A/N Happy NFL Sunday! And it is, because college football Saturday is already dead to me thanks to my Noles being the absolute suck this year. I wait allllll damn year for football to be back and then my team is awful. But I did enjoy the Auburn/LSU game and Ohio State/TCU. Congrats to those of you with actual winning college teams this year. Enjoy for me :)

So, I lied about posting letter number two, because I forgot that it makes more sense to post it before the next chapter (yep, that's the big one! or the first big one I guess I should say). So I'll post the letter in a day or two and the chapter on Sunday. I'm trying to write ahead but this week I was in a funk so I didn't write til this weekend. Once I get more under my belt I will publish faster, but one a week works, plus chapters start getting longer as we go as well. I'm glad you guys are having fun with this, just as I am.

Some thought Edward was a jerk last chapter. Hmmm. Well, I admit I kinda thought Peter was in the movie during that scene as well. But that opinion changed quickly and hopefully yours will start to here also :) Enjoy and Ill see you in a couple of days.

By the way, there's still time to get in on the compilation! Getting close to it coming out! I can't wait :) Happy Sunday!

To All the Boys Chapter 3

"So, how was your first day?" I asked Alice as she strapped her seat-belt on and, damn it, put her silly bike helmet on her head again.

"It was good! David Ayers got in trouble for pushing Lauren down, and now the teachers are already watching him. He can't get away with being a jerk for a while!"

I laughed at her enthusiasm and wished I'd enjoyed fifth grade more when I was in fifth grade. The older you got, the less fun school and all the crap around it was.

"Well, I'm glad that David got in trouble. He's always been a bully."

"Uh-huh. And Maddie invited me to her birthday party. And Lauren wants to do a sleepover some time this weekend. Can I?"

"You'll have to ask Dad."

She scoffed at me, and yeah, it was a silly comment. Dad would just ask me if she could anyway. He worked a lot and mostly left whoever the oldest was in charge of things like scheduling activities. Now that Rose was away, that fell on me. As long as we were honest about where we were going and being safe whatever we were doing, he was on board with it.

"As long as I don't have to give you a ride." Going from home to school was one thing. Driving all over town was another.

"Please, like I'd ask you to do that," she told me, pointing at her helmet to drive the matter home.

"Yeah, yeah, brat."

Okay, we could do this. The parking lot was mostly empty, since Ali got out after I did. I'd used my time waiting for her to read a few more chapters of Forbidden Hearts, my latest trashy romance read. Everybody had their addictions, and sexy smut was mine. I wouldn't ever apologize for it, even if Emmett had a field day teasing me over my books.

I started up the car, sent up a quick prayer to all holy deities, and put the truck into reverse, keeping my foot on the brake as I did so, slowly easing it off. All right! We were moving and we were moving slowly, and…

"Watch where you're going, Swan!"

Holy crap. I hit the brakes, horrified as the one and only Edward Cullen jumped just out of the way of my left bumper.

"I'm riding my bike from now on!" Alice told me, crossing her arms.

I didn't have time to address that because Edward Cullen was knocking on my window. Double crap. I rolled it down, manually of course, since the truck was made in the sixties.

"Hello, Edward," I said, like it was an every-day occurrence for him to knock on my window.

He glanced into the cab of the truck, smirking when he saw my sister's helmet. "Smart kid," he told me.

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but what could I say, really?

"This truck is very old, but it does have a rear-view mirror and side mirrors I see."

Smart-ass. "It does indeed."

I finally risked a glance at him and was relieved to see that he was smiling.

"So, how about using them before you run over some unsuspecting classmate? Most wouldn't be as cool about it as I am." He grinned as he complimented himself. Jerk.

"Maybe I did it on purpose."

"Hell on wheels, Bella Swan. Hells Bells. Fitting," he said with a laugh. "I don't think I've done anything to warrant being run over by you, have I?"

Well, no, technically he hadn't.

"Maybe I was hoping your girlfriend was with you. You can't tell me she doesn't deserve it."

His cute half smile fell. "I'm not sure where Tanya is. But what she said earlier…"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it from her."

"It wasn't cool, though. And I told her that when we were alone."

Would have been nicer if he'd said something then and there, but it was more than I'd expected from him at least. He was pretty whipped when it came to Tanya.

"Thanks. But I can take care of myself."

"Obviously." He gave me that smile again. "You just run over people in this big tank of yours. Nobody stands a chance."

I had to laugh. "It's true. So don't cross me, Cullen."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Swan." He took out his phone and frowned. "You'd tell me if you did run her over, right? Because it wouldn't be nice to make me wait here if you knew that she wasn't going to show."

"I'm too smart to implicate myself, but I can say with a clear conscience that I didn't run her over. Not today anyway. I can't make any promises about tomorrow, though."

He chuckled and took a step back. "I'm going to put a warning sticker on your bumper tomorrow to let everyone know not to walk behind it at any time. I'm pretty sure they make Beware of Swans signs."

Lord. I couldn't help but laugh of the image I had of one dead center on the tailgate. I kind of wanted one now, not that I wanted it to be about my crappy driving. Just because.

"That'd be fun."

"Fun and a public service for the rest of us." He chuckled. "Be safe and use your mirrors on the way home, okay?"

"Where's the fun in that?" I called as he waved and headed off to his Audi, which was about the exact opposite to my piece of crap truck.

He checked his cell phone again and then tried to call someone-Tanya I presume. He sent me a wave again as he got into his car with his phone pressed to his ear.

Wow, he was way cooler about that than I deserved, really.

"Who was that?" Alice demanded, making me focus back on her.

"Edward Cullen," I told her, putting the truck back in drive. I drove past Edward, trying to appear a lot more competent than his last impression of my driving.

"He's really cute!" she told me, punctuating that statement with a little bounce.

"He's dating Tanya," I told her, hoping to squash any Edward Cullen fantasies she might try to entertain.

"Oh." She sighed and patted my knee. "Do you even know why she hates you so much?"

I had theories but no solid reason. "I had to kiss Edward during a game of spin the bottle when we were in junior high, and she had a crush on him and I knew it. The day after that, she more or less stopped talking to me unless it was to say something mean." I shrugged. "Plus, Angela and I got closer, and maybe she felt left out there. I don't know. Seems crazy to hate me after she ended up actually getting him in the end."

"Love makes you do crazy things," Alice told me.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned into our driveway. "And you would know that…how?"

"Those books you read," she said, giggling as I turned off the truck.

"You don't read those, do you?" I demanded, because crap, Dad would kill me.

"No! I was just guessing. I've read the back covers." She looked so proud of herself as she took off her helmet and pushed open the door. "And I'm riding my bike to school tomorrow."

I sighed and got out my side. "I'll ask Dad to drop us off and Angela or Emmett to bring us home." It was time to admit defeat. One nearly flattened king of the high school was enough. I was lucky Edward was way nicer about it than he had to be.

"Good call, sissy," she told me, skipping toward the house.

Yep. It was best to keep my feet on the ground. My head was already in the clouds, as my sister always said. I didn't need the rest of me to be.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Bella?"

I looked up from the stove, where I was adding the mac into the cheese. "What do you need?" I asked Alice.

"I'm making a birthday card for Maddie, and I need the glue. Do you know where it is?"

"My desk," I told her. "Go ahead and get it, but then clean up for dinner. It's almost ready."

"Okay." She dashed off to get her glue as I pulled the chicken out of the oven.

Dad came in just as I finished setting our plates on the table, and Alice joined us a minute later.

"There are my girls." He gave us each a hug. "How was your first day?"

"Okay," I told him, and Alice launched into a play by play of everything that had transpired in the fifth grade as we ate. She talked through the entire dinner, just about.

I'd tuned her out since I'd heard it all already, until I vaguely heard something about "Bella nearly ran over this really cute boy."

"Bells?" he asked, giving me his cop stare.

I sighed. "I know. I suck at driving. Could you just take us to school? I can get us a ride home."

"Sure." His moustache twitched. "I'll try to carve out some time this weekend to take you out in the truck"

I smiled, knowing that it wasn't going to happen. Dad worked hard, too hard, and during what little down-time he had, he liked to relax. Driving with me wasn't relaxing for anyone.

"Sounds good, Dad."

"And now, what do you say we put on Wheel of Fortune and you take me on?" Dad asked, smiling at me.

"You know I always beat you." It was nothing but the truth.

"Ali's going to help me, aren't you, baby?"

"Yes, Daddy!"

"Bells?" He asked, as he took our plates over to the sink and started washing.

"Sure."

"Good. I miss my girls. All of them."

He smiled sadly, and I knew he was thinking of Rose. Man, I missed her, too. I didn't realize how much I relied on her until she wasn't here. I helped Dad load the dishwasher and then settled into the living room. The three of us was our new normal. Change sucked.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

The rest of the week went much better since I wasn't the one behind the wheel. Dad dropped us off, which was embarrassing since he had the police cruiser, but I figured it was less embarrassing than killing one of my classmates, even Tanya.

Angela was back at lunch, and Emmett joined us once. The other days he spent alone, I guess. I knew he was missing Rose, and being around me couldn't help but remind him of her. Our after school gaming sessions had gone completely by the wayside. That was okay, though. I had homework. And my books.

Friday night came, and I happily settled in to watch Sixteen Candles for the billionth time with Ali.

"Are you sure you don't have anything better to do?" she asked, laying her head on a pillow in my lap.

I ran my fingers through her dark hair. "What could be better than spending the evening with you and Jake Ryan?"

"Spending it with a real boy?" she suggested.

My mind automatically went to Emmett, but I shook my head. Things were different now, without Rose as a buffer for my feelings and with his feelings for her coloring our every interaction.

"Fantasy boys like Jake Ryan are a lot more fun than real ones," I told her. "Much less drama."

"I think you need a boyfriend."

I laughed. "I don't, but even if I did, it's not like I could just get one with the snap of my fingers."

"Yes you could." Ali sat up and stared at me. "You're really pretty, Bella."

I scoffed at that one, but she shook her head and plowed on.

"You are! And you're smart and funny when you want to be. And you dress cool."

Now I knew she was reaching. "You're sweet, Alice. And I love you. You're all I need."

She gave me a humph before lying back down. "You deserve your own Jake Ryan."

"Thank you. If you find him, send him my way." As if one was just waiting for me, especially here in Forks.

"Okay."

I shook my head and fell into my favorite movie. Fiction was good enough for me. It was safer. Real people left, or even worse, died. Fantasy people didn't. Who needed reality? Not me.