This extra long chapter is my Christmas present to you! So I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thanks you SO SO much for reading my story, and a few special mentions to some of my reviewers who always make me smile.

Jakelover18- who leaves me the funniest reviews ever!

Sh.C – My fellow college friend, who completely made me cry this morning with her story! If you haven't read it, go do it now! She's an amazing author!

MyTwilightRomance Who had a horrible day the other day so this chapter is dedicated to you!

Not done bakingDefinitely my most trusted reader, who I always count on to give me the truth about my writing

Vjgm – My friend and one of my favorite authors on this site!

Okay, I'm done. Haha. On to the next chapter!

Bella's POV

I settled back into my bed after returning from downstairs. Poor Zack. He wouldn't even attempt to go near those snakes during the challenge, so being stuck on the toilet with one was probably pretty awful. But also pretty funny, I thought, chuckling a little. The image of him pants down on that toilet seat with a snake popping up between his legs was something that I was certainly going to remember.

Rose and Alice walked in, laughing as they returned to their spots next to me.

"That was great," said Alice, picking up her clipboard from the floor. "Definitely what we needed after Tanya."

"Yeah," I nodded, my good humor souring a bit as I remembered her interview and what she said about Edward. I had a lot of thinking to do on that, but I knew now was not the time and there were other interviews that I needed to get through. I sighed, looking down at the golden comforter beneath me, hoping that the rest of them would fair better.

I waited another moment for the cameras to get back in place, and then gave the signal that we could begin. Another knock sounded at the door, and I called out for them to enter.

A beautiful Native American girl walked in and closed the door softly behind her. She had a wide smile, and unlike Tanya's, it was completely genuine. She didn't look at the cameras once as she took her seat in the wooden chair.

I could almost feel Rose and Alice relax their defensive positions beside me. I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief too, this girl looked very sweet, and if that was any indication of how the rest of the interview would go, then it would be a welcome breath of fresh air.

"Hello," I said, smiling at her. "I'm Bella, thank you for coming and it's great to meet you."

"Likewise," she said in a joyful tone, "I'm Leah." She looked at all of us once and then crossed her legs, her face anticipating the first question.

"Great, so Leah," I began, taking a quick peek at Alice's clipboard. "How long were you and Jacob together?"

"A little over a year," she responded automatically. "It was a mutual decision to break it off."

"Oh?" I asked, "Why did you guys decide that?"

"Lots of reasons," she said in a bright tone. "You see, Jacob is a great guy, he really is. But we just weren't meant to be together, and we realized that we would be much better off as friends. But he was always so thoughtful and kind during the time we were in a relationship. He was a tremendous support system for me, a great listener, and just an all around good boyfriend. Really."

I couldn't help but drink up the sincerity in her voice. It was obvious she was telling the truth, and I really liked Jacob so this was like music to my ears.

"So Jacob would be a good choice, then?" I asked, anxious for her answer.

"Absolutely," she responded, nodding her head. "And he seems to be very taken with you Bella, I can already tell."

I beamed and watched as Alice scribbled away furiously on the paper in front of her.

"Thank you Leah, for sharing all that with us," I smiled. "You can tell the next girl to come in now."

"You're welcome," she said, getting up and heading toward the large white doors of my bedroom. "I'll see you at dinner." And with that, she disappeared out of my room.

"What a little sweet heart," said Alice. "I like her."

"Me too," said Rose, "But it's not her you need to like, it's Jacob."

I nodded, and called out for the next girl to come in when I heard the knock on the door.

A short girl with leg warmers and white keds bounced into my bedroom, flipping her hair as she made her way over to the wooden chair. This was quite obviously Zack's ex girlfriend, because they both seemed to be stuck inside some 80's time warp. Rose curled her lips as she appraised her outfit.

"Hey!" she squealed, before I even got the chance to talk. "I'm Kelly Kapowski, and I really just can't believe I'm here! When I got the call to come down, I was like, so excited! And then when I heard Zacky was here, I knew I had to come! My mom was like, so happy for me too! Oh can I say hi to her?" She turned toward the camera, smacked her gum, and flipped her brown hair over her shoulder. "Hi Mom!" she shouted at the camera, "Oh, wait! And I also have to say hi to Lisa, Jesse, Slater and Screech! HEY GUYS!" She waved her hand obnoxiously as if they could see her at exactly that moment.

"Um," I said a bit loudly, interrupting her ramblings. "Hey Kelly, I'm Bella, thanks for coming."

"Thanks for inviting me!" she said in such a happy tone; I almost thought she was faking it. But one look at her face, led me to believe that she was serious.

"So what can you tell me about Zack?" I asked, "How long were you together?"

"Oh, we were high school sweet hearts," she told me. "We were on and off for about three years, well, when I wasn't dating his best friend Slater that is. Anyways, Zacky is just so cute isn't he? He was always very sweet, but, actually…he did always seem to get me into a lot of trouble back then."

She narrowed her eyes, seeming to remember something unknown to me.

"So, in your opinion," I shuddered at the words, "Is Zack a good choice?"

"Sure!" she said, "He is a great guy, but oh my god there are so many guys here! How are you going to be able to pick just one! I bet I couldn't do it! It would SO hard –"

"Okay well thank you Kelly," said Rose. "We will keep everything you said in mind."

"Super!" she said, and with that she flounced out of the room, whipping her hair as she closed the door.

"Well obviously we can't take anything she told us seriously," said Alice, once the door was completely closed. "And was it just me, or did she admit to dating his best friend?"

"Yeah, she did," I laughed. "I must say between that, and the whole snake thing today, I feel a little bit bad for him."

Rose scoffed loudly in response. "I don't. He didn't even try today during the challenge, that wins negative points in my book."

I shrugged, calling for the next girl to come in.

A blond girl walked in and headed directly for the wooden chair. She was a pretty girl, but you could hardly tell because the scowl she wore on her face was so menacing that it distorted her features. I was so taken aback by her expression, that I unconsciously scooted further back onto the safety of my bed.

"Er, Hey," I said, clearing my throat. "I'm Bella…thanks for being here."

She grunted in reply.

I took another peek at Alice's clipboard; this was Lauren, Tyler's ex girlfriend. After she made no move to introduce herself, I took the initiative and decided to ask the first question.

"So you are Tyler's ex girlfriend?" I asked tentatively. "What can you tell me about him?"

I peered at her and could have a sworn that a growl came forth out of her chest. "What can I say about Tyler?" she shrieked sarcastically as she shook her head violently, apparently causing me to unconsciously grip Rosalie's arm in fright.

"Well, there is nothing really to say except that he is a disgusting pig headed asshole! He just thinks he is sooohoho hot, with his tight butt and large penis, but let me tell you something," she leaned down and waggled her finger in front of my face.

"He is only after one thing," she sneered in a serious tone. "And I don't have to say SEX out loud to tell you guys that that's what it is!!"

She leaned back and crossed her arms, breathing heavily.

No one spoke for a moment, but as I opened my mouth to finally break the silence she cut me off.

"SEX!" she repeated, as if she was trying to drive the point into my brain.

I nodded quickly. "Okay um…I got it…uh one last thing then, how long were you guys together?"

"A little over three years," she responded mechanically.

"Right?" I said as I tried to hide my confusion. "Um, okay then. Thanks Lauren, that will be all."

She raised her sharp eyebrows at me and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"So she apparently hates him and says he's only after sex…but she was with him for three years?" said Alice, voicing my thoughts exactly. Obviously I couldn't take this girl seriously either because she had made absolutely no sense, not to mention that she was slightly manic.

"That's what I got out of it too," I answered.

"This just keeps getting better and better," whispered Rose, rubbing my arm in what seemed like sympathy. I rested my head on her shoulder, only two more to go, I told myself. I half heartedly called out for the next girl to come in when I heard the knock.

"Hello," she said once she closed the door behind her. "I'm Jessica, Mike's ex girlfriend."

"Hey Jessica, I'm Bella, thanks for coming." I watched as she went to sit down in the wooden chair. "So, what can you tell me about Mike?"

A big smile came over her face, and she looked down at her lap. "Well, Mike is really nice," she told me. "He is athletic, really gentle, and always went out of his way to make me happy."

Surprisingly, I felt myself brighten considerably at her words. Mike really had never been one of my favorites, but maybe I had been underestimating him this entire time.

"Really?" I said, "So how long were you guys together?"

At this she blushed, and returned her gaze down to her lap.

"Well, I've liked him for a while, but we were only together for about five months. Once he saw you, he kind of dropped me and did everything he could to make it onto your show. It seems he really likes you."

"Oh," I said, feeling a bit guilty and awkward after hearing her confession. I definitely didn't like to hear that I had broken up their relationship, especially after she admitted to how much she liked him. But I guess there was nothing I could really do it about now, besides give Mike a better look than I had been.

"Thank you Jessica, for your honesty," I said, trying to convey to her through my eyes that I really meant it. She nodded, gave a slight glance toward the cameras and left the room.

"I think Mike deserves a closer look," I said, telling my friends what I had been thinking.

"Maybe," said Alice, "But I don't know. He is sort of plain don't you think? And it always seems that no matter how hard he tries, he still never wins."

"True," said Rose, "And you're looking for the winner, not someone who just comes close."

I shrugged, knowing that I would think more on the subject later. But my heart raced as I remembered who would be coming through the door next. Ron's ex girlfriend, and even though the other interviews had been something to remember, I knew this one would be the one I wouldn't forget. As expected, a heard a timid knock, and a short, but very beautiful brunette came through the door.

My stomach dropped at her expression, and it made my heart clench to see how terribly sad she looked. But to my surprise, she managed to place a small smile on her face as she made her way over to the chair.

"Thank you very much for having me," she said politely. "I'm Hermione, Ronald's… ex girlfriend." The last word came out very softly.

"What a lovely name," said Alice.

"Thank you," she replied, and twisted her hands slowly in front of her. I could tell she was fighting back tears, and doing everything she could to keep the agonized expression off of her face.

"So, what is there to say about Ron?" I asked, almost anxious to hear what she would tell me.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was silent, and she seemed to be suffering from an internal struggle of sorts. But finally, she looked up and gazed at me and I was taken aback by the honesty I saw in her eyes.

"Ronald is…the most loyal boyfriend that a girl could ever have. He is caring, tender, loving, and completely attentive in every way you could think of. It's impossible not to feel safe with him, and when he looks at you, he makes you feel as if you are the only girl in his world. Although he is protective, and sometimes very jealous," at this thought, an angry expression came over her features, but a moment later she quickly composed herself, "He still is the most perfect companion a girl could ask for…Bella, you are…very lucky."

Before I had a chance to respond, she excused herself and flew out of the room.

"Wow," said Alice.

"Wow, indeed." I replied.

oOoOoOOoOooOoOOoOOoOoOOoOooOoOooOoOOoOoOooOoOO

Bella's POV

"Well that had to be the most awkward dinner ever," said Alice as I shut the door to my room. We had come up upstairs to discuss the elimination ceremony that would be taking place tonight, and I for one, couldn't have been happier. The dinner was an extremely awkward affair that was not fun for me, but made the producers happy because "It made for great TV." Thankfully,almost all of the girls had left directly after dinner was over.

"Let's get down to business," said Alice, flopping down onto my floor. I sat down next to her and put my head in her lap so she could stroke my hair.

"To be honest," I said, closing my eyes. "Most of the ex girlfriends gave me a bad impression."

"True," said Rose. "But how many of them could you actually believe? It all matters who you judge to be telling the truth, and who you trust."

"But I don't know who to trust," I said with a frown. "Take Edward for instance, I would have never expected him to treat his girlfriend that way, that really surprised me."

"Don't tell me you're going to listen to that skank," said Rose. "She was out to make Edward look bad, you had to have seen that. Look how they treated each other at dinner; it was clear that they both hated each other."

I shrugged.

"I agree," said Alice. "Edward kept throwing nervous glances at you all throughout dinner, it seemed as if he was worried she would lie about him."

"Or tell the truth," I responded, my voice full of sorrow.

Alice bent down to kiss my head. "But Jacob's girlfriend was great right? She said nice things about him at least."

"True," I said. "I'm going to keep Jacob tonight. He really has impressed me in more than one way today. He stays."

Rose nodded, leaned over and marked something down on Alice's clipboard.

"Tyler's girlfriend was making me laugh," she giggled. "I thought at one point she was trying to stab him with her salad fork."

"She was!" I said, "The producers almost had to get involved before it got really bad!"

"Now she was crazy," said Alice. "But I don't know, I don't find Tyler being a pervert so hard to believe either."

"Me either," I said urgently. "That's why I don't know who to believe."

"So listen to your heart Bella, these are their ex girlfriends, there is a reason why they broke up. Who do you want to keep? Don't listen to what everyone else says."

I thought for a moment, but sat up and turned to them.

"I may not know which one is right for me just yet, but I do know who isn't."

I told them exactly who was going home tonight, and just like last week, they nodded in agreeance.

But just as I got up and was about to go to hair and makeup and get ready for the ceremony, there a knock at my door.

Edward's POV

11:59

If I thought that I had been nervous during the last elimination ceremony, it paled in comparison to the way I was feeling now. Standing at the bottom of the stairs in line with the other guys, I was finding it impossible to keep still. All I wanted to do was run up to Bella's room, grab her, and not let her go until I could explain away everything that Tanya must have told her. And I knew it had been bad because Bella hardly looked at me throughout the entire dinner. Usually we would catch each other's gazes and smile, a certain something passing through the air between us, and it had been noticeably absent tonight. There was nothing to reassure me that I was staying. Even the breakfast date we were supposed to have tomorrow was not collateral in my eyes.

Besides Jacob, who was standing next to me radiating confidence, it was obvious that everyone else was just as nervous as me. Tyler kept running his hands through his hair, cursing his ex girlfriend under his breath and Mike had his eyes closed, praying quietly to himself.

But the thing that surprised me the most, was Ron.

He was standing there, smiling widely, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. I had never seen him look that happy and I couldn't figure out his sudden mood change. He had been absolutely miserable all day, but then he shows up glowing at the elimination ceremony?

But I didn't have any more time to figure it out, because all at once, the cameras moved forward, the spotlight came on at the top of the stairs, and Bella's theme song came pounding out of the speakers.

As she appeared from around the corner, it took all my strength not to close my eyes against her beauty. She looked so lovely standing there, and as she carefully made her way down the stairs, and I prayed that she wouldn't be sending me home. She had to be feeling what I was feeling, because the things that were pulsing through me were too strong to be one sided.

But once again, she didn't look my way as she passed, she simply strode over to podium, and all I could do was watch helplessly as her friends sat down beside her.

The smaller of the two reached under her seat and pulled out the wooden box, but instead of opening it right away, she ran her fingers in smooth circles over the top.

"Welcome," she said softly, "To the second elimination ceremony."

I was acutely aware of the camera right beside me, and I desperately hoped they weren't focused on me because I was the one going home.

She opened the box, but I hardly noticed because I couldn't take my eyes off her face. I was trying to read each and every one of her expressions, but as always, they remained blank.

God I wish I could read her mind!

"We are going to do things a bit differently tonight," she said seriously, looking around at all of us. "Because there are only four chains in this box, and there are six of you standing before me."

My heart instantly plummeted into my stomach. If she was sending two people home, that automatically lowered my chances of staying here. I started breathing deeply, looking around at everyone. Even Jacob looked surprised and even a bit nervous.

"About an hour ago, one of you came to my room, and told me that they were eliminating themselves. I will let him explain to you, and America, his reason why." She stepped off the podium and motioned someone forward.

All our heads snapped up in shock to see Ron stepping out of his place in line and going up toward Bella. He pulled her into a big hug, whispered something to her, then took his place in front of us.

He cleared his throat loudly, and gazed at us with a serious expression.

"I have decided to eliminate myself mates, because in truth, I am in love with someone else. I gave my heart away a very long time ago, and there is no way I could ever live my life without her. I have apologized to Bella because I came on this show for the wrong reasons. There are some jealousy issues I need to work on, and I was using this show to spite Hermione, my girlfriend. I knew the whole time I was here that I didn't belong, and that I would be returning back to her, and for that, I am truly sorry."

He turned and gave Bella a look of pure anguish, and she shook her head to tell him that she understood. She walked over to him and gave him another hug and turned to us.

"So King is going home on his own accord, and I have to say that I am happy for him. The love between the two of them is plain for anyone to see, and I respect him for being honest with me."

He smiled at her, and went to stand back in line, forever chainless.

I frowned, despite my relief that I still had a chance. Ron was my favorite out of the all of guys, and one of the only people that I found I could relate to. I would miss him when he was gone, but I couldn't concentrate on that right now, especially when I could still be the other one going home.

I watched as Bella pulled her first chain out of the box.

"This first chain is for a man who truly impressed me today. You gave your best during the challenge, and all I heard from your ex girlfriend was flattering things about you. I still…like you, and still am eager to learn more …Wolf, this chain is for you."

I felt my throat clench up in fear.

I watched as Jacob hopped out of line and strode over to get his chain. He swept her up, as he always did, into a big hug. His face was gleaming with happiness, but as he turned back toward me, his eyes caught mine. He winked smugly at me, but I looked past him, hoping beyond hope that she didn't like him more than me.

She pulled her next chain out of the box.

"This next chain is for someone that I have decided to give all of my trust to. After hearing some of the things your ex said about you, I'll be honest, it unnerved me. But I decided that I liked you. And that I still really want to get to know you, because there is something there…I can feel it. So Handsome…this chain is for you."

I felt my face explode with joy and relief. She giggled at my reaction, and motioned me over with her finger. I walked over, eager to feel the metal around my neck, knowing that I was staying another day.

"Still up for our breakfast date tomorrow?" she whispered softly into my ear, as she placed the chain around my neck.

"I'd never miss it," I whispered back honestly. She smiled and leaned up, and I turned around to take my place back in line. I caught Jacob's eye and winked, just as he did to me. He scowled angrily and I laughed.

"This third chain, is for someone that I have heard nothing but good things about today. And I realized that in my mind, I wasn't giving you the chance that you deserved. I want to spend some alone time with you, to see if there really is a connection between us…Home Boy…this third chain is for you."

Just like last time, Mike pumped a fist in the air and jogged down to Bella to get his chain. He looked really excited, and I couldn't help but feel a little bit happy for him. He really wasn't a bad guy, but in my heart, I knew he wasn't right for my Bella.

That left Zack and Tyler.

In my opinion, any one of them could go home and it would be no skin off of my back. I wasn't crazy about either of them.

"I have one chain left," said Bella calmly, "Would my two remaining contestants please step forward."

I watched as the two of them grudgingly moved to stand in front of her. Tyler looked very upset to be in the bottom two once again, and Zack was shifting around looking slightly panicked. He must have been really nervous, because I didn't hear a wise crack from him all night."

"Just like last week, this decision came very easy to me," she explained, I could see the tension build up in her eyes. "I will reiterate what I told you from the beginning. These choices are mine and mine alone. I will be the one deciding who stays and who goes. I don't need someone coming up to my room, tattling on the other contestants to make themselves look good. I am a big girl…so Preppy, I'm sorry, but I am not falling for you."

Zack dropped his head sadly and nodded.

She placed the remaining chain around Tyler's neck and whispered something in his ear that made him laugh and turn red.

We all watched as Zack made his way upstairs to pack with a camera following close behind. As he turned the corner, I heard him start talking animatedly about how unfair the decision was, and how he was only looking out for Bella's wellbeing. I rolled my eyes, as did Bella.

Once Zack was out of sight, I saw another figure appear at the top of the stairs and start to make her way down. It was Ron's ex girlfriend, and she was dragging his suitcase behind her. Ron caught sight and he ran over to help. But instead of grabbing the suitcase, he bounded up the stairs and pulled her close into a passionate embrace. I saw her resting her head on his shoulder as tears were streaming down her face. He rubbed her back in a soothing motion, repeating how sorry he was, and how much he loved her.

I felt bad watching them, intruding on their private moment. But I couldn't help but feel jealous. I wanted that with Bella so bad. Without fail, she had impressed me once again tonight, in more ways than one. For accepting Ron and what he did, for the reason that she sent home Zack…she just was continuing to surprise me, and it was hard not to want this more and more every day.

Well watched silently as Ron and his girlfriend walked over and gave Bella a hug, talking quietly and exchanging goodbyes. After that, they made their way to the front door, but before Ron left, he turned back to Bella.

"Oh and Bella," he said. "Edward's a real decent bloke in my opinion."

He shot me a wink as he closed the door behind him.

My next chapter, Edward and Bella's date, is going to be dedicated to Tara's Folly, another amazing author and friend, who totally gets my Saved By the Bell references, my love for Kelly, and why I named Zack Preppy! For the people who didn't know, that was his nickname on the show!

Next chapter: Their date, and the return of Jasper and Emmett!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

ronOReds