Author's Note: Again, this is edited by myself so if any of you are willing to beta I will be forever grateful! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 2: Odd

"You were there," I gasped out. "Last night, you were there!"

"I'm sorry?" The golden eyes staring back at me flashed a brief sign of hesitation before they clouded with concern. Alice Cullen was sitting next to me, her hand now dropped back down into her lap, resting atop exposed, perfectly white legs as she continued to hold my gaze, her head cocked to the side. Honestly, I might have thought that action would've been cute, if my mind wasn't overheating and these foggy glimpses of last night weren't clouding my vision so much.

"The cliff's edge," I grit my teeth, struggling to push past an increasingly intense headache. "At the edge of the forest. I saw you. You saved me."

"My! For whatever reason would I be out in that beast of a storm last night?" She exclaimed, her hands fluttering from her lap in emphasis. "That must've been quite a dream though, Bella."

"I don't- It wasn't-" I struggled to find the right words. She shot me down so fast I felt as if I had whiplash. I guess it may as well really have been a dream. I mean, who am I kidding? This girl sitting in front of me isn't tiny, but she's definitely smaller than me. I have an inch or two on her in height, I'm sure, so how could such a petite person carry my sorry, soaked ass all the way from the edge of a cliff to my bedroom? Why would she even be out there in the first place? Hell, I'd bet the wind would sweep her off her feet before she could even begin to carry me the however many miles I had supposedly trekked to reach my unknown destination. Yep, that does it. It definitely was a dream. My muddy shoes could've been anything. The last time I wore them I could've stepped in dirt and didn't even realize it. I was overreacting and having a vivid dream from the stress of the move. That's all it was.

But it felt SO real. Nope. No. I can't go there. Dream dream dream. It was a dream… A dream I had had. About Alice Cullen, whom of which is sitting next to me. Whom of which I just admitted to having a dream about. Cue the mental kick to my ass I'm giving myself and… Cue the obvious blush. Damn it.

"I must say I'm flattered. The new girl, Bella Swan, dreaming about me of all people." I could practically feel my cheeks boil. A grin began to play across her soft features. My heart stopped then and there and for a second, I forgot what it was I was freaking out about. Her smile was blinding. Her teeth a perfect gleaming white that made her entire face glow. The grin reached her eyes and, as fucking cheesy as I know this sounds, they literally sparkled as they looked back into mine.

"I can probably name a handful of students here that would just explode with jealousy if they heard that." She laughed. And oh god how she laughed. If I thought her smile was jaw dropping, then her laugh was just fucking heart stopping. I had never heard a more magical sound than the sound of this small human sitting before, giggling up a storm at her own joke. Huh, Alice Cullen was a bit of a dork. A gorgeous dork, but still. Who knew?

She stopped laughing and leaned in close to me, a grin still tugging at her soft pink lips. There was a brief change in emotion as her lips grazed my ears ever so slightly.

"Do you often dream of me, Bella?" she whispered.

Breathe. Breathe, Bella Swan. Remember how to breathe.

She had pulled away now, an ever-growing mischievous look played on her face as she shot me a wink. This time, my jaw really did drop. Was Alice Cullen flirting with me. Me, Bella Swan. Her, The Alice Cullen, unobtainable, unapproachable. Suddenly, sitting down next to me, the new girl, and whispering in my ear. Who in the hell is this girl?!

Well, at least she didn't seem offended or weirded out by my clumsy confession of maybe dreaming about her. So, I guess we're off to the right track so far. I've spent two minutes with this girl and she's already managed to turn my face into what I can only imagine is the color of a bright red tomato, while at the same time completely dazzling me with an overwhelming amount of charm. I couldn't find the words to describe her. She was… Something, to say the least.

"So, be my partner today?" Her voice chimed again and her demeanor changed from flirtatious to giddy as she bounced on her chair.

"Um… What-"

"Okay class!" The teacher burst into the room before I could get the rest of my question out. All eyes turned to the front of the class as our teacher began her lesson for the day. My eyes either stayed at the front of class or on my notebook. Usually, I would've let my wandering eye get the best of me and sneak a glance or two at the peculiar girl perched on the chair next to me, but not today. I didn't need to, not when I could practically feel her eyes raking in every ounce of me as I sat to the side of her. She may have thought she was being discrete. She was incredibly mistaken. I was stared at most of my life. Back in Phoenix, I was horribly out of place. The weird loner girl who would rather stay in on weekends than party with the "cool" kids. So, I knew the feeling of kids watching me. It was like a growing super power of mine. If someone was across the school, talking about me, my senses would tingle. And right now, with Alice Cullen's unwavering gaze she tried (unsuccessfully) to hide, my senses were screaming. I didn't dare look back. I could imagine how awkward it would be if I busted her for unashamedly staring at me. So, what could I do? I swallowed hard and continued to look forward, trying my best to focus on what was written on the chalk board in front of me.

"Pair up," The teacher stopped her scribbling onto the chalk board and turned to face the class. "You'll all need to find a partner for this assignment. It will be a quarter long project on the materials we've been going over. I want you to take a scene from one of the Shakespearian plays you've been studying and transform it. You can transform it in any way you want, just as long as I see that you've both put time and effort into it. Now, pick your partner and your scene, wisely. I'll let you discuss this amongst yourselves for the rest of the period."

"So partners," Alice was now fully facing me, her entire body turned towards me on her chair. "Bella?"

I turned to face her and gave a hesitant smile as gleaming golden eyes once again met mine. I don't think I'll get used to this. Those eyes, they're a pure golden shimmer that I've never seen anyone else possess. They're warm, inviting, and genuine. Yet, due to that strange dream, each moment that I spend looking at them, my mind can't help but go back to flashes of them, filled with concern as they looked down at me. It felt as if this dream was haunting me.

She cleared her throat, awaiting my answer. I was trapped between the classroom wall and Alice, who had moved her chair in the path I would've needed to make my break for it and find a more familiar face to buddy up with. What were my choices? I could either agree to be her partner and pray that this eerie feeling I've been getting from her all class period would go away, which I highly doubt that it would, or I could make a desperate escape for another classmate by climbing over this table, no doubt hurting my ass trying and possibly her feelings as I do so. The thought of a hurt Alice Cullen, for some reason, didn't sit well with me. I'm sure if you hurt the small angel sitting to the right of me, it would be like hurting an adorable little puppy and I do not hurt puppies.

"Yeah," I finally sighed. "Let's be partners."

"Yes!" She practically bounced right off her chair as her arms flung out from either side of her and brought me in for a surprisingly bone crushing hug. "This is going to be so great, Bella! I already have some ideas!"

Jesus, I can already tell that she's going to be a handful, but oddly enough, I couldn't bring myself to mind that.

"You wouldn't mind if I stopped by your house tonight, would you?" I swear to god her cheeriness was making me dizzy. There was a certain amount of sunshine-y energy that Alice exuded that I could just not keep up with. It was leaving me winded. Or well, I think it's that. It could also be the fact that I was still in her arms, and for some odd reason, not only did this girl have a killer smile and a magical laugh, but she also smelled so good it was making my head spin. Not that I take the time to smell all the people around me. I'm not weird. No, it wasn't on purpose. As she crushed me into her arms, my head held close to her hair, it just hit me like a ton of bricks. Her scent, it was strong in the best ways possible. It smelled like what I could only imagine a field of the freshest roses would smell like, mixed in with the familiar calming fragrance of a meadow, freshly covered in morning's dew. Something tells me, whatever this was, it wasn't perfume. It was just her and it was utterly intoxicating.

"I feel like it's important for us to get an early jump on this. The sooner we start working the more likely we'll be to get a great grade!" She pulled back, her hands still on either of my shoulders as she eagerly awaited my consent.

"Uh, yeah, sure," I conceded. Damn, I just cannot say no to this girl. "Um, my room is a mess though. I haven't finished packing yet…"

"That's fine, really I don't mind! I can be there later tonight. Is seven okay?"

I nodded reluctantly and she finally released me from the strong, yet gentle, hold she had on me. Turning back to my notes, I began to process the idea of a Cullen, Alice Cullen, coming into my home. The entire student body of Forks High School had made it sound as though they were these intimidating people, who none could ever socialize with. But if that's the case then why were plans just made for a Cullen to come spend time at my house? Plans that I didn't even make. Plans that A Cullen made for me. Either Alice is the exception to the Cullen clan or I'm the exception to the entire population of Forks, but I'm not that special. It had to be the first option. Maybe people were just too nervous to even try with her? Sadness washed over me suddenly as my thoughts turned towards Alice. What if people were so daunted by the Cullens' appearance that they didn't even try to approach them? Was Alice just lonely and eager to make a friend who had yet to fall into a similar mentality towards them as the rest of Forks High? I couldn't explain why the thought of Alice Cullen feeling sad or alone made my heart break in two. The idea of anything hurting the small, sweet girl before me had me feeling such strong dread. I don't know why I should care. I just met this girl. Usually, it takes a lot for me to care about other people's feelings, yet I still found myself truly uncomfortable at the thought of anything that could possibly make her sad.

Odd. Alice Cullen was odd and I could not, for the life of me, come up with a better word for it. She was odd and was making me feel odd too.

Her sudden giggling stopped my mind's incessant, confused inner babbling in its tracks. I didn't know until I heard it that I had secretly been longing to hear her laugh again. And it's only been an hour since the last time I heard it. God, what the hell is going on with me? Why is my whole brain caving in on itself from one tiny person just simply saying hello.

"What's so funny?" I heard myself ask without really processing it and without my control, I also felt myself allowing the smallest of smiles as I looked on at the adorable pixie, sitting next to me, laughing to herself.

"Oh, I just thought, if the kids here would be jealous of you dreaming of me, could you imagine just how green with envy they'd be if they knew I was to be the first into Bella Swan's new abode!" She threw her head back and let out another genuine laugh, her eyes closed as she smiled in pure glee. "I know for sure, that that Mike kid's eyes will just simply pop right from his head!"

And yet again she has managed to drop my jaw straight down to the damn floor. Odd. Yes. Alice was odd. But what's more odd is that I found myself liking it.

…

"Heyyo Bella!" Mike calls out from clear across the parking lot, his arms flailing drastically in the air in a desperate attempt to get my attention. As if screaming my name wasn't enough.

"What do you got going on tonight?" He gasped out as he had practically just sprinted to where I stood by my car.

"What?" I sighed. I had tried so hard to book it to my car the minute classes got out. I knew. I just knew Mike was itching to ask me something earlier in gym class, which is exactly why when the final bell rang, I gathered my stuff, changed from my gym clothes and made a mad dash to the parking lot. Apparently, I wasn't fast enough.

"La Push baby!" He gave me this goofy grin and I just stared back at him with a blank expression.

"Am I uh… Supposed to know what La Push is, Mike?"

"Beach, waves, bonfire! A bunch of us are going down there. Eric, Jess, Angela, and some others. You in? I could, you know, drive you since you're new here and may not know the way or something." His eyes lit up with so much hope at his suggestion that I almost felt bad if I said no. 'Almost' being the key word here. Something told me a car ride alone with Mike would give him the wrong idea and something even louder told me I'd be hearing it from Jessica if I went anywhere near him without her around. I think they are somewhat of a thing. In the short period of time that I've been here I've figured out, without a doubt, that if they're not a thing at least Jessica really wants them to be. And she's incredibly territorial of him. So yeah, by the first day I knew it would be best to stay away from Mike Newton. Not that I wanted to be hanging around him in any sort of romantic way anyways. He just wasn't someone I'd be interested in. I'm not sure what my type may be but I knew he was not it. Yet in the past week he keeps coming back around me with great persistence. Once my shiny new kid glow wears off he'll definitely cool down. One can only hope.

"Thanks, but I actually ha-"

"Ciao Bella!" Before I could even finish my thought, a delicate hand placed itself on my shoulder. "Does seven tonight still work?"

I don't know how she did it, but Alice Cullen has impeccable timing. I didn't even hear her coming. She just popped up at the best possible moment. I may not want to spend my free time alone with Mike, but I wasn't looking forward to crushing his spirits when I rejected his invitation. At least, with Alice here now, she can confirm that I do have other plans with her. If I alone had just given that excuse to Mike before, he definitely wouldn't have bought it. I mean, come on. I, Bella Swan, will be having Alice Cullen over at my house. Alice. Fucking. Cullen. I myself don't believe it. With everything I've been told these past few days, I still feel like the Cullens are these untouchable creatures of mystery and all anyone can do is look onto them from the outside. Well, I guess not now, because in a few hours Alice will be sitting in my room.

Oh god… Alice will be sitting my room. The first person from my high school to see my room will be Alice Cullen and my room is far from presentable yet.

Why am I even caring about this? I'm almost positive that if it were Angela coming over I wouldn't give two shits about what state my room was in. Even from what I know of Jess, I wouldn't care. She would judge all she wanted and I would just ignore it. But with Alice, I suddenly feel incredibly self-conscious. This is the girl that carries herself like fucking royalty and dresses like it too. I can only imagine what her home may look like. I can't picture anything less than elegant when I think about it.

"Wait, uh, you two are hanging out tonight?" Mike's grin quickly turned into a grimace as his eyes shifted between Alice and myself in a mixture of disbelief, jealousy, and disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Michael, but Bella is all mine for tonight. We need to get started with this English project as soon as possible." Alice's apology did not sound sincere at all. "I'm afraid La Push will just have to wait."

Now I could be imagining things, but Alice sounded almost completely smug as she broke the bad news to poor Mike. And I swear I saw a little twinkle of pleasure flash through her eyes as Mike's frown grew and grew as she continued to talk. And the way she said 'Bella is all mine" there on the surface those words were nothing but playful but I felt her hand squeeze my shoulder tightly as she said "mine" with an emphasis on the word that was barely noticeable, unless you're me and you try to dissect every word this mysterious goddess standing next to me is saying. Then yeah, either I'm imagining things, I'm over analyzing things, or I'm just fucking crazy. It's probably all of the above. But there's still a voice in my head that's freaking out about earlier, about that damn dream, about her eyes, about her peculiar behavior, and I have a feeling that I'll be thinking about every word she's said to me so far today and every word she'll say to me later tonight until I can find some insight on the enigma that is Alice Cullen.

"Isn't that right, Bella?" Alice pulled my back out of my inner ranting and I looked back up to Mike who looked absolutely defeated at this point.

"Yeah, sorry Mike." I shrugged "Rain check?"

"Er, yeah. Another time I guess..." Mike turned, shoulders slumped as he began to walk away from my car. He stopped for a second, looking back and his goofy grin was right back on his face. "I'll hold you to it! Next week you and me, Bells!"

He skipped off and I turned back to Alice, who was beaming a gorgeous smile back at me.

"Did you see him?" She giggled, her hand slipping from my shoulder. "I told you he would freak out! Oh, he looked like I ran over his puppy!"

"Yeah," I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. Her smile was so fucking contagious. "You really crushed his hopes and dreams, Alice."

"Me?!"

"You were the one who told him I had plans tonight!"

"Because it's true!" Alice gasped, her hand flying up to her chest as she pretended to look offended. It only made my smile grow wider. "You just made me do your dirty work!"

"Hey, you didn't seem to be complaining," I fired back as she glared at me with fake irritation.

"Are you suggesting that I like rejecting all your suitors for you, Isabella Swan?"

"I don't have any 'suitors', Alice." I laughed as she smiled back at me.

"I beg to differ," Her voice suddenly took on a more serious tone and smile faded only slightly. "I don't think you realize how much you've captivated some of the people here, Bella."

I was taken aback by the sudden change in her mood. Her eyes had softened as she said that, looking directly into mine, and her smile was almost a sad one. Somehow, I knew, that all the joking aside, this statement was serious and it meant something. It felt as if it meant something to her. But just as quickly as that moment came, it was over again and her playful expression was back.

"You'll be quite the heartbreaker here!" she teased. "I'll meet you at your place tonight. I need to make a stop first."

She turned on her heel with grace and made her way to her car as I finally unlocked my own and got in. I took a moment to reflect before putting my key into the ignition.

Today had been weird. I made a date with Alice Cullen. Well not so much a date date as an evening to hang out and work on a project. How many people here can say that though, I wonder.

There was a knot forming in my stomach as I drove towards my house. I don't know how tonight would go down. Will this be awkward? Will things be weird? I've only experienced two interactions with Alice and so far, both of them have been somewhat brief and somewhat weird, so I'd say that, yes, things will be weird. But that doesn't have to be an entirely bad thing either. There were a lot of questions and concerns going through my head as I thought more and more about tonight, but they all came to halt as one rang through my mind immediately.

I never told her my address.

I don't have her number.

How will she know how to get here?

"Shit."

Author's Note: Woooooooooooo chapter two is done! Please let me know what you all think so far! What do you like? What don't you like? Your feedback fuels me!