Chapter 10

Bella

Thursday morning, the phone rang while I was contemplating my bowl of cereal. And by that, I mean trying to beat off the jitters I always got, while waiting for Edward. I nearly sprinted –and twisted my ankle, while I was at it- to the phone, expecting it to be Charlie, since he'd gone to work early that morning. However, it was Edward's mom who greeted me on the other line. "Hello –Bella?" she said to my franticly breathless, "Charlie?!"

"Oh," I sighed, slumping a little with relief. "Hi."

"Listen, Edward's really not in shape to go to school today," she told me. "Do you need a ride?"

"Okay," I said. I tried not to feel disappointed yet. "Thanks."

"No problem," she said, good-naturedly. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay," I said again, and I listened to the line disconnect, before setting the phone back on the cradle.

I went back to the kitchen table, and cleared it. In all the time I'd been in Forks thus far, each day of the week I could look forward to at least seeing Edward. I felt completely pathetic in being so crushingly disappointed, and even more so, because I knew that I wouldn't get to see him at all.

I was standing at the counter, sinking, when the doorbell rang. I went to the door, and greeted Mrs. Masen, with a smile, albeit a forced one. It was absolutely pouring, behind her. I could tell it was going to be a good day, already.

As I got in her car, I thanked her again. I didn't like being so dependent on other people. It was bad enough, in some ways, that Edward had to drive me around. It was worse now that his mom was now doing it. I couldn't even use the excuse of her being a schoolmate at least.

I'd expected the car ride to be silent, for the most part. I'd never found talking to adults very comfortable. My mom being the single glaring exception. I felt like they had certain hidden expectations of what I should say, and how I should act, so I just opted to remain silent.

"This is pretty unusual for Edward –staying home," Mrs. Masen said, breaking the quiet. "I always have to fight him for it. Even if he's dead on his feet." She smiled in my direction, briefly. Her expression held a certain chiding fondness. "He couldn't even argue with me today," she went on. "That's always a sign."

I let that sink in for a moment. Dead on his feet. Worry unfurled in my stomach. "Is he going to be all right?" I asked, trying to sound casual. And most likely not succeeding.

"Oh, yes. He's very resilient. He'll be up and at 'em come tomorrow," she reassured me.

A smile tightened my lips. "That's good," I said blandly.

We arrived at school with out further conversation. She smiled, and wished me a nice day, before letting me out, in the parking lot. And, as I made my way across the parking lot, worrying over Edward being dead on his feet, I bumped into Alice. Literally.

"I'm so sorry!" I was quick to apologize. "I wasn't paying attention." I felt a furious blush burn my cheeks.

Alice smiled, and laughed a little uneasily. "No worries, I wasn't either really. Where's Edward?" she asked. Her face turned concerned.

"He's sick, I guess," I told her.

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "You look worried. Why?"

I felt hesitant. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to know about Edward's insomnia, and if I should be talking about it with other people. Then again, I figured if there were anyone I could trust with this, it would be Alice. "Well, I just think it probably has something to do with his sleeping problem."

Alice's expression froze, before turning into one of shock. "He told you about that?" she demanded in a whisper.

I nodded after a beat. "Why?" I asked, in the same intense whisper. "Is that bad?"

"Oh, God no," she said at a normal volume. "It's incredible, really."

I thought about that for a moment, then asked, "Incredible, how?"

"Well," she said, "you have to understand –Edward is a very private person. I mean, he hardly tells me anything anymore, and I've been friends with him since forever." She paused for a moment, and studied me shrewdly. "He must really like you." Then I realized that she wasn't just studying me, but sizing me up –as if to see if I were good enough for that.

I gnawed on my lip, self-consciously. I was 99.999999999% sure that, that wasn't possible. As a friend sure. But, what Alice had most likely meant by "liking" me? There wasn't a shot in hell.

"Anyway," she said, changing the subject. "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out after school."

"Okay," I agreed, absently. My mind was still reeling. Have I mentioned yet how confusing I found Edward?

We parted ways then –me heading to class, her heading toward Jasper.

I felt more desperate than ever to see Edward. Alice's words –He must really like you- turned over and over in my head. Firstly, I highly doubted that. On so many levels. He was too good looking, too mysterious, too interesting for me. My infatuation had no way of developing into a real relationship, and there was no feasible reason why he should have feelings of that sort toward me. It simply didn't add up. Secondly, what did that even mean? What did him telling me about his sleeping problem, have anything to do with him liking me –in any way? And thirdly: what if he did like me –in that way? The idea was laughable. But, wouldn't it feel so sweet if he did feel that way? I wondered what it would be like. Could I imagine the way his eyes might glint with dark lust –meant for only me to see? Could I imagine the words he would utter, for my keeping, his breath hot against my skin? Could I imagine the heat between our bodies, as we lay beneath the spread of covers? The sad truth was, no, I could not. Like I said; it just wasn't about to happen.

Aside from being all hot and bothered by that, I felt equally worried about what made Edward's exhaustion more spectacular today compared to every other day. Maybe today had been the final straw, and he had come too close to passing out. Maybe he was really very close to being dead on his feet.

I spent the entire day in a haze of anxiety over A) not seeing Edward, B) how much he liked me, and C) him dying. I felt like my nerves were just about shot, and my head was throbbing by the end of the school day. Alice met me at my locker, and made small talk with me as we made our way to the parking lot. It was then, while I was scanning the lot for her car, and while she was telling me about how much homework she had tonight, that I saw him leaning against his silver Volvo –staring directly at me, no less.

I stopped in my tracks. Alice took a moment to realize I'd stopped walking, and turned to look at me, then, what –or who, I suppose- I was staring at.

"What is he doing here?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't know," I murmured in response, though I was pretty sure the question had been rhetorical.

He motioned with his hand for us to come over, at noticing our own staring.

Alice and I looked at each other. She shrugged, and we walked over.

Alice greeted Edward with the same rhetorical question I'd answered, as we approached. Only, this time he knew the answer, and the question wasn't rhetorical.

"I'm picking Bella up." He flashed a brief smile in my direction.

I observed his appearance for any sign that he might die, and to my relief, he looked healthier than I'd seen him before. No weariness paled his face, or clouded his eyes. Instead, he looked focused, although a bit tense. His lean arms were crossed, over his chest, and his hair twisted in the cool wind.

It took me a moment to realize that Alice had asked me a question. "Sorry –what?" I asked her, my voice pitched high in embarrassment. I tried not to look at Edward.

She tried to hide a smirk. Clearly, she had noticed my ogling. "I was just wondering if you knew about Edward picking you up."

I glanced at him –I couldn't help it. "No," I said.

"If you don't want a ride, that's fine," Edward said, all nonchalance, and charm. It made me feel uncomfortable. I could sense his fakeness. "I just thought you wouldn't want to be stuck with out a ride home."

I wasn't sure exactly what it was he wanted me to say. Nor Alice, for that matter. They were both peering at me, expectant. "Uh, well, I was going to go over to Alice's actually."

An expression that passed too quickly for my interpretation, flashed across his face, before it went back to polite indifference. My discomfort with this put on of passiveness was quickly turning into annoyance, and beyond that hatred. I wished he would stop. "Okay," he said, with out inflection.

Alice seemed to feel my same irritation, judging by the exasperated look she was giving him. "Why don't you just go with Edward," Alice said to me, while still glaring at Edward.

"It's not a big deal, Alice," Edward said. He rose an eyebrow at her –a challenge.

"For Christ's sake, Edward," she sighed. She put a hand over her eyes, and rubbed her temples with her forefinger and thumb. "Drive Bella to my house. No more discussion." She stalked off to her car, before I could say or do anything.

A small, amused smile tugged at one side of his mouth, and for the first time I'd seen it, it infuriated me. I wished I could grab him by the collar of his shirt, and demand why he was acting this way. Sure, I'd observed before how un-genuine he tended to be, but I felt like his put on was unnecessary with me. It felt personal. This whole time, though he remained discreet, and elusive, he seemed earnest, somehow. His friends may be able to take this, but I couldn't let this go.

He turned his smile to me, and the smile faded. "Is something wrong?"

I waited, for a moment, hoping I'd heard real concern in his voice. I suddenly felt very unsure of how honest Edward had been with me all this time. "No," I answered, stiffly.

He gave me an odd look, and I walked around to the other side of his car, and got in, with out another word. My arms wrapped around my stomach. And to think, I'd been spending this whole day thinking, and worrying about Edward. He didn't seem to need me. So, why was I wasting all my time worrying over him? I felt angry with myself, more even than I felt angry with him –though I was less than pleased with him.

Edward cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "I'm sorry I couldn't drive you this morning."

I pressed my lips together. "It's fine," I said, almost under my breath.

The car was in a dense quiet, for about a moment, before he demanded, "Are you mad at me?" It sounded like he was trying to sound cool, and unbothered, but I could sense too deeply the desperation –the quiet plea.

Immediately my resolve was shattered to pieces. "No –why?" I hurried to say. I felt very embarrassed for being mad at him like that. He seemed so much smaller, and the Edward I knew. Not the arrogant show, he gave to Alice. Just with those five timid words I had been completely undone, and remembered exactly why I spent all my time thinking about him.

He let out a breath I hadn't noticed he'd been holding and relaxed in his seat. "I don't know." He seemed like he was about to say something else, for a second, but then just repeated, "I don't know."

"You look much better," I said to him –hoping in some way that this would make up for getting so up in arms with him.

He nodded. "I slept," he said, like it was an explanation.

I smiled. "I'm glad." And I was. Relief, swift and powerful, eased the tension between my eyes, and the disquiet from my mind.

He didn't answer right away and when he did, it wasn't so much an answer, as much as it was a question. "Do you think differently of me –knowing that I have insomnia?"

I was initially taken aback by the question. I had to think about it, for a long few moments before I could conjure up my truthful answer. "I guess it has a little."

His eyes darkened with disappointment, though he didn't seem surprised to hear my answer. "In what way?"

I shrugged. I tried to hide how much it troubled me to see that I'd disappointed him. But, I couldn't make myself lie to him. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for another truth, I was about to admit to. "It makes me worry about you more."

Edward hadn't been expecting that one. For a moment, he looked shocked. He quickly composed his face into a more muted expression –but not quick enough. "You don't need to worry about me," he said, trying to make light of it, teasing me. But everything felt too serious too me, for me to tell if he was really joking.

I swallowed. "I do anyway."

Abruptly I noticed the car was stationary, and Alice was sitting on the front steps leading up to the door of a house, that I assumed was hers.

I turned, to thank him, and he was already looking at me. A gradual smile upturned his lips. His green eyes were solemn.

He rose to my face, as an instant response, and I ducked out of the car, with a quick "Thank you."

Alice rose to her feet, and led me inside. "I really wonder about him sometimes," Alice said, as she led me up a carpeted stairwell. "What I would do to root around in his head for an hour."

I laughed awkwardly. "Ha. Yeah."

She turned to face me. She had stopped in front of a door, her hand on the knob. "Was he acting really weird?" she asked me, curiously.

"Define weird."

She burst into laughter.

What I presumed was Alice's room instantly felt at home, in a weird way. The walls were painted a delicate pink –a color I imagined she'd picked before she was old enough to grow sick of-, with posters on the walls, of bands, and movies. Clothes were piled, on the floor, on her bed, in a full laundry barrel, on the window seat. Pretty much every surface. "Sorry about the mess," Alice said, though she didn't seem even remotely ashamed of it. She pushed the clothes off her bed, and the window seat across from it, onto the floor.

I took a seat, on the bench under the window, while she plopped down on her unmade duvet.

"Bella Swan," she said, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Uh," I said, not all that sure what she meant by that.

"You really have a crush on Edward, don't you?" she asked me.

I was unprepared for the out-right accusation. "No, I don't," I was quick to defend myself.

"Yes," she persisted. "You do."

I didn't say anything. I looked down in my lap, and pulled the sleeves of my sweatshirt up, swallowing my hands. "How do you know?"

"It's only unbelievably obvious."

I slowly looked up at her. She was smiling kindly at me. "Don't be embarrassed. I won't tell him, I promise. Not until I think he already knows."

"What?"

"And by that I am implying that he likes he just the same way, of course. I wouldn't be so cruel as to tell him, just to embarrass you. Give me some credit."

"He doesn't-"

Alice heaved such a great, and hugely exasperated sigh, that I stopped short. "He has a major crush on you Bella. Please accept that, because even he won't."

I chose to not respond to that, instead opting for asking her a question. "Can I ask you some things about Edward?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Only if you accept that Edward has it as bad for you, as you have for him."

"Okay," I lied.

She huffed, and rolled her eyes. "I can tell you're lying. But, I can see that this will take more than just one sitting, so I'll let it go –just this once. And, I'll only answer the questions if I see them fit. I don't feel comfortable telling you things he hasn't told you about himself."

I took a deep breath, and asked the single question that had been plaguing me for the last week: "What happened to Edward?"

I could tell right away that Alice wasn't going to answer my question. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

"I just heard from Jessica-"

Alice cut me off. "Jessica is completely untrustworthy. She likes to spread gossip, because she has this creepy problem where she gets pleasure out of talking about other people's personal business."

I raised my eyebrows. "You don't even know what she told me yet."

"Yeah, but ten out of ten times she's just saying stuff about people, just for the sake of saying stuff about people."

"She told me something happened with a girlfriend he had last year. Someone named Taylor, I think?" I pressed.

"Tanya," she corrected automatically, then clapped a hand over her mouth. "Will you forget I said that, please?" she pleaded, from behind her hand.

I gave her my most sympathetic look. "I really doubt it."

She cursed and dropped her hand to her lap. She frowned down at her skinny thighs. "I can't tell you much."

I suppressed a smile. "Can you tell me what happened between them, then?"

She considered this. "I can tell you what didn't happen. But I won't tell you what happened."

I decided that I could take that. It felt like a fair enough trade. "Did they break up? Is he still in love with her?"

"No, for the first one," Alice said. She took a moment to put together her next answer. "Yes, I think, for the second."

I nodded. Well, that instantly diminished Alice's whole Edward-likes-you-in-that-way thing. I was surprised at how disappointed I felt at that. "So are they still together?"

Alice sighed. "No."

I frowned in confusion. "They're together?"

"Nope."

"I don't get it," I admitted. "Are they together, or not?"

"They aren't together."

"But they didn't break up with each other."

"Right."

I sat back in the seat, and put my head in my hands. "I don't get it," I said again.

"At least now you know something, right?" Alice asked cheerfully, getting up from her bed. "I'm hungry, how 'bout you?"

I could tell this discussion was closed for now, and further prodding wouldn't warrant a warm reception on Alice's part. So, I followed her down to her kitchen, and tried not to puzzle over Edward as much as I wanted to. Instead we had some cereal, and we speculated about what Jasper was planning for their year anniversary, and the ridiculous amount of homework Mr. Varner thought he was entitled to assign.

She got up, at one point, and peeked through the curtains, at Edward's car still –miraculously- parked in front of her house. The sky was flushed with dusk. It was bright enough out, that I could still tell the color of his car, and the sharp green of Alice's perfect square lawn. However, it was too dark to see Edward's profile through the window of his car.

"I feel like I should ask him in," Alice said, thoughtful. "He's just sitting out there."

"Maybe he's sleeping," I suggested.

"I doubt it," she muttered, dryly.

I left not too soon after that, with the excuse that I had to fix dinner for Charlie. She showed me out, but stopped me, just as I took the first step of the front stairs.

"Wait," she halted. "Tell Edward –tell Edward I said that I'm calling him later."

"Okay," I agreed, and waved, a small wave, before heading over to Edward's car.

Edward wasn't asleep. His eyes were calm on the view through the windshield. His long, musician's fingers drummed the time of the jazz filling the car with it's sound, on the steering wheel. A sax crooned over the chugging strum of a bass, and the sweeping time of percussion. It felt very peaceful in his car, and I was glad to see my presence hadn't shattered the moment.

Something about the atmospheric music, and the glow emanating from the consol, and Edward's serene expression, made me feel more content than I'd felt since arriving at Forks. I yawned into my palm, and relaxed against the seat. I had only meant to blink my eyes from sleep, but when I opened them, we were already at my house. The car was stopped, but the jazz was still playing.

"You fell asleep," Edward explained, to my confused expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized, still a bit bleary. "I didn't mean to."

His smile was soft, and made my bones go squashy. "It happens." His words seemed double edged.

"Will you be at school tomorrow?" I asked. I studied his face for any signs of the conflict I always saw there, but he looked calm and sure, for once. Relieved, even.

He nodded. "I don't like staying home."

"How come?"

He looked at me with a curious expression, one I couldn't quite decipher. "I have nothing to do."

I laughed.

"What?" he asked, smiling a little himself, though he looked genuinely confused. "What's funny?"

I shrugged. I could still feel a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "That's just why I like staying home, sometimes. Because then I don't have anything to do."

He raised an eyebrow. "So then do you fake sick?"

"I used to," I said. "In Arizona."

"Why is it different in Forks?"

I was about to answer, when it occurred to me how strange it was that Edward was so enraptured by what I was telling him, though it was the farthest thing from interesting. "Why do you want to know?" I inquired, rather than answer his question.

"Just curious," he admitted, with his charming half-smile.

"And how do you know if it's different in Forks? Maybe I'm going to fake sick tomorrow."

"But you're not," he said with conviction. "And it is different, isn't it?"

What is he –a mind reader? Arguing with him didn't prove to be very productive, so I decided I might as well be honest."I didn't like my school so much in Arizona. School here is more laid back. People are nicer. I don't feel like I stick out so much."

He was quiet for a long time. "It's getting late," he finally said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right," I said, and felt a blush enflamed my face. "Tomorrow." I opened my door, and slammed it behind myself, but not before I swear I heard him say, almost to softly, "I hope so."

oO0Oo

I'd woken up from a dream, heart pounding, and my neck hot and sweaty. It took me a moment of chasing that tail end of the dream, before I remembered it; I'd been walking on a frozen pond, under the shade of a redwood that leaned over it. The rest of the surrounding forest was in an undistinguishable blur. Overhead a brilliant blue Arizona sky stretched beyond the hazy trees. I felt warm.

"Where are you going?" I heard a familiar voice question, from above where I stood, on the ice.

I looked up to see Edward looking down at me, from a branch, were he was perched. He gave me his roguish grin.

"I'm not sure," I told him.

"Why don't you come up here?" he suggested.

It seemed easy enough. I mean, if he got up there, I could too, right? I began to search for a foothold on the surface of the tree, and took a step up, and looked about for the next place to climb up, but then, the branch I was about to grab hold of, leapt up three good feet on the trunk –out of my grasp. I peered up at Edward, and he was even farther away than before. He beckoned, encouragingly. "Come on, Bella," he urged me.

I tried to extend my arm longer, but it felt shorter, and the branch grew even farther away. Clouds rolled in, and formed like billows of black smoke. I reached again, and the branch I was already standing on suddenly gave a great shudder, then completely broke under my weight. I fell, and the fall was a much greater distance than the distance I'd climbed. It was then, just as I was about to smash through the ice that, I awoke, on the edge of my bed, about to roll off.

I put my head in my hands, and tried to remember what I ate last night, to give me such a peculiar dream.

Though it was early, I got up, and showered, anyway, feeling too restless for sleep. I made two omelets, before I saw the note on the counter from Charlie saying he had to go in early again, today.

"Fabulous," I muttered to myself. I hated to see decent food go to waste like that, and I wasn't about to eat both of the omelets, considering how big I made each of them. I could always put it in some Tupperware, and stick it in the fridge, but it wouldn't taste as good, and would probably never be eaten.

I had only taken a few bites of my own omelet, when I heard the doorbell ring. I checked the clock on the stove, in a sudden panic that I hadn't been keeping time like I thought I'd been –but, no, it was just seven now. It was still too early for Edward to be here. I frowned in worry, as I made my way to the door.

And, yet, it was Edward who stood there. I hid behind the door, as much as I could without being rude, for I only wore my holey sweats, and an old, over sized t-shirt. "Edward," I practically squeaked, in my mortification. "What –what are you doing here, now?"

He seemed embarrassed, his ears reddening. "Ah –you know, I'm –I don't really know. I'll just wait in the car."

He turned around, and was almost to his car, by the time I sucked it up, and called to him, "Wait –you can come in."

He was hesitant. "Are you sure?"

I blushed harder, and I honestly could not really tell you why. "Of course."

He looked at his car, then back up at me, straightened his shoulders, determined, and walked back up my steps, and when I gestured, he came inside. He stood in the front entryway, wide-eyed, while I closed the door.

He turned to look at me, and I smiled stiffly. "I have an extra omelet if you want one," I offered.

"That would be perfect, actually. I didn't eat this morning." He relaxed, after sitting down at the table. I tried not to felt too embarrassed by my relatively informal wear. But, Edward was entirely distracted by my omelet. I was pleased that it at least wouldn't go to waste.

He ate like he hadn't eaten in weeks. I picked at mine, but mostly watched Edward, and felt glad that I'd decided to make omelets after all. He pushed back his plate when he was done, and wiped his mouth with his napkin, then nearly emptied the entire glass of milk I had set by his plate. "God, that was good," he praised.

I tried not to smile too hard at the compliment. "Thanks."

He leaned back in his chair. "You'll have to teach me how to make that myself."

I let my gaze fall to my own half-eaten omelet. "Why did you come so early today?"

He sighed deeply. Seconds passed before he finally said, "I woke up early this morning, and I didn't really plan it, but I was feeling kind of on edge, and I just ended coming here. I should have at least called you, but I just left the house, as soon as the idea occurred to me." He shrugged.

"Oh," I said. "Just wondering, is all. I wasn't expecting you to be this early, at all." There was something about his explanation that seemed a bit off to me –like he was hiding something. I thought it would be a bit much to confront him about it, but I made sure not to forget that.

"I have to –um- get dressed for school." I really, truly, tried to not blush, like it was some kind of muscle I could control. But that's not how the whole blushing thing works. It comes, and it goes as it pleases. So you can imagine how my attempts at that went. "Just wait down here."

I dressed half-hazardly, throwing on the first shirt, and pair of pants, I got my hands on. I had the nagging paranoia that Edward would come upstairs, and find me amidst getting dressed, for what certainly wasn't the first time.

As per usual, however, that didn't happen, and I found Edward in the same spot, as when I'd left him, only the plates had been washed, and placed neatly on the drying wrack. Before I could thank him, he got up, and led the way out to his car.

Edward walked with me to my first class. We didn't really talk, much, until we got to the doorway of my class. "So, listen," Edward began. "I was thinking that, because yesterday you taught me how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, today I would help you with training."

I stared at him blankly. Training for what?

"For the race?" he hedged.

"Oh, that. Yeah, okay. But, what about our biology project?" I felt stupid for getting about our agreement on Tuesday. Of all the things to forget about. I mean, really.

"It's not due for a while. I wouldn't stress about it, if I were you."

"All right," I said. "Is there anything I need to prepare, or whatever, for training?"

"No, not really. Just clothes you feel comfortable in, probably, and some good running shoes."

"Right," I murmured to myself. "Well, thanks for this," I added, weakly. I was so embarrassed with myself for agreeing to do the race, just as an excuse to be closer to Edward.

"No worries. It's my pleasure." He grinned at me. "See you around, Bella," he said, and strolled off.

Good Lord, have mercy on me.

oO0Oo

I noticed Emmett and Jasper walking toward me, from where I leaned against Edward's Volvo. Edward had told me at lunch he might be a little late, getting to his car, because he had to take a Spanish test that he'd missed while he was out.

I honest expected them to go around the car, but as they came closer, Emmett grinned and called out, "Hey, Bella."

"Uh –hi," I greeted lamely. Then, I became sure that they'd been looking for Edward so, I explained his situation to them, with out prompting.

"Yeah, look, we were actually looking for you –right, Jazz?"

"Pretty much," Jasper agreed.

I thought of the questions I should ask, and said, "Why?" at long last, it being the most urgent.

"Well, you see, Bella –no, you know what? I want to come up with my own nickname for you," Emmett suddenly said, distracted by his own train of thought.

"Bella already is a nickname," I told him.

"I know that," Emmett said, almost irately. "But I want to give you my own special name."

I made a face. "But, I like 'Bella'."

"Yeah, well, everyone calls you Bella. This nick-name's gotta be original."

"I don't think that's necessary," I said, uncomfortably. I couldn't tell if he was being serious or joking, and in either scenario, I really wouldn't know how to react properly either. "Probably we should just leave my name alone."

"No, no. I'm gonna come up with something." His eyes narrowed in though, and asked Jasper, without swerving his stare, "What do you think, Jazz?"

"How about Bella?" he suggested, rolling his eyes.

"Piss off."

"Oh, wait, she already has a nickname. Guess our work is done here. Oh, well."

I'd have to remember to thank Jasper for that later. Or maybe pass along the compliment through Alice.

"You know what, Jazz? You can go –" he stopped himself short, after glancing at me, and finished with, "Away. You can go away."

Jasper laughed, and said nothing else.

Edward was suddenly in view, from a few cars down from his. His expression shifted when he looked up, and saw Emmett and Jasper. He looked annoyed, to say the least.

"Okay, so get this," Emmett said. "I came up with a nickname." He beamed proud of himself. He waited for me to answer, but Edward did for me.

"She already has a name. Now why don't you leave her alone?"

"I see how it is," Emmett mocked. "Well, balls to you, dickwad."

Edward gave Emmett an extremely withering glare, and unlocked his car. "Ouch. That really hurt my feelings Emmett. Take it back," he deadpanned, while opening my door for me.

Emmett snickered, and shoved Edward, while he passed him. "See you tomorrow, asshole." Jasper, rolled his eyes, and followed Emmett.

"Sorry about that," Edward said, with a grimace, while getting in the car, on his side.

"Why?"

"Because Emmett is my friend, and he's very obnoxious."

I snorted.

Edward stopped at my house, for me to change into appropriate running attire. I found a pair of cotton shorts, and tennis shoes. I figured that would do for now. Then, he drove us to his house, where he instructed me to wait on his porch; he explained that it would be easier to not have to explain to his mom, about it, because she would definitely ask.

Clouds completely obscured the sky, as usual. They were perceptibly darker, however, and heavier looking than I was used to. The air had a strange charge to it, and felt heavy, dense. I wondered what that could mean.

Edward stepped out, then, breaking me of my thoughts. He, himself, wore a t-shirt, a pair of basketball shorts, and a pair of running shoes. "Looks like there's going to be a serious storm," he noted, as he took the steps down his porch. I followed him.

"I hope we don't get caught in it."

He didn't say anything, he just squinted his eyes, at a distinctly bigger, and darker cloud.

He began talking, as we walked down the sidewalk. He walked fast, and it was hard to keep up. I was practically jogging. "First, I think we'll just walk down to that stop sign." He pointed to a stop sign a few blocks down. "It's just to get a feel for the distance we're going. Then, on our way back, we'll alternate blocks, running, and walking. How does that sound?"

"Um. Good."

We walked in silence for a few blocks. He asked me, though, out of the blue, at one point, "What made you decide to do the race?"

I shrugged. Oh, I don't know. My obsessive desire to get to know you better, I guess. That's a possibility. "I just heard about it, and it seemed like an interesting experience. I've never done anything like this before."

He smiled. "So you're impulsive." It was an assumption, not a question.

"I wish."

He cocked his head, in bemusement, but didn't ask me another question. "When you run in a race, you're going to want to conserve energy, by not fully exerting yourself until the last stretch," Edward said, bringing my attention back to our activity.

We walked all the way up to the stop sign, and by the time we got there, it had started drizzling. He explained that we would run this block, walk the next one, and run the after that, and so on.

Edward, naturally, was ahead of me, though we both had started at the same time. He looked incredibly graceful, and sleek, running. I couldn't help but wonder if there was anything he wasn't good at.

I felt pretty good myself, until about half way through my second block, running. For one thing, it was raining, at that point, not just drizzling, and this rain meant business. I had a cramp in my side, and shoulder, and Edward probably wasn't even breathing heavily. And he was still ahead of me. He waited for me, at the next block.

"Do you have a cramp?" he asked.

I took my hand away from my side. "No," I lied.

He fought a smile, and said, "Well, if you get a cramp, just put your arms like this." He demonstrated, by crossing his arms over his head. I was much more fascinated by the way his wet shirt, clung to his chest, and arms, than the tip. To be quite honest.

"O-okay," I said, a little breathlessly.

It was nearly as dark as night, and the wind was whipping the rain around, in sheets of pins and needles, by the time we got back to his house. Lightening cracked the sky, and thunder rolled.

"Maybe you should, call your dad, so he knows you're hear," Edward suggested, while peeling off his sneakers, and dumping them on the porch. I did the same with my shoes.

"Yeah, I think so too."

He took me inside, and we'd taken exactly two steps, when all the lights went out, and we were drowned in darkness.

"Edward?" I called out, feeling an unnecessary rush of fear. I reached out, and his hand fumbled against mine, before finding, and grasping it.

"Is that you, honey?" I heard his mom call from the kitchen. "Who are you with?"

"Bella Swan," Edward answered.

"Well, why don't you two stay there, while I try to find a flashlight, or matches?"

"Okay," Edward answered for us.

I was shivering from the cold of my wet shirt, and shorts, not fear, but I appreciated the squeeze Edward gave my hand anyway.

"What if you can't call Charlie?" Edward asked. "Did you leave him a note?"

I scrambled to remember whether I had left him a note, or anything, but then, a light emanated from the kitchen, and I was distracted.

"Aha!" Mrs. Masen proclaimed, and came to find us in the foyer.

"I'm afraid the phone lines are most likely down, for now, Bella," Mrs. Masen said, as a greeting. "You're going to have to stay with us until the power comes back, or the storm passes."

I had to wonder, how long that would be.

AN: I am so mind-blowingly sorry about how long this took. I truly apologize. I wont even bore you with excuses, just know, there has been good reason for the delay. And I'm sorry this chapter is stupid. It has to do with my excuse.

If you review, I'll … tell you something about the next chapter, how about that? Or I'll give you a pony? With Edward riding it? Or Jasper. Or Emmett. I'm not picky. Just, kindly review :D