But why am I Jessica?

Chapter 2

Nothing made sense to me. Was I in some sort of alternate "alternate" Twilight universe where Edward was not a vampire? My head was beginning to feel woozy. The pain, I had been tolerating. The wooziness though, it was on a whole other level. The world around me literally was spinning. My own stupidity in that moment dawned on me quickly.

"Water," I demanded to Edward. Edward looked at me in confusion. He turned away from me and opened the driver side door of his Volvo. He rummaged in the front and back seats before he pulled out a plastic water bottle depleted of half of its contents.

"This is all I have. Bella was drinking it." He tossed the water bottle to me and I fell to the ground reaching forward to catch it. Edward motioned toward me. He was not close enough to break my fall in time- perhaps with his vampire speed he could have. But 'A', he won't reveal to me he is one obviously or 'B' maybe he is not a vampire. If he could read my thoughts, he would know I knew. I would think on that more later. I waved off Edward's gesture to help me up. It felt nice to sit.

I set the water bottle on the soft soil of the ground and plunged my hand under my t-shirt into my bra. Between Mike dropping me off and running possibly 4ish miles, I stuffed the plastic packet of poppable pain killer pills Carlisle had graciously prescribed for me in my sports bra. It made sense at the time. Edward looked away immediately from me.

"Ah-ha!" I exclaimed aloud to myself. Edward's head shifted back in my direction; he stared at me oddly. But the f***s I gave in that moment were zero. I peeled back the foil layer to the pill that would hopefully save my head and popped it out. As soon as the pill was in my mouth, I picked up the water bottle and made direct eye contact with Edward. "Cheers." That was all the thanks he was going to get from me. I chugged the remaining water in mere seconds.

"Can I take you home now?" Edward pleaded with me. His plead was more on the annoyance side though than the pleading side of desperation. What do I do? Where do I go from here? My head still hurts, but at least resting has alleviated my body from feeling off kilter.

"On one condition." If Edward truly intended on taking me home, he was going to need to accept or negotiate with me the terms I needed to be met before I stepped in his stupid Volvo.

"Lay it on me." I weighed the options of what was the most important information to collect at that moment.

"Drive me one mile outside of Forks. Then we can turn around and you can drop me off at my house." I needed to know if this reality was a limited world or was there still life going on like normal everywhere else in the world. Learning that piece of information was essential to carve a path for many more questions to come.

"Do I want to ask?" His tone was curious but irritated. I remembered he was not the biggest Jessica fan in the books, so I could see his frustration if he could not read my thoughts and the fact that I was pulling some abnormal stunts for the small town of Forks.

"Even if you did, I don't care to explain. If you accept, let's roll." Edward sighed and nodded his head. All for the better he doesn't ask or know more. I have concluded he is pretty useless towards my goal of getting out of this…dream/heaven/hell/fictional universe or wherever I am. Once again Edward offered me his hand to pull me up. I swatted it away, and barely stood up by myself. The effort to find the strength in my legs and knees was rather pitiful, but I did out of sheer force of determination. I stood tall at my 5'1" stature and marched to his car. He followed suit.

Edward didn't rebuke me for passing up on sitting in the front seat and taking the right back seat in the Volvo. He did as he promised and drove me a mile out of Forks. I happily watched the "Goodbye! You are now leaving Forks. :(" sign fade in the rear-view mirror. I also clocked the mile meter on his dashboard to make sure he didn't short change my mile outside of Fork's request.

When we passed the mile marker Edward turned to me and asked, "Are you satisfied, or would you like to stretch it out another mile or two before we turn around?"

I was taken aback by his offer. Based on his tone in the woods, I assumed he would not budge on going any further than my original request. I didn't let myself be so easily impressed for long though. "This will do. Thank you for asking." I now have proof I am not in a Wayward Pine's Novel inescapable town. Thank god! But…this now leads me to more questions than if I had been. I will think on this more later. The medicine is slowly kicking in, but it needs more time for me to really feel the effect.

I let myself doze off on the ride back. The atmosphere was really comfortable to fall asleep in when classical music delights your ears and you are softly lulled to give in to your body's demand of rest.

"Jessica. We are here." A voice called to me from my sleep.

"Jenna? Am I home now?" my voice groggily called out as I was waking from a dream of being stuck in a Twilight Universe.

"It's Edward. We are at your house now." My eyes quickly fluttered open and forced me to accept I was not out of the Twilight Zone after all. Edward's pale face was unnecessarily 6 inches away from mine as he was waking me up. I cursed Stephenie Meyer's name in that very moment. Every detail she used to describe Edward in the book was now staring me in the face all too closely. The stupid high cheek bones, the strong jawline, his full beautiful lips, and the dreamy golden eyes that you were supposed to lose yourself in. He smelled great too. His physical perfection vexed me.

I would keep my composure though. I would not make the same mistake as Bella who fawned, drooled, bit her lip and did all that hoopla over Edward's beauty. Beauty was only skin deep after all.

"Of course. Came out of a weird dream. The headache may have played a part. Thanks for the lift. And…the water. I appreciate you going out of your way to find me and bring me home." It took courage for me to say thank you, but I knew it was the right thing to do. He did not have to find me after all. I assumed Carlisle had put him up to it. I was not sure when they figured out I didn't head inside my house after all when Mike dropped me off. Could Alice have told them with a premonition? Nooooooooo, Katie. Let's not be dumb. Assume they are not vampires until evidence contradicts this assertion. Easy peasy.

Edward backed out of the side passenger doorway so I could get up and exit the car. "Sure, Jessica. Bella would have felt terrible if something had happened to you as result of her hitting you on the head. She really does feel awful about it." I tried my best to keep myself from laughing. It was a typical Edward move playing out in front of me. Always cleaning up Bella's messes or defending her. I knew I shouldn't fault him for it. It was how his creator made him.

"I'll be okay. Tell her not to worry, okay?" I decided to throw Edward a bone as he walked me to the front door of Jessica's house. He could make Bella feel better and be out of my hair. It was the least I could do for my parting gift. I planned on being out of here soon. Now if the real Jessica came back and wasn't as forgiving, that's a future problem they can deal with.

Edward looked stunned at my response. I couldn't recall if Jessica was not normally this nice. It had been awhile since I read the Twilight saga and Jessica's character was pretty minor to recall a lot of details about. Even if I had remembered it all, I don't think there was a lot of background given on her for me to use as a guide to pretend to be Jessica. F***. Do I proceed with out of character Jessica or try to channel frenemy Jessica to Bella? I don't have the will power to be rude right now after he helped me out. I'll make a decision on this later, if it comes to that.

"Bella will feel relieved knowing you said that. Thank you, Jessica. I will see you at school. Feel better." Edward's smooth voice was too charming. Especially when he was pleasant and not annoyed with me. He flashed a soft smile before he turned away and headed to his car. He watched me from the driver's seat the entire time of me opening the front door, stepping inside, and closing it. Why don't they lock their doors? This is dangerous to leave it unlocked. The famous episode of "Home" during the 4th season of the X-files definitely has already aired by this point.

…..

A week had passed in Forks since I first awoke there, and I learned a lot but still had no solution to my existence. Every night I worked on my list of theories to test and knowledge I had acquired to understand the world I was in. I reviewed my notes and felt disappointed.

1. Is the rest of the world going on around me? Confirmed.

2. Does a Katie Smith exist in this world? To be determined. Understandably, the availability of information on the internet is lacking compared to 2019, AND the Stanley household has one computer that everyone shares. Work on a plan to find this out.

3. Are the Cullen's vampires? To be determined. But, in no rush to determine it. Avoiding the Cullen clan is preferable. I want to stay out of the story line all together.

4. Is this an afterlife? Not confident it is. Need to come up with ways to test this.

5. Is possible to up and leave Forks? Possible, yes. I however look like Jessica so I can't resume my life as Katie Smith. Also, I am only "17".

6. The year is 2005.

7. I am in the timeline of New Moon. Bella is four weeks away from turning 18.

My list in prior versions had been longer and less coherent, but I cut out the fat. In the end, I was still left with a heaping mess. Additionally, I had to balance this hidden part of my life with also being "Jessica". I was blundering my impersonation of her to friends and family left and right. On top of trying to get myself, Katie out of this mess, I had to study to become Jessica to throw off suspicion of my lingering amnesia. Jessica's diary, poorly hidden under her bedroom mattress, helped clue me in on certain aspects of her life. The information was narrow and limited, but I knew it was better than nothing. Luckily, Jessica's parents were very off hands and didn't raise concern with my lack of familiarity with the few conversations we had. However, Jessica's little pest of a brother was a problem. I could tell he knew something was off with me. I avoided him when I could in the house.

Attending Forks High School was unbearable. I had just completed SIX YEARS of school. A back to back education with a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering fields. I could hardly stand being in those high school classes for the minutes I was required to. The course levels were easy enough that they did not require a lot of my attention outside of school. In addition to putting up with the classes in my school life, I had to endure the students. I am sure teenage me would have been thrilled to chum it up with Bella and the gang at school. However, adult me was doing my best to avoid them all. I ate lunch in the library where I informed my friends I would be studying. I claimed I was struggling with pre-calculus concepts. It was funny to myself to pretend this since I took up to Calculus Three and other high mathematic courses for my engineering degrees.

My second week of school in Forks was not going to be as easy as the first week I was soon to find out. Over the weekend, I had decided to play the role of Jessica as true as I could to stay on course of story line but with minimizing the bitchyness. I soon learned my mere presence in this world had already thrown everything off the right track.

As established the previous week, I spent my lunch period in the library with my face buried deeply in my pre-calculus book. To my advantage, I had picked a plush, single user chair and read my textbook at eye level with the cover showing to onlookers and hiding my face. It in fact was hiding the seventeen magazine I was actually reading. I justified to myself I needed the me time to unwind from the chaos of my reality. The embarrassing stories in the back of the magazine tended to cheer me up when I felt down about my lack of progress. I just finished reading a good story about a girl's tampon string showing at a pool party with her crush when I heard a voice come from behind me.

"I didn't realize seventeen magazine moved from teenage pop culture features to helping struggling students in pre-calculus." I cringed when I knew who the light hearted tone belonged to.

"…Edward. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I shut the textbook and felt crushed I didn't dog tag the page I was last on in my magazine. I didn't bother to explain myself. I wanted to hear his response first. Edward walked around the chair to face me directly. He sat on the foot stool meant for my comfy chair that I opted to not use. I regretted that now.

"I came to offer you my services in tutoring you in pre-calculus. You have been one of the top students at the school and Bella was concerned with your recent struggle to keep up in pre-calc. She felt it coincided too coincidentally with the hit to your head. Since I tested out of pre-calculus, Bella suggested I offer to catch you up in class. However, now I am not so sure you need the help."

I was in a dilemma of how to respond. If I admitted I wasn't having trouble, then everyone would want to know why I was lying and skipping lunch with them. If I admitted I was only taking a break from my studying, Edward may pester me more to tutor me. Naaaah. Bella put him up to it. IF I refuse, he can tell her he offered but I didn't want his help. He is only here because Bella asked him to be. Not of his own volition.

"Chill, Cullen. It's just a study break. I am getting the hang of it though. It's taking more effort than I am used to, but I will be back on top of it eventually. Thanks for the offer but use your free time to spend with your girlfriend." I smiled innocently at him after lying straight to his face.

"Where is your notebook and pencil then? How are you studying if you don't work the problems out?" Edward was killing me.

"I like to understand the context of the how and read how the derivations to a formula are created. It's nerdy, but it helps me visualize more of what I am working towards. I read during lunch and do the practice problems in the evening. It's a good system," I explained to him when I should not have needed to. I did my best to make sure my eyes were conveying a 'go away now' look, but he didn't take the hint.

"Interesting method. I have heard worse." Was he being serious or cracking a joke? Honestly, it was hard to tell the difference.

"I am sure you have. Are you intending to take up the rest of my break time, or can I spend my last two minutes reading my magazine before I get back to the boring stuff?" I tried to sound like I wasn't as annoyed as I felt. Edward did not respond right away and just awkwardly stared at me with his golden eyes.

"You are different." My mouth gaped open in response. What shit is he trying to pull with me right now? I shut my mouth quickly and tilted my head to the side.

"I am not sure what you mean. I guess I can admit I have been a little slow since the bonk to the head, but other than that I am still just Jessica Stanley." The way Edward stared at me, I felt like he could see into my soul. He could see Katie chomping at the bit to claim her identity. I knew it was a pipe dream he saw through the façade though.

"Oh! I see Bella by the check-out desk. I bet she is looking for you. This must mean lunch is nearly over. I better pack it in. Go to Bella, we will catch each other later. Thank you for the tutoring offer, but I will turn it around in pre-calc on my own." My shoulders relaxed when he rose from the foot stool and walked over to Bella.

My moment of peace did not last long. Upon exiting the library doors into the school's main hallway, Mike Newton intercepted my path.

"Jessica! I feel like I have hardly seen you since you got back. I hope there still isn't any hard feelings since I asked for us to go back to being friends at the end of the summer." Ah. I had been avoiding him because I didn't know where we stood. At the end of Twilight, Mike and Jessica presumably dated after the prom. I think I recall they were broken up somewhere in the beginning of New Moon before Mike joins Bella and Jacob for the "Face Punch" movie fiasco event. I gave him a nervous laugh to buy myself time for a reply. Before I could open my mouth, he continued talking to me.

"To be honest, my ulterior motive for volunteering to take you to the hospital last week was that I wanted to have the opportunity to talk to you again. The cold shoulder you had been giving me up to that point since I ended things was making me uneasy. I want us to remain friends." Now my laughing response was honest. I forgot how full of himself Mike was portrayed in the books. I could not fathom how Jessica remained a love sick fool for him well into their senior year. The least I could do in her memory was keep her pride intact by not giving Mike an inch more of her affection.

"You know Mike, I think that hit to the head was very beneficial for me. It knocked out all the feelings I ever developed for you in the first place. I am more than happy in this next stage of our relationship to be only and forever, just friends. I think we are better off." I flashed him a quick grin before I sauntered down the hallway. I reveled in the fact that while his face remained calm when I spoke to him, it was his eyes that revealed their disbelief at my response. Knocking Mike Newton down a peg would surely be good for his character. Everyone deserved to be served a slice of humble pie every now and then.

I passed Edward and Bella when walking to my next class. While Bella remained enraptured by Edward's face as she was conversing with him, Edward darted a quick glance at me served with a side smile. For a second, I imagined he actually heard me offer a ladder to help Mike off of his pedestal. It was a stupid thought. He was listening to Bella and was being nice to me. More than he should have though. He was supposed to not have friendly feelings towards Jessica at all. There was a chance I would need to veer him back on that course again in the future.

When I arrived at Jessica's house after school, I decided to give myself a real break. A taste of normalcy from my previous existence. I was going to go for a run. Jessica's body needed the cardio and I needed to feel control over something that reminded me I was Katie Smith and not Jessica Stanley. When I pilfered through Jessica's closet, it was apparent her only physical activity occurred for 50 minutes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at school. I had to sport the Fork's gym uniform for my running attire. The tennis shoes available in her closet were not shoes I would have opted for distance running, but they would have to do.

I found a perfect trail that offered a warm-up length through residential areas and switched to a lightly marked path in the woods. If you didn't look for the markers, you would get off course. Already aware of runner's tricks like that to mark trails from experience, I followed all the stacked rocks and forks in the road, and I never went down a path that was deliberately and unnaturally blocked by a log. That run, despite the struggle on Jessica's lungs and fatigue in her legs, was the first time I enjoyed myself in Forks, Washington. I was committed to make running a nightly habit and work Jessica's body into submission that it could become a runner while I inhabited it.

By Thursday I was in a good rhythm of avoiding the circle of friends, "studying" during lunch, working on my exit plan, and keeping up the pretense I was Jessica Stanley. By the time the last bell rung for the school day, I had only vocalized one sentence. I was called upon to answer a question in English over Romeo and Juliet. The story line of New Moon was really milking that star-cross lovers set-up between Bella and Edward. Boy, I definitely lapped that up when reading that book as a teen. I was so…naïve then.

My fast foot work down the hallways enabled me to evade most of the people that would likely call my name before I left the school grounds. Jessica's friends definitely lagged on their exit when school was over. It was to my advantage though. I was so determined to not let up my pace, I was not paying attention to my surroundings. I ended bumping into Alice before I could escape through the doors to freedom. It was my first time seeing her up close since I arrived, I was astonished by her beauty. She was every bit the image of a pixy as she was portrayed in the series. I mumbled an apology and tried to step forward. I was prevented from moving anymore by her grip on my shoulder. It was not tight, but stiff enough to halt my body.

"Alice?" I asked her shyly. She looked me in the eyes and replied, "It doesn't look like it now, but it will rain a lot today." Her expression was strange. Was she trying to convey a message for me in a metaphor along the lines of staying away from Edward? I was doing my best to avoid him. Apparently, others were not acknowledging that. I couldn't fathom what metaphor the rain could have meant. Perhaps it was a veiled threat of a 'reign of terror'? I laughed at the ridiculous thought and then remembered Alice was still staring at me.

"Good thing I brought an umbrella then." I swerved my backpack to sit on my chest and proceeded to pull out a travel size umbrella. I waved the light pink umbrella with baby cartoon pigs on it at Alice, thanked her for the warning, and ensued to get the hell out of there.

The rain was still only lightly drizzling when I arrived at Jessica's house. I ran upstairs and threw on my ordained running outfit. I looked forward to feeling the cool droplets of water splash my face as I trudged through the damp soil in the woods. It would be my first run in the rain after a very long time.

I was well over halfway into my run in the woods when the light trickle of rain was turning into a down pour. I negotiated with myself only five more minutes out before I needed to turn back. It was a stupid mistake. On my return path, the calf deep crossable stream I had traversed a quarter mile into the woods in the beginning of my run was now rushing at a much faster pace. The heavy flow and deeper level of the water scared me. I was unsure if I could walk in it without being swept away or if it was deep enough now, I would have to swim.

It stretched on for a good length between two good-sized hills. I contemplated walking to a crossable area, but the sun in the cloudy sky was starting to set and I was losing my nerve. I decided to wait out the storm and let the stream's flow calm down.

I didn't know how much time had passed as I waited. No one knew where I was. Jessica's family never asked me where I ran when I would go outside in the evenings. My iPhone could have been helpful at that moment for call service, telling the time and even gps tracking my run. I had to make do without that lifeline though. A rush of bravery coursed through my veins and I believed I could cross the water. I was just being a chicken about it for some reason. I knew how to swim. Poorly, but I could dog paddle and that propels you forward to say the least.

I didn't allow myself to back out of the notion as I gave myself a running start before I plunged into the water. My feet didn't hit the bottom. Damn this short body! Those 5 inches I lost could have given me a footing in this shitty situation. The water whirled around me at a force I didn't expect. I hardly could keep my body in one place let alone project myself to the other bank of the stream. I was exerting a lot of energy to stay afloat and to not let the water carry me down its unknown path. My body was reaching its limit of exertion. I lost count of the seconds or minutes I was battling for my life in that stream. Maybe it wasn't bravery that drove me to jump in? On some level, I wondered if my death in this reality would return me to my own world or start me on the next phase of my afterlife. That one question and realization were enough for me to relax my legs and arms. I stopped fighting the inevitable. My body was beginning to submerge when I heard my name called.

"Jessica! Jessica, take the branch!" A long and sturdy tree branch was thrust by my head. My hands were within reach if I had pulled them out of the water. I had to act quickly before I could no longer make the reach for it. But I did not try. I let myself float past the branch and be completely submerged underwater.

My lungs began to burn. They were starving for oxygen. I let them writhe in pain as I forced my body to release itself from the flight or fight mode that would have attempted to pull me back to the surface of the water.

As I embraced my fate, I saw a white blur draw closer to my face. An angel? Is it time? As the blur came closer to my view, I could not focus on who or what it was. The lack of oxygen to my lungs and brain was close to wringing the little measure of life I had left in me. The blur did not matter.

….

"Wake up! Wake up, damn it!" My chest was being crushed by a thrusting pressure. In and out, in and out. The pattern of assault would not let up.

My lungs were begging me to take a breath on my own. To stop accepting what was being given to me. My head refused to comply. It was determined it was my time to head to the next phase of this afterlife.

Suddenly, my head lost control of the situation. The pressure ceased in my chest and oxygen was flowing freely from my own inhale and exhale. I was alive.

"Ugh, Edward," I whispered as I opened my eyes. He was sitting next to me with his face in his hands. A few feet behind him I spotted Alice and Jasper.

"Why did you not take the branch?!" He demanded from me. I refused to answer him immediately. I looked at Alice and Jasper. I now knew what I had been denying. They were vampires here in this world after all. Alice had in fact, in her own way, tried to warn me not to go for a run.

"I lost my strength and ability to move. My body was in shock." I lied so effortlessly. It stopped surprising me how natural the lies had become in this world to keep up the pretense I was Jessica Stanley.

I was alive still though. Maybe it was time for me to embrace this new life. First, I had to ensure my family was not in this world. If that was case, I would accept my new reality for what it was.

Edward wrapped a towel around my shivering body and scooped me up in his arms. I was so cold I could not differentiate between my lowered body temperature from the water and Edward's own cold body as described in the books. I didn't ask why they were there or prepared with a towel. I knew why. Alice had a vision this would happen. Unlike Bella in Twilight asking Edward every question under the sun about how he was able to save her, I kept my mouth shut. I contemplated if I should ask to be put down, but I was sure my body wouldn't be able to carry me. Did they run straight here or bring the car? The car would have meant a slower travel time but would be easy to explain to a human like me. The silence was deafening between us all. I didn't know what to say. I am sure they did not either. It was probably best for all parties to go forward with saying nothing.

I looked up at the night sky when the trees were starting to break from blocking the view. The sapphire atmosphere sparkled with stars that shone brightly thanks to the new moon. I laughed at the irony of it. Edward reacted to my laugh by gripping my body tighter to his chest.

"Is almost dying funny to you?" Edward asked me heatedly. His anger shocked me. I could not wrap my head around what I was to him that he cared enough to save my life when Alice had a vision. I thought of a lie to smooth over the situation.

"Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly. Then your love would also change. That verse was my answer to a question in my English class today. I was thinking of the trueness of it when looking at the new moon." My voice was composed as I spoke. If Edward hadn't been holding my shivering body, he would have believed it too.

I looked up at Edward's face. His expression had turned to stone. I was surprised he did not respond to me or even top me with a different line from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". I redirected my head to face Alice and Jasper who were walking along side Edward. Alice had a solemn expression on her face and Jasper was unreadable. I was growing frustrated they would not give me anything to go off of. Are they mulling over how to explain their arrival to save me? I can save them the effort and pretend to pass out now and stay that way until they return me home. When I see them at school tomorrow, I will pretend I forgot what happened with their saving efforts and let them come up with an elaborate excuse. Hopefully it can be better than Bella's in Twilight where she fell down multiple flights of stairs and crashed through a window. Gag me with a spoon if they come up with something of the same caliber for me.

I shut my eyes and slowed my breathing. I had to make it believable I could sleep despite shaking like a leaf. If Edward had a heartbeat, it's rhythm could have possibly helped me actually fall asleep. I faked it the rest of the walk. When they were "100% certain" I was asleep, Edward picked up his speed. We were at Jessica's house in three minutes. I still kept my eyes closed. My parents answered the door when they knocked, and Edward took me upstairs while Alice and Jasper were left to explain what happened to me.

"I am sorry I was rude earlier; I was just scared. You will be in good care with your parents, they will warm you up. Alice called Carlisle and he said based on your symptoms you can recover just fine at home." Edward whispered that in my ear as he carried me to Jessica's room and placed my body on the bed. I honestly was a little weirded out that he knew where to take me without being pointed in the right direction. It was possible he read the minds of Jessica's family. I honestly didn't know how his mind reading talent truly worked. I felt Edward fumble with the sheets on the bed and grumble about all the show pillows he was needing to discard from it. I agreed with his sentiments about Jessica's taste.

When he finished, he picked me up and laid me back down on the bed again. This time underneath me was the soft fitted sheet of Jessica's bed and not the puffy comforter. He replaced the sheets and comforter over my body and tucked them slightly around my small frame. I was wondering if I was that good of an actress when pretending to be asleep or if he relied on reading people's minds so often that he became blind to bad acting if he couldn't read my mind to confirm it.

I heard Edward leave the room. I was ecstatic to become a part of the living world again and dive my body into a steamy hot bath to raise my internal core temperature. I was on the cusp of opening my eyes, when my ears caught a sound I couldn't place.

"Looks like you're actually asleep. I was wondering if I would catch you in the act if I pretended to leave the room. Oh, well." Edward's intended charm was not being perceived by me in that way. A cold hand lightly pressed my forehead and swept over to my cheek. I wanted to call him out for acting creepy, but I couldn't risk revealing myself. I bottled my feelings inside. It would have to be addressed at another time.

Finally, I heard his footsteps growing further away and then they descended the stairs. To talk extra precaution, I waited it out still. Soon enough, footsteps echoed in Jessica's bedroom once again. Thank god for wood floor. I wouldn't hear anything with carpet.

"Oh, sweetie. I cannot believe this happened to you. God bless the Cullen's for being in the right place at the right time to help you." A warm hand was brushing my forehead and pulled loose strands of my hair behind my ear.

"Mom…?" I used the opportunity to "wake-up" and take the hot bath I desired so badly.

Author's Note: Thank you too all my reviewers on chapter 1 and those that favorited and followed this story. I am happy this idea received positive feedback and gave me courage to keep on going with the idea. Well, what did you think of Chapter 2? Unlike with my other two stories, I don't have a mapped-out plan for writing this one. I don't intend for Edward and Katie to end up together, but I think her presence should definitely stir up some trouble for the beloved characters of the Twilight series.