Love was not on the list of tourist experiences…

Edward and his family ship off from Britain to Australia for their family holiday. Esme's friend has offered her house to their family. With a mythical obsessed, five year old brother, will Bella have any time to fall for Esme's hot, funny son?

Chapter 1 – Yes, because I am from Australia, obviously, my best friend is a Koala and I ride a Kangaroo to work.

"Mum, seriously, why can't I just go somewhere else?" I whined as she unpacked my underwear in my suitcase. I had been planning on staying with a friend, since I was against this whole thing, so she was forced to unpack it herself. "Jessica said I can stay at her house! And it's only for a month…"

She turned on me with a big frown. "Bella," she pleaded motherly. "All I want is Esme's family holiday to be a special one that doesn't include having to stay at a hotel. We've been friends, forever. This is the least I could do for her. So please Bella, please, just this once. For them? For me? Please?"

I groaned and flopped down on the bed. I was not giving up this argument, I mean, Esme could have a family vacation if she really wanted it, but it didn't really have to include me, did it?

"But you know Jackson!" I continued whining. "He will just call everyone blood-sucking leeches, and they'll want to leave before I week is up. Why bother with the humiliation?" I shrugged, picking up my stuffed dog, Poodie-two-shoes, and stroked his back. I know he isn't real, but he's really special to me, and he deserves every bit of respect I could give him.

Mum looked at me, a sad look on her face that made me want to give her everything she wanted, and sat next to me.

She nothing, but she was pleading me with puppy dog eyes. I looked away immediately, bouncing off the bed.

"Oh, no." I told her. "You will not get me with puppy dog eyes. I know that trick."

She was whining and pleading at the same time now. She was so motherly, yet she acted like a teenager. It was weird, but she was the only other woman in my close family, so we were close. But we weren't close enough that I would just give into all of her demands.

She hopped up off the bed and looked at me. "Bella, they're coming whether you like it or not. That's a solid 'end of story'. Please, I'm just asking, please, just don't bring everyone else down. Esme has been invited to stay with us, and she is so looking forward to meeting you! So if you must suffer, suffer in silence. Please." She pleaded.

As much as I wanted to argue, I knew when I was beaten. Yes, she was right, there was no way out of it, and yes, We had sent the invitation to welcome them into our home.

I groaned in defeat and she brightened instantly. "Fine." I told her, very grumpy now. "But I get to keep my room."

She smiled widely. "That's my girl." She beamed; throwing a pair of my jeans at me, then looking back over the clothing covered bed and chucked me my favourite green t-shirt. I growled to myself as she left the room and closed the door behind her.

She opened it quickly and ducked her head through the door so I could hear her without having a target to throw something at. "And I want you to look after Jackson." She said before quickly closing the door. My mouth was hanging open at this point. When I finally regained myself, I groaned and pulled my shirt over my head.

This was going to be a long month.

Meanwhile in Britain, things aren't so good on that side of the family either…

"Great, so we have to stay with some didgeridoo family?? Perfect. I mean, I didn't have any plans other than my life!" I argued to my mother. I mean, come on. Was it not only last month when some Japanese family came over to stay? Now we would have to moved to some Didgeridork family? Why was Mum doing this to me!?

"Now Edward," she said kindly but with authority. "This is my very close friend from back in high school. Please be nice." She pleaded, although both of us knew that I didn't have a choice. I mean, yeah I could be a total jerk to them, and I would, but they were welcoming us into their family…

"God, please Mum!" I begged. "I can stay here! Look after the house…" I was cut off when she looked at me funny. There was no fight in this.

I rolled my eyes into the back of my head and groaned. "Fine! But I get to bring my guitar."

She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Edward. But maybe you could buy one over there. A little momentum."

I sighed. "Please?" I tried at one more pointless attempt.

She shook her head and I groaned again, throwing a shirt into the suitcase that sat on my bed. She smiled warmly then, then left the room.

This was going to be a long month.

BELLA POV

I was awoken the next morning with Jackson jumping on my bed. For a five year old, he could be very annoying, but then again, most five year olds were in my opinion.

"They're here!" he screamed, jumping on my stomach and earning a grunt every time he landed on me. "They're here!"

"Go away." I groaned, rolling him off me and burying my face in my pillow.

He pulled the pillow from underneath my head, surprising for someone that young, and decided to bounce on my head. I pushed him off, then burying myself under the covers.

He sighed in a little kiddy way, then tickled me under the blanket. I couldn't help but laugh a little bit, then gave up after I rolled onto the floor, earning me a laugh from Jackson.

"The vampires are here." He screamed. "You have to get out of here!"

I groaned. My brother had this crazy idea that he knew only good people, that anyone he didn't know must be evil, and therefore, not part of the human race. It was funny at first, but after the first time he went around telling everyone which species they were, it grew to be quite annoying, and embarrassing. But yet, he was still five, so we played along, for his sake, keeping him out of trouble.

"Then you should go hide in your room." I suggested, my throat dry from not swallowing all night. God, it felt like I had swallowed a cheese grater... "I'll make sure they don't come and get you."

He nodded seriously and ran, I assumed, into his room. Well, I was already on the floor…

I sat up, groaning, and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I looked at my clock wall which read it was already six at night. Man, I got no sleep last night.

I heard voices from downstairs, some that I hadn't heard of before, and decided it would be best to take a shower and get ready before Mum shows a tour of the house, including me sitting on the floor.

I took a nice, long shower and put on the clothes that Mum had chucked at me yesterday. I had never had make up before, so I just pulled a hairbrush through my hair a couple of times then pulled it into a messy ponytail. I took a deep breath, then made my way down the stairs. This was going to be a long four weeks. I have said that many times before, but it was just so true…

"Bella!" my mother said in delight as I made my way down the staircase to meet a nice looking lady. I had to assume that was Esme, the mother of the family.

"Bella this is Esme." She greeted me to the lady, and this confirmed it. She placed a hand out to greet me, and I looked at Mum shortly, receiving a death stare, before taking the hand and shaking it.

"Nice to meet you." I mumbled unenthusiastically.

"Oh, such a firm grip." Esme said in approval. "Most lady's have noodle arms. I like you."

I rolled my eyes internally. So she could tell she was going to like me because of my grip? I only have that from working around the farm. It wasn't a big part of me. I would show her…

She called out some names that I was too tired, and honestly didn't care enough about, to hear. Then, three people walked in. A man the age of Esme, which once again I assumed was Carlisle. A girl my age, who was Alice, I suppose. I that left Edward to stand next to her.

"Carlisle, Alice, Edward, this is Bella. Bella, this is Carlisle, Edward and Alice." Esme introduced us, and I grinned a fake smile. "I can tell we are all going to get along."

"Oh really?" Edward spoke up. "I don't think so. Don't you think they'll be too countrified to give a crap about us?"

Jerk! Jerk! JERK!

"Edward." Esme snapped.

"Oh yeah," I shot back at him with sarcasm. "Because I live in Australia, so obviously my best friend is a Koala and I ride a Kangaroo to work."

"Bella." Mum snapped at me like Esme had to him.

He smirked at me in amusement. "Admitting it is the first step to recovering." He mocked.

I smiled at him. "Well maybe it's time for you too finally admit that something died on top of your head five years ago. I think its time for the possum to be buried." I smirked at him.

Our parents were wide eyed at how rude I was being, but I couldn't care less. I wanted Mum to realize it was a smarter choice to let me stay with Jessica. Esme would just go again anyway. I didn't have to worry about her.

"Speaking of which," Edward continued. "I thought Halloween was in October." He gestured towards my outfit.

"Then why are you dressed like a tool?"

His eyebrows were raised at this point, and I grinned in self satisfaction. He was thinking just because I come from the country, I wouldn't be able to defend myself like any other girl. So wrong, jerk.

"Because your mother kindly sent some of your chest hair over for Halloween."

I gasped and opened my mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry," I mocked. "I thought you actually shaved your back."

"BELLA!" my mother screamed, but I ignored her. I was set on focus, thinking about what Edward would reply to that. I was hoping he would at least stumble, but he didn't, and that was fine. I had much more.

"I shave mine when you shave yours." He mocked in a bad Australian accent. "Why did I even think that this house wasn't filled with Banjo strumming hillbillies." He mumbled

"That's enough Edward." Esme tried again.

We both ignored her.

"We are not banjo strumming hillbillies!" I defended, then hesitated. "My family doesn't know how to play the banjo! They don't know how to play any instrument!"

He raised his eyebrows. "And what do you play?"

Was it really that obvious that I had made sure I said 'them' not 'we'?

"I'm a guitar strumming hillbilly." I correct for him.

He laughed darkly.

I rolled my eyes at him. "At least I'm not a too good, spoilt, old, bratty, immature, little-"

"BELLA!" my mother cut me off. I looked at her finally, and she was enraged. "Say sorry to our guest. You are being extremely rude."

I laughed, and then looked back at Edward. "I would never say sorry to such a person. Jerk's are worse than what I am; I can assure you of that."

He smirked. "That goes for you too, Edward." Esme told him before he could think I was the only one who got told off, and I smiled at him. She sighed then looked back at Mum. "I'm sorry. I thought he would be good…"

Mum sighed. "So did I." she looked at us, then brightened a little bit, looking back at Esme. Esme was smiling too.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Esme asked, smiling broadly. I swear I could imagine then as big bananas right then. I smiled at my Banana's in Pajamas joke.

Mum nodded eagerly, straightened her face out, then looked at us.

"Bella, meet your new roomy." She grinned, and my smiled dropped instantly.

"I'm am not-!" I started, but she cut me off.

"Yes you are!" Mum mimicked me.

I thought about for a half a second. "Oh! Idea! Let's get him a cat box! Put it out on the deck! Everybody wins." I smiled.

My mother smirked. "I don't think so, Bella. If anybody's getting a cat box, it would be you by the way you're acting."

I groaned and flopped down on the couch, not paying attention to my mother talking to Esme about how such a good plan this was. It didn't matter. There was no way in hell was this British loser sleeping in my room.

"Bella, go show Edward where he can dump his stuff." My mum told me.

I looked over and Edward, flipping my head over the back of the couch so he was upside down. "Take the first plane back to Britain. Wherever the hell you live I don't give a crap, but that's where you go." I told him in a bored voice.

"BELLA!" my mother shouted at me. "Show some respect or I will bury you so deep that your ass will be disintegrated!" then she watched her mouth and looked at Esme and Carlisle. "Sorry."

Carlisle laughed. "That's okay. We don't want to be a hassle…"

Then leave! My mind was shouting.

"Bella…" my mother warned and I sighed, looking back over the couch.

"Upstairs. Second door to your right."

"Bella." Mum said more sternly. I had given him directions to Jackson's room. I smiled.

I sighed. "Fourth door to your left." I mumbled to him, not looking at him.

Mum sighed in relief. "Now go show him your room."

I jumped off the couch. "Oh, nuh-uh. This isn't happening. He is not taking my room!"

Edward grinned evilly. "Watch me."

Then we were racing each other upstairs. I beat him, of course, because I didn't have to count doors. I slammed my door in his face and he was pushing on my door. I pushed back so it wouldn't open. Man he was strong.

"My, my. Someone has been working out." He said sarcastically from outside the door, still pushing.

My feet were against the wall now, pushing. But he'd never know that. "You get that when your father chases you around the house trying to tickle you." I breathed out, trying to make it even as I strained. "You're nothing against him."

The door was starting to inch open until you could fit your head in there, of course, he wasn't stupid enough to do that. Actually, he was smarter than I thought. He stopped pushing for a moment, making me slam into the door and fall to the ground. He opened the door against my back and easily slid in. I breathed heavily as I stood up, squeezing in front of him and pushed him out of the room.

"Get out of my room!" I yelled at him, and he laughed in amusement.

"Actually, it's our room now."

I growled at him and he laughed again, but then spotted something that made him stop. He now looked amazed.

"Is that a guitar?" he asked, stepping past me easily and picking it up from the corner of the room it sat and placed it on my bed.

I smacked his hands away from it. "Nope, its an oven. Of course it's a guitar! I told you that."

He looked at me and smiled, but not in a mean way. "I thought you were just humoring me." He told me.

I shook my head and snatched my guitar away from him, jumping over the bed and placing it in it's corner again. I looked at him with warning in my eyes. If he ever touched that again, he would be sleeping out in the sheep shed.

Mum came into the room then, smiled at us as if she didn't know we were still fighting, which I knew she knew we were, and pulled the mattress from under my bed.

"You must be almost passing out from jetlag." She said kindly. "I want you both to get a good rest tonight."

I rolled my eyes and took my stuff to the bathroom where I had a shower. Long month. Definitely a long month.

I sighed under the heat of the water massaging my muscles. At least I didn't have to see his face for a solid nine hours. That would be good.

I got out and instructed Edward on where the bathroom was and how too use the shower. He thanked me and I left him alone. I went back to my room, flopped down on my bed. Man, I had only just gotten up about half an hour ago, how could I be so tired? Then again, I had been reading all night until lunch time today before I actually went to sleep…

"Bella?" Jackson walked into the room, a single tear running down his cheek. I immediately jumped out of bed and crouched down to him.

"Hey, man, what's up?"

"I don't want to share my room! I don't trust that vampire." He said.

I laughed, but his serious expression told me he wasn't kidding. I hugged him and led him back to his bedroom, but he wouldn't budge from where he was.

"Can I sleep with you?" he asked.

I sighed. "You know Mummy likes you sleeping in your own bed." I told him.

"It's only for tonight!" he begged.

I sighed. "Fine." I gave in. "But only for tonight. Mum can just deal. She's owes me big time." Mum had come in and pulled my blanket back on the bed.

He slid into my bed and stared at me while I put moisturizer on my face. He wanted some too, so I smiled, laughing silently, and placed it all over his face. He laughed and rubbed it in enthusiastically like I told him too. I laughed with him.

My brother was the cutest thing in the world, although he annoys the hell out of my parents. He was just so awesome, it made me want to do everything for him. He always tells me he wants to be exactly like sis, I quote. I guess that just makes me want to give him what I can.

"Will you sing me a bedtime song?" he asked. He's not fully there with his vocabulary. He still can't say lullaby properly. He doesn't like the sound of it anyway. It makes him feel like a baby, apparently.

My thoughts suddenly went to Edward who was still taking a shower, hopefully. He would give me hell if he heard me sing. But Jackson was looking at me with such pleading eyes, I couldn't resist.

"Fine, but you have to bring over the guitar." I told him.

He grinned and he hopped off the bed as I hopped on it, grabbing the case which was bigger than him and bringing it too me.

I twisted around and opened the suitcase, pulling out my acoustic guitar.

He laid in my bed again, and I plucked each string to make sure it was in tune, then began to play his favourite song. I think he just liked the tune, since the lyrics were about something he couldn't comprehend yet.

Picture to burn.

State the obvious,

I didn't get my birthday fantasy,

I realized you loved yourself more than you could ever love me,

So go and tell your friends that I'm obsessive and crazy,

That's fine I'll mine that your gay,

By the way,

I hate that stupid old pick up truck,

You never let me drive,

A big red neck,

heart break,

whose really bad at lying,

so watch me strike a match on all my wasted time,

as far as I'm concerned,

you're just another picture to burn

There's no time for years,

I'm just sitting here,

Planning my revenge,

There's nothing stopping me from going out with all of your best friends,

And if you come around saying sorry to me,

My Daddy's gonna show you how sorry you'll be,

Cause I hate that stupid old pick up truck,

You never let me drive,

A big red neck,

heart break,

whose really bad at lying,

so watch me strike a match on all my wasted time,

as far as I'm concerned,

you're just another picture to burn

And if you're missing me,

You better keep it to yourself,

Cause coming back around here,

Would be bad for your health

Cause I hate that stupid old pick up truck,

You never let me drive,

A big red neck,

heart break,

whose really bad at lying,

so watch me strike a match on all my wasted time,

In case you haven't heard,

I really, really hate that,

Stupid old pick up truck,

You never let me drive,

A big red neck,

heart break,

whose really bad at lying,

so watch me strike a match on all my wasted time,

as far as I'm concerned,

you're just another picture to burn

There was no need to add the rest of it. He was fast asleep, and I really didn't want to get caught by Edward.

I stuck my guitar back in its case before lifting Jackson off the bed and cradling him in my arms as I have had to do so many times before. I walked down the short hallway and into his room where Alice was brushing her hair quietly in front of the mirror. She smiled when she saw me carrying Jackson to his bed.

"Cute kid." She whispered, then stuck out her hand. "Sorry, I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm Alice. I'm sorry about my brother…" she whispered.

I laughed quietly. "Oh, don't worry. I have nothing against the rest of your family. He's just a jerk." I told her, taking her hand.

She shook her head, surprisingly. "No, he's really not. Believe me, after he gets over his jetlag and you get to know him, he'll calm down." She whispered. "He might even apologize."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, we'll see. Have a good night sleep."

She smiled and nodded. "You too."

I walked out of the room, shutting the door very quietly behind me and walked into my room, gasping as I walked in on Edward looking at my photos that I had framed and were sitting on my dresser.

"Snooping?" I asked lightly.

He shrugged. "These are very interesting."

I rolled my eyes and plunked back on my bed.

Edward went into his own bed and turned off the light. I closed my eyes and snuggled under the covers.

Edward sighed. "Okay, look. I don't want to be here as much as you don't want me here." He started. "So lets make a deal. We make our parents believe we are getting along, and you can still hate me if you want, and then in a month, we never have to see each other again."

I laughed tiredly. "Deal."

We were in silence for a moment, and I was about to fall into unconscious when he muttered "And I'm sorry. I don't hate you, personally. I just don't like the idea of moving across the country, even if it is only for a month."

I sighed. "Whatever. Now pass out already, you're beginning to annoy me."

That was actually a lie. I wouldn't mind talking to him tonight, since he wasn't insulting me and my family now, but he was going to pass out anyway.

If Edward and I could just get along. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.