dont be mad my loverly reviewers! i had to repost -gag- because i messed up a crucial part of the chapter. thanks to my amazing fan who caught it! dont be mad! :D

A:N/ Okay, well I've caught some sort of bug, and I'm home bored. So I figured I'd give you a very long chapter, at least for me. I hope you like it!

Vote! It's important guys, you know you should. I'll ask the questions at the bottom, but without your input this is going to be my story, my way. And I'd hate to bore you all! :D

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns it all


When I slept, I dreamt. And dreams, I've found, are never pleasant anymore.

I walked through the woods, snapping branches and cracking twigs as I tried to make my way around the underbrush. Tall trees towered over me, blocking out the light with their long arms that stretched farther out than I'd imagined possible.

The sun was setting, but today wasn't like others. I felt the warmth, the dry air scraped against my throat as I gasped for breath. I knew that beyond the dark, eerie shade of the trees, light existed. If I could only get through this green

My excitement and intensity started building, and I gave up trying to be calm. I tripped over stones, falling and stumbling. I heard a hiss of a snake, accompanied with the sounds of deer jumping happily in the background. Birds sang, but along with it came the eerie howling of a desert coyote. I fell on a rock, cutting my knee slightly as I heard my ankle crack.

I moaned, glancing down to survey the damage. There was no pain, surprisingly, although my leg was cut and my ankle twisted. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I'd have to go see a doctor soon, but a bigger part of me was pushing to make it out of the woods.

So it was with sheer willpower that I grabbed the nearest branch, heaving myself against the thick trunk to steady myself. I tested my ankle, rolling it gently. Although there was no pain I winced slightly, as though I knew somehow I was supposed to. I tried to take a step, but the pressure made me collapse onto the soft dirt floor of the forest. The animals sang their songs as I sat there, legs crossed with my head in my hands.

I heard a low chuckle as I glanced up.

"Oh baby," My mother said, laughing. "Always so klutzy, aren't we?"

I saw her golden features and felt myself brighten immediately. The pain, the invisible pain, at least, meant nothing anymore. I reached for her just as she reached for me. She hugged me, kissing both of my cheeks and brushing my hair behind my ears. I cried happily, breathing in her wonderful scent.

"How are you mom?" I asked eagerly, searching her eyes. They were warm, like before she got sick. This was the same face that I remembered from my five-year-old memories, and I smiled at her as she sighed.

"I love you, Bella," She said fervently. Her words gushed with love so strong it made my heart soar.

"I love you too, mom," I whispered, hugging her.

"Never, ever forget that, do you hear me?" She demanded seriously. I nodded my head and she sighed, seemingly content.

"How's my baby?" She asked, her eyes searching mine just as eagerly as mine had moments before.

"I'm okay mom, really. I'm managing. There's this-" I started, but her anger cut me off suddenly.

"I didn't ask about you," She said menacingly. I pulled away, staring at her again in horror. This was no longer my mother that I wanted so badly to remember. This was the mother that I'd known in the last few months of her life. The terrifying demon who had taken over her, stealing her body and her mind. I let out a ragged gasp, fresh tears welling in the corner of my eyes.

"The baby?" I staggered. She nodded angrily, and I tried to steady myself mentally. "She's very, very good. Her name is Annabel, just like you'd always wanted. She's the cutest baby you've ever seen, honestly mom. Scott sent me some pictures the other day, and she was playing with toys and having fun. I'm sure she'll miss you terribly though when she's older."

My mother's eyes turned metallic and angry. "Are you being sarcastic with me young lady? Are you lying? You never lie to me, do you hear me?" She shouted at me, bringing her arm back and slapping me across the face.

Suddenly I felt the air around me grow cold. I glanced up, surprised. My mother's eyes were enraged, staring at the stranger that had entered the clearing we were seated at.

Edward stalked into the meadow, his beautiful features drawn together in anger. I felt my face and realized it was starting to swell. Edward pulled me to my feet, setting me effortlessly on a tree branch. His beauty stunned me even in my dreams as he turned elegantly to face the demon that was my mother.

"Renee," He said carefully, his honey-silk voice mesmerizing me. I'd almost forgotten how wonderful his voice sounded.

"You!" She spat at him, her eyes crazed. I realized then that her clothes were torn, her hair ragged and uncombed.

"Renee," He repeated, taking a step towards her. I heard anger underneath his calm exterior and felt myself shiver. She jumped backwards, throwing me an agonized glance before turning for the woods.

"Ah ah," Edward said. "I'm afraid you've simply caused Bella too much pain. Certainly you didn't expect to come here and bother her further, did you?" He closed the distance quickly, grabbing her roughly and turning her towards me. I grimaced at her features, angered and fearful.

"Now, why don't you apologize to the lovely daughter of yours?" His voice was so lovely, so dangerous.

"No," I whispered, locking my plain brown eyes with his gorgeous gold ones. He frowned at me, releasing her. She threw another look at me, one I couldn't identify, before fleeing into the woods.

"Why not Bella?" He whispered, pulling me down from the branch as effortlessly as he'd put my in it.

"That woman is not my mother. That woman is nothing to me anymore," I said slowly, realizing that with the words came a small sense that I was telling the truth. He picked me up, carrying me through the woods since I couldn't walk. I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them we were flying. He had me in his arms and yet he was running so fast the trees around us were a blur. When we broke through the layers of trees, I found we were standing in the desert. Arizona, my senses were telling me.

The dream suddenly cut off, and I felt a strange need for it to continue, like something more important was about to happen. My mother's face, the tortured angered expression I'd been haunted by for months, kept scanning through my mind. And when I woke, I found myself gasping for air and clutching at my chest.

I'd half expected that since I'd told Edward everything, that my dreams would have disappeared. Of course I should have guessed that bringing them into the open would have only intensified them even more. I shook, feeling the tremors run through my body. Suddenly I was too cold just laying here. I reached for my blankets naturally, realizing then that I'd fallen asleep on the couch. Edward was gone, Charlie most likely sleeping upstairs. Just as I thought that, he confirmed my thoughts, snoring just loud enough for me to hear from my space on the couch.

I pushed the dream out of my mind, shivering involuntarily as walked quietly upstairs to my room. I tiptoed past Charlie's room, trying my best not to wake him. I went into my room, glancing at the clock. It was only five, but I knew I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again this morning. I debated whether or not to take a shower, but decided against it when I realized that the loud pipes would surely alert Charlie that I was moving around the house.

I couldn't go back downstairs, so I went to my phone and turned it on. It wasn't a fancy phone. Big and bulky, it bulged in the pockets of my jeans. But I rarely used it, so to me it didn't matter anyways.

But as I powered it on, I realized that I should leave it on for more than an hour a day. I waited as my phone racked up message after message, missed call after missed call. I scanned through, ignoring Mike's voicemails and Jessica's insisting messages that I call her. Honestly, if you want me to call you, it would make more sense to call me instead. I sighed, glancing at Angela's message. I like her messages the best because every word was spelt out clearly, so I didn't have to do the annoying task of reading numbers as letters.

Hey Bella, just wanted to know if you were up for a movie tonight in Port Angeles with me. You're welcome to bring a friend if you want! Talk to you at school!

I sighed as I remembered that Angela did morning workouts. She'd been going through this craze lately, waking up at five to go for runs before it got cold. I wondered vaguely how she hadn't already caught pneumonia. I figured a movie would be harmless, glancing again at the invite to ask a friend. A certain face popped into my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. I went to the 'new message' section, hoping she'd be awake and running so that I wouldn't bother her dream rest.

A movie sounds awesome! What time?

Her response was quick. She was obviously up and running instead of sleeping in like I would normally do.

I'll pick you up at 6. Don't forget the invitation invite! Haha, that's funny. Anyways, gotta go, I'll see you in school!

I drew in a long breath, holding it for as long as possible before letting it out slowly. I glanced at the clock, seeing that only ten minutes had gone by.

I decided a run would do me some good, glancing out the window. It was considerably dry outside, and I didn't think the forecast called for ran until the afternoon.

I threw on some shorts and a t-shirt, grabbing some shoes. I didn't think that running would be that smart for me, being clumsy and all, but eventually decided I might as well shed a little weight.

So I found myself writing a quick note to Charlie and jogging out the door. Down the street and around the corner, I felt lifeless and yet totally alert as I jogged the empty streets of my quiet suburban neighborhood. Houses were still dark, and cars that were parked on gravel driveways had a thin layer of frost.

I had to keep my eyes trained on the ground to make sure that I wouldn't trip over any stones or stumble into any small dips in the road and hurt myself. The thought of twisting my ankle brought back vivid memories from my dream, and I felt myself pushing harder to chase them out of my mind.

By the time I was done running I was sweating terribly, my feet aching from working in the shoes. I dragged my limp body up the driveway, realizing it was almost six. Charlie woke a little earlier than normal, and he was reading my note at the kitchen table when I passed.

"Mornin' Bells," he greeted me, bringing a spoonful of mushy cereal to his mouth.

"Good morning, Dad," I said, grabbing a water from the fridge. I'd seemed to have lost my appetite, opting for a cereal bar instead of making something. I leaned against the counter while I ate.

"So you went running, huh?" He asked, both skepticism and surprise in his wide eyes. I nodded my head, shrugging as though I did it all the time.

"Angela does it," I explained, "And I woke up early so…"

He nodded his head as though this made perfect sense for a klutz like me to be running. When I was done with breakfast I ran upstairs, jumping through the shower quickly and putting a clip in my hair to keep the tangled mess out of my face. When I got back downstairs he'd already left for work, the house empty and barren.

With nothing better to do, I climbed into the old, red truck Charlie had given me as a welcome home present and drove to school. It ran slow, groaning if I tried to push it very fast. But even with the slow, moaning truck I somehow managed to make it to school an extra thirty minutes early.

I sighed, glancing around the parking lot. It was empty except for, who else, Mike. When he saw me he smiled and waved, cutting the engine on his car and jogging over to me. His baby face was flushed and he grinned at me widely as I rolled down the window.

"Hey Bella," he said, waving as though I hadn't already seen him run over to me. I tried to keep my response casual and friendly and still avoid rolling my eyes. I managed, somehow.

"Morning Mike."

It wasn't so much he was clingy, because I think that I'd be able to handle him if he was just clingy. But he got so excited to see me that it was sometimes weird. I wanted to be his friend, though, so I hoped we could push this dating thing aside. It would be great to have him as a friend, especially since this would be my school for the next few years.

"It's decent today," he noted, running a hand through his hair. It was true, the weather was very nice. There wasn't a chance that the sun would poke through, that I was sure of. But I was pretty positive that we'd have dry weather until tonight.

"What are you doing later," he pressed, leaning against my open window with one arm. I subtly scooted away from him, laughing so he didn't realize I was trying to move away.

"Going to a movie with Angela," I said. I wasn't going to tell him I could invite somebody, mainly because he'd get the wrong idea.

"Really? That sounds fun," he said. I nodded, glancing around the parking lot. I needed an escape before this conversation took the wrong turn.

Just my luck, a beautiful god was standing across the parking lot. I hadn't heard him pull in, but he was there now, leaning against his car. Arms folded across his chest, legs crossed, he was a picture of ease. It reminded me of my dream, but I realized that this Edward was much more beautiful than anything I could think up. My mind just wasn't that good.

Mike saw me glance over the parking lot, and he followed my gaze as his eyes focused in on Edward. I turned my head, blushing.

"Bella," Mike said, and now I really had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. He was going to get parental, was he? "I really don't think it's a good thing for you to start falling for that Cullen boy. You need a real man."

I fought the urge to laugh, cutting the engine on my car.

"Mike, I am not falling for the Cullen boy. And there are no real men around here, so I don't see the big deal." I realized, too late, that I'd insulted Mike without meaning to. I sighed, opening my door.

"Look, Mike," I said. Guilt made me do the dumbest things sometimes. "You're welcome to come tonight, if you want. It's probably going to be some cheesy romance, and if you're up for that, then you're welcome to tag along."

I prayed he'd say no, but to my horror he simply nodded his head vigorously and accepted quicker than I'd thought possible.

"Okay, well I have a question about Biology, so I'm going to go ask Edward," I said, backing away from my car. He nodded, and he walked away, looking so happy I wouldn't have put it past him to start skipping.

I sighed, crossing my arms and walking over the parking lot. There were a few more cars now, and I noticed that two of the three belonged to the Cullens. Alice bounded out, the short, beautiful girl I secretly envied, and skipped gracefully towards me. She wrapped her arms around me gently, kissing both of my cheeks before giving me a dazzling smile. The shock of her entrance stunned me momentarily, enough for her to take her cool hand in mine and pull me towards her car.

"We're going to be great friends," she sang, sitting gracefully on the hood of her car. Her voice sounded like the tinkling of bells, and all I managed to do was nod as she sped off a list of shopping centers and malls we could go to. It was overwhelming how quickly I found myself laughing and talking with her.

"Alice, she doesn't shop," I heard my favorite voice say from a ways behind me. I turned to him, drinking him in. I was right, my dreams were nothing compared to reality. His bronze hair was blowing slightly in the wind, his sweater hinting at the muscles underneath. I tried to calm my heart, which now began to stutter slightly as I looked at him.

"Edward!" She gasped, almost shocked. She raised a perfectly manicured nail to her chest, eyes going wide with shock. "We don't use the word don't and shop in the same sentence!"

He chuckled, smiling at what I assumed was his favorite sister.

"Yes, but we also don't terrorize innocent Bella," he said, and she nodded as though she'd actually scared me. I laughed, seeing them interact was so funny.

"It's true, though," I said to Alice as her eyes widened in terror, "I don't like to shop at all."

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning towards me, pleading.

"Are you sure we can't just shop one or two billion times?" She said, her cool breath blowing into my face. I was momentarily stunned, but I didn't want to show it. Why did every Cullen family member have to look so beautiful?

"Edward Cullen," she said, glaring at me. I was afraid she was honestly mad, but as I looked deeper I saw a fondness hidden in her eyes. "Get this girl to change her mind, otherwise she's hopeless and we'll have to throw her out." It seemed like she was talking to both of us.

He smiled, walking closer. Before, he'd been standing against his car, but now as he walked closer I had to mentally fight to make my heart not lose control. I found the easiest thing to do was look away, so I settled to glance at Alice.

"Bella, have you met Jasper?" She trilled, jumping off her car. I shook my head and she smiled gleefully, opening the passenger door. I felt Edward stiffen from behind me, but slowly loosen up as Jasper muttered something under his breath. He couldn't have heard that, could he?

Before I had time to think Alice was towing Jasper out of the car, his arms wrapped around her waist as they walked. He smiled at me, tightening his grip on Alice.

"Bella, this is Jasper," she sang, doing a motion with her arm as though he was a prize to win. "He's mine, so if you like him, go look somewhere else." I knew of course that she was kidding, but I somehow knew not to put it past her to get defensive. I laughed, shaking my head at her.

"Hi, Jasper," I said, crossing my arms uncomfortably around me. I was getting quickly outnumbered, I only knew Edward, and I barely knew him at all. He smiled at me though, as though he knew something I didn't, and said hello back.

"Do you like it here?" He asked me politely, loosening his grip on Alice. Suddenly I felt Edward step right beside me, so close we were almost touching. I suddenly felt very calm, which was weird because I hadn't felt so calm in a very long time.

"Yea," I said slowly, "It's very nice. There's a lot of… friendly people."

Edward chuckled lightly, stepping away again to lean against the car. I followed, mainly because it gave me something to do instead of standing awkwardly in the middle of Alice and Edward.

"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself," he said, stiffening as a breeze fluttered through. Jasper's grip tightened again, and I felt Edward stiffen.

"Bella, would you care to go for a walk?" He asked, quick and pleading, yet somehow managing to make me move enough, even though I was shocked at the sudden change in emotion. I nodded my head as he grabbed my hand, pulling me away from Alice. I waved goodbye meekly and she managed to wave back before I stumbled. His hand was cold, I noticed, but I was strangely comforted by that. I closed my eyes, inhaling the scents from the air as I walked.

"So Bella," he said as I struggled to keep up. His long legs moved faster than mine could manage, and I was struggling.

"Edward," I said, panting. "Do you think you could slow down?" He laughed, shaking his head, but his pace slowed considerably until I was walking at an even pace.

"Sorry, Bella, I just forget when I'm around you." He smiled at me. He'd released my hand, and he now checked it for the time. "We have ten minutes."

He glanced at me, tightening his hand into a fist. Eventually it loosened, and he reached over gently to trace his long, slender fingers down the length of my cheek. I opened my eyes, glancing at him.

"Your eyes are darker today," I noted. "Why is that?"

He froze, and I immediately regretted saying anything. His hand dropped and his tone became hard, distant.

"Why do you mean?" He managed after a moment, taking his gaze off of me and glancing away. His tone surprised me, I wasn't expecting anger from him.

"Well, yesterday they were gold. Today they're darker." He glared at me, clenching his fist again. He stared out to the rest of the parking lot, looking at nothing. Although there were at least a dozen students gathered watching our display, he seemed unaffected.

"Silly Bella," he muttered. I figured he wasn't actually talking to me. "Sometimes you think too much."

I stood there uncomfortably for a moment, twisting my hair around my finger and biting my lip nervously. The students were gathering, although some of the smarter ones were heading for class. We probably had six minutes, tops.

"Well, uh, I'm going to go to class…" I muttered uncomfortably, opening my car door and grabbing my backpack. I slammed the door, maybe a little to hard, and then he was there.

His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me towards him. He buried his face in my hair, taking a deep breath. I felt his cool cheek against mine, my heart starting to beat uncontrollably.

"Bella," he whispered. I was shocked. His sudden mood swings always left me confused, one step behind everybody else. As soon as I thought I knew what was going on, he turned around and surprised me.

"Why are you upset, Bella?" He muttered, his arms still around my waist. I shook my head and he sighed, pulling one hand from my waist to lift my face to his.

"Won't you tell me?" He asked, his eyes pleading. If it was possible, I might have melted into a pool of hyperactive teenage hormones right there. His cool breath was blowing in my face, and I fought to remember how to form a sentence.

"Oh, uh," I started. He chuckled, but waited for me to continue. "You get mad at me a lot, it seems." I felt my cheeks grow hot and turned my face away from him so that I was glancing at the students. The crowd was filtering now, slowly, some waiting to see what would happen. I was glad that they couldn't hear us though.

"Bella," he said, a sadness hidden under his eyes. "I'm never mad at you. Don't you forget that, okay?"

I nodded my head weakly as the bell rang. I cursed it silently as his long arms released me, taking only my hand as we walked to class. When I reached my stop he paused as if he were deciding something, and after a moment turned quickly and walked away.

I stumbled into class, waiting for it to be over.

It was like that every period. He waited for me after class, leaning against the wall casually as though the students staring was nothing in particular. He'd hold my hand as we walked to my next class, turning to walk away after a moment just before the bell rang. Then I'd manage to drag myself into class, hoping and praying he was there next time while trying to make everything logical in my head.

Sometimes, I just couldn't do it. It didn't make sense why such a beautiful creature would have even the smallest interest in me. But hey, I wasn't going to object.

He wasn't there while I walked to lunch, though. I grabbed a tray, getting in line behind Angela as I waited.

"What movie do you want to see?" She asked, keeping her voice low. I don't think she realized she was doing it, it was just natural. She was quiet, but so far she was one of my favorite people in this tiny town.

"It's up to you," I said, setting a cookie on my plate. If anything, at least I picked the town that could cook decent lunches.

"Okay!" She said, a sudden excitement flooding her eyes. "I'll surprise you, okay?"

"Okay. You said I could invite somebody, right?" I asked, just to be sure it wasn't a zombie that I asked or something. She nodded, grabbing a turkey sandwich from the giant tray.

"Well, Mike sort of cornered me…" I started. She rolled her eyes, sighing.

"I guess pup can come," she said, in reference to their most recent nickname for him. I laughed.

"Do you think I could invite somebody else?" I asked quietly. I knew I'd already invited Mike, but I really didn't want him there. She glanced at me curiously, but nodded.

As we walked to our table I glanced around for Edward. He wasn't where his family normally sat, in the corner all by themselves. Instead, he was with my group of people. He smiled and laughed with them, talking about something or another, fitting right in. I paused, nearly dropping my plate in shock.

Nobody paid me any attention, except Angela. She burst out laughing, glancing between him and me.

"Do you want to sit somewhere else?" She asked, confused. Our table was usually full, but it seemed like they'd pulled up another chair for him. Jessica sat on one side, an empty chair on the other. He looked up, smiling at me and patting the space next to him.

I walked over, glancing at him with suspicious eyes. He winked at me, patting the space again. Jessica scowled at me, but he just watched me. I sat down next to him, saying hello to the rest of my friends.

"So, Bella," Jessica said, although she never stopped looking at Edward. I nibbled at the edges of my cookie. "We're friends, right?"

Her question took me by surprise. She was good to listen to, mainly because all she did was talk. So in the sense that I could have her talk for hours and not have to say anything, yes, she was my friend. But on the entertainment scale, not so much. But I nodded, giving her my best smile.

"Great!" She clapped her hands, leaning in to Edward. "Let's do something this weekend!"

"Oh, Jessica. I already made plans for tonight and Saturday, but I'd love to do something next weekend." In truth, I didn't have plans for Saturday, at least, not yet. I saw her frown, glancing at Edward and then me as though she was trying to tell me something. I realized what she was doing and felt a wave of irritation roll off of me. She was going to ask Edward out.

"What are you doing Saturday?" She pressed, setting the trap. I saw her hand, placed subtly on Edwards arm. I fought the urge to gag.

"Huh, Saturday?" I said, although it sounded like a question. I glanced at Angela, pleading with my eyes. Before she could manage a response though, Edward spoke up.

"I believe Bella was going to accompany my sister Alice to the mall." He smirked at me and I stuck my tongue out at him, ignoring Jessica as she rolled her eyes. "Then we were going to go for dinner, if she would like." It sounded like he was talking to Jessica more than me, but I figured I knew what a date was when I saw it.

"I would love to," I said, glancing down at my hands. He smiled at me, so stunning I thought I wouldn't be able to breath. I smiled back, feeling as though my heart was going to explode. Angela smiled at me, winking, while Mike scowled. Edward just grinned, reaching over to play with my fingers and leaning over to breathe in my ear.

"Are you sure you like me sitting here?" He whispered, bending his head so nobody else could hear.

"Of course I do!" I exclaimed, quickly biting my tongue and mentally slapping myself. Everybody glanced at my curiously, and I felt my face flush red with embarrassment. I turned my body towards him although I kept my head bent low, letting the natural lunch conversations flow around me. Jessica didn't seem to mind though, that Edward was talking to me and playing with my hair.

"So, Edward," she said. He rolled his eyes at me, kissing my forehead gently before turning towards her. I felt my heart stutter, but tried to turn my head so I wasn't listening to their conversation. It seemed, though, that Jessica wanted me to hear, so I eventually turned to listen too.

"Do you think that you'd want to hang out sometime next weekend? We could go to a movie, go to dinner…" She shot off a list of dating plans, ranging from dinner to less noble things. I felt myself blush listening to her, feeling myself filled with pity as I listened to her desperate attempts.

"Thank you for the offers," Edward managed, trying not to laugh. "I do believe though, that I have a date with Bella. I'll get back to you, though."

She smiled, and I think she may have jumped up and down if she weren't sitting in her chair. He turned back to me, but avoided too much contact. I sighed, wishing Jessica could just leave me be. I remembered the movie suddenly, gathering the courage to ask him.

"Edward?" I asked, picking invisible lint off my sweater. He looked at me, expectant.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Well, there's a movie tonight. Mike and Angela are going, and I think that Angela said I could invite somebody if I wanted…" I trailed off, to embarrassed to continue.

"Where's it at?" He said patiently, reaching over to gently pull my face so I was looking at him.

"Port Angeles, I think. But I think that it's going to be a chick flick, so it would be fine if you don't want to."

He just smiled though, and I closed my eyes, waiting.

"Yes, Bella. I would most definitely love to. But be warned, you don't want to get involved with me," he said. At first I thought he was kidding, but I realized that he was too serious. He was telling the truth, and whatever it was, his threat was real.

"I don't care," I said, knowing the words were true. It didn't matter, I figured. I would still like him anyways. But his eyes blazed in anger, and I was plagued with sudden fear. I closed my eyes tightly, flinching away from his gaze.

"You. Don't. Care?" He said, his words dripping venom. I waited for a moment to make sure my voice didn't shake. But still, all I could manage was a whisper.

"No."

I felt him shaking and opened my eyes. He glared out over the heads of my classmates, his eyes dangerous and menacing. Still, I felt the need to reach out and touch him. The rest of my classmates stared at me like I was crazy, stared at him in fear. I reached a tentative hand out, speaking below my breath. I knew he could hear me, somehow, while nobody else could.

"I don't care anymore, Edward. You're the only thing that's worth anything to me now," I whispered, choking on my words. He turned to me, his eyes so tortured it reminded me of my mother. I flinched involuntarily, waiting to fall apart. But somehow he was there, and it was okay.

"As long as you're sure," he muttered, but some of his sadness went away. I wrapped my arms around him, letting only two tears escape in memory of my mother. It was getting easier, dealing with the pain. He lifted me effortlessly, just like in my dream, to place me in his lap. He knew, somehow, exactly what was happening. My classmates were used to seeing my fall apart by now, used to seeing me curled in a ball, barely holding myself together. But his arms curled under me were protection, shielding me from everything else in the world. As he rocked me he stroked my hair gently, humming an unfamiliar tune.

It would have been so easy to fall asleep, but I'd healed just enough that when the bell rang I was able to gather my things and head for Biology.

The rest of the school was a blur, and I felt the hole in my chest ache and burn as I thought of my mother. But as I ached, I healed. And by the end of the day, I found that I was alive. That was hope.

"I can not believe it!" Alice squealed, wrapping her arms around me in the tightest hug I've ever received in my whole life. I laughed, pushing her away so I could breathe.

"You can thank Edward for this. I don't usually shop," I said, letting her know I wouldn't do it again for a very, very long time. She nodded seriously, her short pixie hair bouncing around as she jumped gleefully to her car. Edward had gone to talk to Emmett somewhere, and when I saw Alice I decided to tell her the news.

"Well, thank you Edward!" She sang, skipping around. Her energy was starting to rub off on me, and I felt myself smiling and laughing for no reason other than the fact that she was so excited. "I hear you're going to a movie tonight," she noted, glancing over my head at something I couldn't see. She frowned, peering over the cars into the woods.

"What is it?" I asked, turning to stare too. I didn't see anything, but she scrunched up her nose, her eyes glassy and distant. I snapped my fingers in front of her eyes, confused. She gasped, blinking quickly. She stared at me, shocked. I stared back, equally confused.

"What was that?" I asked, bewildered. She shook her head, staring back at the woods. "Alice, are you okay?"

She laughed nervously, muttering something so low I couldn't hear.

"Bella really, everything's fine," she said, although I saw her peek over my head again.

"Are you okay? What was that? You just zoned out on me." She laughed, but it was nervous and her eyes were guarded.

"I just do that sometimes. Okay so when we go shopping…" She rattled off a list of clothing stores to try, and by the time she was done I was so distracted I'd nearly forgotten what we were talking about to start with.

"You better get to your car, Bella," she said as Jasper strolled out with Rosalie. Rosalie was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. Long legs, long blonde hair and dark eyes. I envied her with a passion. But that didn't seem to make her like me any more, because when she passed me she glared, and I felt my eyes widen with shock.

"Ignore her, Bella," Jasper said, wrapping his arms around Alice again. She closed her eyes, sighing as she leaned into his embrace. "She's just jealous."

I laughed at his joke, although he tried to tell me he was serious. By the time I got to my car I'd pretty much forgotten about Alice's weird zoning out, passing it off as average boredom. But she had been totally focused before it happened, so boredom didn't make much sense. Maybe she had a disease?

I was so focused on getting the car and figuring out what was going on with Alice that I jumped when I heard a soft knock on the window. I turned to find Edward standing there and I rolled down my window quickly.

"Yea?" I asked casually.

"Well, I didn't say goodbye," he explained. I nodded as though it made perfect sense, but I felt my heart stutter involuntarily in my chest.

"I'm going to see you tonight," I said, trying to even out the beats of my heart. He smiled at me, reaching a hand out to turn my face to his.

"I'll see you then," he muttered, breathing his cool scent in my face. He pressed his cool lips to my forehead, pulling away and smiling at me. I realized then that I'd been holding my breath, and I let it out in a quiet breath. At least, I hoped it was a quiet breath.

"Bye, Edward," I muttered as he walked away, swinging his keys in his hand. Tonight was going to be interesting. Edward Angela and Mike, my obsessed fan. What could go wrong?


A:N/ well, this is most definitely my longest chapter yet. I wanted to give you a view on Alice, and of course you all know what her 'zoning out' really was. I also wanted to make Jessica jealous, mainly because I despise her. :D I hope I didn't bore you guys with this.

VOTE: well, as I'm gaining experience writing comes more naturally. (Thus why you have a nice and long chapter) But I'm still at a roadblock with trying to figure out some details.

Should Bella meet Jacob? It doesn't have to be all love, but just enough to get Edward jealous.

How should Bella find out? If I don't get any input, I'm going to have to stick with the 'Jacob' scenario. I know I'm going to put the wolves in this story, but I don't have to make them friends. I'd hate to change Jacob though, but I just don't see any way for Bella to find out, since Edward isn't going to tell her.

I really, really need your input on this if you want a great next chapter. I have backup plans, but if you vote against Jacob I'm afraid its not going to come as naturally. Anyways, it's up to you what you want, and since I'm the author I guess I have no say… lol. But honestly, I love your reviews and I love constructive criticism!

REVIEWS + YOU + ME = FASTER CHAPTERS!