A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)

Thanks so much fore reading and/or reviewing. They're like an addiction!

It nearly killed me when I saw that a few of you were hating on Alice! Come on, do you really think I'd having her act all neurotic and a smidgen bitchy for no reason? I assure you I have my reasons. Well, I hope the next couple chapters will explain said reasons to all of you.

Enough of my whining, here's chapter 3!


Chapter 3 – Kisses and Hobos

I followed Alice and Angela down the stairs and smiled when I saw Edward standing in the front hall. He looked absolutely delicious in dark jeans, a grey button-up shirt, and a black jacket.

"Hey, Bella," Edward smiled when he saw me. "You look great."

"Thanks, Edward," I blushed at his complement and looked around at the people lurking in the front hall, watching us. I suddenly very much wanted to be alone with him. "So, ready to go?" I asked him.

He nodded and took my hand, leading me out the door. "No later than ten o'clock, Bella!" Charlie called behind us. "It's a school night."

"Okay!" I called behind me as the door swung shut.

"So I figured we'd take the train, if that's okay." Edward said as we started walking down the sidewalk. "It would just be easier. There's not a lot of parking in that area."

"That sounds great. I love taking the T." I replied with a smile.

When we finally got to Coolidge Corner about twenty minutes later, Edward and I set off, hand in hand, across the square.

"So, where would you like to go? Do you want dinner first or do want to walk around for a bit?" Edward asked me.

"Let's walk and you can tell me about what you plan on doing after we get out of this crazy town." We started walking down the sidewalk. "Are you going to do something with football or do you plan on doing something else?"

"Nah," Edward shook his head. "I like football and everything but, I have something else in mind."

"What is it?" He looked at me anxiously. "You can tell me, Edward. I won't laugh or anything." I assured him as I squeezed his hand.

"I've never told this to anyone before but I'd really like to be a psychologist."

"Why?"

Edward looked down at me. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to be a psychologist?"

"The human mind fascinates me. I really want to help the people that can't help themselves."

I smiled up at him. "Then why haven't you told anyone about it? I think it's amazing you want to help people."

Edward kissed the top of my head and shrugged. "I guess everyone just assumes that I'll be a doctor like my dad. That I'll get married and move to the suburbs like my parents. But I don't want that. I want to live in the city my whole life."

"That sounds perfect." I stood on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I've always preferred the city myself."

"So have you given any thought to what you want to do?"

I thought for a minute. "I really like to read and write so maybe something to do with that. An English teacher or a writer or a book editor," I shrugged. "At least that's what I'm thinking about."

"They all sound good, sweetheart," Edward sighed and wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his side.

We decided to find a restaurant to catch an early dinner before heading home. By the time we finished dinner and had our extra chocolate cake put in a doggie bag for home, it was dark outside.

I held Edward's hand tightly in mine as we walked to the train station. I'm slightly ashamed to say that I'm somewhat afraid of walking around after dark. I was thankful Edward was here with me now otherwise I'd be peaking over my shoulder at every turn and would probably be minutes away from a panic attack.

"Almost home, sweetheart," Edward soothed me with a rub to my back and a kiss to my temple as we exited the train. Edward is the only person I ever told about my nyctophobia. It's an irrational fear but I can't shake it.

I let out a deep breath to calm myself. "I'm okay, Edward. I promise." I smiled up at him.

We slowed to leisurely walk when we reached my driveway. "Thank you, Edward." I stopped and turned to face him. "I had a really nice time tonight."

"I did too." Edward grinned down at me. "We should do it again. Really soon."

I nodded and bit my lip. "We should."

Edward rubbed his thumb softly over the back of my hand. "Can I pick you up for school tomorrow?"

My brows furrowed in confusion. "Uh, sure. Why?"

"I won't get to spend a lot of time with you during the week with homework and practice. This way we'll have a few minutes to ourselves."

I smiled at his thoughtful gesture. "Well then I'll see you in the morning."

"I'll pick you up at seven-thirty." Edward leaned in and gave me a breathtaking kiss goodbye before giving me a wink and turning to walk down the street.

"Are you sure you'll be okay walking home?" I called to him, biting my lip in nervousness. It was so dark out.

Edward turned to face me. "I'll be fine, sweetheart." I guess he could see the fear in my eyes because he continued. "How about I call you when I get home? So you know I'm home safe?"

I nodded silently and smiled when he winked at me before turning and disappearing down the street. I hurried into my house and shut the door behind me.

"Bella!" Renee exclaimed happily as she exited the kitchen. "How was the date?"

I blushed and smiled awkwardly. "It was really good. We had a good time."

"Do you think you two will go out again?"

I bit my lip and nodded. "He's picking me up for school tomorrow."

Renee pulled me in for a bone crushing hug and squealed. "I'm going to have such beautiful grandchildren!"

I extricated myself from her arms and backed towards the stairs. "Whoa there, Mom!" I held up my hands in front of me. "We should go on our second date before you start thinking about grandchildren. And I'm going to bed before you get any more ideas." I turned to run up the stairs. "Goodnight!" I called behind me.

"Hi, Em!" I stopped in his bedroom doorway and laughed when I saw him lying with his head hanging off the bed, reading a book upside down.

"Hey, Bells," His goofy grin was even sillier upside down. "How was the date? See any hobos on the train?"

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the floor beside his bed. "Of course I did. There's always hobos on the train." I jokingly punched his arm. "The date was good. Really good, actually."

Emmett grinned. "I'm happy to hear it, Bells. You and Eddie are sickeningly cute."

"Thank you Em, for the thinly veiled complement."

After spending a few more minutes with Emmett, I walked down the hall to my bedroom. I shut my door behind me just as my cell phone rang.

The next morning I woke minutes before my six o'clock alarm with a groan. It's so not fair that I have to be up before the sun is even up. I thought as I stumbled to my shower.

After I was showered and dressed in my favorite pair of jeans and long-sleeve t-shirt, I slipped on my black Converse sneakers and headed down for a quick breakfast.

I heard Edward's Volvo pull up in front of our house at exactly seven-thirty and rushed out of the house, pulling on my coat and yelling goodbye to my parents on the way out.

When I pulled the door shut behind me, I turned to see Edward jogging up the path towards me. I bounded down the front steps and launched myself into his arms with a grin.

"Hi," he grinned down at me.

"Hi yourself," I giggled and wrapped my arms around the back of his neck.

Edward pressed my lips to mine for a sweet good morning kiss. "Ready for school, sweetheart?" He asked me as he brush a lock of my hair behind my ear.

I grimaced. "Well, as ready as I'll ever be for school." Edward laughed and led me to the car.

I was laughing at something Edward was saying when we pulled into the parking lot at school. I looked out the windshield at the students milling around and wondered what they would think of my new relationship with Edward.

Wait. I scolded myself. Since when do you give a crap about what they think? Their opinion doesn't matter.

I waited for Edward to get his huge football bag out of the trunk and walk around and open my door, since he whines when I let myself out, and chewed on my bottom lip, anticipating a lot of attention today. Edward took my hand as we walked across the parking lot and into the school.

I was right. Everyone's eyes were on us and it was starting to make me really uncomfortable and self-conscious. I gripped Edward's hand tighter in mine as we approached my locker.

Edward leaned against the locker next to mine and chatted with me as I got my books out for my first few classes. "Babe?" I looked over to see him grinning. "I forgot to ask you in the car this morning, but will you go to the Halloween dance with me later this month?"

I smiled. "Of course, I'd love to go to the dance with you."

His grin got impossibly wider and he leaned down to kiss me. "Mmm… good. I'll see you at lunch, sweetheart."

"Later, baby."

I was walking on cloud nine all day, barely caring about the looks people were giving me. I walked to lunch with an unusually quiet Alice and felt my face lit up when I spotted Edward across the cafeteria. He and Emmett were sitting at the table where Alice, Angela, and I usually sit.

I quickly bought my lunch and plopped down in the seat next to Edward and kissed him on the cheek. "Hey, guys,"

"Baby B! How's it going?" Emmett boomed.

Edward wrapped his arm around the back of my chair. "Great," I looked over to Edward and matched his smile. "Really great."

Angela eventually joined us and she and the boys immediately launched into a discussion about a class they were in together and I chanced a glance at Alice. She'd been silent all day. She was looking down at her tray and pushing her food around with her fork, not eating it.

She's probably just having a bad day. I thought.

Over the next days, I began spending a lot more time with Edward and was having the best time. But in those days, Alice has become more and more resigned and quiet and completely out of character. I was honestly worried that there was something seriously wrong with her.

One day at school, I'd finally had enough. I passed by her in the hallway and grabbed her arm, dragging her to an alcove at the end of the hallway where a few copy machines stood for the teachers.

I turned to her and crossed my arms across my chest. "Alright Alice, what's wrong?"


A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave me a review and let me know what you think. Love it? Hate it? Just okay? Let me know!

I have another busy week next week so I'll try to get most of chapter 4 done this weekend so don't have to keep you all waiting that long.

See ya then

-Nikki