Edward vs. Mike

"That's it, Cullen! I am so sick of you always kicking my butt!" It didn't sound quite a noble as Mike had intended, but he continued, "A race! Just you and me! After school!"

Edward looked at me. His golden eyes were searching for an answer. Of all things, neither of us had expected Mike Newton to blow up like this. I shrugged at him and he turned to Mike, but before he could open his mouth to answer, Emmett was at his side saying, "You're on, Newton!" Mike smirked and walked away across the cafeteria.

Edward looked at Emmett with a gaze that clearly and simply said you-are-so-dead.

"Wwwwhat?" Emmett said like a little kid who had just eaten a whole jar of cookies. "That kid needs to learn not to mess with the Cullens, Edward." Edward sighed and shook his head.

"All right, I'll do it. But I won't like it."

After school, everyone was in the back field. Edward had his arm around my waist and I knew I would have to tell him to let go or he would run the race carrying me with him. Emmett was taking bets and Alice was smiling at me from the side lines. I didn't need her to know who would win. "You can run without going too fast, right?" I wanted to be sure.

Edward smiled at me. "Of course," he said in an assuring voice.

Mike was far too confident. I felt a bit sorry for him. He had gotten himself into this mess, after all. And I knew that the main reason this had started was because Mike was fed up of Edward being so perfect. The fact of the matter was that he was perfect.

"You ready Cullen?" Mike said overconfidently.

As I had anticipated, I had to nudge Edward to get him to let go. He carefully, and slowly, let me go and I walked over to Alice. Edward stepped up to the starting line some students had marked.

"You know…" Alice started, but I turned to her with a shut up look and she did.

"First one around the school and back here wins!" Emmett yelled. Edward shook his head. I could tell that Emmett was truly enjoying getting to be part of this. I knew he needed to have his fun, just like Alice. Although, I had to admit, I enjoyed Emmett's idea of fun more then Alice's, which is really torture for me.

Edward and Mike stepped up to the line and Edward smiled at me right before Emmett blew the horn. Where does he get this stuff?

I could actually see Edward for once. I'd never seen him run and still been able to see him. He was in front of Mike from the start and as they turned around the building. No one saw them till they appeared at the other end. Edward crossed the finish line and walked straight over to me. He was breathing just as easily as if he had never let go of me. Mike crossed about a minute later, and by then Emmett had finished up the bets and only Mike's friends stood by him as he finished. I looked at him. His breathing was loud and I felt sorry he had gotten himself into this. At least it was over.

It wasn't over. When Edward met me at the doorway to first period the next day he had a strange look on his face. "How do you like swimming races?" he asked.

"Oh no," I said. "He didn't."

"He did."

"And Emmett…"

"He did."

"This is ridiculous." I slapped a hand to my forehead. Edward was in front of me; looking me over to make sure my hand and head weren't broken. "Edward." I laughed. He smiled. "Well, there's no stopping Emmett," I said.

"Well...technically…" Edward started. I laughed again.

"No bets this time. He doesn't need to make this any more embarrassing for Mike."

"Aw. Come on, Bella." I turned to see Emmett with a pleading look on his face.

"No," I said and walked into class with Edward.

The turn out for this competition was a bit different. It was mostly girls. Good Lord. Mike was in a bathing suit but when Edward, Alice, Emmett, and I arrived there, Edward only took off his shirt and handed it to me. I balled it up and held it close to my chest. As Edward walked up to the pool, a few girls took in a loud breath as he pasted them. For Heaven's sake. Edward just ignored them.

Edward and Mike stood at one end of the pool and dived in. Edward didn't even seem to take a breath as he jumped in. As if he needed to breathe. Edward only came up once or twice as he swam across the pool to make himself look, well, a bit normal. He climbed out of the pool as he reached the end and waited there till Mike made it and offered a hand, but Mike climbed out by himself and stomped past Edward. Then he stopped and turned back to him and said something I couldn't hear. Alice shook her head and Emmett smiled.

"Alice, he didn't?" I said with little hope.

"He's really annoyed about this."

"Ugh." I stomped over to Mike and Edward. "Mike, would you please just stop it!?" I yelled in his face. Edward looked over Mike's shoulder and he raised an eyebrow at me.

Mike crossed his arms. "Humph."

"Ugh. And you wonder why I get so annoyed with you! Come on, Edward!" I turned and walked away.

Edward was at my side before I'd taken two steps, but at that moment, my foot slipped on a puddle of water on the tiles and I fell into the pool. I just realized what was happening in time to take a breath as I fell. I was only under for a few seconds. A pair of cold, strong arms were around me almost as soon as I hit the water and pulled me up. As we broke the surface Edward's cool hands were holding me to tight. I had to push on him a bit to make him loosen his grip. He did reluctantly.

Emmett was laughing at the end of the pool and shouted to us, "Nice one Bella!"

Edward made a strange, growling noise in his chest that I could feel. "You will not kill him," I ordered.

Emmett ran, slowly for him, over to us. He leaned down a bit and said, "Next time, leave the swimming and showing off to the vampires."

"Well, at least for right now." I said annoyed. Edward chuckled. "You know, Emmett," I said smiling, "Every insult you say, only gets you one more punch from me when I'm a vampire." Edward laughed and we climbed out of the pool.

"I look forward to it." Emmett said as he walked away.

"So do I." Edward winked at me and we left.

"So," I said as we drove back to my house in Edward's Volvo, "What's tomorrow?" Edward sighed. He still wasn't wearing a shirt since the pool incident had soaked it.

"I don't think Bella should come, Edward," Emmett said from the back seat, "If we get a repeat of today, it could be a lot worse tomorrow."

"As much as I hate to say it, you're right, Emmett," Edward said.

"What?" I said again. Annoyed that someone wouldn't just tell me what was going to happen tomorrow.

"Mike wants to lift," Alice finally said.

"Weights?" I asked.

"Yep," She answered.

At this point only the four of us and Mike came. We went back to the gym the next day and to some it up; Edward was quite a good actor, Mike wasn't a good lifter, and I wasn't allowed in the weight room.

When they came out Emmett and Alice walked past me and out the door. Emmett was clearly holding back laughs. What now?

"Ok, that's it! One, two, three, hold!" Mike took a deep breath and held it. Edward just stopped breathing and when Mike turned blue I hit him and he breathed.

"You are by far, the dumbest boy on the planet!" I yelled and I walked out with Edward.

When we were in the parking lot I asked, "What was that about?"

"You saw. A 'Who can hold their breath the longest contest.'"

"Do you think it's over?" I asked.

"Honestly, Bella, I don't know. He's to mad for me to see if he's ever going to stop."

He didn't stop. And the next day was Saturday. When I woke up Edward was hanging up his cell phone. "Apparently we're going to the store." He said. I got dressed and was afraid to ask but Edward answered anyway. "I really don't think he knows because I don't see a contest in his mind." About half way there Edward's eyes bulged open.

"What is it?"

"Would you promise me something?" He asked.

"Sure." I said.

"When you're a vampire…kill Emmett."

By the sound of his voice I figured that after today I'd have good reason to do just that.

When we got to the store, Mike was waiting inside the door and Alice and Emmett were waiting in the parking lot. As we came in Mike said, "In the back."

"Alice…" I wanted to know what had shocked Edward so much.

"She won't tell me, Bella." Emmett said annoyed.

We walked into the back room and there was a table with two chairs on each side and two cream pies in front of us. My eyes bulged out like Edward's had and I looked up at him and was surprised to see him with a puzzled look on his face. And Emmett…was quiet for only a moment; then laughed. At that moment Mike turned to him and the corner of Edward's mouth curved up.

"You know, the last I checked it's hard to eat while laughing," Mike said crossing his arms, "You've driven me more crazy then him this week," he pointed to Edward, "You and me!"

Emmett's mouth fell open and I laughed. Edward chuckled, "Looks like you're up, Emmett."

Alice's smile was wider then ever. "Hold on Mike," she said, "I think you may want a slight bigger audience for this one," she pulled out her cell, "Do you mind?"

"I don't care." He said. Alice's smile grew even bigger.

"Oh, Alice please no!" Emmett pleaded.

"Sorry, Emmett," She said.

Rose and Jasper where there in a minute at most; Jasper was smiling as they came in, and Rose just crossed her arms and watched, but she was clearly going to enjoy this one.

Emmett sat down reluctantly. Not one of us even took one glance at Mike. Alice and I were the only ones really laughing. Edward chuckled here and there and Jasper and Rose had the biggest smiles I'd ever seen as Emmett dug his face into the pie. Mike won and I was glad this was over. Emmett ran home and when we got there he was in the bathroom for about an hour.

"Why did you want me to kill him though?" I asked.

"I heard Mike think about the pie eating contest, but when we got there he was still trying to decide whether he wanted to go against me or him. I thought it would be me, but apparently not." Edward smiled.

We sat down on the couch and I laid my head on his shoulder, "Can I still sock him when I'm a vampire?" I asked.

"Of course, Bella. I'd never be that cruel to you."