I just have to give a VERY, VERY- you don't know how VERY- LARGE "Thank You" to the four people who have reviewed for me!!!
Belladeehanson and ArleneValdez, thank you both so, so much for reviewing for me.
emslie (my Twin), thank you for boosting me up, and I am very, very sorry I didn't include you in my last chapter. Forgive me.
babes93, thank you for being my first reviewer EVER.
I also want to thank everyone who has taken a single glance at my story- especially those that have set it to their alerts and favorites lists.
Feedback is all that I can ask for from my readers.
I appreciate you all… (If I haven't already made that clear)…
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine to touch. I am not worthy.
**sie**
(SM is worthy)
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
(I listened to Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne over and over again while I wrote this chapter, and I will do the same for the chapters following- until I say otherwise.)
Alice pulled me through the forest so far that I knew no one would hear us. That was her plan, no doubt.
After a few more minutes, Alice spun around, and I got a good look at her face.
She was a pure ball of extreme excitement. But at the same time her eyes looked sort of worried. Her excitement dominated her features, though, and I knew that she had something scary in store for me. I wasn't expecting the way she began her "surprise" speech, however. It didn't fit her features of excitement- or her eyes full of worry- at all. Her voice was nervous and a little afraid. She was unstable. Her face, her eyes, and her voice all showed something different. Something was wrong with Alice.
And I was about to find out what it was.
"Bella, we need to talk."
4. The Choice
It took me several moments to process what Alice had just said.
When I thought about it, it wasn't all that thought-provoking. I was so confused. She wasn't making any sense at all. But I knew that all of my questions where about to be answered, so I decided to wait patiently. She would do this on her own terms- and I would let her.
As it turned out, my thoughts weren't necessary. Alice took advantage of my hesitating and began to explain herself:
"Bella, I know… that you know… that something is up… with me…" She seemed almost as confused as I was. Almost. She was using a sort-of apologizing tone. It sounded like she was trying to work through piles of things that were going on in her mind- while trying to talk to me at the same time. If Edward were here- he might explode from an overload of thoughts, but not literally- that wasn't possible; vampires do not blow up.
"I am a mess, Bella-"
"Whatever it is that is bothering you, Alice, I will help you. The whole family will." I had to try to help her. It was evident that she was about to crack from something. I hated to see my sister this way. I had to help her.
"No, Bella, you don't understand; the family can't know." She said this with a panicked tone- as if just the thought of our family knowing was unbearable to even think. Where had I heard this before? Oh, right- it was the thought that had been visiting me in my mind for the past six weeks…
"You see… I… I have been doing everything that I possibly can… to keep up this façade. To keep everyone thinking that I am still the… bouncing and lively Alice." She said this sarcastically, but I didn't miss the fact that her voice broke on her name.
I could tell- she didn't feel like Alice anymore.
She didn't feel like herself anymore.
If I were a human, I would've started to cry for her by now. She looked- and sounded- so troubled… This wasn't normal. Vampires don't just stutter and stop mid-speech like Alice was doing now.
Something was terribly wrong... Worse than I feared.
"Oh, Bella, I have been trying…so hard… You have no… idea what it has taken of me to… to keep my emotions in check around Jasper. I know that he… he suspects something is up. I have to constantly be happy around him- or put on the emotion of happiness… If you will even believe it- shopping is at the… bottom of my list of priorities right now," That did shock me. Alice loves shopping… Loved shopping… "And don't even get me started… on Edward. It is so… so difficult to not think about what is happening right now. You don't know how lucky you are that you can just turn your mind on and off to him. If Edward thinks… that there is something… wrong with me… wrong with anything… he isn't showing it. And that is good. Very good. No one can know."
"Alice, I have no idea what you are saying to me. I don't understand. Help me to understand, Alice." I was pleading now. It was awful to see her like this. No one can possibly know how awful. She was always so strong and carefree. She was always so sure- so confident…
She was always so… Alice.
I wanted- no I needed- to know what was causing this break on my sister.
She took a few staggered, but unnecessary, breaths to calm herself. She was on the verge of hysteria- I could tell. Alice was not reacting like a vampire right now. Vampires don't do this. We don't stutter. We don't hyperventilate. And we most definitely do not break down into hysterics…
When she was fully composed again, Alice began talking to me:
"Okay, maybe I should start with asking you a question, Bella-"
"What question, Alice? You can ask me absolutely whatever you want." The panic, confusion, and pleading was back in my voice.
"Alright… do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
"What-"
"Or you could look at it as the 'good surprise' or the 'bad surprise'…" Alice said this with a hint of a smile touching her lips, but she still looked troubled.
Again- for the second time today-I wasn't sure what to say. I was confused. Did I want to know what the "good surprise" was? The one that I had been dreading since Renesmee brought it up this morning… Or did I want to know what was so troubling to Alice? The thing that would cause her to act so un-Alice-like…
I debated the benefits of each choice- deciding which one I needed, or wanted, to hear first. Alice gave me time to think things over, and for that I was grateful to her. I knew that she was struggling on the inside, but she still let me choose what I wanted to hear- what was my first priority.
If I chose the "good surprise", I would be putting off the problem that was torturing Alice… And I needed so badly to know what was causing my pixie her internal troubles…
If I chose the "bad surprise", I would be putting off my fear- for now. I knew that there was still a piece of Alice in there… Even if she didn't believe it herself. So I knew that she would most definitely bring up the surprise later on- and with much enthusiasm…
So which do I choose?
"Alice…"
READ MY A/N IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT...
VERY, VERY-EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!
I am evil. But drastic times call for drastic measures. I have not received enough reviews for my liking… So I leave the choice up to you- my readers.
Tell me what Bella should ask Alice for. The "good surprise" or the "bad surprise"?
The majority of reviews will win.
If I do not receive any reviews, I am not sure what I will do with this story. I may continue it for my Twin, or I may not.
But I have grown attached to this story, so I think that I will continue with it. I just wish I had more reviews.
Even if you never review, think about it for now. I feel so desperate…
I need feedback. I didn't feel like spending time on this chapter tonight, because I am losing my drive to do so. I want to share my story with you, but I need to know that I am not doing so in vain. I need to know that this story is liked- and that it is catching attention.
So what will Bella choose??? You tell me.
PLEASE REVIEW.