class last year and missed this trip. He received an incomplete until this trip was offered again.

"Bella," Tanya called, "Come check out my picture." She walked over and they talked about technique and style until the teacher announced the end of class. Bella hurried to get into the elevator with the rush of her classmates. She wanted to get her fearful elevator experience over with.

She closed her eyes and hummed the description of her meadow, distracting herself from the racing of her heart as her anxiety increased. Ding. The doors opened and she was happy to have survived.

"Hey Bella, where is your sketchbook?" Tanya asked.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I left it up there."

"Well hurry up and get it. I'll save you a seat on the bus."

Bella reluctantly turned back and caught the elevator before the doors slammed shut. She took a breath. It was empty. She would have to endure the ride up alone. It hadn't gotten stuck the other two times, she thought to herself. It's a good elevator. She stepped to the side and the elevator began its trip up to retrieve the second group.

Her palms became sweaty and her breathing erratic. Her terror was building. It was a lot scarier being unaccompanied. Her eyes were shut. She knew if she didn't have her book, her assignment would be incomplete and she would have to come back here next year just like Jacob.

"I'm in a beautiful meadow. Flowers are everywhere," she panted. Ding.

She stepped out as the group stepped in. She ran quickly to snatch her book and head back to the elevator. Surprisingly Jacob was standing in front of the doors so it wouldn't leave without her. The shock of seeing Jacob standing there jump-started her heart to double time. The two tried to squeeze in, but there wasn't enough space.

"Sorry," one of the others said. "You'll have to take the next one." They stepped out and allowed the doors to close.

Jacob pressed on the button to bring the elevator back up then opened his sketchbook to examine his work. He erased a few lines then redrew them at a better angle. Bella took a brief peek before opening her own sketch. The elevator returned and they stepped inside. She took a deep breath and pressed the button for the first floor.

The doors closed and began its descent, but then stopped. Bella looked up at the circle lights that showed what floor they were on and two lights, 17 and 18, were lit up. She pressed the first floor button again. No movement. She pressed it repeatedly in a panic. Jacob stepped up to the panel and pulled the alarm. The siren drowned out all sounds of the building, announcing their dilemma. She could still hear her racing heartbeat in her ears. Her breaths became pants. She looked at the walls as it appeared to close in on her. She pushed her back against the wall and slid down to the floor, plugged her ears, and began humming to herself. The siren quieted as a voice broadcasted the problem with the elevator will be rectified soon.

"I'm in a beautiful meadow with purple flowers. I'm in a green, open meadow with flowers," Bella hummed. Jacob stared at her. "I'm in a meadow . . . I'm in a beautiful meadow." She began rocking back and forth. "I'm in a meadow . . . and not stuck in an elevator." Her humming turned into sobbing.

He sat down beside her. "Calm down. It's no use working yourself up."

She froze and her eyes opened to look at him.

"They know we are in here. If you give them a few minutes, they will restart the power and it will work again."

She was shocked he was speaking to her. She swallowed hard against her dry mouth. "How . . . how do you know that?"

"I get stuck in elevators all the time," he said nonchalantly.

She lost her train of thought. This was her worst fear and it happened to him all the time. "Really?"

"Well maybe not all the time, but I've had my fair share. Don't worry."

"We won't . . ." Bella tried to swallow again, "drop if they shut the power?"

"No. The breaks are on a separate system." Her breathing was still labored so he tried to distract her. "So . . . you and Edward."

"What?" her breath caught.

"Aren't you his girlfriend?"

Her eyes blinked several times. "No. Where did you hear that?"

"Well you guys were always together. I just assumed."

"We're just friends, but right now he's not talking to me, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do."

"He's so angry with me. I didn't mean to say what I said to him. It was thoughtless," she confessed. "Could you tell him?"

"I don't know. You really hurt his feelings. He really likes you."

She blinked again several times. "He told you that?"

"Not in actual words," he said with a smile. "He was always signing how nice you are. It was easy to see."

"You really are his friend? It's not like you just let him hang out with you guys?"

"What kind of question is that?" he uttered in offense.

"I just meant I don't really see you guys interact." Her brow knitted.

"When it's the two of us we use sign language. I know it because of Edward. He and I met back in elementary school. I barely spoke back then. I had a stutter and no friends. He was the new kid and his dad was kind of mute, so he would sit in the corner of class looking over this book on sign language. He and I learned it together. It was so awesome. We would practice by having whole conversations across the room from each other.
"We kind of lost touch when we went to different junior high schools, but when he showed up here repeating ninth, I remembered him. I tried to talk with him a couple of times, but he wouldn't answer. I figured he hadn't recognized me. I supposed my long hair threw him off. Anyway, I went right up to his face and signed, 'Hello, I'm Jacob. Remember me?'"

Bella's mouth smiled at his bluntness.

"His face lit up and he signed back that he did. We kept signing back and forth every time we spotted each other in the hall. It was almost a month before I uncovered he couldn't talk. I had asked him if he wanted to hang out after school and he was holding something. He set it down on the floor and signed he was busy. I voiced why he just didn't say his reply and that's when he told me he could no longer speak."

"He stopped after his dad died," Bella mumbled.

"I know." He looked down for a moment. The lights blinked and the elevator began to move again. "You feeling better," he asked.

She nodded graciously. "You sure Edward likes me?"

"Without question," he answered.

"Then could you help me with something?"

. . .

Monday afternoon Bella stood in the hallway waiting for Edward to come out of his class. When he saw her, he grew angry and began to walk away.

"Wait Edward!" she called and came up to him.

I'm sorry, she signed by placing her closed hand and circling it over her chest. She continued signing. I don't think anything's wrong with you. I didn't think when I spoke. Please could we start over again? I'm sad and I miss you.

"Please," she said as she rubbed her chest again, "forgive me?"

His anger dissipated and he was left in awe. He pointed at her then rotated his pointed fingers around each other. You signed.

She nodded. "I learned a little. I worked really hard on getting that apology right."

Her frown seemed etched into her face. He took his fist and lifted her chin in the way that always made her smile. A small nervous laugh escaped her.

He pointed to himself, crossed his arms over his chest, put his right palm forward, and then flicked the corners of his smiling grin. I love your laugh.

Her mouth turned down again. "Edward that night after the movies, I didn't want you to help me get Jacob. I wanted you to kiss me again."

His eyebrows rose in surprise and his jaw dropped.

"I was clearing the air in case you wondered why it was different, why I was different."

He still stared, hearing what he completely missed.

"I like you – so much more than my infatuation with Jacob, because I got to know you. That's why I wouldn't speak to him. I didn't want to bother. I knew I should have said something then, but when you offered to help, I got confused," she explained.

He glanced around at the people who now stopped to watch her confession.

"You're sweet and friendly. If I learned anything from the movie that night, it's that I should notice the people who notice me. You make me smile and you're interesting when you talk, which is weird because you don't say anything." She gave a light giggle.

He looked down at the mention of his flaw.

"But except for some instances, I still understand you." She put her hand on his cheek and he lifted his eyes to her. "If it's okay with you, I'll take that kiss now."

He gave a small smirk and cupped her cheek with his hand. He leaned in slowly vaguely aware he had an audience. His eyes focused on hers and only closed when they were centimeters from lip contact. When their mouths touched, a quiet moan vibrated from her throat while everyone cheered. The bell went off signaling the start of class and students ran for their respective classes.

Edward couldn't help but smile slightly while they still kissed. He wanted a repeat of her lips on his since he first felt them. Her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him in closer and his other hand stroked her cheek.

He pulled away to put small pecks starting from the corner of her mouth up to her ear. "I missed you, too," he whispered. His voice was barely audible from disuse.

She jolted away in shock. "Edward you—"

He held a finger to her lips. He released a devilish smile. Her face lit up. His eyes drifted to her mouth and his thumb came up to stroke her bottom lip. His face shifted closer and their lips met again.

The End

AN: Did you like the ending? I hope so. review andtell me what you think.

I would like to thank all the people who reviewed, followed, and favored my story. And a special thanks to J, who encouraged me to finish my story so she could read it.