Alice came by about an hour after dinner. We left with barely a "bye guys" over our shoulders and a death glare from Alice to Emily. I inwardly cringed. I let the shopping pixie drag me away to the car. We drove to the mall with light conversation. When we pulled up, I wanted to hide in the car. I pulled Alice back. Five cars ahead of us, Jasper was with Tanya. I felt my heart drop. He looked over at me and saw the raw hurt and disappointment on my face. Why do I feel like this? It's not like we're dating and I caught him cheating.But, for some reason, that's what it felt like. He Glanced at me, frowned, but returned his attention to Tanya. I shook my head and ran into the mall, tears streaming down my face and Alice running to keep up with me. Why am I so upset? They're dating. I'll never have him. Alice spoke up. "Wow, Bells. Didn't know you cared so much about him." I growled. "Ali, it's just a crush, nothing more. I'm a nobody. He's the most popular kid in school. He'll never like me," I cried, sorrow hinting in my voice. "I don't know why I'm still hoping He'll come back around. He hasn't really spoken to me since 6th grade. Jasper Hale just isn't meant to be friends with me. I should just tell Mr. Banner I can't tutor Jasper." Alice stopped me. "You're tutoring him? Excellent. Come on, Shopping awaits." I couldn't help but smile. I loved how no matter what happened, shopping was always the remedy.

We walked for an hour before we found the perfect dresses to wear. Mine was a purple strapless that cuts off just below the knees. Alice has a navy blue dress with sequins engulfing it. I thought it was a bit much, but Alice loved it. It was a one- shoulder backless. She could really put it off. Just then, Jasper and Tanya walked in. Jasper looked at me once and I saw his face fell. He took a small step towards me, opened his mouth, closed it again, then walked away. I knew what he wanted to say. He was going to tell me that He hated me and was only letting me tutor him because he needs to stay on the basketball team. I hid my dress and ran to the counter to pay. $3,123. Crap I dug through my purse. "Bella?" Jasper asked. I found the money Alice stuck in there, threw it on the counter, and high tailed it out of there and into the closest store: Best Buy.

I hid there for about ten minutes before Ali came running to me. "What the hell was that? I heard Jasper say your name, so I turned around and you ran out. I asked him what he said to you and he said something like 'Don't understand stand why I think I deserve her after what I did'. What's that about?" I shrugged. "Oh, I found this before you ran out." Out of nowhere, my pixie best friend pulled out a small purple mask. It was held together by a small rubber band, so I'd have to be careful with it. It was covered in sparkles and I loved it. "Wow, thank you, Ali!" I pulled her close to me. "Umm….. Bells….. Can't breathe." I laughed and released her. We left the store, the thoughts, and the horrible memories.

Alice told me she'll hold onto the dress, the mask, my shoes, and my jewelry until Thursday night. I hugged my best friend, climbed out of her car, and walked into chaos. Emily and Elizabeth are fighting about some guy at school, even though Elizabeth has a boyfriend. I made a beeline for Bethany's room. It was a soft, neutral green- her favorite color. Hardwood floors gleamed in this room. A pure white window sat above her bed, which was currently occupied by Bethany and her friend and their coloring books. I knocked on the doorframe, since the door was open. The girls looked up and a smile flashed across my sister's face. "Bellsie!" The toddler ran to my open arms and I lifted her into the air and spun her around the way she loves it- gently elevating and lowering while spinning. She giggled and I sat her down. "Bethy, what were you and your friend doing?" Bethany turned on her heel- almost falling in the process- and climbed onto her bed. She picked up her book and handed it to me. "Me and Kristy were colorin'. I made you a picture. It's right…here." She turned the pages in the book till she came to a piece of printing paper. She tore it out and handed it to me.

I took it and examined it. There was two girls drawn on it. Over the shorter one, she wrote Bethy and over the taller one she scribbled Bellsie. There was a heart drawn between them and under the people she noted 'I love you, Bellsie.' I smiled. "Bethy, I'm gonna hang it in my room." I hugged my little sister. I turned to her friend. "Are you sleeping over?" She shook her head. " I smiled. "It's okay. I'm not my sisters you can talk." She laughed. "I'm Bella." I introduced myself to the little girl. She stood and said and clear as daylight, "You're pretty. I'm Kristy." Then she extended her hand to me. I chuckled under my breath. I was a bit taken back. I thought she'd talk with "the toddler slur" as my mother and I call it that I was used to hearing with Bethany. But you could clearly make out what she says. "Kristy, I'll ask if you can stay." She smiled and hugged me. I turned and walked out of the room.

I found my mother in the kitchen. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey, Mom." She gave me a hug while cleaning. "Bella, thank God you're here. I'm really busy here. I need you to-" I cut her off. "Take Kristy home?" She nodded. "Mom, let her stay here tonight. I'll call her parents and let them know and I'll take her home tomorrow afternoon." She contemplated this for a second. "Okay." I smiled and walked toward the bedroom. "She said yes. Don't make me regret convincing mom this was a good idea." We laughed and I walked through the living room to go to my bedroom, which is the worst mistake you can make in a Elizabeth- Emily fight. "Tyler doesn't like you!" Elizabeth screamed at Emily. "You have a boyfriend!" Emily yelled right back.

"We broke up!" Elizabeth.

"I met him first!" Emily.

"He likes me more!" Elizabeth.

I had the complete misfortune of walking through just then and Brit and Emily bombarded me. "Don't you think Tyler Moore likes me more?" "Do you see the way he looks at me?" "Did he say he liked you?" The conversation went back to between them and I could escape freely to my room.

I sat at my computer for a few minutes, just thinking. I took my picture and stuck it on my cork board. I turned on my ancient computer and signed onto Live. For English, we were assigned a screen name of someone else in our class. Not even the teacher knows who got whom.(A/n I was told it was "whom not who" six million times by my mother while writing this..)Our conversations were monitored by Mrs. Quick, or so we were told. At the end of the assignment, we were allowed to figure out who we've been talking to. I had someone by the name of BBall519.Ugh, talk about ominous. That could be anyone. We were told to log on every day about 8:45. I checked the clock. 8:39. I rolled my eyes and pulled up my latest game of solitaire. About five minutes later, my partner signed on. I closed the game and started my homework. (A/n Just so you know, I'm not using names so Bella will be bold and her partner will be italic.)

Hey, I've been bored. Must you be so on time. Can't you be just a little early?

Hey, nice to see you too. And sorry if I'm not an overachieving person. And what time did you get on?

8:39. And you make it sound like I'm an overachieving bitch.

I didn't say that all I'm saying is…. Look, we got off to a bad start. Since we can't use names, tell me about you.

Well, I'm 17 and I'm a junior, clearly. There is this guy I like and I get so jealous when I see him with his girlfriend. I have brown hair and brown eyes. You can't tell who I am from that, though. I play piano. What about you? What are you like?

I'm 17, a junior like you. I have a girlfriend. Can't tell you her name cause then you'll know who I am. Even though I am in a relationship, there is this girl. She's so beautiful. Her brown hair, so beautiful against her pale skin.. And her blush, God. I fall for her more each day. I play guitar. Music is my life.

You have a girlfriend, yet you like another girl. That's kind of low. No girl deserves that.

Hey, don't say that like I'm a bad guy. You don't know the girl I like.. She's smart and funny and unique.

Most guys won't talk that way about girls unless they're dating, and even then, it's only when their girlfriend is around.

Haven't you ever been told not to judge a book by its cover. I'm not like most guys. And my girlfriend isn't even my type.

Then why are you still with her? Break up with her.

I can't. She has the entire school under her thumb. I could lose all of my friends.

You sound like you're dating Tanya Denali. Hard to tell who you are though, considering how many boyfriends she has. And if all of your friends will leave you for dumping a girl, they can't be real friends.

What do you mean? How many guys is she dating? And they are. Most of the friends I had in junior high are still my friends.

Most? And let's see. There's Jasper Hale, obviously. There's Mike Newton, Brandon Hathaway, and Kevin Gane.

I lost my two best friends that year. One I left because I fell in love with her and I couldn't make her change for me. The other went with her and they stopped talking to me. And do you know about Tanya?

That's an obvious move. I wouldn't talk to a guy who stopped being my friend because he loved me. Does she at least know? That the reason was that you loved her? And everyone knows. We're all wondering when Jasper would figure it out and leave her. Every girl wants at least a date with him.

Of course not. I could never muster up the courage to tell her. She was always turning guys down in 6th grade and I was scared to be one of them. And every girl? Do you?

Of course. His blonde hair and green eyes could kill someone because their heart stopped. He is so gorgeous. And you have to tell her if you want her back in your life.

I have no words. What do I tell her?

Knew that it would happen. And just tell her how you feel.

I'm scared.

I could always tell her.

Yeah, then you'd have to know who I am and who I like and you'll hold it over me forever.

Not true. Not forever, just until our twentieth school reunion.

Haha, you're such a comedian. I gotta go. Tanya's here.

Ha, thanks. Later Jasper/Kevin/Brandon/Mike

Grr.