A/N: Once again, I would like to thank you all for your wonderful reviews, they really do help me. Here is the next chapter.

Bella's POV

I tried to stop crying. My throat was feeling swollen and achy, and I was sure my face had turned splotchy and red. I couldn't go back to class if it the redness didn't go away. Actually, I didn't want to go back at all. That would probably be better.

"Bella," Alice's fluid voice echoed in the tiled bathroom.

I choked back a sob, trying to stop the noise.

"Bella, I know you're in there."

I stayed quiet; I didn't want to face her just now. I just wanted to be left alone.

"Bella, we weren't playing a joke on you. And we certainly were not laughing about you. What would we laugh about? Come out Bella, I just want to talk to you. Jessica's a witch, we all know she is."

"I know that you guys wouldn't do that," I muttered hoarsely.

"You do?" I could hear happiness entering her tone.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. I can't do stuff with you anymore Alice, just leave me be. I won't be coming with you on Friday, try not to talk to me in the halls and stuff."

"Bella, why, you know that we weren't making fun of you. I thought you wanted to be my friend."

"Yeah, I did."

"What makes the difference what Jessica thinks? I don't care."

"She was right, I was acting like a slut, it's not like Edward would like me. I mean, he basically called me one himself at the mall. He was probably disgusted, thinking I was flinging myself at him. I didn't mean to, but I'm sure he took it that way."

I wiped the back of my hand across my moisture-ridden eyes.

"Oh Bella," she sighed unhappily.

"No, just go, I just want to be alone," I insisted.

"This isn't over, she warned me.

I heard the door swing shut.

The tears flooded my eyes again. I had just lost the only friend I ever had.

After ten minutes, I realized that I couldn't stay here anymore. I went to the nurse's office. She took one look at me and let me go. I think she felt sorry for me. Great, more pity.

I just went straight to my room when I got home, not even stopping to do my homework, or make Charlie dinner, he could order a pizza. I cried all through the night, until finally, my rhythmic sobs lulled me to sleep.

Alice's POV

I left her in the bathroom, and went back out to the family.

"So, how is she?" Edward asked anxiously.

I smiled to myself, even now, he couldn't deny his feelings. He couldn't hide them if he tried.

"She doesn't think that we would do that to her."

"Good, so she's okay?"

"No, Edward, she's not okay. Apparently, she took Stanley's little speech to heart. She thinks she's made a fool out of herself. She thinks you think she threw herself at you."

He looked appalled. "Of course I don't think that, she's never been anything like that to me."

"I know that, but she doesn't. If you aren't going to be around her, don't ignore her one day and pay attention to her the next for heavens sake Edward. It's confusing her, she doesn't understand, how could she? Either be there for her, or stay away altogether."

He looked torn. "What if I do something?" He looked like he was going to be physically ill at the thought.

"You won't, I promise." I tapped my head.

He sighed, and rubbed his neck, "I don't know."

"Just be there for her Edward, see where it goes, you know you can do this."

He looked at me. "The scariest thing is, I want to be there for her, protect her, but I need to protect her from myself." He whispered it, like it was some horrible secret. For him, it was. I felt so bad for him. All he needed was right in front of him, but he kept holding himself back.

"She's a lot worse off without you. This thing that she's living now, it's not even a life. She needs you."

He scoffed, "Sure, just like she needs the plague."

I stared at him. "Just make up your mind Edward."

Bella's POV

Tuesday Afternoon

I opted to skip school today; I didn't feel like I could face anyone just yet. Especially Edward Cullen. I just couldn't. I told Charlie that I felt sick, so he called me off. I just stayed in bed all day. I read all of my favorite classics. I put down East by Edith Pattou. It wasn't really an old classic, but I really liked it. I must have read it a million times. Mythical creatures, yeah right. The sleep last night did me a lot of good, I felt more calm, relaxed. I did notice that my window was cracked open this morning. I couldn't remember opening it, but I just must have been too distraught to recollect doing it.

I turned on my side and flipped the page. Maybe I would go to school tomorrow.

Carlisle's POV

I was sitting at the dining room table, filling out some reports on patients when Edward walked swiftly through the room, coming in from outside.

"Where have you been?" I asked him, never looking up from my papers.

You haven't done anything reckless have you Edward?

I looked up, "No, of course not," he said guiltily.

"I'm not acting guilty," he protested.

I looked at him. His eyes were a vibrant bright gold, the most gold I'd ever seen them. His clothes were slightly astray, and his bronze hair was windblown. He'd done something.

"I haven't done anything."

"Well then, what haven't you done?" I asked him pleasantly. I had a suspicion of what this sudden late night trip could be about.

"Don't tell them," he pleaded with me quietly. "They wouldn't understand, especially Emmett and Rosalie."

I shook my head in compliance. He was right, they wouldn't understand.

"Thank you," he breathed out in relief.

"Did it help you decide?"

He shook his head tersely, "I wasn't sure, and then she, she . . . I don't know what she does to me, but I don't make decisions rationally anymore I don't think things through. It's like I'm going in circles and every time I stop, all hands are still pointed at her. If she was a different person, it would be different. It would, but she's not. She's so innocent, angelic. She deserves more than these people give her."

"I think Edward, if she was a different person, there would be no decision that needed to be made. She sounds complex, but so are you Edward. You'll make the right choice and if all hands point to her, then maybe that is the choice you should make."

"But wouldn't it be odd, strange, crazy, unnatural?"

"Love isn't sane Edward."

"I don't," he started in a strangled voice.

Be truthful with me Edward.

"How can I be?" He whispered the emotions flashing on his face. "How can I be truthful with you if I can't be with myself?"

Bella's POV

Wednesday Morning

The shrill ring of my alarm woke me in an instant. Grumbling about the light, burning my eyes, I hit the alarm to turn it off.

"You'll need a new one if you hit it any harder."

I gasped and jerked upright. Someone was in my room.

Terrified, I looked around until I saw her. Alice was sitting on top of my dresser, swinging her legs like a little kid.

"Alice," I gasped, my hand over my heart, "what on earth are you doing here?"

"Well Bella, you were absolutely ridiculous about wearing that ugly outfit to school on Monday, so I thought I would help you get ready today."

I groaned and burrowed under the covers, "I don't want to go to school today."

"But you need to Bella, Edward will be there, and so will everyone else. They'll be in an absolute shock when they see you, I promise."

"I'm sure you're wrong Alice, and even if you were right, which you're not, I wouldn't want people to stare at me. They'd just find more reason to ridicule."

"No they wouldn't, they would remark on how they overlooked you. Even Mike Newton will be entranced."

"Entranced? Honestly Alice," I laughed humorlessly. "That's not funny."

"I'm serious, but enough talk, we need to get started."

She grabbed my hand, and took out her enormous carry-on bag.

She proceeded to pull out make up, strange appliances, perfume, an object that I couldn't identify, and various other things.

"Alice, do you take this bag with you everywhere?"

"Of course," she said, rubbing something on my face.

An hour later, she walked over to the closet and pulled out a few articles. I stared at her in horror.

"Huh, uh," I crossed my arms, "no way."

"Bella, come on, everyone will be freaked out by you. You'll look so hot in this."

She dangled the outfit in front of me.

"Everyone will think I look like a slut," I murmured looking away.

Alice pouted. "Bella, no one thinks that except Jessica, and she's just saying that because she's jealous of the fact that Edward and Mike both like you."

"No they don't."

"Oh yes, they do, and they'll like you even more if you wear this."

I sighed, and grabbed the outfit. I was only doing this, because I thought it would make me more appealing to Edward, and that was a really stupid reason to do it, because there was no way Edward could ever even think of me like that. He probably couldn't even be a friend to me, I contemplated sadly.

I'm going to look like an idiot, I thought to myself as I walked out the door, and locked it. I turned around to go to my truck and stopped dead. A silver Volvo was in the driveway, but that wasn't what stopped me. It was the driver that paralyzed my motions. Edward Cullen was sitting behind the steering wheel, staring at me with obvious distaste.

He evaluated me, slowly. I could feel my face burning, as he continued his perusal. Then, angrily, he got out of the car and walked over to me.

"What on earth are you wearing?"

I took one look at his pitch black eyes. There was no freaking way that was genetic.

And no surprise there, he hated what I was wearing, I tried to tell Alice. There went my pitiful hopes.

"I . . . um . . . I . . ."

Still glaring at my appearance, he turned toward the door. "ALICE, come here," he issued hostily.

She appeared seconds later, "Sorry Bella, I was just packing up my bag. Oh, Edward," she turned to look at him. "What do you want?"

"What is she wearing?" he hissed.

She rolled her eyes, obviously not daunted by Edward's furious attitude. "For heavens sake. Wait here Bella; we'll just be a moment." She grabbed Edwards arm and physically jerked him over to his car. I stood there, and watched their exchange. They were both muttering angrily, and Edward kept gesturing over to me. What the heck were they talking about?

Alice's POV

"What is your problem Edward?" I asked him as soon as we got far enough away from Bella.

"Do you see what she's wearing? It's practically indecent."

I sighed, "Honestly, do you have any fashion sense? She looks hot."

"That's my point exactly, how do you think the male population is going to react to that." He pointed over to Bella, who was looking extraordinarily uncomfortable in a pair of tight flare legged jeans, and a t-shirt that rested an inch above her jeans.

"Don't you mean how you're reacting?" I asked him smugly.

"It's not happening, you're a bad influence. Go make her change into something more appropriate."

"Edward, I swear if you make her loose what little confidence she's gained, I'm going to have to throttle you. Here's a mind flash Edward, she doesn't have any self confidence, and you're making it worse."

That seemed to take him back a little. Good, I hoped it sunk into his thick skull.

"Fine," he muttered in resignation, "but I'm going to stick with her to make sure nothing happens."

I grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

A/N: Well, I hope you liked it. Please review and tell me if you did!