Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I own Bella's Mom jeans. I need to go shopping…

Bella POV

When I awoke the next morning, I was surprised to find myself alone and the house seemed quiet. I stretched and noticed that my ankle seemed to be feeling better. It was still tender but I knew from experience that I should be tripping over my own feet by tomorrow.

I knew that somebody would be coming for me at some point and if Alice was going to monopolize all of my time for the day, I needed to get moving. I opened up the laptop that Edward had gotten for me and logged on. I had no idea what I was looking for, but I had to start somewhere.

I began by googling extra sensory perception and I got a lot of psychic hotline sites. There were the usual TV shows and movies that dealt with paranormal stuff as well. There really didn't seem to be much that would fit with Alice's or Edward's abilities. Most of the stuff was entertainment-oriented or too steeped in the conspiracy theory category.

I moved onto 'evolutionary mutations' and ended up with a bunch of comic book information. I had pretty much given up on the whole superhero theory considering that I hadn't seen one cape and while Carlisle certainly came across as mild-mannered, I just couldn't see him beating the tar out of some criminal.

Maybe they were aliens, but why would they be wasting their time here in Forks? I had a brief vision of Alice ordering couture spacesuits and had to laugh. But really, when I thought seriously about it, it did seem like a plausible rationale. They were all inhumanely beautiful. Rosalie certainly had an otherworldly beauty. Perfection like that just didn't seem possible in my world.

I knew my theories and speculations were probably ridiculous, but I also knew that the Cullen family was not normal. They were so far from normal that they defied rational explanation.

I still felt like I was missing some important clue that would tie all of this together, and it was becoming increasingly important for me to figure this out. Edward was affecting me in way that no one else ever had and I needed to know what he was, since normal wasn't it. Normally someone as beautiful and perfect as Edward wouldn't look twice at someone like me, I thought wryly.

When I thought back to our goodbye, I was both giddy and chagrined. Being kissed by Edward was overwhelming and completely consuming. I flushed just thinking about it, and then I got even hotter when I thought about what I had said to him. How could I have blurted that out to him? He seemed like he was feeling something for me but perhaps he was just slumming it with me. Clearly he could have anyone he wanted, so why would he want me?

I needed to chill out and not take any of this too seriously. Edward was too good for me. I needed to back off and protect my heart. There was no way this could last. There was nothing about me that could hold someone like him. As I started to get more and more depressed I made the decision to get back in control of myself. It was easier now that he was out of the house to start facing reality again. I was and always would be just plain Bella Swan. And Edward? He was perfection. Perfection was not meant for me.

I closed the laptop and stretched. While my train of thought had definitely been a downer, I did feel a bit better now that I had mentally smacked myself around.

"Bella, you are awake!" Alice came skipping in. "Let's get you dressed and down to breakfast."

"Good morning Alice," I had to smile. "Do I get to dress myself today?"

"Yes," she said, a moue of distaste marring her perfect mouth. "But, only until your new wardrobe arrives."

"What new wardrobe?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well," she began. "I may have ordered a few things for you last night. Nothing too flashy, and no high heels. I promise that you will look beautiful in each and every outfit."

"Alice," I said, trying to not get irritated. "I have clothes. I like my clothes. I believe we had this conversation already. Not only do I not need anything, I certainly don't want you spending money on me!"

Alice just rolled her eyes. "Bella, I have more money than I could ever spend and believe me, it will continue to pour in. Besides, it makes me happy to buy you things. You are my friend, the only one I have, unless you count my family, which I don't."

I couldn't speak for a moment. Despite the fact that she was acting blasé, I could tell that she really meant that. At first I felt bad that Alice seemed lonely, and then I thought about the fact that I really couldn't claim any real friends either. That was too depressing to really dwell on, so I rasped out, "Alice, I am your friend and nothing will change that. You don't need to buy me things."

Alice looked like she was going to tear up as well, but then she shook her head and smirked. "Okay Bella, maybe you don't need me to buy you things, but I need it. It hurts my eyes to look at you in those baggy t-shirts. Honestly, you wear Mom jeans, Bella. It is physically painful to me."

I was too shocked to come up with any sort of witty retort and she took advantage of my speechlessness and threw my bag at my feet as she said, "Choose well Bella, for today is the last day any of those hideous clothes will see the light of day again."

I finally got my voice back and said loudly, "Alice, my clothes aren't hideous. They are me! We can't all be as gorgeous as you."

Alice looked at me so sadly, I lost my anger, until she spoke again.

"Bella," she said. "Those clothes aren't you and that is why they are hideous. They are hiding the real you and I don't understand why you do that because the real you is beautiful."

I knew that I was far from beautiful and that Alice was probably just trying to get her way by appealing to my vanity. Normally I would have rolled my eyes at such blatant flattery, but the sincerity in her voice and expression made me pause. "Alice," I asked tentatively. "What do you see when you look at me?"

Alice smiled and took my hand into her cold one. "I see a lovely young woman with porcelain skin and silky brown hair, who has no idea of the effect she has on people. I see strength and kindness. I see vulnerability and selflessness. I see a love for laughter and joy in the simplest of life's pleasures. I see talent and determination. I see all of those things and so much more. I am lucky that I see these things because you, Bella, try as hard as you can to hide all that is wonderful about you. I had to work damn hard to see those things, so don't you dare tell me that I am wrong or try to make light of it."

I didn't know what to say. I had honestly expected her to say something about my split ends or my crackly, dry skin and then force me into a vat of moisturizer. I couldn't deny that hearing someone like Alice say those things about me was enormously gratifying and a little humbling. It was hard to be snippy with her when she was stroking my ego. Of course, that may have been her plan all along. Drive me into teary speechlessness and then move in for the wardrobe kill…

"Alice," I started. "I am touched by your words. Honestly. But, I fail to see how my clothes are responsible for hiding all of the gloriousness that is me."

Alice smirked and said, "Okay, now I thought I told you not to make light of it… Very well. The clothes are only a small part. Let me ask you something. What is in all of your notebooks?"

That caught me off guard. "Well, actually I started out with journals, but my life wasn't really anything to write home about. So they are pretty much filled up with short stories. Some of them are based on little things that happened to me or things I overheard about others. I love to write, but I am not the most creative person, so I take real-life situations and kind of embellish and exaggerate. They aren't anything special. It's just something I enjoy."

"How many people have read them?" Alice asked.

"Um, none."

"Why?" she asked, and I had a feeling I was being lead somewhere but I couldn't seem to stop myself from answering.

"Why would I show them to anyone?" I retorted. "I write for my own pleasure."

"Really," she skeptically.

"Well. Okay, I do want to be a writer, someday," I said. "But these are just practice."

"Really," she repeated.

"They aren't even any good. No one else would be interested."

"Really."

"Alice," I said with a warning in my tone, which she of course ignored.

"What if I told you I was dying to read them Bella?" she asked me. "Would you let me read them?"

"Er, I don't know…"

"Well then, what if I told you that Edward was dying to read them? Would you let him?"

"Can you get to the point Alice?" I asked exasperatedly.

"The point," she said forcefully, "is that you hide everything. You hide your feelings, your talent, and you hide your hot body!"

"Hot body?" Now I was burning with embarrassment.

"And that isn't even the worst of it," she went on, really on a roll now. "You hide from life and everything it could be."

I wasn't sure how to respond. She was so earnest and serious that I didn't know how to react. I couldn't even get defensive because I was so confused. "Alice, did something happen?"

Alice sighed and said, "Bella, I just wish you could see in yourself a fraction of what the rest of see."

Alice walked to the door and then turned to look at me. "Now," she said. "Get dressed and I will be back in five minutes to take you down to breakfast." With that, she walked out, leaving me to wonder how the usual insults about my clothing had turned into some sort of life lesson.

Alice POV

As I left Bella, I realized that I still had a lot of ground to cover. I found myself wishing that I hadn't insisted that Edward go with Carlisle. If he had been here, I felt certain that Bella wouldn't have had an opportunity to start thinking her ridiculous thoughts.

Although I was relieved that Edward hadn't been here to see my latest vision which had Bella removing herself from our home and family. She was muddling up everything with her insecurities. I played with the idea of telling her in detail of my vision of her and Edward and their future together, but I wasn't sure how it would play out. Her thought processes were so convoluted and unpredictable, I found myself reassured that I could get any visions of her at all.

The thought that my visions were changing because Bella felt like she wasn't worthy of Edward frustrated me. I wasn't about to let Edward lose the love of his life and me the sister I wanted so badly because Bella was getting twitchy.

I had a feeling that Edward was going to be the deciding factor. Bella had to understand that Edward loved her above all else and she needed to stop questioning the why of it.

With any luck, Bella would eventually recognize that love is what it is and it doesn't have to make sense. Until then, I would work on her self-esteem issues and hope that if she felt beautiful, she would see herself as I did. Plus, it would be fun making her over. She really was a beautiful girl and I wanted her to flaunt it. Maybe Rosalie could give her lessons. Or maybe not…

Not a long chapter, I know... But I am working on the next one and I will type faster if I get more reviews. Pretty pretty please review? I promise more hot vampire lovin' soon if I get some reviews...