Again, Twilight characters are not mine. Sorry this chapter's a little longer than the usual. I just couldn't stop writing.

Feel free to review :)

BPOV

I miss Phoenix. I miss the sun, the scorching heat. I miss the house I lived in with my mother before she and Phil moved to Jacksonville and I to Forks. I miss my old room and everything in it. I miss my old comfy clothes.

Especially the ones I loved to wear which makes Renee want to tear her hair off.

I almost laughed out loud when I remembered her expressions every time she reads the prints on the shirts.

I had a dark green one that says No Moore Mandy.

I also had a maroon one which read Jess-sucker Simpson.

But my favorite was the black one which had Spear Britney! in block yellow letters written across the chest.

Renee often complained that the shirts were angsty and offensive, but I merely saw it as a simple way of self-expression. The end of those of discussions never saw the light of day. Especially with Phil being too amused to break our arguments off.

Yeah, I'm not a popstar fan. The total opposite of Jess and Lauren who, I bet, knew every sickeningly poppy song to every crappy album of every bubblegum artist.

"We're almost there.", Angela murmured quietly. I didn't know if she was sort of assuring me, or she was comforting herself.

Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, Jess parked the car and we stepped out, stretching our almost numb legs after sitting for so long. Tyler parked his truck on an empty space two cars away.

As soon as she saw them step out of the vehicle, Angela ran towards the guys and securely fastened herself to Ben. who grasped her waist with his left arm in return.

I couldn't blame her. Driving to Port Angeles with two battling –and shrieking- karaoke queens and an emotionally unstable seatmate must have really taken its toll on her.

And besides, I think this was the longest time she and Ben have been away from each other. They have been joined at the hip ever since they officially became a couple. They weren't very physical and demonstrative of their relationship, but one could easily tell that it was there. He was protective of her and always had an arm around her, and she was, in a way, always leaning towards him.

Why does that sound so familiar? Oh yeah, that sounds like me and someone I used to know.

I sighed as I basked in my not-so-nice epiphany.

Damn it! I said I'm not going to think about that anymore tonight.

"Rough ride, Bells? You look a little out of it.", Eric asked when we crossed the street to head down to the cinema. Tyler answered before I could think of an excuse for my sullen mood.

"I'll bet she has a throbbing headache. ", he said casually. I was taken aback by his spot-on declaration. Oh hell no! Don't tell me Tyler's going to be an effin' mindreader now too.

"Seriously, to be stuck with Jess and Lau and a car stereo blaring away with nasal songs…", he trailed off, shaking his head. Lauren glared at him. It was the same glare that she used on me countless of times before, so that must mean she is really pissed. She started to walk away faster, so Tyler had to jog after her.

"Come on, baby. I'm sorry.", he cooed in her ear. He languidly put his left arm around her shoulders while Lauren tried to shove it off, hiding her smile. "I didn't mean anything by it", he continued, "but those songs really are nasty!" He whined and made a face that made us all laugh, Lauren included.

With Lauren and Tyler strutting ahead, Angela and Ben walking right behind them, and Jessica and Mike glancing awkwardly at each other, I came to the conclusion that Eric will be my unofficial partner for the night. And by partner, I mean the person who should be fast and alert enough to prevent me from falling on my face – or ass, I don't know which is worse- if my poor equilibrium decides to rear its ugly and harmful head.

I started too walk beside Eric, hoping that neither Jess nor Mike would call me back. Yeah, I was trying to set them up, and the last thing I needed to happen was to be placed between them, literally.

"So seriously, how are you holding up?", he asked me again when we were a couple of feet away from the others. "So far, I'm good." I said sincerely. True, I've had close calls tonight, but it never resulted to a full blown breakdown. That's good enough for me… for now. He nodded back at me and grinned, but he didn't say anything else so I took the opportunity. "I know I haven't shown you guys before, but I really am thankful for everything you have done for me."

Eric smiled widely. "We're your friends. Of course we'll do anything for you." He nudged me with his elbow before continuing. "And besides we do know that, somehow, you appreciate us."

"Really? And how exactly do you know that?" I raised an eyebrow at him. He just stared ahead with furrowed brows, struggling a little with words. Finally he just shrugged and answered. "Well, for starters, we do know that you prefer to suffer in silence, and it's, like, you're completely opposed to sharing your burden with us." I looked at him and motioned for him to go on.

"Uh, at first, when Edward left-" I winced at the mention of his name and he quickly shut up, realizing his blunder. He apologized profusely, which made him look a little boy caught with his hand inside the cookie jar. I couldn't help but chuckle at his expression. He, on the other hand, stared at me like I had suddenly grown two heads.

I composed myself and came back to our previous conversation. "So, at first…" I trailed off, asking him to continue. "Um. Yeah, at first, when he left" he emphasized the word, "you were so out of it that we thought you'd surely never be the same again. You completely ignored us, and treated us as if we weren't there right in front of you."

I grimaced again when I was reminded of my zombie months. I was about to apologize for that again, but Eric just continued on. "And then, you started to change. Well, uh, before, you did sit with us at lunch, but you never acknowledged us. Tyler and Mike and I even once had a debate that ended in a food fight. You were almost hit by a celery stick, and yet you still looked undisturbed, like you were sitting alone in the library or something."

I didn't know if I should cry or laugh at that. Maybe I should just do both. Coming from Eric's mouth, the situation was tragically comical. Or comically tragic.

"Then, out of the blue, you started listening to us at lunch again. It was a subtle change at first, but eventually, it was like, you returned from a long trip from somewhere and you're now learning about all the things you've missed out on. It was tense for a short while, but whatever. Finally, you were participating in discussions and even throwing retorts back at Lauren." Eric turned his head to face me, and I was a little surprised to see that he was smirking a little. "And look at you now, I mentioned his name, and you just laughed at my face."

Eric's short monologue rendered me speechless. Especially the part wherein I did manage to laugh a little when his name was mentioned. I didn't even notice that. It wasn't as easy nor painless as Eric thought it was. But when he said it that way, it was quite heavenly.

I remained silent, and then he spoke again. "Listen, we may not say this out loud, but we, uh, sort of, uh, know that, uh, we are one of your reasons for trying to move on and leave that part of your past behind." I just nodded and listened quietly as he stammered the words out. "But, seriously, Bells, we want you to move on not because of us or because of Charlie or because of anyone else. We want you to do this because you want to. You have to do this for yourself." I pondered on his words while I studied the ground we were walking on.

After a heavy silence, he finally cleared his throat. "Not to make you uncomfortable or anything, but you are a wonderful girl. If he hadn't realized that, well, he's a stupid guy." He finished his compliment with a laugh. I shrugged my shoulders, smiling slightly.

"Now, don't go all awkward on me because I've said all these things." He demanded playfully as he nudged me with his elbow. "What I said was the truth, and nothing but the whole truth. Don't think that I just said those stuff to woo you or anything." He exhaled loudly as I chuckled. "No, seriously. Because unlike him," he cocked his head towards Mike, who was walking with Jessica a couple of meters behind us, "I do know when to let it go."

I sighed as I remembered last year when I was still "the new student", and everyone wanted a piece of the fresh meat. Mike, Tyler and Eric all took their shots, but of course, I only had eyes for one person, erm, creature.

Again, not gonna go there.

"Yeah, thanks for that, Eric." I said earnestly which made him laugh so loud, causing Tyler, Lauren , Ben and Angela to momentarily turn around and look at us. "That bad, huh?" he asked, referring to Mike's advances. "You have no idea." I groaned while shaking my head.

At that moment, we stepped inside the theater lobby, and I was immediately assaulted by the red, orange and pink ornaments that decorated the whole place.

"What's this? The place looks like Barbie threw up all over it." I wondered quietly. Apparently, I wasn't that quiet, for Lauren spoke up resignedly. "They're called decorations, Bella."

Mike and Jess finally arrived as I voiced out my puzzlement again. "Decorations for what exactly? And do they have to be done in all shades of red?"

I gazed back at my friends after letting my eyes roam around the room, taking in the painfully bright adornments. I was met with a group of amused, sad, confused, shocked and blank faces.

A couple of seconds passed by, and instead of answering my questions, my friends were still staring at me as though I was an alien who landed on Earth and was about to terminate all living things. I concluded that I was never going to get my answers, so I looked around the room again, this time, inspecting the decors meticulously.

Random strips of red, orange and pink cloths were hanging from the ceiling. Also hanging through strands of clear strings were cardboard hearts, which were shiny because of all the glitters glued on them. And on the walls of the lobby were cardboard cupids; some were holding bows and arrows, some were with musical notes and some were holding more hearts.

Red, orange and pink?

Hearts?

Glitters?

Cupids?

It was then that it dawned on me. It hit me like a ton of steel bricks. I think I actually gained a concussion. I was sure my facial expression changed from clueless to mortified.

"Well, looks like you finally figured it out." Lauren said blankly, successfully interpreting my face. "It's the Valentines weekend."

I managed to compose myself, and nodded at her. Jess cleared her throat and called everyone's attention. She had made reservations yesterday, anticipating the large number of people who would definitely go out tonight. We gave her our payments, and then she headed off to the booth to claim our tickets, Mike in tow.

"You forgot? As in for real?" Ange asked. I didn't know how to answer her so I just shrugged my shoulders. "It kind of slipped my mind, I guess." I mumbled out. She smiled sadly at me, before going off with Ben to inspect one of the cupids on the wall.

"You got your heart broken" Lauren started, but Tyler gripped her upper arm to stop her. She just sighed and rolled her eyes at him. He released her arm, but he kept his eyes on her as she looked back at me. I was quite surprised to see that she wasn't glaring, she was calm.

"As I was saying, you're hurting. We do know that. But that's no reason for you- or anyone- to forget this occasion." I just stared at her, looking like a complete idiot. When I didn't say anything, she sighed again before continuing. "Bella, what I'm trying to say is that, this day isn't only for the romantic love couples share." She gestured towards Ben and Ange's direction. Right on cue, Ange laughed heartily at a joke Ben made, probably about the damn cupid.

I suddenly felt a pang of sadness. I wish I could laugh like that again. Well, maybe, someday. Who knows?

"You're really going to make me spell it out, aren't you?" Lauren asked, regaining my attention. I remained quiet, completely confused by where she was going with her sermon. Eric and Tyler didn't say a word either, clearly opting to stay out of the girl talk.

"This occasion is not only for couples. It's also for… friends." Lauren shrugged, fixing her gaze somewhere behind me as she hesitantly said the last word.

Oh, so that's what she meant. No wonder she's suddenly uncomfortable. Lauren talking to me about friendship is like Forks having no rain shower or drizzle for a month. It's unimaginable.

I noticed that Jess and Mike were returning with the tickets. I looked down at my shoes, still very bothered. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry about that."

"Oh shut it. You apologize too much." Lauren waved a hand at me and started to walk towards the snack bar, Tyler on her heels.

I was still looking at their direction when Jess grasped my arm. "What happened? What's going on?", she asked worriedly, her eyes darting from me to Lauren's direction, then back to me. Mike just stared on, wearing a puzzled look.

"I have no idea.", I mumbled back.

"Lauren", Eric sighed, successfully explaining everything with just one word.

Jess sighed as well as Mike rolled his eyes. We went on to follow the two to the snack bar. I purchased a single chocolate bar and a bottle of water. I didn't want to ruin my dinner. And besides, I had already devoured an insane amount of sweets in the car earlier- compliments of Jess and Lauren's agonizing karaoke battle. I'd probably get sick if I stuffed more food in my stomach now.

As we entered the almost full theater, I told Eric that I wanted the aisle seat. He refused to let me have the damn seat at first, blabbering something about the gentlemen should always take the aisle seat. But after pestering him and explaining that I feel a little claustrophobic, he finally gave in.

I plopped down on the seat I fought for, giving Eric a shit-eating grin. He scoffed a little at me, but smiled back anyway a second later. On his other side were Ben and Angela, who opted to share a large bucket of popcorn.

According to the ticket I callously shoved in my bag, we still had a good fifteen minutes before the previews begin. I tore the wrapper open and chomped down the chocolate bar, finishing it just after the lights were dimmed. It didn't really matter to me if I won't have anything to eat while watching. I wasn't even hungry.

I laid my head back at the headrest while the previews of the upcoming movies were shown, none of it really held my attention for more than a couple of seconds. But then again, these past few months, nothing really did.

Finally, the movie started, and not even half an hour into it, my head was throbbing and my chest was palpitating so hard.

What was I thinking? Really, what have I gotten myself into?

The movie was about alien robots and their on-going war, which for some reason, they conveniently had to stage here on planet Earth. Needless to say, it was full of CGI's that could blind anyone and sound effects that could render deafness.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I decided to finally get some fresh air. Eric caught my arm as I started to get up. "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom." I whispered back. He nodded once and gently released me. I was about to stand up again when a thought crossed my mind.

I nudged Eric and leaned closer to him. "Don't freak out if I don't come back for a while. I need some air. Maybe I'll just meet you guys at lobby later. This movie really makes my head hurt."

"Want me to come out with you? I don't mind." He asked, a little more concerned than necessary. I knew that if I said yes, he would no doubt accompany me. But judging by the way he almost drooled at the brunette on the screen, it would also be upsetting for him if he doesn't get to finish this lovely movie.

"No, it's fine. I think I can manage." I scoffed jokingly as I lightly punched his upper arm.

He chuckled quietly as he nodded again. "Alright. Just text me if you change your mind. And, please, for our sake, don't go off too far. Your father will have all of our heads rotting away on spikes if something happens to you."

I rolled my eyes at him as he turned his attention back to the actress who 97% of the male population find sexy. Eric had pleaded jokingly, but we both knew the seriousness underneath it.

Everyone knows that Charlie is very protective of Forks. More importantly, everyone also knows that he is doubly protective of his only daughter. And after all I- we- have been through these past months, his over protective nature was even more magnified. Generally, I think it's safe to say that the already nonviolent town of Forks even became more peaceful, if that's even possible.

I once tagged along on one of his fishing weekends, and his best friend, Billy, told me how everything else went down on the day my heart- and whole world- got drastically torn apart. Billy had told me that it was a complete pandemonium, and that Charlie was such a mess during the hours I was missing. He admitted, that although they have been the best of friends all their lives, he had never seen Charlie so frantic and helpless like that before. According to Billy, the mayhem only subsided when one of the search parties launched finally found me the next morning at the crack of dawn, my body soaked with mud and my face covered with rainwater and tears. It was then that he loosened up a bit, only to be enraged again when he discovered the reason behind my disappearance.

I had hard time imagining my dad as Billy had described him. I mean, he's Charlie, the pokerfaced father and the composed police chief. I used to think that he's this tough man and nothing can break him. Well, I know better now. After hearing all these, it made me exert more effort to resurface from the hellish situation I found myself in.

I was brought out from my internal reflections when I stumbled on the hallway the leads to the comfort rooms.

Darn! Great going, at least the floor was carpeted. Wouldn't bruise my face that much.

My shoulders slumped down as I entered the bathroom and saw my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were a little red, and my alabaster skin looked extra pale. My wavy hair was slightly ruffled due to the headrest. Or maybe, it already looked like that since I got out of Jess' car earlier this evening. Blah, blah, I've never given much thought about my appearance and how I would look like to everyone else anyway. As long as I'm clean, doesn't smell and comfortably safe in my clothes, well, that's good enough for me. I never really bothered to look cute or glamorous or whatever normal girls my age strive to look. And with my pale skin and brown eyes and hair, let's just say there's not much to work with in the first place. I was plain, old Bella. Always am.

After splashing cold water to my face a couple of times, I tried to tackle the mess known to me as my hair. I was starting an argument with my hair when the door to the bathroom opened, and in walked my favorite person in the world.

"You've been here for a while now.", Lauren spoke as she walked past me to proceed to one of the stalls. I just nodded at her and continued to wrestle with my hair. She just scoffed back as she closed her door.

A few seconds later, I heard the toilet flush and she walked out of the stall. She stood beside me in front of the mirror, washing her hands. And she was watching me with squinted eyes.

"You're not going back in there, are you?", she asked as she played with the soapy bubbles.

"No. I hate action films and all those explosions. And this movie is just full of it." I grimaced, anticipating the antagonism she will surely throw my way.

She sighed as she began to wash the soap out of her hands. "I don't want to go back either. Tyler's driving me insane." I raised an eyebrow at her reflection, and she continued. "He never shuts up about that 'hot chick on screen'. I couldn't even understand the movie because of his mumblings. I mean, yeah, she's hot, I get it. But to me, she's just like an Angelina Jolie clone or something."

I laughed a little at the last part of her ranting, nodding my head a little. I never thought that I and Lauren will finally agree on something, but well, here we are.

"Where are you going to wait for us? The movie won't be over for at least an hour and a half.", She asked as she began to walk towards the door.

"I'll meet you guys at the lobby. I really can't go back in there. My head hurts."

She nodded. "Okay, just text if you need anything." And with that, she was out of the door.

I frowned at my reflection. Did Lauren just say that I text her if I need anything? Or did she mean that I text someone else?

I shook my head and took a deep breath. I studied my reflection one last time. My skin was still pale, no surprise there, but the red in my eyes have subsided and my hair looked a little tame compared to before.

I finally stepped out of the bathroom and proceeded to the lobby. I looked around and noticed that there were also a few people loitering around. The thing is, no one there was alone- except for me, that is.

They were all coupled up. Some couples were on the lounge area, very much enjoying their private worlds. Some were in line to purchase their tickets, and some were at the snack bar. And there was one brave pair who was sucking each others' faces and literally molesting their partner, right in the middle of the damn lobby.

I almost snorted at them. Really, they shouldn't be getting movie tickets. They should be getting a room.

I walked past the hot couple and headed towards the wall that wasn't covered with freakin' cupids. Instead, it displayed posters of the Now Showing and Coming Soon movies. I browsed the posters, not because I was interested in seeing any of those movies, but because posters were a lot safer to look at compared to the lovestruck people which currently dominates the place.

I was once again greeted by the poster of the movie my friends are still watching. Come to think of it, now that I'm out of the claustrophobic theater and away from those hellish visual and sound effects, the movie wasn't that all-bad.

The yellow robot was cute in its own way and he kind of grew on me. And their leader, who magnificently turns to a truck, was not so bad as well. The actor who played one of the soldiers- which is now married to a smashing recording artist, according to Jessica- was not bad to look at either. For the lead stars, on the other hand, well let's just say that the dorky-guy-turned-hero-who-gets-the-hot-girl plot is getting old. And the Angelina Jolie clone- Lauren's words, not mine- couldn't act. Yeah, yeah, she's got the curves and all, but she just looked like a mannequin or a battery-operated dummy.

When I ran out of posters to inspect and criticize, I decided to step out of the lobby. There was no way that I would linger around this place and watch people bask in their perfect romances, but going back inside the cinema and get my senses gravely assaulted again was absolutely out of the question.

As soon as I walked out, the cool night air greeted my exposed face. I pulled my hoodie tighter as I thought about where I would go. I remembered that there was a coffee shop just a few steps away.

I grasped the expensive tote a little tighter as I walked towards the shop. The streets weren't dark because of the bright lamps, and it wasn't empty as well, for there were a few people strolling around. But I couldn't help the choked-up feeling that was beginning to form inside me.

I couldn't help but remember the time when I was cornered by those frat boys all those months ago. And that wasn't the hard part.

The hard part was remembering how he saved me again. He single-handedly scared the men off and rescued me.

That night was special, to me at least. Of course the van incident provided me with the first concrete evidence, but it was that night that he finally owned up to it. He took me to dinner, sort of confessed what he truly was, drove me home, and then picked me up for school the next day.

Everything began that night.

The lie began that night.

I suddenly felt chilly, and it had nothing to do with the cool air of the night. I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

Okay, now is definitely not the right time to dwell on that. Get a grip.

I finally reached the coffee shop and immediately thanked the heavens that it wasn't crowded at all. I marched up to the counter to order.

With my cup of steaming coffee at hand, I walked towards an empty table beside the window and sank down on the soft couch. I wrapped both my hands on the cup, taking pleasure in the heat it brought to my skin. I was still a little edgy because of the walk, and the warmth and scent of the coffee helped me relax a little. As I laid my head back, I recounted the events that took place in school earlier.

The essay on how to save Romeo and Juliet's tragic love story in English class.

The discussion of the roles of powerful couples played in History class.

The teacher's decision to be lenient- again, his words, not mine- in Trigonometry class.

The "gift" comment of my Physics teacher.

And of course, the effin' red silk and satin curtains that now adorned the gym walls.

Darn! Could I be any more oblivious?

Seriously, I really don't get how I missed all those clues that pointed to the occasion.

I shook my head sadly as my phone began to vibrate. I put the cup down on the table and started to dig for my phone from the bag. It couldn't be one of my friends, as the movie wouldn't be done yet. I finally retrieved the still-vibrating phone, and sure enough, the caller ID displayed my mother's smiling face with her name just below it.

"Hi, mom."

"Hi baby! I called the house, but your dad said you went out." Her astoundingly chirpy voice was the total opposite of my flat one. "Are you out on a date? Oh, sweetie, that's fantastic! Tell me what he's like. Is he tall? Are you-"

"Hold your horses, mom!" I said to the phone a little louder than I intended, which caused the two boys at the nearest table to look at me and smile funnily.

I ignored them as I set the record straight for Renee. "Yes, I'm out. But I'm not on a date. I'm in Port Angeles with the whole gang." I emphasized the words, and my erratic mother sighed.

Uh, there's no need to tell her that I'm in a coffee shop alone while the others finished the movie that I unceremoniously walked out on.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart. It's just that it's Valentines, so I assumed-"

My chuckle cut her off. I could be the most pessimistic and morbid bitch on the planet, but I always will be a baby, sweetie and sweetheart to her. "Yeah, yeah. I still don't understand why you're so eager to give me away."

We both laughed at that, and she soon bombarded me with how Phil surprised her with a vacation trip to Hawaii and their other plans.

Well, looks like the honeymoon stage is far from over. And I didn't want to pollute my mind with any visuals of that.

We eventually said goodbye after that, sparing me all the juicy details on what she planned to do to my stepfather in the beautiful islands of Hawaii.

My cougar mother, thank you for keeping me sane- most of the time anyway.

A quick glance on the time told me that I should be getting back to the cinema. I sighed as I stood up, already missing the comfort of the cushions. I chucked the almost empty cup in the nearest garbage can, and headed back to the direction of the theater.

I watched my feet strictly, praying that I wouldn't trip, for the cement really looks painfully rough. Almost halfway through my walk, I finally glanced up and once again thanked the lamp posts for their yellow lights.

And it was then that I saw him.

He was walking on the other side of the street and heading towards the direction I came from. There were still a couple of yards between us, but his presence had already struck me motionless. I couldn't take my eyes off him, even if I tried.

He was tall and lean. Lanky. He must be standing six feet tall. His pale skin looked flawless in the yellowish lights, and his strong jaw looked chiseled from marble. His lips were a slight shade of pink, and well, it looked soft. His nose looked so masculine, and so did his eyebrows. His eyelashes were so thick that I could see it from across of the street. I couldn't see the exact color of his eyes, but I could almost swear I saw them sparkle, the light of the posts reflecting off them.

But what restricted me from moving was the way his hair danced due to the slight blows of the wind. It looked so soft and… brown. His hair was a dark shade of brown, and it almost looked black from a different angle.

My body was still stiff, but I managed to inhale deeply when I realized I had stopped breathing. I gripped my tote bag with cold hands as he walked past me from across the street. He didn't notice me and continued to take fluid, balanced steps. I watched him until he finally entered the coffee shop I exited only a minute ago.

I seriously deliberated on going back to the shop and look for him, but that is a plainly crazy thing to do, so I just decided to let it go. As I dragged my steps back to the cinema where my friends are, I couldn't take the mysterious boy out of my head.

No, he wasn't the man who left me behind. But for a second there, I thought he was. Except for the hair, the resemblance was undeniable. If the man who left me behind was human, I could swear he was his cousin or something.

I finally reached the lobby and immediately plopped down on one of the lounges, completely ignoring a couple who was making out a couple of feet away. I sighed and laid my head back as I scolded myself mentally.

So much for not thinking about him tonight. Could've fooled anyone.

Not only did I think about him a lot tonight, but, even for a short time, I also thought he came back for me. To me.

I sighed again and closed my eyes. Not even ten minutes later, I heard the door of one of the theaters open and people began exiting noisily. I heard my friends coming towards me, so I struggled to right my newly-rattled composure.

"Well, there's our Sleeping Beauty!" Tyler hollered, and I heard the others laugh.

I rolled my eyes at him when he helped me up from the couch. "Yeah, yeah. You better have a good reason for waking me up."

"Dinner good enough for you?" Ben asked me as he held Angela's hand. "I'm starving."

I nodded back at him as Jess gave him a dirty look. "You're always starving."

Ben shrugged his shoulders, and Ange pinched his right cheek. "What can I do? I'm a growing boy."

We laughed at him as we exited the cinema. "McDonald's?", Lauren asked while pointing to the golden arches the world recognized. "Yup, Let's go." Ben said as he marched towards the place, lightly dragging Angela along.

We followed them, and again, I found myself walking beside Eric.

"How's the head?" he asked, referring to the headache that damn movie gave me.

"Better." I lied. My friends didn't have to know that it was even more intensified because of everything that happened after I stepped out of the theater.

"Oh, that's good."

I nodded and shifted the conversation to a much safer topic.

"So how was the rest of the movie?"

We finally reached the promise land that was overflowing with fries, cheeseburgers and sundaes. We made our purchases and found a booth that can comfortably sit the eight of us.

"Bleh, it was dragging and the story was kind of predictable. But the chick was hot." Eric smiled cheesily, no doubt remembering the Angelina Jolie clone who possessed the acting abilities of a brunette mannequin.

Lauren rolled her eyes and Jess scoffed at him. "Oh-kay. I've had enough of her. Please don't mention her again for the next two weeks." Then she turned to look at me. "So what did you do out here alone, Bells?"

"Yeah, Bella, you didn't break any rules, did you? Killed anyone?" Tyler teased me, and I threw a fry at him.

"Well, I washed my face at the bathroom, got coffee and tried to sleep- which of course, my friends could not allow. And no, didn't have the time to kill anybody tonight." I shrugged as I played with another piece of fry. "Nothing interesting."

"Oooh, I've got something interesting." Mike said as he smacked the table lightly. "I forgot to tell you guys earlier. The new kid dropped by our store today. Bought some plastic stuff. He left just a few minutes before you arrived."

He was immediately attacked with questions, ranging from "what does he look like?" to "do you think he's cool to hang out with?"

I, once again, voiced out the most clueless question of all. "What 'new kid'?"

Angela heard me because she was the only one who wasn't hurling questions at Mike. She smiled at me nonchalantly and explained the suddenly important "new kid bruhaha". "There's a new lawyer in town. He moved here a month ago. He has a son our age, but he arrived just yesterday, I think."

"Yeah, his name's Daniel. He stayed with a cousin in New York for a few more weeks before coming here." Mike confirmed. "I invited him to come with us tonight, but he said he already got plans. He'll start school on Monday. He's sitting with us at lunch."

So that's what the girls were gushing about in the locker room today.

"They're from New York?", Tyler asked. I just stayed quiet and let their conversation take its natural course.

"Yup. He said his dad grew tired of living in a big city, got something to do with high crime rates blah blah." Mike nodded again.

Eric laughed. "So they moved to Forks, where nothing ever happens."

I sighed quietly. If my friends only knew that there was more to Forks than meets the eye. But of course, it's not my secret to tell, so I kept my mouth shut. They may not be here anymore, but the secret is still theirs.

"Well, that would be a change. Going from busy to no work at all. But they're probably loaded so that wouldn't be a problem, financially anyway." Tyler thought out loud, and Lauren nodded. "His dad is a lawyer." She agreed, drawing the word out.

"You didn't answer my question. What does he look like?" Jess whined again. Mike looked at her with a pair of wide eyes.

"Jess, you're not asking me to describe another dude physically, are you?" Mike asked helplessly while the others burst out laughing. Even I smiled a little.

Jessica continued to stare at Mike, which caused him to give in. "Well, he…" He trailed off, and he looked at me for a split second before speaking again. "Fine. He looks like an all-right guy. He seems decent."

"Decent? That's what you can come up with?!" She was now on the edge, and I felt a little pity for Mike.

"Calm down Jess, looks isn't everything. And besides, you'll get to meet him the next time you go to school." I tried to pacify her growing excitement. But that didn't turn out so well, seeing as Lauren had to open her mouth again.

"Yeah, you would know, wouldn't you?" Lauren asked me, one eyebrow raised.

Something about her tone and demeanor struck me. "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean, Bella." I remained silent, as Tyler and Jess tried to shush her. Their gestures were rendered futile.

"It's quite ironic to hear you, Bella, preach about looks not being everything. You dated the most sought-after boy in Forks, which, by way, you're obviously still head-over-heels in love with. He's probably the most unearthly handsome man on the face of the planet that you still can't get over him. So forgive me if I find that 'looks isn't everything', especially coming from you, hard to believe." Lauren crossed her arms across her chest.

Her words cut me deep, so deep that something inside me finally snapped. "That wasn't about looks." I answered back while clenching my hands to tight fists. I came so close to throwing a glassful of soda at her face. "I didn't love him because of what he looked like, okay? I love him because I just do." I choked up at the last sentence, so I took a deep breath before continuing silently. "And I thought he loved me back. But obviously, that wasn't the case."

I felt Angela grasp my tightly closed hands in hers and tried to ease the tension. It didn't change anything, but I was grateful for her efforts.

Our table was quiet. The tension seemed to render everyone speechless.

In fact, the whole place seemed to be more hushed than earlier. It was then that I realized that Lauren and I must have given the McDonald's' patrons a free show. A free glimpse of the soap opera that was my life.

"Bella, what I'm saying is that you should completely put an end to this. It's time to let things go. Don't you think that, somewhere, Edward has already moved on? Maybe it's time that you do too." Lauren sighed as the others looked on at different directions.

Jess tried to defend me. "Lau, she is moving on."

Lauren raised an eyebrow at her. "How? She can't even say the name Edward Cullen out loud. Of course, she's moving on." She scoffed back.

Completely ignoring Lauren, I turned to Angela and inhaled deeply. "I want to go home." I mumbled to her as she nodded at me. She took a clean tissue from the table and wiped my cheeks with it. It was only then that I realized that some tears had escaped.

She finally stood and helped me up after whispering something to Ben. We walked out to the cool night, my hand still clutched in hers. I remained unaware of everything around me, until I heard Jessica's dark threat. I didn't even realize that the other followed us out.

"If my baby gets hurt, one tiny, little scratch, you die." She warned Ben as she handed him her car keys.

We walked back to the cars and I slipped in the backseat of Jess' car without saying anything to anyone. Ben drove the car but Angela still opted to sit beside me, which left Eric the passenger seat. The ride, unlike earlier this evening, was silent. The air was tense, and I could feel my friends' anxiety.

I kept my eyes on the window, drinking in the view as it flew by. But Lauren's words kept coming back to me.

Edward has already moved on.

It's time to let things go.

I sniffed a little, and the noise didn't escape Angela's ears.

"Do you want to take a nap?" she whispered to me, clutching my hand a little tighter. "Then, we'll be home before you know it."

This night was already too much for me. The last thing I needed was my friends to see me thrashing around in my sleep due to the nightmare I will surely have. "I'm fine." I muttered to Angela, still looking out the window.

"Don't worry, Bells. We'll get you home soon." Ben promised.

I exhaled loudly when the Newtons' store finally came into view. We stepped out of the car as Tyler's truck parked beside us. I immediately headed towards Ben's car, avoiding the others.

A couple of minutes later, we were out of the parking lot and heading home. When we were nearing Charlie's, Angela turned in the passenger seat to look at me. ""Are you okay?"

I nodded.

She sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry this night didn't end so well. The other also asked me to apologize for them." She met my eyes again. "Especially Lauren."

I almost scoffed out loud, but caught myself. Lauren apologizing. To me. Yeah, bite me. But Angela doesn't deserve my sarcastic remarks. So, again, I lied. "It's fine."

The car came to a halt, and Ben turned to look at me as well. "Sorry, Bells, really."

I nodded back at him and smiled- more like grimaced- a little. "Thanks for the ride, guys. And for everything."

They both gave me tight smiles as I stepped out of the car. They didn't drive away until I got the front door opened. I returned their waves and finally closed the door.

Charlie was passed out on the couch, the TV still blaring away. There were a couple of empty beer cans on the center table, and his plate was also on top of it. As I reached for the remote control to turn the TV off, he was startled awake.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were asleep."

"Go ahead. I was just waiting for you to come home." He cracked his knuckles. "I'll be gone for the weekend. Harry invited Billy and me to a fishing camp. I'll be back on Sunday night. Will you be okay here alone? I could ask Jake to come here and keep you company."

"I'll be fine, dad. I have homework to do and laundry to finish. Let's not bother Jake." I refuse to let anyone baby me, and Jake, although he was a year younger than me, tends to do exactly that. "And I'll get some groceries tomorrow."

Charlie nodded as he got up from the couch. "I'll leave some cash on the counter." He threw the empty cans in the trash while I dumped the plate on the dishwasher. "So, you kids have an interesting night?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, interesting." I mumbled.

"Good. Leave the plate. I can wash them before I leave. Get some sleep. You look like you had a long night."

My father can really be perceptive when he wants to be.

He started up the stairs, before speaking again. "And, uh, your mother called. Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah. She called on my cell." I answered as I grabbed my tote from the kitchen counter.

"Alright. Night, Bells."

"Night, dad."

I trudged up the steps to my room and dumped the tote on my bed. Grabbing my toiletries bag, I headed to the bathroom to attend to my human nightly rituals.

When I finally, slipped under the covers, everything that happened earlier tonight came back.

The hearts and cupids.

The annoyingly loud movie.

The couples lost in their own little worlds.

Renee's assumption that I was on a date.

The nameless stranger who mysteriously reminded me of him.

Hell, I could even hear the freakin' Mariah song.

And the most painful of all, Lauren's words.

Edward has already moved on.

It's time to let things go.

At that point, I suddenly felt tired. Not only in the physical sense, but emotionally and mentally as well.

I'm tired of crying myself to sleep every night. I'm tired of the nightmares, and waking up crying because of the nightmares. I'm tired of putting up an act for the people who truly cares for me. My parents, Phil and my friends, they don't deserve to be lied to.

Most of all, I'm tired of yearning for the one person who, in the first place, didn't even love me at all.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and cheeks, my resolution growing firm by the minute.

I shifted on the bed, dragging my eyes from my closed window, to the glow in the dark stars on my ceiling, which Charlie never removed even after Renee and I moved to Phoenix.

Things will have to change around here.

I swore to myself as my eyes darted from one star to another. I'll start by doing something I never imagined myself doing.

Maybe, it's time to follow Lauren's advice.