A/N: Three updates in a week. I spoil you.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I was so overwhelmed by the amount of reviews I got for the last two chapters. You all rock. Enjoy.

Previously...

He stands up and moves to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To check on my baby sister." He says. "I told you this a long time ago. You may be my best friend but Bella will always come first."

I nod. "Go do what you have to do."

When Emmett leaves, I get up, wincing at the pain, and go to the bathroom. I look in the mirror and grimace. My whole face is swollen. Emmett must have continued beating the shit out of me after I passed out.

Now what?

Chapter 9

Bella

Two weeks after New Years, I am sitting in the living room, curled up on the couch reading my book. I can't concentrate. Emmett and Rose are in Port Angeles, celebrating their anniversary and Charlie is in La Push, still fishing with Billy.

I have the house to myself yet I can't think. I don't know what I want. Usually Jasper comes over and keeps me company—

Stop thinking about him! I snap at myself. I know I can't ignore him forever. Jasper is—was? — my best friend. I'm going to have to talk to him, if only to get everything I'm feeling off my chest.

I just can't bear to see him right now. On most occasions, I am a very lenient person. But with Jasper... I don't know if I can ever forgive him.

There is a knock on the door. I ignore it, hoping whoever it was would go away.

No such luck.

The knocking becomes more and more insistent. Aggravated, I throw the book on the couch and stand up.

Jasper is standing on the other side of the door. He looks awful. His face is still swollen from the beating he took from Emmett and he is soaking wet.

"Jasper, what are you doing here?" I ask flatly.

"I need to talk to you."

"No."

"Please, Bella."

I study him closely. He looks tired. "Have you been sleeping at all?" I ask.

He blinks and shakes his head. "No. Not since—"

I wince, knowing where he was going. "I'm sorry." He whispers. "For everything. I didn't mean anything I said."

"Yes you did." I say.

"No, Bella I didn't." He says. "I was drunk. I know that it is no excuse but you have to believe me. I really didn't mean anything."

"I—"

"Bella, please,"

I shake my head. "No, Jasper. You don't understand. You were my best friend. I loved you and trusted you and you broke my heart. I don't know if we can ever get past this."

"So that's it? After seven years of friendship, you're just going to drop me?"

"I'm not the one that ruined our friendship, Jasper." I say. "I was always there for you. I came when you called; I did things that I was terrified of, all because I got to do it with you." I watch his face. "But you never did the same for me. You were always off with some girl, doing things I don't even want to think about. If anything, you are the worst kind of friend. You always expect others to come to you but you never do the same."

Jasper stares at me. He opens his mouth to say something before it shuts. That goes on for several moments.

"I hope you realize just how much you've changed." I say. "Or you will end up losing everything you cherish."

"Bella," he chokes out.

"Goodbye Jasper."

I close the door and lean against it. My heart is breaking. My final goodbye. I finally got the closure I needed to move on. Once this year is over, I won't ever have to see Jasper again, expect maybe on various holidays.

I shake my head. What a way to start the New Year.

***

School is hard. I barely see Rose and Emmett because I am always hiding from Jasper. In a school this small, it is a hard thing to do. Usually I hide in the library. According to Emmett, Jasper isn't doing too well either. His teachers are worried about him and they're worried that he's going to fail.

I don't know what to feel. There is only so much I can really do.

"Bella," Rosalie comes up to the table and sits down across from me.

I look at her.

"You alright?"

I nod.

"Are you worried about Jasper?"

"Old habits die hard." I say.

"Jasper did this to himself, Bella. You need to remember that."

"I know." I agree. "It's just so hard."

"You need to find something else to focus on." She says. "You haven't picked up your camera since New Years. What's preventing you from that?"

"I lost my inspiration." I admit.

"Then find something else." Rosalie moves until she is sitting beside me. She wraps her arms around me, holding me tight. I rest my head on her shoulder. "I know you're upset. But this is for the best."

I shake my head. "I don't know, Rose."

"I believe in you, sweetheart."

I look at her. "Okay."

She smiles and kisses my head.

Jasper

I don't know what I'm doing.

Everything is losing meaning. I sit in class, pretending to pay attention as Mr. Marshall talks about our essays he is handing back.

"... did very well while others..."

He comes around the desks, handing them back. I look down as mine lands in front of me.

D+ -See me

The bell rings shortly after. I stay after class, waiting. Mr. Marshall looks up when I walk to his desk.

"Jasper, I'm very disappointed in you." He says. "This is a major part of your final grade. Are you trying to fail?"

"No." I say.

"Then what is it?"

"It's nothing, Mr. M." I say.

"Does this have something to do with you and Miss. Swan?" he asks, staring at me expectantly.

"No!"

He looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "Listen to me, Jasper. You are a very good student but this essay was not what I was expecting from you. It was sloppy and your analysis was vague."

I stare at him.

"You can do extra credit if it suits you." He says. "That is the only way to raise your mark up. It's up to you."

Extra credit. I want to graduate this year with everyone else. I failed the essay.

"Okay." I say.

He nods.

***

Emmett is waiting for me in the cafeteria. "Where have you been?" he asks.

"Talking to Mr. Marshall," I say.

"What's going on?"

"I'm failing English." I say.

He sighs and shakes his head. "What's gotten into you lately, Jazz? You haven't been yourself lately and I'm worried."

"You're worried?" I say flatly.

"Jazz, what happened sucked and I still hate you for hurting Bella but you are still my friend." he says. "I'm really worried about you. You're spiralling out of control."

"I'm fine, Emmett."

"Are you?"

I look at him and sigh. "I don't understand how everything happened. One minute, Bella cared about me and the next; she won't even speak to me."

"I don't know what to tell you man. I can't tell you what to do."

"That's because you've never been in a situation like this." I snap.

"No." He says. "Well, you right, I haven't. But words have consequences. Did you really think telling Bella you could never really love her because of the way she is, wouldn't affect her?"

I glare at him.

"Think about it, man." He claps me on the back before heading to the table Rose was at. I look around the cafeteria for Bella. She isn't here.

I sigh and walk to a table, lost in thought.

Bella

Walking into photography that afternoon, I mull over everything Rosalie said.

Mr. Dick* is standing at the front of the room, watching everyone file inside. Usually photography is my favourite class but lately it's the one I've been dreading the most.

"Isabella, may I speak with you?"

Everyone in the class looks at me and I flush in embarrassment. I nod anyway and follow him out of the room.

"Isabella, I'm worried about you."

I blink at him. "Why?"

"I haven't seen you pick up a camera since you returned to school. And when you do, the pictures you produce are not up to your normal standards."

"I know." I say, hanging my head. "I've just lost my inspiration."

Mr. D leans against the wall and looks at me. "Photographers lose inspiration all the time. It's a matter of finding something new." He says. "What got you started in the first place?"

I bite my lip and sigh. "Jasper," I say. "He gave me my first camera when I was twelve. I would take pictures of everything."

"So clearly, something happened between you and Jasper."

My wince does not go unnoticed. "Bella, you don't have to tell me everything. I just don't want to see such an incredibly talented photographer lose focus."

"Mr. D, have you ever loved someone so much that your heart swelled every time you saw them?" I ask, staring at the photographs hanging on the wall across from us.

"Yes." He says. "My wife,"

I smile and turn to look at him. He is twirling his wedding band. "I feel the same way about Jasper." I admit. "But he doesn't feel the same."

"He told you that?"

"Oh yes." I say. "He told me that I could never be someone he truly loves."

"I see."

I glance at him. "Isabella, I've known Jasper for four years. I saw the way Kristina treated him and what happened to him after she dumped him. Jasper is still nursing his wounds from his first love."

"But it wasn't even love." I argue. "Jasper was just infatuated with her. She was a senior and gorgeous and popular. He was a short, awkward freshman with no experience around girls."

"Aren't most guys like that?"

"Not in this day and age." I say. "Kristina took advantage of Jasper because she knew he wouldn't know any better."

"Bella, how long have you known Jasper?"

"Since I ten," I say.

"Seven years." He muses. "And in those seven years, how long have you been in love with him?"

"Since I was fourteen," I admit.

"That must have been around the time he was still with Kristina, was it not?" I nod. "Why didn't you tell him then? Why wait so long to tell him?"

His questions are hard. I don't know how to answer them.

"He was happy with Kristina."

"Did you know Kristina was using him?"

"I... suspected." I admit. "But I couldn't tell him because he wouldn't have believed me." I say. "Jasper used to love so passionately. But along with breaking up, Kristina changed him for the worst,"

"Do you really believe that?"

"Of course," I say. "Jasper wasn't so carefree anymore. He was more guarded and careful around people. Even around us and he knew we would never hurt him."

"He was protecting his heart."

"No, he was building a wall around it. He succeeded in blocking any kind of love out of his heart."

"According to some of the teachers, Jasper hasn't been doing so well. If he truly blocked his heart from any type of love, he wouldn't have been affected by you. Yet he does. You are both reacting to each other."

I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's making my head hurt. "I thought we came out here to talk about my crappy photographs." I say weakly.

He sighs and shakes his head. "Isabella, whatever is going on between you and Jasper is between the two of you. I don't want to get in the middle of it. Jasper may have been your inspiration in the past but photographers must find other ways to spark their inspiration." He says. "Take a trip somewhere. Sit in a cafe and simply watch. You never know when inspiration can hit."

"Thanks Mr. D."

He smiles and nods. "I'm glad we had this talk Isabella."

"Mr. D?" He turns. "Why do you call me Isabella?"

He chuckles. "I can't take you seriously as a photographer when I call you Bella. Isabella Swan is the name I know I will see in top notch galleries."

I smile. "Thanks."

Mr. Dick winks and heads back into the classroom. A few minutes later, I go inside as well.

***

Charlie, Emmett and I are sitting at the kitchen table, eating the steak that I made for dinner. I pick at the meat, thinking over everything Mr. Dick said.

"Charlie?" I say.

He looks up from the newspaper he is reading. "What is it Bells?"

"Would it be alright if I went to Seattle this weekend?"

He frowns. "Why?"

"I was talking to Mr. Dick"—Emmett snickers—"today and he suggested I take a trip somewhere. I've been lacking in motivation to take pictures so he said to try and find inspiration somewhere else."

"Why Seattle? It's so far."

"It isn't that far." I argue.

"Will your truck even make it to Seattle?" Emmett asks.

"No. That's why I was hoping to take your jeep?"

Silence from both of them. "Please, Dad? I really need this."

They exchange glances. "Alright." He agrees reluctantly. "But I want you to call when you get there. Let me know you're okay."

"I will." I promise. "Thank you, Daddy."

Charlie blinks. I understand. It's been a while since I called him Daddy.

We finish eating dinner and Emmett helps me wash the dishes. Neither of us speak but I know Emmett realizes why this is important to me.

Once everything is cleaned, I head up to my room to finish up my homework.

That's all for today folks. Hope you liked it. Anyway, Review please.

*Mr Dick is my old science teacher. He was my favourite teachers, despite the class he taught. Don't laugh at his name.