Hello everyone! How are you? I was very amazed with the number of reviews that I got. It seems that you liked the last chapter. I'm glad. I'm sorry that I won't be able to update regularly because I have a lot to revise and that I will be very busy. Anyway, enjoy!

I had no idea what I was doing here. Everything in my mind was blurred. I couldn't think straight but I knew something was wrong because I felt out of place. Everything was continuing like nothing happened. Everyone was doing their usual things and I wanted to cry out in rage because it didn't feel right. The world was moving on and on when my world has just fallen apart.

My name was being called somewhere but I couldn't figure out where. I felt so tired. I knew I would be lost if I continued to let my thoughts sway this way so I concentrated on the voice.

"Bella... Bella," Alice's voice went on and on. I was shaking so much. I wanted to make it stop but I couldn't find the source.

"Stop it!" I cried and the shaking stopped at once. I breathed a sigh of relief as I was able to think properly. I looked around me and the first person I saw was Alice, her face tightened with worry. I didn't understand why.

"Bella?" Rosalie's voice asked. My head snapped in her direction. Her expression mirrored Alice's.

"Yes?" I asked and gasped when I heard my voice. It was so hoarse.

"Bella, what is happening to you?" Rosalie asked.

"I..." My heart sank as I remembered what had happened and why I was in this state. "Nothing, it was just... a bet," I said.

"You are not making any sense, are you aware of that?" Rosalie commented gently.

I sighed. "Edward... this whole past week was just a bet. He.. he bet his friends that I would agree to go on a date with him if he asked."

"What?" They both cried in unison.

"Are you kidding me? This was just a stupid bet?" Alice cried.

"Yes. He's not interested in me," I said.

"I don't understand how he could have done that, I mean... I thought," Even Alice seemed lost of words.

"You don't know him, Alice," I said, but then added, "and neither do I."

"Aww, sweety, come here," Alice pulled me into a hug and held me tightly. I pulled back after a few seconds.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I'll just have to thank God I found out before I fell in too deep," I smiled to her. She looked convinced enough, but I couldn't pay attention to her expression more than a moment, knowing I was breaking the number one rule: No Lies.

I was already in too deep.

I glanced at Rosalie but her seat was empty. Soon, I heard her voice loud and clear, as if she was standing right next to me. I looked towards where the sound was coming from and gasped when I saw her at the end of the cafeteria... glaring at Edward.

"You jerk!" She said angrily. "Don't you know how to treat a lady? Are you stupid, or what?" Edward looked shocked and confused at her outburst.

"Rosalie, what..." He tried to say, but Rosalie wouldn't even let him the opportunity to say anything.

"A bet! A stupid, stupid bet!" She poked him in the chest as she spoke and Edward flinched back in pain. He grabbed her wrist to stop her, and my eyes widened. He should have known, what was he doing?

Rosalie's eyes widened as well and she looked shocked. She yanked her arms away from him, and I knew that they had the attention of the whole cafeteria now. I suddenly realized everyone had gone quiet, and when I looked around, I saw that everyone was watching them, listening intently to every word. A chorus of gasps caught my attention and my head snapped in the direction where all eyes were fixed.

Rosalie's eyes were now angrier than I had ever seen them. If looks could kill...

"Don't. Touch. Me," She said through clenched teeth. "And don't you fucking come near her again, did you understand?"

"I didn't intend to, Rosalie," Edward replied, visibly annoyed. A sharp pain fired through my chest, like an atrocious cut. I saw Alice's mouth form an 'O' of horror just before I heard a loud noise, like a clapping sound. I turned my head just in time to see Rosalie's hand flying across Edward's cheek, shocking me more than I had ever been shocked in all my life. I couldn't believe she had dared, but then, this was Rose we were talking about. Nobody knew what to expect with her.

"This is for her," Rosalie said quietly, before turning back on her heels and leaving the cafeteria. The room felt silent without her voice, but as soon as Edward left as well, the whispers began. I noticed Rose didn't mention my name and I was grateful for that. I wouldn't have been able to stand the stares as the biggest scandal burst: Bella Swan fooled in thinking she was desirable in the eyes of Edward Cullen.

{ }

I tried to think of less hurting matters all throughout the day, struggling against a part of me that wanted to glance at Edward in the classes I had with him. Those were the ones which were the longest because I couldn't think of anything apart from the fact that I was unwanted and unwantable. Fortunately, the teachers seem to understand my expression and left me alone, for which I was grateful. It was hard enough to stay upright, and I knew I couldn't manage to look normal. At least not today.

My thoughts quickly drifted to Emmett and Jasper, and the warning they had given me the other day- I honestly couldn't believe it had been only yesterday- and I couldn't help but realize everything was linked. I would be a fool to think that they had seriously been warning me about Edward being a player; they just wanted to win the dare. I couldn't make myself to be angry, though. I completely understood their behaviour. Alice, Rosalie and I continually made dares because it was a way to make our lives more exciting, or enjoyable if you prefer. It was our thing.

But Edward... I really thought he liked me. His behaviour and his obsessive want to make me go out on a date with him had almost convinced me that he was even just a little bit interested in me. I had been a fool to think that I could have any other effect on him other that that of annoying him. This whole past week had surely been nightmare for him, having to play the guy who had a crush on me. Like they say, your first impression is always the right one. Nevertheless, it had been a beautiful dream, a hope that was pure and worthwhile while it lasted.

By the end of the day I felt drained. I felt like all the energy in my body had been sucked, and even though I could blame it on the flurry of activities that has been occurring around me lately, I knew it was nothing of that sort. Normally I was a strong person.

I knew I had never admitted it out loud, and even though every thought and expression of mine hinted the fact that I was trying so hard to keep locked inside of me, I just wasn't ready to accept it as a whole. It was surprising that Alice and Rose hadn't figured it out yet, given the circumstances; but I preferred to tell myself that the reason of this was that I concealed in well, rather than that they didn't care anymore.

I left English, my last class of the day, in a daze. Everyone would figure out something was wrong, but I didn't care. I wasn't alright; not today. Maybe tomorrow, but not today. Rosalie and Alice were at my sides as soon as I arrived in the hallway. We didn't speak, though I would have loved to. Anything to take my mind off Edward. 'But talk about what?' a voice in my mind asked sarcastically. I wanted to have a good response to that but I couldn't find one. 'Talk about what?' The voice echoed once more. I really had no idea.

When we entered Alice's porsche, I got in the backseat and, surprisingly, so did Rosalie.

"Are you okay, Bella?" She asked.

I turned to her and smiled. "Of course I'm okay, Rose. Are you?"

She pushed me aside playfully. "Of course."
"About today at the cafeteria... I ..." I wanted to tell her that she didn't need to do this because I was alright, and that I didn't care what Edward did or didn't do. I needed to tell her that she didn't need to come to my rescue everytime something happened to me, and that I was big enough to take care of myself; but looking in my sincere eyes, I knew all she did was because she loved me and that nothing she would ever undertake concerning her friends would be with a bad intention. She was the best friend anyone could have. "Thank you for defending me," I said.

She hugged me for a brief moment. "Anything for you, Bella." Alice cleared her throat suddenly. "And for you, Alice," Rosalie said. I laughed.

"So, Bella, what are we doing today?" Alice asked. I thought about it for a minute, but there was something that kept coming to my mind everytime I made other plans. Something I should have done a long time ago.

"I'm going to call my mum," I announced.

"Really?" Alice asked, turning around. "That's nice."

"Yeah," Rosalie agreed. "I'm glad for you." I nodded smiling.

The remainder of the drive was silent, due to everyone lost in his own thoughts. If I had known that one day I would be in such a situation, I would have laughed out loud, because it wasn't in my personality to do such thins. It seemed umbelievable that something like that would happen to me in particular, but then, when do we know what life can bring?

When I got home I went directly in the bathroom for a shower, delaying the phone call I had to make. I took my time washing my hair and brushing my teeth, and when I couldn't delay it any longer, I sat on my bed and took the telephone that was on my bedside table. I dialed my mom's number several times and hung up even more times. After fifteen minutes and after I ahd finally gathered all the courage I had in me, I dialed her number once more and waited.

"Charlie?" My mom's voice echoed. I took in a deep breath and started.

"Hello, mom. It's Bella," I said. There was a quarter of a second of silence before I heard the excited voice that I was so used to even though I had not heard it in almost two months.

"Bella! Bella, how are you? I've missed you so much, sweety. Is there something wrong with Charlie?"

As soon as I heard her voice, I couldn't remember why I had wasted so much time and why I hadn't called her sooner. I also realized that I had missed her terribly.

"Everything is okay, mum. I just wanted to talk to you. I... I've missed you, mum," I said.

"I've missed you too, sweety," She responded quietly. "It's good to hear your voice. How are Rosalie and Alice? It's been so much time since I've seen them!" She laughed quietly.

"They are fine. Still crazy," I laughed along with her.

"Are you guys still taking dares?" She asked suddenly. I had thought about what I could say to her if she asked me that question when I was in the bathroom. Of course she would ask something like that: we used to do dares together, the four of us, before. But then mom moved out and everything changed.

"Yes, our hobbies haven't changed," I said evenly. There was a sigh at the other end of the line.

"I'm glad you are okay, Bella. I've missed you too much. Is... is it okay if I call you from time to time? I mean, I know you need time and I respect that, but do you think it's okay if we talk sometimes?"

"I don't know, mum. I suppose it's okay," I said.

"So, Bella, what has been happening in your life? I want to know everything!"

"Nothing much; same old, same old."

"No boyfriend?" She asked suddenly. "I'm sure you have lots of boys running after you!"

"No, mom. I... I don't have time for a … boyfriend," My voice broke on the last word and there was a sharp intake of breath.

"Are you okay, Bella?"

"Of course I am, mom. Life's great, "I said as convincinly as I could.

"Bella, I … I know I haven't been there for you in a long time, but if... if there's something wrong, tell me, okay?"

A tear escaped my eyes as I realized that I was going to lie to her once more. But I didn't want that. I wanted to turn back the hands of time and go back to the time where my mom was still living with my dad and I; a time when everything was simple, and when nothing could hurt me more than my mom not callling me in time for my favourite soap opera. I wanted to go back to the time when we were best friends and when we told each other every single thing that occurred to us.

"I..." I started but I couldn't go on. Edward came to my mind once more and I realized how naïve I had been to believe that we could have a happy ending.

"Bella, do you need me?" My mum asked hopefully.

"Yes," I replied instantly.

"I'll take the next flight," She said. "Hold on, baby, I'm coming."

The tears began to fall as she spoke the words she always said to me when I was sad: Hold on, baby, I'm coming.

How many times had those words prevented me from breaking down.

I stayed seated on my bed for a long time after my mother had hung, waiting. I knew she wouldn't be here before tomorrow but I didn't have anything else to do. I didn't want to think about what a jerk Edward was and how he had mislead me. After all, one can only be mislead if he wants to, if he doesn't do anything to resist. Honestly, I hadn't wanted to resist because I had wanted so hard to believe everything was going to be okay. I had thought the outcome could only be good.

My mother was very good at making people accept reality and I feared that it might be hard. So I set myself an objective: to not cry.

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