They had traveled from as far as Florida to cross paths with Robert Pattinson, the British hunk with a lead role in Twilight, the soon-to-be-released vampire movie. It's based on the popular four-book series by Stephenie Meyer chronicling the relationship between 17-year-old high school student Bella Swan and her bloodsucking boyfriend. That would be the charming Edward Cullen, portrayed in the film by Pattinson.

Meyer's books have sold 17 million copies to preteen and teenage girls, but the series' appeal crosses age lines. There are an estimated 8,000 members of Twilight Moms, whose locations range from the United States to Asia. Midnight parties, giveaways and trivia contests heralded the release of the series' fourth volume, Breaking Dawn, in August.

Punctuated by squealing last night, the raucous line of 500 diehard fans snaked around the goth store Hot Topic. Many had camped out since the night before for a chance to pay $30 for a T-shirt and wristband guaranteeing them a spot in line outside the store.

Upper Merion police estimated the total crowd at 2,000.

Eager to avoid the near-riot that caused injuries and canceled part of a similar event in San Francisco, authorities were ready for large crowds. But the chaos was controlled, thanks in large part to the presence of 30 officers.

Those who braved cramped quarters and the overnight cold to get a glimpse of Pattinson earned an average of five seconds. They were ushered single-file into Hot Topic and whisked past a table in the back where Pattinson, 22, rapidly scribbled his name on a poster, pausing occasionally to push back an unruly lock of hair.

Handlers lined up the fans and, after a brief greeting and signing of a poster, quickly ushered them out.

"Hey, how ya doin'?" Pattinson said to some of the fans.

When asked how he was, or if he was tired, Pattinson said, "I'm all right" and "A little bit."

The small talk was minimal at best.

"Is New York close to here or something?" he asked after a teen told him her hometown.

One fan who got at least 10 seconds sported a neck tattoo inspired by the book Twilight: an apple with the word lamb next to it.

"Oh, [expletive], is that real?" the astonished actor asked after Alena Marsh displayed it.

The 19-year-old Lancaster resident was so overcome by his response that she could not hold back her tears and was still crying as she made her way outside the store.

"No, he didn't touch me, but he got really close," she said rapturously.

Marsh was not the only one with a permanent tribute.

Crystal Rudyak, 21, of Parma Heights, Ohio, designed an image that combined two of the book covers.

She had driven eight hours with her friend Nicole Centorbi, 22, of also Parma Heights, only to learn that they were too late to get wristbands.

Dejected, they were sitting on a mall bench when Marisa Desa, 16, of Princeton, invited them to join her group of seven, which was headed to a mall courtyard to reserve a spot for Pattinson's question-and-answer session after the signing.

"They looked upset, and I felt bad," Desa said.

She had taken the day off from Montgomery High School at the urging of a teacher, who's also a fan of the series.

"I had a toothache, yeah - a really bad one," joked her friend and classmate, Shannon Reagan, 16.

Not everyone skipped school.

Samantha Schweiker and Logan Graham, both 17 and juniors at Upper Dublin High, had jumped in the car after their last class and were surrounded by notebooks and textbooks.

"If we were home, we'd be doing homework, so we figured we could get it done here," Graham said.

How do fans explain the books' appeal?

"It's not easily translated into words," Rudyak said.

"You have to read the books to understand," suggested Jessica Mastroserio, 17, of Princeton.

As they waited for Pattinson to arrive, most hung out with new best friends and texted others.

In addition to the line of wristband holders, hundreds of fans staked out territory in the courtyard for Pattinson's Q&A. That session lasted about 15 minutes, and Pattinson's answers were drowned out by screaming.

Several hundred more fans surrounded Hot Topic in hopes of getting a glimpse of the Twilight star.

Daria Rose, first in line, got her wristband in time to rush to Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, where she teaches drama. She'd had little sleep, she said.

The long wait in line, Rose said, was worth it. "He's an inspiration to an aspiring actress like myself."

Meghan Pastorino, 23, of Warminster, had come to the mall to shop with her friend Tom Harrison, 21, of Warrington.

Both have read Twilight and liked it, but weren't sure they wanted to navigate a screaming sea of tweens and teens to catch Pattinson.

Harrison has a theory on the frenzy. "These days people need an escape," he said. Pastorino agreed, suggesting that some younger fans can't distinguish between the actor and the Edward Cullen character.

"They think he really is Edward," she said.