Chapter Seven

As a hundred-year-old vampire one would think common sense and patience would be as natural as the ability to run faster than the human eye.

One would think a hundred-year-old vampire would be familiar with meeting new friends and losing friends.

One would think a hundred-year-old vampire wouldn't be broken by a simple fight between friends.

Well one would think a lot of things about a hundred-year-old vampire and I would contradict a lot of those thoughts.

I had messed up badly. I had pushed and pushed until she snapped and basically told me to get out of her life.

Okay, that's perhaps a little overdramatic, but she did give me the ultimatum that if I didn't accept that she would continue to refuse to tell me things it would end. So the choice was mine to make...

I had hoped to apologise to her on Friday but when her red truck failed to rumble into the parking lot I was gravely disheartened. It was apparent that I had offended her far greater than I first thought, to the extent that she skipped school to avoid me. And I knew that on Saturday she would be going to La Push, the one place I could not go because of that blasted treaty we had with the Quileute tribe.

So that was why on Sunday morning I was sitting in my room contemplating on whether or not I should call, or stop by. Perhaps she just wanted space, or time to think, or... I began thinking in circles and groaned pitifully, grateful that Edward had taken an early hunting trip and wouldn't be back until late tonight.

"Alice," I looked towards my door to see Rosalie standing in the threshold, arms crossed and staring intently at me, with a familiar scowl.

"Rosalie." I greeted and nodded, gesturing for her to enter. She did so gracefully, head high and watching me carefully.

"You've been down all weekend. What seems to be the problem?"

I swallowed, "I had a fight with Bella."

"Oh, really? I never would have guessed." She said sarcastically, "I knew that already, but what are you going to do about it other than mop around the house?"

"Oh gee, thanks so much for your support," I muttered darkly and she raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't the mere fact that I am sitting here telling you that I'm supporting you?"

"You could lose some of the attitude," I replied, still muttering. Rosalie snorted,

"Alice, how long have we lived together? I would've thought you'd know me by now. But regardless, what happened between you and Bella? Last I knew you were close."

"Like I said we had a fight, over the fact that she never tells me anything."

"Ah, but, Alice, you never tell her anything either."

I stood from the bed angrily, "I know, she said the exact same thing. But that's not the point!"

"Then what is, Alice? I think it's highly unfair of you to expect complete honesty from her and yet you have your own skeletons."

"Yes but that's another thing, I'm pretty certain she knows, about us that is."

Rosalie looked at me in surprise, blinking rapidly. "How is that possible?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, but it's the only thing that really makes sense. I mean, someone as intuitive and perceptive as she is can't possibly have missed all my inhuman moments. Or the fact I never eat or drink around her. It's the only possible explanation I can think of!"

Rosalie shook her head, "Or you're simply jumping to conclusions in some vain hope to justify your insatiable curiosity about Bella."

I glared at her and she shrugged, "I'm just telling you like I see it."

I sighed before sitting back down, "Do I go apologise, or let her cool off?"

"Knowing Bella, and what I've seen of her temper I'd suggest you let her cool off a bit before talking to her. Wait for school on Monday."

"And if she doesn't show up?"

"Then I'll drop you off so you can harass her in her house."

Nodding I could see her logic; as much as it pained me not to see her today it made sense. Bella did have a temper, I'd only seen it twice now but when she got fired up she was someone to be reckoned with.

Plus, I wanted her clear headed when I spoke with her next.

But there was something niggling at me, something telling me to speak with her today. And when I figured out what it was I immediately leapt to my feet.

My entire week had become clear to me.

As in, I could see my future for the first time in months and it could only mean one thing. Bella wasn't going to be at school or in her house when I went to see her on Monday.

"No," I cried and Rosalie looked at me like I was nuts, "I just got an entire week of visions!" I explained and the look of confusion didn't clear.

"I can't see any future involving Bella, so I haven't had any real visions involving myself since I became her friend. If I can now see my future, it means Bella's not involved in it at all." Understanding widened her eyes.

"Well then, I guess you'd better go see her now!"

I didn't need telling twice as I sprinted from the house and leapt into my Porsche, gunning the engine full throttle all the way to Bella's house.

When I arrived it was silent. No movement, no heartbeat, no sound at all and I rushed from my car and began knocking frantically on the front door. After five minutes of no response I tried the handle and it was locked. She wasn't home.

Cursing I rushed around the back and tried her backdoor, again it was locked. In fact every window and door was locked, so if I wanted entry I would have to break in.

Deciding that the least obvious place to break in and be noticed would be her room window so I scaled up the side of her house and forced the window up, snapping the feeble lock and agilely slipping into her bedroom. It was empty and immaculately tidy. Every book stack neatly, not a single item of clothing on the floor, the bed flawlessly made without a single wrinkle, her bedside table bare except for an alarm clock and lamp. Everything that had been here Thursday, the discarded clothes, homework and papers scattered about the floor; everything that would be expected to be present, when someone lived here, was tidied away. It was as though no one was living here.

Bella was obviously gone and the only thing that lingered was her scent, but that was also fading, becoming stale with the air it floated in.

She had gone and failed to tell me where.

But then, we had fought and our last words exchanged had had the underlining meaning of 'stop questioning me or stop our friendship' and I had simply left. That no doubt must have told Bella that I wanted to stop the friendship... but she didn't strike me as the kind to run away from something like this. She didn't strike me as the kind to run away period. She was strong, self-assured and confident in her abilities... even her lack of coordination in most things physical never really stopped her from... getting physical.

But the fact was that she was gone and the last words we had exchanged were in anger.

Regret so profound, so powerful crashed through me and I collapsed to my knees. I had basically told her I could not stand to be her friend if she did not tell me things, and while that was understandable, was reasonable - A common reason for romantic relationships to end - it did not mean I would have continued to keep away. I had only wanted to make a point, make her see that any working relationship needs honesty and trust.

...

I was still studying her empty room when I noticed a change in texture in the paint on the wall beside her bookcase, and then I saw the difference in the window I had just climbed through. Peering closer I remembered what her window had been like when I had visited so often, when I had been here Thursday evening even. It had been cream white, the paint chipping and peeling away. This window was wooden, the glass shining and not a speck of paint adorning its frame.

It was an entirely different window and frame to the one on Thursday.

But why? Had the other one been damaged? What could possibly have happened that required an entire replacement of the window?

I shifted my attention to the wall behind the bookcase and easily lifted it away from the wall it hid. As I suspected the texture of the wall in a rather large area was different to the rest of the wall. The paint strokes were different, and fresher.

What happened here that could have caused a broken window and hole in the wall?

I didn't know and I had no idea on how to find out since Bella had, for all appearances, done a runner. Sighing I sunk down onto her bed, the springs giving way to my weight.

I closed my eyes and searched my future, for the first time trying to find something that wasn't there. A blank spot, but there was always something, be it images of myself in a classroom, sitting at a lunch table with humans, in my bedroom sorting through my large collection of clothing. For the first time I wanted to see nothing, because nothing meant Bella; as strange and nonsensical as that sounded, it was the truth.

I lay back and kept my eyes closed as I allowed time to pass. A useful thing to immortality is that one could stay in the same position without discomfort, or the need to shift and fidget. I could lie here for the rest of eternity and not be bothered, except perhaps by the thirst that burned in my throat.

...

"I should hope you don't lie there forever, what would Bella think? Coming home to find some pixie on her bed, immobile and, for all appearances, dead."

I sat up to see Edward straddling the window ledge, watching me with an expression I couldn't quite place.

"So where is Bella?" His bright eyes flicked around the room, absorbing the order of it.

I shrugged, "I don't actually know. We had a fight on Thursday, she didn't show up Friday and I didn't see her yesterday."

He pursed his lips in deep thought, "And you think she left because you two had a little fight? Seems a little childish of her if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you and you're well aware what my thoughts are." I snapped, his gift had never been so irritating as it was right now.

He chuckled, and then ran his fingers over the frame of the window he still sat on.

"This is a different window," He commented and leant closer, "It's entirely different."

I watched him inspect it, narrating his thoughts as he did so.

"I know." I spoke quietly, deciding perhaps instead of viewing Edward as competition for Bella's attention we could work together here to solve this peculiar mystery.

"Competition?" He snorted in a mixture of amusement and disgust, "How could you be any competition for her affections? You're a female Alice, and Bella is a respectable girl."

My fingers curled into tight fists, "This is the 21st century Edward. Times have changed and -"

"And what? You honestly thing Bella would be interested in a liaison with you? She sees you as nothing more than a friend -"

"How would you know Edward? You can't read her." I interrupted him in retaliation each word that comes from his mouth enraging me further.

His smirk turned mocking, "I don't need to read her mind to be able to read her body language."

"You're out of practice then Edward; you rely too heavily on your gift to think Bella is interested in you anymore than she's interested in me. At least she engages in civil conversation with me and I'm not forced to breaking into her house to see her sleep. We were going to have a sleep over on Friday, no stalking required for me to be able to watch her sleep." Not that I would actually do that, it was slightly on the creepy side to watch someone when they were completely oblivious to it.

Edward scowled and slid out the window without a 'goodbye' and I sat back down; more disturbed than I wanted to admit by the insecurities Edward had just presented me with.

What if Bella wasn't... interested in me in that way? What if she saw me a nothing more than a close friend?

I had finally admitted to myself that I was feeling things for Bella that pushed the defining lines between friendship and else.
Was I attracted to her? Sure she was extremely fun and exciting to be with, her smile lit up the room and her laughter sent tingles down my spine. It was true I had never felt this way towards anyone, so I didn't have a baseline to compare the feelings of attraction with.

All I did know for sure was that I wanted to be around Bella. I loved spending time with her, making her smile and laugh. I loved play fighting with her, even when it resulting in my needing to spend 6 hours soaking my hair to get rid of whatever substance had been thrown in it. Such as paint.

I loved just talking with her, learning things about her. Such as her fondness for the classics, or her insatiable desire to learn; I had not seen her happier or more fascinated than when she came across information that she had not previously known and that reminded me a lot like Carlisle. In his 300 years of existence there wasn't much he didn't know by now and so whenever new information presented itself he got a glint in his eyes that lit of his entire being. Information was his passion and so as a result he spent hours in his study discovering things.

...

I wandered back into the house, dejected.

Esme was in the kitchen when I entered, "Oh, Alice I didn't expect you back so soon." She poked her head around the corner and gave me a bright smile.

What she was doing in the kitchen I had no idea, but it smelt as though she were cooking.

"Esme, are you cooking?"

She beamed, "Yes, yes I am. I thought I might prepare myself for Bella coming on Friday. I mean she will want to eat during the movie marathon you have planned, and I figured it would be wisest to actually know what I'm doing when I prepare her meals."

I had actually forgotten Bella would need to eat, I never really paid attention to human feeding times, but now that I thought about it they needed to eat regularly; I often heard the human males at school complain that they were hungry and wished for a large meal, or more breaks.

I had only really seen Bella eat once, in Seattle, in the mall at lunch. She had eaten a small meal and seemed content from that, so perhaps females required less food than males.

I dropped my head, "That won't be necessary, Esme, she isn't coming."

She put down the kitchen utensil in her hand and stepped towards me, "Oh, why not?"

I swallowed, "She's gone."

A look of deep concern was on her face when I finally lifted my head since she hadn't responded.

"Oh, do you know where or when she'll be back?"

I shook my head, "We had a fight, as you know and when I went over just now, she wasn't home and her house had been cleaned to pristine condition, as you do to every house we move out of."

"Oh honey I'm terribly sorry, I know how much you liked her."

I lifted the corner of my lips in a half-arsed attempt at smiling.

...

"What is that horrible smell?" Rosalie complained as she wandered in, a look of distaste twisting her perfect features.

"Food," Esme answered and turned to pack away the ingredients.

"I figured Bella would need something to eat this Friday, so I decided to teach myself to cook but since she isn't in Forks any longer, I guess I've no need to anymore."

Rosalie looked at me, "She wasn't home?"

I shook my head, "No, the house was empty."

She pursed her lips and walked towards the piano. Next to Edward, she was the best musician in the house and spent the most time behind it.

I didn't feel in the mood to listen to any music so I walked up to my room, head bowed and sadness threatening to cripple me as thoughts of Edward and Bella circled my mind.

Edward believed he loved Bella, he thought that because she was so incredibly appealing in scent and her thoughts secret that she was meant to be with him.

She was made for him and he would continue to pursue her until he got what he desired.

I didn't think that Bella would be so easily fooled into being taken in by Edward's charms, because he could be incredibly charming at times, but I myself worried that once Edward stopped behaving like a bi-polar psychopath, she may become attracted to him. He could be caring, protective and loving... when he wasn't using his gift to manipulate us.

I sighed again, I seemed to be doing that a lot of late and I lay on my bed, and imagined what it was like to sleep, to dream.

...

"Hey, Alice where's Bella?" Angela asked me as she crossed the car park, moving gracefully for a human.

"I don't actually know." She looked surprised and readjusted her books.

"Oh, well I guess that means you two haven't spoken since Thursday?" She gave me a sheepish look before averting her eyes.

"She told you we had a fight?" this surprised me, since it was rare for Bella to mention things like that. I usually had to force insignificant details from her.

Again that sheepish look appeared on her face and she bit her bottom lip momentarily, "Uh well only after I asked flat out what the matter was. She was a little bit gloomy on Saturday."

"Oh, really?" This was a pleasant surprise, since it meant that she must have been as upset by our fight as I was.

She nodded, lip back between her teeth, "Yeah, she wore these insanely dark glasses all day, like she was trying to hide her eyes. My guess is they were a little red from crying, but with Bella you can never tell."

"She wore glasses, in Forks? When is it ever sunny enough to bother with glasses?"

Angela shrugged, "That's why I figured she was hiding her eyes behind them."

She proceeded to discuss the events of Saturday, leading up until Bella went for a walk with one local, and returned with another.

"What?" I asked as an uncomfortable, slightly nauseas feeling stirred in my gut. Well, in my mind at least, as my body no longer had the capability to feel nausea, or get nauseated.

"Oh yeah, she invited one guy, Jacob I think his name was, and then four other boys followed them soon after. They were gone for an hour or two maybe and they all returned together. To say I worried about that is an understatement, but she seemed fine so I didn't ask."

"She wandered off with one boy she'd only just met, and returned with five boys all of whom she didn't know?" That nauseated feeling was increasing as I could accurately imagine what a stomach flip felt like. Angela nodded, "But she seemed fine. Maybe a little quieter and more thoughtful but other than that..." She trailed off as she absorbed the murderous look that now adorned my face.

"Only, you couldn't see her eyes, and we both know how skilled Bella is at hiding her thoughts and feeling, except through her eyes." I was fuming at the conclusions my mind was jumping too. It was an entirely inappropriate situation for any teenage girl to get involved in; especially for a girl as gravitating as Bella. "And none of you thought to perhaps react? To get up and look for her?"

Angela shook her head, regret and shame plastered everywhere on her features and I saw tears beginning to form.

"No, I mean I knew she was gone but no one else really noticed and I guess I thought I was over-reacting to think she could have been in trouble. I didn't really think at all." She admitted shamefully and her voice broke slightly.

"Do you think they could have said anything to make Bella leave?" It was a stretch but I was looking for any valid reason why Bella would just leave so suddenly.

"I wouldn't think so, although Sam and one of his friends were totally glaring at Bella, like actually kind of shaking in anger. It was a little off putting, but I don't think he would have hurt her."

So the La Push locals had something against Bella, and although I couldn't physically go on their land without breaking the treaty I could hang around the boundary line and see if I can hopefully speak with them on the off chance that they see me loitering.

I wanted to find out more but the bell rang and we were forced to attend our first periods. My thoughts were disturbing as I sat down in Physics, ignoring the teachers droning as he started the lecture.

I twirled my pen around my fingers, pretended to listen and stared out the window, wondering where Bella was and what she was doing.

She was the only thing on my mind all day and I didn't mind a single bit. She was fascinating, fun and I missed her.

The day dragged by without her to entertain my lunch time, though the humans, Angela, Mike and Jessica were average company and did manage to provide a small distraction, but there was not as much laughter, and Art was a bore.

Who would have thought one person could have so much effect on us, on me? It was like there was something missing, some element only she could provide and the laughter was heavier, more forced and less fun without her bright smile lighting up the room.

Or perhaps that was just me.

It was probably just me.

It was just me as I watched the others laughing, joking and teasing each other playfully. Although they had all asked where she was they had quickly changed subjects so I simply lapsed into silence, speaking few words.

Finally, finally after an age, the final bell rang and I was released from school. It had never been so tedious, so painfully boring as it was today as I rushed from school and hoped in the car to wait for my family. I couldn't very well disappear into the trees.

As soon as Edward had pulled the car to a stop I was out the car door, running towards the treaty boundary line and I spent most of the evening running up and down it, hoping for something.

...

Something came around midnight. That something was four horse-sized wolves moving in formation.

I froze in horrified terror, I'd never seen wolves that size before and I couldn't believe werewolves were still here. Carlisle had told me they died out half a century ago.

They stopped metres from the line, all growling simultaneously until one backed away into the shadows of the trees and a giant of a boy returned wearing only a pair of ragged shorts.

He eyed me angrily as he returned and stood in front of his fellow wolves.

"What are you doing this close to the border, leech?" He stance was defensive and cocky, feeling secured that he outnumbered me.

"I want to know about what you said to Bella Swan on Saturday."

Whatever he had expected me to say, it wasn't that as his eyes widened in visible surprise before narrowing and that smug, arrogant smirk returned.

"And why would I tell you anything about our interaction Saturday?"

I swallowed back the venom that had built up in response to the disgusting smell these wolves carried.

"Because I want to know what you said to her to make her leave."

"She left?" A strange gurgling sound erupted from the dogs behind him and I thought perhaps it was laughter. "Guess she wasn't as tough as she tried to appear."

I pounced on that, "So you did threaten her? Why would you threaten a helpless girl?"

He snorted, "She seriously didn't tell you? You honestly don't know who Bella Swan really is?" His eyebrows rose in surprise and I saw the wolves exchange looks. Doggish looks, with expressions I couldn't possibly interpret... because they were dogs.

"What are you talking about?" Patience was not my thing and these mutts were testing it.

"I can't believe she was telling the truth when she said you didn't know." He laughed and that strange gurgling sound was heard again as the dogs joined in.

"Tell me already!" I exclaimed and threw my arms in the air.

The boys' eyes narrowed, "Why should I tell you anything, bloodsucker?"

"Because you had better have a goddamned good explanation for scaring away a harmless human."

Again he snorted, "That girl is not harmless, nor even human. I'm surprised you don't recognise one of you own."

"Uh, what?" I was sure I had misheard him, because he could not honestly have just told me that Bella Swan, the clumsy, helpless human was a vampire.

"You heard me, leech. That girl is a bloodsucking leech and she came onto our land. She's only still alive because there were witnesses." His tone turned hateful and nearly regretful; as though he were disappointed he didn't get to rip Bella to shreds.

"B-Bella's a vampire?" I stuttered. I actually stuttered.

That was a signifier to my severe shock. I never stuttered. Never. Except maybe once when Bella caught me off guard that time she questioned my sanity when I told her she smelt delicious.

The tall copper skinned boy smirked again, "Yes that blushing girl is as much a vampire as you are."

"H-how do you know?"

"She smelt as bad as you do."

I was still frozen in shock. This explained so much and left me with so much more questions at the same time. The moments when she was a little too graceful, a little too fluid in her movements, how she didn't know what movies were, when she seemed to know so much and so little at the same time. But if she's a vampire, why would she hide this from me.

"Is that all, leech?"

I had actually forgotten he was still standing there so I nodded numbly and turned to return home. Except I couldn't go home, not with this incredible discovery. Bella obviously had a reason why she played human, why she failed to mention she was as immortal and invulnerable as I was. And whatever this reason was it was important enough to have it come between us, and actually flee.

Her disappearance made a little more sense now, her behaviour and everything, now put into perspective, made sense. Whatever she was hiding, or running from required that no one know she was a vampire and so she had tried to stay distant.

I had noticed in the first week of our acquaintance she had seemed so reluctant in every idea or plan I tried to make for us. She resisted my attempts to spend time with her outside of school and now I realised why. She had fought getting to know me, resisted befriending me so that she could keep the human facade up.

Oh god she ate food. I felt terrible for realising that. When we had been at the mall I had suggested she eat, and even though she resisted, eventually she gave in and actually ate that disgusting substance.

Man she was committed.

So, Bella was a vampire and for whatever reason she was hiding that fact I would continue to hide it. It would be difficult but I vowed then and there to keep my thoughts discrete and hidden from Edward. If she didn't want us to know, I would not be the one to spill the beans. I would not betray her by telling others. It was odd since I had inadvertently found out from the wolves and not Bella herself, so in reality I had no reason to keep her secret, but some instinct told me that it would help me to gain her trust. And now that I knew I didn't have my insatiable curiosity to fight with in questioning her every day.

I was determined and I would succeed.

But then there was the problem of whether Bella would return or not so my keeping her secret could well be all in vain.

Stay optimistic I coached myself and slowly walked home, using this time to practice not thinking about this amazing discovery.