This is an all-human story, Alice isn't a vampire just in case the amber eyes made you wonder ;-)

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Disclaimer: Twilight's not mine, and neither is the Blue Castle. Wish they were.


Chapter Four: Weightless

It was cold on a dark starry night
As the frozen white light
Shone across my shoes
As I stood in the darkest blues
There came a light to rouse me
And the water that laid before me
And I could not wait to touch
The frozen hands that I felt so much

I heard a voice inside of me
I looked up and I saw the sky scream
And there was life everywhere
If life is an ocean
Then I must be on the surface
Only on the surface...

-On the Surface, Civil Twilight

Previously:

And then the footsteps stopped right in front of me. A sudden sweet, high voice made me jump. "Bella?" the voice asked. "Bella Swan?"

I looked up into a pair of beautiful amber colored eyes, hardly believing what I saw.

"Alice?"

~June~

Before I could say another word Alice flung herself at me; I jumped back a little in surprise, but wrapped my arms around her tiny shoulders feeling hesitant and awkward. I could hardly believe that she was really here hugging me. I hadn't seen Mary Alice Brandon since our high school graduation eight years ago.

Eight years? Had it really been that long? Sometimes it seemed like it had been yesterday that I'd donned those awful yellow graduation robes and accepted my diploma. I remembered the girl I had been then perfectly: shy, a little naïve and waiting, always waiting for something better to come along. And then other times it felt like it forever ago, like another lifetime. I would never be the girl who had her whole life waiting ahead of her again.

And it was obvious that Alice wasn't the same girl anymore either. I pulled back so that I could get a good long look at her. She was… stunning, not that she hadn't always been beautiful in an odd, not in-your-face sort of way. Her hair was shorter now, cut into a cute pixie style and she was wearing a trench coat over a tight black pencil skirt. Her mile high red heels would have been mini death traps on me but they looked amazing on her. She looked like a tiny version of Audrey Hepburn, still, there was no mistaking that pointed chin and big amber eyes for anyone else, not that there ever had been. Alice was like no one else in the world.

"Oh Bella, I'm so glad to see you!" she exclaimed. "You have no idea how much I needed to see a friend today."

I smiled back at her, feeling my hesitation slip away. Alice was like that—warm and sweet and good at making people open up and feel comfortable.

Lightning fast, Alice was across the booth from me grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, I knew something good was going to happen to me today! I just knew it!"

I smiled; Alice and her "feelings" were notorious. She'd always been a little odd in high school, the epitome I guess of someone who "marched the beat of a different drummer." She was so tiny—just under five feet—that she looked like she belonged in middle school, and she made all her own bright funky clothes which weren't anything like what the other kids were wearing. She thrived on being different.

There had always been something not present about Alice, like she could see things the rest of us couldn't, busy living in a different world. She'd had this way of looking at people with those enormous, indescribable colored eyes that made people feel like she could see straight through them. No one disliked her exactly, but no one knew quite what to make of her either.

Her eccentricities had never bothered me though, since I wasn't exactly what anyone would call normal either. And she was so bubbly and talkative that it made up for my shyness; I'd loved listening to all her funny little stories. We'd never been best friends, I was a little too shy and uncertain for that, but we'd eaten lunch together every day and sat next to each other during classes and on the bus. I'd always regretted that I hadn't tried to stay in touch with her after high school.

"What are you doing here, Alice?" I asked, amazed that of all the days and all the places, we'd managed to bump into each other here in a small diner in the middle of a rain storm.

"I'm living in Port Angeles now. And you?"

"Oh, I just went for a drive," I said vaguely, not wanting to get into anything about the disastrous dinner at Renee's. "I just had to get out of Forks for a while."

"Yeah, my mom told me you're still living there. She says she sees you in the library every now and then." I nodded. "You should hear her talking about you! 'Why can't you be more like Isabella Swan? She's a such a good girl'" I raised my eyebrows, shocked that anyone ever wanted their daughter to be like me. "She can't forgive me for moving away—although it's not like Port Angeles is the other side of the world, but according to her I was supposed to stay in Forks forever and marry someone like Mike Newton!'

We both made disgusted faces at the same time and burst out laughing.

"You haven't changed at all Alice," I said, shaking my head, unable to stop the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips.

"Nope," she agreed, grinning wickedly. "Much to my mother's chagrin."

I was suddenly happy that I had followed my gut instinct to get away; I could still be suffering through some over-complicated dessert at Renee's or alone in my bedroom at Charlie's, and that would be miserable compared to this. "I'm so glad you're here Alice, I think I needed some cheering up tonight."

She reached across the table to grab my hand. "Me too Bella. You know I always wondered why we didn't stay in touch."

The waitress showed up then with the soup that I'd ordered, and as I ate I told Alice a little bit about what I'd been up to since I'd seen her last. About going away to college in Seattle, being miserable there, and graduating with my degree in English. I told her about moving back home and being asked to work full-time at the library—how I'd only planned to stay there a little while but time had gone by so fast.

Alice sighed softly. "I wish time would go faster for me," she said when I was finished; she looked so miserable that I had to ask.

"Are you okay Alice? You look sad." She just shrugged. "Man troubles?" I teased, hoping to make her smile.

In high school her eccentricities hadn't stopped a small but loyal group of boys from following her around like lovesick puppies. She'd found them endlessly amusing but hadn't taken any of them seriously. I'd wondered then if she would ever be able to take anyone seriously.

Alice only shrugged again noncommittally. My jaw dropped in surprise. "Really? A guy? I mean your mom told me there was someone but I didn't really believe her."

"I'm engaged," she grinned, looking more like a mischievous pixie than ever. She held up her left hand and I could see the sparkle of a yellow diamond on her ring finger. I shrieked and grabbed her hand.

The ring was so Alice that I couldn't help but smile; not gaudy but not cookie-cutter either. "Well, he's got good taste, whoever he is."

"Jasper," she nodded. She said his name like it was the only one in the world.

"How did this happen?" I pressed. "How did you meet? When?"

"I was in college back east, it was my junior year. One day I was walking back to my apartment after class and it started snowing like crazy so I ducked into an old diner across the street for some coffee to wait out the storm. And then I just got this feeling—similar to the one I had earlier today only stronger." Her eyes got a dreamy, far away look in them and a tiny smile touched her lips.

"Something was telling me that I had to stay, that I was going to miss something way too important if I left. So I stayed until it started to get dark and the waitresses started giving me weird looks. And then he came in and I knew that he was the one I was waiting for."

Her smile widened. "He was this tall, gorgeous blond man. And he came and sat right down next to me and we kind of smiled at each other and that was it. We've been together ever since."

"And you're moping alone in a diner right now why?" I cried. Alice's story was the sweetest, most romantic thing I'd ever heard. I couldn't imagine experiencing that certainty. Love at first sight.

"It's definitely not by choice!" she promised. "But he's in Texas I'm stuck up here. It's miserable, but there's nothing I can do about it. He got a new job—he's a history professor at the University of Texas. It's perfect, his dream job; and he's originally from Texas so he was really happy to move back. But he had to move to Austin straight away or he'd lose the job… We see each other most weekends but it's just not the same. He was supposed to come back up this weekend but he had a meeting at the last minute and couldn't make it. Hence the depression."

"Oh Alice that really sucks."

"It's only for the next two months. We're getting married here in August and then I'm going to move down and be with him. I'd be there already if I could, but I have to take care of things at the store."

"Store?"

"My mom never told you about that?" I shook my head. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised; she never wanted me to do it in the first place. Well, after I graduated I sort of wandered around aimlessly while Jasper got his masters degree. Then my old boss called me and told me that the boutique I used to work at here in Port Angeles during high school was for sale and I thought 'what the heck?' I loved working there and I'd thought for awhile about maybe opening my own store. I mean, it's not like I don't have the money."

I nodded. Alice was very well off. Her family had made a killing in the lumber business back in the early 1900's and it had only increased through investments over the years. Her grandfather had always adored Alice and when he died he left her the bulk of his money—something that hadn't endeared her at all to the rest of the family.

"It seemed like perfect timing. So Jasper and I moved back; we've been here for about a year and a half now and it's been great, but I'm looking forward to moving the store down to Austin. I already sold the building, but now I have to inventory the stock and ship it all. It's going to be a ton of work. Jasper does what he can on the weekends he's up here but…" she trailed.

"What about your family? Your sister Cynthia could help you."

Alice burst out laughing at that. "My parents and I get along worse than we did in high school if you can believe it. 'I'm a slut, I'm no good, blah blah blah.' I swear my mother would have me committed if she could. I thought she would calm down after Jasper and I got engaged—you know how she is about marriage—but now she's spreading all this crap about how I'm cheating on him with some other man."

I blushed. I knew exactly who that other man was. None other than Edward Masen. The gossip had churned out overtime with that one. "She's told you about it right?"

"Oh," I started awkwardly. "I've heard some things…" Or maybe a lot of things.

"Yeah you and the rest of Forks. Like a girl can't just be friends with a guy."

"So… it's not true?"

"God no!" Alice cried. "Jasper is the one for me. Edward and I are just friends. Not that he isn't sweet and good looking—you've seen Edward Masen around haven't you?" I just nodded. Don't even go there Bella… "But he's like my brother."

I tried to keep my voice from betraying my interest. "I didn't think he knew a lot of people around here. How did you meet him?"

"I think it was his very first day here; I saw him standing outside my store and he just looked so confused and lost. So I went and introduced myself."

I smiled. Only Alice… I could never have the guts to walk up to a complete stranger and initiate conversation. But then, Alice had never been shy.

"He told me who he was and that he was thinking about moving to the area. He mentioned that he needed somewhere to stay for a few months and I remembered my grandfather's old camp on the lake; no one had been in there for years but I thought he might like it. It's so out of the way you know? So I told him about it and he said it was perfect. He spent the next week cleaning it out, moved in, and three weeks later asked if he could buy it." She shrugged. "I didn't need it, and I still have to pay taxes on it so I sold it to him. He's been there ever since. And we've been really good friends ever since."

"That must suck though, all the rumors?"

"Jasper knows the truth. That's really the most important thing." Alice drank the last bit of coffee left in her cup, then looked down at her watch.

"Oh it's late!" she cried. "I didn't realize we'd be talking so long." She looked out the window and it was just as nasty as it had been before. "You can't drive home now—not in that rain!"

I wanted to tell Alice that I'd driven in the rain plenty of times before but she didn't let me.

"Why don't you come spend the night at my apartment? I feel so bad: I've been talking non-stop, whining about my life. It's the least I can do."

I thought about it for a second. The long drive back to Forks was really the last thing I wanted to do right now, and the idea of spending more time with Alice was irresistible. I'd forgotten how nice it could be to focus on someone else's problems and forget my own.

"That would be really nice," I said, feeling a little shy. "I should probably call Charlie first though; he'll worry if he doesn't know where I am," I said, embarrassed to have to call my father at twenty-six years old. But I knew that if I didn't Charlie would freak out and not be able to sleep. Or worse, he'd send one of his deputies after me.

I grabbed my cell-phone out of my jacket pocket. "Hey Charlie," I said, when he picked up.

"Bella." I could hear the faint worried tone in his voice. "Your mother called, said you just ran out at dinner… I was worried about you."

"I'm okay Dad, I just needed to get away," I paused feeling awkward because Alice was right there. "You know how mom can be. I just went for a drive."

"Where are you?"

"Port Angeles. I ran into one of my old friends from high school—Alice Brandon. Do you remember her?"

"Mary Alice? Of course I do. I haven't seen her in awhile; say hi to her for me."

"I will. Anyway, she asked if I wanted to spend the night at her apartment since it's late and raining and everything. I just wanted to let you know."

"Oh, okay… that sounds fine. Will I see you tomorrow?" I could tell that he was feeling every bit as awkward as I was.

I told him I would, and we quickly said goodbye. "Okay," I turned back to Alice. "All set."

Her answering smile was blinding. "Great, let's go!"

Alice's apartment was right above the store she owned. It was a cute little brick building, in a quiet but pretty part of Port Angeles, just one street away from the water.

She explained a little about her store as she led me up the stairs to her apartment. "It's kind of a boutique; I sell perfumes, soaps, accessories, some clothing—anything that's pretty and fashionable basically. Mostly the things I love and use myself. I love it because I get to play when I go to work every day!"

Alice's second floor apartment was just like her—open and bright and cheerful. A small hallway opened into a living room that was all white furniture accented with yellow throw pillows and graphic wall art. Everything had an airy cottage feel. It opened up to the kitchen, which was tiny but completely updated. Another hallway led to the two bedrooms.

Alice and I curled up on the couch and watched some Say Yes to the Dress, a show that Alice was obsessed with as her wedding was only a couple months away, and drank some hot chocolate. She told me that she'd bought her wedding dress two weeks before Jasper proposed, because she had a feeling that he would be doing it soon.

It was late when Alice led me down the hallway to the room where I'd be sleeping. "Here you go. It has its own bathroom right over there…" she pointed to the door. It was a smallish room, but decorated in the same cottage-y furniture as the rest of the apartment. A white iron bed, white painted furniture, even a small flat-screen on one wall.

"Ignore the boxes," she gestured to the far wall which was stacked floor to ceiling with empty cardboard boxes. "They're for the move but I just haven't gotten around to them yet."

"It's perfect. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

After saying goodnight Alice left. I quickly brushed my teeth and changed into the pajama pants that Alice had lent me. They were more like Capri's on me, but they fit and were comfortable.

I fell back onto the bed—the softest bed I'd ever been in my life—and I smiled.

That night I slept soundly, dreamlessly. It was the best night's sleep I'd had in a very long time.

I woke up the next morning just as the sky was beginning to lighten. It was going to be another rainy day but I didn't care.

I wanted to do something nice for Alice, to thank her for letting me spend the night so I decided to make breakfast. After scouring her tiny kitchen for ten minutes I decided on pancakes because there was a jug of really good, unopened maple syrup tucked in one of the cabinets that I couldn't resist.

Cooking had always been something that I was good at. Not because I liked it necessarily, but I'd had to learn out of necessity. Renee had been a… sporadic, adventurous cook. You never quite knew if you were going to get something delicious or disgusting. And then at Charlie's I'd very quickly become sick of pizza, bacon and eggs, diner food, or cereal for dinner. As soon as I'd been old enough to handle the stove by myself, I'd taken over the cooking entirely.

Alice stumbled out of bed twenty minutes later, her hair sticking up adorably in every direction; her eyes widened when she saw the food I had laid out.

"I knew it was a great idea to invite you over," she exclaimed before enthusiastically attacking the pancakes.

After eating two and half, she sat back in the chair, rubbing her stomach. "So I've been thinking about something; I hardly got any sleep last night because of it."

"Yeah? What? about" Alice looked excited and happy, even more so than usual.

She spoke really fast. "I was wondering if you'd like to move in with me. I know it's kind of fast and we haven't seen each other in years, but we've always gotten along really well, haven't we?"

"Alice," I sputtered.

"Please Bella? Just for a couple months until the wedding?"

"But… what about rent and stuff?"

She rolled her eyes contemptuously. "I don't need it! But I am lonely— I could use a friend. You could keep me company when Jasper's not here so I don't have to go stalk diners every night."

"That doesn't really seem fair for you."

"Well, if you're really worried, you could help me out with the store and packing. The free labor would probably more than even things out Bella," she grinned. "Please? It's win-win for both of us."

I didn't say no immediately. I didn't want to. In fact, every part of my mind was screaming yes! Live with Alice. Get away from Charlie and Forks and Renee and my stupid job… it seemed like the perfect opportunity. But what about—

Don't sabotage yourself Bella Swan, I told myself firmly. Let yourself be happy for once!

This was my chance. I had to stop worrying and over-thinking and just let myself say yes. So I shut off my brain and let my heart speak. "I would love to."

She squealed and ran over to give me a hug. "Oh thank you! You won't regret it. Remember, I know these things."

And for a second, I felt it too. The overwhelming certainty that this was going to be a good thing—better than good maybe. A great thing.

"I know," I whispered, hugging her back.

Alice didn't know exactly how big a deal this was for me. Whatever she said about me helping out with the store and the moving was nothing; she was giving me so much more than I could ever give her in return. She was giving me freedom.

"I'll have to go to Charlie's today and pick up a few things," I said, feeling excited. Or maybe hopeful was the better word.

"Of course, Alice laughed. "I'll be here when you get back."

I felt so much lighter during the drive back to Forks, like something heavy had been lifted off my shoulders; I couldn't tell if it was just anticipation for moving in with Alice or something more. I hummed along to Foster, smiling the entire way.

Charlie surprised me by being home. Normally he left early on Saturday mornings to go fishing with some of his buddies, but when I walked into the house, he was sitting at the kitchen table. It felt like he had been waiting for me.

I said a quick hello, then went upstairs to take a shower and change. I dreaded telling Charlie my news. Not that I was afraid he would be upset or anything—he would probably be happy to have his house back—but for so long it had been just Charlie and me. I wondered what he was going to do without me.

But… it was going to happen one day, in an even more permanent way. This would be a good way to get him used to the idea that I wouldn't always be around.

I sat down beside him on the couch. I didn't really know how to say it, so I decided to just get it over with.

"Hey Charlie, um, I have something I want to talk to you about." Charlie raised his eyebrows questioningly and turned the TV off. "Um, Alice asked me to move in with her, help her with the store and stuff… and I said yes."

"Move in?"

"To her apartment in Port Angeles."

His eyes widened a little; I could tell he was surprised. "What about the library?"

"I call them on Monday and tell them I quit. You know I never wanted to work there forever. I… I think this could be really fun Charlie."

"Then that's good kiddo. Good for you."

I smiled, relieved that that awkwardness was over, and spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen making Charlie enough meals to last the week. He stood in the doorway and frowned at me. "I can feed myself Bella," he protested, but I only narrowed my eyes incredulously.

"Ordering pizza doesn't count. Neither does going to the diner every night."

Charlie grumbled a little, but gave up. I was glad; it made me feel less guilty about leaving him if I could do something like this for him.

Packing up my room was even easier. There wasn't really much that I wanted to take with me to Alice's apartment, just a few of my favorite books and some CD's. I grabbed my toothpaste, toothbrush and shampoo from the bathroom, and headed for the closet. I managed to fit everything inside a medium sized suitcase.

After I was done I looked around the room to see if there was anything I would miss.

This room had never really seemed to catch my personality, not like Alice's apartment anyway. Everything there seemed to scream Alice from the funky black and white photographs to the cozy white furniture. My room seemed bland in comparison, devoid of personality. Just like my clothes. I looked down at the pitiful collection, so carefully packed away in my suitcase.

They were all black, brown, and tan with some white thrown in here and there. My bras were all boring and utilitarian, not flirty or god forbid even a little bit sexy. I had never had a remotely pretty bra because places like Victoria's Secret scared the shit out of me, even online.

I frowned.

I wanted to go shopping. Really go shopping. I wanted pretty clothes and fancy underwear and a laptop—I glared at the ancient desktop that I'd never been able to get rid of. That monster had somehow managed to last through high school and college; I'd been waiting for it to die so I'd have the excuse to get a new one but it somehow kept surviving. I didn't want to be frugal, I wanted to turn off that little voice in my head that whispered things like "practicality" and "function" and "financially responsible."

I certainly could afford to blow some of my money; I'd been working steadily since graduating from college, and even though I didn't make much it was still enough for a shopping spree or two.

Especially when I only had to make the contents of my bank account last a year. I smiled; Alice would probably love to help me make an irreparable dent in it.

I gave my room one last once over and determined that I hadn't missed anything. It surprised me a little how ready I was to leave it behind—this had been my bedroom for most of my life but I wasn't particularly fond of it. The memories I had weren't good or bad, just memories.

I was ready to go somewhere new, to experience something different. This was the first time I'd left since going away to college, but now I felt like I had more perspective. I wouldn't take the experience for granted this time, I would enjoy it more and not let myself miss out on anything like I had in college.

I lugged my surprisingly heavy suitcase down the stairs, and it banged loudly when it hit every step. Charlie was in his usual spot in the chair in front of the TV. But when I entered the room he stood up.

I realized for the first time how much older he looked. His dark brown hair was salted with grey at the temples, the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth seemed more pronounced than I remembered. I hated the idea that I would someday cause those lines to deepen, to cause new ones.

"Well, that's everything…" I said.

"Good luck Bells. Call me if you need anything. Or you know, if you just want to talk."

"I will," I answered, even though I couldn't imagine ever having a conversation like that with Charlie.

I started walking over to the door when his voice called me back. I turned around and saw Charlie standing, looking down at the floor, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

And then he looked at me. "Love you, Bells."

And that made me feel like crying. Not leaving this house or my bedroom or all my familiar things… but leaving Charlie. I dropped the suitcase and ran back over to him to hug him.

"I love you too Dad," I said into the soft shoulder of his flannel shirt. "I'll call you, I promise."

"You better."

I pulled away from my father and we smiled at each other. We'd always been too much alike, maybe that was why talking to him was so difficult. He helped me take my suitcase out to my truck and waved as I drove away.

I took a deep breath when his house was no longer in sight, feeling more weight slip away from my shoulders until I felt almost like I could fly.

"Bella," Alice's voice called from the living room as I climbed the stairs to her apartment. "I want you to meet someone."

"I'll be right there," I called back, carefully dragging my heavy suitcase down Alice's hallway, concentrating on the floor so I wouldn't trip over any of her shoes or bags. Alice was a surprisingly messy person. I shouldered open the living room door and set the heavy bag down against the wall, rubbing my aching shoulder.

I could hear Alice talking behind me and I turned around to face Alice's visitor…

I looked up into a pair of bright jade green eyes. My entire body froze and I could feel my eyes going wide in surprise.

I knew that face.

I knew those eyes and that skin and that hair and that damn jaw.

"Hello." His voice was stunning, deep and sort of rough. "My name is Edward."

I stared. He was here. Right in front of me. Close enough so that I could touch him if wanted to, just reach out and run my hand across his broad shoulder. It was the closest I'd ever been to him.

He was looking at me too, that familiar crooked grin on his face, one eyebrow raised, waiting for me to say something. I forced my stunned brain to concentrate, to remember the right words to say. "Hi," I squeaked. Mortified, blushing all the way to the tips of my ears, I cleared my throat and started over. "My name is Bella."

There. I'd done it.

I'd actually said more than two words to Edward Masen.

And now I wanted to go faint… or throw up.



There... It only took four chapters for Edward to meet Bella. Now what?

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