Hey again guys!

Seeing as people seem to be really enjoying this story concept, I tried my best to continue on with it and still keep it entertaining :)

Sorry for the huge wait though. You know, school and life and everything. And how small this is too.

Anyway, thanks to spunkygirl517 for being my 'muse' all those months ago and giving me an idea on how to continue on :)

Just a reminder, most of the rules belong to the 2008 April edition of Girlfriend (Happy New Year btw), and none of the characters belong to me. If they did, I'd be a tad richer right now, and wouldn't waste my money on trashy magazines.

OH WELL!

Enough with my blabbering;

x.x.x.x.

Edward's POV

Until the day I had met Bella, my life had been, in many ways, mundane. School had been a chore, and life had simply been made up of ways for me to fill in eternity with as little boredom as possible.

Back then, I believe I had described school as purgatory. With Bella by my side, I had never described Forks High as such again.

Until now.

Jessica Stanley walked past my table in the cafeteria for the umpteenth time, twirling her hair in such an obvious and overdone fashion that I pondered absently how the strands could possibly still be attached to her head.

"I wonder if he saw me? Oh, if only I knew those rules earlier!"

I suppressed a groan as Alice broke out in almost silent giggles. At least this was amusing someone.

Bella, who was far too observant for her own good, caught the slight change in my expression before I could right it and frowned apologetically.

"I'm sorry Edward," she murmured so sincerely that I was sure Jasper, all the way back home, could feel my guilt. "If I'd known-"

"Don't worry about it love, it's nothing." I half-lied soothingly, throwing in a forced smile for her benefit. Because it wasn't entirely Bella's fault anyway, and it wasn't like I wasn't used to misplaced infatuation…

At that moment, Lauren Mallory distracted me from my thoughts as she walked by our table again (it appeared Jessica and Lauren were having a contest), this time choosing to yank out the tie securing her hair back dramatically. She then began thrashing her head from side to side in a move I assumed was supposed to be alluring, before twitching her eye in an odd fashion in my direction.

Bella and I sighed twin sighs as Alice lapsed into uncontrollable laughter again.

No, purgatory was too milder term. I had fallen straight into the depths of hell.

The very magazine which had given me so much amusement the week before; was now the very source of the pain I was now forced to endure.

My thoughts floated back to the moment this had all began…

I stood horrified, watching the scene unfold as if it were in slow motion. Bella looked up at me from the trash magazine that she had no doubt received from Alice, and smiled uneasily, blushing.

I almost breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, she should be embarrassed being caught reading such an article. No doubt, we would soon laugh at the contents and forget all about it.

But my breath hitched in my throat as I saw her lift her fingers to her hair.

And suddenly I couldn't think anymore. Each individual auburn strand was mesmerising, the slight red tinge in each revealed by Bella's pale white fingers behind them. The blush which still stained her cheeks slightly darkened as Bella's eyes widened in surprise, the reason behind this unknown to me. How could one creature be so captivating, so radiant, so stunning-

"Edward, why are you gawking at Bella in the middle of the cafeteria?" Alice's high pitched voice interrupted my marvelling.

I frowned, shaking my head slightly. What exactly had I been doing again?

"I was doing no such thing." I muttered. Edward Cullen admired, never gawked. Attempting to hide my chagrin, I walked quickly over to join Bella.

It would have worked too; if not for Jessica Stanley.

"Did you see that Lauren!? Do you know what this means?! THE RULES WORK!" She exclaimed from across the cafeteria in excitement.

Yes, from that moment I'd been doomed.

The gossip had spread like wild-fire throughout Forks High. The secret of how Bella Swan had 'snagged' Edward Cullen was right under their very noses. The rules actually worked!

The very next day, every female of the school body (teachers and students alike; and disturbingly a few males), had purchased a special edition of the magazine Alexandra had possessed, this edition containing the article "15 Times You're Gorgeous and You Don't Know It".

From that day on, I had endured lip biting, feigned sneezing, shrill laughter, and even some new rules like winking (Rule 6 – 'sure to make him stop in his tracks!') and yawning (Rule 12 – 'he'll have to pry his jaw out of the floorboards!') at every turn.

Rule 3 however had been the standout favourite. Yes, Edward Cullen couldn't escape the sight of people playing with their hair. Even now, half the student body in the cafeteria was 'absentmindedly' twirling their tresses, throwing hopeful gazes at me, willing me to notice their attempts.

And these rules weren't just popular with the students. Teachers and administration staff were no different. Even the new male student teacher in mathematics had come to twirl his fingers through his hair whenever he thought I was watching.

Yes, hell was the term I was looking for.

What was worse was what it was doing to Bella; who was currently looking unreasonably guilty.

"Bella, listen to me. The fault lies with Alice, not you. Please, smile for me love." I looked imploringly into her eyes, willing the crease between her eyebrows to disappear; or at least lessen some.

Alice huffed.

"You're the one who gets all antsy if Bella's left alone without reading material to stop her human admirers from conversing with her, Edward!" She paused, lowering her voice slightly. "At the time, even I didn't foresee how amusing the results would be though…"

Bella frowned even more guiltily as Alice divulged into laughter once more. "I should purchase teenage literature more often!"

Yes, my situation had caused unnecessary amusement for my family.

Emmett and Jasper were currently engaged in a bet to see which could make me lose my temper first; and Alice had helpfully supplied all the material they needed to make me loose my mind.

Emmett was more prone to fluttering his eyelashes (Rule 9 – 'alerts attention to your gorgeous puppy dog eyes. Yes – guys are suckers for them'. Apparently, he failed to remember my dislike for canines) for a large period of time whilst wearing fluorescent pink pyjamas (Rule 11 – 'you may think your pyjamas make you look frumpy and dull. Guys think you're warm and cuddly!').

Jasper, in turn, had chosen to wear stereotypically male t-shirts and boxers (Rule 8 – 'don't ask us why wearing something a dude would wear turns guys on. It just does'), whilst drenching his upper torso with water (attempting to re-enact Rule 7 – 'Getting out of the surf – although you might feel like a drowned rat, there's nothing sexier. One word; two syllables - mermaid.') Jasper often liked to imitate a dog to get an edge up on Emmett by shaking his head dry near my music collection. I had my suspicions Alice informed him of that idea, as Jasper won hands down. Not to be outdone, Emmett had called a rematch soon after, much to Alice's amusement.

Yes, my home life was also hell.

The only one in the family which hadn't found the situation amusing, surprisingly, was Rosalie. However her reasoning behind this was hardly comforting. More like nauseating.

Whilst she found the magazine trivial; she was well aware of whenever she looked attractive (always), my dilemma disturbed her for all the wrong reasons.

Yes; Rosalie was insanely jealous that no one in Forks had yet to use even one of the rules upon her yet. In her eyes, I was undeserving of their affections. In fact, she had near begged Carlisle to allow her to repeat twelfth grade, just so they could be divulged upon her.

When that had failed, she'd began chauffering me too and from school instead, and had taken to tearful departures and joyful greetings, all the while standing unnecessarily long in the car park, waiting for anyone to twirl their hair at her.

Unfortunately for Rosalie, all the males of Forks High were exceptionally frightened of her quite muscular beau, and none had dared to partake in the current school craze. Once she had learned this reason, Rosalie had completely ignored Emmett's existence for two days. Upon the third, it had become too much of a chore, and Rose had given into Emmett's pleading, but she still felt quite a large level of resentment towards me.

As yet another girl walked past licking a lollipop (Rule 10 – 'Watching a girl trying to negotiate her way around a nice piece of confectionery is like tickling a guys foot – he loves it.'), I failed to see how even the attention seeking Rosalie would enjoy this.

I was about to tell Alice off for even suggesting she would buy Bella more magazines when a certain thought of Jessica Stanley's made my blood run cold (theoretically, if it were possible that is).

"I have to go home. Now. Yes, home - wait, home's not safe either. A journey? Yes; a journey! I must go on a journey, now!" I muttered incoherently, my eyes unfocused in my terror.

"Edward?"

I ignored Bella's questioning tone as I stood. This was a matter of life and death. Just as I made it out of the cafeteria (walking slightly too fast – but this was an emergency), I heard Jessica voice that particular thought.

"Oh. My. God.; Lauren!!!! Girlfriend is releasing a super-special edition! 40 rules! EDWARD'S OURS!!!!"

x.x.x.x.