A/N: It's a record! A chapter in a not ridiculous amount of time! I actually had this one done a few days ago, but the internet in my house is failing. I only just figured out that there is one place in my house with an Ethernet cable where I was able to plug in my brand spanking new laptop and uplooooaddddd.

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I'd loovelovelove to thank my besties Jana and Meital, for being nothing but lovely. I'll be sure to let you know about all future updates, Maze. (L)

Enjoy the chapter, chaverim, see you at the bottom!

BPOV

I rested my head against the cool mirror, dragging in a deep breath every few moments.

Inhale, Exhale. Inhale, Exhale. Calm.

I leaned back, resting one hand on either side of the white porcelain sink and looking up to inspect my reflection in the streaky bathroom mirror. I looked awful. Tear tracks lined my cheeks, and the wet drops had dragged my carefully applied make up down with them. My hair had been mussed as I ran away from the scene in the parking lot. My eyes were bloodshot.

I didn't know what to do anymore. My outburst had been under absurd circumstances; I had no claim over Edward. I knew perfectly well that he was Tanya's and that Tanya was his. That they loved each other.

I guessed that, over the past few days, I had convinced myself that Edward…felt something for me. Something in the way he looked at me had made me believe that maybe Tanya didn't mean as much to him as it seemed. It was foolish. Who would choose someone like me over Tanya Denali? She was so beautiful, popular, charming…everything I wasn't.

I carefully cleaned the streaks of makeup off and splashed some cool water onto my cheeks. After another deep breath, I gave myself a little shake and stepped out of the bathroom. I pulled my cell phone out of my bag. First period was already half over, there was no point going now. I pulled a book out of my bag and went to sit on one of the picnic tables outside.

I tried to concentrate on the page in front of me, but my mind kept floating to the look on Edward's face when he told Tanya he loved her, his laughter when he thought of the idea of us…together. That laughter had cut me to the bone. I felt a sharp pain in my chest just thinking about it.

I heard the distant tong of the school bell and stood to pack my things and go to class. Before I was able to pick up my backpack, what looked like a black topped comet collided with my chest.

"Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry! I should have run after you, or told him off or…or…done SOMETHING!" said Alice, wrapping her tiny arms tightly around my waist.

"Alice, it's okay. You didn't need to do anything," I replied, "This isn't your responsibility."

"When my best friend runs off crying because the guy she's been in love with since forever has hurt her, that is the definition of my responsibility! Are you okay?"

I twisted a strand of hair around my finger and sighed. Was I okay? It was a question I couldn't answer. If the meaning of "okay" was "alive", then sure I was okay. But…I didn't feel quite right. I was aching all over, and all I could think about was this person I had never even had a chance with.

"I…don't know, Alice. I really don't know," I started to walk towards the school with her, thinking hard.

In fairy tales, the girl always gets her prince charming. I wanted to go back in time and stop whoever wrote all those happily ever after stories from ever dreaming them up. I wanted to stop my dad from reading them to me when I was a baby. It had done nothing but harm me.

I had long since realized that real life was nothing like those fairy tales. But…with all the sappy love songs, all the corny movies, and all the tears and hurt and daydreams and nightmares that had come with my love for Edward, I supposed I had harboured one tiny drop of hope in my heart. And the incident before school this morning seemed to have killed that drop, no matter how tiny it was.

"Alice, I think I'll go home now," I said, as I slowly started to pull my rain jacket back on. A drizzle had started to fall as we walked.

"What? Why?" said Alice, her eyes widening.

"I just...I have to get away for a while. Tell Mr. Banner I'm…sick. Okay?"

" Yeah, sure, Bells. I'll call you later, okay? Love you."

"You too, Al," I said, after a quick squeeze of Alice's shoulders.

I pulled my hood over my head as the rain started to fall harder. I started towards the school gates. I was started to regret my decision to walk home in this downpour.

A beep sounded from the pocket of my jeans, and I pulled out my phone to see a text from Jasper.

Need a ride?

I smiled. Jazz always knew when I was sad, and what I needed. His instinct amazed me sometimes. I responded,

How did you know?

His reply came a moment later.

Skipping class is healthy.

"Hey, Bells," said Jasper's instantly recognizable voice from behind me.

"Hey," I turned around and smiled.

We walked in comfortable silence towards Jazz's car. I climbed into the passenger seat, pulled off my hood, and watched the rain splatter on the windows. As each drop hit the glass, it slid down and spread out across the ledge at the bottom.

"Jazz, did you ever race raindrops?" I murmured, remembering my recent conversation with Edward.

"What?" responded Jasper as he adjusted the static-y radio.

"You know. Racing raindrops. Down the car windows?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Bella."

"Oh. Okay," I furrowed my brow and bit down on my bottom lip, "Jazz?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I'll ever get over it?"

"I don't know, Bella. I know that you really love him. I know you were hurt after what happened this morning, but relationships like the one between Tanya Denali and Edward Cullen don't last. Relationships like the one you and Edward had as kids do last. Remember that," he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, "and trust me. I know what unrequited love feels like."

I rested my hand on his shoulder, "Jazz?"

"Yeah, Bells?"

"You're a good friend."

"Thanks, Bells."

***

EPOV

Beep. Beep.

I pulled my cell out of my jacket pocket and opened the text under my desk.

Lunch?

-T

Groan.

Of course, babe.

-E

I whiled away the rest of my class doodling. I didn't hear a word Mr. Berty said. What I did notice was the constant dirty looks being shot my way by Alice Brandon from the opposite side of the room. Her dark eyes burned with anger. Alice was small, but oddly intimidating with the right look on her face.

I knew why she was mad. I had made Bella cry. How, I didn't know, but I had done it. I felt terrible. I rested my head on my desk. After this class I would eat lunch, where I would sit with Tanya and her cheerleading friends and my football friends and the rest of "the gang". I would smile and laugh and be charming and Tanya would feed me spoonfuls of peas and Emmett would punch me repeatedly in the arm and Jessica and Kate and Irina would giggle but I would be screaming on the inside. And across the cafeteria would be Alice and Jasper and Angela and…Bella. Genuine friends.

The bell rang, and I was out of the class before its toll had finished. I was halfway to the cafeteria when I felt a small and on my elbow.

"Bella?" I said without thinking.

"Not quite, kid. Our friend Bella went home."

I spun around to see Alice standing there, her thin arms crossed over her chest, her eyebrow arched in incredulity.

"Hi, Alice," I muttered sheepishly.

"Care to take a walk?"

She didn't give me a choice in the matter; she grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the cafeteria, towards the gym. She rounded the corner of the large brick building and yanked me into an alleyway between the gym and one of the classroom buildings. She freed my arm and leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down so that she was crouching on the ground with her back against the bricks. She patted the gravelly spot next to her and beckoned me to sit.

I slid into the space and crossed my legs. "What's this about, Alice?" I murmured.

"Edward. How long have you known Bella?" she answered my question with another question.

"I don't know, eleven years?"

"She's special to you." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Yes."

"Then you should know what this is about!" Her tone changed completely, it was now tainted with anger. She abruptly pulled herself up from the ground and started to pace back and forth, gravel crunching under her feet as she traversed the alley. "Get up."

I stood and brushed the gravel off the seat of my pants. Alice stopped in front of me and pressed a finger to my chest. "What's wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about, Alice? I didn't do anything!"

"That's the problem!"

"What?"

"I don't know how to explain this to you without losing my best friend! Edward, just think about it for a second. Remember Valentine's Day?"

I nodded. On Valentine's Day last year, I had received several heart shaped cards, all drowned in glitter and marked with swirly handwriting, and all claiming deep love for me. Emmett and I had sat in my room for hours, reading all of them and laughing. One had stood out from the rest – a simple white cardstock square, with the words "I Love You", and nothing else, written in painstaking calligraphy across the front. A tiny red heart had been in the corner, unassuming and innocent. At the time, I had wondered about the card, but Emmett had been more interested in the handmade hearts and terrible poetry that comprised the bulk of the pile.

"What about it?" I asked, utterly perplexed.

Alice groaned. "Oh my god, you people have thicker skulls than most cavemen. Have you been thinking about Bella a lot? Wanting to see her? Reading something funny and wanting to tell her?"

"Um, I don't know…" It was a lie. Everything she said was exactly right. This girl was practically omniscient.

"Ugh. Just…just think about it, Edward. Enjoy your lunch with Tanya," and with that, she turned and was gone.

A/N: Personally, I think Alice is a badass. Just saying. Also, you probably don't know what chaverim means. It's Hebrew for friends. And the "ch" isn't a regular "ch" it's this weird choking sound. Whatever. Go to Israel and find out.

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