I saw Transformers 2 last night. While Shia was sexy as always, the movie was only average to me. First one is definitely the better one. Watch it at your own risk.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, its characters or its components


Alice – "I do it because I love my older brother, and because I want him to be just as happy with someone as I am with Jasper, and as Emmett is with Rosalie and as Carlisle is with Esme. It must get overly tiresome to have to deal with so much intimacy in his coven, and then return to a life of loneliness. And maybe Eddie likes to act like he is extremely unbothered by his state of bachelorhood, but I know the man better. So I do this because I am on his side, and his well-being is my well-being. I only have good intentions at heart."

Chapter Two, Reconsider

Bella

I didn't even want to look in Alice's direction, much less speak to her that Monday in Yearbook, but she was coming at me and I had no means of escape. So I tucked my head down and pretended to be deeply engrossed in the picture spread laid out in front of me.

"Bella, I want to apologize," She said softly. Then she added in an even softer tone, "For Edward."

Just hearing his name made my innards cringe. Edward's words from Saturday were burned into my memory: I am way out of your league. I am not your type. You are not my type. Nothing would ever work out between us. Your attraction to me is futile because nothing will come of it. If only he had stopped there, but after a painfully long drive back to her house, he turned to me with a hard expression and stated simply: 'our interactions end here and now, goodbye Bella Swan'.

God, he hadn't been trying to get the point across: he was trying to carve it into my very being.

Mission accomplished.

"He had no reason saying the things he said to you, Bella."

"He told you the things he said to me?" I asked Alice, hearing the break in my voice.

Alice first looked sorry for revealing the fact that she knew, then her expression became incredibly sympathetic. She sat in the open chair next to me and probing me with intense and concerned gold eyes. "Listen, Edward isn't the best when it comes to social events. We usually don't let him out of the house."

She said the last part so lightly that I couldn't help but laugh. But it hurt to do so: I had spent so much of the rest of the weekend sobbing that I just wasn't ready for the change in emotion just yet.

"Anyway, I'm really sorry about it," Alice said, her tone being so sincere that I couldn't help but believe her. "I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me, and our friendship."

"Of course not," I said quickly. I didn't want Alice to get the wrong idea just because her brother had been incredibly mean to me.

"Good," Alice said, reaching over and grabbing my hands. It was then I noticed that she was wearing gloves, lavender in color and silk in material. They cinched together above the wrist, then flared elegantly for three more inches of fabric.

"Wo-ow, those are fancy," I told her.

"Yeah, I just got them ordered from Paris," Alice said, blushing embarrassingly. "I know it's still end of September, but I guess I'm just breaking them in from now for when the winter actually comes."

I felt stupid asking, but they looked so delicate and exquisite against her skin that the small, envious child in me wanted to try them on. "May I?"

"Yeah sure," she said, hastily slipping them off her hands and giving them to me.

The fabric felt cool against my skin as I slipped them onto my hands. They didn't go all the way down, the cinching came an inch or so above where they stopped on Alice's hands: mine were just too much bigger than hers. I took them off quickly, not wanting to stretch them out of damage them.

"They don't fit," I said disappointedly.

"No worries," Alice said, waving it off. "I can order you a pair just like these."

"Oh no, Alice," I said quickly. "You don't have to."

"Please Bella, we're friends. Friends by each other gifts."

Not gifts you have to order in from Paris. "Really Alice, it would be too much."

"Really Bella, it would be no problem at all," Alice said. "Don't even worry about it. We can look through the catalog I ordered it from. You can pick a different color, or a different style. Whatever you want."

I smiled weakly – there was clearly no way to convince Alice otherwise, but I liked that she wanted to be friends, even though I could do without the 'expensive gift' part.

"So," Alice started tentatively, as she slipped her gloves back on. "Will you sit with us at lunch today?"

My eyes widened in disbelief. "You're kidding right?"

"No-o," she said, dragging the word out.

"I don't think I left a good impression on your family, Alice," I said quietly, my mind drifting back to Edward.

Alice rolled her eyes. "That was only Edward, and he's always miserable when he hasn't been fed. Jasper thought you were really sweet."

Oh yeah: Alice's doting boyfriend thought I was sweet. That sounded completely sincere. "I don't know, Alice."

"Call me Al," she said. "If you want, I mean. I can understand that 'Alice' can be a lot to get out at once at times."

"Right," I said. Then I added for posterity, "Al."

She smiled, before continuing. "So Jasper likes you, and Emmett loves everyone. And Rose hates everyone, so technically, you're already in the clear with her," Alice paused, and shrugged. "The only clear you'll ever be in with her. And I love you!"

I smiled at Alice's eagerness, but sadly her words weren't enough. Not when the only other Cullen I really wanted to like me had made it blatantly clear two nights ago that our 'interactions' were over.

"Don't bug yourself over Edward, Bella," Alice said reassuringly. "Really, he was just having an off night. And I know that's no reason to take it out on you but–"

"If he told you what he had told me Saturday night, you can understand my concern for not wanting to be within three feet of him."

Alice exhaled heavily, and the locks of hair framing her face fluttered about. "It's only second period. You still have two more periods before you can officially decide–"

"Alice–"

"–and while I'd be utterly convinced that you don't like me anymore if you don't sit with me at lunch–"

"Alice!"

"–I'll have to respect your decision regardless." She had given me her entire story, without so much as paying attention to my indignant outbursts. Now she stared at me with comically sad eyes.

I laughed. "Sometimes you're too much Alice Cullen."

Alice smiled wide. "I'll take that as a 'sure Al, I'll see you at lunch time'."

I shrugged, but smiled in return. "Sure Al, I'll see you at lunch time."

Edward

I'm starting to think that Alice has no respect for me. Or if she does have some respect for me, it's quite miniscule and easily ignorable. Because yet again, Isabella Swan has been invited to the Cullen personal space.

"That's an ugly face," Jasper said nonchalantly. He was sitting across from me at our usual lunch table. The two of us – and Alice – shared this free period before lunch.

I hadn't realized that my inner irritation had made its way to my face, but I tried to relax my muscles anyway. "It's Alice," I told him.

"What has she done now?"

"It's Alice, and her obsession with Isabella Swan."

Jasper glanced up at me, looking unimpressed. "Don't you think you're being a little hard on Alice with that whole thing?"

I tried not to get angry. Of course Jasper would side with Alice: she was the love of his life. "No," was all I said.

"Well I think you are," Jasper said. "Bella is a nice girl, and it's obvious that she likes you. Even if you don't like her, you don't have to be mean to her."

"I wasn't mean, I–"

"Alice told me what you said to Bella when the two of you left the movies," Jasper said with a hard glare. "And yes, you were mean. Unnecessarily so."

I sighed in frustration. "Fine, I was harsh. Who cares though? As far as I'm concerned, she had to coming to her, thinking that things could work out between her and I."

"Maybe she would have seen it coming if she knew the full story," Jasper said. "I mean, it's not like she knows about your true nature and the complications there would be in your relationship. She just sees a cute high school boy. You can't blame her for that."

"Are you suggesting I tell her that I'm a vampire?" The idea seemed ludicrous, and Jasper was smarter than that.

"No-o," he said, dragging out the word. "I'm just saying that you can't say that Bella should have seen it coming."

I went quiet, realizing that Jasper did have a point there: Bella didn't know the full extent of things, so maybe my words would have been somewhat unexpected. Then again, I wouldn't have had to been mean in the first place if Alice would just let this whole "Bella-Edward" thing go.

"This is Alice's fault," I said.

"Oh yes, let's all rip and torch Alice because she wants you to be happy," Jasper said, rolling his eyes.

"Have I ever told anyone that I'm unhappy?"

"You don't have to say it, Ed," Jasper said. "We all know you enough to tell."

I folded my arms, angry that Jasper didn't understand things from my point of you. Of course, it was only natural of me to get annoyed at the love show going on in my house, what with my entire coven being coupled up, but that didn't mean that I needed Alice to hook me up with someone. And certainly not a human someone. And especially not a Bella Swan human someone.

"It doesn't matter," I said quietly. "I don't want to be a part of Alice's matchmaking game. I don't like Bella Swan."

"Why?" Jasper asked. "I haven't heard a good reason why."

"Because he doesn't want to work at it."

It was Alice's voice, coming up behind me. She sat next to Jasper and the two shared a quick kiss before she continued: "Edward is afraid that he might actually like Bella, and then he'll have to work at their relationship. Somehow, in his small little mind, he thinks love is easy."

I scowled at Alice. Jasper laughed. "He must be crazy if he thinks love is easy. Loving you is the hardest thing I have to do each day. Followed by the thirst control."

"Shut up Jasper," Alice said in a flirtatious giggle.

I rolled my eyes at the two of them – this was one of the moments when the adorableness was starting to irk me. Alice turned back to me and narrowed her eyes. "Now listen Eddie, Bella is going to sit with us at lunch today. So you better be on your best behavior. And not that best behavior you gave on Saturday."

"Alice–"

"Just give her a chance Edward, really," Alice said in an exasperated sigh. "She might surprise you."

That was the part that unnerved me in the first place. The last thing I was going to admit to was that Alice was right.

By lunch time, Emmett and Rosalie were sitting at our table as well. The two of them sat around so that the only empty chair would be next to me. I glared at Alice, but she only glared back at me. Then her face broke out into a smile as she said: "Over here Bella!"

I looked over my shoulder to see Bella standing nervously a few feet away from us. Fuck, that she looked just as good today as she had the night of the movie. It was the same jeans from that night, with a strapless fitted white top, her dark hair tousled attractively over her shoulders. I saw her take a deep breath before she continued her trek towards our table. I had to start holding my breath when her scent came over me – the most intoxicating thing it was ever my fortune to take in. Why did she have to smell good on top of everything else?

"Hi everyone," she said in a soft shy voice. Then she sat down and kept her eyes away from me. "Alice invited me."

"Oh relax Bella, you don't have to explain why you're here," Alice said quickly, waving her hand. "Nobody here is questioning you."

"I am," Rosalie said in a cold, angry tone.

"Relax Rosie," Emmett said cheerfully, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her in close. "Bella is big fun."

She let out a small smile, her face reddening slightly. I saw Jasper's eyes dart away from her face instantly, and Alice reach over to hold his hand. In an instant, he was calm yet again. Unlike myself, because I was still trying to keep my composure. How sad that Jasper was the one who normally had the thirst control, yet I couldn't handle the light blush on Bella's face.

"You should have told us that you didn't watch the first Transformers movie Bella," Alice said conversationally. "We could have watched something else. I heard The Proposal was very good."

"Oh I want to watch that one," Emmett said with a smile. "With Sandra Bullock right?"

"And Ryan Renolds," Bella said, seeming to warm up already. "My friend Angela and her boyfriend saw it the other night. They said it was really funny."

The three of them suddenly fell into warm and easy conversation about movies they had watched recently, what they enjoyed and what they didn't, with Jasper interjecting at points. Rosalie sat stone silent, still under Emmett's grasp, but glaring at Bella. Not that she noticed: she had gotten so comfortable with everyone, that she clearly hadn't even noticed that no one was eating their lunch except her.

I sat quietly as well, pushing my food around for posterity, but mostly just watching Bella. Now that she was completely at ease, her face was open and alight. The smile she wore was small, but comfortable, and her laugh – shockingly to me – sounded like chimes to my ears. And the luscious tint of red on her cheeks was enough to make me give over to the animal in me and taste her.

Which was the whole reason why I wanted to be away from Bella in the first place. This 'control' that my family was so sure that I had wasn't at its best when it came to Bella. I felt myself battling demons just sitting here next to her. And Alice wanted me to have a relationship with the girl?

"What do you think Edward?" Alice said to me, taking me from my thoughts. "The Proposal this weekend? Next weekend?"

Oh no, not another date-type event. "Count me out," I said in a hard tone.

"Me too," Rose said in a tone just as rough.

"Aw, babe," Emmett said. "Who am I going to snuggle with in the theatre when it gets cold? You have to come."

"I don't want to come if she's going," Rose said bluntly.

The whole table fell silent. An embarrassed blush covered Bella's cheeks, as she bit her bottom lip hard. "This was a bad idea," I heard her whisper. Then suddenly she stood up. "Please excuse me," she said quickly, walking away before any of us could say something.

I turned on Rosalie. "Why do you have to be like that Rose? Why do you have to be so fucking harsh at times?"

"Me?" Rose said in surprise. "You're the one that butchered the girl on Saturday. I didn't even think you'd care whether what I said to the bitch."

"Stop it," I hissed. "Bella is not a bitch."

I saw Alice's knowing smile, so I snapped on her as well. "Don't get any ideas Alice."

"I didn't say anything Eddie, dear. I just know very well about that whole 'only I can be mean to the people I love, not anyone else' get up. I've seen a couple of times."

"It's not like that," I said.

"It certainly feels that way," Rosalie said, folding her arms.

I got up from the table, compelled to find Bella and apologize on Rosalie's behalf. It was hard at first, because my not being able to hear her thoughts made me unable to trace her, but then I found her at her locker, stuffing her folders inside in frustration.

"Bella–"

"Don't say anything to me Edward," she snapped at me, in a tone that surprised me. There was an angry fire in her eyes. "I don't want to hear anything else from you."

"Look, I just want to apologize for Rosalie–"

"But not for yourself?" She hissed. She returned to jamming things into her locker. "I wouldn't be surprised if Rosalie didn't like me because of something you said to her."

"Now wait a minute. I've never talked about you to my family."

"Why? Because I'm not in your league?" She stopped and glared at me again. "And if you didn't talk about me to your family, how does everyone know what you said to me that night in the first place?"

"That doesn't matter," I said quietly. The last thing I was going to say was that Alice had foreseen the argument and told everyone about it that night in anger over my behavior.

"I'm sure," Bella said. She slammed her locker, and then turned to face me, taking two large steps until she was directly in my face. This close, I could smell her fear, among other things. But she fought through it, brown eyes flashing, and said, "Listen Edward, I don't know what I did to you to deserve you being so…fucking mean to me. But trust me, I'm not a glutton for punishment. If you never want to talk to me again, then don't talk to me. If you don't like me at all, then trust me, I won't like you either. I'll just be friends with Alice, and that's it. We don't ever have to speak if you want it that way."

"Bella–"

"No, just shut the fuck up Edward," she snapped at me. "Because while you may think that I'm not in your league, I just think you're just a selfish, arrogant, spoiled rich kid and you don't deserve your great family. Except for Rosalie, because she's a cold-hearted bitch just like you are."

Her cursing had surprised me enough, but then the rest of her tirade left me with my jaw hanging. I certainly hadn't expected this tiny little shy girl of a human to be able to say all these things with a straight face. Especially not one who was so clearly intimidated and infatuated by me at the same time. But she held her ground, and huffed at me, just before stomping past me. I turned around to watch her leave, my eyes falling on the soft sway of her hips as she went away.

Bella had been attractive to me before, subtly so. But suddenly she was the hottest thing I had ever laid eyes on.

Bella

I can't believe I yelled at Edward, but I couldn't help it: I was so angry at the whole thing. First the movies, and then me going against my intuition and agreeing to Alice's request to sit at lunch, and then Rosalie's offhand comment. And then on top of all of that, Edward coming to apologize for Rosalie! As if he hadn't said worse things to me!

I was still fuming when I reached the parking lot. It wasn't till I reached my truck that I realized I still had class to attend, and only fifteen minutes left of lunch. I had to go back inside and return to my lessons. Still, being outside and breathing in the fresh air, did make me feel less angry. I took a couple more deep breaths, before turning around to head back to the school building.

But I took only three steps before I realized someone was coming towards me – Edward was coming towards me. And now, that I wasn't mad anymore, the usual intimidation that came with being in Edward's presence came rushing back to me. Plus, he looked angry.

"Bella," he growled at me once he was close enough. "That was really uncalled for back in there in the hallway. I was just trying to apologize for Rosalie's obscene behavior."

Anger started rushing back to me. But before I could comment, Edward took another step towards me, and the anger in his face melted away, replaced with a somber expression. "However, I should have apologized for myself first," he said. "For my own behavior on Saturday."

I gaped, mouth opening and closing awkwardly. "Edward–"

"So I apologize," he said quietly, amber eyes smoldering. "For the things I said to you that night. I shouldn't have said them. I was angry about other things, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you." He smiled at me, the smile I remembered so well from Saturday. "Forgive me?"

His voice had dropped so low at the last two words that my face flushed instantaneously. I nodded quickly, unable to speak.

His smile grew slightly. "Thank you Bella, I appreciate it," he said. "Now then, may I walk you to your next class?"

"Um, sure," I said nervously, taking his outstretched arm tentatively. "Edward? If I may ask," I said softly as we started walking back into the school building. "Why the sudden turn around? I mean, why are you apologizing to me all of a sudden?"

Edward didn't reply right away, and I wondered if I should have just allowed myself the satisfaction of Edward Cullen apologizing to me in the first place. But then he said, "Sometimes you have to realize when you're in the wrong. And I realized that I was. I had no business being as harsh as I was with you that night. It was unnecessary. Plus," he looked down at me and smiled. "You aren't as out of my league as I made you seem."

I blushed again, certain that I was being flirted with. Edward had gone from the big bad wolf to a charming prince. Although, I did like the 'charming prince' part, I wondered if this was going to be a regular thing with him that I would have to learn to cope with: the extreme mood swings. Then I mentally smacked myself, realizing that two seconds of niceness from Edward had me making plans for our future together, which definitely fell under 'getting ahead of myself'.

"So, The Proposal," Edward said softly. "Do you want to watch it?"

I tried not to seem too surprised. "Um, well, yeah," I said uncertainly, still trying to avoid the 'getting ahead of myself' syndrome.

"Because if you cared to give me another shot, we could try this movie thing again. Probably this Saturday?"

He said it so coolly, but it had me bouncing inside. Now Edward was asking me out? "This isn't some ploy to humiliate me a second time is it?" I blurted out.

He looked at me, his face apologetic again. "I did say I was sorry for what I said."

"Well that doesn't make it go away you know," I told him.

He smiled. "You're right, it doesn't."

He stopped walking, and I realized we were standing in front of my classroom. I glanced down at my watch, and saw that I was five minutes late for class. "Oh no!"

"Don't worry," Edward said calmly. He fished around in his front pocket, then pulled out a yellow slip – a late pass. As he handed it to me, I realized my name was on it.

"How did you–?"

"Doesn't matter," he said. "It's genuine, so you'll be okay."

I smiled nervously, taking it from him. "Thanks."

"It's no problem." He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "So, the movies this Saturday? I know I deserve for you to leave me hanging, but I'm hoping you'll save me a second time from the despair of hanging out with my romantically linked Cullens by myself."

I nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that last Saturday. It must get pretty awkward at times."

He sighed. "It does."

"Well," I shrugged, trying to stay nonchalant. "I guess I could think consider it, and get back to you."

"Want my number?" he asked, his voice sounding suggestive.

"Uh…" Damn, incoherence yet again. "Sure."

I handed him my phone, and he punched it in with ease. When he gave it back to me, and our fingers touched for the briefest of moments. I felt a similar rush of coolest against my skin. I was tempted to comment on it, but it seemed that he was very sensitive about his easiness to get cold.

"So call me," he said, "when you decide."

"Right," I said. "I will. I mean, I might."

Edward grinned at me. "Hopefully you will," he said, just before turning away from me.

I wanted to call after him, not quite ready to be rid of him so soon, but he had already turned the corner. And I had nothing to say to him anyway, I was just a girl with a serious crush. Even after the guy practically insulted me, I still found myself wanting to get to know him, and wanting him to get to know me.

That might make me a little silly, but we all get a little silly over the guys we like, don't we? And he did apologize for what he said to me. Couldn't that mean that he liked me too?


Watch The Proposal guys, it was really funny.

My updates may be coming a little slower than my usual readers are used to, but I am churning out the chapters, slowly but surely. Just be patient.

Until my next update.

--Brin--