REVISED FIRST CHAPTER! PLEASE READ FOR UPDATED INFO (IN BOLD)!

Summary: AU. It is the year 1918. Edward is a seventeen year old protégé on the Grand piano. Nothing can get between him and his music. Well, that's what he thought before Isabella Swan placed her delicate and adorably clumsy foot in Naperville, Illinois. Now, he is falling hard and fast. The two embark on a wind whirl romance of the ages. But little do they know that something even greater and more deadly is hanging over them.

Author's Note: This is my first Twilight fanfic. I am very excited. Just a few notes. I am fudging Edward's birthday a bit. Technically, he would not turn 18 until June 20 in 1919 (which he never makes). But I moved his birthday ahead a year for the stories sake. Isabella was born in 1900. This is my take on what would have happened if Isabella had been around pre-vamp Edward.

This is a seriously long author's note but I felt that it was necessary. I really hope that I'm not bothering people by fudging dates. But really, they are minor details to the plot that I promise you will fail to notice once everything gets going.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I could never claim the world and characters she has created. I am just having a little bit of fun with them. However, should she like to hand over Edward, I would certainly not object.

I am also borrowing some quotes throughout this little story of mine. For example, the first chapter title is taken from the first chapter of Midnight Sun. It fit.

I would also like to note that I am not entirely up on 1900s etiquette. Please bare with me. If you fine something that is so off that it bothers you to no end, please let me know about it. I will gladly change it. I also am not entirely sure on what Naperville would have looked like in the early 1900s. I am just kind of making it up as I go along. All I know is that is a wealthy neighborhood now so I am going with that.

Enjoy.

For Eternity

Chapter I: First Sight

It began like any other morning in the predicable town of Naperville, Illinois. Well, not exactly like any other day. Today the sun had managed to escape from the impenetrable winter clouds and leak into the windows that were lucky enough to be facing to the east. It struck against the newly fallen snow in the trees and on the sidewalks, casting brilliant shimmers of light. It lit up the town, coaxing families from their slumber.

The light fell through a particular window in a particular red brick house onto the sleeping form of a particular boy. He promptly pulled the covers over his head, attempting at a few more minutes of sleep before starting the day. But sleep would not come again. He groaned in frustration and threw the covers off of him. He looked up, squinting at the light that poured through his floor length window. He rubbed the sleep out of his green eyes and crawled out of bed. He stumbled over to his closet. He threw his uniform onto a chair and then proceeded down the hall to the bathroom. His bare feet padded against the beautiful wooden floor as he turned into the bathroom.

He pulled out his toothbrush and applied toothpaste. As he brushed, he examined his complexion. He was rather pale due to the winter. His bronze hair was disheveled from a poor night's sleep and the frustration of the night before. There were distinct bags under his brilliant green eyes. He stayed up late the night prior to finish his still unfinished masterpiece. It was not quite a masterpiece yet, but he was not going to give up.

Once he was finished, he started back to his room only to have his mother call him from downstairs. He leaned over the mahogany railing that overlooked the foyer and yelled down to her that he would be down in a minute. He quickly dressed in his uniform pants and shirt. He slipped the red tie over his head and left it loose. He folded his coat over his arm, grabbed his books, and walked out. He ran down the spiral staircase that led to the foyer and jumped the last five steps. He threw his coat over the banister and placed his books on the table beside the door. He skidded into the sitting room to find a fire already burning in the great stone fireplace. He swiftly moved to his most prized possession: his black Grand piano. He took a seat on the bench, cracked his knuckles, and let his long fingers gently caress the ivory keys. He sighed and warmed up with a little Beethoven, his fingers dancing over the keys without an ounce of hesitation.

He had been introduced to the piano at the age of four. His parents gave him the best lessons money could afford. In two months, he could read notes better than he could read the English language. It was as though it was second nature to him. His mother often said that he must have music running through his veins rather than blood. When he was at his piano bench with the keys beneath his finger, he felt at peace. He was completely comfortable. Nothing had ever come close to meaning as much to him.

Currently, he was working on an original piece. His first original piece. He needed it for his audition to get into the Institute of Musical Art, an up-in-coming university in New York. His audition would take place in the spring. His parents continued to tell him that he had time to finish but he was not as sure. With school and homework, he had to result to working into the wee hours of the night. That was when he was shunned to the basement so he would not wake his parents.

Once he was done warming up his hands, he pulled out his sheet music for his piece. 'Untitled' was written in his elegant scrawl across the top. He was certainly having a lack of inspiration for a title. He felt that that might very well be the reason why the piece was so hard to complete. He was not sure what he was trying to convey through the piece. He sighed as he hit a rough patch around the fiftieth bar. Frustrated, he slammed his fingers down on the keys, instantly regretting the action once he did it. His baby let out a painful sound of notes that reverberated in his ears.

"Edward!"

He sighed, pushing himself off the bench and walking through the sitting room and back towards the dinning room. There, his mother and father were looking up expectantly at him from opposite sides of the table.

"Sorry," he grumbled and took his seat in the middle of the long table and took a sip of orange juice.

"Care to explain that outburst you just had?" his mother asked.

Elizabeth Masen was a beautiful woman of thirty five who looked thirty. She had the same bronze hair as her son, which she currently had pinned up in a messy bun with tendrils falling haphazardly around her full face. Her green eyes, which Edward also inherited, were stern as she glared down the table at her son. Her long arms were folded across her chest with her unfinished breakfast plate pushed away.

Edward shook his head. "It was nothing, mother. I'm just frustrated." He sighed again, putting his head in his hands. "It just isn't working out. I completely scrapped everything that I had last night so that I could start fresh. Now, however, I feel I might have created something decidedly worse." He groaned.

"Maybe we should reconsider the Institute," he father said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Edward Masen Sr. Edward inherited none of his physical attributes from him. He was on the heavier side, with a plump face. He had dark brown that looked almost black. His eyes were a warm cider. They rarely betrayed his emotions, unlike his wife and son. But in his line of business, it was in his best interests to keep his emotions in check. He worked as a lawyer. He was the founder of the Law Offices of Edward Masen. Everyone in Naperville knew him by name, even though it was not a great feat in the small, ridiculously wealthy town. He was even sought out by clients from Chicago. The man knew his stuff.

"You can't be serious," Edward blurted out, looking up from the table.

"If you are going to get upset every time it doesn't work out, maybe it isn't the best environment for you, Edward," his father reasoned, looking up from the court papers he had in front of him.

"You're wrong. It is the best environment. You know I can play."

His father nodded. "Of course you can. If you couldn't, I would not put up with that infernal racket day in and day out."

Edward laughed, taking a bite of toast.

"But remember our deal," his father started. He was quite determined to make his business the Law Offices of Edward Masen and Son.

"Not now, Ed," Elizabeth said with a sigh. "Now is not the time to start that argument again."

"Mother's right," Edward said. "because there is no chance of me not getting into the Institute."

"I sure hope you are right, Edward," his father said, taking off his glasses to look at him properly. "I don't think I can live with you if you don't."

"Thanks," Edward said, finishing off his toast and wiping his mouth off with a napkin. He took another sip of orange juice and stood up. He gave him mother a kiss on the cheek. "I better get going."

"Oh, I forgot." She looked up at him, grabbing his wrist gently. She smiled up at him and he instantly knew that she was up to something. Or, more precisely, she wanted something. Something big by the looks of her smile and the shine in her eyes. "There is this…welcoming party tonight."

"Welcoming party?" Edward asked, his voice dull. Great. He would be wasting hours with senseless people tonight when he could be putting that time to greater use. Such as making his original piece not sound like a five year old wrote it. Or maybe just find some kind of inspiration. Somewhere. Anywhere. Anything at this point would suffice. He was not that picky.

"Mr. Swan's daughter arrived last night and he's throwing a little party for her return," his mother explained, giving him a pleading look. "Most of your classmates will probably be there."

"That's reassuring."

"Mary Alice will go, I'm sure. You know that girl can't be excluded from anything," his father said, laughing from behind a folder of documents.

"Yes, and it is that precise illness that has caused me avoid her on days such as these like the plague," Edward replied, rolling his gorgeous eyes.

Mary Alice Brandon was impossibly eccentric. She needed to be in the center of everything and usually was. Her careless nature was infectious. Even when he was in a horrendous mood, Mary Alice could just make him laugh. Which is precisely how they met. They were in first grade and he was upset about someone taking his crayon or something equally trivial and in comes Mary Alice with her own little jar of clay. She wore a bright smile and Edward was immediately drawn to her. They had been friends ever since. She was the only person at Bram Stoker Academy that he could relate to or even talk to for that matter.

"Oh, it would mean so much to Mr. Swan if you were there," his mother insisted. He doubted it, however. Mr. Swan was actually the Police Chief of Naperville. He had more money than he knew what to do with and yet he still worked. Last summer, he caught him and Mary Alice in a 'no trespassing' part of the woods on the outskirts of town. Edward was just showing something to Mary Alice. However, ever since that harmless incident, he preferred to give Edward the cold shoulder which Edward was all too happy to reciprocate.

"What do you mean his daughter is 'returning'? I didn't even realize he had children," Edward stated. He was thrown to be honest. Mr. Charles Swan did not seem the type of man to have children or even a wife. Or even be intimate with someone for that matter. He was a rather unforgiving and unapproachable sort of man.

"Only the one. Her name is Isabella Swan. She's been living with her mother in Pennsylvania. For some reason, she's decided to reunite with her father." His mother picked up her cup and took a sip of tea.

"Hmm. Well, I suppose there is no way of getting out of this, is there?" he asked, heading towards the door.

"No," his father said. "I am being forced to go so you have been condemned to the same fate."

Edward chuckled. "Yes, well, Mr. Swan actually likes you. Me, however, he is a little uncertain about."

"You are going. That is final." His father returned to the documents. That was a sure sign of the conversation being over.

"I'll see you after school," Edward said with his back to them. He walked into the sitting room, grabbed his sheet music off of the piano and proceeded to the foyer. He stuffed the music into his books before shrugging into his jacket and coat. He picked up his books and his keys and walked out the door.

Edward walked down the snow covered sidewalk and through the iron gate that lead to another sidewalk. He walked down the driveway and back to the garage in the back of the house. He opened up the doors and walked over to his new black Cadillac. He tossed his books in the back and put the keys in the ignition and backed out. He quickly got out to close the doors to the garage and backed out of the driveway and pulled out onto Forks Road.

If there was one thing that Edward did not understand, it was why this girl needed a party. It was certainly not that difficult to meet people in Naperville. Especially if you are Mr. Swan's daughter. Especially if you are a daughter that will inherit a rather large fortune. Especially if you are a girl at all. Most of the young women by this time have realized what a waste most of the single men are and have decided that it just simply is not worth the time. Needless to say, the men find themselves getting a little bored with the same old girls.

Edward was at Bram Stoker Academy in no time at all. Far too quickly for his own taste. Stoker was one of the smaller schools in the area mostly because it was the pickiest school in the area. It held a population of about five hundred students in grades ninth through twelfth that were heirs and heiresses to fantastic fortunes. It was a small building with only two floors. There were about twenty classroom and thirty staff members. Most importantly, there was a sound proof music room on the bottom floor that was rarely used by anyone except Edward. He was not sure if no one cared or if they were just too frightened to step into his territory.

It was a well known fact throughout Naperville and the surrounding area that the Masen's had a protégé on their hands. Edward had performed in concerts and banquets far and wide. He was booked almost every Saturday in the spring and summer for weddings or other various occasions. Anywhere that he went that had a piano, he was almost immediately pushed towards it upon entering the room. Nonetheless, it should be noted that it was an older, more sophisticated generation that appreciated his art and not his fellow students. Edward was not sure what it was exactly that they appreciated but he was sure that it was nothing they had in common.

As his luck would have it, he found out exactly was it was that held their interest so tightly. From first period on, all that could be talked about was Miss Isabella Swan. Everyone seemed to be infatuated. The boys craned their necks in the hallway, hoping to catch even the faintest glimpse of her. The girls scuttled around in their little packs, their eyes darting around so that they would have ample time to stop talking about her behind her back and make nice.

Isabella Swan flew around Edward's head all day even though he himself had yet to see her. Could she really be that remarkable that she was the school's new favorite subject? Could she really be that beautiful that the entire male population was salivating? Edward highly doubted it. They were always like this whenever someone new rolled in. They were like a vicious pack of wolves, waiting to either make her their mate or devour her whole. Either way, the matter would be settled soon enough. But until then, Edward would not hear another reasonable word.

Edward decided to forgo lunch, hoping to avoid the gawking session that it was bound to become. Edward almost felt sorry for whoever this Isabella Swan was. However, if she had Charles Swan's genes in her, maybe not.

Edward retreated to his sanctuary in school: the music room. It had about ten desks lined up in the back with various instruments crowding the aisles. In the front was a blackboard with music lines on one side and musical terms and their definitions on the other. About five feet from the blackboard was an outdated, black and flaking piano. His piano at home was in far better shape but this one certainly got the work done. Mr. Mathews, the music teacher, nodded to him on his way out the door. Edward nodded back, a slight smirk on his face. Mr. Mathews was a long-term member of the club that despised him. On his first day at Bram Stoker Academy, Edward had the nerve to comment on Mr. Mathews' playing. Of course, Edward was correct in his accusation that he was playing the symphony in the wrong key for the arrangement. That, however, did not account for publicly humiliating the teacher apparently. Edward was lucky that the principal had given him permission to use the music room during his free time. It also helped that his father had gotten Principal Charlesworth out of a particularly sticky situation a few years back.

Edward sat down at the piano bench and breathed in. He was finally alone and away from the constant chatter about Isabella Swan. His head was still spinning. He had heard so many rumors about that girl that he could not possibly imagine the truth. She almost sounded like a superwoman.

He shook his head, trying to clear it so that he could focus on his music. He pulled his sheet music out of a book and placed it on the stand. He played through the first few lines, at a fast tempo that did not quite match the sound. He moved onto the part that was giving him a rather difficult time.

Edward was not aware of how much time was passing him as he fixed the lines, scratched them out, and started all over again. He ran his fingers through his hair and flung the piece off of the stand. He rested his elbows on the keys and sighed, shaking his head. He looked back up, staring out the window at the snow on the window ledge. Without realizing it, his fingers begin to move across the keys and play Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". He sighed, letting himself get into the piece. This had always been his mother's favorite piece. His fingers danced with ease across the keys as he tried to pull himself together. His original should not be giving him as much difficulty as it was. It should be exciting, exhilarating, the time of his young life. After all, you only compose your first original once.

He remembered the anticipation he felt at first learning that he needed to compose his own piece to complete his admittance into the Institute of Musical Art. He almost immediately sat down at his piano bench and got to work. That was roughly six months ago and he was no closer to accomplishing that goal than he was back then. It was terrifying and disappointing. Maybe he simply was not the musical genius everyone thought he was. Maybe he just happened to have a knack for memorizing music and regurgitating it back. Maybe he really was not destined for the future he imagined himself in. It was a sickening thought. This is what he had planned on all his life. He had never truly given a spare thought to anything else. And now, when it was all on the line, the truth was finally coming to the surface. He may very well end up in…law school. Well, at least his father would be happy.

Obsessed by his own musings, he failed to notice another presence until that very moment. His back automatically stiffened and his fingers began to slow. He breathed in deeply and spun around, the music abruptly stopping. However, all that he managed to catch was the flutter of a black uniform skirt and a lock of dark brown hair.

He sighed out of frustration. All he needed was some other girl spying on him while he was in his sanctuary. He had only just managed to get Jessica Stanley to stop stalking him while he was playing. The girl had a rather unhealthy obsession that resulted in her driving a number of miles just to see him play a two minute piece at a church. Most recently, she tried to lure him into playing a duet with her. She just so happened to play the violin and sing. Edward had the unfortunate luck of having to hear her do both at her father's Christmas ball just a few weeks ago. It was not all that appealing. However, the girl that had been at the door was not Jessica. She would not have run away.

No sooner had he turned back to the piano did he hear footsteps skipping up behind him and coming to a halt. It could only be one person. After all, no one else really talked to him.

He smiled and returned to his playing. "Hello, Mary Alice. Long time no see."

She swiftly sat down next him with a prima donna's grace. She should have kept up with those lessons. "Yes, and only because you, Mr. Masen, have been avoiding me!" she cried indignantly.

"Now, why in the world would I do that?" Edward asked, smirking at her and he moved on to her favorite piece: Chopin's Minute Waltz.

She grinned at him. "Because you know that I will be able to convince you to attend the party tonight for our new classmate."

Edward shook his head. "Touché. However, you know that I have no desire to step foot into the Swan household."

"Oh, I believe that you will want to make an exception tonight." Her smile and glint in her blue eyes made Edward nervous. Mary Alice was different. She claimed to have something similar to psychic visions. She would be drawn into these daydream like trances where she claimed to see the immediate future. Edward himself had seen her in these instances more than once. What she said usually came true. He usually liked to believe that she was just a marvelous guesser but sometimes he could not help but believe that she was…gifted.

"Why would that be, Mary Alice? Please, do enlighten me." He stopped playing at this point to turn to look at her carefully. He put his elbow down on the keys, causing a loud sound to be issued from the already slightly damaged piano, and rested his head on his hand.

"To see Miss Swan, of course," she answered as though the idea of obvious and anyone with half a brain would have picked up on it.

"Please. She's just a girl. No offense," he said after a second thought. Mary Alice merely laughed and urged him to continue. "Besides, I feel that I have more important things to be worrying about. And can she really be that amazing if everyone is already in love with her?"

"You may find yourself surprised, Edward Masen. Stranger things have happened."

Edward laughed. "Very true. However, I highly doubt it."

"Oh, come on. Those simpletons will need some musical talent to fill up the background, after all!" She put on an excited smile, her blue eyes wide and her short brown hair bouncing around her thin, perfect face.

"Oh, yes. They couldn't get through the evening without me." He laughed along with Mary Alice.

She started to get up but noticed a piece of sheet music on the ground. She picked it up and placed it back on the stand. "What is this masterpiece doing on the ground? I doubt that it belongs down there."

Edward shook his head, stuffing it back into one of his books. "It is far from a masterpiece, Mary Alice. We'll be lucky if it ever turns into one. Ten to one I'll end up starting all over again tonight."

Mary Alice shook her head. "You don't realize your own talent, Edward. You are an amazing, awe-inspiring artist." On a side note, she said, "if you couldn't tell, I was going for alliteration."

Edward shook his head, laughter coming over him once more. Mary Alice really did know how to pull him out a slump.

"We should to class. If I'm late for English, Mr. Bannister will murder me." She ran out of the room with a wave of her hand and a ballerina's twirl.

Edward picked up his books and headed out himself. He closed the door behind him and turned to the left, heading for the science room. He had biology next, a bore fest with Dr. Marks. The man could turn even the most exciting subject into complete ennui.

He walked into class, making for his seat in the back immediately. He placed his books on the table and looked around. As fate would have it, a large group for boys was stationed at the front of class surrounding a small girl with dark brown hair pinned into a bun with locks falling out in the back. Edward chuckled to himself. It seemed his intruder was none other than Miss Isabella Swan herself.

Michael Newton was one of her many admirers. Michael had never been fond of Edward. He seemed to view him as threat. When he liked Mary Alice, Edward told him to back the hell off because Mary Alice was rather frightened by his forwardness. When he was obsessed with Jessica, Jessica unfortunately had only eyes for Edward. And if Edward did not know any better, he could have sworn that Michael just threw him a dirty look from where he stood.

Edward shook his head, trying to prevent a chuckle from escaping his lips. Michael Newton was a spoiled kid who thought that he was entitled to everything he wanted just because of his last name. His family had been living in Naperville for a while and was the third richest family. It only made Michael hate Edward more for that fact that the Masen's had more in the bank than them. Mr. Swan, however, had more than both of their families put together. Isabella Swan was even more of a prize for that one little fact.

Dr. Marks came in just then, shooing the crowd around Miss Swan away so that he could approach her. Michael proudly took the seat next to her at the table, causing a smaller boy whose name Edward did not know to pout. It appeared that Miss Swan had taken his seat and he was now forced to find a new one. Edward grimaced inwardly. Prior to Isabella's arrival, the class has been odd-numbered. Edward had the luck to be seated by himself. However, it seemed that his luck had finally run out. The boy looked just as happy as Edward felt as he came and sat next to him at his table. Edward nodded in greeting but quickly turned his head to his books. He would have to thank Miss Isabella Swan later.

Biology went by quickly. Edward spent most of his time doodling in his book or watching Michael lean in closely to Isabella only to have her smile politely and lean away ever so slightly. Michael did not seem to notice this. He rarely did. He only had his eye on the prize; everything else just did not matter.

They were finally dismissed and all the boys, excluding Edward, all but jumped from their seats and ran to Miss Swan's side. He heard a slight peal of uncomfortable laughter as they followed her out the door, all suggesting to show her to her next class. The girls glowered at her and stomped out of the room, improper curses being said under their breaths.

Edward proceeded to the music room where he spent the next hour gazing out the window, letting Mr. Mathews' voice go in one ear and out the other. It was truly unnecessary for him to be in the class but did not require any work from him. Technically, they should not have let him sign up, knowing full well that he probably knew more on the subject than Mr. Mathews and was definitely a better musician. But, of course, who was Edward to complain if it was one less class he had to pay attention in.

After school, Edward made his way to the parking lot. An older roadster was parked out front and surrounded once again by the entire male population. Edward recognized it to be Michael's car. Just then, he saw the slime ball holding onto a delicate, snow white hand as its owner slid less than gracefully into the car. Edward just caught a glimpse of her dark hair before Michael closed the door. He shot a cocky smile at the ogling classmates before walking around the front to get in himself. He then drove away with a jaunty wave.

Edward rolled his eyes as he made his way through the throng of men that still stood on the curb. They were mumbling about how Michael had all the luck. Edward snorted. If it was luck that Michael got to be stuck with a Swan, Edward preferred to be as unlucky as possible.

He climbed into his car and was surprised to find Mary Alice already inside. He jumped slightly, not noticing her there before. She always managed to frighten him whenever she snuck up on him. She laughed brightly, her blue eyes dancing across his face.

"Have you seen the lovely Isabella yet?" she asked even though she seemed to know the answer. She really could be annoying.

He shook his head. "No, I haven't had the pleasure."

"That's a shame." She giggled, settling back into her seat.

"I take it I'm riding you home today," he said, starting the car.

She nodded, her smile dimming slightly. "Yes. Daddy's in Aurora today."

Edward nodded, not entirely surprised. It was unusual for her father to be home. He was a banker that was always taking business trips. It was a common rumor around Naperville that Mr. Brandon had a mistress in Aurora because he was always there. The Brandon's preferred to simply ignore the accusations but it was difficult for Mary Alice. She knew that was not her father's nature, or rather she wanted to believe it. Mrs. Brandon, luckily, was well liked in Naperville for her family had lived there for years. They put the blame on Mr. Brandon. However, when he was around, the rumors would stop. Edward, same as Mary Alice, wanted to believe that it was just business that kept him away from his family but the circumstances were odd. Either way, though, neither party was willing to confront the rumors so they continued to linger.

The drive home was quiet but Edward was completely aware of Mary Alice's subdued thoughts. Edward had the unnatural ability to sense what other people were thinking. He supposed that was why he was not entirely freaked out by Mary Alice's 'visions'. He could tell that she was thinking about her father and what he was doing at that moment. Was he really in an office somewhere in south Aurora, signing a bunch of documents or setting up a loan for a newly wedded couple looking to buy their first house? Or was he somewhere where he should not be? Was he with a woman that was not Mrs. Brandon? And if he was, did he realized that he was breaking his little daughter's heart without intentionally doing so?

He pulled out in front of her two story house. She sighed and her face was suddenly bright with a smile that could light up the sky. He laughed lightly.

"I'll see you tonight, Mary Alice," he said as she opened the door.

"I know." She laughed as she hoped out and ran through the snow to her house. She waved once she was at the door with a maid opening it for her. As he pulled away, he could the maid yelling about her wet skirt and shoes.

As he pulled up to his own house, he found his father's car already there. He climbed out and ran to the door, kicking off his shoes so John would not yell at him about footprints. He threw his coat over the banister and his books and keys on the table. He moved into the sitting room to find his parents sitting in front of the fire.

"Why are you home?" Edward asked, not noticing until after the words were out of his mouth that he sounded rude. He smiled apologetically and moved over to the piano on the far side of the room.

"The party is in a few hours so I decided to make it a half day at work. When you own your own business, you can do that," his father replied, implication threaded through his voice.

Edward simply nodded and began to play Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" again, watching a smile spread across his mother's face.

"As much as I love this piece, Edward, you have to get ready soon. You are still going," she said. She laughed as he rolled his eyes but continued playing.

"I know, mother. Besides, if I didn't show, I'm sure Mary Alice would hunt me down."

Both of his parents laughed at the thought. They passed the next hour in the same manner. His mother read a book while his father was lulled to sleep by Edward's soft playing. But his father could sleep through everything. At four, his mother shoved him upstairs to his room so that he could get dressed.

His best tuxedo was already lying pressed on his bed. He sighed and sat down at the desk on the other side of the room and glared at it menacingly. Not only did have to step foot in the Swan house, but he had to do it wearing that. There was no way Miss Isabella Swan was worth all the trouble.

He entered the foyer a half an hour later, looking attractive and smart in his tuxedo. His green eyes were bright with the black he wore and his bronze hair was a little less messy than usual. Even he had to admit that he looked good. Too bad it was all wasted on the Swans.

His mother praised him as he stood on the last step of the staircase. She looked strikingly beautiful in a red gown with long sleeves and a flowing skirt. Her bronze hair was left down in gentle curls that fell around her shoulders. Her skin was beautifully pale from lack of sunlight due to the winter months. She had a black fox fur shawl draped over her slim shoulders to protect her from the cold. Edward Masen Sr. was also wearing a tuxedo. The jacket was a little tight from the weight that he tended to gain over the winter but apart from that, he looked charming. His brown hair was smoothed down on his head, a look that his son could never quite accomplish.

Edward shrugged into his coat and headed out the door after his parents. They settled into his father's Cadillac and drove towards the other side of town where the Swan's resided. Edward spent most of the trip looking out the window, half wishing that the family did not own a piano so that he could spent the night in a solitary corner, drinking expensive wine and getting tipsy enough that he would not have the mind to work on his original that night. However, Edward was not so lucky.

Almost immediately on entering the Swan residence, he was pushed towards a baby Grand in the center of the sitting room by an older woman, just to the right of the staircase that led upstairs. Edward had to admit that it was a beautiful instrument. It was slightly outdated by the look of it, maybe only by ten years. It was sparkling white, giving off the appearance that it was attended to daily, just like his own.

As he looked down at it, Mr. Charles Swan approached him. They shook hands with surprising civility.

"Will you delight us with a piece, Edward?" Mr. Swan asked, gesturing to the piano.

Edward blushed lightly. "Ah, I would but won't your daughter want to present some of her talent? It is her party after all."

Mr. Swan laughed lightly; however, there was not much humor behind it. "My Isabella doesn't play. It was her mother's. Don't ask why I have kept it. It is a beauty, though."

Edward nodded. "Then of course I'll play. Any suggestions?" He pushed his coat tails behind him as he sat down at the bench and poised his long fingers over the keys.

"Do you know Dvorak? How about the Romantic Piece No. 1?" Mr. Swan asked, a note of challenge in his voice.

Edward almost laughed at the man. He had been playing Dvorak since he was ten. "Of course, Mr. Swan." He went right into the piece, his fingers skillfully playing the piece with amazing precision. He looked up at Mr. Swan to smile. Mr. Swan smiled back before quickly turning to welcome other guests.

He had to admit that the Swan residence was quite remarkable. It was as though he stepped foot into a virtual winter wonderland. The vast entrance way had a beautiful white marble floor with towering windows on either side of the white doors. A majestic crystal chandelier hung in the middle. Off to the right were the white walls of Mr. Swan's den. To the left was the immense sitting room that currently held almost the entire population of Naperville. It had luxurious white carpeting and furniture. The walls were painted white and trimmed in oak that was white-washed. The right side of the room held the staircase that led to the second floor. An ornately carved fireplace was against the left wall in between the windows that faced the forest that surrounded the house. On top of the fireplace was a painting of a landscape. They depicted a beautiful mountain range in autumn. The colors blended together flawlessly, making the observer wish to jump right in. Other trinkets of their wealth were displayed at intervals around the room, the baby Grand that Edward was currently at certainly being one of them. It was all rather ostentatious, but Edward figured that was the point. After all, what else did the people of this town have to do but compete with each other? And Mr. Swan was winning.

Edward continued to play through the piece. He was halfway done when everyone in the room unexpectedly stopped talking. Their heads turned in the direction of the staircase. Edward turned towards it as well out of instinct. He continued to play, figuring that it was time for Miss Isabella Swan's entrance.

He first caught sight of a snow white ankle and a blue heel. His eyes slowly snaked up her body. She was wearing a beautiful blue gown with long sleeves that seemed to be made for her body shape. It hugged her form perfectly and trailed behind her on the white carpet. She donned a string of pearls on her neck and a pair of pearl earrings. Edward then focused on her face.

She had a pale, heart shaped face with smooth, womanly features. Her pink lips were in a soft smile as she looked down on the room below. Her eyes, however, were clearly hesitant; her chocolate brown orbs darted from face to face, trying hard not to linger on one for too long. Her dark brown hair was pinned up in a complicated bun with small curls framing her face.

As she made her way down the staircase, she gripped the banister tightly. Edward watched her carefully as she moved. His fingers had slowed to a tempo that resembled something of a funeral march. Just then, her eyes rested on his face. Her smile grew a little brighter, showing off perfectly white teeth. Her eyes did not waver like he expected them to, but rather held his gaze. He smiled back and stopped playing as she reached the last five steps. Mr. Swan met her at the bottom and took her arm under his. The room suddenly broke out into applause. She seemed startled by the action and broke her gaze from Edward.

Edward sighed and looked down at the keys of the baby Grand. He breathed in deeply, desperate for air. It seemed as though he had stopped breathing the second he laid eyes on her. Once he regained his composure, he began Dvorak over again. After a while, he risked looking up from the keys only to find her chocolate eyes on him once again.

He could not deny it. She was breathtaking. And certainly worth the trouble.

Well, that is the first chapter. I really hoped everyone enjoyed it. Please leave me a review with your comments, questions, and concerns!