Learning to Breath

Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!

Author's Note: Hey, guys. This is the second chapter of my story, where Edward and Alex start to slowly warm up to each other. And of course the dreaded, VAN SCENE! It's going to be different from the van scene in Twilight, but the theme of suspicion is the same. I hope you like it!

Suspicion

I walked to my next class, Biology, wondering about the Cullen's. They were obviously different, but I didn't really care. Pretty much my whole life, I'd had surprisingly accurate reads on people's personalities. And there was something about the Cullen family that appealed to me. They were unjustly discriminated by the students here, and I knew exactly what that felt like. That was the whole reason I'd had to leave my beloved Montana. I shook off those thoughts. They'd only depress me, and the past was the past.

When I got to class, I walked to the front of the room, as I had with every class, and gave my little slip to the teacher. He signed it, and then glanced around the room for an open seat. I followed his line of sight, and saw the Edward had come in. And next to him, was the only empty seat. Hmm. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that. He was intense, the look he had about him. Those eyes, and his face… I suppressed a shudder. He was one of those guys who planted themselves inside your head, and was a bitch to get out again. Mr. Varner, my teacher sent me to my seat, and I sat down. I sent him a smile and a hello. He smiled slightly back, and I couldn't help but notice how tense he was.

Mr. Varner started the class, and I only half listened. I'd already heard this lecture, so I once again pulled out my iPod. I put the volume on low, and shook my hair out so that it covered my ears. Suddenly I heard Edward hiss in a breath. I turned, and looked at him in confusion. His eyes were wide, and dark. Darker than they had been before. They looked almost black. My eyes widened slightly. His hands clenched his jeans, the knuckles bone white. I couldn't help but notice that he looked considerably bigger, and more muscular than he had when next to his burly brother. I looked away, and forced my muscles to relax. I knew that there was no danger, and if there was, I could handle it. So I turned on my soothing music, and doodled aimlessly in my notebook…

Poor girl. The only open seat was next to me, and surely that wouldn't be comfortable for her. Well, maybe not. I considered the fact that she had seemed perfectly at ease shaking hands with Alice. This human was either blind or stupendously brave… or perhaps just stupid. She didn't seem too worried walking over to sit next to me. Then she surprised me again, by smiling and saying hello. I smiled back, though it couldn't have been too convincing. I was still preoccupied with the fact that I couldn't read her thoughts. I just couldn't understand it. Even with her right next to me, I couldn't even get a vague picture of what was going through her mind. It frustrated me to no end. I should be able to know her entire life's story within a few minutes. Not that I particularly wanted to know. Most humans were all the same. Shallow, and self centered. Especially high school students. But then, this girl had already surprised me four times in one day. I was not easily surprised. So perhaps her mind would be as different as her attitude towards me and mine. I scolded myself, telling myself that I shouldn't want to know, that I shouldn't be curious. But of course I was. How could I not be?

The girl took out an iPod, and put in one earphone. I wondered if she wasn't academically oriented, or if she had simply already learned the information our teacher was lecturing on. The latter would fit with the very vague description of the girl I had begun to spin. It was fairly easy to see that she was very bright, friendly, and then of course, there was that odd bravery. I wasn't sure if I could classify it as bravery, but I didn't have a better word. She suddenly shook out her long hair to cover her ears, and an extremely potent wave of her scent rolled over me. Oh god.

My hands tightened on my jeans, and I worried in the extreme back of my mind that I'd rip the fabric. She was… unlike any scent I'd ever come across. I couldn't describe it, or describe what it made me feel. I wasn't entire certain it was a craving for her blood, that her scent inspired. The fact that I had no idea what I would do if I allowed my muscles to unlock, was what frightened me the most. She just smelled so… inviting. That was the only word I could think of. Like wind, and pine, and the sea, and damp earth. She smelled to me like freedom. All smells that filled me when I ran, the only time I was truly myself.

She heard my sharp intake of breath, and turned. Her eyes were filled with confusion, and silent questions. She saw my hands, and I saw the reflection of myself in her eyes. How odd. I didn't see the monster that I had kept chained inside me for so many years. And yet at the same time, I didn't see the man that Carlisle had taught me to be. It was some third personality, a stranger I had not met. Her eyes widened, and her body tensed. She seemed to shift ever so slightly, but she caught herself, and turned back towards the front of the room. Her muscles relaxed, and she breathed calmly and evenly again.

There must be something seriously wrong with this girl! Even seeing me, my muscles locked, my eyes black, she was relaxed! I wasn't sure I would harm the crazy human, but surely there was some instinct that told her I might. And yet she seemed perfectly at ease. Ugh! This was honestly horrifying. What if some other vampire, someone who had not chosen to beat back the monster, came here? Would she react the same to them? A hundred different scenarios ran through my head, all of them situations where the basic instinct to protect one's self should have saved her, but didn't. The images angered me as much as they horrified me. This girl needed some serious help.

After several minutes, the wild urge I still hadn't identified eased, and I hesitantly breathed in a small breath. It wasn't as bad as before, but still potent. I breathed again. Better. As I slowly accustomed myself to her odd scent, I slowly relaxed. I didn't allow myself to relax fully. That would have been stupid. The class was nearly over, and I was more than grateful for it. I wanted to talk to Carlisle, and Alice. Alice, to see what she saw in my future, and Carlisle to get advice on what to do with Alice might tell me. The bell rang, and I locked my muscles again, and waited for the girl to get up. She did, but in a way I had not expected. Most humans had average balance and grace. There were the clumsier ones, who would trip over thin air, and the ones with more than average grace, dancers and such. But the fluid movements of Alex left me dumbfounded. She moved with a grace that rivaled that of a vampire.

I walked to Spanish in a haze. Her grace, combined with her effortless beauty was astounding. I wondered why I had not immediately realized the extent of beauty when I had seen her face in the minds of so many of the students. When I sat next to Emmet, he immediately noticed my odd behavior.

"What's the matter with you?" he thought.

"Not sure." I muttered. The sound was too low for any human to hear.

"You gonna be okay?" he asked. I nodded slightly. Emmet shrugged. He was always the easiest going of us.

After the bell rang, he walked next to me, wondering what had caused my mood. I tried to block out his thoughts, but his concern was strong enough to slip through. My family slipped into my car, and we drove home in silence. But Alice talked to me.

"What happened? I saw you react very strangely to the girl." She said. I shook my head ever so slightly, signaling her that I'd tell her about it later. She frowned.

When we got home, Alice and I went for a walk, so as not to be overheard by the others. "So, what happened?" she asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I wasn't really tempted to, well, attack her. But I don't think it would have been safe for me to let down my guard." I said. Alice considered. She paused, and closed her eyes. I watched her thoughts as she looked forward into the future. Millions of tiny fragile choices, all meshing together to spin a constantly changing future. She focused on me, and the girl. I shook my head. I should really start using her name. Alice watching in amazement, as she saw Alex and I walking down the hallway at Forks High School, side by side, her eyes were lit with laughter, and I was smiling. Some choice I had made, or she had made, would lead us to be good friends. Very good friends from the looks of it. But how was that possible? Then as I watched, and thought, the future spiraled into oblivion, and then took shape again. Alex and I were alone, in a place I didn't recognize, but there couldn't have been people for miles. Oh my god.

"How is this possible?" I demanded. Alice shrugged.

"I only know the what, not the why." She said. I sat down on a rock next to the river and held my head in my hands.

"This is so frustrating. I can't read her mind, Ali." I said. Alice's eyes widened.

"Really?" she asked. I nodded.

"I have no idea what secrets she's hiding. And I can't help want to try and find out…"

I drove home first, because I had an hour before I had to pick her up. I unpacked a few boxes, sorted through some stuff, and then headed out again. I waited patiently in the parking lot, and smiled when I saw her walking towards me. She didn't look too horrified. Things might have gone well, but it was hard to tell with Nikki. She got in, and I smiled. "How'd it go?" I asked. She smiled slightly.

"Okay. Not too terrible. I made a friend." She said, looking cautiously hopeful. I grinned.

"That's great! Maybe by this time tomorrow you'll have a boyfriend." I teased. She just rolled her eyes, and put on her favorite CD, and we jammed out the entire way home. Tasha was up when we got home, so we put in the CD, and rocked out together. It was nice to just be silly together every once in a while. When we all collapsed on the couch, Tasha sighed.

"So, how'd things go?" she asked. Nikki told her about her day, how most of the students were really nice, but some of them were a little standoffish. Her new friend was really nice though. "What about you?" Tasha asked.

"Interesting. There's this group of students. And they're… incredible. The two chicks, they're like, total babes." I said, teasingly. "And the guys, oh! Don't even get me started." I said. Tasha laughed.

"Anyone in particular you got your eye on?" she asked. I just grinned, and wicked, then bounced into the kitchen. Tasha and Nikki scrambled after me, demanding details. "Well…" I began. They both immediately quieted. "One of the guys of the gods group." I said. "His name is Edward. And he's… intense." I said. It was a word I applied to him often. "He's got this bronze hair, that's kinda messy, but way sexy, and dark eyes, that…" I sighed. They both understood my girl speak.

"Wow." They said in unison. I nodded.

"But… I don't know. He reacted so strangely to me. I'm not sure what his problem is. But I hope that it's only temporary." I said.

That night, I snuck out and walked into the woods. The trees were tall, and grew close together, like guardians. I had always loved the woods, and there was no shortage of them here. The rain was soft, and turned the woods into a sparkling wonderland. The smells were incredible. I walked for over an hour before returning to my nice soft bed.

The next morning was the same as the last. I drove to school under a blanket of clouds, and my eyes searched the lot of the gods group as I had come to call them. The only car that stood out besides mine was a shiny silver Volvo. It had to be theirs. They certainly looked rich. So they were here. I went into the cafeteria, and bought another doughnut. I sat at the same table, but unlike yesterday, people waved when they walked by, and greeted me by name. I finished breakfast, then went into class. I could sense a routine forming. Sometimes routines drove me crazy, but sometimes they were nice.

My first half of classes passed smoothly, and then when I headed to the lunch room, I wondered what would happen. I decided to sit by myself, a sort of open invitation. I waited patiently, and sure enough, the little one, Alice walked up to the table. I winced. Her grace was unmatched by anything. Her walk seemed more like a dance. She smiled.

"Hello. Mind if I sit with you?" she asked. I smiled, and shook my head.

"Not at all." I said. She said, and stared at my tray.

"Not hungry?" she asked. I shook my head. The food was… unpleasant.

"You?" I asked. She grinned.

"Nope. I'm not hungry." She said. I had the feeling I missing an inside joke.

"So… You were the bravest?" I guessed. She laughed, that sounded like the tinkling of glass.

"Something like that…"

My sister was officially crazy. When she saw Alex sitting alone, she began to stand. "What are you doing?" I hissed. She glared at me.

"Your issues with Alex don't affect me. Besides, you're not the only one that's going to be friends with her." She thought. Then I saw the vision in her head. Alex and Alice standing side by side, laughing together, their arms around each other. I groaned. "I don't see why you aren't accepting this anyway. I don't foresee any danger. You seem to be strong enough to not do whatever it is you're afraid of doing." She reminded me. I rolled my eyes, and waved her away. I wasn't sure why I was distancing myself from her. There seemed to be no danger, just as Alice said. But I was afraid. Afraid that my flawed mortality would break if put under enough pressure, and I'd hurt her. I wasn't sure why, but that thought caused me more pain than it should have. I f course valued all human life, and the thought of taking one of those lives was painful. But all I could think was not her. I watched Alice walk to Alex's table, and hoped I would be strong enough. For what, I wasn't sure…

Alice was actually a lot of fun. She had a great sense of humor, and had a generally bubbly personality. After lunch was over, she made me promise that we'd get together soon. I agreed easily. It was so easy to like Alice. I walked to Biology smiling, and then felt my stomach flip when I saw Edward sitting at the table, staring out the window. As I had yesterday, I said hello, and smiled. He smiled back, perhaps a little easier than he had yesterday. "Hello." He said. I was a bit surprised he was talking to me. "I didn't get a chance to introduce myself yesterday, I'm Edward Cullen." He said. I smiled.

"Alex." I said. He smiled back. And we both turned towards the front of the room. It was hard to focus on Biology when Edward was sitting next to me. After all, he was amazing gorgeous. Mr. Varner announced that we would be doing a lab today, working with our table partners. Hmm… This should be interesting. There were microscopes on the table already, and he passed out little glass sides that we were to examine. Edward pushed the microscope towards me.

"Ladies first?" he asked. I smiled. Yep. I pegged him as a gentleman, and I had been right. I nodded, and put in the first slide.

"Prophase," I said after a quick look. Edward reached for the microscope, and his finger brushed mine. A shiver ran through my skin, that wasn't at all unpleasant.

"Mind if I look?" he asked. I shrugged. "Prophase," he murmured after a moment. I tried to hold in a grin. He wrote the answer neatly on the paper, and I admired his beautiful script, that was near calligraphy. He put in the next slide, and identified it as anaphase. He was about to put in the next slide, but I gripped his wrist lightly.

"Uh-uh. My turn." I said with a wink. He seemed shocked, and a quiet giggle slipped through my lips. I put in the next slide, and looked through the lens. "Metaphase." I informed him. He didn't ask to check again. When Mr. Varner came by, he frowned at the paper.

"Didn't you think Alexandra should try the lab, Edward?" he asked.

"Alex." He corrected. "Actually she identified two of the three." He said. Mr. Varner lifted a brow.

"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.

"Yeah. I was in honor classes in Montana." I explained. He nodded.

"I guess it's a good thing you two are lab partners then." He said. I guess that meant that Edward was smart.

After school, I walked to my car, thinking of the god that I sat next to. My keys accidentally slipped through my fingers, and dropped in a puddle. I sighed, and bent to pick them up. I was two cars away from where I had parked, in front of a tan Crown Vic. I had just grasped my keys, when I heard tires squealing. My head whipped up, and I saw Tyler Crowley's van skidding towards me. There was no way he could stop. My heart leapt into overtime, and my muscles bunched to propel me forward.

I sprung forward, and somersaulted just as something wrapped around me, and pulled me away. It was something hard, and cold. I opened my eyes, and saw Edward's flawless face inches from mine. His face was filled with horror. "Are you alright?" he asked breathlessly. I nodded.
"How did you get over here so fast?" I asked. Instead of answering my question, he asked one of his own.

"How did you get away from the van?" he asked. His ocher eyes were now filled with suspicion. I pursed my lips, and looked back over to the van. Tyler was still in there. I got up, and ran over there, Edward hot on my heels.

"Tyler!" I shouted. His eyes fluttered open.

"Alex? Alex I'm so sorry! My tires, they slipped, locked up. I couldn't stop!" he said. I opened the door, and slung his arm around my shoulders.

"I know; it's okay. I understand." Edward grabbed his other arm, and we walked him to a bench. I could hear the sirens coming. Edward didn't look so good. His eyes were black again, and his jaw was tense. The ambulance came, and took me and Tyler to the ER. I insisted I was okay, but somehow Edward managed to convince the paramedics that I should be checked out.

At the ER, I waited patiently for a doctor. Tyler was obviously the first priority, and I didn't mind waiting. Then the doctor came in. Holy shit! He was movie star gorgeous, and was smiling was amazing warmth. This must be the good Dr. Cullen. Wow. "Hello, Alex. I hear you had quite the day." He said. I snorted.

"I'd check your sources doc. I barely have a scratch on me." I said. He checked me out, probing muscles, with surprising gentleness and care, and then frowned.

"Well, it seems you're right." He said. He wrote some things down. "I suppose you're free to go. Just keep on out for signs of a concussion. You got lucky." He said.

"Lucky Edward was there." I said, testing him. His eyes flicked to mine, then away again.

"Yes well. I hope you continue to be in such good health, Ms. Swan." He said. Mmhm. I just bet you do.

"I hope I never see you again doc. At least, not in here." I said. He laughed.

"I hope so too." Just then, my sisters decided to come rushing in.

"Ali!" Nikki cried. She ran up and hugged me tightly. Tasha's eyes quickly took stock of me, then sighed in relief.

"You gave us quite a scare." She scolded. I laughed.

"Yeah, yeah." I said. They went to talk to Dr. Cullen, and I went outside to get some air. I found Edward leaning against the wall. "Hey." I called.

"Hello." He replied. As usual, his voice was smooth velvet. "What's the verdict?" he asked.

"I'll live." I said, shrugging. He frowned.

"How did you get out of the way?" he said.

"You pushed me." I said. He shook his head.

"No, I kept you from cracking your skull on the pavement. You got out of the way of the van all by yourself." He insisted. I sighed, and rolled my eyes.

"Edward, are you really going to push this?" I asked. "You and I both know that you got to me way in an impossible manner. So, let's keep our secrets, secret, shall we?" I asked. His eyes flashed, but then he relaxed. He seemed determined, but calm.

"Fine." He agreed smoothly. He pushed himself off the wall, and smiled in parting. Huh. He seemed to take that a bit too well. I decided that I wouldn't worry about it. I wanted to be friends with Edward, and bickering over this wouldn't help me achieve that goal.

Ending Note: So, I hope you liked this chapter. This is the first part where we discover that Alex has secrets of her own. And no, I won't tell you what it is. I will tell you that it won't be revealed for several chapters to come. So prepare yourself! : ) Anyway, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Peace!!!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~