Chapter 10

BPOV

What? Had Edward Cullen just asked me out... on a date? I stared at him in complete shock, wondering how I was supposed to respond to that. My first instinct was to yell 'Yes!' loudly and dance around, but that didn't exactly fit new Bella's personality.

And in Port Angeles, there was always the chance of a breakdown because I could accidentally brush against some girl walking down the street. That wouldn't do. I frowned.

"What would we do?" I asked. I didn't really care as long as I was with him, but it was important that I not be in danger of breakdowns.

"Uh... watch a movie... eat dinner...?" he suggested, staring into my eyes. I was almost dazzled again, but I managed to look down at the last second and avoid it. 'Victory!'

Movie, dinner... relatively harmless. Just as long as we didn't go shopping. Neither old Bella nor new Bella liked that prospect. I would just have to be careful all the time.

"Sure, I guess," I decided, getting up from the couch and checking the time on the kitchen clock. I turned back to see my stalker sitting there with a look of pure happiness on his face. Oh, God. I was going to find more ways to make this gorgeous boy look happy all the time.

"My dad's going to be home soon, and I promised I'd make dinner..." I trailed off, watching some of the happiness leave his face.

"Ah, don't worry, I'll get out of your way," he turned towards the door and I watched him go, sighing. Just as he was about to step out the door, I realized he didn't have a vehicle, considering I had driven him here.

"How are you going to get home without a car?" I called out after him. He turned around slowly and smiled at me.

"I'll enjoy the walk. Give myself time to clear my head," he said, traces of a smirk on his face. I furrowed my brows. Didn't he live sort of far out of town? I'd thought I had heard Jessica say that on one of the rants she'd went on before she started to shun me. I decided it wasn't important and shrugged.

"Okay, then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow...?" What I had meant to be a statement had come out as more of a question, which was completely irrational. Obviously we both had school.

"The weather agreeing," he said cryptically, and before I could ask him what that meant, the door shut and I was left standing in the middle of the dining room, confused.

***

After dinner with Charlie, which consisted of me eating my food and him watching me eat my food with that look on his face again, I was relieved to just lie on my bed and relax. I was so tired; and when I sat up and looked in the mirror hanging above the dresser on the other side of the room, I saw that I definitely looked tired too, even without that glorifying make-up.

I showered—ah, the heavenly feeling—and got ready for bed in my typical fashion as to not alarm Charlie. I sat on my bed flipping through a magazine restlessly until I heard the sounds of the TV abruptly stop and Charlie start heading up the stairs. I flicked off the light and covered my head with the blankets, attempting to sound like I was breathing regularly.

The bedroom door opened and I tried my hardest not to tense up, breathing deeply in and out. It seemed my acting skills were better than I had thought, or Charlie was just ignoring the fact I wasn't sleeping, because the door closed and I heard him shuffle down the hallway to his room.

When I was sure Charlie was safely locked away in his bedroom, I got up and flicked the light on again. As I did so, I heard a bumping noise from outside my window and I froze.

I slowly turned and walked over to the window, peering out at the yard below. Was someone trying to break in? I didn't see anything, so I turned and went back to my bed, picking up the magazine again. Dating tips... How to Attract Any Boy... I snorted. Like I needed that when Edward Cullen was stalking me. I wondered whether I should emphasize Edward Cullen and me instead of stalking.

Edward Cullen was stalking me. Yes, that sounded much better.

I stopped flipping through the pages when I heard another sound from outside. I cocked my head, trying to place the sound. I realized it was a twig snapping and I went and looked out the window again. I scanned the shadows carefully. I still didn't see a thing, so I gave up. I flicked off my lights and lay down on my bed. I set my alarm to go off in three hours, not wanting to get too much sleep and have to resort to that stupid, non-waterproof make-up, and closed my eyes.

Not too many minutes later, as I was drifting off, I heard my window slide open. I suppressed the urge to open my eyes and scream the hell out of the person sneaking into my room. I wanted them to get in the room first, so I could at least see who they were.

There was barely a noise when feet landed on the floor. I snapped open my eyes and sat up; looking directly where I thought the perpetrator had landed.

I almost fainted dead away. I was staring straight up into the eyes of none other than my personal stalker, Edward Cullen.

EPOV

I was frozen once more. Bella didn't seem to react in any way. I just stared as her internal-debate face came on once more.

Was the idea that repulsive? She didn't seem to mind me around, she had reacted in the most peculiar way… maybe that was it. Her reactions were the opposite of what I expected. I expected her to say 'yes'—all the signs pointed to it.

But, of course, she would say 'no.' She would call me a creep and call her father to kick me out of the house.

"What would we do?" she struggled to get the words out, speaking timidly. I hadn't thought about that.

"Uh… watch a movie… eat dinner…?" Once again, I also struggled to get the words out, turning my idea into a question.

I had never been on a date before, but that seemed to be the norm. Would that be alright with her? Was it too cliché? Not cliché enough? If only I could permanently read her mind, this would have been so much easier. She broke her gaze away from mine quickly after she stole a glance at me.

Standing, she spoke: "Sure, I guess." She took a few steps back and peered into the kitchen. I didn't pay attention. Bella just agreed to go on a date with me. The smile that broke out must have been matched only by the sun.

"My dad's going to be home soon, and I promised I'd make dinner…" she stopped speaking when my face fell. I had to leave? So soon? Did she want me to leave, to not meet her father?

"Ah, don't worry, I'll get out of your way," I stood and gave her a small smile. Turning heel, I walked toward the door to prepare for tomorrow, as well as settle plans for this Saturday. She called after me as soon as I reached the door.

"How are you going to get home without a car?" I slowly turned back and smiled.

"I'll enjoy the walk. Give myself time to clear my head," I clarified, though my mind was plenty clear. I simply had to organize everything, possibly plan something special. She shrugged and frowned—a combination I couldn't understand. Was that nonchalance or woe?

"Okay, then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow...?" For once, her statement came out as a question, signaling that she must be looking forward to seeing me. At least, that was what I told myself.

"The weather agreeing," I responded slowly, turning around to leave quickly before I was asked to be more specific.

~*~

"Edward!" Esme embraced me in a hug when I entered the house. I hugged her back and smiled.

"Hello, mom. How are you?" I asked, trying to be polite though I only wanted to go to my room and think.

"Oh, just fine," she replied, and then thought: 'So, I hear there's someone new at school…'

I groaned, only wondering what one of my siblings must have said.

"Yes, there is," I responded, breaking the hug and taking a step back. Esme eyed me up and down before nodding.

"That's great, dear. I'm so happy for you," she smiled, not bothering to answer questions. Alice must have seen something for Esme to be happy about this. I knew I was, but for no true reason. I had earned enough of Bella's trust to gain one date. Wedding bells were not part of the equation… and she was human.

"Oh Eddie!" Alice ran down and threw herself onto me, shoving me onto the floor from the force of her hug. I pushed her off and stood, wiping any dirt that would have gathered on my shirt.

"Alice," I quipped. I shrugged as she hugged me again, much tighter this time.

"So, so, so! Can you believe it? It's finally happened! Edward has found his Jasper!" she squealed. I rose an eyebrow as Jasper came into the room and grabbed Alice off of me.

"What?" I asked.

"You know! Your Jasper," she began, "The 'one.'"

Both eyebrows raised by now, I stared at her, watching the vision that played in her mind.

Bella and Alice were sitting on the swing-chair outside of a cottage. Both were talking animatedly about something or another, but something was wrong. Bella looked more pale, and her eyes were a deep topaz, her skin glittered when the sun broke through the clouds…

"No!" I all but snarled, Alice flinching back from my reaction. I narrowed my eyes at her and let a growl escape. "Bella is not going to become a vampire," I hissed.

Alice stood her ground and glared at me. "Sorry, Edward, but I've seen it. That vision is as clear as any of the for-sure futures I've seen. It's going to happen. I just can't tell when… though she doesn't look too old, so I'm assuming sometime within the next 3 years?" she finished, her voice hopeful and excited.

I, however, was neither. There was no way I would allow Bella to live such a wretched life. I opened my mouth to tell my sister off when her eyes glazed over and she had another vision.

Bella was sitting in her bed, her eyes puffy and red. Her face was flustered and stung, and she was coughing violently. The date on the clock beside her bed read as the next day, and she was staring intently at the corner of the room…

The vision ended and I frowned. Bella was going to be ill? And alone? That wouldn't do. Alice began to block her visions with different back issues of magazines. I frowned and began to walk toward her. Jasper immediately stood between us and gave me a look.

"Move, Jasper," I commanded. Instead, he began to pump me full of calming waves, setting me into a euphoric tranquility. I sighed, ignoring their powers. Shrugging, I ran upstairs and to change. I would back to her house and make sure she was okay tomorrow. When school ended, I would wait a few more minutes before knocking on her door, telling her I came to check up on her since she was absent.

It was a plan. A good plan. Nothing would go wrong.

~*~

I sat atop her roof, ducking my head down to check on her in her room every once in a while. She had cooked dinner and made small talk uncomfortably with her father. After that, she went to relax for an hour in her room. It was amazing how I didn't mind simply sitting here, waiting while she did the most mundane of things.

A few moments later, she went and took a shower. I moved from my spot on the roof to the tree, waiting for her to return. When she did, she sat on her bed and began to flip through magazines. Her father had stopped watching TV and had come up to check in on her. She must have noticed because she switched the lights off and threw the sheets over her head, pretending to breathe shallowly as if she were asleep. I wondered why she was pretending.

After he checked in on Bella, her father made his way to his room and quickly fell asleep. Poor man must have been exhausted. Bella waited for a few minutes before turning her light on again. I moved to the window perch and chuckled, bumping against the wall.

Bella's head snapped up and looked at me. I was much quicker, however, and was able to shift to the rooftop again. I heard her walk to the window, presumably to check what the noise had been. I heard her walk back to the bed and grab something. She sat down and I heard the papers shuffling as she flipped through the magazine.

Moving back to my previous spot, I peered in and tried to see what she was reading. It was some feminine magazine, and I snorted—she did at the same time and I held back another chuckle.

After twenty minutes, I decided to see if she could tell I was here. I tapped slightly against the window. She once again came over as I went to the roof. I smiled despite realizing that it could scare her. Maybe she would have called me if she were afraid.

I frowned, realizing she didn't have my number. I didn't think she had a cell phone either… alright, after the Mercedes Guardian, I'd get her a cell phone. Or maybe I'd suggest one after the other, hoping she'd accept them. Girls liked shopping and gifts, right?

Apprehending that she needed to sleep—why was she up this late in the first place?--Bella flicked the lights off once more and went to her bed. I listened closely, her heart beat steadying and her breathing evening. Figuring she was asleep, I opened the window but cursed when it made a loud noise. Something else to purchase: oil.

I entered her room but froze when Bella shot up and stared directly at me.

Her face held no fear, though. Or even worry. She was smiling.

"Uh… hello, Bella," I tried my best to smile back. 'Curse you, Alice, now I know why you were hiding your vision…'

Leon McFrenchington: Sorry it took so long, guys! Complications arose. But at least the chapter was really long, huh? EPOV... that was just me filling in space, but hopefully you liked it :) Hope the humor is catching on!

TRDancer: Yes, a long time. *mutters something about evil parents confiscating her laptop* Anyways, read on! As in, click the next button. WAIT! But not until you click the review button. None of that pishy-poshy, I'm reviewing both chapters in one! Or I'll call you lazy. Muahaha.